** Updating Title to Hardcore Selling instead, following RA NO. 10175 law**
Everybody loves FREE stuff, lalo na if someone will tell you that you win a FREE 3 nights/ 2days hotel accommodations and BUFFET Dinner for two.
I was shopping late for my Christmas gifts last December 24 at Megatrade Hall when somebody approached me and gave me Raffle Tickets where I did fill up (wala namang mawawala so I did). I put the stubs on my pocket and forget about it… then a call from 3 different hotels rang my cellphone.
The first one is from CLUB ASTORIA, my first reaction was excitement maybe because I was praying for an out of the country honeymoon next year. Yey! I was so thrilled, immediately I told Daddie about it.
The next morning before leaving to Ortigas, I received another call. Now from a representative of CLUB BALAI ISABEL with the same message: Another FREE Buffet Dinner for two and FREE Hotel accommodation.
OMG! Am I lucky or what? Hep-hep, don’t get so exited Jaie there’s one more. After 15 mins I accept another call from Crown Regency Club Ultima with the same message. What in the world is happening to hotels – they are giving FREEBIES. (Oh did I mention that their will be a 90mins hotel presentation before the claim). Anyways I told myself that wouldn’t be a hustle you can’t find any FREEBIES while sleeping.
So I confirmed all the claim schedules and head to my first destination: CLUB ASTORIA at Ortigas, without having any idea that there is something fishy with these FREEBIES my husband and I enjoy our first FREE buffet lunch. The Astoria Hotel Crew name Rexter brought as to 35th Floor and start his presentation.
Wahhhla!!! Everything about his presentation is about TIMESHARE. A timeshare is a type of property ownership typically reserved for vacation properties. A timeshare is when a multitude of owners have a right to use the timeshare property for a specified time each year.
Although I find this Rexter selling strategy so amusing (listening to his love story with the man he love and everything) I learned so much about timesharing, honestly the concept was good and if you’re a compulsive buyer who is unprepared for this tactic you will absolutely buy the idea.
Sorry Rexter what ever sweet and mapalabok things you say but this strategy is not fitted for me hehehe, I’m a bummer and a DIY Traveller and who is not fun of luxury hotels. We’d stay just to get the Gift Check and head to Makati Ave for our next Hardcore Selling encounter. 😀
Oh well I will not detail my story with Club Balai Isabel wala ring pinagkaiba we’d stay just to get the FREE GC. What a day! The Crown Regency Hotel representative was calling me several times just to know my whereabouts (we’re 2 hours late from the 6pm confirmed sched with them) hmmm this people is so eager to meet you just to sell you their Timeshare.
Although we didn’t spend anything beside from the cab expenses, here’s the so KAINIS part of this Hardcore Selling encounters:
- The buffet is not worth it.
- You’ll not get your free accommodations.
- Reading online comments from people who actually bought the timeshare contract gave me headache. (Sakit sa bangs!)
Guys pls. take note of the following here is how the Hardcore Selling works:
1. They are roaming around the country now and joining different trade events. Looking for someone they can deceive through raffle tickets.
What to do: Always keep in mind, if the raffle ticket doesn’t have any DTI registration prints think twice. (specially if they are offering it to you for no reason)
2. The people behind this swindling business’s tactic was HARD SELLING, meaning they will always say that their will be no OBLIGATION to buy their timeshare but the offer will be just for THIS DAY ONLY. You’re not allowed to think and decide carefully.
What to do: Outsmart them, or better tell them that you’ll be leaving because you’ve finished your buffet 😛
3. Don’t wait for the GC. Promise hindi mo magagamit yun. Several people posted online that the hotel itself didn’t honor the voucher.
The Pink Wanderlust 
experienced the Club Astoria in Ortigas and wasted my friends time in Boracay (but the site was gorgeous) ;D
you love to use “their”..
how could you even say that timeshare is a scam when people around the world are using it, enjoying it??., based on what you’ve wrote, you complained that you were force to decide about getting the product or not within a short period of time..well take notice that timeshare already exist since 1974(older than I am)..and until now People still use timeshare as their primary vacation medium..timeshare let members and their families and friends enjoy vacation on a pre-paid setup on a certain hotel or resort. Plus the fact that you could also use your home resorts affiliate(other resorts) on a certain period of time..Regarding with the booking fee which you have encircled, it is noted on the gift certificate that the amount is refundable because it’s just a DEPOSIT..I think you just didn’t understand fully the meaning of the word refundable..And what made you say that the GC couldn’t be use? have you tried booking it? and lastly, you’ve also mentioned that you’ve already attended Three presentations from three different companies. My question is, since you have already attended an Astoria presentation, why did you attended two more similar presentations since, based on everything you’ve said I would say that your not that smart but not dumb either, and I know that after attending the first presentation and not liking everything that have transpired would make any intelligent person to research for information regarding your 2nd invitation..and how was it that your complaining with the food and still attended other presentations expecting that everything will be the same?..those companies can held you liable for legal reason…so be careful on what you are writing!!!
booking fee is not definitely encircled but boxed! is that a circle to you? how can you not tell the difference!
you could also be liable if what your doing/selling is not registered with DTI! i challenge you to sue the writer! better doing it than by just saying it!
i agree with edgar, my husband and i attended the club astoria time sharing thingy, and unfortunately we signed.. but God is so gracious we shell no money… yay!!!! we dont have credit card haha.. we said we’ll pay the dp on the following day but after searching the net and found so many blogs, comments like this, and asking some people with wisdom on this, we decided to cancel the purchase.. and the consultant said we need to pay the NON – REFUNDABLE legal and processing fee amounting to 20k.. What??????? how can they call it non – refundable when in fact, WE DIDNT PAY ANYTHING! simple english, duh… and even said we’ll receive a letter, what, a demand letter?? fine!, let us meet in court haha.. or at DTI at least.. the contract to sell, take note, contract to sell (as against sales contract) was not even notarized!! they call that 20k as termination fee, what are they going to terminate??? no sale has took place.. contract to sell is like sending purchase order, if you decided to cancel, there’s no obligation to pay the price, since the parties (or at least one) did agree with some or all of the terms and conditions… no dp made, no acceptance on our part, then no agreement therefore no contract at all.. 😀
Well if this is true. Then how come the hotels don’t honor your GC. It’s a SCAM.
I agree with you.. it so happen lng siguro that this guy that made this blog is so jealous of the member of timesharing. I’m a member of club ultima and im satisfied of what they offer. Mr./Mrs. poser who ever you are, I know u like the concept of timeshare. U also know the “rason” why u dont join.. It is because you “cannot afford” it. And for those people saying thankyou for this poser. I reccomend not to attend any invitation from astoria,club ultima and club balai isabel. because they offer a timeshare. Timeshare is for those who loves to travel, and enjoy their life and “HARD EARNED” to the fullest (because it lesser than a package tour and flexible). P.S Dont attend din sa timeshare invitation kung makikikain baka kasi masabihan kau ng “pagkain lng ang habol nio” lastly libre na nga mag rereklamo pa. “PATAY GUTOM” sorry for the words.. thankyou for reading my post.. godbless people =)
@jhour, “PATAY GUTOM?” hello? they said we won a dinner for two.. is it already considered as patay gutom when u claim what you ought to be your prize??? duh??! hope u really enjoy and get what ur money deserve, God bless!
be careful daw… ang ere… kung nag-attend man yang blogger na yan sa mga presentations it was only because SHE WAS INVITED. if the companies who invited her didn’t gain anything from her accepting their invites THAT’S THEIR PROBLEM TO RESOLVE.
Club Astoria is SEC registered. I’m a proud member
yes this astoria is scam stupid people my downpayment of 55,000 with in 15 day kasi check namin yung site nila marami kami nakita na scam at is not working, send namin email yung nag orient sa amin ang name niya LEA P. CARPENTERO na e cancel namin yung membership namin pero sabi niya lampas na daw kami sa 15 days nilang policy pero hindi naman nakalagay sa contract nila or sa policy nila na with in 15 days hindi mo ma inform sila na e cancel mo hindi na mabalik yung downpayment na 55,000,so the give another optional kong pwd bayaran nalang namin yung 4 person in one bed room sa halagang P 215,800 kaso yung husband ko na search na niya sa site na scam wala na siya ganang magbayad so we ask them if the can return back the 55,000 downpayment pero sabi nila hindi na daw pwidi, hope na matigil na itong gawa in nila at wala na silang ma victima magaling sila mag sabi na bagong bukas yung hotel nila na astoria at my free lunch sila habang kumakain kami sinabi nila my orientation na 3hours more nag join kami sa orientation nila ito ang pala namin yung lunch namin nag bayad kami ng 55,000 peso
I’m sorry to hear that you have already paid the downpayment, if you are reading the comments on this blog some of the victims try to sue Astoria. I suggest you try to contact your lawyer and consult on the legalities of this scam issue.
Meron konting misunderstanding on both side. Hindi po scam ang timeshare because it has been around for so many years. When I was living in the US I get the timeshare offer for Las Vegas area all the time. Ang difference ng US and Pinas is the way they present their offerings. The timeshare itself is not a scam. But the way they approach it is very misleading and is considered a scam. Imagine you get a raffle that says fill this out and you could win a big prize. Syempre as a consumer who wants to win something especially a nice vacation with accommodation, you are bound to fill out the raffle. The bad thing about this is everyone who fills this raffle is a winner. Every single person who fills this out will win as to what they say. They don’t disclose in advance that you need to watch a presentation before you fill out the raffle. No fine print…. The rep giving out these raffles should notify the potential victim that they need to watch a presentation after they “win” the contest. Sa US they will tell you in advance and it’s up to you if you still want to attend and consumer protection requires them to tell the people. Now if you have been made aware of their offerings, nasa tao na yan kung gusto nya pa din mag attend ng presentation, but they also need to consider the sales reps will hard sell you to the ground until you give in.
This is indeed explaining it clearly. It’s just like network marketing, it is not illegal but the actions of it’s members or distributors makes it a scam. Timeshare is legal and good and no question in that (as I hear friends from abroad who cab afford it taking it), but the promo is not so. The word promotion as law says needs to have a permit, this is so as to protect both sellers and buyers. Raffles normally have representatives from DTI when being drawn and it is not so in this case. Last Sunday, we wen to an event in world trade center and a group of “promo” people came to me. One asked for my name and all others listened… the result – 5 different hotels calling me in the week saying I won… That is outright lie as the chances for me being randomly selected or won a draw is not likely.
With this said, I just hope that Timeshare people will legalize their ways so as not to give a negative name to what they represent. Where is DTI when you need them… Hmmmm… I’ll check on DTI now… 🙂
Good post but what started has to be resolved as people will continue doing these things when not corrected…
I can’t afford it , but I would like my daughter who can , to have it. Doesn’t it make it suspicious that my daughter can’t go to them the next day to buy their product? Refusing a sale for many flimsy reasons…. That’s a flag for a scam
nakuu,thanks for this post..
@jol…i think it is not just the dti who would be involved in these but also the hlurb..they are responsible for what kind of ads how it is presented. kami lang yata sa realty business ang hinahabol ng hlurb about licensing and giving permits to sell on our sales persons..what about these kind of business.maraming requirements ang HLURB to sell including PRC ‘s sales permit before being approved by hlurb but look at these problem…it is even a republic act..its a law..can HLURB explain for general info..
Very nice write up, details, and explanation! if everyone did this, maybe… just maybe the scamming would stop. Knowledge of timeshare scams is most important.
Its just amazing at how many people fall for these scams, but its somewhat expected. Meaning, what else would people do when the resort sales staff flat out lie to prospective buyers. No one expects people to just lie to you, but that’s what happens.
http://www.timesharescam.org
“Get Rid Of Your Financial Burden”
wow! free lunch!
naku thank you…kasi kami meron din isang gasoline station ang napuntahan ng husband ko at kaya nya nkuha ang coupon…tapos nung january tumawag ang girl from clubastoria daw then sinabing isa kami sa mapalad na masasali sa raffle draw ngayong march…but after that merong tinanong…”magkano ang sahod naming mag-asawa”…meron bang ganon?…haay…
meron.. that what exactly happened to us hehe.. maybe they r interested to know how much they can get from us haha..
May I know what happened next after you did not pay the dp… I also signed but promise to give dp as soon as I get back home… I don’t want to spend my hard earned money for the crap… until now no dp I made..
hi rambo.. hmmm i would say, nothing?? lol the agent said that they will send a letter from their legal whatever but till now no letter has come.. anyways i also said to them, no transaction actually took place so theres no reason to demand anything from us.. 🙂
I JUST GOT A CALL FROM AN AGENT..SAME STRATEGY. THANX FOR THE POST AND LET ME SHARE IT.
I JUST GOT A CALL FROM ASTURIA …KALA KO NANALO AKO…BUTI NALANG NAGREASEARCH MUNA AKO..BEWARE MGA KABALEN
salamat sa post
thanks for posting this very well written & informative message,hope SMX will screen those companies,it seems like ok lang sa kanila yun ganung gawain.kawawa naman mga tao na mapapniwala sa kanila…and to these people,baka pwede umisip naman kayo ng magandang sales strategy, better HIRE a good mktg team,para matulungan kyo,hindi ganyan ginagawa ninyo!
sa akin e pa medea ko sila kawawa ang sunod nila ma victims we victims this august in boracay the offer lunch new open yung hotel nila 55,000 peso nabayad namin downpayment
got this from a gas station.. meron ba nakagamit i heard meron mga nakagamit na tao.. pero nakakatakot pa din.. sayang 5 o 10k…pls reply asap.. para malaman ko if tapon ko na akin or not..
ive read a forum, sabi after the period (where u supposed to refund the deposit), u need to purchase the time share for u to refund it (huh????).. we opt not to try it nalang
Am a recent victim. Wonder how I can refund my full 24000 back. Or make them work hard for this so called “legal and processing fee” during the cooling-off period. Arent we covered by any Consumer Protection law?
naku, sorry to hear that, u may report it with DTI, ive read some blog that they filed a complaint against astoria, they got i think half of what they paid for.. God bless!
half lang???!! ang titigas ng apog. gagawa na rin ako ng pekeng time share para makapag-score ng easy money…
here’s an excerpt from a lawyer friend’s email:
“You can file a case in DTI for violating the consumer protection law. Covered ang case mo under Title III of RA 7394. Kailangan lang ayusin mo ang narration ng complaint mo para mag take cognizance ang DTI. Kindly read the link … http://www.affordablecebu.com/load/business/philippines_consumer_protection_law/6-1-0-1158
now, I bet there’s no more lingering doubt in your mind as to why their sales agents would go thru hoops just to close a sale, right? whether you continue w/ the membership or cancel it shortly, they’d get that amount of money from you from their extended sales presentation. I’ll allow the blogger to forward you my email address if you’d like to team up w/ me. =)
hi. just got conned by astoria. just wanna get my money back.. can u help me? my point is i didnt get anything for d money i gave so how come they wont refund it? just because i signed a contract agreeing that it cant be refunded becoz of processing n legal fees.. thats absurd! they got paid for wasting my time and just because of a piece of paper that i signed they are entitled na to 18k i paid.. i just want my money back thats all.. thats why we are calling this a scam because they wont give us back whats ours.. good for those people hu continued to be members.. but what abt us hu doesnt want to be members anymore…? just refund it and there wont be issues abt it being a scam.. pls help.. thank you..
I don’t understand why you guys call this a scam… I am member of this club, and am more than happy with their services. Some of you might have just bought out of impulse from their uberly skilled sales force, but that was your decision. I think Club Astoria is a nice time sharing company and I look forward to their services by next year.
will you wait until nextyear…now pa lang naiiyak na ako para sau huhuhuhu
ako victim din sa boracay kami noong august 29 kami nila na orient 55,000 downpayment we not expect kasi hotel naman sila pero scam pala hindi na nila binalik pera namin
it is a scam. the dates you want are never available. maraming time-share companies in the states na pinasara dahil nahuli sila na reserbado parati sa sariling employees mga magagandang dates. it’s way too easy to abuse.
Time sharing is not scam naman po, it’s the “promo” that is. I have friends who is into timesharing and it is good. If you can confirm legality of the promo then that would explain it to the group.
Yeah.,me too, I’m kinda confused why people are saying that club astoria is a scam.I am also a member still paying for it though,All I can say is that if you don’t have the money to pay for it then don’t buy .This membership will benefit only those who have extra money to burn.For those who can’t avail this timeshare don’t say bad things about Club Astoria coz in the first place how can you say it’s a scam if you’re not even a member?a fully paid ,member to be exact.hay…ang mga tao nga naman naghahanap ng kadamay …bitter kasi di maka avail.lol
I PITY U HUHUHU LETS SEE IF SINO TALAGA ANG BITTER SA HULI
Ang bitter ay yung hindi makapag-bakasyon dahil wa datung–meaning pa-wait wait na lang ng mga wedding invites para makapunta ng libre sa new locaton. Kung KKB pala then mag-view view na lang ng FB at IG pix ng mga bakasyonista lol. Kahit ano namang paninira nito dont worry..kahit maubos pa laway mo people who actually matters KNOW.
yes really we cant afford to buy that timeshare. and sorry we are not rich to burn our hard earned money. but sorry to you I can afford to go New york and Australia!!!! and i don’t need that free accommodations because i can pay it my self.
Yup. The writer of this blog is beyond stupid. Typical freeloading imbecile. Must be dirtpoor and can’t afford.
I agree with you coz i am a member of both club astoria and club balai. The first year of paying seems so much on the pocket kc you get to enjoy only the 10-30% discount on food, services and accomodation and of course the 3days and 2 nights free accomodation plus perks complimentary gc upon signing of contract. But once you finished your first year you will enjoy the annual 35 and 25 (club balai and astoria) days free accomodation plus peeks and discounts all year round. Im almost on my third year for both timeshare and im so happy to say that only 2 years and i will have a lifetime of perks on these two great establishments that i can transfer to my son. Aside from free accomodations and perks i also enjoy discounts on their affiliate companies not just in the philippines but also in other countries. I can even sell my certificates at have a prize and earn good money in the end. Timeshare is a luxury so its not for everyone.
Those who are defending the timeshare maybe you’re one of the sales representative, hahaha! you can explain it on details pa talaga. I doubt it, you’re not a club member, dyan ka lang nagta-trabaho… Kung magalit naman kayo sa pag-defend parang wagas!
Well, please stop deceiving people guys, stop that scam!
Note: please show us the DTI permit.. if it’s really not a scam. 🙂
I agree. Sales agent are too aggressive and are using old tactics. People defending this product might be the agent themselves. “Cannot afford” as they say. I can go whenever and wherever I want. But the way they seek the product is simply outrageous. The agent even uses the strategy “limited offer” when they meet and invite people everyday.
Thank you for these blogs.. We’ve just about to recieved a call from one of their rep.. ClubAstoria, And she told us dat we won a raffle ticket FILL UP & WIN! Get a CHANGE to WIN! fREE complimentary int’l or Local accommodation, free Complimentary Buffet for Two (2). And we can go to these places like bohol, las vegas, bangkok, palawan, etc… And we also envited for a free dinner and have to spend our atleast 90 min of our time for a short presentation about how to claim our ticket etc,,,but now dat we read everything about Club Astoria, that even somebodys saying that this is not a scam, but whatever you call it, 30% saying it is not a scam..70% saying yes! This is a scam! So beware guys!
I’m a sales rep. And im proud of it.. Member ka ba?
The reason why there’s a cooling off for members is that they are given the chance to investigate to dti or sec. Once something is proved illegal, then you can get every single cent you’ve paid. That is indicated in the contract. Basically ano nman kaya Alam mo sa mga gaming bagay , Hindi ka nman naging member. Hindi ka lang mkaafford..mahirap.
yaman m te ha, ikaw na ! ikaw n tlga .. pcnxa n kng ikaw mayaman kami hndi ha, pro maraming mayaman na humble, di katuld m .. sna hanggang sa huli mayaman ka ha, kc kawawa ka ..
she is just stating the fact. i don’t have extra money to burn so i don’t buy and i don’t have to blast them (Time Sharing) every time. they also wasted my time 2x (Ortigas w/ my wife and no idea yet, we just booked a room during a vacation and in Boracay – no choice since my friends accepted already the invite but i knew what was coming.. got to check their resort though, nice and yeah, free food) but in the end i have nothing to give them. so why would you take it against those who can afford? we always look for people to empathize with us?
ako te text ko yung nag orient sa amin sa boracay hindi na siya nag reply 55,000 thousand membership we want to cancel but the cant refund our money scam scam e media ko kayu
Ayan, pano kayong uunlad na mga sales agent ng timeshare kung puro sinasabi niyo sa mga non-members at mga nabiktima ay “mahirap kayo. can’t afford.” Kung legit talaga kayo, hindi niyo kailangang magsabi ng mga salitang degrading.
yes really we cant afford to buy that timeshare. and sorry we are not reach to burn our hard earned money. but sorry to you I can afford to go New york and Australia!!!! and i don’t need that free accommodations because i can pay it my self.
Wait until you are fully paid. Burn extra of your money then next thing you know.. You are crying out in pain.. bwahahhaa
To proud sales rep, Jovel:
Pinagmalaki mo pa na sales rep ka at ang lakas din ng apog mong manduro na mahihirap at di mka-afford ang mga di members. Nagbigay ako sa hinayupak mong kompanya ng downpayment nang makawala lang ako sa more than 3-hr presentation nyo. Meaning, I can afford to pay for my freedom sa nagmamakaawa nyong sales rep: Kavin (who, for all I know, could very well be you). Pero, & this would come as a no surprise to the readers of this blog, ang pinagmamalaki mong kompanya ay walang dignidad at sobrang namumulubi kaya inaangkin nila ang perang nahuthot nila sakin. You’re in a hospitality business. Prospective members or even guests should feel they can trust you & be able to get their money’s worth. For whatever reason at nakapagbigay sa inyo ng pera ang mga dissatisfied ex-members nyo, the first thing you should do is find resolution to the underlying problem at hindi angkinin ang perang nahuthot nyo dahil ano?! Inaksaya nyo oras nila at nagprepare ng pipitsugin nyong “free dinner”? Me 25k na pa lang “free dinner” ngayon. @_@ Na-entertain ba kami sa extended 1.5 hr presentation ng mga nagmamakaawa nyong ahente? Hindi rin. Nakaka-stress lang at maski ilang beses mong sabihin na hindi para sayo ang program e, hindi ka parin makaalis-alis at sinasabihan kang nakasalalay sayo trabaho nila.
Pathetic.
Pathetic talaga mga kagaya nyong pesteng live telemarketers na pa-sosyal. 🙂
Yabang-yabang nito wala namang dignidad na ibalik ang pera ng mga inambush sales talk nila. Kakapiranggot lang malamang ang kusang nagpapa-member sa inyo kaya maski pera ng pilit umaalis sa scam nyo inaangkin nyo, di ba? 🙂 Sige pangalandakan mo pa na can’t afford yung free lunch lang ang napapala ng mga inabala nyo at yung mga natauhan naman na na-harass lang sa inyo kaya nagbigay sa inyo ng pera e talagang sadyang unfortunate casualty lang ng mga matitigas ang mukha at halang na mga bitukang scammers na katulad nyo. PATHETIC
totoo yan..dapat ang qualified prospect lang ang invited at huwag na ang mga bakasyonistang ang baon lang ang dala sa bakasyon nila at mawala pa sa kanila.They really squeezed you out until you give in..
sa akin 55,000 hindi na nila e refund pero e media ko sila nag pakasarap sa pera kong malaki tapos ganun nalng mangyari just august 29,then we send email september 9 2016 hindi na daw pwd ma refund scam scam scam
thanks for this post. thank God for giving me the wisdom to do a research first — pupunta na sana ako tomorrow eh. i don’t travel a lot, so kahit legit pa, i will not be able to maximize. thank God. you’re post is a blessing. 🙂
ay, oc-oc lang. i meant ‘your post is a blessing’. hehe. 🙂
hay salamat.may invitation sila sa akin ngayon buti na lang naisipan kong magsearch sa net about club ultima..GOD IS SO GOOD talaga
Thanks sa mga post nyo.. I do love travelling but not with this kind hoax…buti nalang nag research talaga ako bago magpunta sa so called free dinner. To God be the Glory.
I’ll post this on my Facebook if that is OK with you ma’am… got to get the word out on this…
yes post mo
Agree with you Deng. Time/Club shares are only for “SELECTIVE MARKET”. Its just like walking in through a ZARA store or Lacoste stores If you can not afford their clothes then don’t enter ‘coz you’ll be just pissed off with their “overpriced” clothing & if you have doubts entering their store, simply means YOU ARE NOT THEIR MARKET.
As for the time/club shares, let’s do the math. Membership to these clubs/hotels simply means its a “PRE-PAID Vacay”. Say the membership is 195,500 for 15 years with an annual fee of 6,700 & they will give you 7 nights accommodations (I am just talking about accommodations not to include the extra FREE USE of their other facilities) So 7 nights/year (some companies offer no expiration dates so you can still use this in succeeding years) will translate to 19,823.33/ year or 2,819/night…a HUGE savings if you are used to a 5 or 4 star accommodation! As for me, I spend 50k/year in a one time vacay but now I only spend a little less than 20k! Imagine the savings of 30k that you could put in an investment fund that earns 10-20% annually? oh gees. This is actually one of the secrets of the rich pips. They know how to spend their hard earned money at the right place at the right time. Have you ever wondered why rich people stay rich or becomes richer? do the math 🙂
And as for the “BOXED” booking deposit that was highlighted in above photo, I was just wondering…have you ever checked in in a 5 star or 3 star hotels for that matter? “coz these hotels will require you to have a security deposit equivalent to 1 night stay to cover for incidental charges that you might incur during your stay, and this deposit is fully refundable. Intercon requires 7k deposit upon check-in, Sofitel around 6k…so I don’t mind if Club Ultima will charge a minimal booking deposit of 5,000 that is fully refundable upon checkout, would you?
If it’s not registered with DTI then its a scam!!! How can you have a raffle without DTI’s consent?? Duh!!??
nasaan ang DTI??
these people who’s selling the product you are enjoying now is not for the typical people that you can see walking around the mall.. this offer is very deceiving.
I also received a call yesterday. my coupon was selected from Shell Gasoline station where I gas-up last Sunday.
kung gusto mong yumaman. wag kang gumastos sa mga walang kabuluhang bagay.. katulad nang pagpunta sa ibat ibang lugar.. hindi sya investment. pupunta ka lang sa lugar na yan para magrelax at magsaya.. pero after.. wala ka nang pera
Hahaha. Knompare ang Zara o Lacoste merchandise sa timeshare. Total ditz. ;b Kung me naglalako sayo ng libreng food at mag fill out ng kung anu-anong raffle for a prize that everybody who fills it out can win, KNOCK OFF ang bebenta nila merchandise! Mwahahaha. Funny to picture big brand names stooping to such level of marketing. XD
Thank you Red. My sentiments, exactly.
Thank you, vigilante. My sentiments exactly. Nagi-ilusion na naman si Vivian San Luis, o whatever this nobody’s name is. >.<
Lastly, name a well-known personality who is not a member of any of time/club shares 🙂 And if these are scams how come they’re still operating for years now? And how come people only complain and not do anything to stop this legally? hmmm…
sophisticated type of scam
de-Kontratang 3+ hrs. scam. haist
if they are not scam. how come they don’t divulge information agad. bakit kunwari nanalo? why not offer it straight to th public without prtending na nanalo kuno?
Sweetheart, this is to inform you that that is the type of their Marketing Strategy. They are not giving you information yet because they are not explaining to you guys the benefit of what they are selling , like for example, if you guys are walking inside the mall, roaming, shopping, whatever, if the agent would tell you do you have money? then if you do have, you have won a dinner for two or a 3 days 2 nights accommodation, would you grab it without even knowing what the heck they offer? Come on people, a little brain in here! I agree with what Red is talkin about, do the math! Do not disparage them as if they caused you too much harm. Their staff will tell you during the seminar that there would be no obligations whether you are going to be a member or not, just listen to them -listen with an open mind. This membership is really recommended to those who have the money to shell out or to those of a travel junkie. Please stop saying this is a scam if YOU HAVEN’T EVEN BEEN A MEMBER of such! It is for us members to tell the public if this is a scam or not since we are the one paying for the membership cost!
I’ve always admired Warren Buffet. Would you kindly check in your database, Red, if he’s sign up for a timeshare. ;b It’s remarkable how explicit you are in presenting your case on how timeshare can be beneficial to the rich…. MAGSAMA KAYO NI SOPHIA. SALES AGENTS POSING AS CLUB MEMBERS. hahaha 😉
halata naman na sales agents lang mga yan.. sobrang defensive.
kung talagang member yan at “can afford” nila bumili ng timeshare well i guess RICH mga yan, pero the way they reply, hindi po kapani-paniwala eh.. sorry!!
mas gugustuhin ko pa maging patay-gutom kesa maging mandurugas at magnanakaw…
Funny. Eh di Ati dun ka na lang sa divisoris mamasyal ha lol.
Members, no use in arguing with this one. SMDH.
I just visited Club Balai Isabel Main office in their Makati Office and did the same thing but to my surprise its all a SCAM..they are tagging along some name of hotels in the country wherein you can use the free accomodation. I hope they will stop this thing,totally a waste of time!!!!!!!
Read our Juan Traveler Tips on Spending in Boracay here http://www.thejuantraveler.blogspot.com/search/label/Boracay … If you’re gullible enough you’ll definitely fall for some gimmicks like this.. But if you out-smart them, you’ll enjoy a free buffet meal anyway…
I recently joined this club for 180k php and fully paid on the spot using my credit card when I was in Boracay for a vacation. I am an aircraft engineer and enjoy lots of benefits i.e. free/discounted airfare etc. to a lot of places. I guess this product only applies to a certain market which has the capability to burn extra cash and have the privileges such as the one I enjoy. The amount I paid (less than my one month salary) is a good long term investment for me considering my situation. Imagine I can go to different places almost for free. Free airfare from my company and negligible booking fee due to the timeshare. I am just 26 years old and is going enjoy the membership for 30 years. Can not wait to plan my next vacation!
Joining the timeshare program is beneficial on a case to case basis. For me I do not regret joining this club, at least for now hehe.
More power!
That was way too cheap compared to ours, good for you you’ve joined the club early. They told us they will be increasing the membership cost since they are planning to build another Astoria in Palawan. ü Astoria Bohol is now operational ü
Nothing in this life is permanent. Who knows if in a couple of months magkaroon ng natural calamity & the hotel(s) you’ve got the “privilege” to be a member in be affected? Based on what you’ve commented, members would also have be burdened by such reconstructure, right? =(
Please watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmei39tQDIY
Sophia, my membership cost is 434k enjoyable for 30years. Proud member of Club Astoria Palawan. I joined because each time I vacay, I don’t ever want to stay in a hotel 3stars or any lesser. I know, I hate myself for being that way too lol but hey for me accommodation is major part for relaxing in a vacation.
Thank you. Why I bother to defend my membership with these– obviously the majority–quick-to-judge people is beyond me.
Major flaws dear, I’ve got your email add viviansanluis@yahoo.com and FB account https://www.facebook.com/qtayka13/ and according to it you are a Supervisor at The Marketplace Shopping Mall Mandaluyong so I’m not sure how you can afford to pay the membership as you have said.
My relatives from NBI and DTI have already doing initial investigation on this group.
really, however this post is misleading. Why, how can we sue a company if it is legal and regulated under philippine law? Did you know that NBI are tracking down libelous content of malicious blog which was written in here. Just be careful with our post. We might put ourselves in jail because all issues raised in this blog is exaggerated. Be careful with our posting though we intend to help our netizen but be careful with this misleading blog. Just sharing my thoughts :))
investigate as long as you want
really? So what happen to the investigation?
Anu po update sa investigation?
And additional.. Its not a group,. Its a company…
Again, pinagmamalaki mo pa na walang gamay ang gobierno na protektahan ang mga nahuhutan nyo ng pera dahil sa pagmamakaawa nyo sa kanila, tsk tsk. PULUBI
Am sure yung mga can afford na ito e mas gugustuhin pang magrenta ng kubo kesa mag-book sa mga taong katulad nyo na sugapa sa pera.
Hospitality business daw, pwe!
help us sir we victim also august 29,2016 for downpayments is 55,000 peso no refund
If its too good to be true… definitely, it’s a SCAM!!!
A friendly reminder, may nakasuhan na recently due to inappropriate blog ayun nagbayad ng malaking halaga.. just be careful because these companies matitindi ang lawyer and could even track down bloggers who are posers. ^_^
well it always pays to do some research first as these pests kept on calling me 3-5 times a week about my free lunch and hotel accommodation..just ask them to give you a landline and call club regency they will tell you its a scam…..so when in doubt, throw it out.
there is no such thing as free lunch.
one message to these scumbags: get yourself a decent job you a@!W@hoL3s!!
akala ko nmn nanalo na talaga ako. hahaah. SCAM langs paley. hahaahahahahahahahah!
SCam yan. hahahahaha.
ako, happy ako sa napanalunan ko kunong 3D/2N room accomodation sa crown regency mactan cebu.super ganda at classy ng room.
Naavailed ko yung room accommodation dahil ipinaglaban naming mag asawa.kasi nag faxed kami sa office nila ng schedule pero sabi nila fully booked.halos makipagsuntukan pa asawa ko sa manager ng crown regency, west ave.ang kapal kapal talaga ng mukha ng panigt na yun.problema ko, nakabili na kami ng rountrip tickets for cebu.
Mabuti na lang, may kakilala akong sales manager ng crown regency sa makati,kaya siya ang nagbooked at nag aaranged ng aming reservation sa crwon regency cebu.kaya nashocked na lang yung manager diyan sa west avenue kasi akala nila walang papatol sa promo nila kuno.
kaya sobrang saya ng bakasyon ng pamilya ko sa cebu last may 2009…..dapat din kasi palaban tayo,wag tayo magpabiktima sa mga manlolokong yan.
Thanks for all those comments, mabuti nlng nagresearch muna kmi about this…..
were planning p nmn n pumunta na tomorrow with our two kids!!!!
Hi! Just last night, my wife and I were at Gumbo Resto (MOA) for a Free Dinner from Club Astoria. Prior to the meeting, the sales rep of Club Astoria kept on following-up on our acceptance and had been very open on advising us via text that we be ready to spend 90 minutes (for the presentation) after the dinner. And so we went for the free dinner. In fairness to Club Astoria and their Sales Strategy, food was ok and their agent has been good in her presentation. She even mentioned the hidden charges. But it took a long time before she discussed the price you have to pay for their offer. There were lots of audio-visual presentations. It was enticing for us for we were really wanting to spend a long and relaxing vacation. Since the agent was to frank, so are we. The problem is that you are not given enough time to rethink about the offer. You are asked to decided right there and then as if it’s the end of the world. We just said that we can’t afford it. Even though the agent’s manager kept on giving rock bottom discount, we really said we can’t decide. Imagine an offer from Php 9,800/mo which dropped to Php 3,000+++ for a 1 BR, and offer is good for that day. What will you do?
In above kind of situation, here are the tips:
> Internet Search prior to appointment will really help
> You can request the agent to speed-up the discussion and go directly to the point. Money Matters or price that you have to pay
> Be frank. If you don’t need it. Tell the agent that you don’t need it.
> No one pressures the investor other than the customer. In this case, the attendee is both an investor and a customer. You have all the right to pressure the vendor/seller.
> In the end, no matter what would be your decision, please be thankful to the agent who invited you.
Hope this post clarifies and helps future participants to the Free Dinner of Astoria Plaza!!!
Peace be will all mankind!
aka…not a kind of traveller
What’s up, its fastidious piece of writing about media print, we all be familiar with media is a impressive source of facts.
Post that comment on You Tube, timesharing. You’ll be ganged up to the pulp. >.<
I just got a call this afternoon also. The representative asked me about my parents’ income and mine.I will be getting my “GC” this saturday. I know it could be possibly a scam but I am just too excited how these people will convince me to the highest level. I just want to know. I’ll let you know how it turned out:)..Goodluck…
ha same with me an agent called from club bali isabel, ng oo lang ako pero di na ko pupunta bukas. having read this one, nagduda ako sa time 4 pm to 7 pm, may office bang bukas nun at considering na holiday bukas.
Pano nyo mssbing scam ang isang bagaykung hindi nmn pla kau member? Kung tingin nyo scam ipa ted failon nyo nga. Ang mga pinoy tlga mapanira pag bitter. Sana nmn bgo kau mnghusga mging member muna kau. Walang basehan ang mga paratang nyo kumbaga wala kayong ibidensya. So stop it kkhiya kayo. Ilan sa ngcomment dto ang member n ngsabi n scam at ilan ang “hindi member” ang ngsasabing scam? Susko sa lhat ata ng blog at forum n nakita ko regrding timeshare e puro pkana ng mga “hindi member” ang scam scam daw??yan ang problem sa ibng mga pinoy basta nakikisawsaw khit wla nmng issue. Pg mdmi agad ngsabi n ganto ganto khit wla nmng pruweba mega sang ayon agad. Hay kalurky!
Just be careful with your post my dear friend. May Cybercrime law na. Those companies that you mentioned are all legitimate. Our family is also a member of this thing but not in Philippines. We use it most of the time when we travel outside the country. Its ideal and inexpensive that can save a lot of money. We do appreciate your post but your blog is tremendously exaggerated and this needs to be covered under cybercrime law. Your post is actually misleading. Just sharing my thoughts! 🙂
Christian, dear concerned netizen. The blogger is sharing her experience of being invited by these companies, nothing more. Why would you warn her about sharing her personal experience? You don’t find this post journal-worthy? Then, don’t waste your time sharing your thoughts on it. Anyway, maybe the ff video would be worthy of your, & everyone’s else’s who read this blog, review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVnUQs4m_I0&feature=related
haha anshines bitter cguroh nainvite xa tapos hindi mka afford! woooh
sa barangay ka magreklamo
Me resibo po akong pinanghahawakan as any responsible consumer would pag naglalabas ng malaking halaga.
Ang palusot ng Club Ultima na yan sa hindi pagbabalik ng pera ko ay dahil “nagpa-reserve” daw ako ng membership nila at hindi refundable ang “reservation”. Ang galing din magpa-ikot ng storya di ba? I would reserve a hotel room kapag me pag-gagamitan ako ng room. I would understand kung hindi ire-refund yung reservation dun or downpayment dahil instead na magamit ng iba e nakatengga lang para sakin. Pero the notion na magpapa-reserve ako ng membership which I knew nothing about prior to being invited to “claim a prize” is downright laughable to me. Club Ultima should’ve been thankful that I remained civil all throughout the time that they made me stay in that cheapipay office of theirs, that I didn’t call the police right away when an employee dressed as a civilian took my billing & credit card information together w/ the cvc & wrote all of it on a piece of paper which could get easily photocopied, lost & be used by anybody from their shady organization.
They have my money. They’re bitches to money & they deserve to be treated as nothing less than slaves to other people’s money they’re claiming as theirs.
isa kang timawang agent pretending to be somebody! o ayan cybercrime law ba kamo???? sue me!
isa kang timawang agent pretending to be somebody! o ayan cybercrime law ba kamo???? sue me!
If they are really selling timeshares, then it is not a scam. It is a travel lifestyle, will not give sermon. Google na lng but its market crashed a little in the States simply because it is no long feasible with today’s age of DIY travel and online booking. You can to pay a lot to maintain your property within a resort or hotel.
Just don’t go or give in to their selling if you cannot afford to buy it. It is a waste of time listening to their presentation to be honest. I just got a call from Crown Regency today. And I declined right away, I’m too poor for timeshares.. 🙂
Oh my, i do agree. I also a received a call from Club Ultima and CLub Astoria. Its better to decline rather than pretend to be someone who isnt capable to have that kind of lifestyle. Ang mahirap kasi sa ating filipino masyadong ma pride, hindi na nga kaya nagpapanggap pa at may mga taong hindi kontento magaling manira at maging chismosa kahit hinde man lang natin na try ang product. Nakikitrend lang sa isyu. Better not to go na lang. mas nakakhiya baka magmukhang PG lang sa gift na offer at sa buffet. Better eat somewhere else so you can have your own time to enjoy.
Cutiepie80, the negative comments posted on this blog didn’t come from pretentious people, like you’re claiming they are. They were given the front that they’d won a hotel accommodation & there’s simply nothing wrong w/ thinking that their lucky day had finally arrived.=) They didn’t ask for it nor asked to be given any free meal either when they went to these companies’ offices to claim what was told to them they may claim. Why do you have this sentiment na “nahihiya ka para sa kanila”, then?
to anshines, member po ako ng club ultima.. im just concern. are you a member po na nagkaron ng bad experience using what they offer?..
FUCK This OFFER! Ms. Alyssa Tan of Sky experience and adventure if your reading this I just want to say a BIG FUCK YOU on your face!!! Why don’t you get a good job and STOP SCAMMING people! You little bitch! and stop Calling! please!
I believe you’re sharing a Club Ultima experience? =) They’re encouraging you to share it on their facebook page ;).
non-members *facepalm*
Non-members of you precious timesharing scammers have every right to complain. Unang una, hindi yan pumunta sa office ng mga scammers na yan just to be bombarded w/ membership sales pitch, THEY WERE INVITED UNDER THE GUISE THAT THEY WILL BE REWARDED WITH GCs. Most of who were lucky enough to leave their offices without forking out a single cent, just like the blogger here, will just then come to the realization that the offered GCs won’t simply be honored to non-members. You think smart marketing strategy yun? That the holders of these not honored GCs will be enticed to actually pursue a membership with them?! THESE SCAMMERS DESERVE ALL THE NEGATIVE BLOGS THEY’RE GETTING. Btw, pls facepalm yourself as long as you want, your flimsy one-liner isn’t appreciated here.
I agree with you coz i am a member of both club astoria and club balai. The first year of paying seems so much on the pocket kc you get to enjoy only the 10-30% discount on food, services and accomodation and of course the 3days and 2 nights free accomodation plus perks complimentary gc upon signing of contract. But once you finished your first year you will enjoy the annual 35 and 25 (club balai and astoria) days free accomodation plus peeks and discounts all year round. Im almost on my third year for both timeshare and im so happy to say that only 2 years and i will have a lifetime of perks on these two great establishments that i can transfer to my son. Aside from free accomodations and perks i also enjoy discounts on their affiliate companies not just in the philippines but also in other countries. I can even sell my certificates at half the price and earn good money in the end. Timeshare is a luxury so its not for everyone.
Of course it’s not for everyone. Ang problema e yung mga ahente nila na hindi ka seseryosohin kahit paulit-ulit mong sasabihin sa kanila na hindi para sayo yung offer kapag naamoy nila na kaya mo naman maglabas ng target nilang mahuthot sayo. In the end, maglalabas ka na nga lang ng pera nang matapos na sa wakas yang never-ending na 1 1/2 hr na presentation sayo hoping for the best na mapagkakatiwalaan ang hotel organization backing them up.
Pero imagine having to come across social networking sites na sila mismo ang nag set up na sandamakmak ang unresolved issues ng mga customers nila? For somebody who was lured to their office to claim the “rewarded” gcs of hotel establishments you never really patronize, that’s enough reason for you to back out from the deal. UNFORTUNATELY, ipapamukha ng mga hinayupak at wala palang ni kakapiranggot na dignidad na mga organisasyon na yan na they are entitled to keep your hard earned money the moment you handed it to them for whatever reason you were compelled to do it. Pera lang habol nila sayo, they don’t care if they’ve actually done any service to you to deserve it. Taking somebody else’s money without giving anything of value to the client, or should I say VICTIM, is definitely a SCAM.
the only thing that compares to this form of stealing is pork barrel
hahahahaha isa ka pang sales agent na ma feeling. kailangan ba talagang jan manggaling ang pinapakain nyo sa pamilya nyo?
hello to all. Just wanted to say that I am also a member of Club Astoria and I totally agree with Red. My husband and I got our free hotel booking in Bohol… The Panda Tea Garden Suites and I posted it on my blog http://kulotski.blog.com/2011/04/21/panda-tea-garden-suites-bohol/. In everything I suggest that you assess what read and decide on what will make you happy. It has a long thread and it was a good read. :o) Have a great day!
Got a call again from that said Club Astoria.. They said they have a DTI Permit but they do not have a DTI number because they are not selling anything. They said that DTI numbers are only for those who are selling something. Their sales promotion is good, if you’ll check R.A. No. 7394, Title I, Article 4, “Sales promotion” means techniques intended for broad consumer participation which contain promises of gain such as product, security service or winning in contest, game, tournament and other similar competitions which involved determination of winner/s and which utilize mass media or other widespread media of information. It also means techniques purely intended to increase the sales, patronage and/or goodwill of a product. These people uses Timeshare, in which multiple parties hold rights to use the property, and each sharer is allotted a period of time (typically one week, and almost always the same time every year) in which they may use the property. Units may be on a partial ownership, lease, or “right to use” basis, in which the sharer holds no claim to ownership of the property. This timeshare only applies to those people who have extra money to burn and loves vacation or tour packages. But this time, due to some problems of our State/country, it is not bad to be “Practically wise”. Why not invest or share your money/blessings to those people who needs help, for example, those people who were victims of calamities and the like. It is not bad to enjoy your hard earned money, but it is more fun to help those people in need. Sabi nga nila, “Hindi mo madadala ang pera mo sa langit”, “it is better to give than to receive”.
R.A NO. 7394 Title III, Article No. 48 Declaration of Policy – The State shall promote and encourage fair, honest and equitable
relations among parties in consumer transactions and protect the consumer against deceptive, unfair and
unconscionable sales acts or practices. Grossly inimical to the interests of the consumer or grossly one
side in favor of the producer, manufacturer, distributor, supplier or seller. In determining whether an act or
practice is unfair and unconscionable, the following circumstances shall be considered:
a) that the producer, manufacturer, distributor, supplier or seller took advantage of the inability
of the consumer to reasonably protect his interest because of his inability to understand the
language of an agreement, or similar factors;
b) that when the consumer transaction was entered into, the price grossly exceeded the price at
which similar products or services were readily obtainable in similar transaction by like
consumers;
c) that when the consumer transaction was entered into, the consumer was unable to receive a
substantial benefit from the subject of the transaction;
d) that when the consumer transaction was entered into, the seller or supplier was aware that
there was no reasonable probability or payment of the obligation in full by the consumer; and
e) that the tranction that the seller or supplier induced the consumer to enter into was
excessively one-sided in favor of the seller or supplier
thus this applies also to insurance companies?
meron po bang laban ang nakuhanan ng 20k? please help….i am a victim last jfebruary in Boracay…we did not enjoy Boracay because of this…..please help.
TIMESHARE is not bad… and it is not a scam… but…
The way they market those things are relative to scam. Why? They just offer you a free blah blah blah, which is of course a typical filipino could get too much excited and definitely attend the invitation. Without knowing the secret agenda of the sales agents. Kung sana deretsahan na lang na sabihin eh habang kausap ka sa fone. No money involve daw? tapos meron pala? Opo nakaka-intindi po kami na may 3K to 5K deposit sa mga 5-star luxury hotels (which is refundable upon check out) at hindi po yun scam, pero dapat sa una pa lang sabihin nyo na may money involved diba? So that we can still think twice before attending your invitation. If we don’t have that much money to burn eh di hindi na kami mag-aabala pa na umattend. At least walang complain or misunderstanding on both sides.
Yung strategy nyo kasi eh, baguhin nyo po.
Anyway, just today (jan.23,2013), 2 agents call me to attend their invitation and also ask me kung how much ang joint salary namin ng wife ko. So I browse the net agad then I found this blog. Thank you blogger for this post!
At sa mga sales agents dyan na nagpapanggap na club member, magdahan-dahan po kayo sa mga salita nyo, kung mkapagsalita kayo parang ang-yaman po ninyo at kami ay isang hamak na dukha. ^_^
Good vibes lang! God bless!
Na experience din namin to sa bora, Kung may lalapit sa inyo na sales agent at mang invite ng free buffet sa club Astoria, big yan nyo ng malupit na “FUCKYOU” sign..at tuloy Lang sa paglalakad..hahaha! Hindi maganda ang kapalit ng free buffet. Promise!
yes this august 29, 2016 victim ako ng 55,000 peso
As the old saying goes “if its too good to be true, it probably is”. we should never throw our common sense to the wind when dealing with these sales agents of timeshare clubs. My training as a lawyer makes me more aware of this kind of deceptive sales pitch by over zealous timeshare sales agents so eager to make a sale but in the process, employ unethical selling techniques. Perhaps, I would concede that the concept of ” timeshare” is not a scam per se. But it is the hard selling or marketing technique applied on unsuspecting people by these unscrupulous agents that makes it look like a scam. At the very least, these companies through their sales agents are guilty of misrepresentation or deception (a violation of the consumer law) to bait potential clients by offering free lunch or dinner and hotel accommodation. But then again, as they say “read the fine print” when signing into anything and before parting away with your hard-earned money. Kudos to the the owner of this blog for this very enlightening post and may this serve as warning to everyone else out there not to fall for their foul tactics. If we can’t trust their marketing strategy, how can we trust the product or service that they are trying to sell? So the next time a timeshare sales agent calls you up, just tell them politely that you’re not interested in their free lunch or dinner and that you don’t have the time to attend their presentation.
I knew it! Thanks for this post
“There’s no such thing as free lunch,” as the saying goes.
Their strategy is so easy to see. Look at those who are writing positive comments here saying na para sa “can afford” lang yang and that they are travellers, empleyado sila ng Club Astoria assigned for media/internet monitoring. They are the ones assigned to clean up the internet of negative publicity such as this blog. Their strategy is simple: To pose as successful individuals who can afford travel and then say that those who disagree just “cant afford.”
Pwe!
I agree with you Santan!
kahapon lang sa bora, nagrerelax kami sa beach habang inaantay ung room namin, tapos may lumapit ng girl, sabi free lunch, at my coupon pa, sabi after ng lunch manood kami ng 90 minutes presentation para makakuha kami ng 3 days 2 days accommodation sa bohol. tumawag pa ung agent para ifollow up na naka reserve kami, so pumunta nga kami then after ng lunch, yan na pinapunta kami sa room na may mag pepresent sau, timeshare- sabi namin ok naman ang concept pero sa dinami dami at hinabahaba ng naging usapan namin, bumigay po kami at pumirma ng membership, may downpayment na 24k charge sa credit card, then 6k monthly for 36 months para makumpleto ung 240,000 na membership fee. feeling ko po napilitan lang ako, para matapos lang ung hardselling ng agent at para makaalis na kami napilitan na kami ibigay ung credit card at naiswipe na nga. nung nakalabas na kami ng hotel, nahimas masan kami, na di nga namin talaga kailangan ung offer nila, so wala pa namang 24 hours, punta kami at ipapacancel namin ung membership, kahit di na ibalaik ung 24,000. wala po bang consumer protection like sa refund or something? please advice. PS: bagong kasal lang kami, pumuta sa bora para sa honeymoon, tapos sakit ng ulo naman ang nakuha namin.
nainvite din ako jan sa astoria or sa ultima.. hindi nman ako nagpamember kc hindi ko kaya yung fee.. ok lang nman sa kanila yun..
I feel you, dude. Please visit the links I posted on this blog. Dapat magsama-sama tayo sa pag e-expose sa mga sugapa sa pera at walang dignidad na mga kompanya na yan. You tube has tons of them already.
ANSHINES i saw ur comment is july 19 2013 ask kulang kong kamusta na case mo sa kanila kasi victim din ako sa boracay noong august 29,2016 naka punta kami sa lunch free nila pero hindi na free kasi yung 55,000 peso ko ipa cancel ko yung membership hindi na nila babalik yung downpayment ko na 55,000peso
kahapon tumawag kami sa customer support nila para ipacancel ang membership namin, so ganun nga 20,000 pesos bye bye, non re-fundable. kung sa internet nga merong 30 day money back guaranteed, ganun rin sana enforce na batas d2 sa pinas, maraming napipilitan maglabas ng pera kahit di kaya. tsk tsk
Deception Meaning and Definition
1. (n.) That which deceives or is intended to deceive; false representation; artifice; cheat; fraud.
2. (n.) The state of being deceived or misled.
3. (n.) The act of deceiving or misleading.
4. NANG-LOLOKO, MAN-LOLOKO, 😉
I Also got a Call, sorry but this is how i see it…
We “gave in” to this timeshare offer from club astoria and so far it works great for us so far. I just hated how they sell this service. If you are not an avid traveller, stay away from this offers and just watch a movie or something.
ay sa putang asturia ka
hahaha nkakatuwa nman.. hindi pa ko nainvite sa mga ganyan,.. the (author)… it just means,. he is a stroker na mahilig sa free food and gc…. hahahayung mga tao talaga ngaun bsta libre sugod agad.
nkakatawa lang after ko mabasa lahat ng posts.
ang mga pilipino talaga 🙂
ang mga mukhang pera at super kulang talaga sa skill set na mga “telemarketers-in-person” na yan :b
taas mo pa yang bandera mo, bwisit kang pulubing sales rep ka JOVEL/KAVIN at kung ano pang alias mo!
sakit ng ulo talaga nangyari sa inyo. mabuti nalang hinde na kami pumunta. at nauwi nalang sa drive tru at manood ng tv. thanks sa lahat ng nagpost.
@jovel kapal ng muka mo magsabi ng PG sa mga non members ng kompanya mo, e sa totoo lang ikaw ang PG at bwakag sa pera dahil kailangan nyo pa ipagduldulan mga sarili nyo at yang hotel nyo para lang kayo maka kain. ikaw siguro ay walang natapos kaya wala kang mahanap na mas matinong trabaho kaysa sa panloloko.
honestly the concept was good and if you’re a compulsive buyer who is unprepared for this tactic you will absolutely buy the idea.
They even gave me a discount coupon for Astoria Ortigas.
Sorry Rexter what ever sweet and mapalabok things you say but this strategy is not fitted for me hehehe, I’m a bummer and a DIY Traveller and who is not fun of luxury hotels. We’d stay just to get the Gift Check and head to Makati Ave for our next Hardcore Selling encounter.
-> you said the offer is good?.. How come you didn’t join? You cannot afford it? Ganyan talaga mga taong stroker, treated well na nga nanira pa.. Hah.. Yes im a sales rep.. But not in the club you have said.. Sales rep ako based here in Las Vegas…
Isa pa tong p-class na pulubing ahente na to, sarap tirisin nang mawala na yung mga ganitong klaseng kutong lupa sa face ng ating beloved planet earth. Las Vegas w/ matching ellipsis pang nalalaman —- achuchu! If I know sasabihin at sasabihin mong nasa iba kang lupalop nang hindi ka ma-salvage ng mga na-SWINDLE mo!
People, take note: whether you’re backed up by what sound to be “sosyal” companies or just a simple freelancer, tricking somebody into giving you money w/o you making sure the person get his money’s worth IS PLAIN SCAMMING
Matagal tagal ko na di na bisita ang site na to..malamng may mga pinagdadaanan yung mga nagsasabi na scam ang timeshare..if you cant afford to buy a timeshare then just shut the hell up..keep your money and just go on with your lives..boxed, encircle whatever..ang mga pinoy pagwala ng masabing masama sayo papansinin pati maling pagsusulat mo may masabi lang mali..at madalas kung di kayang bilhin sisiraan ang isang bagay..pls wag na magcomment ang di nakakaintindi ng timeshare..your just a making of yourselves..
Knapos sa energy si koya Darwin. Hindi titigil ang mga nagpo-post ng mga negative experiences nila sa timeshare na yan hanggat merong timeshare, ungas! Sabihin nating yung mga iba dito ay can’t afford tulad ng pinunundakan mo, tama ba naman na aksayahin ang oras nila sa never ending na mga sales talk ng mga mukhang pera na mga ahente na yan?! HINDE. In the end yuyurakin pa pagkatao nila sa mga paratang ng mga kagaya mo & to think hindi naman nila pinilit ang sarili nila na ma-invite ng mga manggagantso na yan. At pano yung mga nahilo & na-stress sa mga pulubing mga ahente na yan, aber? Pababayaan na lng ba nila na just for 1 night of lapse of judgement mananakawan sila ng libo-libong pesoses?! HINDI REN. Me mga pera din yan na nakapagtaguyod ng sarili nilang negosyo at alam nila na it’s never a good business to have dissatisfied paying customers. Kung ayaw serbisyo nila at wala naman talagang equivalent sa binigay sa kanila na pera ang napalit na serbisyo, BALIK AGAD DAPAT MGA PERA NG MGA YAN. NO QUESTIONS ASKED. E wala e ni-legalize na panga-ambush sales talk to the point of harassment e. ;b
Received an invitation today, they don’t use raffle anymore, the agent said i was referred by someone from the guest of the hotel. Now i’m thinking if i’d go to Bella Ybarra for the free dinner in exchange of the 90 minute presentation that i will not listen to
Received a call today. Dahil don sa pinirmahan ko na raffle sa Tagaytay. Sabi I won ssomething daw so I got a bit excited. The minute I was asked to confirm how much I earn na realize ko may panloloko na magaganap. If i really won something why do they care how much I earn. So I denied my income. I said I plan to study uli kaya I don’t receive income na. Yung tumawag ang sabi bigla tatawag uli kasi qualified ako for final raffle. Haha nakakatawa hindi ko na tinanong yung una ko na Prize. Kasi obvious na scam. They care lang for how much you earn kasi yun pala may ibebenta
I actually got sucked into this timeshare with Club Ultima. The rep was awful and wasted so much of my time talking about shit that didn’t even pertain the the sale so I told him to stop beating around the bush and tell me what it was he was trying to sell to me. Since I travel a lot I opted to buy the international A getting 7 nights a year that do not expire and accumulate over time. It sounded really good and I thought that they were the same hotel that was in Boracay called Regency Hotel in Station 2 and thought how lovely it would be to stay there but do not be fooled. That is a different hotel and much nicer with the most professional customer service in Boracay unlike the crown regency hotel in station 3 that was run down. I was able to use my nights for the first time this year all in the month of May (2013)…2 nights in Manila, 4 nights in Boracay and a total of 7 nights in Cebu (took my cousins and gave them rooms as well). It wasn’t bad. The hotels were not that bad especially the one in Manila where the staff was absolutely wonderful. And they had wifi in the room. The Boracay station 3 penthouse was however run down and in need of repair which was really bad considering they are advertising as 5 star hotel. The internet was crawling you could hardly get a page to freaking load. The bathroom walls and floor were gorgeous and all granite but the roof was leaky…yeah really. And the floor wasn’t all that clean wth remnants of sand from previous occupants. I even wrote to management about it. The breakfast buffet which was P1000 per person was horrible because they were cold and had several flies buzzing around. They did not bother to keep the food warm even when they had te capacity to. Nobody was even swimming in the pool in the second floor because of how unhygienic it looked having black mold on the grout and the bar next to it was nonfunctional. The garden too only grew weeds. The hotel in Cebu in Fuente Tower 1 was nice. The rooms were comfy but do not have wifi. I travel internationally and I would not consider any of the above hotels I stayed at as 5 star. Maybe a 3 by US standards. Moreover the pools looks nice from afar but looked dirty close up I would not dream of sticking my feet in them.
Club Ultima is not a scam. The manner of which make your reservations is fucked up and this company is just fortunate that their reservation team tries their best to accommodate your needs while their hands are tied behind their backs by their own management team. Arjie, Quennie and Malou in the Cebu office are absolutely wonderfully most helpful and will take good care of you. If you are overseas, you have to contact club ultima to get your bedroom coupons by email. They will be emailed to you and you have to print them, sign them and scan them to send back to their reservations team to get a room. They will then make the reservation for you sending you a confirmation letter that you will have to print and sign and and send back again. You will need all of these printed out as well as they require hard copies of everything during check in. Yeah really inefficient and a PAIN IN THE ASS. They always try to explain that that is the only way of being able to get checked in even when their office has all of their signed coupons and confirmation letters and will add that they always get audited like they fear for their jobs and can’t do it any other convenient way. They will, however, work with you if you call their office to beg them to check a loved one in that you endorsed a bedroom coupon too if it was within office hours but if you cannot reach them, then you’re fucked and your loved one is fucked so don’t forget to send all documents by email and instruct to PRINT everything out. I had to call their office from the US to ensure my daughter gets her rooms as she was denied check in even when the confirmation letter was presented. So in addition to all the inconvenience you have to go through to get your reservations, you could still meet more inconvenience at the front desk and expect to pay for long distance calls!!!
The rep selling te timeshare mislead me saying I could get my nights exchanged with international hotels all over the world. He failed to inform me that even though my timeshare is international A, it doesn’t mean shit until you enroll with international interval who they are affiliated with which costs $99 per year after they supposedly take care of this fee for two years. Do not forget that exchanging your nights will cost you between $300-$400 to get your reservation. Check their website too. A lot of their hotels are not really 5-star hotels and some are even just apartments. In addition to that, a lot of the hotels are not strategically located so if you visit a foreign city, you will need to pay so much in cab fare just to get to your hotel from airports and to city area for exploration. Do not also book your flights as the room you want may not be available during the date you requested so try to book the room ahead of time before getting plane tickets. This I have not done yet as there is no hotel I wanted to stay in the hotels listed on their website except maybe for Rio de Janeiro. And I am concerned that the reservation is going to be another pain in the ass to accomplish.
In conclusion, I would never recommend this timeshare to anybody. Remember that after paying for this timeshare, you will be paying for the maintenance fee from inception of the membership until you die or until you hand this timeshare to someone as it is transferrable. It costs around P1500 a month so you are basically paying for about 3 rooms per year only giving you only 4 rooms free if you opted for the 7 nights. This is a bad deal any which aspect u look at it from except if you use them all up over the course of time. U might be able to get value out of it in the long term except until you experience the fucking pain in the ass room reservation and then you will just start cussing and pulling your hair out and regretting all over again how stupid you were to get sucked in to this SHIT. I am hoping that they’re methods will not stay primitive. I am going to make the best out of this timeshare but will eventually terminating it if international interval doesn’t start trying to get more and nicer hotels in their list.
Timeshare scams have been around since the beginning of the timeshare industry, but these frauds weren’t well known until recent years. What happen is that before there were not as many timeshare laws and regulations as there are now (as you can see on the article get out of a timeshare legally so many of the owners just resigned to the fact that they had to keep the timeshare they bought without thinking.
i just want to ask for help
actually we attend club astoria. we never really expect ang bilis ng pangyayari… bilis ng sales talk tlga. i told them n we cant afford.. the sales rep ask kylan ako kapera. nasabi ko baka sa december 20 pa… he gave me big discount para maafford ko daw at bayaran ko nlng sa dec 20.. sabi ko not that sure but he ask me to sign contract. napasign kmi ng husband ko sa contract nila. dec 17 we recieve text remimding us to pay. the ff day nagtext ulit ung sales rep saying “di na ko mangungulit but if you will not pay they will charge u termination of contract fee worth 20k. pag di daw nmn ginawa bka my gawin cla sa NBI ng asawa ko which my husband planning to eork abroad. nagulat ako kasi wala pa amn due eh nanakot na. so i was thinking kung pwede ba nila gawin un???
madami na cla naloloko, cla ang dapat isuplong sa NBI, maling mali ang marketing strategy nila.wag po kayong matakot, cla ang dapat managot dahil cla ang may ginagawang mali, daming complains sa kanila, check nyo mga forums about club astoria, maybe the business itself is legal but there;s something wrong with their marketers and strategies, and they’re aware of that. Binubulsa lang ng mga sales agent ang DP nyo, at panakot nila ang contract, you can ask for a refund kung may na down kayo. Pinilit nila ako makawidraw sa atm nung andun ako, pero after i realized na mali talaga binalikan ko ung sales rep, at di rin ako umalis na di nya nababalik yung cash na dinown ko and he admitted na nagastos nya ang pera, i don’t care, pinilit ko cyang manghiram sa mga kasama nya, at binigyan ko ng copy ng mga complains ung mga naka schedule na winner daw ng raffle kuno dat time at umalis na ko. Goodluck sa kanila, basta i did my part. For me, thats the best thing i can do. Sana may maglakas loob na magsuplong sa kanila para matigil na ung mga panloloko nila.
balita dito ate? pinagbayad parin ba kayo o hinayaan nyo nalang?
hi insiang what happened next. i need coz we have same situation. need your advice.
My lawyer advised that we should send a demand letter to them and ask what we want, straightforward, else we’ll sue them. If it doesn’t work , we will file the case indeed.. has anybody tried this?
Hi! Na-try nyo po ba magbigay ng demand letter sa kanila? Ano po next na nangyari?
It’s funny how Club Astoria also has a team of paid geeks watch over the internet to reply to posts like this. Just look at the comments here that are PRO-TIMESHARE. Even an idiot would know that their posts are copy-pasted templates of promotion sh*t to counter the negative publicity against this SCAM. I just got a call from their agent last week, and I categorically told him, “Ah alam ko na yang gimik nyo.”
Hi. Just want to share. I went to Astoria mga 2-3 yrs ago same procedure and i got the GC. On my experienced, nagamit ko yung GC ko sa bangkok for a 3D/2N accomodation. I stayed at Silom City Hotel. I did pay 3 or 5k but I was able to refund it.
For Club Ultima GC it’s different because you need to pay 3k and I think it’s non-refundable. I did avail their time sharing just recently and paid the 20k DP. I still don’t know if it’s real or not because they claimed that they have an affiliation on accor advantage but my mom knows someone from sofitel (which is an accor advantage affiliates) she said that she asked her australian manager if he knew of club ultima and he said no. So there’s something fishy about it. But I still need to research about this if the international hotels they claimed to be their affiliates does acknowledge this time sharing membership. Lastly i think this kind of companies are registered in SEC and not in DTI. Kasi corporation sila. And I think you need to register the raffle sa DTI if you have to purchase anything to avail the raffle but since sa ganito you didnt buy anything so no need n yta. I’m not sure ah.
This post is a blessing..i was supposed to go to get my voucher tonight..
Hi!
Too bad i read this thread too late!!! My dad just told me he went into this free buffet and got free GCs (trip to Palawan) but then, he gave in to the timesharing thing paying 30K instantly!!! WHat will happen next??? :”(
Heelo, question lang ppo.. someone called me and said that I won a free 3 days 2nights stay and free dinner buffet..It happened this last Friday..so I went there with my Mom and after the dinner there’s this salestalk and urging me to buy this Timeshare with Astoria..I think the idea is good and will really let you save money if you are a traveller.. but in the end, I am a backpacker traveller so I did not purchase it. My question is, does anyone here able to use their free accommodation? I was given one after the so-called presentaton..It stated there that you have to give 5k for the reservation and it’ll be refunded. So for those who were able to use the GC, were they able to give the money back? I am quite hesitant now to use the GC given the feedback I’ve read.. Thanks in advance for those who will reply. 🙂
we were also victimized, they charged us 14k realizing just hours later after their presentation that the deal is not practical.
Were you able to cancel your membership and refunding the amount you paid? We’re on the same situation here. 😦
hi ako rin npapirma sa tamis ng dila. then later on narealized its not worth it. could u send me PM Par sa anong nangyari after. Did you send letter of termination to them or via phone?
Need ko po updates nyo para alam ko next steps ko.
In 2008 I was able to use the GC I received from Astoria, I was thinking then of using it for Bali, Indonesia (max of 7 days) but since the airfare is prohibitive (there were no direct flights to Bali via Cebu Pacific at that time so I have to go to Jakarta first and board another plane to go to Bali)…I decided to use it on my 1st trip to Mindanao and the Visayas (it happen also to be my first time to ride an airplane, thanks to the low airfare promos).. Starting at Gen. Santos City, S. Cotabato and ended the 34 – day journey in Capiz & Aklan. I went to Boracay on the last week of September and stayed at Boracay Gold Crown Mansion for a 3D/2N stay – there was a refundable deposit of P2K to answer for any damages or unpaid bills during my stay. I was able to refund the deposit at the time I checked out. I did not encounter any problem during my stay there..in fact my sister joined me during the last night.. she was in Boracay too with her nutrition survey team in another place in the island. The Astoria gift certificate was given to me after the presentation and free dinner even if I did not opt to be a member of the club since the price is not within my means and I have no credit card yet at that time.
God is so good! i was able to search first about this. i got a call earlier from a dude named Louie Jimenez. i was told that i won a free GC for 3 days and 2 nights at Crown Regency Hotel in Cebu. he actually even asked if me and my husband are getting more than 40k combined salary. sympre free to!tayong Filipinos basta libre go lang ng go kahit hindi pa natin nlalaman lahat ng details. free ung hotel accomodation, pero ung plane ticket and food sakin..actually tomorrow pa lang ako supposedly ppunta sa El Cielito Inn in sta rosa laguna to get the GC daw. so right at this very moment, i still dont have an idea whats gonna be the presentation all about. its gonna be a waste of time and gas for me 😉 but pwede rin ako gumora don para lang malaman ko kng timeshare nga yun at mapahiya yang mga yang walang magawa sa buhay kundi manloko ng kapwa nila! kelangan pa sabihin na nanalo ka, kung legit at di mo balak manloko eh i offer mo ng diretso yong produkto mo, hindi yong nanalo ka pa kuno! hahaha
I have just verified everything with DTI that CLub Ultima is registered with SEC. was just wondering how come there are different experiences with some people.
how do we put a stop to this? i just got a missed call today at 11:20am from 09175364647 and another one that I aswered: 09175179249:”Hi, is this Junnix Nicole?” Talk about phishing, he seem unsure of the name even, He was waiting for me to correct him and give my real full name. No way, been there, done that! Had the Club Ultima Crown Regency shitty experience last month! I just said: Who is this and where are you calling from? He hanged up! Then I blocked both numbers! I really love the blocking apps from android! :p
We were victimized too by this Astoria Scam
Pag dating mo palang ng Kalibo airport, bibigyan ka na ng agent ng free lunch for two sa Astoria. I asked them, why is it free? Then this Agent Marian said that may event si Boy Abunda. So upon hearing this, i was like “babe, lets try this when we get to Bora” because i thought it was somehow a nice get along with Mr Boy and of course expecting for a good lunch buffet.
When we get there, the manager approached us and said, is it okay na makinig kayo ng presentation for 1.5 hour? I was shocked because, i asked the agent before hand whats going to happen there and she didnt mention about the 1.5 hour presentation! When we got there it was already 1.30pm so we were really hungry thats why we said, okay present! Pero bad trip na ako nun. Sabi ko, so ngayon na? Gutom na kami galing sa byahe pa, di naman namin alam na may ganyan pla (of course in my mind, they are already starting to waste our time to enjoy Bora, syempre scheduled na oras namin to do activities!)
Habang kumakain ka, someone’s waiting for you to finish, nakakabadtrip so ginawa namin, patagalin ang pag kain, take time pra mang inis. After mang asar, nag wash up pa ako sarili ko, then we got back to the restaurant again. Lumapit ang agent, sabi ma’am can we start the presentation? At para makapang inis ule, i asked him for water blah blah hehehehe.
There, he started the presentation. I never cooperated. Tingin ng tingin sa oras. Enjoy syang nag s sales talk! Nang scam ng turista. Sa isip ko, ang walang class ng Astoria. Sinungaling! So asan si Boy Abunda?? Never ako nag ask ng question sa kanya kasi sobrang di ako interested.
Actually, hindi kami na scam, but this agent na bading from Laguna is leading there. Pero hindi nya kami kakayanin ng partner ko. Habang nag p present sya, nag s sign language na kami sa isat isa na kami naman magpabilog ng presentation. Buti nalang, mas magaling kaming malayo sa kanya! Nabawian na namin iba sa inyo kasi talagang ginulo namin sya sa maraming bagay, pinaasa na bibili kami, ganado ang lolo mo lol.
Tapos sa ending na, the manager na girl biglang dumating, in an arrogant way she showed us we have to pay half million, she asked, nalalakihan po ba kayo? We answered, its a small amount but we dont like to enter that contract lol.
We were turned off because of their strategy in getting membership, very cheap. This is Estafa. From lying about the event of Mr Boy Abunda, saying that its one time offer (but no! kasi kahit sinabi mo ng ayaw mo, sasabibin pwede pa bukas blah blah blah) and promising false hopes para sa dapat na maayos na vacation!
Not ONLY estafa but also detention. 1.5 hour of an unwilling person is already a form of detention. Sabi nga ng bading na agent, di kayo pwede umalis within this time.
Out of curiosity thats why we went, out of curiosity thats why we let him finished the presentation. (We got what we want and we are getting back at it)
The final words we said “kung one time offer yan, ayaw na namin kasi you cant force us to get our money to pay for that now. Lahat ng ginawa namin ay planned hindi basta basta kasi pinag iisipan namin mabuti mga decisions namin”
Very bad experience in Boracay. But im sure we are not stopping from here. I think for the welfare of all, i’d do something for people who were and to be victimized! Dapat mapanagot mg manloloko lalo na dyan sa Boracay.
Btw. That time na na invite kami, may 4 groups pa na invited to hear the presentation, how i wish hindi sila na Scam kasi kawawa naman sila. During our 3 days sa Bora, 4 times ako naalukan ng free buffet, so they are everywhere Bora! Ang sasama!
The other bad part pla, when this gay and the female manager were bragging about their customers, they kept talking about Congresswoman Leah Paquiz at lahat ng holidays na inavail nito at pamilya nya and other private details. Tama ba yan? Wala ng privacy ang mga tao.
Actually, after we finished with Astoria, dun palang kami nakapag search about its scam. Grabe almost 10years na pla ito. Sana matapos na. Magtulungan tayong lahat! Na turn off ako lalo na kay Mr Boy Abunda sa interview nya na pinagtatanggol pa mga scammers, nakakawalan respect.
I happen to sign a contract? and i have not payed yet the DP, but we had to pay it within this month as the contract says, i’ve just read a lot of post/comments about this and very confuse so can anyone give me an advice i was planning on not continuing this Club, by the way my experience is with CLUB VILLA ANA. Is it ok not to pay the DP although i signed a contract/paper or it is ok not to pay? Thank You
Hello Bobby,
DO NOT PAY ANYTHING!
Incase habulin ka nila because of the contract ekek, you can file a complain on DTI Consumer Protection Program.
Timeshare itself is not a scam but the way they sell this service is so deceitful.
—————————–
What is Republic Act 7394?
Republic Act 7394 (RA 7394) is the “Consumer Act of the Philippines” which was promulgated on July 15, 1992. It is the policy of the State to protect the interest of the consumer, promote his general welfare and to establish standards of conduct for business and industry.
What are the objectives of the RA 7394 or otherwise known as “Consumer Act of the Philippines?
Protection of consumers against hazards to health and safety;
Protection of consumers against deceptive, unfair and unconscionable sales acts and practices; (“unconscionable” means not right, not reasonable or not guided by conscience)
Provision of information and education to facilitate sound choice and the proper exercise of rights by the consumer;
Provision of adequate rights and means of redress (“redress” means remedy or to set right );
Involvement of consumer representative in the formulation of social and economic policies.
Read more: http://www.affordablecebu.com/load/business/philippines_consumer_protection_law/6-1-0-1158#ixzz3Zqj5QPQz
Another thing:
Most contracts only need to contain two elements to be legally valid:
1. All parties must be in agreement (after an offer has been made by one party and accepted by the other).
2. Something of value must be exchanged — such as cash, services, or goods (or a promise to exchange such an item) — for something else of value.
Thank You very much ma’am.
thanks for this post. this is helpful for us.
but what happened next I need your updates it would help me as i am on that situation din
me and my wife send a letter that we are cancelling our club membership, but at first we did not pay anything, and the someone will call to confirm our cancellation and after that we did not receive any text or calls or email and we forget everything what happen back then.
I also lured by this Club Astoria gimmick and swiped my credit card for a DP of P21,000. At the end of the day I realized how bad my decision was. Pero wala na akong magagawa, nangyari na. Tumawag ako sa credit card company na may card ako, tinanong ko kung pwedeng ipa-hold yung incoming transaction from Astoria merchant but they told me it is not possible. It is a valid transaction and they don’t have the authority to hold the amount tendered unless I’ll ask the merchant to do so. Siempre hindi nila gagawin yun.
Now I’m turning to my second option, since I’m currently employed in one of the globally known law firm, and seek help from one of our lawyers. He said to me “Do not pay anything” since I didn’t use any of their services/products. Hayaan ko lang raw na kulitin ako magsasawa rin yun, because if they will file a legal case against me it would only cost them more. Mas maganda raw sabayan ko ng DTI complaint against them to counteract what they would plan against me.
Then about my credit settlement, that’s another matter. Pwede ko raw hindi na bayaran yun kung credit standing is not a concern for me dahil walang nakukulong sa unsettled credit card debt and this is not a estafa case. Pero pwede raw akong mag-file ng dispute letter saying the valid reason about why I won’t pay that debt just to create a positive vibes if still I want to protect my credit standing. Yung DTI complaint mo naman ang magpapatunay na malinis yung intensyon mo, ayaw mo lang talagang bayaran yung merchant na yun. Maaring mangungulit rin ito or they would summon a collecting agent. But still you can ignore it.
thanks for this, this is very helpful…I want to ask more from you coz we have same situation…Would you mind sending me reply tru my FB please. I need to know more info so worries will be gone.
We all have to be very careful of Astoria’s membership desperate way of selling as if it is really a good product or service, why be so desperate?
Here is my experience. I was invited by my friend to join her to attend an invite by Astoria selling hotel membership. After dinner, we are aware that we will listen to a 90 minutes sales talk. The sales talk could have gone well. However, I did not like the way how Astoria’s agent sell their membership. I was asked several times if I have the budget and money which I found very rude. The agent even compared their membership perks with my current job and housing. I was surprised that they give negative comments about my present situation just to make their membership look good. I was so disappointed attending their sales talk as I felt that the agent is trying to demoralize my situation. It is like I will look good if I purchase the membership and I am not if I did not purchase. I think that this is not a good marketing strategy as you are not supposed to make people feel bad just because they do not find your membership interesting. The way they talk to client is already a NO for me to buy their membership. I wish they could have made it more positive rather than like this. This is just a real review from my end nothing personal so do not be offended. I actually find the hotel old and not upgraded.
Hi,
What if there’s a bond of 20k. Sabi ko kasi I’ll just pay them next month.
Pero eto nga, I’m fully convinced that this is not a good investment. Liable ba ako sa pinirmahan ko?
They also use gas stations like Shell to have the patrons fill up their stubs and from there, your personal info is collected. It is good to also learn of this additional strategy they use.
Yes. But you can contest it if you can prove they used intimidation.