Club Intrawest - attending a sales presentation?

If you are attending a sales presentation and considering membership in Club Intrawest (or whatever the post-Diamond Resorts acquisition of Club Intrawest may be called), I vigorously encourage you to do your homework, as it is quite likely that important, purchase-critical facts - - facts than an informed consumer would want to/should know - - may not be disclosed to you, or be known by you. DO YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE GIVING ANY CONSIDERATION TO A CLUB INTRAWEST/DIAMOND RESORTS PURCHASE.

First, as a starting point, I would encourage you to carefully review the Timeshare Users Group (TUG) Forums for "All Other Timeshare Systems," "DIAMOND RESORTS INTERNATIONAL (DRI)" and "Canadian Timeshares;"

Second, recognize that consumer protection laws for timeshare purchases in Canada, and in the provinces where Club Intrawest (Diamond Resorts) does business are NOT CONSUMER FRIENDLY;

Third, get yourself as quickly as you can to the "Members of Club Intrawest - Direct Action Group" Facebook Page (the one that bears the truth about Club Intrawest and Diamond Resorts International), and that is not controlled or moderated by Club Intrawest or Diamond Resorts. You will need to request to become a member of the group of the Moderator. That Facebook page is:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/clubintrawestowners/?fref=nf

Fourth, for a credible news source perspective on the Operator of Club Intrawest, Diamond Resorts International, read this:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/24/b...using-hard-sell-to-push-time-shares.html?_r=0

thank you. I look forward to reading at those links!

Bump number one.

Bump number two.

WJS said:

If you are attending a sales presentation and considering membership in Club Intrawest (or whatever the post-Diamond Resorts acquisition of Club Intrawest may be called), I vigorously encourage you to do your homework, as it is quite likely that important, purchase-critical facts - - facts than an informed consumer would want to/should know - - may not be disclosed to you, or be known by you. DO YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE GIVING ANY CONSIDERATION TO A CLUB INTRAWEST/DIAMOND RESORTS PURCHASE.

First, as a starting point, I would encourage you to carefully review the Timeshare Users Group (TUG) Forums for "All Other Timeshare Systems," "DIAMOND RESORTS INTERNATIONAL (DRI)" and "Canadian Timeshares;"

Second, recognize that consumer protection laws for timeshare purchases in Canada, and in the provinces where Club Intrawest (Diamond Resorts) does business are NOT CONSUMER FRIENDLY;

Third, get yourself as quickly as you can to the "Members of Club Intrawest - Direct Action Group" Facebook Page (the one that bears the truth about Club Intrawest and Diamond Resorts International), and that is not controlled or moderated by Club Intrawest or Diamond Resorts. You will need to request to become a member of the group of the Moderator. That Facebook page is:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/clubintrawestowners/?fref=nf

Fourth, for a credible news source perspective on the Operator of Club Intrawest, Diamond Resorts International, read this:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/24/b...using-hard-sell-to-push-time-shares.html?_r=0

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UPDATED:

I seem not to be able to edit my original posting.

ADD this to your Reading List:

http://citheownersgroup.wix.com/home

Do you have plans of attending a Club Intrawest (managed by Diamond Resorts) sales presentation? If so, may I encourage you to go to that presentation adequately informed, with your guard up, and suspect of anything that you hear from the principals of Club Intrawest, or their agents.

Fortunate for the establishment of:
http://citheownersgroup.wix.com/home

The facts behind the Club Intrawest "House of Cards," are finally surfacing, and a medium for communication between Club Intrawest members - - that is not censored by Club Intrawest leaders and administration - - has finally been created by Club Intrawest, the Owners Group.

If there is an even remote possibility that you would consider membership in Club Intrawest - - at this time, in my opinion (Club Intrawest member since 1995), the lowest period in the Club's history - - I vigorously encourage you to start reading the work of Club Intrawest, the Owners Group at http://citheownersgroup.wix.com/home

While you're at the reading exercise, imagine being a part of a club, in which your stake in that club is allegedly based on your real estate ownership in that club, only to find out that you have absolutely no control over the club's operations or destiny, and that an elaborate, what has been described as - - a quasi, Ponzi scheme-like structure - - is in place to govern the club.

Imagine this, it appears that one alleged Independent Director member of the Club Intrawest Board, has served consecutive terms as a Board Member since 1995, 21 years! With more than 20,000 members, the governance of Club Intrawest is so jury-rigged that that Independent Director has managed to be reelected to continuous (thus far, endless) terms on the board, and (1) that Independent Director has not had the character or fortitude to step aside, and to allow an infusion of new, creative ideas onto the board (in the Independent Director position), or (2) in the infamous wisdom of the management-controlled, Club Intrawest board, there apparently are no other candidates to fill the void presently being occupied on the board by that Independent Director (odd, isn't it, that with more than 20,000 members, there are no other qualified candidates amongst the membership to serve in the capacity as Independent Director, a position that one Independent Director has held for 21 years?).

For a better understanding of what I describe above, read this:

http://citheownersgroup.wix.com/hom...-so-many-votes/a1qrb/5713192a0cf2d6bf6ee74f86

So, if you may be dazzled by the smoke and mirrors or Club Intrawest's sales and marketing machine, I encourage you to stop short in your tracks. Be very cautious about making a financial decision that could have adverse implications on you for years to come. Read carefully, the stories of Club Intrawest members that are finally beginning to surface, after years of near-censure by Club Intrawest.

"Caveat emptor."

Thanks for your referral to the website!

A word about the Club Intrawest governance and structure : IT IS TYPICAL OF MOST LARGE TIMESHARE DEVELOPERS' GOVERNANCE AND STRUCTURE. No worse! Timeshare owners/members in general are largely unaware of how their timeshare/s are run and Club Intrawest members were no different up until recently. One of the main concerns is DRI taking over the declarant/manager role with the purchase only 6% of the Club's points and having complete control over all decisions because of their complete control of the Board.
If you are interested in buying CI points, do it resale. Do NOT buy from the developer. CI locations are well maintained, upper tier timeshares, were well managed and still have value.

cd5 said:

Thanks for your referral to the website!

A word about the Club Intrawest governance and structure : IT IS TYPICAL OF MOST LARGE TIMESHARE DEVELOPERS' GOVERNANCE AND STRUCTURE. No worse! Timeshare owners/members in general are largely unaware of how their timeshare/s are run and Club Intrawest members were no different up until recently. One of the main concerns is DRI taking over the declarant/manager role with the purchase only 6% of the Club's points and having complete control over all decisions because of their complete control of the Board.
If you are interested in buying CI points, do it resale. Do NOT buy from the developer. CI locations are well maintained, upper tier timeshares, were well managed and still have value.

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In these, the most turbulent times that I have seen in Club Intrawest's history - - my personal experience since 1995 - - I don't believe that I'd touch, even a resale at Club Intrawest. Why? Because there are more uncertainties now, than ever before in the history of Club Intrawest. For example, (1) a new management company (Diamond Resorts) was selected/decided upon by the former developer of Club Intrawest, with no tangible involvement of Club Intrawest members in that decision making process, (2) that new management company has, what is viewed by many, a tarnished, and very checkered past (get reading, start with the New York Times), (3) the new management company, Diamond Resorts (DRI) is notorious for runaway "maintenance fees," and remember the Board that approves the maintenance fee budgets at Club Intrawest is not a board of the members, but a board of DRI executives (akin to "the fox minding the chicken coop"), (4) finally, the governance of Club Intrawest is being scrutinized under the watchful eye of a growing number of members, and (5) Club Intrawest members are finally beginning to talk with one another about "their club," without their dialogue being controlled/censored by the Club Intrawest developer/management company. For the first time, to the best of my knowledge, the minimum number of members required to call a Special Meeting of the Club have been successful at doing so, against the recommendations of the board, and with misrepresentations made by the board and/or management company as to the cause and/or circumstances for that meeting (and the expense for conducting such a meeting). Also, a long time away from being determined, is what, if anything (valuable) that Diamond Resorts may bring to Club Intrawest (other than perceived liabilities), although, in just a few short months, Diamond has already taken measures to increase THEIR income generating potential at Club Intrawest (at Club member's expense). Hence, personally, I would not touch any membership - - not from the resale market, or from the developer - - in Club Intrawest, until the dust settles.

Speaking of "dust settling," expect a "name change" to Club Intrawest in the imminent future. Think of the name change as akin to criminal who has been released from prison, who upon their exit from prison, changes their name, to overcome the stigma of the name that landed them in prison. In the case of Club Intrawest, Diamond Resorts, post-acquisition of Club Intrawest was mandated to change the name of Club Intrawest to some other name; regardless of the cart preceding the horse, or the horse preceding the cart, in either case, I do not believe that you would want to touch anything that bears the Club Intrawest name, or it's successor name, until the post-member revolt, and whatever legal challenges accompany it, have been settled.

Finally, with regard to Chantal's comment about "most large timeshare developers' governance and structure" being similar to that of Club Intrawest, I can say from personal experience with Marriott Vacation Club (one of the best (and largest) in the business), for example, that "control of the timeshare board" has historically been relegated (entirely) to the timeshare owners, once the developer has sold-out the resort (of which Marriott Vacation Club has many sold-out resorts). Marriott is successful at controlling for the well-being of their resorts by managing their "brand standards." I can think of many other high quality timeshare resorts, Poste Montane at Beaver Creek (CO), as an example, where control of the timeshare board is entirely in the hands of their timeshare owners.

Bump number three.

Bump number four.

Diamond Resorts U.S Friends

May I also suggest another great group which is U.S based: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DRIUSFriends/

Bump number five.

Fabulous resource about Club Intrawest, now known as Embarc:

http://www.citheownersgroup.org/

Bump number six.


http://www.citheownersgroup.org/

certainly hope that owners are also regularly informed of TUG on that website =)

TUGBrian said:

certainly hope that owners are also regularly informed of TUG on that website =)

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I think TUG gets traction every week there.

TUGBrian said:

certainly hope that owners are also regularly informed of TUG on that website =)

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Certainly does:
http://www.citheownersgroup.org/sell-buy-rent

Look at all those referral links on there!!!

Bump number seven.

Anyone recently attend an Embarc sales presentation or Member Update? If so, anything to report?

A lesson in why potential timeshare purchasers need to be informed and educated consumers:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/25/b...stle-blowers-20-million-vindication.html?_r=0

Read this thread carefully, and be sure to read the legal document from the Arizona Attorney General:

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it is a duck.

http://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?...0-000-settlement-with-diamond-resorts.249795/

WJS said:

Anyone recently attend an Embarc sales presentation or Member Update? If so, anything to report?

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We attended an Embarc sales presentation this week at Sandestin. We were surprised that the offer was for Embarc-only (Embarc with Extraordinary Escapes) and not Diamond. The tour was informative, professional and no-pressure.

rhonda said:

We attended an Embarc sales presentation this week at Sandestin. We were surprised that the offer was for Embarc-only (Embarc with Extraordinary Escapes) and not Diamond. The tour was informative, professional and no-pressure.

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So far Diamond has been running Embarc completely independent of THE Club. Club members have no access to Embarc accommodation and Embarc members have no access to THE Club inventory. No alignment of point values have been announced, either. Diamond is selling Embarc points and developing Extraordinary Escapes by adding features offered by THE Club. No one is quit sure what Diamond is planning for the middle run, but currently it looks like owner/member push back has slowed or diverted those plans.