Sticky - DRI now accepting deedbacks - Give back your Diamond Resorts Timeshare

[dougp26364]

Interesting factoid:

Because f my undying trust in timeshare business types, I sent the paperwork from the one deeded week in express mail BUT, when they looked up the address to confirm it as accurate for the shipping label, it wasn't EXACTLY accurate. The zip code is off by one number. The postage paid envelope has the zip code as 89195. The correct zip code according to the post office is 89135.
I don't know that it would make a lot of difference as I suspect the post office would still get the postage paid envelope to the correct location, but I do suspect it could delay things a bit.
The reality is it wouldn't make sense for it to be intentional as aquiring inventory on the cheap to resell at retail pricing is good business. It just goes to show the necessity to verify, check and confirm accuracy.

 

[dougp26364]

The points for our Suite's week have been deducted from our online account. The MF continues to show due and THE Club dues are the same as before.

 

[TimeSlider]

Unfortunately, no luck with Varsity Clubs of America - South Bend. Tried twice (once just a courteous generic email, the second a few weeks later with more of a plea based on our changing financial situation.) Rejected both times.

If anyone has had a different result with the VCoA - SB, I'd love to know about it!

Thanks.

 

[smsunder]

I found this thread searching for a way to surrender our deeded property with DRI. I followed the steps from the 1st post submitting to DRI via email with the pertinent information and documentation on Saturday, October 17th and received the automated response with ticket # stating a rep would be calling in 1-2 days.

I called Monday, October 19 to confirm receipt of my email request but was sent to voicemail. I called back today, October 20 and spoke with Joanne who stated responses are now 1-2 weeks via email due to the volume of surrender requests.

Status: waiting game not knowing if surrender will be accepted for Kaanapali Beach Club in Maui, HI....

After today, Saturday, December 5th we finally received our Quick Claim documents to be notarized with return in the postage paid envelope to DRI. We are on our way to divesting ourselves from DRI.

 

[riverdees05]

Loss mitigation - who is a good contact person and phone number? I have emailed a couple of times with no response, even though they said they would take our units. Would like to talk with a person to find out the story.

 

[Ellsworth007]

Hi, new to the site as of Dec 13 2015. I have come across time share content and valuable information before on this site. My husband and I have time shares on the island of St. Martin. One purchased 1998 at flamingo beach resort. The resort has changed hands a few times. Oh, it's a Fixed unit in September. When DRI offered us to switch to points, we didn't take it. Fast forward years later we no longer have a copy of the contract. Over the years I looked for solutions to sell or get out of the time share.... many which are suggested found here. We did get a letter from DRI with an attached form to complete and return to terminate the contract/lease. They asked us to send in $250.00 by January 9th 2016 and they would return the notarized termination. I did have our signatures notarized and sent everything certified. I'm not sure if I will have to pay 2016 fees.


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[riverdees05]

I called Friday and they said they would resend the papers, will see what happens.

 

[Ellsworth007]

Did you get the original documents via e-mail? The documents appear authentic. Based on what I've read, they will process and terminate from here. Good luck to us!


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[Ellsworth007]

Oh man, getting excited, Check just cleared.

Did every thing work out?


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[marg2]

Hi dude-luv,

I think it depends on where you are in Canada. I had mine authenticated within 1 hour, doing it in Toronto. They just did it right there and then. Someone I know who lives in Victoria, had to mail hers in. I suppose you could cross the border and have it done, not sure. It's all about authenticating the notary, really

The process has started and I expect to receive the surrender package within a few weeks. Reading the thread, it seems as if Canadians not only are required to have their documents notarized but also 'authenticated.' As a Canadian, can I cross over the border and have the notarization process completed by a US notary (and therefore bypass the 'authentication' requirement)? Note that 'authentification' is done through the Canadian government and takes time.

 

[marg2]

Well, glad to see this post is still going strong and DRI is still accepting surrender of deeds.

It's a done deal for me now, yay!!

Here's my timeline, again, for those interested in how long it could take to wrap it all up:

mid June: sent email in to Loss Mitigation, they called the next day saying I was approved, and sent the forms to me within 2 weeks.
July 7: sent signed Warranty Deed back to DRI. They received it July 10th.
July 26: checked DRI site. Still have an account. Sent DRI an email asking if they received my papers and if there is anything else they need to proceed with the voluntary surrender.
July 27: got an email back from DRI with a scan of the recorded Warranty Deed with the county office. This means the transfer had taken place.
August 17: checked DRI site again. Still had an account.
September 21: emailed DRI person I was dealing with to ask why I still had an online account. She called the cancellation department and they said that they would have the account closed within 2 weeks. But I checked off and on for the next 2 months and still had an account online.
December 18: today I checked and I no longer have an account online. It says: "We have no active membership or ownership for the credentials you supplied."

So, that's it folks. I hope anyone here still in the process is successful in deeding back theirs. Thanks again to everyone here for the advice and especially to TUGBrian for originally posting about the Voluntary Surrender DRI was doing.

:whoopie:

 

[BellaHouston]

Slightly different get out

We recently attended an on-site DRI presentation where the rep told us of a new initiative where we could buy a minimum 2,000 points for £2,500 to add to our existing 5,000 pts.
The next step would be to pay the following year's fee and opt out. OK, so that's £2,500 plus an extra £340 MF per year for two years and an admin fee of some £125. 3,300 pounds on top of the existing £855 per year MF.
Oh, how I wish we'd found your forum before going on holiday.

 

[friedshrimp]

I've never seen people get so excited over getting rid of their timeshare.

 

[Michael1991]

We recently attended an on-site DRI presentation where the rep told us of a new initiative where we could buy a minimum 2,000 points for £2,500 to add to our existing 5,000 pts.
The next step would be to pay the following year's fee and opt out. OK, so that's £2,500 plus an extra £340 MF per year for two years and an admin fee of some £125. 3,300 pounds on top of the existing £855 per year MF.
Oh, how I wish we'd found your forum before going on holiday.

The sales guy lied. You can do this anytime without buying the 2,000 points. That is, for EU Collection points, you may opt out by paying two years management fees, no additional purchase required. And the voluntary surrender program discussed in this thread does not extend to EU points.

 

[BellaHouston]

Thank you, Michael.
Cancelling payment now.

 

[TUGBrian]

always be skeptical of what a salesman says while trying to get you to spend money =)

 

[friedshrimp]

always be skeptical of what a salesman says while trying to get you to spend money =)

Any salesman!

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

always be skeptical of what a salesman says while trying to get you to spend money =)

Any salesman!

Why limit it to sales people? Always be skeptical of anyone who is trying to get you to do something that is in their interest.

Particularly during election years. :ignore:

 

[dougp26364]

We received our deed back contract option for our Villa's unit a couple of days before Christmas. By the end of the year we'll be DRI free with yearly savings amounting to >$3,100/year in MF's and THE Club dues. Those fee's were associated with a 2 bedroom Suite's at Polo Towers, a 2 bedroom Villa's at Polo Towers and THE Club dues for DRI's internal exchange system.

It's not as if we didn't like THE Club, DRI resorts or the flexibility. It's more that MF's for timeshares are, in our opinion, out of control. At this point the fee's were becoming difficult factor into our yearly budget. Looking forward to retirement and the historical increases we've seen over the years, there was no way we'd be able to budget future fee's into our retirement plans.

For us, timeshare management companies have managed to price us out of the business. Which amazes me because, while we're not independently wealthy, we're not exactly at the bottom of the middle income bracket. Based on the typical increase seen in wages over the last 20 years compared to historical increases seen in MF's, I wonder where the industry will be in another 20 years. The one thing I know is our plans to utilize timeshare for travel opportunities upon retirement are out the window. We'd never be able to afford the portfolio we had built.

 

[pedro47]

Doug26364, We are in the process of following you and so many others on this web site. We will keep our Marriott fixed week @ the Manor Club and explore their points system.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you & family. I have truly enjoyed all of your time share slide shows.

 

[AmexBlack]

HOA Dues Out of Control

I would have done a deed back a long time ago, but the only thing holding me back is the Kaanapali Beach Vacation Club. If they didn't have that property, I would have long time given up my Diamond Resorts timeshares. The dues are way out of control. The benefits have gone down the hill.

1) There use to be free upgrades for Platinum

2) They expanded to more properties, but the quality does not match the increase in HOA fees.

3) Club dues have gotten out of control.

Other timeshare properties have had limited HOA increases and cost control management.

 

[LaLaLand]

Thankful and cringing...

We just returned from our yearly Christmas trip to Cabo Azul...aside from last year due to hurricane Odile. We avoid the "owner update" presentations because we know/believe them to be just sales pitches. This time seemed to be presented differently...as a short 55 minute update on what's new at the resort since the hurricane.

Big mistake. Apparently, all the BS we were sold (for $20,000) when Diamond first took over Cabo Azul is not really the case any longer. I have five separate MGV contracts purchased separately from the secondary market, and at the time right before the change, we were sold that adding 5k Diamond Club points (for the $20k) would convert all of our MGV points to Diamond, yearly. Sounds great, right? All are now legit, and we are Gold, and awesome!

Except that is not the case. Those points were apparently "converted" but not "upgraded." So they renew yearly, at a Diamond point level (some thousands of amount of points vs the hundreds for MGV), but that they are still MGV points and we are liable to MGV if they go bankrupt (again?), and levy some special assessment. Great. But we can get this special, one-time opportunity, since we haven't done the presentation again since then. For $11k we will be all set! But wait, you have to pay your MGV MF in advance (due to the way MGV gives points and bills MF over 8 quarters after giving the points?). For another $5k. Nope. Then the hard sell. Then the "closer" who will let us lock in that "special" pricing for 18 months. SO was so angry by that point that we just walked out. Second day of our trip, which was pretty much effectively ruined by this whole situation.

Came home, found this forum and thread via searching, and have sent the email off to Loss Mitigation today. Cancelled all 2016 MF payments. We'll eat the $20k that apparently did nothing for our MGV points and chalk it up to an expensive lesson learned.

Really appreciate all of the information and input from users on this thread!

 

[skimeup]

No more DRI takebacks of Los Abrigados

First I got a message saying they would take it back but heard nothing. Wrote back with an assigned number and they said they were busy and would get back to me. Finally wrote to tell me that I wasn't eligible - that it was somehow a mistake - they were not taking any Los Ab back after September 1. Guess I should have jumped on it earlier but I was worried about my renters in October.

I opted out of buying points but my bill may now have them listed as it went from $940.61 last year to $1292.04 this year. In any case, I will just hope for an offer of a $500 buyout....

 

[icroyals]

Looks like I'm free and clear

And just in time so that I don't have to pay the 2016 Maintenance Fees.

My check was deposited a few days ago, and today my access to the DRI site is blocked with a message "We have no active membership or ownership for the credentials you supplied." The process took 2 months for me. Best of luck to anyone starting or involved in the process.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread. And a HUGE Thank you to TUGBrian for the OP. Happy New Year!!!

 

[TUGBrian]

keep posting these success stories, we still get people that email us every week asking how they can get out of their DRI ownership...the more popular the thread is the more folks who will find it on google searches!