Diamond Resorts Points devalued again

The Interval International (II) Flexchange period for Diamond Resorts International (DRI) members was reduced from 60 days to 30 days, at DRI's request, eff 2015. This means you only get the 50% discount off normal points requirements for starting dates of 30 days or less. The period 31 - 60 days before start date is regular points. This puts DRI members at a distinct disadvantage because all other II members can still book 60 days out for 50% off while DRI members must wait until 30 days out to get the discount. Also, unless you are driving, the plane ticket will cost much more. My cost of ownership has been going up every year since DRI took over. I was waiting until retirement to add more points but am glad I did not. Why would I pay more to get less.

Does anyone know if you loose any benefits by buying a resale points from private owner vs. buying directly from DRI? Something about not being member of "the Club" but what does that really get a person? We're considering selling out points but want to know if the new owners are getting the same program benefits that we had had.

best bet.. stay away from Diamond Resorts DRI period.. they change the rules to benefit them not the dues paying owners.. Just like WestGate in trying to screw the owners. scum scum scum.

Stay away from DRI & RCI. Terrible to deal with or to get away from.

I agree..they have been unbelieveable to the point of telling me it is my fault if I can't get reservations online and that I am not utilizing all their benefits (ha ha) correctly. Very disappointed with this program...Can't we sue? I checked AZ legal website and I saw nothing leagally to support the consumer against this group's misrepresenations!

They are terrible I have owned since 2006 and the last five years it has become horrible, increased HOA prices through the roof and I have been trying for six months to get a reservation and I have Red week annual points. It has become sickning they are out of control. Owners must pay or we get a foreclosure on credit yet our redweek time is never available. This is fraud. I’m looking to get out I think we need to do a class action lawsuit. I’m in.

Did you buy your Red Week through re-sale or through the developer.

Just curious.

ask.

I share your pain. I sent DRI a complaint about the 30 day, last month. Finding the exchange resort in the right city at the right time is challenging enough and when it shows available, book it or lose it. 30 Days isn't enough time for anyone to be able to coordinate and confirm a stay. Coordinating vacation schedules and approvals at work for yourself and significant other or traveling buddies, plus then getting a hard confirmation the reservation is good, then logically booking airfare afterwards--at sky high short notice prices? I don't think Interval is offered for free to us, so if it's only 30 days, then just get rid of it, or change it back to 60 days. Why should I risk losing the fees and points and pay high short notice airfare. DRI's 30 day is not in line with the other time share companies 60 days. It was an UNFRIENDLY MOVE of an executive at DRI to make. That's like Clark Griswald in the movie Christmas Vacation, who's Boss decided to give everyone the Jelly of the Month Club as a Christmas bonus after he decided to cut costs by eliminating cash bonuses. Not knowing that his Scrooge of a Boss made this change, Clark had already made a down payment on a new in ground swimming pool. Other than this, I don't have too many complaints about DRI except that Silver members can't use points to pay towards maintenance anymore. Glitches can occur no matter what one is planning, but I like everyone tries to avoid those in vacation reservations. Prices continue to increase in all aspects of living. Having access to resorts is a luxury. Even before Sunterra went bankrupt, they had already started raising maintenance fees, and were no where near as customer friendly and transparent as DRI. However, it seems that DRI has stopped taking a step forward with customers and has actually started to step backwards. We're not in a recession. During the recession Marriott Hotels decided to reduce costs temporarily by eliminating the hair conditioner amenity. Now that travel has been better than ever, the hair conditioner bottles are back. They haven't cut costs when it comes to customer service, customer experiences and quality. DRI might be trying to grow and accumulate properties at too fast of a pace and we will take the brunt of it thru reduced services and increased fees. I understand it takes money to run the whole thing. I am very impressed with their web site. I can see an audited financial statement on my deeded property in Scottsdale, whereas with Sunterra, they were not forthcoming. I sincerely believe that just before DRI bought them at a clearance price, they were experiencing a lot of owner foreclosures. Hence with fewer owners paying the maintenance and property taxes, our rates skyrocketed. If it was deliberate to make themselves look better on the selling block, I don't know. I have a suspicion their financial statements were not accurate anyway. The maintenance fees have leveled off but I won't be surprised to see a larger increase than usual for 2017 using health care costs and minimum wage increases as the reason.

I hope you took a minute to send them an email through their web site to express your disappointment about the 30 day exchange rule and how it is unfriendly, unrealistic and not competitive with others. Unfortunately, I never received a reply to my complaint. It probably never makes it to the right person's desk. Why they feel they don't have to respond to a complaint is beyond me. Just more unfriendliness.

Arizona State's Attorney's office used to be really hard on timeshare companies and actually put them all out of business years ago because they were so scummy. They they all came back. I think Arizona State's Atty. would be a good place to start. Plus maybe you're paying the $5.00/year for legal something or other on your maintenance bill? Wonder if that isn't a place to start? The only other thing you could do is simply not be a club member which is around $450/year now, if you have a deeded property, and just book at your deeded property, or rent it. There are so many good deals today for airfare and hotel combined through the travel web sites, and if you take more than 1 vacation a year, maybe it's worth dropping The Club. I've been contemplating this myself.

I've been astonished at the lack of availability, anywhere, anytime, just in the United States. Forget about foreign countries. I think you have to book those a year in advance and hope nothing happens to a family member or yourself while you wait. Haaa. We're making someone rich!

You say that you are considering dropping the club. How would you go about it? I want out !!! I have 22 500 points which gives me silver status. The new rules and prices make this pauper status. Unless you have at least gold status, upgrades are limited and pricey (new rules) and when you try to book even 13 months out, there are no vacancies at most resorts. I checked using another account (sampler) and there are definitely vacancies at these resorts but they are not showing for mere silver owners. The newest gimmick is a new kind of trust. If you are gold, (I would have to buy 7500 more points for around $30,000) they will now place your points in a new kind of trust. They claim that they are setting up 16 agencies which will sell your points for you at super prices ...no more grey market. But you must have at least 30 000 points to enter this hallowed status where they will sell your points and you will get all your money back and be free.

I originally purchased a week in 1999 with Embassy Resorts Grand Beach in Orlando FL. I bought into the point system with Sunterra in 2001 because with points, reservations made less than 60 days from start date is 50% of regular point requirements. This applies to Interval and DRI reservations. I knew that in 2014 DRI changed the Interval 50% bookings to 30 days from start date. I just found out that this now also applies to DRI reservations as well, unless you are Silver. Just being a member of the club does'nt get get you much anymore.

Fred, It's all bs. There is no new trust. This is a current posts on TUG about being upsold into this new "trust" http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=240752 You will be out another $30,000 have higher MF and still own something that is worth $0 on the resale market. If you want out contact DRI about deeding your contract back to them. They were accepting them most of last year. If you are paid off and up to date with MF you pay them a $299 per contract and they make it go away.

They will take it back for the paperwork fee and resell the points. There is finite number of points in the availability pool. The only way DRI can sell points is if they can get them from the existing pool. That's why you can't even give the points away because the new owners will have to pay many thousands of dollars to get them deposited into the DRI Club. The points can be passed to your immediate decendents with no problem as they will receive the same benefits.

I use my points so I don't have an immediate issue except for the reduction in # of days from 59 to 30 in the flexchange program. However, for people who want to get out of their timeshare obligations for whatever the reason, will basically not get any monetary compensation for it. If you look at some of the posting, some owners are giving away their DRI points for just the cost of the paperwork fee just to get out of the contract. The new owners would then be required to pay multi thousands of dollars to get the points back into play. Also, the DRI club fee is capped at $450 per year per account so if you were given 5000 points for zero dollars, you would have pay a few thousand to have them deposit them into your existing account. It will probably cost more to open a new account and deposit the new points into it. If anyone has information on the actual cost, please share.

I agree, they are fraud, liars and cheat and take advantage of people that just want to have annual nice family vacation. And this is nothing but a scam. DRI should get penalized for cornering its members by changing rules for members to pay more and more, trying to gain all profits while cutting down from us members. I agree 100%, there should be class action lawsuit and claims against DRI.

The Arizona Attorney General is investigating a complaint filed regarding fraudulent sales practices specific to ILX owners who were sold additional Diamond ownerships based on a deceptive sales artifice. A second confidential AG investigation is taking place regarding other practices. A letter outlining sales practices in general or specific to ILX owner experience can to sent to: Send to consumerinfo@azag.gov and ask that it be added to case confirmation number #UG236-Z3WSO

Somewhat on the topic. With so many owners wanting to get out, I'm considering buying points on the secondary market. My understanding is that to have the silver/gold/platinum loyalty benefits (ex. ability to buy diamond flex points), I have to buy at least half of whatever I bring in (buy on resale). In other words, even if I buy a 30,000 point ownership (gold) on resale I won't be able to get gold benefits unless I buy from diamond 15,000 (or half of whatever amount I bring in). Just curious, if anyone can confirm this is the case (from first-hand experience)?

You have an interesting question. I will validate with the lawyers at Diamond Resort and get back to you with the answer.

barrettm5 wrote:

Somewhat on the topic. With so many owners wanting to get out, I'm considering buying points on the secondary market. My understanding is that to have the silver/gold/platinum loyalty benefits (ex. ability to buy diamond flex points), I have to buy at least half of whatever I bring in (buy on resale). In other words, even if I buy a 30,000 point ownership (gold) on resale I won't be able to get gold benefits unless I buy from diamond 15,000 (or half of whatever amount I bring in). Just curious, if anyone can confirm this is the case (from first-hand experience)?