GVC Sunterra - Is it a freebie?

[TJC]

I concur with 'Astute' re: GWC and Sunterra. I went along to the presentation at Wynchor Park only to find myself walking up the dual carriageway in order to get back to a petrol station where the presentation was actually due to take place! It took 4 hours to finally get the price out of these awful people - they keep harping on about a points system, but who cares when you don't know how much it's going to cost!! Finally, after all the sales spiel and rubbish we got to know that it would cost us �8,000 (yes 8 grand, which is apparently a saving on the day of �5K!) to buy these points that we could then 'spend' on holidays until 2064!! Who in their right mind would fork out �8,000 just like that?!!! We did actually get to see this 'great' Wychnor Park, but it's an eerie kind of place where people seem to pack up their whole kitchen in order to self cater for days at a time. It's a very odd place. Many of the sales team look to be driving around in Jaguars and Mercedes and have big gold and diamong rings and one even had the courtesy to say that it's only a numbers business to them, so they don't actually care about the individual anyway!
With regards to the 'free' holiday - you do have to pay the admin fee and you also have to attend a presentation when you get there (if you don't you apparently have to pay back the holiday - check out the small print!!!). We left with such a bad taste in our mouths that the brochure when straight into the bin as we couldn't stand the thought of holidaying with this awful, creepy company.
They do these presentations twice a day, 5 days a week, so you can imagine how many people they have going to these things. If you get an invitation to go - DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME! (or petrol money getting to these far away locations!)

[AMNA]

Last week I was asked to do a survey in my home town and a week later was called to say I had won a holiday , they absoutely convinced me there was no catch as I had heard it all before, The lady on the phone kept convincing me until eventually I gave in. Then I recieved a letter to invite me to claim my holiday and they also offered me �25 vouchers just for turning up, I went and what do you know there was a catch, it was the points system, I am really furious at GVC I can't believe they have fooled me they completely lied to me on the phone and when I stayed there to listen to some woman go on about it all, I couldn't believe it, I got up half way through with my partner and started to walk out, the lady who was giving us all this information bull about the points was very rude too. A couple of days after that I got a call from GVC telling me they knew that I had walked out and asked me why, I just laughed and told them why. They then asked if I had got my free holiday and vouchers to which I replied no and they just put the phone down on me. I have sinced complianed back to a high manager at GVC today his name is Carlo he said he would get back to me so we will see the outcome. But i beg everyone out there not to be fooled by these people they are just a complete joke and something needs to be done about it. Some vunerable peron is going to fall for this and lose absoutely everything. This is still going on and would appreciate anybody giving me advice as soon as poss. Thanks Amna Cheshire

[AMNA]

They told me that it would cost us �11,500 plus �3,275.

[DebsC]

Glad that I too did a bit of web-surfing as I got the GVC phone call after completing a survey in the street. We already own a property in mainland Spain and we did wonder if this was a timeshare or holiday club ordeal. We do realise that there is no such thing as a free holiday but this seems a good way of seeing someplace else quite cheaply (Algarve, Canaries etc). Hence we are quite prepared to sit through a presentation as we definately wont be buying, (and also is a good bit of market research for me as I am in the Spanish property business). What I need to know is whether anyone has actually got their holiday and taken it and whether it is worth all the agro or whether to walk away now before attending the session that we have booked on 5 May.
DebsC

[steve keens]

We went to Sunterra presentation at Broomhill Park in Kent five weeks ago, after getting a letter re a survey. Spent 2 hours there & got �50 of Argos vouchers plus tea & cakes & not to much of a hard sell. Very impressed with the onsite facilities and accomadation we were shown. We politely refused their offer saying we would prefer to see their overseas properties before possibly joining. Now i am Mr sceptical,you dont get anything in this world for nothing, but on returning home & reading about their free holiday promise i sent off �69 admin fee for a week for two in Teneriffe, for two flights & 4 star accomadation in the Santa Barbara resort. I figured if this was a scam i allready had �50 worth of vouchers & i would only lose �20. I was wrong, i found their travel agency very efficient,within 3 days we had our confirmed
1st choice dates, tickets sent & went on our holiday 2 weeks ago,(still got the tan ). Had another 4 hour presentation there, it was interesting, looked at a few other resorts, but again politely refused their offer. Bottom line, where else can you get a week in Tenerife for �69 for two. I had no intention of signing up even though it sounded a fairly good way to go abroad on future holidays. We spoke to people there who had been members for 12 years & they have never looked back, (it was GVC when they joined). They said if you played the system, getting half price points deals & can travel out of school holiday times you can really make it pay. I can only say that it worked out OK for us, so if you get a chance put on your thick skin (they cant make you sign ) & give it go. Cheers, Steve Keens.

[jowilliams]

My husband and myself are members of the American Sunterra points system. We dont live in America but we visited Sedona 10 years ago, fell in love with the place and bought a timeshare there which at the time was not Sunterra but was taken over by them later. Prior to this we bought a timeshare with RCI (which we have now changed to points) and after Sedona we then bought another timeshare with Interval which is straight-forward exchange. So we have been members of timeshare for over 10 years. We have had no problems. We use our timeshares wisely and almost always get what we want.

As far as Sunterra goes I think you get value for money. We have been to some excellent places with Sunterra. And people out there - if you want something for nothing, it just doesnt exist. If you want a "free" holiday, who in their right minds are going to give you a free holiday? You do get the hard sell (thats what they are paid to do). But you get nothing for nothing in this life and timeshare is one of them. I can offer a piece of advice though to "would be owners". It will take approximately 5-6 years of holidays to "get back" what you have paid out for in the first place. We actually worked this out and whereas a holiday now costs us say approximately �1,500 for a fortnight in the States (taking into account flights and maintenance each year), if we booked independently the quality of the apartment we get with Sunterra and then add our flights on, it would come to approximately �3,000. For example, we booked through Sunterra an apartment in Canada in Whistler in August last year. It was directly opposite the famous Whistler Mountain - a prime position. If we had booked this apartment ourselves it would have cost �700 for the week but we used our points and the maintenance on those points cost us about �200. So on that holiday alone we saved �500. So now instead of having 1 or 2 weeks holiday a year, we sometimes have as many as 5 or 6! On one holiday alone we saved about �3,000 compared to a package deal in the Lake District of Italy. Used wisely, they can be an extremely good investment. But please dont think you are getting something for nothing. Timeshare companies have to make a profit. They are in a business, not a gift shop! So before anyone goes on these presentations, be prepared to pay out a lot of money initially but if you like going on holiday and you like good quality accommodation, timeshare is a good thing. If you just want to hear what they have to say but are scared you will end up buying something you dont want, just do one thing - DONT SIGN. If you dont sign you are not in trouble. Read everything and take your time, dont be pushed into it. If it appeals to you, then sign and, used correctly, you will not regret it.

[Cocoa]

I completed a survey in Manchester a couple of weeks ago and then got a phonecall last night from a GVC Travel representative saying that I had won a 7 night break in Spain or Tenerife. She insisted there is no catch and that the only thing I would have to pay is �34.50 airport tax. I am very sceptical and became even more so when the lady told me that myself and my husband would have to attend a presentation at Haydock in order to claim the holiday but that we would be given Argos vouchers for �25 on attendance of this presentation. I asked her what the catch was and she was quite insistant that there was no catch and I would not be asked to sign up for a timeshare. The lady advised me that the reason GVC were doing this promotion was so that if we had a good time we would recommend them to our friends and family. Any advice?

[Fred 2]

COCOA: You will get a very hard sell at the 'promotion' and if you actually get to take a holiday you will have to attend a worse one while there. That's the way it works.

Before deciding if you actually want to deal with them you could look at this page on Crimeshare.
http://www.crimeshare.net/21.html

You should bear in mind that Sunterra Corp (US) is in very deep trouble and the UK side is, if anything, in deeper trouble and more than a bit desperate. All or almost all of the staff at the Lancaster head office have been dismissed and their own Europe/ UK marketing . The people who want you to go to the presentation will be external sales agents and certainly will not tell you this.

Quoted from Company statements:
"The European business will be reduced .................New member marketing programmes will be curtailed..........."

[aka_Baldrick]

Just to say, I recently did the same such survey in Basildon, Essex, but there was no mention of a holiday draw at the time.
I've received the same call as people above have mentioned but won't be going along now I've read about them on the internet (and Holiday Watchdog especially!)

Apparently their office is in Pitsea, Essex (approx 2 miles away) when I asked, yet to claim the 'free' holiday I have to travel to Bluewater in Kent (about 25 miles!).

Still their sending the details through and I'll just pass them onto the local newspaper, maybe they'd like to go along in my place and see what's being offered!

[madmac]

I completed a 'lifestyle' survey in the street in Leeds city centre last month unaware of who it was for.

They've phoned me at least 12 times in the last 2 weeks trying to get me to phone the 'Head Office' to claim my holiday and shopping vouchers. Every time I say thanks but don't bother. I was hoping that they would give up and go away but they're determined.

Now I've found this website, I can happily be rude!!!!

thanks everyone.