Escrow Agency ripoff dishonest fraudulent billing Puerto Plata Dominican Republic

When my boyfriend and I went to Dominican Republic in September of 2005 from the 26~30th we we're talked into the Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club. It is a British Virgin Island Company where you can take vacations around the world for a cheap price. We ended up talking to the representative of the company for 2hours. They wanted us to be a member of this club. We thought it was a great idea but the only catch was that we had to put down a $2,000 downpayment.

Of course we did not have that kind of money so we said we cannot do it. Then he brought out his manager and we negotiated for a good half an hour. I am a student going to college right now and my boyfriend just bought a house of his so we told them we're on a low budget right now so we refused to become a member.

However, the manager said he's going to let us pay our downpayment throughout the 6month period starting November. He said they would take out $150 from both me and my boyfriends account every month for 6month. We agreed on it and he made us sign the paper where our agreement was made on which was on September 27th. That day they took out $200 from my account with my authorization. The rest of the downpayment of $1,800 was going to be made by April.

When my boyfriend and I came back to Florida and November came around I looked at my bank statement and it said that $900 was taken out by the Escrow Agency. This was the company in Dominican Republic so I panicked and called them to say that they were not suppose to take out $900 all at once. They were suppose to take out $150 every month for 6 month for me to come up with $900.

At first they told me to contact them by e-mail because they could do nothing about it on the phone. So I e-mailed them about my problem and they said there was a $900 voucher on my account and I signed the paper which meant I authorized it. I told them precisely that, that money was not suppose to be taken out all at once. After weeks and weeks of them promising me to call me back which they never did and sometimes not replying to my e-mails I called them and they said they could do nothing about it since I signed the paper. However, on that paper it did not say I would pay $900 all at once.

So I told them I would like to cancel my membership and they told me I could not althought the represantative in D.R. told me we could cancel any time we want. Now I am stuck since they are not willing to give me back my money and they are not picking up any of my phone calls nor are they replying to any of my e-mails. We we're just going back and forth and this problem has not yet been solved.

Leila
Miami, Florida
U.S.A.