Complaint Review: Monarch Grand Vacations - Laguna Hills California
- Monarch Grand Vacations 23091 Mill Creek Drive Laguna Hills, California United States of America
- Phone: 9496163500
- Web:
- Category: Resorts
Monarch Grand Vacations lied, deceived, manipulated and defrauded us Laguna Hills, California
*Author of original report: Please read the whole thread, then decide for yourself!
*Consumer Comment: MGV Owner for 13+ years...
*Author of original report: You are surely welcome!
*REBUTTAL Owner of company: Monarch Grand Vacations lied, deceived, manipulated and defrauded us Laguna Hills, California
*Author of original report: We used a company to help us!
*Consumer Comment: legal recourse
*Author of original report: Nice try but it is obvious you work for Monarch!
*Consumer Comment: To Shawn G
*Consumer Comment: Very Happy Monarch Grand Vacation Customer!
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In 2009 my wife and I attended a presentation in Ontario, California. We attended for the sole purpose of receiving one of many nice free gifts promised to us for simply listening to a presentation that was supposed to last only 1-1 1/2 hours. We attended and the presentation lasted nearly 4 hours with the result being that we were talked into a timeshare package we neither wanted, needed nor could afford. The pressure was relentless and in fact, we both got up to leave at least 3 times but Monarch would not take "no" for an answer. The lies just kept coming until we broke down and believed them!
We tried to plan to use the package as well as the free gifts but at each turn, found out our plan and free gifts had more hidden fees and expenses that made them virtually worthless to use. Long story short, we never used the gifts nor have we ever used the plan or points we were duped into buying. It is a useless package and we cannot use it because of the fees and restrictions! And what about the Hawaii resort that was supposed to be finished by now? Construction on it has not even started yet!
Our sales reps lied to us telling us this was just like real estate and could be bought, sold and even willed or deeded to anyone we wanted to. We were told we could make money by selling it to others because there was a great market and demand for it. Well, upon trying to do so, were were in for a rude awakening. Not only is there no market whatsoever for these timeshare plans but nobody anywhere would even buy ours for any price, from us!
Not only that, we were told at the presentation that Monarch would also help us sell our plan when we wanted to because so many people want our points. When we called Monarch last year to try and get their assistance, as they previously said they would, to sell our points and plan, they told us flat out that they don't do that and that we had better not try to sell online at websites who do sell these plans because they were all frauds and we would be ripped off! What a joke! Now we are stuck with a useless plan that we can never get our value out of in a million years!
When a person actually sits down and figures out that they will be spending over $2,000 per year, including escalating maintenance fees etc., they realize for that money they would never take enough vacations to make it worth the money being stolen by Monarch! And these fees are forever! That is how Monarch and other timeshare companies make the millions of dollars they do! They add in these low, quarterly fees that keep going up forever. Even if you pay off the initial loan amount, you still pay fees that are not set and are at their whim and mind as to how much you pay! We were never told this when we bought and cannot afford it!
Anyway, we have already decided that we will fight Monarch until our contract in canceled and our money refunded. We are already in the process of legal contacts with government agencies and other helpful organizations to get the justice we deserve. We don't care what Monarch does to us; we are not paying another penny to that corrupt, dishonest and deceitful company, ever! Now, all we want is for Monarch to cancel our contract and give us back the money they deceitfully stole from us!
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 03/08/2011 03:28 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/monarch-grand-vacations/laguna-hills-california-92653/monarch-grand-vacations-lied-deceived-manipulated-and-defrauded-us-laguna-hills-califo-704268. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content
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#9 Author of original report
Please read the whole thread, then decide for yourself!
AUTHOR: curtis - (USA)
SUBMITTED: Friday, January 18, 2013
This thread speaks for itself. If you are reading this thread, you are intelligent enough to figure things out yourself and to make up your own mind as to the honesty of the company and their sales pitch. I wish you the best!
sinocc

#8 Consumer Comment
MGV Owner for 13+ years...
AUTHOR: sxg-macweenie - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Friday, January 18, 2013
I have been a MGV owner for 13+ years (since 1999) and my experience has been significantly different. I have stayed at the Palm Springs resort, the Cancun resort in Las Vegas at least 6 times, one of which included New Years Eve/Day (2006). I've used the MGV reservation and traded through Interval International into the Twin Towers resort in Australia (2008), Plantation Resort in Grand Cayman (2010) and most recently to Kona Coast Resort in Hawaii (Oct 2012). Although I was not always successful in getting exactly what I wanted, I was successful in using the MGV Vacation Owner benefits that were part of the membership privileges.
Regarding contact, each time I have called MGV to make a reservation, I was connected to an owner services agent and was treated courteously. As I mentioned above, I have been successful at making reservations at MGV properties and trading some of those MGV reservations through Interval.
My observations regarding timeshare owners in general (I have talked to friends and co-workers that were timeshare owners, but not necessarily MGV owners) has been that as an owner you have to set your expectations on the benefits it provides and how to "work" the resort and timeshare trading system to your best advantage. Most people I talked to seldom ever used or traded their timeshare because they didn't understand how to do it, or they tried once, didn't get what they wanted, got disappointed and never looked back. (Admittedly, timeshare owners that don't do anything with their ownership actually increase the probability that someone else that actively uses their ownership will be successful). Using a timeshare, either within the family of resorts or trading externally, requires a lot of advanced planning for a specific location, or a change in how you utilize the timeshare. If you expect to make last minute (in timeshare speak, less than 60 days!) reservations at a specific resort at a specific date, it is pretty much guaranteed that you will be disappointed. I plan my vacations anywhere from 9 to 18 months in advance typically. If you plan as late as 6 months, and depending on what you are looking for, will determine your overall success, but in general you will probably be disappointed if you have a specific place and a specific date in mind.
I, too went through the whole sales pitch, several times. I "read" between the lines of the sales pitch on how the high percentages were obtained regarding "owner satisfaction in getting what they requested" (i.e. percentage includes owners accepting alternate accommodations "settling" rather than getting their first choice). All of the information in the sales pitch should be scrutinized as a sales pitch. When I went through the presentation, the sales person was very careful not to state the timeshare was real estate backed since vacation ownership is not real estate property. However, what your sales rep stated per your report (and the only important part regarding legality) was "...telling us it was just like real estate...". Your sales rep only compared it to real estate, so legally he didn't violate any real estate / timeshare sales laws. I'm not defending their sales tactics, just stating an observation having listened critically at the statements made during a sales pitch. How much are lies or half-truths and which are just statement made to facilitate a consumer to jump to the wrong conclusion, or "hear" something completely different.
Regarding maintenance fees, I agree they are high (mine are $1400/year), but as the other person (rebuttal) mentioned it is based on the number of points owned. I couldn't afford to own any more points because of the associated maintenance fees. I think of the annual (or quarterly) maintenance fees analogous to property taxes, i.e. even after you pay off your "mortgage" (timeshare loan) you still have annual "property taxes" (maintenance fees) that you have to pay and those "property taxes" (fees) could go up every year. I do understand that a family of resorts has to be maintained, but I also do agree those fees are quite high making the benefits of a "lifetime" timeshare ownership less economical than it would appear initially. But, again after my timeshare is paid off, $1400 annually (or $200/day for a 1 week stay) in a 2 bedroom condo or villa at a 5-star or Gold Crown type resort is not unreasonable. Admittedly, there are other ways to spend $1400 for accommodations for vacationing!
Again, I am just a consumer (MGV timeshare owner with a 2BDRM 1 wk/year annual benefit). I have no affiliation with MGV other than being a long time timeshare owner that has had a different experience than the one you are reporting. I wish you the best in obtaining the satisfaction you are looking for. It disappoints me to hear that there are people like yourself that are unhappy and the company does not try to correct it. Best of luck in your endeavors.

#7 Author of original report
You are surely welcome!
AUTHOR: curtis - (USA)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, February 16, 2012
Good luck and we hope your outcome is as satisfactory as ours was! Our contract was completely voided; no fees, no hassles and no more usurious terms! We wish all nothing but the best of success and satisfaction in dealing with these jerks!

#6 REBUTTAL Owner of company
Monarch Grand Vacations lied, deceived, manipulated and defrauded us Laguna Hills, California
AUTHOR: Wildcat - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, February 15, 2012
I too wish to find legal recourse against this ripoff timeshare Monarch Grand Vacation. Thank you sharing the legal firm that helped you fight this ripoff timeshare. We will contact the number.

#5 Author of original report
We used a company to help us!
AUTHOR: curtis - (USA)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, January 12, 2012
We used a company and you may contact them at this number: 615-569-3201
Good Luck! The fees paid to the company that helped us were over $1,000. however, they saved our credit and also saved us over $15,000 in future payments we could not afford! take care and we wish you the best!
sinocc

#4 Consumer Comment
legal recourse
AUTHOR: Maria - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, January 12, 2012
I too wish to find legal recourse against this company. Do you have a lawyer at present?

#3 Author of original report
Nice try but it is obvious you work for Monarch!
AUTHOR: curtis - (USA)
SUBMITTED: Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Dear Shawn G - Trabuco Canyon
You are obviously biased and either friends with Monarch employed person(s) or are seriously delusional! How dare you try to tell me what happened in our circumstances and during the sales pitch and subsequent communications! Were you there? No! So keep your conclusions about what happened to us, to yourself. You are a sycophant extraordinaire and your statement is ubsurd on its face!
They lied to us at each step and that is why when I threatened legal action, they canceled the contract; because they knew they were wrong and had no leg to stand on! You would be wise to state the facts of your own experience and keep your stupid assumptions about others' situations to yourself, where they belong! We got out of our contract because Monarch was dishonest, unethical and because they totally misrepresented what we were buying. They told us straight-faced, and I quote: "This is just like buying real estate and it will only rise in value." That statement alone proves that they were lying and deceiving us since it is illegal for timeshares to say anything like that.
So, I am happy for you that you are so pleased with your purchase. Just try booking that "promised" week in Hawaii within the next 5 years or so! You will find it is bull and you will see the light then! Just remember, if this was such a great deal why did Monarch jump when we told them we had contacted the State Attorney General's office and filed a complaint and would seek legal remedies if they did not cancel the contract? You figure it out Einstein!
Curtis C. and Ya Wang

#2 Consumer Comment
To Shawn G
AUTHOR: Frustrated! - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Tuesday, November 29, 2011
It is soooo obvious monarch pays you people for saying you're happy. All the positive comments I have ever read are very defensive. No one likes their timeshare that much!!!! What comes around, goes around! By the way.... Anyone interested in filing a class action lawsuit against Monarch???

#1 Consumer Comment
Very Happy Monarch Grand Vacation Customer!
AUTHOR: Shawn G - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Friday, May 20, 2011
I am sorry to hear YOU ended up buying something you couldnt afford, but to call Monarch a Rip Off is not fair. They are in the business of selling and as a consumer looking for a Freebee, you better have a good game plan if all your in it for is a "nice Free gift." Shame on You for not realizing nothing is really for free. Yes their is pressure from the sales people as their is from most salesman. It was YOUR mistake to not keep walking the first time you got up to leave. I find it hard to believe they were holding you hostage behind locked doors. So who's really to blame here?? Had you walked maybe your free gift would not have been so nice, but the lesson learned would have been priceless.
As for the maintenance fees, perhaps you dont realize they are based on points owned. The more you own the more you pay because the more time you spend at the resort. I for one totally agree with the fee, Maintenance of a property cost $$$. My Husband and I were just at the Cabo Azul resort and I was so impressed with how immaculately the Property was maintained. The landscapers spent most of Monday cutting and grooming the pristien grounds. Never once did I hear or smell a gas blower....they used clean quiet brooms to sweep the clippings.
Try traveling on off times if possiable. Think you will find making reservations much easier. Also would advise you to make a friend within Monarch, they have ways of making thing happen. All it takes is a little creativity.
Have been a owner for a year now and couldnt be happier with Monarch. I look forward to someday being able to give my children the gift of affordable vacations. God knows the most expensive place to stay in the world is the "HOSPITAL." Relax and figure out how to make the best of YOUR mistake.
S. Gatto


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