Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/24/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Please see the attached statement.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/05/2025

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to *** and **** EL-Amins complaint.  We are writing as representatives of the EL-Amins associations management company.  
  

  The EL-Amins did come tour with Path Vacations sales representatives on August 29, 2022 at 3pm.  Their tour lasted 2 hours and 14 minutes which included the time it took to sign the membership contract the EL-Amins purchased. During the tour, the sales representative discussed that the EL-Amins were under no obligation to purchase and the pricing received was day-of-tour pricing.  The sales representative also covered the travel benefits outlined in the complaint from the EL-Amins. The EL-Amins would have the ability to utilize the rental pool and gift stays to family and friends.  When the EL-Amins decided to purchase, they received a contract and were given time to read the contract thoroughly and ask any questions regarding the contract and membership. Per letters we received from the EL-Amins prior to this complaint, we understand that they read the contract and received all of the applicable documentation. The State of NH requires a 5-day right of rescission.  The right of rescission is clearly outlined in item 6 of the Beneficial Membership Agreement that was signed by the EL-Amins and is at the beginning of the Public Offering Statement.  Information regarding the EL-Amins annual member dues is shown in multiple parts of the contract: item 4 in the Beneficial Membership Agreement and items 4 and 5 in the Purchaser Acknowledgement.  Further, item 8 of the Purchaser Acknowledgement states there are no tax advantages of the membership nor investment potential.  Before the EL-Amins left the ************* they were provided with information on who to call if they had any questions about what they purchased.    
  

  As of the end of the state-required rescission period *** and **** EL-**** became beneficial members of a trust which conveys their rights. The Trust has a responsibility to ensure continuance of the benefits purported to beneficiaries and thus responsible financial management. As with all goods and services, costs go up over time.  The trust must escalate the annual dues in line with goods and services to ensure the Resort can be appropriately maintained. This too is outlined in the Public Offering Statement provided at time of purchase.
  

  The EL-Amins own their membership as personal property under law and it is up to them to divest themselves from it if they are no longer interested in owning it. Being that this is an owned membership, it would be passed down to next of kin as any other property.  
  
  Representatives have received sporadic communication from the EL-Amins over the past 2.5 years.  Representatives offered to assist the EL-Amins in booking, to provide advice and assistance to get the most out of the membership, how best to utilize the memberships exchange program, and guidance on the process to divest the membership; however, our return communication has rarely been acknowledged by the EL-Amins. If the EL-Amins would like assistance with booking or to discuss their membership further, we would love to help.  Please contact the Member Advocates at ************ (Monday - Friday, 8:30a to 6p).
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/05/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Last Spring my husband and I were invited to a resort in ************* and sold a bill of goods (vacation points) that turned out to be a bucket of lies. For example, 10K points would give us a weeks vacation in any of the groups resorts; the yearly maintenance fee which was just over $700 would never go up; with *** we could use our points for vacations anywhere in the world at a fraction of the cost. We were shown beautiful visuals and given a tour, while the nice young man explained everything. We were interested but wanted to think about it and get back to them in a few days. However, there was a catch: because of the one-time special price we had to make a decision on the spot, if we walked away to think about this, the offer would no longer be on the table. The pressure to make a decision right away was significant, so we decided to buy the 30K points package. Perhaps we were ****, but we are of a generation that trusts people and never think that others may be lying. It took several weeks to process everything and when we were finally able to look at all the paperwork and how the program worked and what in fact was available, we realized that in actuality there were no weeks that we could get for 10K points; moreover, the maintenance fee had already gone up by $57 and now there were unexpected additional charges totalling $891.56.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/14/2024

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to *** and Mrs. ********* complaint. We are writing as representatives of the management company hired by the association.
  *** and Mrs. ******** purchased a vacation membership package on April 27, 2024. Under New Hampshire law, they had a five-day right of rescission following the purchase. During the contract signing, the ********* were provided with the Public Offering Statement and Rules and Regulations booklet. After both parties signed the contract, the ********* received copies of their agreement, an *** ********************************** book detailing affiliated resorts and approximate point values by region, a guide outlining their membership benefits (including nightly point values at Path Vacations resort properties), and a passport holder with a QR code linking to digital versions of these materials. Contact information was also provided for any questions they might have.
  On September 5, 2024, *** ******** called and spoke with a representative regarding his billing, asking why he had been charged two sets of annual membership dues. The representative explained that the dues he had paid earlier in the year were for 2024, as he had occupancy rights for that year, and the bill he had recently received was for 2025, due on December 31, 2024.
  Shortly after this conversation, we received a letter dated September 8, 2024, in which Mrs. ******** stated that she was led to believe she could travel to various locations for under ****** points, which she later found was not possible. Additionally, she expressed surprise that annual membership dues could increase. In our response to Mrs. ********, we noted that, at that time, there were ***** resorts worldwide with varying check-in dates and travel months available for under ****** points. We also reminded her of Purchaser Acknowledgment item 5, which details the current membership dues and explains how they are governed in future years. Item 5 was initialed and signed by the *********.
  In further correspondence, Mrs. ******** mentioned that she felt pressured on the day of the sale and was not allowed time to consider the offer. However, the membership package pricing that *** and Mrs. ******** accepted is only available on the day of the tour, though the sales team does not prevent anyone from taking time to think about the offer, including stepping out for a break or lunch before deciding.
  Our response to the ********* second letter has not received a reply. If *** and Mrs. ******** have further questions or would like to discuss this matter further, they are welcome to contact our representatives at ************, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/20/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We bought a timeshare/ownership a few years ago and in the contract it says that we can call ahead and make arrangements for up to 6 guest to go and use facilities with or without us . We are also required to call in up to 24hours in advance to use the facilities that we pay for in our year dues and contract monthly payments. If I knew we were going to need to jump through hoops to use and access what we already pay for is bad business and unacceptable.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/20/2024

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to *** and Mrs. ************ complaint.  We are responding as representatives of the Clubs contracted management company.  The Club is a legally established beneficial trust with published Rules and Regulations. All official documents are provided at the time of sale and available on the ************ ****************** portal. These legally required documents serve as the structure for all beneficial members of the trust and apply to all parties uniformly. These documents are required to provide protection to the member base as a whole and orderly operation of the joint asset. Outlined in these documents are the rules surrounding the daily amenity usage *** and Mrs. ************ membership affords. These rules require that at least one of the individuals, serving as one of two primary contacts on the account, needs to present when utilizing the facilities. *** *********** is correct, he does need to call ahead, no more than 24 hours in advance to make a reservation for usage. These rules are established by the trust to ensure that the operation of all facilities remains within safety regulations; specifically fire code occupancy limits for indoor spaces.  If *** and Mrs. *********** have any further questions regarding their daily usage benefit, they can call the Member Advocate team at ************ (Monday - Friday, 8:30a to 6p). 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/27/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Ever since we started complaining, Steele *********** has gone silent. Theyre a terrible company. Our stay there will be a regrettable memory for our family.We won a two-night stay after visiting *****, never expecting the manipulation, guilt trips, pressure, and our son falling ill.The day after arriving, we went for what we believed was a TOUR, but it turned into a four-hour sales pitch, dragging us through endless offers and rooms. Every question was met with manipulation. Our 1-year-old was with us, and when he became restless, we reluctantly let him join his siblings in the resorts daycare, even though we were uncomfortable leaving him out of our sight.Under pressure, we were pushed into paying $1,000 on the spot, with them even urging my husband to call his credit card company to increase his limit. We ended up agreeing to something we barely understood, unaware of hidden costs like an annual maintenance fee.After dinner, we noticed our 1-year-old had a fever. Days later, he was covered in painful blisters, unable to walk, and not eating. We rushed him to the hospital and discovered he had hand, foot, and mouth disease. The doctor confirmed he likely contracted the virus at the resorts daycare. It took weeks of sleepless nights, missed work, and doctor visits before he recovered.Never again will our family go back there.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/04/2024

  Thank you for giving us the opportunity to respond to ****************** and ************ complaint.  ** August 10, 2023, ************ and ****************** did attend a tour to discuss membership in a vacation club.  ****************** and ************ elected to purchase a membership in the vacation club that day, signed contracts, and made a down payment towards the membership. The total time of the tour, including signing contracts, was just over 3 hours.  Representatives of the Associations contracted management company had just two communications with ************ and ****************** prior to February 9, 2024. Each communication was regarding how to use the membership and was short in nature where *** stated we would need to speak with Mrs. ** February 9, 2024, ************ called in to ask for monthly payment statements that he could use to mail in a check for monthly loan payments.  Within a few business days, the management company submitted for payment coupons to be mailed to ************ and ****************** and were mailed within two business days after the order was placed.  When contacted on March 19, 2024 for an amortization schedule of the loan for the vacation membership, one was sent.  ** May 6, 2024, a pre-collection letter was sent to ************ and ****************** regarding their past due loan.  The last payment made was on February 2, 2024.  Shortly thereafter, representatives received an email on May 17, 2024 regarding accusations of one of their children contracting hand, foot and mouth disease at our Resort.  Representatives immediately reached out via phone to speak with ************ or ****************** regarding the situation with no answer or return call.  Further communication came in on May 20, 2024 with screenshots of the notes from doctors visits.  Those screenshots show doctors visits on August 14 and 30, 2023.  The Doctor's notes did not state that the viral infection started on August 10, 2023. Additionally, the Doctors notes did not state that the infection was contracted while at the resort property or caused by the child being in *************. The resort operations management staff did not receive any other communications from other resort guests utilizing the same facilities during the August dates.  ** May 22, 2024, representatives again tried reaching out to ************ and ******************, but calls went unanswered.  No further communication has come to our office.  If ************ or ****************** have any further concerns or would like to discuss this matter further, they are welcome to contact the management companys representatives at ************ (Monday - Friday, 8:30a to 6p).

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/05/2024

  
  Complaint: 22179423
  
  I do not accept the business's response as a resolution to my complaint because the only place we visited was your resort. When you reach out it's usually to sell me something, why would I pick up if I don't know it's to address my concerns. Where you have records of my son checking into your daycare. I fully expect you to let me out of this contract. The medical note states that it was contracted when we visited ************* which to be clear YOU invited us to, we couldn't go anywhere else because you had us stuck at a timeshare presentation the entire time. I want you to cancel my membership and let us out of the contract and give us a refund. The daycare was the only time that our son wasn't with us. He was 2, are you really trying to assert that our 2 year old contracted a viral infection from anywhere else other than a daycare? That's ridiculous he is 2. He's not an adult, he doesn't go anywhere that we aren't with him, he barely walks. It's literally the only viable option. Your business looks bad. 

  I do want to clarify I have been filing complaints against your business with everyone I can, this is just the first time you actually saw it.

  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  Business Response

  Date: 09/11/2024

  We appreciate the opportunity to respond to ****************** and ************, again.  Per the screenshots ************ and ****************** sent us, the doctor does not state that the child was sick because of going to **************  Hand, Foot and Mouth disease is a highly communicable disease that can be passed from one individual to another very easily in any setting or location.  Very clear messages were left for ****************** and ************ regarding the situation and we did not receive a return call.  ************ and ****************** own a stake in a trust as beneficiaries. The rights of their membership are derived via this form of conveyance and abide by the rules and bylaws established for the trust. As this is a form of legal ownership and as the named beneficiaries, only ************ and ****************** can place the interval for sale. 
  If ************ of ****************** would like further information on the selling process, they are welcome to contact the Member Advocate team at ************ (Monday - Friday, 8:30a to 6p).
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/13/2024

   
  Complaint: 22179423
  
  I do not accept the business's response as a resolution to my complaint because: 

  It seems I didnt fully explain our son's situation. He has autism and doesnt attend preschool or daycare, nor does he leave the house without his mother. His education is done at home through in-home services, and his mother, a stay-at-home mom, works hard to keep him as happy and healthy as possible. The idea that he could have gotten sick elsewhere just doesnt fit. Heres additional evidence supporting our story:
  
  Ive provided statistics about how diseases are contracted while traveling, which back up our belief that our son became ill during our stay at your resort. We didnt visit any other places during our tripsomeone even mentioned we had to remain on-site for the duration.
  
  Ive also included data showing that most cases of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFM) come from daycares. Since our son receives in-home services and doesnt attend daycare, the only possible exposure he had was at your resort. Prior to our trip, he had no health issues and a perfect medical record, which is supported by his medical notes. He has never contracted such an illness before.
  
  Ive included billing transaction records that show we were at your resort during the time of exposure.

  **********************************************************************************************

  We are currently in touch with our doctor, and all signs point to your daycare as the source of our sons HFM infection. We look forward to hearing from you and expect the cancellation of our contract.
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/16/2024

  Can you keep this case open until we can get the medical note from our pediatrician confirming that the *** disease was contracted at the daycare.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/26/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  They called and lied to my wife saying she had won a vacation in a raffle, and said she had to pay-in 89 dollars to claim her prize. In reality, they call everyone who enters the raffle saying they have "won". After, we discovered what this was, an elaborate ruse to try and get us to buy a timeshare, I promptly canceled but they refused to refund my "buy-in" of 89 dollars, and we had "verbally agreed" even threatening that they had my wife on tape. Extremely deceptive and downright dirty tactics are used by this business.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/27/2024

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Mr. ****** complaint.  We have carefully reviewed the situation and found the following:

  
  On 6/25/24 at 9:54 AM, Representative left Mrs. a voicemail stating that the ***** form she had filled out for a raffle with Path Vacations at ********* had been selected for a promotion and requested a return call. 

  
  The same day at 2:57 PM, Mrs. returned Representatives call. After locating Mrs ***** information, Representative informed Mrs. that the ***** form she had submitted at StoryLand was selected for a promotional stay at Steele ***********. Representative went on to describe the resort and the location of the resort to Mrs. and urged Mrs. to look at the resorts website online. Representative then confirmed the information that Mrs. had filled out on the ***** form.
  4 minutes and 15 seconds into the call, Representative informed Mrs. that she was selected for a 3 day, 2 night, midweek stay at Steele *********** for $89. Representative explained to Mrs. that during her stay, couples would have to attend a ****** minute informational membership introduction, and let Mrs. know that there would be no obligation to buy or join into anything during the introduction. 

  
  6 minutes and 8 seconds into the call, Mrs. ********* with Representative that she would be receiving a 3 day, 2 night stay at the resort for $89 and confirmed that the price includes taxes, fees, etc. Representative assured Mrs. that the $89 was all Mrs. would pay and also let Mrs. know that otherwise, Mrs. would be responsible for the standard resort incidentals hold when she checks in.

  
  6 minutes and 50 seconds into the call, Mrs. asked Representative how to move forward with booking the stay. Representative explained that Mrs. could choose some dates that work for her and suggested the dates of 7/15-7/17. Mrs. said she would need dates further out, and requested the last week of August. Mrs. and Representative settled on the dates of 8/26-8/28. Mrs. confirmed with Representative that this was a Sunday- Wednesday stay. Representative confirmed those dates were available to book and informed Mrs. that she would have until 8/12/24 to make changes to the Reservation. Mrs. confirmed with Representative that she would have until 8/12 to make changes to the reservation.

  
  At 9 minutes and 58 seconds into the call, Mrs. asked Representative if she would need to pay the $89 at that moment to reserve the stay. Representative stated to Mrs. that the payment would be needed to reserve the reservation, but reassured Mrs. that if the dates they chose dont work, she would have plenty of time to call and push them out if needed. Mrs. stated that she wasnt sure she would have the payment right now. Representative offered for Mrs. to place them on hold so she could reach out to her spouse and talk it over. Mrs. agreed and confirmed the Resorts information. Mrs. placed the call on hold 11 minutes and 7 seconds into the call. At 14 minutes and 35 seconds into the call, Mrs. returned from hold and stated that Mr. was not answering, and asked if debit cards were an accepted form of payment. Representative confirmed it was, and Mrs. stated that she would like to go through with setting up the reservation. Representative confirmed Mrs. information further and Mrs. provided payment information. Representative informed Mrs. that she would be transferred over to a supervisor to go over remaining terms and conditions before finalizing the reservation and getting her confirmation email. Mrs. was transferred to Supervisor at 3:16 PM.
  
  Supervisor introduced themselves to Mrs. and informed her that they would be confirming Mrs. information once more, going over the terms and conditions of the promotion, and then getting her out a reservation confirmation email before letting Mrs. off the line. Supervisor confirmed Mrs. information once more, confirmed the reservation dates Mrs. chose, and informed Mrs. that she would have until 8/12 to make changes. Supervisor also informed Mrs. that after 8/14, she would be inside the cancellation period offered by the resort and any reservation changes made would result in a charge for the full retail rate for the room Mrs. reserved. Supervisor also extended to Ms. the option to add Trip Protection to her reservation for an extra $30; this exempts any guest from paying the full retail rates for reservations up to 48 hours prior to the scheduled check-in date. Mrs. declined the Trip Protection. Supervisor informed Mrs. that herself, her spouse, and anyone else staying on the reservation would have to attend a ****** minute membership introduction. Supervisor informed Mrs. that if they did not attend the introduction, they would be charged the full retail rate for their room in this instance as well. Supervisor informed Mrs. that the email she received would have all of the information reviewed with her in writing, as well as  the date and time for her membership introduction. Supervisor informed Mrs. about the resorts standard $75 incidental hold upon check in. Supervisor then stated to Mrs. that the $89 for her stay is non refundable, even if Mrs. chooses to cancel the reservation in the end. At 5 minutes and 43 Seconds into the call, Supervisor confirms with Mrs. that she verbally authorizes the $89 charge for her reservation. Mrs. replies Yes. authorizing the $89 charge at 5 minutes and 52 seconds into the call. Supervisor confirmed that Mrs. received her confirmation email, let her know that she would need to sign the bottom to download a completed copy, and provided Ms. with the best number to call back if needed. At 7 minutes and 4 seconds into the call, Mrs. ********* with Supervisor that she would have until 8/12 to reschedule or cancel the reservation, and confirmed with Supervisor that she would not get the $89 refunded if she cancels. Supervisor informed Mrs. that this information was correct, and reassured Mrs. that the resort would do their best to find dates to reschedule the reservation, rather than seeing the reservation be canceled. Mrs. thanked Supervisor and the call ended.

  
  On the same day at 3:44 PM, Mrs. called back and explained to Supervisor that she had signed up for an $89 promotional stay, but she would like to cancel the reservation because her husband is not interested. The supervisor explained that she could cancel the reservation and reminded Mrs. that the deposit would be non refundable. Mrs. asked if this is still true, if she had not signed the confirmation email yet. Supervisor explained that regardless of the email, Mrs. had authorized the charge after being informed that the charge was non refundable, even upon cancellation. Mrs. explained that Mr. did not have any vacation time and could not take the time to come up for the reservation. Supervisor suggested Mrs. could reschedule for a weekend, but that the rate would be a little higher. Supervisor reminded Mrs. that she had until 8/14 to make changes, so she had time to talk it over and make a final decision. Mrs. decided that she did not want to pay anything additional to reschedule to a weekend and canceled the reservation. Supervisor informed Mrs. that her reservation would be canceled, and that her $89 deposit would remain on file until 8/30/24 if they change their mind and would like to apply the $89 deposit to new dates. Mrs. thanked Supervisor and the call ended. 
  
  
  The same day at 4:13 PM, Mr. called in and Supervisor answered. Mr. stated he was calling in regard to booking ID # listed in the confirmation email. Supervisor confirmed that they were speaking with Mr, stated that they had just spoken with Mrs. and asked how Mr. was doing. Mr. stated loudly that the resort would not be charging him $89 because he would be reporting the resort to the *** as fraud. Supervisor tried cutting in to explain to Mr. that the $89 had already been charged, and that Mrs. had authorized the charge after she was made aware that it would be non-refundable if she decided to cancel. Mr. began yelling at the supervisor that what the resort is doing is a scam and it is fraudulent and that he would be reporting it. The Supervisor tried to interrupt Mr. to request that they continue to speak to each other in a more respectful way and let Mr. know they would be disconnecting the call if he was going to continue to speak in that way. Mr. stated that he is being respectful, the resort scammed his wife. Supervisor explained that Mrs. was not scammed, and reiterated that Mrs. had authorized the charge after she was made aware that it would be non-refundable if she decided to cancel on a recorded line. Mr. continued to talk down to Supervisor and asked Supervisor if they felt good working for a company who scams people and continued yelling at Supervisor. Supervisor informed Mr. that they would now be disconnecting the line. The call ended at 2 minutes and 17 Seconds.

  
  ************** is welcome to contact us at ************ if he has any further questions or to apply his deposit to a new date. 
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/07/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My partner and I were on auto-pay for years. His card was comprised. He called Path Vacations on 1/29/24 to give them his new card information to continue the auto-pay that we've had for years and to pay the yearly dues. He never really paid attention to make sure the monthly charges were coming out. (shame on us). Well we finally figured out what happened when they called us but they won't take our payment because they say it went to a collection agency. (including all fees) So I called today because I am normally calmer. ******** explained to me that although a call was received from us with his card information they did not receive "explicit authorization" from him to take the payment and that he rushed her off the phone. We checked our records and the call lasted 10 minutes and 48 seconds. I don't even understand this. He called to make the payment and actually gave you the card information so what other authorization would be needed? To be fair I was told they emailed me. Did it go to spam?? Then sent 2 letters on 3/25. We received 1 in late April while we were trying figure out what happened. We just want to make our payment minus the late fees and whatever else fees as we feel we gave them authorization on January 29, 2024 to take the payments. I asked to speak with ********** boss and I was told there was no one higher than her.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/07/2024

  Last night after I filed this complaint we were talking about the phone call on January 29th between **** and ********. I was in the room for that conversation. **** remembered that he had asked about what our payoff would be. It was $3000 something so he mentioned it would be cheaper to pay off the balance in the future in the next few months than to continue with the auto payments. We find it very suspicious that after that phone call none of our payments were taken out. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/08/2024

  I spoke with ***** from ****************** which I was advised is their in house collection agency. She gave me a breakdown of charges. Not only did ******** continue our payment plan, she never authorized the payment for our yearly dues and fees.

  Mortgage : ****** Fees/Dues: $706.21

  Total: $1321.23

  We feel we owe:

  Mortgage: $444.60 (4 payments of $111.15)

  Fees/Dues: $539.99

  Total: $984.59

  We do not feel we should be responsible for the interest and collection fee ($175.22) or any other fees. The difference is $336.64.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/10/2024

  Thank you for giving us the opportunity to respond to ************** and ******************** complaint.  On January 22, 2024, the loan autopay that ******************** and ************** had on their account declined.  Per protocol, they received an automated email the same day, an email from a representative on January 23 and a phone call on January 26, 2024.  On January 29, 2024, ******************** called back and had questions on the Annual Member Dues and terms of the loan.  ******************** stated he would be paying off the loan on February 29, 2024.  Mr. needed to end the call, but provided a card to put on file prior to hanging up the phone.  The agent followed up via the email on file on the same day to confirm that an autopay was not set up, when late fees would be assessed, and to please call us to address.  On February 5, 2024, an agent emailed the members a notice of being delinquent.  Another email was sent to the members on February 21, 2024 regarding the delinquency.  Notices of the delinquency on both the loan and Annual Member Dues were mailed to ******************** and ************** on March 25, 2024.  ************** received a call from a representative on April 12, 2024 checking in on a payment as the account was slated to go to a third-party collection agency.  ************** stated that ******************** handled the bills and he would call in within a few days.  Representatives gave additional time to ******************** and ************** and did not forward the account off to the third-party collection agency for further collection efforts until April 25, 2024. ******************** called in on April 29, 2024 to ask why he didnt have an autopay set up.  The agent informed him of the status of his account and that he would need to pay collections.  ************** called in on May 6, 2024 to discuss the account.  After reviewing the details and timeline of what transpired on the account, she stated that all the emails probably went to spam and they did receive one of the letters.  ************** told the agent that they do not keep track of payments so they didnt know the monthly autopay hadnt been running.  The agent explained that we did not have explicit confirmation to set the card provided on January 29, 2024 up on an autopay.  ************** also stated that if the representative did not take her payment during the call, she would file a report against the organization.  We are sorry that ************** is upset regarding the collection fees on her account; however, the information was provided via mail on the letters dated March 25, 2024 and nine attempts to reach ******************** and ************** were unsuccessful.  If ************** and ******************** have any further questions, representatives can be reached Monday through Friday, 8:30a to 6:00p at ************.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/12/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Dear Mr. ******* and BBB of Lakes Region of New Hampshire:
  I am writing to report unfair and high pressure sales tactics that I was subjected after being notified that I had “won” a prize from a recent Worcester Railers game. In truth, it was a ploy to be subjected to obnoxious, fast-talking, sales associates at Stell Hill Resort aattempting to sell time-share at the resort.
  I want the deposit of $69.00 removed from my credit card following a telephone call where a member of your staff threatened to charge additional costs on my credit card if I did not show up for my “prize” of a 2 Hour tour of the facility.
  Just as on the initial call, the associate of your facility talked at a fast-pace and interrupted me mid sentence repeated to continue the unwanted conversation. I informed her that charging my credit card additional unwanted charges would result me filing a legal complaint and then I firmly, but politely hung up as you can hear for yourself on the recoding line.
  Please assist me in resolving this matter with a refund og my “reward” credit card deposit and cease these disgusting and unfair business practices.
  Sincerely,
  **** ** *********

  Business Response

  Date: 02/26/2024

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to this complaint. 

  On January 15th, at 5:08 PM, Ms. **** ********* returned a call from a call center representative of Path Vacations regarding an entry she had filled out at an event Path Vacations had attended. 32 seconds into the call, Representative placed Ms. on hold, and at 1 minute 15 seconds Representative returned from hold and introduced themselves to Ms. Representative explained the reason for the call, informing Ms. that she was selected for a promotion at Steele Hill Resorts. Representative goes on to describe the location and resort to Ms. and provides the website. At 2 minutes 41 seconds, the Representative confirms Ms. entry information. At 3 minutes 25 seconds, Representative informs Ms. that she was selected for a 2 night, midweek stay promotion at Steele Hill Resorts for $69 and elaborates about the amenities offered at the resort. At 6 minutes 5 seconds, the Representative explains to Ms. that during her stay she would be obligated to attend a 90-120 minute presentation for the resort’s vacation club membership. At 8 minutes 31 seconds, Ms. inquires about booking February school vacation. Representative informs Ms. that it would be $119 for midweek school vacation dates. At 10 minutes 30 seconds, Ms. asks if she could speak with her sister before booking. Ms. continues to ask about dates, asks if she needs to book now to accept the promotion, and asks when she would be able to call to change her dates if needed. Representative informs Ms. that she would have until 1/26/24 to reschedule her reservation per the resort’s 14-day reservation change policy. At 13 minutes 47 seconds, Ms. asks the Representative what is needed of her in order to accept the promotion and if the Representative would need a credit card to hold the promotion. Representative explained that we would charge the card today. Ms. Clarifies with Representative that she would set up tentative dates today and Representative repeats once more to Ms. that she would have to call by 1/26 to change her dates. Representative then goes on to confirm Ms.’ contact information and reservation dates for February 11th to February 13th. At 18 minutes and 3 seconds, Ms. provides her credit card information to the Representative. At 20 minutes 10 seconds, the Representative thanks Ms. and transfers Ms. to the supervisor to complete the reservation process. 

  At 5:28 PM, Supervisor answers the transferred call and introduces themselves to Ms. Supervisor explains to Ms. that she will be confirming her information once more before setting up the reservation and sending Ms. her confirmation email. At 3 minutes and 1 second, the supervisor explains that due to the resort's reservation change policy, Ms. would have until 1/26/24 to cancel or reschedule this reservation. At 3 minutes 11 seconds, Supervisor informs Ms. that if she were to call after 1/26 to cancel or reschedule the reservation, this would result in Ms. being charged the full retail rate for the room per the resort’s reservation change policy. At 3 minutes 36 seconds, Supervisor offers Ms. additional Trip Insurance, which would exempt any guest from paying the full retail rates for reservations up to 48 hours prior to the scheduled check-in date. Ms. declined the additional insurance. Supervisor informed Ms. that if she changed her mind, she could call or check the corresponding box off in her confirmation email within 24 hours to add the insurance. Supervisor continues to inform Ms. about the terms and conditions surrounding the membership introduction, explains the layout of the email that Ms. will receive, and explains the resort’s incidental hold, informing Ms. that the hold would be placed upon check-in. At 7 minutes and 3 seconds, Supervisor informs Ms. that the $69 deposit being charged to her card today would be non-refundable, including if Ms. cancels her reservation. At 7 minutes 10 seconds, Supervisor asks Ms. for her verbal authorization to charge Ms.’ credit card the $69 for her reservation February 11th to February 13th. At 7 minutes 16 seconds, Ms. states “Yes,” authorizing the charge. Supervisor then confirms with Ms. that she has the phone number to contact the department in case Ms. needs to call back, and Ms. confirms that she does have the number. Supervisor thanks Ms. for her time and lets Ms. know that we look forward to her stay with the resort. Ms. and Supervisor both say goodbye to each other and the call ends at 8 minutes 24 seconds.

  On February 9th at 4:11 PM, Supervisor makes a courtesy call to confirm Ms.’ reservation, scheduled for 2/11-2/13. This call is to provide Ms. with a few reminders before checking in, per resort procedure. 17 seconds into the call, Ms. informs Supervisor that she will not be able to check in on 2/11 and asks what she can do. Supervisor informs Ms. that if she were to make any changes to her reservation at this time, she would be charged the retail rate because Ms. declined the Trip Insurance and is now inside the resort’s 14-day reservation change period.

  Supervisor begins to explain to Ms. that if Ms. were to at least attend the membership introduction, she could avoid the retail charge. Supervisor tried to offer to move the tour time/day to accommodate Ms.’ schedule. At 1 minute 15 seconds, Ms. states that she agrees with Supervisor about when she was supposed to call back because she had the dates written down. At 1 minute 40 seconds, Supervisor reiterates the terms and conditions of the promotion Ms. had accepted, referencing the resort’s reservation change policy. Supervisor also reminds Ms. that she has all of this information in writing, in the confirmation email that she received.
  

  At 1 minute 50 seconds, Ms. acknowledges that this information is true, but she still expects to make changes. The Supervisor explains to Ms. again that she can not make changes to her reservation at this time without Ms. being subject to paying retail rate, per the resort's reservation change policy.  Ms. interrupts the supervisor and informs Supervisor that if her credit card is charged more than the $69, this would turn into a big deal. Supervisor starts to reiterate the resort's reservation change policy to Ms. again and is interrupted by Ms. who informs the Supervisor that if anything additional is charged, Ms. would be taking this to BBB and there will be a lawsuit. Ms. informs the Supervisor that she will be disconnecting the call because she feels it is very inappropriate. The call ends at 5 minutes 9 seconds.

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/19/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Cost of the maintenance fee has become prohibitive in light of not being able to book a week that we are owed while non-owners are able to book that same week.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/19/2024

  Hello,

  The ************* have been members since September 29, 1990 and have booked a week with us yearly.  *************************** called on October 17, 2023 to book a 7-night stay for 2023 after a conversation on April 20, 2023 encouraged her to book immediately or as soon as possible.  Most members book 270 days in advance so by the time October 17 came into play, we did not have any more weeks available for members and she was placed on the waitlist. When we offered April ****** Vacation for 2024 (what she requested so she could bring her Grandson), she declined and said she will stop paying.

  This complaint is out of the agreed upon purview and I kindly ask it to be removed.  Further, I wanted you to be aware of the events that took place.

  Thank you,

  ********

  Business Response

  Date: 07/12/2024

  Thank you for letting us respond to Mrs. ************* complaint.  Since we received this complaint, *************************** has opted to relinquish herself from her membership.  If any further questions come up, please have Mrs. *********** give the representatives of her soon to be former management company a call at ************ (Monday - Friday, 8:30a to 6p).

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/16/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/01/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I would like to received a copy of my contract with this resort for my review

  Business Response

  Date: 08/01/2023

  Thank you for giving us the opportunity to respond to Mr. ******’s request.  Upon receiving the request from the Better Business Bureau, a representative of the contracted management company emailed the contract to Mr. ****** and left a message on his phone to give member representatives a call if he has any further questions or requests.  Representatives can be reached Monday through Friday, 8:30a to 6:00p at ###-###-####.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/20/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My husband and I have been members in good standing with this business since for many years. Our membership dues fell behind. I made a call to the membership team to set up a payment arrangement. I had made a payment, asked them to automatically debit the reminder. They stated they couldn't do this. I became very ill and unable to call to make the payment. I was immediately transferred to collections without as much as a follow up call. I was not informed this was happening and when I attempted to pay my balance it was refused. We don't find this to be good faith customer service to value members of their resort.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/20/2023

  Thank you for giving us the opportunity to respond to Mrs. *******’s complaint.  We certainly appreciate Mrs. *******’s membership with us and strive to provide stellar customer service to our members.  Mrs. ******* spoke with a representative of the contracted management company on March 10, 2023 after she received a Final Pre-Collection Notice to discuss payment on her Annual Member Dues. This notice stated all payments were due by March 12, 2023 or the account would be forwarded to a third-party collection agency.  A representative and Mrs. ******* worked out a payment plan and Mrs. ******* would call on March 16, 2023 to pay the remaining balance.  Representatives did not hear from Mrs. ******* until April 20, 2023.  To give Mrs. ******* the benefit, representatives did not forward the account to a third-party collection agency until April 11, 2023.  If Mrs. ******* has any further questions, representatives can be reached Monday through Friday, 8:30a to 6:00p at ###-###-####.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/20/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I do not accept the business's response as a resolution to my complaint because: 

  This customer service is far from “stellar” from this business. Had a true benefit been given they would made a phone call to myself or my husband-who is co-owner, where they would have been informed of a medical emergency involving an ICU stay, stokes, seizures and ruptured body parts. Had they accepted the auto debit they also would have received payment on time. 

  I personally made all contact with this business directly in good faith to clear up debt. People don’t make partial payments to avoid debt! Had I not called them I would have no idea this was forward to collections.

  I am more then happy to take a call from them directly to pay debt in full.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *******

  Business Response

  Date: 04/27/2023

  We have worked with Mrs. ******* to come to a solution that works for all parties.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/11/2023

  BBB spoke with this consumer who indicated that the business has resolved this complaint to their satisfaction.