Diamond Resorts International (DRI) "THE CLUB" Points Program & Converting your Week to Points

At our last "owners' update" I brought up the idea that selling points was like selling air. The salesman swore up and down that DRI could sell no more points than what they had deeds with which to back them up. He provided no proof other than his word. What proof could he possibly have? Is there any legally binding document to spell it out? Is there any third party oversight (even government) to evaluate or enforce the concept? Considering how much DRI has in sales of points year after year how can they keep it up and not ever run out of deed inventory?

I would be careful and read every document carefully they have everything written in there so legally you can't do anything they might say you don't need to own anything and at the end you may have to purchase something. We do have club dues just today I spoke with quality assurance officer for diamond and she had no answers for me what so ever for the reason why I couldn't book a vacation even going out a year in calendar with no specific dates we were pretty much open to availability. They make everything sound great in there four hour meetings with one person right after another all giving there sales pitch and perfect story. Check the resort you are wanting to go to most of the time you can get it cheaper paying for it out right. For example I booked for Naples Florida today went online and could have got the same room for $76.00 per night.

amandak109 wrote:

Don't do it run don't walk run from Diamond resorts they are nothing but a scam at a high cost you pay a high price for no availability and keep paying for it over and over and there deeded crap you can pass to your children is just bullshit by then your kids points won't be worth anything.

amyk231 wrote:

So was purchasing 10,000 DRI points to be used over two years at any of a dozen refurbished resorts for $1,500 and no mf's a good deal? I have very limited resort availibility, but there are one or two I'm considering going to. I will own nothing and be a member of nothing at the end of two years if I do not buy into DRI for $26,000 (10,000 points) as was the price quoted to me last week.

Suggestions? (Besides maintenance fee's, do members pay other fee's to belong to the "club" per year?)

I traded in using RCI and did NOT get a refurbished unit. Ugh. At Powhattan. I like the idea of no exchange fees, but not if mf's are so high!

10,000 points really ain't a lot maybe a week of travel depending on how you use them and where.

Yes its terrible at this point I really want to just forfeit my points because in the long wrong I would save. But I put a lot of money out and be careful for those timeshare resale companies they are just as fake as the time share companies.

They do run out that's why we don't get to book anything because they don't have enough inventory and keep selling.

I agree; they don't have enough inventory for all the Points they've sold! It is maddening; they convinced us to buy more points so we'd be a Gold Member. That means we get to pay over $6000/year but can't find any availability unless we book 13 months in advance! And they told us we'd get a Free Upgrade in the Room Type. So in Jan. 2015, I booked a Garden View Room for Feb 12, 2016 but when the Reservation came back to me, there was no upgrade. I called in; even the guy couldn't tell me how or what I was supposed to do to get that Upgrade I was promised. All he could tell me there was no Availability in the next level of upgraded rooms! We'll probably get a room overlooking the parking lot, and we've probably given them more than $75,000 over the years! And another lie I'm sure they've told all of us: if you book within 60 days of your trip date, you're supposed to get it for half the number of points, Right? WRONG: that's only if they WANT to offer it to you, but "not in the popular resorts!" They don't have to reduce the number of points! My advice to anyone who is thinking of buying into it: DON'T!!! But if you really want to, call me and I'll sell mine really cheap!

I agree; they don't have enough inventory for all the Points they've sold! It is maddening; they convinced us to buy more points so we'd be a Gold Member. That means we get to pay over $6000/year but can't find any availability unless we book 13 months in advance! And they told us we'd get a Free Upgrade in the Room Type. So in Jan. 2015, I booked a Garden View Room for Feb 12, 2016 but when the Reservation came back to me, there was no upgrade. I called in; even the guy couldn't tell me how or what I was supposed to do to get that Upgrade I was promised. All he could tell me there was no Availability in the next level of upgraded rooms! We'll probably get a room overlooking the parking lot, and we've probably given them more than $75,000 over the years! And another lie I'm sure they've told all of us: if you book within 60 days of your trip date, you're supposed to get it for half the number of points, Right? WRONG: that's only if they WANT to offer it to you, but "not in the popular resorts!" They don't have to reduce the number of points! My advice to anyone who is thinking of buying into it: DON'T!!!

Diamond doesn't necessarily have to be doing anything illegal to tick people off. It is the nature of the points system. And most developers have gone to the points system for the same reason. When they sell points, the developers are selling points that cover otherwise unsold weeks. Summer at a ski resort or winter at a golf resort are worthless to most customers, but the resorts can sell those points on an equal basis with Hawaii points or summer in Hilton Head points.

But most customers are not looking for summer at a ski resort. Most customers want a nice vacation in a nice resort, and that puts an overload on the system. The best vacation weeks go to those who plan the best, and have the highest level of points. The salesmen shade the truth to make it look like you can go anyplace at any time. In reality, the system is just one big game of musical chairs. And Diamond playing the music. They win - no matter what.

It's worse than summer at ski resort. Most ski resorts are in beautiful locations and have summer activities, zip lines, mountain biking, hiking, nice pools, etc. Plus summer means kids are off school. There won't be the same kind of demand as winter ski season but summer will book up at some point. Its spring mud season and early fall weeks that sit empty. The snow has melted, or hasn't fallen yet, children are still in school and its too cold to want to spend time outside enjoying the non ski great outdoors.

It's also central and northern beach locations in the dead of winter. Even though there are some retires who enjoy a nice week at a nice resort on the beach when the temperatures are below freezing and they enjoy having the indoor pools and fitness centers to themselves using reduced points requirements, the resorts sit 80% empty.

Diamond doesn't sell more points than they have inventory to back it up. They just have inventory that no one wants (that's the nature of timeshares in locations that aren't truly 4 season high demand) along with inventory that more members want than they have.

@Amanda...You seem to think DRI's contract is unbreakable. That is not necessarily correct.

There is a class action forming (I'm only a class member not the leader) and if you would like more information please contact me. sbharbison@gmail.com

Please put DRI in your subject line.

Regards, Susan

Why pay them they should be convert points for free Ever year our Fee go up that's crazy to keep giving them money

that would be very nice is that would happen

Diamond has a voluntary surrender program if maintenance fees have become unmanageable. To review the rules cut and paste link: http://timesharegame.com/get-rid-of-diamond-resorts-timeshare/ if browser does not go directly to site click on: How to get rid of your Diamond Resorts timeshare There is a rare opportunity to have your voice heard if you have purchased Diamond in AZ. The AZ Attorney General is one of just few offices that is actively investigating Diamond. Now is the time to move your experiences from bulletin boards to public record where they can contribute to a real solution. If you feel you have experienced fraud and/or deception in the sales process with Diamond describe it in a letter and send it to link below Ask that it be filed with case #CIC 16-4021; Diamond Resorts consumerinfo@azag.gov The AZ Department of Real Estate investigates violations of the real estate statutes and Commissioner’s Rules by licensed real estate brokers and salespeople. * A.R.S. § 32-2197.19(C) states, inter alia, “No developer or agent shall, in selling or leasing, or offering to sell or lease, any timeshare interest in a timeshare plan: 1. Employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud. 3. Engage in any transaction, practice or course of business which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon a purchaser.” Below is link to their recovery fund whose purpose is to assist those that have been harmed. http://www.azre.gov/EnC/RecFund.aspx

I own a deeded week of a two bedroom lock-off oceanfront unit in Virginia Beach Va and am researching theClub and the points program. Could someone post the "2016 points chart" so that we can see it or point me towards it online? I can't gain access to it in the member area of the Diamond website. Specifically, if it is a large chart and you can't post the whole thing then I'd like to see the chart for the OceanAire Resort in Virginia Beach VA. I want to see how many points it would take to book exactly what I already own. Thanks everyone, your posts are very helpful!!!

Its the DONALD J> TRUMP business model... Screw as many people as possible, get rich and everyone thinks you are Kewl, except those you screwed, and the ones knowing that they will be screwed by them...

I am a gold member and they treat us like sh** as well

I wish Diamond Resorts International would buy back our membership points. The yearly fees keep going up inspite of their promises to keep this low. I made a mistake converting my weeks to points. Should never have done this.

If anyone can post more information about the class action lawsuit I would very much like to know about this and participate. Personally I feel it is about time someone took this action.

I am in the same boat and share the concerns

Please read Feb 25, 2016 message from Susan regarding CLASS ACTION!