GVC Sunterra - Is it a freebie?

by **Bazza** on Sat Feb 07, 2004 12:18 am

Hi

Can anybody tell me about GVC Sunterra. I was recently surveyed in the street for a 30 sec questionairre and I have now had a call from GVC Sunterra saying I have won a holiday with them.

Is it timeshare? Can I, phone the number given and my wife and two very small children go on holiday with them without the the hard sell etc.

Is it really a freebie holiday with no strings attached etc?

Has anybody else experienced this?

Appreciate any advice

8) 8) 8)

by **HW Chris** on Sat Feb 07, 2004 2:17 am

Bazza,

Welcome to the forum.

One of our members works for Sunterra. Prehaps they will be able to answer you question.

Best Regards

Chris

by **patch** on Tue Mar 16, 2004 2:57 pm

Ive just had a phone call from gvc sunterra to say that ive just won a holiday in a five star hotel for the next 3 years and i only have to pay for my flight. All sounds dodgy to me. Is this a hard sell timeshare company or can i really go away for a holiday with my boyfriend and not have to worry about going to see a timeshare sale for 2 hours? Are there really no strings attached....?? I dont think so! Can somebody please put my mind at rest??

by **JandM** on Mon Mar 22, 2004 7:37 pm

We have also just received a phone call as described below from GVC Sunterra. The strange thing is that neither my husband nor I completed a survey in the street, and they had details such as our ages and salaries wrong, although they did have our names and phone numbers. We have been given an 0871 number to call with a reference, in order to get a 'free' holiday with flights and accommodation, and we are naturally suspicious!! Has anyone actually tested this?

Would also appreciate advice. Thanks

by **JandM** on Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:33 pm

Have done a bit more research on the internet, and found the following site:

http://www.crimeshare.net/21.html

There is an enormous section on GVC Sunterra, much of which is bitter rants about the management by people who have obviously already bought into it, but there are a number of comments by people who have had similar experiences of being offered 'free' holidays and none of them sound very good!

Hope this helps!

by **RC1** on Tue Mar 23, 2004 2:49 pm

Please, all those who are even thinking about joining Sunterra, don't go to crimeshare where only a tiny number of very disgruntled members hang out, go to www.sunterra-members.co.uk or their yahoo site at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sunterramembers/ where you can ask over two thousand Sunterra members anything you like, read members' reports on all the resorts, listen to genuine moans, and get staggering help from experienced members. I myself have owned with Sunterra [ex LSI, ex GVC] for eleven years and can answer any specific question, and no, I am not employed by them, never have been, never will be. I'm just a retired teacher who enjoys his holidays. I have some grumbles with Sunterra, like the sales franchises they contract out and the regular large hikes in management fees, but the holidays are brilliant and getting better [I'm off to Tenerife on Friday!]

To the correspondents already posted could I say;

JandM - the "free" holidays do exist, but you have to attend a high pressure sales talk and there's not a lot of choice as to where and when.

patch - the "explorer" package is what you are describing, an introduction to the club but it's not free at all - you'd have to pay about �2000 for what you describe and yes there are strings - high pressure sales talks.

HW_The_Dog: as said, if you meant me, I do not work for them!

Bazza - Yes, it's timeshare, but a points based one with lots of flexibility - look up the Sunterra website for details. Of course, you'd get the hard sell. I still get it after many years as a member - I just learn how to handle them.

To all - I have no respect for the liars, sorry, salesmen who sell Sunterra points. Their commission based fees mean they will promise the earth to get you to sign. But: 1] Read the documents and only believe what's in writing. Whatever they promise ask to see it in writing. 2] The product is good - look up the dozens of resorts they own on the web to see what you'd get, and 3] You can sign and cancel in 14 days. I did and they offered me over a thousand pounds in travel vouchers to return!

by **HW Techie** on Tue Mar 23, 2004 3:05 pm

LOL, not you RC1,
see this post

http://www.holidaywatchdog.com/holiday- ... tt143.html

HW Techie

by **HW Chris** on Tue Mar 23, 2004 4:30 pm

RC1 I was referring to an earlier post. About a member called Jezzybaby.

Sorry for the confusion. Hope you will continue to have an input in this area. It is always advantageous to have both sides of the story.

Regards

Chris :thumrigh:

by **RC1** on Wed Mar 24, 2004 8:30 pm

Okay, I understand now, HW_The_Dog; it'll be interesting to see if Jezzybaby does continue to post about Sunterra - it'll be very difficult for him to be objective and truthful. They would not like an employee to be criticial of the company on the web!

BTW thanks for contacting me about people's queries re Sunterra - I would not have noticed for ages if you hadn't!

by **Davyburns** on Tue Apr 13, 2004 4:03 pm

"can i really go away for a holiday with my boyfriend and not have to worry about going to see a timeshare sale for 2 hours? Are there really no strings attached....?? I dont think so! Can somebody please put my mind at rest??"

In this world, you get nothing for nothing! :pale: