Tempus Resorts Timeshare
Sales Presentations
Hubby Takes The Heat
My husband accepted an offer over the phone, while I was out, for
a "vacation package" in Florida with "Tempus Resorts." It
was $359.00 and we are supposed to go this May.
I was skeptical after he first told me about it, and now after looking
over your site, even more so. Has anyone else had any experience
with this 'business' yet?
I have checked them out with your recommended search sites but they
are only briefly mentioned with the BBB; not a lot of details, some
common complaints and multiple phone numbers and addresses.
Should we just go and hope for the best? The "10 day refund" time
has already lapsed.
D&S Staat 03/22/02
Update: 09/07/02 We did go on the 'vacation' in May this
year which included 4 nights in Orlando and two in Daytona Beach
following a drive from Arkansas.
To start with, although the directions given to the hotel weren't
very clear, we were required to be checked in by a certain time on
a certain day or face a penalty. We were also required to attend
a '90 minute' timeshare presentation at 11 am the day after our arrival.
We had to find our own way to the presentation via their map for
there was no bus provided and once there, we found ourselves in a
front lobby full of 150 other people. They took our name, income
and scheduled time of arrival. After about 20 min our name was called,
we met 'our guy' (sales rep) and were taken into a very large room
filled with several hundred people, all sitting at tables of 3-4
persons each. The noise was unbearable!
We were 'treated' to brunch and small talk until we finished our
food then the sales pitch, followed by the 'tour' of a sample unit
and the grounds in a golf cart.
I must admit, the unit and buildings were very nice. We asked a
lot of in-depth questions and eventually agreed to buy while back
in the main hall. They made a big deal of this for it was their policy
to announce all new 'owners' to the whole crowd every time someone
bought a unit.
Then we went into another quieter room for all the paperwork for
a two bedroom 'lock-off unit' that was being sold by another 'owner'
for some reason.. All in all, we had spent 5 hours there!
We were to have privileges of the whole unit every other year,
OR every year for 1/2 the unit, which was one bedroom. "Maintenance
fees" would run about $250.00 a year. We were given a 'deed',
a contract and a box with a DVD and a thick book for 'exchanges'
world wide. We were 'treated' to a buffet lunch and invited back
the next morning for breakfast at the country club. All very
impressive.
We then carried on with our vacation in Orlando and proceeded to
Cape Canaveral to see a space shuttle launch before heading to Daytona. Again,
there was a specific check in time or the threat of a late fee, unless
we called first.
Well, we encountered delays at the Cape and wanted to stay for the
benefit of our 8 yr old daughter so we called the number to say we'd
be late. The woman who answered hung up before she took my name so
I tried to call back several times to no avail. We were forced
to leave before the launch because they would not answer the phone!
Upon our arrival, we found it to be a smaller version of yet another
time share company! We gave the secretary hell because we noticed
that several lines were blinking and she was doing nothing at her
desk. We told the sales rep point blank that we were not interested
and why, and that we were in no mood to be pacified so she gave us
directions to our hotel and a voucher.
The hotel was remodeling, with a lot of buzz saws and dust flying
around. We were on the 74th floor in a substandard (smelly) room
so we went back and asked for a room with a kitchen and a balcony.
It cost $55.00 for this "upgrade" but it was better.
We liked Daytona much better than Orlando and would rather have
spent the majority of our time there. Upon our return home,
we took a closer look at our box of goodies, the book, the DVD (which
we couldn't get to play at all) and the paperwork knowing we had
a 10 day cancellation period.
We noticed in the small print that all payments for the first 6
months went into escrow, that a purchase price would be determined
at a later time and the payments would be 'renegotiated' at which
time we would be required to be present to sign more papers. Maintenance
fees were subject to change with a 30 day notice.
Taxes and insurance were not included in any of the payments. Lots
of restrictions and conditions for exchanges which were run by a
separate company that required you to be a member to participate;
(membership fee and certain qualifications ).
According to the paperwork:
The purchase price: 10,800.00 for a two bedroom lock-off unit required
an initial deposit of 514.00 with an additional deposit: of 1,029.00
due within about two months leaving a balance of $9,700.00 paid at
closing or by financing at 17.75% interest per annum for 120 months
with monthly payments of 173.22.
Fees and taxes: 453.66 yearly maintenance fees + 120.75 for
current year's taxes. (Maintenance fees can be raised at any time
with a 30 written notice)
$375.00 is added for: 'owner's title insurance' 25.00, 'Mortgage
title insurance' 62.11, 'deed recording fee' 6.00, 'Mortgage
recording fee' 15.00, 'Deed documentary stamps' 75.60, 'Note
documentary stamps' 42.95, 'Intangible tax mortgage' 19.40
and 'Document prep and other fees' 128.94.
The "Truth in Lending Disclosure" states that the actual
cost would be $21,886.40 if we were to pay out the loan as it was
set up. This does NOT include yearly maintenance fees, taxes and
insurance.
All this for one week, every other year (even years ) of use! We
would have to keep and use this unit for 45 YEARS to break even,
assuming an average room cost of $70.00 per night for 7 nights.
If you add in the maintenance fees as well as taxes, well... you
get the idea. We'd be in our 100's by then!!
Nor does this include the "required" yearly membership
with the exchange company so that an owner can exchange unit weeks
in other areas of the world. This too, is a variable amount
subject to change and increases. And, if you want to change your
assigned week for "your" unit, you pay a fee for that also.
We had used a credit card for the down payment so first we stopped
payment then we wrote Tempus, telling them we were canceling and
included a copy of the letter sent to the credit card company. Within
30 days we had our initial down payment refunded back and haven't
heard another thing from them.
All in all - it was a good learning experience. We didn't spend
any more or any less than we usually do for our vacations.
The $359.00 that we paid for our "FREE" vacation averaged
about $50.00 a night, which is about our average. The only bad thing
was all the time wasted. That, and missing out on seeing a launch
of the space shuttle in person. I'd rather forget the
whole deal, actually.
Tempus In A Pee Pot
We were called by Tempus Resort Vacations about the vacation of
a lifetime! A Disney hotel, discounts to attractions, and the hotel
of our choice in Daytona Beach. All we needed to do was check
into the Vacation Station in Ormond Beach Fl. and we could pick which
hotel we wanted to stay in.
We purchased the vacation package on September 27th 2001 and when
we confirmed our reservation were asked, if for $100, we would like
to update to a hotel with a waterpark/slide for the kids, which we
did.
Upon arrival, we sat through 3 hours timeshare presentations and
tour for the Palms Resort condos, instead of the stated 90 minutes. Apparently
you could only spend one week a year there, with up to $900 more
to stay at a different one.
After we told them we didn't care to buy because of the restrictions,
three different "managers" still tried very high pressure
to sell us and got angry when we still said no.
In fact, when we went to get our hotel voucher signed, the girl
was told flat out that we weren’t to receive any of the discounts
for attractions, which we thought would include Disney and Seaworld,
but didn't. The coupons, which were supposed to be worth $500,
were the same ones we found in any booklet you could find at stores.
When we arrived in Daytona Beach and went to the Vacation Station
we were told that the only hotel we could have was Howard Johnson. Though
we were told when we purchased the package, as well as by Judy Collins
of Tempus, we could have a choice of hotels, they were somehow now
all booked but one, unless we took in another 3 hour tour and sales
presentation.
The kids were tired and fussy so we took the rooms though found
out later that most every hotel had vacancies. There was a
pool, but no added cost waterpark/slide that my grandkids were all
excited about.
The hotel was horrid. Bathtub had to be wiped out before I
could even take a shower, then the water took an hour to go down.
The sink was also full of scum and plugged up. The handle on the
toilet had to be held down so it would flush. The mirror was dirty
from scum and the carpet was filthy. My husband took pictures
of my socks after I walked across the room, they were so filthy I
had to throw them out.
The sheets on the bed were dirty, frayed and torn. In fact,
there was sand in the bed.
The door to our room could not be closed unless you picked it up
and slammed it. The stove was full of grease and the burners didn't
even fit. Dirty cabinets and counter tops. My husband received
an electric shock when he tried to turn on a light.
Windows were so dirty you couldn't see out them. I went to turn
on the air conditioner and it was full of mold and mildew. The elevator
was full of muck and water, walls were dirty with who knows what
on them and there was masking tape holding the rear door handle on.
Broken glass outside of the room. Exit lights were not working. Our
room phone did not work.
When my son and his family, experiencing the same service, called
to inform them about our phone, they tried our room and said "Yes,
I suppose you are right, it doesn't work" and that was it.
This was an upgraded room! I suppose if we had bought a condo
things would have been different. On top of this we found out that
this horrid place had a AAA rating!
Karen Thomas 06/12/02
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