Forums39
Topics39,176
Posts317,620
Members26,630
|
Most Online3,676 Yesterday at 01:00 PM
|
|
15 registered members (kaba, SXMScubaman, Tom, Manpot, Billtjw, JeanneB, Kmon, Call_me_Ishmael, cabokid, Fletch, 5 invisible),
3,209
guests, and 330
spiders. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
Re: Alegria (Caravanserai) Today
[Re: GaKaye]
#39222
02/15/2015 08:26 AM
02/15/2015 08:26 AM
|
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 13,464 Peaceful Eastern North Carolin...
GaKaye
Traveler
|
Traveler
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 13,464
Peaceful Eastern North Carolin...
|
GaKaye said:Computerwise said: In this country the bank would have been sued and held liable along with the previous owner. No, the bank would have been held liable, nor would the previous owner. I didn't proofread my comment. I meant to say that the bank would NOT have been held liable.
|
|
|
Re: Alegria (Caravanserai) Today
[Re: RI Bob C]
#39224
02/15/2015 08:45 AM
02/15/2015 08:45 AM
|
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 7,377
SXMWendell
Traveler
|
Traveler
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 7,377
|
|
|
|
Re: Alegria (Caravanserai) Today
[Re: RI Bob C]
#39225
02/15/2015 08:50 AM
02/15/2015 08:50 AM
|
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,763 Ohio
ruralcarrier
Traveler
|
Traveler
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,763
Ohio
|
And the "[color:"red"]possible flaw in the laws[/color]" is not something that is likely to be fixed retroactively. This did not happen in the US and even if it did, there is no assurance the "owners" would be protected. I feel for the people who got sucked into this mess but "due diligence" should have been exercised.
Personally, I looked into the timeshare concept about 30 years ago here in the US. The first moment I was told I was basically "locked in" to a given week and there was "no cap" on maintenance fees, I knew it was not for me. Not saying it is not a concept that works for others but right then I knew there were risks I was NOT willing to take. That and the BS the salesperson gave me about getting discounts on airfare to match my travel dates even made me more skeptical.
J.D.
|
|
|
Re: Alegria (Caravanserai) Today
[Re: oceanview17]
#39226
02/15/2015 09:11 AM
02/15/2015 09:11 AM
|
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,105 Massachusetts
boucharda
Traveler
|
Traveler
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,105
Massachusetts
|
I don't have a dog in this fight but how is the "boycotting" of Alegria by "owners" who don't own there going to take place? People that "own" elsewhere are not going to go to Alegria anyhow Exactly ..and re: Trip Advisor. I agree that there are some questionable reviews of all their listings BUT it would make no sense to keep any reviews after the property changed hands and changed from a timeshare to a hotel under the name of the new hotel. What happened in the past under previous owners shouldn't apply to the new place. They should keep the Caravanserai reviews there and start a new resort review link...
|
|
|
Re: Alegria (Caravanserai) Today
[Re: boucharda]
#39227
02/15/2015 09:41 AM
02/15/2015 09:41 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 254 Canada
Birdwatcher
OP
Traveler
|
OP
Traveler
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 254
Canada
|
They should keep the Caravanserai reviews there and start a new resort review link... [/quote]
They've actually done that; current reviews for Algeria now appear on the old Caravanserai site as well, and all the old (good and bad) reviews from the old Caravanserai site have gone. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" />
|
|
|
Re: Alegria (Caravanserai) Today
[Re: RI Bob C]
#39229
02/15/2015 10:13 AM
02/15/2015 10:13 AM
|
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,601 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
Traveler
|
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,601
Central Florida!
|
Someone else said that. How can it NOT be over? My understanding is that the judge dismissed the case filed by the Caravanseri 'owners' and ordered them to pay the other side's fees. What is not over?
Carol Hill
|
|
|
Re: Alegria (Caravanserai) Today
[Re: kim]
#39232
02/15/2015 11:24 AM
02/15/2015 11:24 AM
|
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,601 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
Traveler
|
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,601
Central Florida!
|
.. which argument was made originally to the judge, I believe..
Carol Hill
|
|
|
Re: Alegria (Caravanserai) Today
[Re: San]
#39236
02/15/2015 11:32 PM
02/15/2015 11:32 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,733 Newtown, CT
kim
Traveler
|
Traveler
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,733
Newtown, CT
|
Ah, I own in Mullet Bay, I purchased a timeshare within a resort, with that purchase came the benefits of EVERYTHING around me, so while I didn't lose my weeks, my "investment" is worth nothing what it was, I couldn't sell units that i paid 30k for, had to give them away to get off the hook for maintenance. But I had no recourse. So I do have a grasp on what your situation is. Sorry if you don't like my opinion. Wasn't trying to be rude. I just don't understand what recourse the owners think they have. And a I said if fraud can be proven I would think that is grounds for a lawsuit. But if bankruptcy and business closes and new owners don't offer units as timshare or want to work with previous owners of the new defunct property it shouldn't be their obligation to do so.
Last edited by kim; 02/15/2015 11:36 PM.
|
|
|
Re: Alegria (Caravanserai) Today
[Re: San]
#39238
02/16/2015 08:17 AM
02/16/2015 08:17 AM
|
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 6 MA, USA
beatcuff
Traveler
|
Traveler
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 6
MA, USA
|
San said:We are sure that if the shoe were on the other foot (yours!) and you were affected, you'd feel the same way. i have been quietly following this topic for months. and yes i can understand your anger but it took me about 15 seconds to find this US FTC web page: http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0073-timeshares-and-vacation-plansit appears this was a "right to use" timeshare. much like that 'life-time warranty' its not your life-time rather its the company's life. further the web is filled with "timeshare dangers". you can complain about the new owner, the government, the guy behind the curtain. in the end it was the failure to do REAL due-diligence that is the real issue. a/k/a live and learn.
|
|
|
Re: Alegria (Caravanserai) Today
[Re: SXMWendell]
#39246
02/23/2015 09:32 AM
02/23/2015 09:32 AM
|
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,377 PA
mecs
Traveler
|
Traveler
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,377
PA
|
Some people do not have unlimited funds to have "options" if they prepaid for a room (or several rooms) and paid for airfare during high season and then found that they had no where to stay. The action was partly injunctive relief to allow people to keep their reservations pending further action. People who were at Caravanserai were being moved in the middle of their stay. If this would have happened when we were there it would have been chaos for our family, as we had brought 20 people to the island, 16 of which were staying at Caravanserai in two sleep 8 penthouses and a one bedroom. It would have been next to impossible to keep our group together and we had children and families that needed to stay together. Whether people feel Alegria had the "right" to do what they did legally, which really is not a decision that can be made without all of the facts, it still does not change the fact that a lot of people had to scramble to salvage their vacations without breaking the bank, and the injunctive action was partially an attempt to help those people.
And what a lot of people are forgetting is that many Caravanserai "owners" did not even know about what was happening at Caravanserai/Alegria (some STILL may not know) as the notice given was appallingly deficient. The only notice given was an email that vaguely referenced "timeshares ownership" and was titled "Alegria" and did not mention "Caravanserai" in the heading at all. Had I not know that Alegria was the new name of Caravanserai because Marty had told me, I would have thought the email was another "get rid of your timeshare" spam email and never opened it. Many people never saw the email and showed up in SXM oblivious to what was taking place. A lot of people who go to SXM do not visit travel sites like TTOL and get info about whats going on. This is especially true of people who used their usual unit at the same time every year and had no reason to suspect things had changed. But it also was true if they booked through RCI, because RCI did not notify us of any change to our RCI reservations until January of 2015 and were not notifying other Caravanserai owners either because (according to RCI reps I talked to at length) they were as confused about what was going on as the rest of us.
Last edited by mecs; 02/23/2015 09:41 AM.
|
|
|
Re: Alegria (Caravanserai) Today
[Re: SXMWendell]
#39248
02/23/2015 11:31 AM
02/23/2015 11:31 AM
|
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,377 PA
mecs
Traveler
|
Traveler
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,377
PA
|
That "emergency" relief offered in Alegria's initial emailed and very confusing letter (1) was not seen or received by everyone, and even if it was, it (2) forced people to relinquish any potential claim without having any facts behind what happened, and (3) did not guarantee same size units or anything at all really. So it was not "emergency relief", it was giving up.
So a group of affected people who knew of what was going on tried to get a stay on the "ejection" and eliminations of timeshare rights until they could look at what had led to the whole situation and determine who, if anyone, was at fault. The situation was very confusing and unclear and very open to the possibility of fraud or collusion and people were (and are) investigating. The injunctive relief stopping the "termination" of rights was not granted, but it did not stop the injured parties from investigating whether there is any other form of relief, and it does not stop them from investigating whether there was any wrongdoing on the part of Manek, Endless Vacations, Sidhom, Alegria, the bank, or another other parties. There may or may not be fault. There may or may not be economic relief. There may or may not be collectible damages. But the right to look into this is something that anyone should have and pursue if they so desire, even if the only result is to raise awareness or stop it from happening to others.
Last edited by mecs; 02/23/2015 12:31 PM.
|
|
|
Re: Alegria (Caravanserai) Today
[Re: SXMWendell]
#39250
02/23/2015 08:27 PM
02/23/2015 08:27 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 254 Canada
Birdwatcher
OP
Traveler
|
OP
Traveler
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 254
Canada
|
Over today for our final visit before leaving paradise. Latest to report - a whole bunch of new beach umbrellas waiting to find their homes by the pools. Impressed! Great time at The Dream was had by all, going to miss that place and the good people there. Until next year ...............
|
|
|
Re: Alegria (Caravanserai) Today
[Re: smy62]
#39254
03/07/2015 09:50 AM
03/07/2015 09:50 AM
|
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,601 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
Traveler
|
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,601
Central Florida!
|
that might actually be a good deal for next year. The condition of the resort should be pretty good by then.
Carol Hill
|
|
|
Re: Alegria (Caravanserai) Today
[Re: boucharda]
#39256
03/07/2015 10:00 AM
03/07/2015 10:00 AM
|
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,601 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
Traveler
|
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 83,601
Central Florida!
|
I wonder whether they would offer that deal now to people who didn't originally accept it?
Carol Hill
|
|
|
Re: Alegria (Caravanserai) Today
[Re: boucharda]
#39257
03/07/2015 10:01 AM
03/07/2015 10:01 AM
|
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 993 Pittsburgh PA
plequerre
Traveler
|
Traveler
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 993
Pittsburgh PA
|
boucharda said: So it looks like accepting the AMF deal was the best choice. At least you got to return to stay in the resort for the same price you are used to. I wonder how long the agreement will last As long as they need a steady flow of recurring revenue to jump start the business?
|
|
|
|