Travel clubs and time shares are becoming a real problem-
I was a victim of Royal Club Resorts, Royal Club International and Andre Muran (|and his willing staff of accomplices)
We were sold on RCI using RCI promotional materials, but were then signed up for Royal Club International (we were led to believe that RCI and Royal Club International were one in the same- the sales people would use "RCI" and "Royal Club International" interchangeably, so that we would assume that they were the same thing. They are in fact two completely different things)
When we tried to use our membership, we were refused travel services.
Our complaints were met with a royal run around and then eventually ignored.
We filed complaints with the BBB and also Alberta Government Services. This resulted in 125 criminal charges being laid against Andre Muran and his companies. There was also a fair amount of negative publicity- and so he pretty much stopped operating under the name "Royal Club International" and now operates the same scam under the name "Chateau World"
He has now set up a company called Properties International which represents itself as an investment company and is pushing the latest scam "Elevations Resort"
There is detailed information about the Royal Club scam, Chateau World, media, government and court links available at [url]http:www.cheatauworld.com[/url] (that is CHEAT-au-world)
Alberta Government Services (Consumer Alert)
http://www.servicealberta.gov.ab.ca/933....Alberta Government Services (Information Bulletin)
http://www.gov.ab.ca/home/NewsFrame.cfm?...Alberta Government Services (Undertaking)
http://www.servicealberta.gov.ab.ca/pdf/...BBB Calgary Report on Chateau World
http://calgary.bbb.org/WWWRoot/Report.as...BBB Calgary Report on Royal Club International
http://calgary.bbb.org/WWWRoot/Report.as...CFCN Consumer Watch
http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/RTGAMArtic...CFCN Consumer Watch
http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/RTGAMArtic...CFCN Consumer Watch
http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/RTGAMArtic...Calgary Herald
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news...Travel Club Scams
http://www.cheatauworld.comAlberta Courts (Reasons for Judgment in case with Wayne Barry)
http://www.albertacourts.ab.ca/jdb/1998-...Dialing for Deadbeats
http://dialing4deadbeats.net/deadbeatlis...Rip Off Report
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/12...Chris Shaddock's Blog (many interesting posts from people who claim to be former employees of these companies)
http://my.opera.com/chriss2000/blog/show...Updater