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Kymbo International Vacations (Reply to this comment)
by etihwd
Shortly after I got involved with Kymbo (2003), they split with Vacation Brokers International, Inc. This group has the resorts in various areas of the country. Vacation Brokers International is the group that threatened me. Although no one from their group signed my contract, they are sending out billings for past due membership fees with penalties. They also threaten turning over the account to the Credit Bureau for collection. I was booking with Kymbo for some time since 2003. I payed the fees but still got good rates. I never bothered with their home billings. I went to Hawaii, Las Vegas, etc. Especially last minute vacations. Kymbo has never come back at me for past due fees. Vacation Brokers.com are doing that now.
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Jul 01 '06
2:30 pm PDT
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Re: I HOPE THIS HELPED SOME OF YOU (Reply to this comment)
by vacabrokrhater
Just as most of you I was duped by this wretched company. I signed up for this "service" in Nov 2002. After jumping through all the hoops to pick dates for my free "cruise" and my free "trip to Florida" I waited, only to hear nothing about when I could go. After that I decided that that sinking feeling I had in my stomache after I left Kymbo was warranted and I stopped paying into my "club." That was 3 years ago and between then and now I have heard little from vacation brokers. I used to get the token, very unprofessional looking, "bills" and for a while they stopped. Now all of a sudden, three years later, I am getting collections notices for this account. So I was wondering if anyone else who stopped paying has received anything in the way of collections.
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May 12 '06
1:16 pm PDT
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I HOPE THIS HELPED SOME OF YOU (Reply to this comment)
by crro37
I am happy that my original epinion on this company helped some of you. I did receive several threatening letters from the company warning to remove my comments as it was hurting their business.
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Apr 22 '06
11:50 am PDT
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Re: STOP ALL PAYMENTS...NOW. (Reply to this comment)
by informconsumer
Dear SCAMMED Vacation Club Members,
Please visit the new website of www.kymbochasers.blogspot.com
This website has the answers and advice for most of your concerns.
You can also address your concern, confidentially, by email to kymbochasers@yahoo.com
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Mar 31 '06
10:33 am PST
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Re: Re: STOP ALL PAYMENTS...NOW. (Reply to this comment)
by sassafras1966
YES,YES,YES........STOP PAYMENTS....
WE "JOINED IN 2003" AND HAVE NOT MADE 1 PAYMENT,NOR HAVE WE HEARD FROM ANY OF THERE COMPANIES....
DON'T BE A SUCKER AGAIN.....STOP.STOP,STOP PAYING NOW!!!
NOTHING IS ON OUR CREDIT REPORT'S EITHER....
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Mar 27 '06
6:57 am PST
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Re: STOP ALL PAYMENTS...NOW. (Reply to this comment)
by tiger926
It's amazing to me how our city (Windsor, ON) and the OPP/RCMP is making a big deal about Magic Carpet Travel (who I have had bad dealings with, I might add) and the wholesale company from New York about the missed vacations, yet they can't seem to make connections between Kymbo, Sterling Crown, etc., yet we all did. Hmmm? Doesn't make sense to me since all of these companies are related - not hard to figure it out as many of us did, yet they say their hands are tied with what they can do. Pull their license or pull them in for questioning - makes me angry every time I read stories this past week about the Magic Carpet Travel situation, yet no one seems to care about all of us who had to deal with these crooks. Something doesn't sound right to me! Tiger
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Mar 27 '06
4:00 am PST
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STOP ALL PAYMENTS...NOW. (Reply to this comment)
by wildwalt13
If you are still making payments to any of the companys listed below....STOP ...NOW.
Go to your bank...get a lawyer...or atleast let one know what you are doing...but for gods sake ...STOP MAKING THE PAYMENTS.
Leisure Escapes..Resort Villa..Vacation manor..Kymbo ..Kymbo international..K Tours..Klub Tours..KTI..Christlea Marketing..Zephyr Cove Management..XVB Financial..Triad International..Remington Travel..The Vacation Store..Bona Vista Travel.Bon Voyage holidays..Holiday Vacations International..Sterling Crown..Kymbo Tours inc...
These companys are all related ...if they tell you they will go to a lawyer...laugh..if they send you to collection ..get your lawyer..please...please ...please..STOP WHINEING AND STOP PAYING...
I DID ..2 YEARS AGO..AND HAVE RECIEVED NO BILLS..THREATS..OR COLLECTION NOTICES..
THEY ARE CROOKS...STOP PLAYING THEIR GAME.
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Mar 26 '06
6:53 am PST
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Re: Re: Re: GROUP OF KYMBO HATERS (Reply to this comment)
by mnb70
I also was scammed by Kymbo tours and called them to cancel my membership after never getting a membership card or any catalogs after many requests for them. I never heard anything at all from them since informing them that I wanted to cancel my membership and they never got another penny since I used a debit card to have the money taken out each month but then had the card reissued with other numbers so they couldnt draw anymore money from me. Now I'm getting phone calls and letters from some collection agency called Conserve telling me that I owe them the full amount plus interest to a new company called Great Orlando Vacations. I explained to them that I canceled my account with Kymbo and never heard anything else until now and wanted contact information for Great Orlando Vacations so I could talk to them and find out what was going on. I was told that they were not allowed to give any contact information for them and I would have to write a letter that they would then send it on to the vacation company. This all sounds strange to me also could it be another scam? I think that we all who have been scammed need to come together and sign a class action lawsuit against them and get all of our money back. I'm planning on contacting a lawyer for advice on this. For all of those in Michigan how does Feiger sound? I would love to hear any advice on how to resolve these problems.
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Mar 22 '06
1:46 pm PST
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Re: Re: GROUP OF KYMBO HATERS (Reply to this comment)
by erlamo58
Could I please get information from anyone who has tried to get a refund from their credit card companies for monies issued to Kymbo/Vacation Manor/XZB or Triad International? I'm particularly interested in Citibank and anything you can share about your experience with them when trying to get them to credit your account.
Thank you.
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Feb 09 '06
7:38 am PST
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Re: Re: Re: KYMBO/VACATION BROKERS UNETHICAL TACTICS (Reply to this comment)
by jms440809
If you canceled your auto-deduct or payment to Kymbo how did your bank have the nerve to pay anyone else. They need to be reported to the Federal Government who controls their behavior. Just had to report my CU for excessive fees & holding my money when bills came in so they could charge outrageous fees. I got all fees refunded & no more holding my money when bills came in, they pay them because they have my money. I got all my money back from Kymbo. No one should ever use cash or checks to deal with anyone unless you are purchasing things from a store & that's not too safe either if you're spending a lot of money. At least if you use a credit card you have someone else to help fight the battle. I wish all of you luck. Contact your bank immediately & demand an explanation & your money back. Let me know the results.
Jennie
selimkel@aol.com
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Feb 05 '06
3:39 am PST
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Re: stopped making payments (Reply to this comment)
by jms440809
Hi
Why are you even still making payments when the company has been dissolved. It seems obvious that none of you read or got the last letter from the Michigan AG's office. My contract was with Kymbo therefore, if I had intended to do anything it would have been iwth them, however, I was fortunate enough to get every dime of my money back by complaining to my credit card company 15 times until they got tired of me saying "I don't understand NO" especially when you paid the money out on my behalf for a service that I never got & the company fell off the face of the earth. So I am delighted to say I spent all my money almost a year ago when I got the full refund. How can they do anything against you after the scams they have pulled, you can always write your rebuttal to the credit reporting agencies. Good luck, hope this has been helpful.
Jennie
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Feb 05 '06
3:23 am PST
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Re: GROUP OF KYMBO HATERS (Reply to this comment)
by jms440809
wondered what happened to you? Did you follow-up from our last conversation? I got 100% refund from CITICARDS, even the $171.00 I paid to Zephyr. So go for it. I have fought & won 3 out of 4 battles in this area. I now have 3 more different battles added to my plate with the death of my husband. I want to say "stop world & let me off". But I have to keep up the battles to right the wrongs that I feel have been dealt to me. Good luck to you & all of the others who hasn't gotten their money back. How's the building coming? Finished yet?
jennie
selimkel@aol.com
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Feb 05 '06
3:07 am PST
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Kymbo Tours Group (Reply to this comment)
by jms440809
This is to all of you who got scammed, I told you almost a year ago how to get your money back. why is anyone still paying them when you know yo will never see a trip from them unless you are willing to hook up with their better halves who will also scam you. I have spent every dime of my 100% refund. Review the earlier suggestions by me sent to all of you by several of the few active members. Good luck from Jennie.
selimkel@aol.com
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Feb 05 '06
2:58 am PST
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GROUP OF KYMBO HATERS (Reply to this comment)
by duckster2
There is a large group of people which all have been scammed, and we are continuing to put pressure on these crooks. I have been out of the loop lately, but I will try to help anyone who wants to join our group. I WAS PREVIOUSLY LISTED UNDER DUCKSTER2, but my NEW CONTACT IS duckster3@comcast.net the previous tel#'s are still valid.
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Jan 30 '06
9:29 pm PST
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stopped making payments (Reply to this comment)
by snucher
I posted last year about my dissatifaction with Kymbo and xvb. I stopped making payments about 8 months ago and haven't gotten another statement or phone call since. the last few times I called XVB to make a payment over the phone I talked to three different people. they were very helpful and nice about taking my payment. The last one was a bit strange though. I talked to a man (don't remember his name) and told him I wanted to make a payment, I could hear kids in the background, he told me he had to look up my file so I waited, and I swear it sounded like he was at his own home. I made the payment, got one more statement and nothing since. I just pull the money aside in my checkbook but don't send it. We refinanced our house to help pay off some credit card debt that we had and my husband insists we pay them off,(even though after so many months of non payments nothing was listed on our credit reports) I have a check in front of me to pay it off and I just can't bring myself to send it. With the added Interest I'm sure the balance is higher than the last statement I received. So I'm wondering if maybe they just don't follow up? or like someone posted earlier, they won't go to court because of their scamming ways? Has anyone had experience with not paying their loan payments? Do they eventually come after you? or do they just write it off?
PS-The email I used before had been shut down ,so if anyone tried to contact me, I apologize.
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Jan 08 '06
8:08 am PST
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A place to work together (Reply to this comment)
by shiza
Looks like we all have the same tales of woe but no central location to unite and work from. If you want I will volunteer to be that spot. I will post my real E-mail address for this purpose. I am tired of being ripped of at every turn. I need knowledge on what to do and how to do it. Contact me at:
wastematerial@comcast.net
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Nov 20 '05
2:29 pm PST
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Re: Re: KYMBO/VACATION BROKERS UNETHICAL TACTICS (Reply to this comment)
by shiza
I too was taken in by Kymbo. Upon finding out about how crooked they are we stopped the auto-deduct from our checking account. We just found out the they are still getting our money. This time under the name of "The Great Orlando" out of Bradenton,FL. Please E-mail me so we can ALL get this scum!!
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Nov 20 '05
2:17 pm PST
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Re: Re: KYMBO/VACATION BROKERS UNETHICAL TACTICS (Reply to this comment)
by jacksob
Hi time out 2
How do we all connect when we don't have one another's email. I have big issues with this travel outfit.
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Sep 29 '05
3:05 pm PDT
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Vacation Brokers, Inc. is unethical (Reply to this comment)
by jacksob
I wonder if anyone else out there has experienced this travel club's strategy to get members to travel by implementing an administrative fee in 2004, without a letter explaining what the fee was all about. They just expected people to pay it or go on a trip so it would be deducted from the travel bill. They state that the amendment in the contract says they can do whatever they want if it is for the good of its members. Doesn't sound right to me.
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Sep 29 '05
3:01 pm PDT
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Re: Umm? (Reply to this comment)
by crro37
Music was VERY LOUD
Teenagers did ask if I was ready to sign--they would call their advisor to the table if I was
Prices are not reasonable!
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Jun 14 '05
5:19 am PDT
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Re: VACATION BROKERS ARE NOT A SCAM!!! (Reply to this comment)
by jms440809
HI
WHAT HAPPENED I WAS GOING TO E-MAIL YOU ABOUT YOUR GROUP DIDN'T SEE ANY PERSONAL E-MAILTO SEND MY INFORMATION TO YOU TO COMPARE NOTES. HOPES DISGRUNTLED MEMBERS AREN'T ATTACKING EACH OTHER. HEY MOST OF US I ASSUME JUST WANT WHAT WE PAID FOR OR OUR MONEY BACK.HOPEFULLY, THINGS WILL ALL WORK OUT FOR ALL OF US.
GOOD LUCK.
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May 21 '05
5:15 am PDT
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Re: Re: Let's Work Together to Beat this Scam! (Reply to this comment)
by jms440809
On what day and date did you attend the tour, scam, presentation etc? We attended Saturday 2/7/2004 for an evening dinner. Yes we purchased nothing in return so far and no answers from Kymbo. Have talked to Billie @ Vacations of the Future, Pat Freda @ the cruise division, Chris @ Sundream Vacation Holidays , Leah Cornell & Aula (Ola) Kamaliddina both @Family vacations. We are willing to sign a group letter and or lawsuit or do whatever we can to recoup our money. You may respond to selimkel@aol.com Have a good.
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May 15 '05
8:12 pm PDT
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Re: KYMBO/VACATION BROKERS UNETHICAL TACTICS (Reply to this comment)
by timeout2
I would like to encourage anyone in Michigan that have had problems with Kymbo and/or Vacation Brokers to file a complaint with Mich. Attorney General Mike Cox's Office- Consumer Protection Division, as they had responded to me, last yr.in regards to my complaint with Vaction Brokers, that they had not had an efficient amount of complaints to do an investigation (I couldn't believe I was the only one in Michigan---I see from this web site, I am not alone). I have wrote letters to every imaginable agency in Canada and in US to expose these companies for their unethical business tactics---Canada's agencies are weak. I can't believe that their BBB agency is still giving Vacation Brokers a satisfactory rating (see below). So maybe if enough of us contact our Atty. General's office, they will help their constituents against these Candian companies. If you like to do a group thing, like all sign a complaint letter or send in complaints all together, let me know---I will be happy to participate.
BBB Reliability Report
The Better Business Bureau
Serving Mid-Western & Central Ontario
354 Charles Street East
Kitchener, ON N2G 4L5
Vacation Brokers Inc
15 McCulloch Ave
Unit #1A
Etobicoke, ON M9W 4M5
Telephone: (416) 247-2004
Fax: (416) 247-4613
www.vacationbrokers.com
The BBB reports on members and non-members.
Original Business Start Date: January 1986 Employees: 7
Principal: Mr. John Teskey, Principal File Open Date: December 1996
Email Address: vbisupport@ica.net
TOB Classification: Vacation Time Share, Vacation Certificates & Vouchers
BBB Membership: This company is a member.
Additional DBA Names
Vacation Brokers International Inc.
Ridings Financial Services Inc.
Sun Seekers
BBB Membership Status
This company has been a member of this Better Business Bureau since September 1986. This means it supports the Bureau's services to the public and meets our membership standards.
Program Participation
This company participates in the Membership Identification Program and agrees to use mediation and/or arbitration if necessary to resolve disputes.
Customer Experience
Based on BBB files, this company has a satisfactory record with the Bureau. The Bureau has processed customer complaints on this company in its three-year reporting period. Although the customers disputed the company's responses, based on BBB experience the company properly addressed all the issues of the complaints. In addition, other complaints processed by the bureau, the company addressed the disputed issues of the complaints, and the customers verified that the complaints have been resolved satisfactorily. To have a Satisfactory Record with the Bureau, a company must be in business for at least 12 months, properly and promptly address matters referred to it by the Bureau, and be free from an unusual volume or pattern of complaints and law enforcement action involving its marketplace conduct. In addition, the Bureau must have a clear understanding of the company's business and no concerns about its industry
When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.
The Bureau processed a total of 14 complaints about this company in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period. Of the total of 14 complaints closed in 36 months, 4 were closed in the last year.
These complaints concerned:
2 Selling Issues,
1 Product Quality Issues,
1 Refund/Exchange Issues,
7 Contract Issues,
2 Customer Service Issues, and
1 Credit or Billing Issues.
They were closed as:
1 Resolved,
3 Assumed Resolved, and
10 Administratively Judged Resolved.
Company Management
Additional company management personnel include:
Ms. Marilyn Kunjah - Customer Service
Ms. Nancy Hurley
Additional DBAs, Addresses and Telephone Numbers
Additional Addresses
555 Burnhamthorpe Rd
Suite 500
Toronto, ON M9C 2Y3
15 McCulloch Avenue
Etobicoke, ON M9W 4M5
Additional Phone Numbers
(416) 247-2004
(800) 823-8220
(416) 620-1770
(416) 620-1610
Additional Fax Numbers
(416) 620-1710
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Report as of May 10, 2005
Copyright© 2005 Better Business Bureau®, Inc.
As a matter of policy, the Better Business Bureau does not endorse any product, service or company. BBB reports generally cover a three-year reporting period, and are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. Information contained in this report is believed reliable but not guaranteed as to accuracy. Reports are subject to change at any time.
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May 10 '05
6:16 pm PDT
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Re: Re: Let's Work Together to Beat this Scam! (Reply to this comment)
by tiger926
Unfortunately, you should have kept the reservation that they made for you that you didn't want because 1) You could have dealt with the property yourselves (I don't use the word resort as they do because the places they send you to are jokes!) 2) At least you would have had somewhere to go. You now have no choice if you want to vacation within the next month to book somewhere yourself. Have you paid the booking deposit already? If not, I would just book myself. You already know that this company are scammers, so I would part with your vacation dreams through them immediately:
1) Book your own vacations from now on or with a reputable travel agency
2) Stop payments on your account with them
By the way if you have paid the booking fee, then you are out of luck, but I would contact the bank, or credit card that is debiting your account and set up a meeting to stop payment on your montly fees. Although I know that with a reputable company this can get you into trouble in that you just can't cancel a contract for no reason, but this isn't a reputable company. Do you really think they are going to take you to court? I don't think so!! They may very well call you in the next week with your hotel information - by the way, if it's in Orlando, I'd be careful as there are lots of nasty places in Orlando - do your research immediately upon finding out what the name of the place is, and make your decision based on that. Basically these people are set up with some nasty timeshare places around the world (they actually own units at most of them, but they pretend that they don't so that way you'll be angry with the hotels that they send you to).
I wish you luck, and wish that everyone who continues to go to their 'shows' would read these messages and the newspaper so that no one will sign up with these people as they are total scammers! If it looks too good to be true, it usually is. There are a handful of excellent vacation club and timeshare resorts out there namely: Disney, Marriott and Hilton - guess what? This company doesn't deal with any of them and for good reason - very high expectations of which this company doesn't even come close!
Good luck with your vacation - you'd be better off booking it on your own by the way.
Tiger
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Apr 29 '05
4:00 am PDT
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Re: Let's Work Together to Beat this Scam! (Reply to this comment)
by frankbean
Your story sounds a lot like mine. In October of 2003 we attended a dinner for Kymbo. We signed for the exact same package. We make monthly payments to XVB Financial. Last year in March we called to book our two week vacation at a specific resort. Within days the vacation was booked. When I got the confirmation papers, I noticed an error that they had booked a unit that was too small for one of the weeks. Since it was their error, they took care of it by renting a larger unit for the week. They payed for it out of their own pockets. I couldn't have been happier and our vacation was fabulous. This year...a whole different story. We have been trying for months to book the same vacation. After weeks of phone calls and no answers we were put throught to an Orlando Office. They also didn't return our phone calls. After a few more weeks they finally called and said they found us some other resort. We did not want that. So again, more phone calls, no answer. Out of no where we receive a phone call from Steve Speakman, a manger at Kymbo. He gives a new office number and his home number. Says he will call back after the weekend with our vacation. Well you guessed it...no phone call. We start calling again, and keep getting some girl who just keeps putting us off saying she will call when she gets a response to our vacation request. Our vacation is suppose to be in May and it is April 28th!!! We don't know where to go from here...any suggestions????
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Apr 28 '05
1:30 pm PDT
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I assure you they are all the same people - Dave Ouelett!! (Reply to this comment)
by tiger926
It was definitely sad to read this latest scam story, but everyone's stories are all so similar. I always tell people, if you have a bad feeling about something, trust your instinct and get out - why would you listen to a slick loser over your own conscience? It's sad that people like this are going to remain in business, but sadly, they are. Number 1) In Ontario we are allowed by law, to cancel any contract within a specified amount of days - this is backed by the government, but has just been changed, so that is why I don't have access to the actual # of days. These scammers make themselves unavailable for approx. 10 days afterward because everyone is calling to cancel - that is why they then tell you when they call you within the 1st month to book, that you can't. Technically they are right - but of course, we all know that they have bent this law in order to protect their little scam!
2) Mr. Dave Ouellett and the Gura Family who have owned Sterling Crown, Worldwide Resorts, Kymbo, Zephyr Cove and now, Vacation Manor, are all the same people! Our country, unfortunately makes it very easy for scammers like this to do business. They reopen under different Ont. #s, or put the business in someone else's name, plain and simple. It will be very hard to stop them - at this point, they are very guilty of terrible customer service, buying people's names to get them in the door, and offering nasty accommodations for booking - these things are all tangible things that we can see. The other stuff, is harder because these people have covered themselves in such a way that it's going to be hard to trace back who actually owns which company. After speaking with many different people, I have come to the conclusion that these people are going to remain in business because they prey on honest and hardworking people who need vacations - that is there in! It has already started to hurt their business though as they are no longer in their nice, Ouellette Ave. office, but a nasty older office. Hopefully it won't be long before they are all put out of business for good!
Good luck to all of you who have been wronged by these people.
Tiger
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Apr 28 '05
4:19 am PDT
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Same scam - different name (Reply to this comment)
by erlamo58
The names of the companies in my scam are: Vacation Manor, Resort Villa Vacations, and Triad International. The names are different, but the details are identical to what I've been reading and hearing from this site.
In mid-January I also received a phone call on a Saturday night inviting me to a presentation at Vacation Manor the next day. Although I could not remember entering any contest that might result in my being invited, I agreed to go for the same reason many of you did - the promise of at least one wonderful prize just for attending. I asked the woman on the phone many questions, including why a company would give away free prizes worth the amount of money she had stated, with no obligation. She said that Carnival Cruise Lines has an advertising budget, and that this is how they chose to spend part of it. Knowing that Carnival was a reputable company, I agreed that my fiance and I would attend the no-obligation presentation. Once in the parking lot of Vacation Manor, I was dismayed at the dingy setup - the building was very small and old. We sat in our car before entering, debating whether or not to still go in since the looks of the building was less than professional. We decided to continue since we'd already driven across the border and were in the lot. The 'receptionist' area was not a permanent setup, but a simple desk thrown at the front door to greet people, the personnel were cheesy-looking, their clothing wrinkled and cheap, and other than the people who appeared to run the thing, the staff consisted of teenagers who didn't appear to know what to do unless they were directed to do something. The "breakfast" consisted of small amounts of cold eggs and potatoes and limp toast. We sat through the presentation, which was actually entertaining, was a long presentation, but was spoken in a very fast manner with a chalkboard. No papers were ever handed out. Afterward the spoken presentation, there was a video that I expected to explain more detail. When I asked her to explain the cost in greater detail, she said my representative would explain in the next room. The video was very loud and was nothing more than flashes of people enjoying beautiful cruises and vacations. There were no words to the video at all. It was all pictures and music.
We were then herded into another room, where our "representative" sat and began with asking one-answer questions: "Do you like to vacation?", "How many times a year do you go on vacation?, "Where do you go on vacation?", "How would you like to have those vacations and more for less than one vacation you take now?" Once I answered those questions in the way she wanted to hear, she offered me a 'membership' that would allow us to take cruises and vacations at 50% off regular prices, because they had made and agreement with Carnival Cruise Lines for special rates. When she quoted me a price of $30,000, I asked if there were smaller packages available. She was no longer to help me, but brought a man who called himself Ron Brar to help. Ron was a large man with dark hair and glasses. He was animated and spoke with confidence - a definite salesman. Ron talked rapidly and when I told him the second package he offered was also too expensive ($20,000), he threw in a free initial vacation to any one of their destinations and called another person over to tell them to make sure we won the prize we wanted. The other guy laughed and Ron winked at us and said, "We'll take care of you." He would need $1,800 deposit to begin the membership and if I was unable to get financing in five days they would automatically finance for us. It's important to note that at this point we had already been in the building for three hours instead of the promised 45-minutes on the phone the night before. I was getting very anxious about leaving my children alone at home for that long, as I had never left them before. They were old enough, but I was getting very nervous just the same and just wanted to get out of Canada and back to my house. My fiance and I went back and forth about whether or not this was a good idea. I finally told him that if I found it wasn't a good idea I would simply cancel within three days. After all, any reputable (like Carnival Cruise Lines) would be understanding. I finally told Ron Brar "Look, I just want to get the hell out of here. Where do I sign?" They charged the $1,800 deposit to my credit card and had many papers for us to sign - not very different from the number of papers I signed to buy my house! Once signed, we were made to stand up and were presented to the rest of the potential customers that we were now the proud owners of a Resort Villa membership and that our free vacation was going to be to Porta Vallarta. Much clapping and cheering from the staff members added to my embarassment and to the energy in the room. I was not in such a hurry to leave that I almost did not pull a prize ticket. When I did, it was for a three-day vacation to Boyne Mountain. The paperwork given to me about the place was a black-and-white xeroxed pamphlet on plain white paper and folded (sloppily) as the original pamphlet would have been. We were escorted out the back door where I was so glad to be in my car and on my way home. I felt nauseaus the rest of the day and told my fiance that something just didn't feel right. That evening, I checked out their 'deals' and found out they were at least as expensive as what I might book myself. In some cases, the 'deals' were even more expensive. I tried for the next week to contact Ron Brar. I was met with: "I'm sorry, Ron is with a client right now. I'll have him phone you in the next couple of hours". Of course, he never phoned back and further calls to that number were met with 'mailbox full'. One day, while trying to call around and get a person on the line to cancel my membership with, a call came in from Resort Villa Vacations for the purpose of booking my first vacation. I told her I was so happy she called, because I was trying to get anyone to answer any of the phone numbers I had. I told her I needed to cancel my membership, to which she said she could not help me. They were simply the reservations people and could not help with membership details. When I asked her what the 'free trip' to Porta Vallarta would consist of, she told me that that trip could not be booked until I paid a fee of $325 plus had booked, paid for, and taken, another vacation within a year from now. The free trip would be void by January of 2006 if I didn't meet this criteria. I knew I was going to cancel, but wanted to know what the details were of the free trip, since I knew it was too good to be true.
I sent a letter of cancellation to all three companies listed at the top of this e-mail. I received a letter back saying, in a nutshell, "nice try, but your contract is non-cancellable". I was unable to stop the payment of $1,800 from my credit card, but will not pay another dime. Triad Int'l sent me what made up coupons from which to make my monthly payments, but I won't be using them. They have tried to call me three times, claiming they've tried five, but I've never been home to talk to them directly, and I won't call them back, though they say they're in the office from 4:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. What kind of business hours are those, anyway?
Withing days of signing, I gotin touch with the Windsor BBB, The Windsor Police Fraud department, the Windsor Chamber of Commerce. The BBB said they had other complaints about Vacation Manor, but that it was in reference to Kymbo, not Resort Villa Vacations.
Based on the details of operation, I'm sure they're one and the same group of people running it.
I would love to be in touch with the group I understand is trying to fight Vacation Manor. Please let me know how I might help.
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Apr 26 '05
9:07 am PDT
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Re: Let's Work Together to Beat this Scam! (Reply to this comment)
by lapdog76b
We will work together on this as well. If we could only get the other people that were at "Kymbo Tours" the day we were we would love it. There was a retired couple that bought into it as well. Please contact me and let me know what you want us to do.
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Apr 09 '05
11:37 am PDT
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Re: Re: $2,500.00 trial membership now $11,003.64 (Reply to this comment)
by lapdog76b
Just curious if you have quit paying. We are going to stop paying. Do you have any advice? Did you ever get contacted? Did it show on a credit report? How did it turn into the 11 thousand. Please assist us. We just want to get rid of this and never pay this scam again. We feel that we have been robbed as well. I have posted a complaint through the FTC. Just curious if we should call FOX 2 problem solvers as well. Thanks for your assistance.
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Apr 09 '05
11:32 am PDT
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Re: $2,500.00 trial membership now $11,003.64 (Reply to this comment)
by shawnlee3
my wife and i also went to kimbos little buffet dinner heard there little schpeel and i have to admit they are smooth talkers anyway they convinced us to join we scratched out a check on the spot and went off home happy to have joined this club and won our orlando vacation while sitting there at home i started to wonder about this company so i got on the net and looked them up you guys had so many bad remarks i decided to do something to get out of it i called first thing monday morning and closed my bank account and re opened a new one and havent heard a thing from kymbo since that was 2 years ago
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Feb 27 '05
5:41 am PST
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