ComplaintsforSundance Vacations, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  05/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Worse company I have ever dealt with I have been trying to cancel since I joined knowing I would never use it but felt pressured vy the sales people to give in I tried to cancel no results they lowered the payments called again wanted to cancel told me they can't cancel it sent multiple emails still no results I stopped payment so they couldn't stop robbing me blind with their monthly payment and quarterly fee which I was never told about now my credit has significantly suffered this is the biggest scam I have ever seen

  Business response

  05/31/2023

  May 31, 2023

  Thank you for your letter dated May 17, 2023 regarding ********* ******. I was sorry to hear that *** ****** felt that the fees associated with her Vacation Program were not adequately disclosed, or that the decision to purchase it was the product of being “pressured.” It is never our intention to pressure our clients, but rather one of our main priorities to ensure that all information is fully disclosed prior to any purchase taking place. We strive to communicate, both verbally and in writing, all information in a manner that is easy to understand.
  Regarding *** ******’s assertion that our sales staff pressured her into the decision to purchase the Vacation Program, we feel that we gave her ample opportunity to express these feelings, and our records indicate that she never did. As part of our Vacation Program Agreement we include a Consumer Disclosure Acknowledgment, which has our clients answer a series of easy-to-understand questions by responding “Yes” or “No.” I have enclosed a copy of this Acknowledgment for your reference, and we ask that you note the section below which shows *** ****** responding in the affirmative when asked about her satisfaction with our Sales staff and the overall purchase.

  *** ****** also claims that Sundance Vacations had been unresponsive to her past attempts to extricate herself from the responsibilities detailed in the Vacation Program Agreement she entered into on July 27, 2019. We feel that this assertion is entirely without merit, as our records indicate that in an effort to provide exemplary customer service we had already modified her Agreement on two separate occasions, relieving her from responsibility for $10,215.57 of principal owed. This was done solely because *** ****** informed us of some financial difficulties she was encountering due to changes in employment (first on September 10, 2019 and again on May 5, 2021). While we are sorry that these circumstances proved to be financially difficult for *** ******, we feel that her insinuations that we are unwilling to assist our clients during times of duress are demonstrably untrue.

  *** ****** also claims that the Service Charges due on her Vacation Program were not covered by our Sales staff adequately, stating that there was a “quarterly fee which I was never told about.” We again ask that you look at the excerpt of the Consumer Disclosure Acknowledgment above, which clearly shows *** ****** responding in the affirmative when asked about the Service Charge. This same fee is also covered multiple times in the Agreement, as seen in the sections we have copied below. We have also provided you with full copies of these forms, all of which were signed/initialed by *** ****** to signify that she understood their contents.
  

  Upon receiving your letter, we reviewed *** ******’s account and discovered that her account had already been cancelled on May 23, 2023 due to severe delinquency of more than 365 days. This cancellation means that no further funds will be sought as payment on the principal still owed ($2,175.00), and we have verified that all prior credit bureau reporting has been removed.
  

  We trust this resolves this matter and ask to be notified if it is not considered resolved. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact this office at (800)220-9400.
  

  Sincerely,

  Sr. Manager, Customer Care
  Sundance Vacations Network

• Initial Complaint

  05/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My husband & I were at a wine event on 5/5/23 when were approached about a free 7 night vaca we “won” & all we had to do was attend a short presentation. The next day 5/6/23 we arrived at 10am & didnt leave until 245pm. After the presentation we were taken back by the sales associate who gathered more info about our travel hopes & then the pressure began. We told her no; she brought out her manager who we also told no; he brought out his supervisor who we also told no! Each time they left the table, they came back with another offer to convince(force) us. We stated we needed more time to think, asked if we could return the next day to give us time to do research, make sure this was a right fit. However we were told no each time, that it was an offer for now only & we couldnt return for the offers. After 4 hours of being pressured we felt it was our only option. The contract was fanned through by the initial saleswomen who stated multiple times how hungover she was & that she works in NJ so couldnt explain the details in full to us so she brought out the supervisor to quickly speed though the 1 sentence lines they had me initial by that “matched to paragraphs in the contract” that we weren’t given to fully read. We were told multiple things that were false: 5star resorts, locations in Japan &Iceland (which we stated we wanted to travel to), that this is passed to our children until all vacas used (didnt know)& MUCH more. We didnt use any vaca or free promo given to us. We wrote a cancelation letter during the recession period under PA law & sent it out on 5/13/23 & am waiting their reply. We want not only our contract canceled but also a full refund of the $8,000 we paid off in full. The worst part about it all is that my family grew up with cofounder of Sundance & I went to school with their daughter. They are from the same small hometown in PA that we still reside in & thats who theyre hurting by doing this. We just want our money back & to be out of this contract.

  Business response

  05/30/2023

  May 30, 2023 
  *** *******: 
  Thank you for your letter dated May 16, 2023 regarding ******** *******. I was sorry to hear that *** ******* felt that the decision to purchase her Vacation Program Agreement was the product of being  “pressured,” or that she felt that the vacations provided through our services were not as good of a value  as she anticipated. It is never our intention to pressure our clients in any way, but rather one of our main  priorities to ensure that all information is fully disclosed and that all our customers are comfortable with  their purchases. 
  Regarding *** *******’s assertion that our sales staff pressured her into the decision to purchase the Vacation Program, we feel that we gave her ample opportunity to express these feelings, and our records  indicate that she never did. As part of our Vacation Program Agreement we include a Consumer  Disclosure Acknowledgment, which has our clients answer a series of easy-to-understand questions by  responding “Yes” or “No.” I have enclosed a copy of this Acknowledgment for your reference, and we  ask that you note the section below which shows *** ******* initialing in the affirmative when asked  about her satisfaction with our Sales staff and the overall purchase.  
  
  Upon receiving the letter from your office, we had a representative from our Customer Care team  research *** *******’s account in order to see what might be done to settle this matter. During a phone  conversation on May 25, 2023, we were able to discuss this matter with *** ******* and we agreed, in the spirit of providing exemplary customer service, to honor her request to cancel her Vacation Program.  This cancellation will provide *** ******* with a full refund of the principal paid on her Vacation  Program ($8,000.00). We sent our standard Termination Agreement to *** *******, she returned an executed copy to us, her account has been cancelled, and her refund has been processed. Our records  indicate that *** ******* was satisfied with this resolution. 
  We trust this resolves this complaint, and we ask that you notify us if it is not resolved. Should you have  any questions regarding this or any other matter, please don’t hesitate to contact us at ###-###-####. 
  

  Sincerely,  
  Sr. Manager, Customer Care  
  Sundance Vacations Network

• Initial Complaint

  05/09/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We received a call from Sundance Vacations indicating we won a free vacation or a tablet from a raffle we filled out and we just needed to attend a presentation to receive the tablet or vacation. We attended a 60 minute presentation on May 19, 2022. Once the presentation was over they then introduced my husband and I to their sales representative. We stated from the beginning that we did not believe this is something we could afford, they wouldn't take no for an answer, they always came back with another counter offer/lower price. After being there for hours. With every no, we are not interested, they would change the package a little bit to make it more affordable. We felt pressured and felt like we could not say no or leave without purchasing a package. We were tired of all the counter offers and agreed to finally signup for a 10 week vacation package for $5,400 after being pressured for hours. We also put a $250 deposit down with monthly payments of $115.21. During the presentation they show you a number of amazing properties and talk about the endless number of destinations. They falsely advertised the units as many of them are outdated. However, looking at options through our online account, the destinations are limited and not as nice as what they showed. The company also has very few units in popular cities and they never seem to be available. Between what you pay for the deal and all the added booking and yearly maintenance fees you aren't really saving money like they make you believe. We have no log in information to access any of our financial information and past efforts to contact Tristate have been unsuccessful. I was falsely lured into agreeing to this contract and would just like to be free of this company.

  Business response

  05/24/2023

  May 24, 2023 
  *** *******: 
  Thank you for your letter dated May 10, 2023 regarding ******** ************. I was sorry to hear that  *** ************ felt that the decision to purchase her Vacation Program on May 19, 2022 was the  product of being “pressured,” or that the purchase was adding any undue financial strain. It is never our  intention to pressure our clients, but rather one of our main priorities to ensure that all information is fully  disclosed and that all our customers are comfortable with their purchase. 

  Regarding *** ************’ assertion that our sales staff coerced her into the decision to purchase her Vacation Program, we feel that we gave her multiple opportunities to express these feelings, and our  records indicate that she never did. As part of our Vacation Program Agreement we include a Consumer  Disclosure Acknowledgment, which has our clients answer a series of easy-to-understand questions by  checking “Yes” or “No.” I have enclosed a copy of this Acknowledgment for your reference, and we ask  that you note the section below which shows *** ************ responding in the affirmative when asked  about her satisfaction with our Sales staff and comfort with the overall purchase.  
  

  Since receiving your letter, a representative from our Customer Care team has attempted to contact *** ************ in an effort to resolve this issue. Our records indicate that we have left voicemail messages  for *** ************ on several occasions (May 22nd and 24th, 2023) and spoken very briefly on another  occasion (May 23rd, 2023) but as of now we have been unable to discuss this matter with her. Thus, we are not able to offer a complete resolution to this complaint. We remain confident that if given the  opportunity we could resolve *** ************’ concerns, and if she would like to be an active participant  in the resolution to this matter, I would encourage her to contact us at her earliest convenience. 

  We trust this resolves this complaint, and we ask that you notify us if it is not resolved. If you have any  questions regarding this or any other matter, please do not hesitate to contact this office at (************. 
  

  Sincerely,  
  

  Sr. Manager, Customer Care  
  Sundance Vacations Network

• Initial Complaint

  05/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On March 7th, 2023, My husband and I were pressured into the purchase of a 4 week package after the premise of a free week long vacation to just come into their offices and watch an hour long presentation (which turned out to be almost 4 hours long). We got singled out from the group and with every "no we are not interested" they would continue to coerce us and offer better deals. We were pressured into an agreement that we were given no time to read and now we see that you were have to be 25+ which neither of us are. They pressure you with different people until you finally give into one of their packages just so that you can finally leave (ours happened to be a 4 week long package that we paid $400 down for and apparently financed the other 1,400 through Sundance's own adjoined bank). We have never used this and never plan to but we were intimidated into buying. We just way to cancel our membership and get refunded for the down payment they intimidated us for. Sundance fault like a fraud company from the get go and we still cant believe we fell for their ploy. Account number: ********

  Business response

  05/16/2023

  May 16, 2023 
  *** *******: 
  

  Thank you for your letter dated May 2, 2023 regarding ******** *******. I was sorry to hear that *** ******* felt that the decision to purchase her Vacation Program Agreement was the product of being  “pressured.” It is never our intention to pressure our clients in any way, but rather one of our main  priorities to ensure that all information is fully disclosed and that all our customers are comfortable with  their purchase. 
  

  Regarding *** *******’s assertion that our sales staff pressured her into the decision to purchase the Vacation Program, we feel that we gave her ample opportunity to express these feelings, and our records  indicate that she never did. As part of our Vacation Program Agreement we include a Consumer  Disclosure Acknowledgment, which has our clients answer a series of easy-to-understand questions by  responding “Yes” or “No.” I have enclosed a copy of this Acknowledgment for your reference, and we  ask that you note the section below which shows *** ******* initialing in the affirmative when asked  about her general satisfaction with our Sales staff and the overall purchase.  
  
  Upon receiving the letter from your office, we had a representative from our Customer Care team  research *** *******’s account in order to see what might be done to settle this matter. During a phone  conversation on May 15, 2023 we were able to discuss this matter with *** ******* and we agreed, in  the spirit of providing exemplary customer service, to honor her request to cancel her Vacation Program. 

  This cancellation will provide *** ******* with a full refund of what has been paid to date on her Vacation Program ($400.00). We sent our standard Termination Agreement to *** *******, and as soon  as she returns the executed document to us her account will be cancelled, and her refund will be processed. Our records indicate that *** ******* was satisfied with this resolution. 
  We trust this resolves this complaint, and we ask that you notify us if it is not resolved. Should you have  any questions regarding this or any other matter, please don’t hesitate to contact us at (800)220-9400. 
  

  Sincerely,  
  ** *********  
  Sr. Manager, Customer Care  

• Initial Complaint

  04/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I've been paying into Sundance vacation package for a long time now, where I have accumulated 60 weeks of vacation weeks I've been unable to utilize. I also am being charged an annual tax, that is a large sum money being taken from my bank account. Yet, I've never received any tax documents from Sundance for the tax I've been paying in on?! I was contacted by Sundance last year with the offering of a free vacation with 2 event tickets. During the meeting I was deceptively sold into a contract that would allow me to utilize my weeks into days for weekend vacations, etc. Wrong. I've gone to the site, and to utilize these days, they are still charging a ridiculous amount to book a room per night? But I have 60 weeks paid into?! I was deceived into paying more, to get less utilization of my weeks now, and on top of that, the "free" vacation with 2 free event tickets, was also a lie. To even book the event you choose, you are required to pay $50, and you still have to pay for the rooms by their fee through Sundance. So Sundance is accommodating nothing here. They just raised my fee, and gave me a not free vacation with 2 not free event tickets. Now they have an annual tax payment set up to take over $400 out of my account this Tuesday! How am I being charged annual taxes for a scam?! I never received any documents for paying tax. I want a Full refund on the contract I was deceptively sold on to utilize my weeks into days, and the contact canceled. I also already paid for what I was lead to believe is 60 weeks of vacations. Those weeks should remain, unless they are also fully refunded to me, as they have been unable to utilize, and I've clearly paid taxes on them annually, without being given any documents of these taxes paid to them.

  Business response

  05/16/2023

  May 16, 2023 
  *** *******: 
  Thank you for your letter dated May 1, 2023 regarding ****** ****. I was sorry to hear that *** **** was experiencing some frustration utilizing his Vacation Program. We strive to ensure that our customers  enjoy quality vacations at reasonable prices, and it’s disappointing to learn that a valued customer might  not be fully experiencing the benefits and value of their Vacation Program. 
  Upon receiving the letter from your office, we had a representative from our Customer Care team  research *** ****’s account, and during a phone conversation on May 16, 2023 we were able to bring  this matter to an amicable resolution. After reviewing many of the details of the Vacation Program, we agreed to revise *** ****’s account by revising it to a paid-in-full status, completely relieving him of the  principal owed on the Vacation Program ($14,563.45), while providing him with the use of thirty-two (32) vacation weeks to be used as outlined in his Agreement. Our records indicate that *** **** was  satisfied with this resolution, and we look forward to assisting him with his vacation needs. 
  We trust this resolves *** ****’s complaint, and we ask that you notify us if it is not resolved. Should  you have any questions regarding this or any other matter, please do not hesitate to contact this office at  (800)220-9400. 
  Sincerely, 
  ** ********* 
  Sr. Manager, Customer Care 
  Sundance Vacations Network
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  04/25/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My fianc and I went to Sundance vacations for a 30 minute presentation about what they offer with their packages. With it being close to the time of our wedding, we were struggling with funds and were excited to hear about the free vacation included. after they sent someone out to us to change our money down fee to start our vacations, it essentially felt like the paperwork processed was completely rushed and they did not give us time to even read our contract. They told us to sign and read it later. We would have read the full contract, if not for our agent at the time repeatedly telling us he needs to hurry for his other clients waiting. They were essentially rushing us out because they said they had another customer waiting to sit down with them. Near the end, it was an uncomfortable situation to be in and after doing further research on the site, vacations never match up to the days that we need available. There would be no way we would be using these vacations if there are really none ever available. With it being that our funds right now have us postponing our own wedding, We no longer want to be in this contract and don't expect any refunds. We would just like to part ways peacefully, or even make the deal of completely freezing our account until we can activate it on our own time when financially stable.

  Business response

  05/10/2023

  May 10, 2023

  Thank you for your letter dated April 25, 2023 regarding ***** ******. I was sorry to hear that *** ****** felt that the purchase of her Vacation Program came at a time when she was not “financially stable,” or that she feels that we misrepresented the quantity of vacation properties available. It is one of our main priorities to ensure that all information is fully disclosed and that all our customers are comfortable with their purchases.
  

  Regarding *** ******’s implication that our sales staff misrepresented the availability of vacation accommodations, stating that there are “really none ever available,” it is our position that these claims are demonstrably untrue. As means of illustrating this, I have enclosed the current availability map for the month of September 2023 below, which shows how many properties are available during that time frame, which is easily in the hundreds. We would be pleased to assist *** ****** with the procuring of accommodations for any future trips she might be planning, and if she is interested in doing so I would encourage her to contact our Customer Experience team at (800)210-5500.

  Since receiving your letter, a representative from our Customer Care team has attempted to contact *** ****** in an effort to resolve this issue. Our records indicate that we have left voicemail messages and sent emails to *** ****** on several occasions (May 4th, 9th and 10th, 2023), but we have been unable to discuss this matter with her. Thus, we are not able to offer a complete resolution to this complaint. We remain confident that if given the opportunity we could resolve *** ******’s concerns, and if she would like to be an active participant in the resolution to this matter, I would encourage her to contact us at her earliest convenience.
  

  We trust this resolves this complaint, and we ask that you notify us if it is not resolved. If you have any questions regarding this or any other matter, please do not hesitate to contact this office at (800)220-9400.
  

  Sincerely,

  Sr. Manager, Customer Care
  Sundance Vacations Network

• Initial Complaint

  04/24/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  03/02/2023 I received a phone calling stating I'd won a free vacation package for my husband and I all we had to do was come to their office for a presentation and receive the details regarding the vacation. The saleswoman stated my name was drawn from a card I filled out at the PA State **** Show. My husband and I went to the presentation on 3/02/2023 with our two children one who had recently turned 1. During the presentation my infant child was antsy and crying so I was in and out of the presentation so I wouldn't disrupt others. After the presentation was done, they moved us to a back room where we were met with more sales representatives to buy a vacation package. I explained to one saleswoman that we were not interested in a package because it was too expensive for our budget at the time and if we changed our mind we would reach out in the future. She went and got who I assume was the manager of that local office who came over and thanked me for my service because I was in my **** uniform. He stated because I was in the military, they would give me a military discount. My husband walked away to attend to our infant, I stated I was still not interested but he insisted that we look into what they had to offer. Once my husband came back, the salesman proceeded to try and sell us the package and also took it upon himself to grab my infant son as to console him. He stated he would give us a minute to discuss what we wanted to do and proceeded to walk away with our child. My husband followed behind him and at that point I just wanted to get out of the office I told the sales lady to go ahead and gives us the package. I had to make an initial deposit of $995 and make monthly installments until $15,000 is paid. After looking into the website that barely works and the properties are not what was explained; I wish to be refunded and released from all obligations from this company.

  Business response

  05/09/2023

  May 9, 2023 
  *** *******: 
  Thank you for your letter dated April 25, 2023 regarding ******* ******. I was sorry to hear that **** ****** was uncomfortable with the process that led to the purchase of her Vacation Program, or that she  was concerned that the availability of vacation reservations would not be satisfactory for her family.  Throughout our sales process it is one of our main priorities to ensure that all information is fully  disclosed and that all our customers are comfortable with their purchases. 
  When we received the letter from your office, we had a representative from our Customer Care team  research **** ******’s account in order to see what we could do to assist. Our records indicate that during  a phone conversation on May 4, 2023 we were able to discuss this matter with **** ****** and I am  pleased to report that we were able to reach an amicable resolution. In an effort to make **** ****** more  comfortable with her commitment, we agreed to revise her vacation program by relieving her of  $10,000.00 of principal owed, while still providing her with the use of twelve (12) vacation weeks as  outlined in her Agreement. Our records indicate that **** ****** was satisfied with this resolution, and  we look forward to assisting her with her future vacation plans. 
  We trust this resolves this complaint, and we ask that you notify us if it is not resolved. Should you have  any questions regarding this or any other matter, please don’t hesitate to contact us at (800)220-9400. 
  

  Sincerely, 
  ** *********  
  Sr. Manager, Customer Care  
  Sundance Vacations Network

  
  

  Customer response

  05/10/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Although I did speak with a customer service representative about the matter, and we came to the agreement stated. I reject this offer simply because the customer service representative stated that they would email updated contract details and information immediately after we got off the phone. As of 5/10/2023, I have yet to receive the updated information to verify the change. If they can do as they say and send everything by email so I can verify.  How I feel right now is that a conversation took place via telephone, they failed to do what they stated, and it brings more sketchiness to the situation. It makes this company seem untrustworthy 
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* ******
  

• Initial Complaint

  04/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  My husband and I entered a raffle to win a truck at a Festival in late 2021. Weeks later Sundance called to say we won a free vacation and could claim it at their ********** office. We went with our 15-month-old baby expecting to collect our prize and leave.We advised we needed to do this quickly to get home and feed our son. They promised it would be quick but began talking about family vacations we could take all over the world for unbelievably low prices. They showed us pictures of 5-star hotels in a packet with pages of destinations. With baby getting fussy, we asked to complete the free vacation and to take the packet home to review. They said we couldnt.They used aggressice high-pressure sales methods to convince us they had a great deal for us. Each time we said we needed to go, they had a better deal. Finally, they promised a deal no one could refuse. They rushed over pages of legal mumbo jumbo,numbers and finances we did not understand, knowing we needed to get our baby home. They never told us, as we recently discovered, that they require purchasers to be 25 to sign their contracts. We were only 24.We never got our free vacation. Our August 2022 vacation was supposed to be at a 5-star beachfront hotel. It was 5 blocks from the beach, cost 4 times the represented cost,and was far from 5-star.Sundance used a fake drawing to lure us into their office, never telling us we had to sit through a 3 hour sales pitch. Seeing our stress with the baby, they unethically pressured and wore us down to sell us a $16,500+ package of falsehoods. They denied us time to think or even talk privately, though we asked. They have taken monthly and semi-annual withdrawals from our bank account without our knowing consent to any autopays, which they say we cant stop.The bottom line, multiple Sundance employees knowingly scammed a young couple that was too **** and stressed to understand what was being done to them. Our $200 vacation has so far cost us more than $7900!

  Business response

  05/08/2023

  Thank you for your letter dated April 24, 2023 regarding ******* ********. I was sorry to hear that Mrs.
  ******** felt that the decision to purchase her Vacation Program was the product of “aggressive high-
  pressure sales methods,” or that she felt that the vacations provided through our services were not as good
  of a value as she anticipated. It is never our intention to pressure our clients in any way, but rather one of
  our main priorities to ensure that all information is fully disclosed and that all our customers are
  comfortable with their purchase.
  
  Regarding Mrs. ********’s assertion that our sales staff pressured her into the decision to purchase the
  Vacation Program, we feel that we gave her ample opportunity to express these feelings, and our records
  indicate that she never did. As part of our Vacation Program Agreement we include a Consumer
  Disclosure Acknowledgment, which has our clients answer a series of easy-to-understand questions by
  responding “Yes” or “No.” I have enclosed a copy of this Acknowledgment for your reference, and we
  ask that you note the section below which shows Mrs. ******** answering in the affirmative when asked
  about her satisfaction with our Sales staff and the overall purchase.
  
  Upon receiving the letter from your office, we had a representative from our Customer Care team contact
  Mrs. ******** in order to see what might be done to settle this matter. During a phone call on May 4,
  2023 we were able to discuss this matter with Mrs. ******** and we agreed, in the spirit of providing
  exemplary customer service, to honor her request to cancel her Vacation Program. This cancellation will
  completely relieve Mrs. ******** of the remaining principal owed on the Vacation Program ($12,025.46).
  We sent our standard Termination Agreement to Mrs. ********, and when she returns an executed copy
  to us her account will be effectively cancelled, and both parties will be released from their contractual
  obligations. Our records indicate that Mrs. ******** was satisfied with this resolution.
  
  We trust this resolves this complaint, and we ask that you notify us if it is not resolved. Should you have
  any questions regarding this or any other matter, please don’t hesitate to contact us at ###-###-####.
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ** *********
  Sr. Manager, Customer Care
  Sundance Vacations Network

  Customer response

  05/09/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  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. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************************
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  04/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My fianc at the time, attended a wedding expo in ******** in the Jan 2022. She filled out a form for what she thought was a raffle to win a free trip. With our wedding soon approaching she thought it was a perfect idea to enter a sweepstakes to win a free trip. We received a phone call saying that we WON! We were told that in order to claim our winning vacation voucher we had to come into the office located in **. When we arrived it was other sweepstakes winners there as well. They moved ** all in 1 room & began a presentation. Once the presentation was over they moved ** into an individual room with a representative. He kept telling ** about these GREAT VACATION PACKAGE DEALS THAT WILL BE GREAT FOR ** AS NEWLYWEDS. With the upcoming wedding we were not too concerned about a vacation package. Although we kept saying no, he would leave the room and come back with an EVEN BETTER OFFER APPROVED BY HIS MANAGER. After being there for over an hr & 1/2 we felt as if we were pressured and decided to go w/ THEIR BEST & LOWEST OFFER. We used our FREE vacation voucher that we WON. We had to pay to claim our FREE vacation. The experience was HORRIBLE. The room was outdated and nothing was as they described. The whole experience was beyond disastrous. EVERYTHING about this whole interaction was MISLEADING. My wife and I are requesting a refund because we were not satisfied and STRONGLY feel like we were mislead and taken advantage of because they played on the fact that we were getting married. They made it seem as if these vacation deals would be a great fit for ** newlyweds, when in fact only caused ** more stress due to the monthly payment and fees accrued by this transaction. We wanted to try and give them chance, but with our experience and limited allowable travel days (which was not mentioned) offered by them its just not something thatll best suit us or our needs.

  Business response

  05/01/2023

  RE: ****** ******, ID ********
  
  
  Mr. *******:
  
  
  Thank you for your letter dated April 17, 2023 regarding ****** ******. I was sorry to hear that Mr.
  ****** felt that the decision to purchase his Vacation Program was the product of being “pressured” by
  our sales team, or that he had an unsatisfactory experience when he first used a vacation week. It is
  never our intention to pressure our clients, but rather one of our main priorities to ensure that all
  information is fully disclosed and that all our customers are comfortable with their purchase.
  
  Regarding Mr. ******’s assertion that our sales staff pressured him into the decision to purchase the
  Vacation Program, we feel that we gave him ample opportunity to express these feelings, and our records
  indicate that he never did. As part of our Vacation Program Agreement we include a Consumer
  Disclosure Acknowledgment, which has our clients answer a series of easy-to-understand questions by
  answering “Yes” or “No.” I have enclosed a copy of this Acknowledgment for your reference, and we
  ask that you note the section below which shows Mr. ****** responding in the affirmative when asked
  about his satisfaction with our Sales staff and the overall purchase.
  
  
  
  
  
  Since receiving your letter, a representative from our Customer Care team has attempted to contact Mr.
  ****** in an effort to resolve this issue. Our records indicate that we have left voicemail messages for
  Mr. ****** on several occasions (April 26th, 27th, and May 1st, 2023), but we have been unable to discuss
  this matter with him. Thus, we are not able to offer a complete resolution to this complaint. We remain
  confident that if given the opportunity we could resolve Mr. ******’s concerns, and if he would like to be
  an active participant in the resolution to this matter, I would encourage him to contact us at his earliest
  convenience.
  
  We trust this resolves this complaint, and we ask that you notify us if it is not resolved. If you have any
  questions regarding this or any other matter, please do not hesitate to contact this office at ###-###-####.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ** *********
  
  Sr. Manager, Customer Care
  Sundance Vacations Network

• Initial Complaint

  04/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On Saturday April 8th, 2023, ********** **** (my fiance) and myself attended a seminar at Sundance Vacations in Monroeville, PA for 1 hour as we were promised a voucher for a free vacation as well as a voucher got two tickets to any event we would like to attend, both of which were to be good for a 2 year time frame. The seminar was a presentation of their vacation program. After the 1 our seminar we were directed into a back office in which we were offered two different vacation packages to purchase, one with a single purchase amount of $20,000 for 25 vacations or a financed option for $15,000 that included 30 vacations. The cost would be financed over 80 months with a quarterly membership fee and promise of immediate access to many different vacation locations internationally for week long stays at wholesale prices of $199 or $399 plus taxes, as well as promises of vacation options described as "bonus weeks" that would not be subtracted from our 30 weeks. During the process, we were shown on an employee computer all of the various locations available for booking as soon as we could, as well as the apparent 15,000+ bonus weeks that were available at that very moment. We denied the offer a few times until a manager was brought out and he lowered the offered interest rate to a comfortable monthly payment we were comfortable with. We were never explained any additional fees or costs throughout the process and we were heavily promised instant access to our vacations as well as the apparent "15,000+" bonus vacations, but upon our accessing the system later that evening we discovered that there were many other fees associated with booking as well as virtually zero bookings available and none of the "15,000+" bonus vacations that we had just seen available a few hours before. On behalf of myself and **********, we would like termination of the contract, a refund of the $3000 down payment we applied, and reversal of any credit impact. We have not contacted the company.

  Business response

  04/25/2023

  April 25, 2023 
  

  Thank you for your letter dated April 11, 2023 regarding ******* *****. I was sorry to hear  that *** ***** was seeking your assistance to cancel his contract, and that he felt that the  vacation weeks he purchased were not what was promised and were difficult to utilize. It is  never our intention to mislead our clients, but rather one of our main priorities to ensure that all  information is fully disclosed prior to any purchase taking place. We strive to communicate,  both verbally and in writing, all information in a manner that is easy to understand. 
  

  While *** *****’ primary complaint is that the locations available for using the Vacation  Program are more limited than what was presented in the sales presentation, his claims that there  were “15,000+ bonus vacations” available when in the office lead us to think that some  important details/aspects of the Vacation Program were misunderstood. There are thousands of  hotel properties available for booking through the Rewards Stays portion of the Program, which  provides discounts on nightly stays. The Bonus Weeks are a separate portion of our service,  which allows for more spontaneous, week-long resort stays for a deeply-discounted rate of  $298.00/week. These weeks are limited in nature, however, as they are the result of excess  inventory held by Sundance Vacations. If *** ***** would like assistance in browsing our  website or procuring vacation accommodations, our Customer Experience team would be happy  to help. 
  

  Since receiving your letter, representatives from our Customer Experience team have attempted to contact *** ***** in an effort to resolve this issue. Our records indicate that we called ***  ***** on three occasions (April 11th, 12th and 13th, 2023) but as of this time he has not returned  our call. As a result, we are not able to offer a complete resolution to this complaint. If *** ***** would like to discuss his complaint and be an active participant in its resolution, I would  encourage him to contact our Customer Care department at his earliest convenience. 
  

  We trust this resolves this matter, and we ask that you notify us if it is not resolved. Should you  have any questions regarding this or any other matter, please do not hesitate to contact this office  at (800)220-9400. 
  

  Sincerely,  
  ** *********  
  Sr. Manager, Customer Care  
  Sundance Vacations Network
  

  
  

  Customer response

  05/04/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  Sundance Vacations has disregarded our actual complaints and reworded the information in which I put in my initial complaint. The bonus vacations were shown to us as an immediately accessible feature via their website by their employees and was never described as a rewards based system. They had confirmed with us many times that the availability that was shown in their office, would be available to us as soon as we logged onto our account at home, and they were not. I have reached back out to the number they called my fiancé on, which the only times they attempted to call to discuss our complaint occurred while she was working, and it was from an unfamiliar 1-800 number. I have returned their call as of today and after being left on hold for several minutes with the system constantly telling me to leave a voicemail, I left them a voicemail. In my voicemail I made it known that we are standing firm upon our request to terminate the contract with Sundance Vacations. As I mentioned in my initial complaint to the BBB, we would also like a full refund of the down payment that was made, and any impact to my Fiancé or my credit to be fixed. We do not plan on having any kind of debate on our request as it is the only resolution we desire. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* * ***** 
  

*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. ↩