Some clients think that they are purchasing a Grand Miramar contract, when in fact they are purchasing a Platinum Access Marketing contract which does not seem to have the same rights for owner's as a regular timeshare contract. http://www.timesharescam.com/

Common Complaints:

Salesperson offers a guaranteed buyout of a previously owned timeshare through one of their resale companies. Their resale companies have in house representatives and make the impression that they are one company. Luxury Vallarta Rentals was the former company, but that company has gone out of business, so they are now referring clients to High End Rentals. The difference between Grand Miramar and other resorts is that the broker fee seems to be paid through Grand Miramar directly, and is often a much higher amount (ie. $3000 - $5000)

The salesperson offers in house financing at a low introductory rate. When the client returns home they realize that the financing is actually a Bank of America visa card, which has been charged for the full amount of the timeshare. This is Grand Miramar’s method of ensuring that they get paid in full for the timeshare. Bank of America is typically unresponsive to disputes as a valid contract has been signed.

Some clients think that they are purchasing a Grand Miramar contract, when in fact they are purchasing a Platinum Access Marketing contract which does not seem to have the same rights for owner's as a regular timeshare contract. http://www.timesharescam.com/

received this in an email last week from someone who had just missed being taken because her credit limit was too low:
I had gone on what was a presentation with this group. I got as far as the pretty restaurant Mango with my son. My experience was horrible. I had two credit cards with Doctor on them but I took only low line of credit cards with me. I did not qualify they say. When I was shocked and said What they were not very nice about it. I too own more than several timeshares. My 16 year old clean cut son came to my defense saying they should be ashamed of questioning his mothers qualifications. He got threatened by a MEXICAN man that looked like he just got out of prison. This man said he would like to kick the the S--- out of him, and then he progressed to ask my son how old he was to which my son replied 16. This criminal then said to my son holding up two big fists "I would kill you if you were 18."
We were scared but I did not show it.
When I got back to the hotel I told Fabiola about this. She then shared your email with me.
Wow! I guess I was lucky. They obviously checked out my credit cards to find out they could not do what they did to your card.
The sad thing is no one listens in Mexico. I do not know if your email got to the right hands. As no one really seemed to know much about the scam you got yourselves into.
I believe the best is tug2.net Twitter, Facebook, and any other site your can expose this.
I once 9 years ago got scammed. I too went beyond my dates. It took 1 1/2 years to get my money back. It was not the big amount you got scammed. You need to write your credit card company just the same. I did and it came back to help me later. I do not know who to thank as the money came back to my credit card.
A number of years ago I did do a presentation at Miramar and I smelled a rat.
How do you feel about Raintree? I have been a member since 1992. So it has been know by many different names.
Global Resort Transfer Inc. is the company that are currently doing the transfers. Have you heard of them and what the story is about them?
Again I hope somehow this scam is put to an end. I also hope somehow you get your money back.
NOTE THE TIMESHARE SALES COMPANY BEING USED ID GLOBAL RESORT TRANSFER

received an email from Alberto Lares of World Luxury Destinations today with a link to a newsletter. Since I consider our contract cancelled i have not contacted them but it was interesting to see that there were about fifty email addresses primarily in the US and Canada but some in Mexico as well in the cc space. I'm thinking of contacting some of them to see if they have been scammed or possibly are supporting the scam.

After reviewing our complaint that we were scammed by a fruadulant operation since November 7, 2011, last night Mastercard/Citicard denied our claim with the excuse that the card receipt was signed. It absolutely does not matter to them that there was a $35, 000 transaction for something that does not exist. They can't explain why their fraud alert didn't pick up on it. They don't care that we reported the fraud within two business days. Supposedly a letter is "in the mail" with a copy of the "merchants response".

Thomas and Veronica Hart are victims of a scam orchestrated by John Monte, C.E.O. of Grand Miramar Club and Spa designed to induce Thomas and Veronica Hart to sign an $89, 552 World Luxury Destinations contract, # WLDM0000112, permitting use of a penthouse at the Grand
Miramar Resort. Mr. Monte, along with the sales and office staff of Grand Miramar Club and Spa
and a Mr. James Brooks, an in house employee based in a Houston corporation controlled by
John Monte, carried out a scheme of deception involving written guarantees of money to be
paid for sale of previously owned timeshares that there was no intention to honor, and rental
income, as well as a false claim of approved financing with Bank of America.

On October 24, 2011, we (Thomas and Veronica Hart) attended a sales presentation at the sales
office of Grand Miramar Club and Spa, where we were asked to list our existing timeshares
and whether we would consider transferring any of our timeshares. We met with salesman
Michael Gardea who extolled the benefits of World Luxury Destinations membership, which
required purchase of weeks of residence at the Grand Miramar Resort and allows use of the
Grand Venetian and Tres Mares resorts. He was later joined by John Monte, C.E.O of Grand Miramar Club and Spa. Mr. Monte
presented information stating that we could get $49, 220 USD for the Grand Bliss (2BD, $18, 140 for the Sheraton Broadway Plantation in Myrtle Beach (2BD)
and $27, 146 for Villa del Palmar Flamingos (1 BD every other year), and stated that a foreclosed
4 bedroom penthouse at the Grand Miramar Resort could be had for $89, 552, permitting use
by us of 4 weeks per year at either the Grand Miramar, Grand Venetian or Tres Mares resorts
plus 4 additional weeks per year at other resorts available to World Luxury Destination
members.

Following a tour of Grand Miramar Resort penthouse with salesman Michael Gardea, John
Monte presented a document, showing Continental Resources as the letterhead, guaranteeing
payment to us of $49, 220 for the Grand Bliss, $18, 140 for the Sheraton Broadway Plantation
and $27, 146 for the Villa del Palmar timeshare within 60 days after proof of ownership is
provided, plus 4 weeks guaranteed rentals of $2, 800 per week for 5 years. The document states
that " failure to execute this agreement in stated manner will result in all contacts being null
and void and all monies will be refunded." Contract #s CRC21223 & WLD M00000112 are
listed”.
Based on that document and Mr. Monte's claim that interim financing by Bank of America at
2.9 percent had been approved, covering the 2 month period preceding completion of the
timeshare liquidation process, we signed a Grand Miramar Club and Spa, listing a purchase price of $89, 552, a down payment of $35, 000, and a balance to be financed of $54, 552. The contract states at the bottom that it waswitnessed by Biyaldi Estrategias Turistica SA DE CY as an authorized affiliate, and is signed by John Monte. I signed an American Express credit card slip for the down payment, receiving assurance that the AMEX charge would be reversed when interim financing at Bank of America was finalized. A Promissory Note stating that we agreed to pay $54, 552 to Vector Casa De Bolsa SA.DE CV by wire to Citibank NA in New York by November 15, 2011 was presented to us
and signed. Realizing the next day (10/25/11) that Mr. Monte failed to sign the document guaranteeing payment to us with 60 days of a total of $94, 506 for our timeshares, plus rentals of $11, 200 per year for 5 years, we went back to the sales office by cab to obtain Mr. Monte's signature on that document. He claimed that his failure to sign was an oversight and then signed the document guaranteeing payment. He also signed a letter stating that the AMEX credit card
charge would be reversed when initial financing is complete. The fact that we had not received
an email reportedly sent to us by Continental Resources was discussed.

At 8:19 PM on 10/25/11, having still received nothing from Continental Resources, I sent an
email to the email address given to us by Mr. Monte asking for proof that Grand Miramar Club and Spa would be bound under the law to cancel contract if payment by Continental Resources is not applied toward the cost of our Grand Miramar Club and Spa, and for information about the company identified as Continental Resources. I advised that I had prepared a letter giving notice of cancellation and hoped to hear from him, but received no response.

At 4:34PM on October 26, 2011, 1 sent an email advising that Notice of Cancellation of contract
was being sent by DHL registered mail. However, prior to scheduled pick up by DHL at The
Grand Bliss where we were staying, I received a phone call from James Brooks of Continental
Resources in Houston. He claimed that we should have received an email with instruction that
he sent to us on October 25, 2011, resent that email, and convinced me that Continental
Resources already had buyers for our timeshares and that we would receive the proceeds
within 40 days. After consulting with my wife, I cancelled the DHL pickup of the Notice of
Cancellation and sent another email stating that the prior emails expressing our intention to
cancel the contracts were to be disregarded.

On Monday October 31, 2011, 1 sent an email to World Luxury Destinations explaining that I
had called on Friday asking for Bank of America contact information regarding financing needed
to pay the $54, 552 Citibank promissory note and that Ms. Monserrat Torres, Member Services
Manager, stated she would be able to obtain necessary information from Bank of America and
provide such information by email. I also explained that AMEX charged a total of $36, 236.39,
including a foreign transaction fee of $952.68 and an extra $283.71 due to an incorrect
conversion rate.
I called Ms. Monserrat Torres later on October 31 asking to speak with Mr. Monte regarding
financing. He then called me, claiming that Bank of America would grant credit card financing
at 2.99 percent on the basis that I would be transferring a balance transfer. Internet research
actually revealed that current Bank of America terms allow 0% financing for 15 months for
credit balance transfers, but requires a 4% transfer fee. I pointed that out in an email sent later
that night, but received no response. Thinking things over the next day, we finally realized that
we had been misled by John Monte regarding Bank of America financing.
On November 1, 2011, Ms. Monserrat Torres sent an email stating that Mr. Brooks had wired
$2, 800 USD to be paid to us for 1 week rent in 2011. She called the next day, the day of our
departure, stating that $2, 800 plus the amount of the foreign transfer fee would be wired if I
provided our bank account routing and account numbers. On November 3, 2011, upon our return to our home, I sent that information to Ms. Monserrat Torres, faxed proof of ownership of our timeshares to Mr. James Brooks, and spoke to Mr. Brooks, who claimed that he would proceed to expedite liquidation of our 3 timeshares.
Later on November 3, 2010, 1 searched the internet for information regarding the Grand Miramar resort and was shocked to discover that offers of guaranteed buyouts of timeshares owned by clients of Grand Miramar sales personnel is a sham, and that John Monte has been the primary perpetrator of that scam, as well as the scam of falsely offering financing at a low
introductory rate. Research revealed that resale companies claimed to be responsible for such
timeshare sales are shell companies with in house representatives controlled by Mr. Monte, that the timeshares of other clients were never sold and that promised rental payments "guaranteed" to clients purchasing use of the Grand Miramar had not been received.
It is apparent that Continental Resources is not a legitimate timeshare resale company, that Mr.
James Brooks' representations to me were false, and we have been misled throughout the sales
process by World Luxury Destinations C.E.O and Continental Resources President John Monte,
salesman Michael Gardea, World Luxury Destinations Member Services Manager Monserrat
Torres and Mr. James Brooks of the shell company Continental Resources.
Considering that John Monte signed both the World Luxury Destinations contract and the
agreement to refund all monies if payment to us of $94, 506 for timeshare sales plus rental
income is not made, and that it is clear that the agreement to pay the specified amounts will not be executed, we contend that we should not be held liable for payment of any amount and that cancellation of the World Luxury Destinations contract is warranted.

John Monte, Jerry Forney and James Brooks were key participants in an identical scam only with the Grand Venetian as the key property. We are contesting the $35, 000 credit card charge with Citicard and it has taken them since November 7the to determine whether or not this represents fraud or not. We were assured our card would not be charged and it was merely a guarantee for the contract which would be paid for our of the proceeds from our three timeshare sales. John Monte is also know as Johnny Montalbo and apparently has also operated in Matzalan and Cancun. Apparently the Profeco is well aware of this operation as is the Tourist Board but they have done nothing. Citicard's early warning fraud detection did nothing when this charge came through yet they have locked thee same card for transactions of $200 in Mexico. Exactly what do they consider fraud? We notified them two business days after the transaction on November 3rd that this fraud took place and they still are investigating and it is nearly March. Of course they intend to charge us interest for three monthes if they rule against us so why should they hurry??

My wife and I were scammed by Jerry Forney who sold us a 4 week membership at Grand Miramar on August 12, 2010.
Our contract stipulates that not only would Grand Miramar buy out our Cabo timeshare for $24810 but that if we do not return for the next 10 years, we would be guaranteed rent per year totaling $5600. None of that has happened. We have rescinded the contract in writing and have demanded Grand Miramar buy out the timeshare or refund the $28000 we paid.
Bank of America may have some liability, since Grand Miramar produced brand new Visa card accounts that we used to purchase the fraudulent memberships. Bank of America knew or should have known that Grand Miramar was fraudulently inducing new cardholders to buy. We are refusing to pay Bank of America as they claim that Grand Miramar has done nothing wrong and B of A refused to charge back Grand Miramar's vendor transactions. Disgusting. We were stupid.

These guys are crooks. Do not pay them!!! you will never have your timeshare sold and the membership is a membership in nothing! You're lucky that they don't have any of your money. Another tactic they will use is telling you that you need to pay closing costs. Don't believe it. Jerry Forney, Johnny Montalbo, John Brooks, John Monte are all thieves. World Luxury Destinations only exists on a webpage.