[2008] destination paradise

[zagadka]

DP were so funny

we just came back from Waikiki. I was curious to find out more info about DP and stumbled upon this forum.

Here are my thoughts:

the reason we attended the presentation was for the free 2 day Jeep rental, which we got and were very happy with it.

As far as the presentation goes, here is what I liked and did not like
Liked:
-the idea is great. I currently use priceline.com for my hotels and I would be willing to pay a yearly membership fee to be able to access better/more accomodations

Disliked
-having said that (above), I think the $8K downpayment+$200 ($150 pre-authorization plan)+HIGHER than priceline's charge per use = is not worth it for us.

For example: I paid $350USD to stay in Waikiki for a week in a hotel. Yes, the hotel was on the crappier side, but I could have gotten a 4* hilton for $100-120/night through priceline. We just didn't want to do that because vacation is about seeing places, not staying in your hotel room.

With DP i would have paid $700/week (more or less) for a better accomodation. Sure, I'd get better quality - but is it really worth it for more money per use+portion of the downpayment and $200/year fee? Let's say I take 2 vacations a yer - that equals an additional $100 every visit.

Plus, I think the biggest turnoff for me was the fact that they did not want to test drive the site with me. They said they had no time. HAHHAHAHA. I was curious to see prices around NYC - wither for a weekly condo or for a hotel (yes, they mentioned they have hotel discounts as well). And I might have signed up IF hotel prices were significantly lower than priceline's levels.

I do take a few vacations throughout the year, but most are "see new city-move on", and a condo would not work there. So the hotel portion what might have sold me, IF they did a test drive.

BTW, after I loughed in their face about the $8K - they've lowered the cost to $2,500K for 10 years (vs. lifetime) and a second time they've added the lifetime to the $2,500.

But still, $2500+$200/yearly+cost of actual condo > priceline+flexibility

I was also worried about prices during high seasons. I had a feeling thir presentation involved low season options. And better seasons would be either costlier, or would not have inventory.

but teh Jeep was great. I'd visit their presentation again if I'm ever back to Hawaii for another gift.

PS. I've never been to a timeshare presentation before, so I might have a different perspective at this thing than some timeshare owners.

PS2:
BTW, DP did not leave us with any info - no brochures, no site address - nothing. Even though I've specifically asked for it.

 

[zagadka]

?

PS. what are RCI? I've googled it, but can't seem to find a definite answer

 

[DeniseM]

Welcome to TUG!

RCI is an exchange company. You can deposit your timeshare with them and exchange it for another TS of your choice - in theory.

The offer you received is not representative of timeshare ownership - it's more of a vacation club. If a week in a full condo doesn't appeal to you, you made the right decision, and probably timeshare ownership won't appeal to you either. We like the fact that we can stay in a roomy condo with a bedroom. full kitchen, washer and dryer, and living room, for far less than the equivalent hotel, but that doesn't appeal to everyone. If you want to find out more, we'd love for you to hang around and talk TS with us.

 

[stefanie19]

Omg Still?

Treat this company as a black box – you have no idea what it’s doing behind the scenes.

Maintenance fees are the base rate they can charge. I’m going to guess that for a 2BR fractional use condo (timeshare, fractional) the MF is $750 a year. So that would be a break-even price to charge.

For a 1BR $600 and for a studio $450.

No company can offer rentals for less than this unless they are RCI or II or some exchange company where the MF has no bearing. If this company gets into exchanging then the above rates are meaningless and exchange fees become the lowest rate charge. Let’s just guess $125 per villa plus a membership fee.

Hello everyone,
I have been really busy but I thought I would stop by and see what else is being said about this Scam!!!LOL
HERE IS WHAT MY HUSBAND HAS TO SAY:

I just dont get why people think this is a scam!:hysterical:
I have had this program now for a few months and I FREAKIN LOVE IT!

As an owner with Destination Paradise I am not paying MF or Exchange Fees I am simply renting condos that have not been sold or have been traded into RCI and II. I can get a Condo almost anywhere in the world and do not have to call anyone but simply put in my user ID and Password. Click on the location I want to go. Put in my Dates and the size I want and CLICK BOOK. Pay for the condo and GO!!!!

Please someone tell me why this is a scam!

I have looked at this "$98" timeshares on eBay. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM I CAN STAY AT FOR $299 OR $399 PEAK SEASON UP TO 8 TIMES A YEAR with only 1 week notice normally. I HAVE LOOKED INTO THIS COMPANY THANKS TO THIS WEBSITE AND MY WIFE AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THERE IS NO SCAM! EMAIL ME AT stefanie_smith19@yahoo.com if you would like more information.

If a timeshare owner goes into this presentation with an open mind and not an ego they would realize it is 100% better and 1000% cheaper than timeshare and you are staying at the same places.

[Rental Ad deleted. We have a strict no-advertising rule on TUG. DeniseM Moderator]

 

[PerryM]

Phew - what's that smell (not me)

Hello everyone,
I have been really busy but I thought I would stop by and see what else is being said about this Scam!!!LOL
HERE IS WHAT MY HUSBAND HAS TO SAY:

I just dont get why people think this is a scam!:hysterical:
I have had this program now for a few months and I FREAKIN LOVE IT!

As an owner with Destination Paradise I am not paying MF or Exchange Fees I am simply renting condos that have not been sold or have been traded into RCI and II. I can get a Condo almost anywhere in the world and do not have to call anyone but simply put in my user ID and Password. Click on the location I want to go. Put in my Dates and the size I want and CLICK BOOK. Pay for the condo and GO!!!!

Please someone tell me why this is a scam!

I have looked at this "$98" timeshares on eBay. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM I CAN STAY AT FOR $299 OR $399 PEAK SEASON UP TO 8 TIMES A YEAR with only 1 week notice normally. I HAVE LOOKED INTO THIS COMPANY THANKS TO THIS WEBSITE AND MY WIFE AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THERE IS NO SCAM! EMAIL ME AT stefanie_smith19@yahoo.com if you would like more information.

If a timeshare owner goes into this presentation with an open mind and not an ego they would realize it is 100% better and 1000% cheaper than timeshare and you are staying at the same places.


[Rental Ad deleted. We have a strict no-advertising rule on TUG. DeniseM Moderator]

I don't believe one single word you are saying.

Make 1,000 posts and prove you are not a scam and then plug a company and I'd have some respect.

Right now I smell a scam and it stinks.

I will gladly apologize if a reputable TUGGER can verify any of this.

I'm not going to waste my time - I'd rather read my spam folder there are a lot more creative scams in there....

 

[playdeep]

Just signed up today (6th of March). Had we not been late for a tour, I might have noticed that the binder we were sent home with had no information of substance in it nor web url for login. I also neglected to ask about cancelation if we were unhappy. Kinda surprised that I didnt ask about certain things after the fact. Not sure what to think now. I will be checking into it again tomorrow morning. Most of what I can find on the internet about this company is negative. Will report back. Unsure what to do as we paid using a check since we didnt have enough limits on the cards we had on us at the time. I did a stop payment on check but am unsure if they cashed it yet as the bank wont be certain till tomorrow morning. I also plan to send cancelation letters by certified mail tomorrow if needed.

 

[wilmetted]

Its a little fishy to me!

I just got back from a destination paradise presentation about 2 hours ago. The only positive thing is the fact that we got a luau package valued at $200. Other than that, here are the negatives:

1)During the presentation, my husband and I noticed that the site was not live. They were showing us availability from the middle of January and February which is not a peak travel period.

2)I only recognized one of the resorts as somewhere that I might stay. I am a little picky.... ok, very picky

3)They did not have any tangible paper information
4)They told us that 19 out of 23 people they saw yesterday bought but n our group, only 2 bought so...... I think that may be a lie.

5)I felt that they tried to put more pressure on timeshare owners. They asked during their powerpoint presention if anyone owned a timeshare. 3 couples said yes and after 2 hours, I noticed that those of us who owned timeshares were the only ones still in the room.

6)In the beginning of the presentation, they said they were affiliated with hilton, marriot, hyatt and similar companies but they could not pull up inventory from any of these companies


I have a lot more to say but I would rather go enjoy my vacation now. I just wanted to see what Tuggers thought. This is purely my opinion. In theory, the program sounds good but ..... it is way toooooooo fishy!

Aloha!

 

[stefanie19]

I just got back from a destination paradise presentation about 2 hours ago. The only positive thing is the fact that we got a luau package valued at $200. Other than that, here are the negatives:

1)During the presentation, my husband and I noticed that the site was not live. They were showing us availability from the middle of January and February which is not a peak travel period.

2)I only recognized one of the resorts as somewhere that I might stay. I am a little picky.... ok, very picky

3)They did not have any tangible paper information
4)They told us that 19 out of 23 people they saw yesterday bought but n our group, only 2 bought so...... I think that may be a lie.

5)I felt that they tried to put more pressure on timeshare owners. They asked during their powerpoint presention if anyone owned a timeshare. 3 couples said yes and after 2 hours, I noticed that those of us who owned timeshares were the only ones still in the room.

6)In the beginning of the presentation, they said they were affiliated with hilton, marriot, hyatt and similar companies but they could not pull up inventory from any of these companies


I have a lot more to say but I would rather go enjoy my vacation now. I just wanted to see what Tuggers thought. This is purely my opinion. In theory, the program sounds good but ..... it is way toooooooo fishy!

Aloha!

Hey, I am glad to see that someone from this forum went and liked it. For what is it worth guys I think each and every one of you that own timeshare would like it. Obviously if everyone that owned timeshare were the only ones left there must be something to it. Just wondering what made it fishy? Or are you just hopping on the band wagon?

 

[stefanie19]

I just got back from a destination paradise presentation about 2 hours ago. The only positive thing is the fact that we got a luau package valued at $200. Other than that, here are the negatives:

1)During the presentation, my husband and I noticed that the site was not live. They were showing us availability from the middle of January and February which is not a peak travel period.

2)I only recognized one of the resorts as somewhere that I might stay. I am a little picky.... ok, very picky

3)They did not have any tangible paper information
4)They told us that 19 out of 23 people they saw yesterday bought but n our group, only 2 bought so...... I think that may be a lie.

5)I felt that they tried to put more pressure on timeshare owners. They asked during their powerpoint presention if anyone owned a timeshare. 3 couples said yes and after 2 hours, I noticed that those of us who owned timeshares were the only ones still in the room.

6)In the beginning of the presentation, they said they were affiliated with hilton, marriot, hyatt and similar companies but they could not pull up inventory from any of these companies


I have a lot more to say but I would rather go enjoy my vacation now. I just wanted to see what Tuggers thought. This is purely my opinion. In theory, the program sounds good but ..... it is way toooooooo fishy!

Aloha!

Also you said you were picky? Where are you staying at now? I am going with my Husband using the program and only paying $349.00 for 7 days at the Wyndym at Waikiki Beach Walk.

 

[PerryM]

What?

Hey, I am glad to see that someone from this forum went and liked it. For what is it worth guys I think each and every one of you that own timeshare would like it. Obviously if everyone that owned timeshare were the only ones left there must be something to it. Just wondering what made it fishy? Or are you just hopping on the band wagon?

Geez the only positive thing the poster boasted about was the $200 luau tickets and you come to the conclusion that this is a great thing to buy. Where is the logic in this? If you can read anything positive in the review then I am reassured of my previous conclusions of your posts.

This is all a scam – its way too good to be true – isn’t that obvious to everyone?

Click this chart and then click the “5y” zoom tab and you will notice how the financial world is voting on how things are going in the US. The US has lost 50% of its wealth in the stock market and 15% in real estate in just 2 years.

So if you want to blow your money on crazy schemes like this then go right ahead – but don’t say that someone didn’t warn you that this is all a scam and you will need all your money you have left just to survive what's about to befall us.

This goes for ANY frivolous purchase; let alone a scam.

 

[wilmetted]

I'm with PerryM on this one

Geez the only positive thing the poster boasted about was the $200 luau tickets and you come to the conclusion that this is a great thing to buy. Where is the logic in this? If you can read anything positive in the review then I am reassured of my previous conclusions of your posts.

This is all a scam – its way too good to be true – isn’t that obvious to everyone?

Click this chart and then click the “5y” zoom tab and you will notice how the financial world is voting on how things are going in the US. The US has lost 50% of its wealth in the stock market and 15% in real estate in just 2 years.

So if you want to blow your money on crazy schemes like this then go right ahead – but don’t say that someone didn’t warn you that this is all a scam and you will need all your money you have left just to survive what's about to befall us.

This goes for ANY frivolous purchase; let alone a scam.

Geez the only positive thing the poster boasted about was the $200 luau tickets and you come to the conclusion that this is a great thing to buy. Where is the logic in this? If you can read anything positive in the review then I am reassured of my previous conclusions of your posts.

This is all a scam – its way too good to be true – isn’t that obvious to everyone?

Click this chart and then click the “5y” zoom tab and you will notice how the financial world is voting on how things are going in the US. The US has lost 50% of its wealth in the stock market and 15% in real estate in just 2 years.

So if you want to blow your money on crazy schemes like this then go right ahead – but don’t say that someone didn’t warn you that this is all a scam and you will need all your money you have left just to survive what's about to befall us.

This goes for ANY frivolous purchase; let alone a scam.

I was not implying that the program was good. I was being a little sarcastic. My opinion is that the program sounds good in theory but it does not work the way the company said and hence I think it is a scam.

I just did a search on yahoo and the first thing that came up was "rip off report". See the link for yourself.
http://ripoffreport.com/reports/0/395/RipOff0395453.htm
Personally, I would not do this because I feel that they try to make it sound good but they could not address my concerns effectively.

No offense to the poster that is all for Destination Paradise but my personal opinion is that they work for the company. This is the only post they have ever been a part of and they signed up a day before their first post. Sorry but this is just my opinion.

 

[stefanie19]

I was not implying that the program was good. I was being a little sarcastic. My opinion is that the program sounds good in theory but it does not work the way the company said and hence I think it is a scam.

I just did a search on yahoo and the first thing that came up was "rip off report". See the link for yourself.
http://ripoffreport.com/reports/0/395/RipOff0395453.htm
Personally, I would not do this because I feel that they try to make it sound good but they could not address my concerns effectively.

No offense to the poster that is all for Destination Paradise but my personal opinion is that they work for the company. This is the only post they have ever been a part of and they signed up a day before their first post. Sorry but this is just my opinion.

Work for the company? I live in TEXAS! Honestly guys, I think you are ALL just bitter that I can stay in timeshare without being suckered into paying for it. Good luck, but this forum is obviously not going to accept the program I have like they do everyother timeshare. Thanks for nothing. -Stef

 

[caribbeansun]

Yup, that's it - you've busted us all - we are all just bitter.

I'm sure that you wouldn't misrepresent where you live just like the salespeople for this group wouldn't misrepresent their product. I'm sure that there's no possibility that you are the one person that finds this product to be wonderful amongst all those others that found it to be less than above board and I'm sure it's a complete coincidence that so many first time posters found this one obscure thread.

It could happen, I personally don't believe it, but it could happen...

 

[DeniseM]

Work for the company? Good luck, but this forum is obviously not going to accept the program I have like they do every other timeshare.

I think you've hit the nail on the head. This is a website for timeshare owners, and there is little or no interest here, in vacation clubs.

 

[HawaiiChuck]

Enquiring Minds want to Know . . .

I normally wouldn't take the time to address the Cynics within our Society as it's beyond a Full time job . . .

In this case I'll make an exception because I work for the Product in question here. I'll apologize in advance for what I expect to be a fairly lengthy (1st time ) Post. Bear with me and I'll make every effort to explain . . .

When I hear the word scam, I'm Deeply offended. It's difficult to run a scam for 11 years unless your last name is Madoff or you have the power and might of say, Enron. We are as a people (some), when unsure, certain to be critical, cynical, pessimistic, if not downright cruel. Instead of simply saying "gee, I don't know", we need to be recognized as some authority on the subject at hand. Wal-Mart had over 50,000 BBB complaints last year. How does that happen ?? The squeaky wheel gets the Grease ?? As for the previous 27 posts, I'll claim to be the authority on this particular subject as I have witnessed first hand how it has changed the way many Vacation. We have asked a few local owners to post which explains a couple of the 1st time posts regarding this subject.

For the record, I reside near Seattle and own Timeshare points within Trendwest (Worldmark). It is a Great regional product which is how our Family uses it. I believe Timeshare is a good thing as our company would not exist without it. Additionally, our entire Family (Mom, Dad, and my 2 sisters) use this product and we Vacation together whenever possible (mini family reunions utilizing 2 or 3 units in the same resort).

Our Product Company started in the Travel business in 1986 booking Caribbean resorts, Dive trips, etc. for Americans via 1-800 numbers. This helped facilitate bookings back then as calling International (011) destinations was cumbersome for the consumer. The Company and this product evolved over the years and has been in an online format since 1998. We have numerous Customer service call centers and locations. Our product is distributed around the U.S., Canada, Central America, and parts of the E.U. within numerous Sales centers and Timeshare resorts. In nearly every case, the Product is Private Labled for those specific locations. We are directly linked into RCI as the 5th largest mover of their monotized Inventory. We utilize Resorts represented within II as well as non-affiliated Resorts. We currently have well over 100,000 Families that use our product and move almost 500,000 weeks of Inventory through our System.

Contrary to what I read within the posts, the Inventory does exist, however it must be acquired by us and distributed (by contract) in what is known as a "Closed Promotion basis". By definition, we can not make pricing available to the Public as in most cases it is well below a typical Resort maint. fee. and/or Hotel pricing. Therefore it is packaged in quantity and open to our 100,000+ Vacationing families within our system. An entire week in a Resort would range from $300 to as much as $900 for a very Prime offering.

To be Clear, we are not Everything to Everybody. We say "if it's your anniversary Nov. 12th and you need to be at the Embassy on Kaanapali Beach that Specific week every year, you need to plunk down the $25,000 and go buy Timeshare at that resort. Our product has a vast number of Resorts to choose from around the World. It's flexible in that you pay IF you go this year but are not committed to a MF if you choose to Cruise or do something else. It offers multiple weeks and options on an annual basis. The Savings are and will be evident each and everytime a Family member uses the program.

In a nutshell, we are simply a Value option as compared to Timeshare. While it is admirable that our moderator picked up a Timeshare on E-Bay for $98 (a known commodity to her), it is still not cheap. The annual MF is in the area of $900 for 1 week and if exchanged, incurs additional costs through an Exchange company which varies depending on affiliation. It works for her because she knows that Resort and frequents Kauai.

As for Credit and/or Financing, we finance anyone through a number of Finance options including Bank of America, Universal Guardian, etc. In some cases, much like a Mortgage, the Contract is purchased and is then owned by that Finance company. We don't "Ruin people's credit". People Ruin their own Credit . . . The bottom line is Personal Responsibility and the contractual obligation they entered into. When times are tough we as a people look to cut back wherever possible. IF Vacations are important to you, we WILL save folks money each and everytime they use the Program. As I stated, it is not for everyone, but it would be rare to see a Negative Post here from someone who owns and has ACTUALLY used the program for a Family Vacation.

Once again, I apologize for the lengthy post. I hope this helps folks understand what it is we do, how it works, and rest assured proper Due diligence was done on our company by the Fortune 500 companies noted. We continue to enjoy numerous business relationships within the Travel industry and will look forward to servicing our Clients for many years to come . . .

Respectfully Submitted, Chuck

 

[DeniseM]

We have asked a few local owners to post which explains a couple of the 1st time posts regarding this subject.

This was probably a mistake because your owners came across as unknowledgable about travel in general, unable to answer questions coherently, and so overly enthusiastic about something they really didn't understand, as to be unbelievable.

Please don't "send" people to post on TUG - that's advertising and it's not allowed here.

 

[Makai Guy]

I'm writing, not as a bbs system Administrator, but as a long time TUGger who has seen these things come and go many times.

There is a solid reason why so many here are skeptical. The track record for similarly promoted groups in the past has been dismal, with many just closing shop giving no advanced notice, and leaving their subscribers with nothing to show for the thousands of dollars they plunked down up front. The lucky ones may have at least managed to squeeze a vacation or two out of the systems before they disappeared without a trace. Since the buyers have no deeds or ownership stake, they have nothing but worthless paper and promises to show for their outlay.

First-time posters extolling the virtues of an organization we've never heard of tends to make seasoned users suspicious - shill posts are prime tactics of shady outfits.

Perhaps this organization is all it claims to be. I hope it is for the sake of those who have bought in.

 

[PerryM]

I normally wouldn't take the time to address the Cynics within our Society as it's beyond a Full time job . . .

In this case I'll make an exception because I work for the Product in question here. I'll apologize in advance for what I expect to be a fairly lengthy (1st time ) Post. Bear with me and I'll make every effort to explain . . .

When I hear the word scam, I'm Deeply offended. It's difficult to run a scam for 11 years unless your last name is Madoff or you have the power and might of say, Enron. We are as a people (some), when unsure, certain to be critical, cynical, pessimistic, if not downright cruel. Instead of simply saying "gee, I don't know", we need to be recognized as some authority on the subject at hand. Wal-Mart had over 50,000 BBB complaints last year. How does that happen ?? The squeaky wheel gets the Grease ?? As for the previous 27 posts, I'll claim to be the authority on this particular subject as I have witnessed first hand how it has changed the way many Vacation. We have asked a few local owners to post which explains a couple of the 1st time posts regarding this subject.

For the record, I reside near Seattle and own Timeshare points within Trendwest (Worldmark). It is a Great regional product which is how our Family uses it. I believe Timeshare is a good thing as our company would not exist without it. Additionally, our entire Family (Mom, Dad, and my 2 sisters) use this product and we Vacation together whenever possible (mini family reunions utilizing 2 or 3 units in the same resort).

Our Product Company started in the Travel business in 1986 booking Caribbean resorts, Dive trips, etc. for Americans via 1-800 numbers. This helped facilitate bookings back then as calling International (011) destinations was cumbersome for the consumer. The Company and this product evolved over the years and has been in an online format since 1998. We have numerous Customer service call centers and locations. Our product is distributed around the U.S., Canada, Central America, and parts of the E.U. within numerous Sales centers and Timeshare resorts. In nearly every case, the Product is Private Labled for those specific locations. We are directly linked into RCI as the 5th largest mover of their monotized Inventory. We utilize Resorts represented within II as well as non-affiliated Resorts. We currently have well over 100,000 Families that use our product and move almost 500,000 weeks of Inventory through our System.

Contrary to what I read within the posts, the Inventory does exist, however it must be acquired by us and distributed (by contract) in what is known as a "Closed Promotion basis". By definition, we can not make pricing available to the Public as in most cases it is well below a typical Resort maint. fee. and/or Hotel pricing. Therefore it is packaged in quantity and open to our 100,000+ Vacationing families within our system. An entire week in a Resort would range from $300 to as much as $900 for a very Prime offering.

To be Clear, we are not Everything to Everybody. We say "if it's your anniversary Nov. 12th and you need to be at the Embassy on Kaanapali Beach that Specific week every year, you need to plunk down the $25,000 and go buy Timeshare at that resort. Our product has a vast number of Resorts to choose from around the World. It's flexible in that you pay IF you go this year but are not committed to a MF if you choose to Cruise or do something else. It offers multiple weeks and options on an annual basis. The Savings are and will be evident each and everytime a Family member uses the program.

In a nutshell, we are simply a Value option as compared to Timeshare. While it is admirable that our moderator picked up a Timeshare on E-Bay for $98 (a known commodity to her), it is still not cheap. The annual MF is in the area of $900 for 1 week and if exchanged, incurs additional costs through an Exchange company which varies depending on affiliation. It works for her because she knows that Resort and frequents Kauai.

As for Credit and/or Financing, we finance anyone through a number of Finance options including Bank of America, Universal Guardian, etc. In some cases, much like a Mortgage, the Contract is purchased and is then owned by that Finance company. We don't "Ruin people's credit". People Ruin their own Credit . . . The bottom line is Personal Responsibility and the contractual obligation they entered into. When times are tough we as a people look to cut back wherever possible. IF Vacations are important to you, we WILL save folks money each and everytime they use the Program. As I stated, it is not for everyone, but it would be rare to see a Negative Post here from someone who owns and has ACTUALLY used the program for a Family Vacation.

Once again, I apologize for the lengthy post. I hope this helps folks understand what it is we do, how it works, and rest assured proper Due diligence was done on our company by the Fortune 500 companies noted. We continue to enjoy numerous business relationships within the Travel industry and will look forward to servicing our Clients for many years to come . . .

Respectfully Submitted, Chuck

If you are a WM owner you know that the "points" are actually called WM Credits and that there are things called "Trade Points" which are similar but different than Credits. Also Trendwest bit the dust a long time ago.

I would have no problems in learning about this club - how about a 1 page synopsis and a BBB reference to top it off.

Thanks,

 

[DeniseM]

I would have no problems in learning about this club - how about a 1 page synopsis and a BBB reference to top it off.

Chuck, if you want to respond to Perry, please send it privately, since posting promotional info. on TUG is not allowed.

 

[vision2120]

You should get your facts straight

Hey Denise- some of what you're saying is not correct.
I have worked in the vacation club & timeshare industry for many years. I do not work for Destination Paradise, but I know out of all the programs I've seen, theirs is a pretty good one.

1) Yes there are condos just "laying around out there" as you put it. Even though a timeshare is a deeded property it's still fractional ownership. Which means, 1 unit that is available has 52 owners, because there are 52 weeks in a year right? That's one unit! Each resort has hundreds of units and there are thousands of resorts world wide. Multiply the number of weeks in a year times the number of units. So lets say Resort "A" has 400 units available X 52 = 20,800 available weeks. Do the math if you think I'm wrong. Take your 20,800 weeks at ONE resort and multiply that by however many thousands and thousands of resorts are out there. You'll come up with about 7-10 MILLION weeks of timeshare that are available. OK now that we have that figure. Take into consideration there are at MINIMUM 3 million weeks every year that are not used. Because people bank their weeks when they're not using them so those units are EMPTY! So you mean to tell me that everyone who owns timeshare is always using their weeks every year and they never miss one single date. That's pretty amazing considering some people own 8 weeks a year some 10 or even more. See my point? So the timeshare companies and vacation clubs have contracts with all the resorts to fill the empty units when they're not being used. The timeshare company benefits because now they have someone in their otherwise empty unit (even though its a discounted rate) and hopefully that person will play a round of golf or what have you, and the resort will generate a profit. Furthermore these weeks are not just leftover junk as you put it. They are banked weeks that no one is using. I personally have used a vacation club to go to Maui. I stayed in a resort in Wailai Maui called Grand Champions. On a golf course 1/2 a block to the beach. I can email you photos if you want. These units normally rent out for $400 a night or more. If you don't believe me look it up online. The Four Seasons across the street is $1,200 a night. I paid $800 for the whole week to stay there through my club. And that was a "leftover week" as you put it.

2) You say you can join RCI or II for $89 bucks? Yes you can. But what you aren't telling people is the $89 fee gives you access to condo's IF and I say IF, you OWN a week of timeshare then the $89 fee allows you to trade YOUR unit through RCI or II and access the other properties. Do you really think RCI is going to let you join them for $89 bucks and be able to just rent any condo you like??? Of course not they'd go broke because then everyone would be doing it and no one would be spending $20-$60 thousand dollars on a time share. So stefanie19 really has a good deal, because, yes she dropped 7 grand on her club but the reality is; she pays no maintenance fee (that's about $300-$1,000 a year), she doesn't pay an exchange fee (another $200-$300 a year) she only pays when she goes. And to boot she is paying a hugely discounted rate over what the nightly rates are. So lets take my resort for example, Grand Champions $400 a night X 7 (because its a full 8 days 7 nights) Thats $2,800 for the week. She gets it for $800 that's 2 GRAND she saved on that one trip!! 4 trips and she's saved the cost of the membership plus! Makes sense to me!! I realize that all the condos are not going to be 5 star everywhere you go, but not all timeshares are 5 star to begin with. So stefanie19 just make sure you're reviewing the resort BEFORE you book to make sure it's something that you would be comfortable with.
I can tell you that I've personally saved the cost of my vacation club after about 4 or 5 trips, so don't sell yourself short on what you have.

 

[chanthj]

Too good to be true

Please beware that Destination Paradise does not have any access. They just rent an office in Waikiki, Hawaii. They can try to generate lots of memberships as quick as possible. Once they are slow down then they can file for bankruptcy and you would lose your $8000. If this is true, I am sure all the well known online travel company like priceline.com, Travelocity, hotwire, expedia.com etc would jump on it making deal with the resorts/hotel all over the world since they already have relationship with them.

So when you go to Wakiki, don't go there unless you have 3 hours to spare and can take the headache of pressure sale just like timeshare for 50% (with limitation) discount on your tour ticket.

 

[Bill4728]

I don't know anything about this company.

That said, all they seem to be saying is they will get you access to unused TS at a great discount. ( which they may or may not be able to do)

Isn't that what renting from a TS owner is all about??

Why pay significant money to a company that may (or may not) give you access when you can look at one of the many TS rental sites and rent directly from a fellow owner??

 

[Surfer Dude]

If you really want to sign up for DP ...

I am the dude who signed up for DP and successfully cancelled it the next day. If you really want to sign up, here're some tips that can save you some money. Prior to my final "no", the best offer I had was:

$4745 for

- 2 additional free weeks for first year
- 2 free round trip plane tickets for the continental US
- 4 weeks each year
- includes registration fees

If you paid more, you probably paid too much. You may be able to get it for less.

For ME (and just me), I still do not belong to any TS, DP or other clubs (except for AAA). I find that not restricting myself to the inventories/restrictions of TS, etc., my travel experiences have been most enjoyable. Over X-mas, my family of 6 paid about $3000 for a 10 day vacation to Waikiki (hotel, food, airfare, car rental, PCC, parking, everything). I just can back from a 11 day trip to Italy (Rome, Pisa, Florence, Siena, Venice) with my 2 sons, and the 3 of us spent a total of $4000 and that include everything including guided tours, attraction tix, train tix, daily fine dining, etc. Everywhere we stayed where no more than 3 blocks from the center of everything and I would consider each place to be at least a 3.5 *. VBRO is my friend but I did have to spend considerable time researching. However, I made no compromises on location nor timing.

 

[Mari1969]

Surfer Dude...In my opinion, you did yourself a favor. I find it interesting how there are a handful of people here and throughout the net defending Destination Paradise. IN MY OPINION, the truth of the matter is that MOST people do feel scammed or they have concluded this company's purpose is to scam as many people before they go under. This is represented by the number of complaints filed with the DCCA Hawaii and the BBB.org. The BBB has NO Rating for Destination Paradise.
My personal experience was that we went to a presentation in July 2008 and got pressured into buying. No one put a gun to our head but they used different sale techniques to get us into buying. They went from offering us a $7995.00 package which included 4 weeks worth of discounted hotel rooms/cruises/condos to a $5995 package which included 3 weeks worth of discounted hotel rooms/cruises/condos. You are offered a certain amount of rewards to be used towards your booking. $5995 seemed like a better deal and being in total vacation bliss did it for us. We were having such a great time in Waikiki, we just wanted to be able to go again and again without spending $300/night at a decent hotel which was the average price for the rooms during the time we went :whoopie: . The presentation showed us the option of staying at a condo for $700/week at the same place we were staying, The Imperial. We paid $1000 for the week but that's because a friend of ours let us use his timeshare. What we failed to notice during the presentation was what time of year The Imperial would be available at $700/week.
The idea behind Destination Paradise seemed ideal but when you actually get on their "exclusive" website to compare prices with those from other travel websites, you realize, there isn't much savings. In fact, what I was quoted late July for a hotel room in Florida was over $20 more a night than booking directly on Priceline.com. To add to my disappointment, the system was down for two days before I was even able to view what was available, even the reps couldn't get on it.
For those who are considering cancelling their membership or considering joining, please keep in mind this...they only give you three CALENDAR days to cancel in writing from they day you join which at that point you don't even have access to their exclusive website. You get your log in/passcode approximately two weeks after joining, by regular mail, sent to your home address.
Some people have posed the question, what's the scam part about. First of all, if you haven't noticed already, there are different price ranges. If we had stayed their longer than the two hours we sat for the presentation and persuasion part of it, we probably would have gotten a better deal. From what I've read on the net, some people paid $4000 for four weeks while some people paid the same for one week. There is no price schedule posted at the presentation and there's nothing in writing that states what you get for $2K, $4K, $6K or $8K. There are people that have paid up to $8K for access to this "software license." From communicating with other people, they've experienced web access issues like I did. I can list a few more things but if you're interested in knowing about them, contact me directly. I just have to stress that what I have written here is IN MY OPINION ONLY and is supported by other people's opinions through their experience with Destination Paradise. :annoyed:

 

[niko]

Im happy with my purchase

I bought into this "club" last year.... One thing im not seeing on here is the one thing that makes it worth it for me..... every year, we get $3000 put into our paradise account, it can (and will) be used for cruises. We are able to get $3000 a year in cruises every year. We are able to get restaurant gift certificates for 100's of restaurants in every city, we buy a $50 gift certificate for $20, or $100 G.C. for $45...... theres alot of side perks that im interested in besides the really nice resorts for $299-$799 a week.
Even if I never use any condo reservations, the free cruise every year is GREAT! Also, If you go to the presentation make a deal, say you cant afford that much, We got them down to $4000, and it was money WELL spent!

and Yes, I am the same NIKO who posted right after I purchased, and now i thought id give a little update.