TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Sapphire beach club problem

Ok here is the deal. My parents reservation is fine since they own there. The problem is for people that own elsewhere and are trading in they are not honoring the reservations.

Their friend said there is indeed a problem between the resort and rci but would not elaborate.

With this and the divi change I am wondering if rci tried to increase fees the resort pays and the resorts are balking. This could become a big problem for people with rci points or weeks.

Dan,

Our personal dealings with RCI were always the pits.

We found them to be great at raising their fees and changing their rules with little or no warning at all - just not too terrific at making suitable trades for us, and we were extremely flexible both times we attempted to do week exchanges at other destinations. They did finally come up with one exchange for us but everything else they offered was either a hotel room or a studio, usually in Mexico or Marguerita Island, neither of which were places we wanted to visit, and these were in exchange for our two bedroom 7th floor Towers unit.

After our complimentary years ran out we paid for two more and then quit RCI completely, using our Towers weeks year after year and doing internal exchanges as we saw fit. This has actually worked out very well for us and we have had no regrets walking away from RCI. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Our dealings with RCI was always very frustrating to say the least. We dropped them many years ago and glad we did. We did have some good exchanges but not always the times and places we originally were looking for.

I agree with the rci issue. We like divi my son is 6 and this will be his 5th trip and he calls everyone there his st. Maarten family. We had no prob internal exchange but the second week we are relying on rci and we can only get royal islander great bay. Not happy. Thinking of bailing on rci as well.

The real problem here are the folks that think they have a res at sapphire and if they arent paying attentio may show up with no room.

Hopefully, they will follow the suggestions of so many seasoned travelers, and recheck their reservations - ALL OF THEM - periodically and won't end up with any last minute surprises.

And judging by what Toronto has said about GREAT BAY ROYAL ISLANDER you may be very pleasantly surprised with it. We chose to stay 'in town' for a few nights a couple of years ago but at the other end of the Bay, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. And if all else fails, you do still have the option of driving to all the other great SXM venues.

Good luck with RCI and whatever you ultimately decide to do. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

WE have always been very happy with our RCI membership and have never had any problem exchanging anywhere. If you are a points member, you have the advantage of exchanging at either a points or a weeks resort which definitely increases your chances of a good exchange. We have even been able to stay at other resorts in SXM for three weeks in exchange for the one week we own there.The Sapphire has not been looked upon favorably by RCI for several years since they have not kept the resort up to standards.

Hopefully things will work out for you at one of the better resorts on the island. If not, there are lots of places available at relatively good rates.

Elizabeth,

Just to clarify, our experiences with RCI were long before the 'points' program became available and were strictly 'weeks' exchanges.

The first attempt was made, giving them our two bedroom red time and giving them a four month range we wished to travel in from January through April (excluding the very high New Years, Presidents and Easter weeks which we really didn't want....) and they could only come up with the destinations I originally mentioned. In year two of our on-going search they did finally find a week we could agree upon.

The second attempt at exchanging our week ended up in us taking a lesser unit back at the Towers than we had given them in the first place and it took them almost two years to find this and we took it only because we were tired of playing their game. Totally unsuccessful experiences, both.

Perhaps with the advent of the more widely available internet options and the addition of the points program things improved but we were perfectly content to do our SXM weeks (having added a few more as we went along) and booking our other travel experiences completely independent if RCI.

I'm glad it has worked for you but lately I've been reading that many 'points' owners are becoming dissatisfied but I really haven't paid all that much attention as to their reasons since it hasn't been anything we were directly involved in.

Will you be there in April this year or traveling elsewhere? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

I think the problem is with the Sapphire itself. before going and blaming RCI etc...i do believe that RCI has received so many complaints over the years about the condition of the resort, that they don't want to deal with the Sapphire anymore. Most of the RCI properties are great properties, and when a non suspecting person exchanges into a place like the Sapphire, and find all the problems, they complain, as they should. I applaud RCI in dropping the Sapphire...it's places like it that give the timeshare industry a black eye.

Before everyone goes off on RCI, blame the condition of the Sapphire first. If I were RCI, i would've dropped them years ago. my two cents.

On a bit of the same page there, who would want to trade into the Sapphire? What a bad surprise that would be.

As for RCI, I dropped them several years back but have since rejoined. I also have an II membership. I find that one often works better than the other and since we travel a fair amount I like being able to take advantage of the extra vacation options. Last week, Vegas, in a bit over the month I got a place in Nashville for two weeks at a rate that is pretty low. So I take advantage of those benefits and it works for me. For trades, not always the best but we have done ok. Will be in Cabo in early April and their trade options were a lot better than II. Between the exchange cost and the new RCI merging points fee's (using weeks) it is more expensive than it used to be but I still feel we do fine but takes a bit more planning.

Not sure which I like better, II or RCI but right now RCI is on a roll for me and II has the back seat but I know that changes like the sand at Maho.

Cheers,
Todd

My parents bought there a long time ago and they had a weird chain of events that forced a last minute change to a larger size unit and all that was available was sapphire so that is why they are staying there.

As to rci I am not blaming them but why would they send the letter and when my parents call them they say its not in our control you have to call the resort. Also I am bringing up the decision of divi to no longer offer rci at purchase and switching to ii. Divi is by no means a run down resort and it is troubling these two events happening within a month or so of each other.

Wow, this has become quite a thread. We never bought into the RCI/points thing even when Belair folks encouraged us to do so. We bought ts, never expecting to trade for another location (I know that most people do like to trade). I do think that RCI and some of the resorts are changing their relationships. While at Belair this year it was announced that Belair won some sort of an award from RCI, but staff there minimized its importance, which I took as a bit strange.

I really doubt that the Divi situation is at all related to the Sapphire one, or the Caravanserai situation. Resorts change their affiliation, some to both RCI and II and some do one or the other or neither. I have seen some add RCI or II so it is no surprise that they stop the affiliation and I am sure there is a cost associated for the resort. There are a lot of timeshare resorts on SXM, there will be a lot of changes to exchange memberships over the years.

As for Sapphire, it would just be speculation on why they have decided to no longer deal with RCI or possibly they did not comply with RCI. Speculating is not fair to either party.

Good luck, hope you find a better place for the others.
Todd

I should be a gold miner, I like speculation!

When will this property be sold? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

Just received a letter from RCI indicating "effective immediately, Sapphire Beach Club has been placed in a suspension status and we must suspend your privileges in both the RCI Weeks and RCI Points Programs. Should you have specific questions about this matter, please contact the resort directly." We are members of the points program.

I believe Sapphire has been suspended for the past 2 years ...Nothing has changed ..if you are a owner ..you can use your weeks ...However ...Rci is offering No trades or extra vacation transactions into Sapphire .

Anyone know why Sapphire is not accepting RCI trades into the resort? Does it relate to a dispute with RCI?

it's the other way around. RCI does not want to deal with the sapphire's problems.

EdB wins the correct answer of the day .

RCI suspends Sapphire

certainly it can't be a surprise to anyone that has been to Sapphire in the last five years.

Sounds like another Caravansarai situation on the horizon.

Just told my mom the same thing on the phone

I strongly disagree about the comment comparing the RCI situation to Caravanseria. Sapphire has been in trouble with RCI for years now.....all the trades into it, and then all the very disgruntled customers afterwards. The Sapphire was way below the fine standards RCI expects from their ''member resorts".

The Caravanserai was a resort that went bust....was taken over by the bank...and sold to a new conglomerate. Not a regular sale...a Foreclosure sale. It is no different than one not paying for their homes, and the bank taking it over and selling it at auction! Comparing the two resort situations are like comparing apples to oranges...with nothing in common.

The owners of Sapphire can continue using it, unlike the owners of Caravanserai. The only difference is that they cannot swap it out with RCI, not because of finances...but because of all the work that has not been done there, including everyday preventative maintenance. If someone trades a great resort into a place like Sapphire, and receives a run down, mold infested, non working air conditioned unit, with a crumbling pool floor, lack of dishes, refrigerator, and the like what would you do?????? Obvious RCI finally pulled the plug on this happening to their members again....and again...and again. This suspension should've been done years ago!!! It was only a matter of time.

i think January is trying to say that with this new wrinkle it could force them to file as well since they are now losing a huge pool of people that might not realize the problems at the resort when making an exchange.

The only reason why this was a surprise to me is because I have been banking and exchanging my Sapphire week for at least 6 years now. I had no idea of the rundown conditions. I do know that I was having a lot of trouble paying maintenance fees because communication was terrible. Voicemails never got returned. Emails came back as undeliverable.
Invoices would not get to me at all. It was like pulling teeth to pay my fees because they were unresponsive.

Unfortunately I really loved banking and exchanging- it's really my favorite part about owning. So while this was not a bankruptcy situation I feel like I've lost the one thing I truly loved- the ability to exchange for other places. I like St Maarten but I like other places too.

I hate that this happened because I no longer want my week if I can't exchange.

And so it might begin. So sorry Jansen. Hope it works out in the end!

Thanks, I'll try to stay positive. I see you're in Norwalk, hope the blizzard wasn't too bad for you...I'm in Bristol and we were spared a bit

I would agree with Jansen. Sapphire at this point has very little value to me. Has anyone had any luck "giving" their weeks back?? I would think with all of the violations including health concerns and loss of their RCI affiliation there would be some kind of out. Any ideas or thoughts ?

Small bit of trivia, driving past the Sapphire yesterday, going towards the airport, as you approach the Sapphire, you see some flags including a RCI flag, It appears from that direction the RCI flag applies to the Sapphire. I actually went back to check as I thought the Sapphire was flying the RCI flag. Nope its the building immediatly to the west, flying 3 flags, US, Can and RCI
J&B

Hey Jansen, we wre completely spared. 6 inches. On another note. My parents were in st. Martin at caravan whatever and talking to a couple. The couple loved the place and wanted to buy, my parents wanted to sell and the couple bought their week. 8 months later and the rest is history. Very lucky!

Yes, we gave our weeks back last year. Contacted Sapphire and told us to sedn a notorized letter where we paid our maintance fees. We have had no problems. The reason we gave them back was awful!! My husband was brushing his teeth in the bathroom & a rat went up his leg into the vanity!! I was downstairs in the lobby talking to friends! He took the vanity apart in the bathroom! Our friends had 3 rats they caught on sticky traps below us the week before. Told the manager & said she would get an exterminator from France! Really!!! Sapphire was a great place at one time & met so many wonderful friends.

OMG! That really was disgusting!!

I'd be hard-pressed to see them refusing you after an experience like that. Just the thought of it has totally grossed me out. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

and with stories like this...people wonder why RCI dropped the Sapphire????? After reading this..i guess our lack of stuff when we stayed there wasn't so bad....LOL and all this time i thought the only ''rats'' at the Sapphire were the owners and management. Guess i was wrong.

My mother wanted me to post this since I asked her what her thoughts were:

I was on the travel talk sight and was reading the comments you generated regarding the dump....I noted that someone questioned if there was a way out of contract and, depending upon the contract,,there is a way to surrender. We signed in 1997 and in Section 8 of our contract there is a clause that states that unit can be surrendered if maintenance is current. People may want to check to see if their contract has that particular clause. Needless to say, we are taking advantage of that clause and are going to surrender when we are down there. Will send you our itinerary later just in case you need to reach us

Why even pay the MF before you surrender? What are they going to do, forbid you from coming to St Maarten?

Because that is the clause. If you owe money and surrender they can go after you for owed funds.

Because that is the clause. If you owe money and surrender they can go after you for owed funds. They could very easily hire a collection firm in the us on contingency or outright sell the debt to a collection wholesaler for 50 cents on the dollar and now you owe a collection agency and they will ding your credit report

If they don't have your Social Security # then they can't come after you. I let one go back. I would never ever pay to let a TS go back.

SXM??? Wendell

You will still have to send a notorized letter to the maintenance department, that is what Sapphire told us. The maintenance department is in Miami Fl .