GVC/Sunterra

[Bozo]

Just to add to this, since having been invited to a presentation, do also look at http://www.sunterror.co.uk which will give you at least one person's esperience of Sunterra Holidays ( previously GVC).

[Jono]

I'm an existing member of Sunterra (used to be called GVC) and my advice is to keep well away. I invested over �7000 on the back of a pack of lies. When we joined up, we were promised all sorts at the presentation. It turns out the sales force will do anything to sell the product. And this inculdes telling you anything, and i'm not just talking exagerated claims, I'm talking out and out lies.

The biggest one I got caught with is that we could get our original investment back after 3 years if we weren't happy = not true !, also, the availability of resorts is terrible, even if travelling off peak. We've never got the resort we want on the dates we want....

And the resorts are not the 5 star quality palaces they tell you they are - they are OK, but certainly not 5 star.

We paid over �7000 for 40 points (they've now added 2 extra zeros to the points, so 40 becomes 4000 for some reason....) however, you can go on the members website and find points being sold for between �30 - �50 each (or per 100 = same thing)

Do yourself a favour, hang onto your money and find another way to holiday. When you complain about things, Sunterra are not interested, and they just start quoting the legal small print, which basically has you by the balls.

The more research I've done, the more and more people I've found who have been ripped off with this company. As such, I've set up my own independant web site at my cost (no adverts or pop ups) where you can read the full story (far more depth than I can go into here) and see the correspondance between myself and Sunterra; check it out on -

www.sunterror.co.uk

I have involved trading standards in my case, and they are on-going with it, trying to find a way to sort out this mess.

[simong]

I would take extreme care with Designer Way Vacation Club. As far as I can tell, it is an offshoot of Dream Works Vacation Club (same initials DWVC!!) and both use Timelinx. Both Timelinx and Dream Works were unsuccessfully taken to court in Spain by OTE (Organisation for Timeshare in Europe). Although OTE lost the case, it appears that it was more through their own incompetence!

There is also some info on dwvc.com forum about someone in Dream Works having run off with some of the money, which sounds dubious.

They came to my attention last week in Tenerife after trying to sell us their product, and werent too happy when I said that I never bought on impulse, and would research them first.

[tillyholly]

I agree completely with Jono
keep the money.
there are far better holiday deals out there in far better quality acommodation and if you have kids it is a complete waste of time unless you have thousands of points(big investment) and are prepared to book a full year (to the day) in advance
I am so disillusioned that I am simply going to write off my investment and put it down to experience

[johnjo]

On 22 October 2004, I was bribed (the lure being �50 in Sainsburys vouchers and the �free' holiday offer) into going to Cromer Country Club for a Sunterra presentation. We did not buy but here are my impressions.

Personally, I could not describe the presentation as being high pressure. However, it was clearly an extraordinarily developed, well crafted and systematic 2 hour sales pitch. The bribe was conditional on sitting it out. However, this was clearly stated in advance.

I felt that the person who spoke to us was a decent sort. He was absolutely resolute in completing his pitch in every detail. This was despite me explaining that I knew what holiday resorts looked like and had the ability to grasp abstract concepts, and to speed things up as I was finding it ponderous. I felt this gentleman was probably prostituting himself as much as we were by being there.

Sunterra seem to be selling more of, what I would term a �holiday club' than �time share'. The principle seems to be based on payment in advance. I think the following costs are correct, as I had lost all interest by this point. You pay �425 joining fee; currently �245 per annum �maintenance fee', and buy �points' at the rate of �3.20 per 100. Sunterra expects you to buy between 5000 and 10,000 �points'on the day as an annual allowance. You then buy holidays (accommodation only) from their portfolio, and pay with your �points'. Sunterra then sell you the flights in real money or you arrange your own elsewhere. It was very this �points' system that seemed an unnecessary complication to me.

It seemed a straight offer. Obviously, you are then committed to Sunterra by virtue of your advance payment. How well it works in practice, I was not intending to find out.

Sunterra were as good as their word with regard to the Sainsburys vouchers. We have yet to find out about the �free' holiday with Feria.

Please give you opinions on the following:
What is the �points' system of payment intended to mask?
Why Does Sunterra chose to conduct operations so similarly to totally discredited time share operators?
Why does Sunterra not just call it a �holiday club' and price their accommodation in �'s not �points'?

[Luvian]

I worked as a call perator for GVC. Y'know...I was the one who would call you up, tell you you filled in a survey, then tell you you won a holiday, when in actual fact you just had to go to a timeshare sales meeting? All I can say is, when you talk to the call centre people, have some sympathy. When i joined I was told it was all completely genuine. That people really did win holidays, so I was doing no wrong when I called them. The people who make the outgoing calls are clueless to what GVC actually is. We think we're the candy ladies, giving out free holidays! The people who take the incoming calls are slightly more clued up. They are told, you still get your holiday, but all they ask is you go along to a presentation. Its the ones that call you up making sure your still going, the reps that are the bad guys. They know exactly who they are scamming. i cant tell you how many times i was reduced to tears by people screaming at me down the phone telling me how pathetic imust be to have a job like that. you really do get some nasty people!! But i found out the truth when I left, finally sick of the amount of people giving me a buse. I know, it comes with the job, but i just couldnt understand it when I was told that what I was doing was genuine. Just remember- You are more clued up about this than the staff!!

[gordie]

Joined GVC some ten years ago and have no regrets. Wonderfull honest holidays. Full of help from the local representatives giving advice on how to use the points etc. Yes we went to a sales meeting but used common sense to sort the reality from some sales talk( you've never heard of sales talk!!!) The accommodation has always been first class and we have seen quite a few sites now but really like Santa Barbara and we are there again next week. There are always people who are awfully clever and trust no one and miss out on a lot of the better points of life. May the holidays continue with Sunterra for another 45 years.

[PORSHIEPOO]

HI,


WE ALSO WENT TO THURNHAM IN CROMER FOR ONE OF THEIR SALES PITCHES AND FELL IN HOOK LINE AND SINKER. IT WASN'T COLD HARD SELL AND THEY WERE VERY NICE PEOPLE BUT THEN I SUPPOSE THEY CAN AFFORD TO BE WHEN THEY ARE SUCKERING PEOPLE OUT OF ELEVEN GRAND.
THEY'VE SINCE BEEN TAKEN OVER BY SUNTERRA AND SO NOW WE DON'T HAVE MANY OF THE BENEFITS COS WE WON'T CONVERT ( PAY AGAIN) TO THEIR POINTS SYSTEM.
WE'RE TRYING TO RESELL IT AT THE MO BUT DON'T THINK ANYONE WILL WANT IT.
INCIDENTALLY WE CAN'T GET ANY INFO FROM SUNTERRA SO AS FAR AS WE'RE CONCERNED THEY ARE THE BIGGEST CON COMPANY GOING.

[PW]

Sorry for all of you guys aren't happy with what you have been sold but I'm afraid the main thing you did not get was value for money.

I attended a presentation for GVC and thought that the idea sounded very good, I took their free holiday and kindly went on my way. I then undertook some serious research into the subject and realised that you could if you looked hard enough acquire points outside the system.

This I eventually did and now own a substantial number of points for less than �4k. It worked out at less than �30 per point, rather less than the �150 that Sunterra tried to take me for.

I take your point about the difficulty in booking but I have been able to utilise the system to the best of my ability and have booked some fantastic summer and winter holidays. You do need to have sufficient points in order to utilise them fully and if you are able to travel whenever to wherever, you will also see more benefit.

Sunterra are completely honest about the system itself and I have never been disappointed with the quality of accommodation both in Europe and USA.

As with everything in life you get what you pay for and in this instance if you paid full price, you paid too much. Incidentally, if you only have a few points available to spend, I would suggest Tenerife in May or October where 40 points can get you 2 weeks S/C. If you are after the holiday of a lifetime through Sunterra I think you have come to the wrong place.

All this said if you are not happy keep on telling them because I certainly wouldn't have been happy if I had paid full price.

[kats]

Hi
I have been a member of Sunterra for 7 years converting & upgrading a little from a timeshare unit bought on the resale market. I am glad I joined & have certainly had my moneys worth. Would I have joined if I had paid full price. I am what is called "carefull with money" and would say if I could afford it. I have easily got my money back in savings on holidays & saved something towards the extra I would have paid at full price.
The best link in my mind is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sunterramembers/ This is the free group . You do need to join but you can choose not to receive emails if you wish.
The main thing is be sure this is what you want before you complete the 14 day cooling off. Work out how many you need & cost up using a minimum buy & top up from the members web site at �35 -� 40 per old point & remember this is what you are likely to get if you sell.