posted 06-01-2004 17:29               

Today i got an email - quote -
Regarding to your complaint against DESARROLLO MARINA VALLARTA, S.A. DE C.V. this federal Office of Consumer Affairs would like to inform you that the supplier has showed us the document that supports the amount of $x,xxx.xx USD has been refunded to your credit card account, please confirm us as soon as you can if you have recieved this amount.

Best Regards,
Lic. Isabel González Padilla
Manager to Attention to Foreigners Department

-end quote - PS I changed the amount to Xs

I am really impressed with them - I am glad they are taking the case seriously. Please pass the word that those in trouble should definately contact Profeco.

PS. Still lots of hits on my site www.gkaufmann.net and getting emails from about 5 people a week with questions. And - I got my first success working with a girl that bought in Cancun who just got her money back.

posted 07-08-2004 10:38               

Still getting emails about every other week at my new site www.gkaufmann.net which deals with timeshare fraud and how to get your money back. Lots of links there to other sites that can help.

Have had lots of success in helping people who where lied to!

If you are in trouble go to my website above and Contact Us - make sure to tell me where you bought - when you bought, and if they have any more of your money other than the downpayment. MOst of complaints are from the Mayan Palace, but not all. Most of the successful complaints have been based on the MP telling them they could not cancell, but some have gotten refunds just based on their misrepresentation. Get Help!

posted 08-10-2004 20:41               

Any advice will be gratefully appreciated.

posted 08-10-2004 22:17            

http://www.timesharefraud.info/

http://www.timesharefraud.com/

http://www.thetimesharebeat.com/mex-fraud.htm

http://www.thetimesharebeat.com/ombudsman.htm

http://www.gkaufmann.net/16410.html

and I thought they cleaned up their act. Hope these links work now.

posted 09-24-2004 10:27            

Try http://www.c21tri.net

More info contact me

posted 11-08-2004 17:10               

quote:

---

Originally posted by burlingtonmiriam:
My name is Miriam Wright. My husband and I bought a timeshare from Mayan Resorts in Riviera Maya in October 2004. When we returned home we realized that we had been scammed. We had been the victims of lies and illegal practices inflicted upon us by Mayan Resorts. We had been led to believe that we had waived the 5-day rescind period. As is common to their practice, we did not receive a copy of the waiver we signed. It is illegal under Mexican law to waive this period.
Mayan Resorts is well aware of this fact, yet continues this illegal practice.

---

They hope people will not pursue it. If only a few give up they are way ahead of the game. The profit margin is so high and the hoops one has to jump thru so many, that part of their sales plan is to plan on people not pursuing their cancelation further.

Keep on top of them and you will do OK like others who have persevered.

JMHO of course

frenchieinme

posted 11-08-2004 18:53            

We have contacted Profeco and MasterCard (the credit card used for the deposit). We are hoping that they will help us; but we are not letting up on Mayan Resorts. They know that we are telling the truth. What they'll realize, if they haven't already is that we WILL NOT GIVE UP.

If they think Canadians are too polite or too lazy to go the distance in protecting their rights and their principles, I can assure you that we are not!!!

It is unfortunate that Mayan Resorts rely on illegal and unethical practices to sell their timeshares. It really put a negative cast over an otherwise wonderful vacation in Cancun.

Hopefully MasterCard (and the other credit card companies and Mayan Resorts uses), together with Profeco and others will pressure Mayan Resorts and others like them to "clean up their act." Without Mastercard (and the other credit card companies) this whole scam would fall apart. Not many (if any) people go on vacation with a bundle of cash or personal cheques for a timeshare purchase. Thus, Mastercard has a responsibility to recify the situation too!

Any other suggestions and support from others out there is welcome!

posted 11-08-2004 19:05               

Just wanted to let everyone know I did everything with Profeco via fax and phone. No need to send expensive FEDEX packages!!!

posted 11-10-2004 23:04               

That sounds like a great idea although I think this subject was discussed before and was a no go. Does anyone else recall this?

If tug ever does want to put some info on the advice section about what to do if you have been scammed at a Mexican resort I am sure many on this thread would be happy to share their knowledge.

I may also put together a Mexican timeshare scams website with links to all the different stories that are out there. I have done quite an extensive search and although the stories are predominately about the Mayan Palace I have found probably more than 20 other Mexican timeshare complaints about other resorts.

When I finally put all the pieces together and realized I had been scammed it was devastating not to find another story on the internet about the Krystal. Luckily I started contacting other Krystal owners on tug and found that I was not the only one given the investment/rental pitch. I will admit too that some of the owners were also very happy. Luckily for me too I also got a copy of the waiver waiving my right to the rescission period. I will have to say the Krystal did not make a big deal of the waiver, they were very low key. Maybe many of their owners probably do not even realize that they have signed it.

Although I have gotten my money back I still have my story out on several internet websites just as many others on this thread have. I am sure this is helpful because I now get probably an email every week from someone who was scammed asking for advice.

Sheri

posted 12-30-2004 19:31            

quote:

---

Originally posted by MadCanuck:
It has been a year - minus one day since we had our memorable "tour" of the Mayan Palace in Cancun/Playa del Carmen. Just checking in to reiterate my warning: If you do not want to purchase a timeshare in Mexico - stay away from the false information booths in Mexican airports and on the streets. Those booths are there for one purpose only and that is to get you into the most high-pressure sales room on planet Earth! Once you agree to attend the "tour" you are sunk. We left our resort at 9:00 a.m. and were not returned to it until 4:00 p.m. -- with pages and pages of "contract" tucked into a beautiful green binder. And green with illness was how my spouse and myself ended the day at midnight. Sick at how we had both been pressured into signing papers we could not afford/did not want. That very night around 2:00 a.m. we called our credit card company to try and cancel the transaction to no avail. At 9:00 a.m. the very next morning we called MP and they advised us to come back so they could help us sort out our concerns. We were flat out denied a right to cancellation face to face in the business office. It took a month of trying after we got home to get a refund. My best advice is to stay away from them in the first place! They use such unethical means to persuade you -- but the worst is to just grind you down. Good luck to those vacationing in Mexico this year!

---

MadCanuck, I am so glad you post your anniversary here of your memorable "tour" of the Mayan Palace in Cancun/Playa del Carmen. We need to keep this link alive and well so other tourists don't get sold a bunch of lies too in Mexico. Not all timeshare developers are bad but the few bad apples make it bad for all other resorts as well as the feeling towards the wonderful people in Mexico. What a shame!

There is one more web page of a fellow, who has helped many people getting their money back, by telling them how and where to write Profeco. Most people do not have a clue plus you need a lot of patience too but it is worth it at the end.

Here is the web page of this fellow. He really wants to help his fellow Americans.

http://www.sws-llc.com/mescam/index.htm

There is even a web page now listed as:

http://www.mexicantimesharefraud.com/

The more people are warned, the better!!!!!!! JMHO, of course, Emmy