I have had trouble with an affiliated organization to the Mayan Palace known as the Great Vacations Club (GVC). This is the final step before you are out of the slimy high pressure timeshare sales presentation. It comes off as a survey to ensure you were treated right but moves to another sales pitch, one I was foolish to sign.

I signed the contract November 28, 2006. I canceled by telephone (calling the GVC Texas Customer Service office) November 30, 2006, well within the five day cancellation period allowed by Article 56 of Mexican Consumer Protection Law. I even have documentation confirming their receipt of my cancellation and refund request. However, Great Vacations Club / Mayan Palace never gave me a refund.

I am considering a lawyer in the US as well as a lawyer in Mexico to recover my $5,999 US. Although the contract states "an active membership may be canceled at any time but the membership fee is non refundable." the grounds for my lawsuit is that cancellation took place within the 5 day period allowed by law and that the membership should never have been activated.

I am also contacting Profeco, Mexico's Consumer Protection Department to get their help in making Great Vacations Club live up to the law. They are violating Consumer Protection Statutes in Mexico (Artile 56 of Consumer Protection law), Texas where their office billed my credit card (Texas Business and Commerce Code Ann. Sec 39.001) and California where I reside (California B&P 11024).

Here is where you come in...

NO ONE SHOULD EVER DO BUSINESS WITH THE GREAT VACATION CLUB, MAYAN PALACE (OR OTHER MAYAN RESORTS), OR VENTAS RIVIERA MAYA! DO NOT GO TO THEIR TIMESHARE PRESENTATIONS NO MATTER WHAT GIFTS THEY GIVE YOU. PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD TO ALL FRIENDS & FAMILY THAT LIKE TO VACATION IN WARM WEATHER PLACES. TELL THEM TO STAY AWAY FROM MAYAN PALACE AND GREAT VACATIONS CLUB!!!

I will broadcast this message across many websites, and other media as I continue other means to get them to refund my money as required by law.

Dan Altenburg
San Diego, CA

We were approached at the airport when we arrived and promised $400 in rewards if we went the "90 minute" presentation at the new Mayan Palace in San Jose Cabo . Said yes and the next day drove to the resort where the sales managers were the so rude it was unbelievable. The first manager called us liars and wanted to know why we were there if we already owned two time shares. (They invited us!) The sales lady was very polite but had a VERY poor product to show us.

When they brought in the closing managers, four of them one at time, they couldn't understand the word "NO". After three hours they finally let us go and we saw the exit manager who took down our comments. We told them about how rude the managers were and that was on reason we were not interested. When we were leaving my wife saw the manager take our comment sheet and wad it up. When she asked him about he admitted that he was throwing it away because is was negative and then told us to "get out and never come back" which we were very happy to do.