Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon’s office originally brought suit against Festiva timeshares in 2005. In the Attorney General’s news release, issued at that time, the lawsuit alleged that, “Festiva lured consumers by falsely promising to:
- Help them sell other timeshares they owned.
- Help them rent out timeshares they bought from Festiva.
- Help them get good deals on condo rentals in attractive locations.
- Help them get good deals on vacation packages.
- Give refunds to those dissatisfied with their purchase.
An unidentified number of consumers will receive a total of just over $324,000 collectively, and the state will receive $15,000 for civil penalties and costs. Of the settlement to consumers, $106,885 will go to customers who complained to the attorney general’s office before June 25, 2005, and use their timeshare at least once. The balance, $217,508, will be distributed to consumers who filed their complaints before June 25 and never used their timeshares.
If a Festiva resort timeshare owner, who is part of this lawsuit, used his timeshare at least one time, he is given the choice to: deed the timeshare unit back to Festiva and receive a partial refund; keep the timeshare and receive a small cash payment; or keep the timeshare and receive a free upgrade from the resort. If the timeshare owners who participated in this lawsuit have never used their timeshare, they have a choice to receive a portion of what they paid Festiva and then return their deed to the company.
Festiva bought CELEBRATION WORLD RESORT. I AM AN OWNER at cwr and I have a deeded contract.I own 122000 annual points. Festiva has reduced my points to 31000 annually. NO EXPLANATION. Who are these savages who think that they are over and above the law????
ReplyDeleteMembers need to write their Congressmen, if everyone will take part these crooks may be stopped one day.
DeleteI, too, was reduced by Festiva (who claims not to be CWR but they are the same company). Someone had a blog where there was a lot of talk of a lawsuit but nothing happened. I'm not in FL so not sure what to do. Do you have any advice or can you help? There are lots of people in the same boat. I had over 300,000 points and used at least a 3 BR every year. Now we don't have enough to get a 1 BR. Please help!
DeleteI also need help with Festiva - I have been scammed by lies told to me that the timeshare I owned was going out of business, only to find out this is not true. Is there anyone who can help me?
ReplyDeleteYes if you have been scammed, email me at timesharetricks@gmail.com and we can go over some options
DeleteI bought with Festiva and got suckered into upgrading. We can never use our "home" resort in New Orleans. Between maintenance fee and monthly fees it's cheaper to rent their properties as a non owner. What can I do?
ReplyDeleteWe can demand your contract cancelled and your money refunded due to the lies they told you. Email me with details timesharetricks@gmail.com
DeleteI also was lied to and mislead into purchasing a timeshare. It has been 4 years and every year the rules change. I have yet been able to book a resort and now my points are "expired" was told my point never expire do I can save up for a great resort. I really need to get out of the contract but do not know where to start
ReplyDeleteEmail me at timesharetricks@gmail.com and we can discuss your options to getting out of the contract and your money refunded
DeleteI also was lied to and mislead into purchasing a timeshare. It has been 4 years and every year the rules change. I have yet been able to book a resort and now my points are "expired" was told my point never expire do I can save up for a great resort. I really need to get out of the contract but do not know where to start
ReplyDeleteNote: If you buy in to a vacation trip that was to go to Festiva host resorts, beware. 18 months AFTER the purchase date of said packagr, your information will be sent to at least 10 other travel agencies that they work with. Each one will say that you never traveled to one or all of the places in the package. Thus will highly pressure you to "resolve" through them so that you are not charged anywhere from $1000 - $3600. They will "resolve" by "extending" (actually selling a new package) for a "minor" fee of $399 -$698. Do NOT buy in to this scheme
ReplyDeleteWe were pressured into buying into this scam in Charleston. I have never been able to book any of the numerous trips in our package! What can I do?
ReplyDeleteWe can force them to cancel your contract and refund your money. If they lied and misrepresented what they were selling you. An important note: If you bought have been happily using it but decided you no longer want payments, I cannot help you. I have only been successful for people who were scammed by Festiva. Email me at timesharetricks@gmail.com
Deletei cannot make any reservation. there is no place available most of the time so my points accumulates. is there a way to get out of this timeshare?
Deletejoabraham86@gmail.com
Same here tried to book a stay from 6/30/17 - 7/2/17: called and called nothing abailable. Drop in at Cabins of Green Mountain 7/2/17: 1st = see sign posted outside "nightly cabin rentals now available". To our surprise there are 2 = 2 bedroom cabins available weekend of 7/7/17 - 7/9/17 $229.00 per night!. 2nd: inquire why nothimg seems to be available for owners: comments made by woman behind the counter..Oh, you use points! We'll that's all handled by "member services". Why is there availability? She replies "Oh, well, the owners rent those out! Wow, feeling very scammed. (I want on that "owners rent out list! (That's another complaint I won't go into now). You see, we received a week "most loyal members one comlimenary vacation 2017" card. Choose between 5 other resorts too! I checked 6/29/17 there is no open week for the remainder of the year at Cabins of Green Mountain! We are more than outraged. We are not able to use our week with our points either at this resort. Festiva Adenture Club member. I'll be contacting anyone that can help put an end to our timeshare.
ReplyDeleteSame here tried to book a stay from 6/30/17 - 7/2/17: called and called nothing abailable. Drop in at Cabins of Green Mountain 7/2/17: 1st = see sign posted outside "nightly cabin rentals now available". To our surprise there are 2 = 2 bedroom cabins available weekend of 7/7/17 - 7/9/17 $229.00 per night!. 2nd: inquire why nothimg seems to be available for owners: comments made by woman behind the counter..Oh, you use points! We'll that's all handled by "member services". Why is there availability? She replies "Oh, well, the owners rent those out! Wow, feeling very scammed. (I want on that "owners rent out list! (That's another complaint I won't go into now). You see, we received a week "most loyal members one comlimenary vacation 2017" card. Choose between 5 other resorts too! I checked 6/29/17 there is no open week for the remainder of the year at Cabins of Green Mountain! We are more than outraged. We are not able to use our week with our points either at this resort. Festiva Adenture Club member. I'll be contacting anyone that can help put an end to our timeshare.
ReplyDeleteWe called in August and just left our week today (that we booked in August) they tried to talk to us about switching to use 'points'. I am glad we necer had time to discuss that and can continue to use our 8 nights 7 days each year. I would find out if you had that an were switched or if the point system is how you signed up?
ReplyDeleteVery interesting!!!! We bought “Deeds” at Festva Resorts CHURCH STREET INN with less than 35 rooms and a “moratorium on Time Shares in Charleston “South Carolina in 2007. We were told when Fractioal Deeds all sold , there were no more to sell , better buy it now!!!
ReplyDeleteWRONG!
That was 10 years ago and then they started selling points, points points , Such a ripoff for deed buyers, that’s if you actually got your deed at Church Street Inn; they tried to get you to DEED in Myrtle Beach ( because it was “better “ they said once they knew you were going to buy, but being from Charleston I knew that was BS!!!
UNLIMITED points sales not Deeds began, still selling 10 years later.!!!
Just learned yesterday ( Nov., 2017) they are adding new types of ownership with no maintenance fees. Lovely!
They use this darling little place to sell, sell sell and keep rooms available to house their possible new sales pitches along with their full sales or “convert your Deeds to points STAFF and offices so all those rent when you come anytime of the year rooms are virtually impossible and will get worse.
I could not get a room in October last year for the rest of the year because they were all “booked up” with their “corporate inventory allotment” which is a huge scam!!!
I’m sure the rest of the Deeded owners here are very unhappy with Festiva Resorts bait and switch at The Church Street Inn!
I AM SURPRISED THERE IS NOT A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT OVER THE CHURCH STREET INN!
alohabrenda.lamont@gmail.com
My family has owned at vacation villas fantasyworld for approx 10 years. Having multiple weeks. We had a meeting last year that was presented by Festiva Resorts, that they had acquired our resort and of all the benefits of going Festiva. We go to book our vacation this year only to find out that our resort was not acquired by Festiva and our deeds were gone. So we are now unable to vacation at the resort we paid 10’s of thousands to own over the past decade. They also kindly left out that it comes with no lifetime ownership, which we had at vacation Villas. Festiva has apologized multiple times but refuse to refund our money or by our original deeds back for giving us false information and not disclosing other information that would had directed us away from this company. This company is a fraud! We now must pursue the legal route for justice. Stay away from Festiva Resorts!
ReplyDelete