Little over a year ago, I bought a Club Mahindra life membership and I feel it to be one of my biggest mistakes in life. What I am describing

here are my views and I have spent a lot of time and effort in trying to speak to Club Mahindra representatives to resolve the issues that I am facing but seems none of the Member Relations Cell Managers have time to discuss issues faced by “members”, they are probably busy spending time enticing unaware and unassuming people in buying this membership and then leave them to rue their decisions.

          

When I was happy (read: not a club mahindra member), I was enticed to one of the club Mahindra centre in Gurgaon and a representative spent a considerable time explaining to me the benefits of buying a life membership of Club Mahindra. As in any sales pitch, the nice things were dwelt upon and the issues were not touched or brushed aside with contempt – as if such issues were trivial. I (and probably many others like me) were fooled by this sales pitch.

          

After more than eight months since my initial complaint, I am yet to get any answer to the following questions:

          

 

1. A member cannot book a vacation in a season rated higher than the entitled season more than 15 days in advance. How practical is this?  Who can wait till the last 15 days to plan a vacation? 
 
2. Although CMH doesnt allow members to book vacation in a season higher than the entitled season more than 15 days in advance, it does allow  members to book a vacation in any season ’lower’ than the entitlement at any time. Does this not put CMH members at a disadvantage? 
 
3. Although CMH is registering new members in the higher seasons, they are not allowing existing members to upgrade their membership to a higher season. Is this practice fair? 
 
4. CMH does not provide any guarantee that a member booking a vacation in their entitled season will get a confirmed booking up to 15 days in advance.  It does not even mention what is the probability for a member booking a vacation in their entitled season to get a confirmed booking.  
 
5. CMH does not guarantee any ratio for the minimum number of weeks in a particular season at its resorts. It does mention that the classification of weeks in seasons might change, which could possibly lead to lesser and lesser number of weeks in the “cheaper” seasons. Shouldn’t CMH guarantee a minimum percentage of weeks in a season at all of its resorts? 
 
6. When CMH representatives are talking to potential customers, they elaborate that members can book vacations in seasons other than their entitlement with some changes in their entitled number of days but they never clearly specify that there is a restriction on booking in higher seasons more than 15 days in advance. Does this not amount to cheating? 
 
7. CMH representatives offer gift certificates for travel to some CMH resort for a ’session’ at their office to potential customers where they inform them about the benefits of being a CMH member. When giving the certificate, they don’t mention that this free vacation will not be allowed over a weekend. Neither is this fact mentioned on the Gift Certificate. But when one tries to book this ’free’ vacation, people are told that this ’free’ vacation cannot be availed on a weekend. Is this not misleading people? 
 
8. Despite repeated attempts to find out the process to get my membership closed and my fee refunded, the CMH representatives’ don’t even talk about this. They keep promising to get back soon and then don’t call/reply. Is this not harassment? 
 
9. CMH is on a spree in enlisting more and more members. At the same time, they are not adding resorts at the same rate. This will (probably already has) lead to a situation that the ratio of members with entitlement in a particular season to the available accomodation at all CMH resorts in the particular season to be very low. This will also lead to more demands and a high rate of rejection on the basis of non availability of accommodation. Is this fair practice? 
 
 
I would recommend all of you to think hard before you chose to spend your money in buying a Club Mahindra membership. If after all the thinking, you still want to go for this membership, I will recommend you to talk to me and I will try to convince you one more time to change your mind. If in spite of my last attempt, you are still adamant on your decision, may I offer you the deal of buying my membership (yes, it is transferable) at a discounted price?