Club Mahidnra is an example of how seemingly a good corporate group like M&M can be cheaters too without any morals or ethics. They are doing everything they can to entice customers and if you happen to sign up be prepared to a lifetime of miserable experience.
Their modus operandi is simple. They will put up a guy at BPCL outlets or other places frequented by upper middle class or higher income groups and then ask them to fill a coupon with a 2 N, 3 Day free holiday as gift coupon as a lucky draw gift. A few days later everyone who filled in the lucky draw gets a call and is asked to come to the office to collect the coupon. Actually it is a ploy to get a captive audience to bombard with their sales pitch. An executive will ask a few questions to you t ascertain whether you can be apotential client. After they are satisifed you will be told how much 5 star hotels cost per day and how vacationing cost will increase over time and then start building the sales pitch. It goes like this: that with initial amount of around Rs 29500 upfront and Rs 14000* 12 monthly installments (Total around Rs 1.99 lack for a studio appartment off season) you get a
one week stay at Club Mahindra resorts
One week at RCI member resorts
3 year free RCI membership.
That is not all you get
1. Sony LCD 26"
2. FOod vouchers worth Rs 4000 if you agree to pay by credit card.
3. one side air fare for one person again by credit card.
If you still do not fall for them head over heels you may be offered a 32" LCD instead of 26" and wha tis better you may take the free gift and 1 week holiday by just paying RS 29000 intial amount and later opt out of the program too,sounds too good to be true.....it probably is !!
You can even sell your holidays later if some year you do not want to avail of holidays (after paying all the installments only) You can cancel your membership within 10 days ifyou change your mind and money paid will be returned.
What’s between the lines?
what is either not told or fleetingly mentioned is as follows:
1. Annual maintenance charges around RS 7500 per year to be paid every single year for 25 years(can be revised upwards by club mahindra anytime) They add up to a tidy sum almost equal to the cost of whole membership.
2. NO guarantee of availability. Ask any member how often they get a booking in location and timing of their choice.
3. Once you sign up you get the papers after 15-30 days and by then the cancellation clause is over (`10 days)and when you read the fine print then you are shocked. It is well neigh impossible to get money back from them.
4. If you pay by credit card then remaining installments are auto debited by some arrangement so don’t go for it.
5. Executives falsely tell you give 15% upfront avail the free gift worth more than the amount paid plus enjoy 1 week holiday at CM and one week at RCI locations and opt out of remining installments if you don’t want to continue! The fact is while you may get the free gift still the free holiday may not be possible as yo wont get the availability in the 2 month window period they are offering and then you have to pay the balance to get the holiday.
6. The 2 N, 2 Day free holiday coupon is a hoax. You will never get a booking confirmation as they will tell you that all days are booked!
Friends, You are giving almost Rs 4 lac (Rs 2 lac membership and Rs 2 lac in form of Annual maintenence charges) if you put the same amount in a bank FD you will get around RS 35000 every year enough to get a one week (Confirmed)holiday plus travel and food costs and still save money to do some shopping so never fall for these highway robers and lose your piece of mind.