Great Destinations

Great Destinations by far is the worst company, I have worked in customer service for over 10 years and have never experienced anything like this before. I can’t imagine this company up and running for much longer. This is a Scam, they force people into purchasing this share by not allowing the customers to go home to think about or even research the company. They make you believe your are purchasing this great share and when you find out how worthless they are, they basically tell you well your stuck so you might as well use it. When you file a complaint with them, they refuse to return your calls, I spoke with Jeff Gray from the owner care department who made it seem like he was going to look into the issues presented to him by myself, Jeff told me he would get back to me no later than 4 days and in the meantime he asked me not to go on Unilocal or complain to the Better Business Bureau to share my experience because its more work for him. I called every week for one month and each time Jeff Gray was conveniently out of the office. Then my last call to this joke of a company, Adam who insisted I already spoke with Jeff the week before and that he listed to the conversation when I asked what was discussed he then changed his story and said the phone was disconnected i replied so I didn’t speak with Jeff? .I later called back and asked to speak with someone other than Adam, Adam thought he put the phone on hold and I heard him mocking me verbatim, this experience further lets me know this company does not care about their customers or the complaints. When I finally did speak with Jeff Gray he suggested for me to use the share even though I’m unhappy with them and as problems continue to occur I should report it so they can work on them, When I vacation I don’t want to experience or keep reporting them. I will never make travel plans with great destinations. I am currently awaiting to speak with the owner of great destinations who may or may not call per Jeff Gray.

Big big rip off and waste of time. The people were very friendly and not too pushy. But they were still not able to keep it in the 90 minutes they promised in the beginning. Also they Leward me in with the $ 100 gift certificate and a free vacation. Both of that is a lie which is why I give one star. The $ 100 gift certificate is basically a 50% off coupon on restaurants that I’ve never even heard of. The free vacation is not free you have to pay taxes and fees nothing is specific in there. I hate it when people lie to me. I don’t know if their whole system makes sense for anybody. Don’t waste your time going there even if it sounds nice. People who ride good reviews on Unilocal about these guys are either employees or they just fell for their scheme.

Me and my husband went with the state of mind we are not going to buy anything get our free trip and leave! But after there 30 minute presentation we feel in love with the fact of traveling everyone was so nice an understanding of any type of financial situation that we were in they worked with us in so many areas that me and my family can enjoy wonderful trips to were ever we want for the rest of are life! Thank you to everyone that was involved!

They called on my home phone and said this was not a SALES call. The manager, Mike Benson said the I could win a Ford Truck, $ 25,000 or a «40 Smart TV. He assured me that if I go I will at least get a TV. I thought it was a big con, so he said he would throw in a gift card for a $ 100 to local restaurants.
I go to 5550 Topanga Canyon Blvd. # 130. It was a sales call! They wanted me to buy a time share that has VERY BAD RATINGS for $ 8500 down and $ 645 a year after? What the? They never mention the TV. They gave me some Scratcher that says I won a San Francisco or Las Vegas trip. Not really free when you have to sent them a $ 100 down payment with only a Check or Money order? NO CREDIT CARD? If I sent them that money I will never see it again! Another Con! (And they pick the dates you go?)
Then they hand me a $ 100 gift card to restaurants. The only thing wrong with that is they are crappy restaurants and you have to spent $ 100 to get $ 100. Not really a gift card. The whole thing was a waste of time, which I thought it would be and a BIG SCAM! Do not go there and waste your time or energy. They lie the whole time! They say they are a broker but it is really for Interval International. That company has so many complaints on them and only have one star for customer service! STAY AWAY! DON“T WASTE YOUR TIME!
P. S. I hate giving bad reviews, but they one really pissed me off.

I attended a timeshare presentation at Great Destinations simply because I was offered a vacation to Hawaii for attending (NOT FREE, you still pay taxes and a $ 100 refundable deposit… this was all made clear to me from the start). After reading all their terrible Unilocal reviews, I was expecting the worst possible treatment at the presentation, but I figured it was at least worth a shot for a discounted trip to Hawaii.
I was pleasantly surprised! I walked in expecting to deal with rude and pushy sales people. Instead, they were very friendly and understanding about the fact that I wasn’t ready to buy into a timeshare program at the time. Never once did I feel like they were pressuring me into a purchase. Never once were they rude!
Yasir and his manager, Michael, explained their products and services very clearly, including the prices (which they did keep dropping as we continued to say «no thanks»), but never once did they make us feel uncomfortable. I made a point of telling Yasir that I was pleased with their approach and the fact that they weren’t pushy like I thought they were going to be. I think they are really trying to move toward better customer service!
If you have been offered a vacation in exchange for attending a presentation, I say it’s worth it. Just keep in mind that it is NOT FREE. You receive a voucher and have to pay $ 100 refundable deposit plus taxes to book your trip through a third-​party travel agency (Casablanca Express, which has great reviews here on Unilocal). Also, Great Destinations’ timeshare program was very intriguing, so if you’re looking to buy into a timeshare, it can’t hurt to see what they have to offer.
Once my Hawaii trip is booked, I’ll write a review for Casablanca Express, as well, so that you have a better idea of whether or not this is all worth the hassle!

Avoid, Avoid, Avoid!
Recently we received an offer in the mail from a company that only identified itself
as Catalina Travel packages. The letter read,” Congratulations! Our promotional department has authorized us to award you a complimentary Catalina Island Get Away for two adults including 3 days and 2 Nights Hotel Accommodations and Round-​Trip boat service for two on the Catalina Express.
To redeem this offer you are asked to call the number below.“
It sounded too good to be true and of course it was. The mailer even had a web address for the Santa Catalina Island Company (a tourism promotional web site). So we made the call. Robert was on the other end. I specifically asked if there were blacked out dates or only certain days of the week that the package could be redeemed. I was told, no, you could go anytime. I was then told to get the package we would have to attend a 1 ½ hour presentation. I said O.K. and scheduled an appointment.
When my wife and myself went to the appointment I discovered the presentation was for a time share with Great Destinations, not Catalina Travel Packages or Santa Catalina Island Company. We sat through the presentation which was more like a car purchase. We had to sit with the salesman, then his manager, who was the only one that could disclose the financials, and then finally a guy that looked like a mafia hit man to get our travel certificate. We were then led down a separate hall to a door that made sure you would have no interactions with anyone coming in.
Upon reading the instructions on the certificate we discovered; 1) there was a $ 50.00 deposit that was not disclosed on the phone with Robert or during the presentation and 2) that there were only certain days of the week available and no major holidays or the months of June, July and August. Also they needed 60 days advance notice. I specifically asked Robert these questions during our phone call and he lied.
I would avoid this company at all costs. They operate in a very cryptic and shifty manner. Your experience may be different. I can only share mine.

The presentation was ok. I would have liked to actually see the Timeshares in person rather than just see pictures of the place. However, the people there were very respectful and honest.

This is a scam. We paid in full 3 months ago and still have nothing. we have asked for our money back but they are refusing. I can’t even find their legal entity. We are going to have to dispute with our credit card company in hopes to get our money back!

I attended a 90 minute presentation with my husband which turned out really great since we received a complimentary vacation. They greeted us very kindly and took the time to explain to us the benefits of joining their program. We’ve put some thought into it and the vacations sound great! We are considering buying into this program.

I love to travel and can appreciate everything offered in this time share presentation. The staff is very understanding and tried to accommodate me in whatever way worked best for me. I really enjoyed working with them. Frank was the manager that helped me in the end. We had such a good laugh. I think we may have had a few tears rolling from all the laughter. I appreciate that the team I worked with saw me as a human being and not just as a potential sale. The customer service has also proved to be very fast and efficient.

The Sales people were very helpful and the experience was as they said it would be. We went to a presentation and I received my prizes without a high pressure sales routine. 5stars for Great Destinations

Friendly staff & very professional sales agents. No high pressure sales. The 90min presentation was awesome and the prices were very affordable.

I have been to several different presentations for timeshare over the years, and I have to say that this experience was the best yet! My husband and I decided to go ahead and purchase, given the fact that we travel and spend quite a bit of money every year on hotels etc. We loved all of the different options in regards to locations through Interval International, and the flexibility. We were very apprehensive once we went home, and questioned whether we made the right move buying in to one of these.
After booking our first vacation to Hawaii in the fall, I am now very comfortable with the decision that we made. The process was surprisingly smooth and with the help of the travel agents we are on our way. Overall, the experience was better than expected. If you are into travelling, you may want to check this one out.

It wouldn’t have been so bad if my presenter (Tania)wasn’t so pushy, I didn’t need to be put through a guilt trip because we felt it wasn’t right for us right now, and besides its something we want to think about ‚
It may be right for other people but personally I don’t know what I’m getting my self into, nor do I want to pay $ 800-​$ 900 in property taxes every year. How do I know that I’m getting what they say I’m getting?
Be carful people.

Easy check-​in for our 90-​min presentation. Takes 2 mins to fill out questionnaire. Then wait in the lobby for the next 21mins until start time. Perfect time to Unilocal check in and browse what’s in the neighborhood for lunch bites after.
We ended up waiting in the lobby for a good ½ hour… 10mins past our appointment time. When Joan showed up to get us inside for the 1:1 sales pitch, I mentioned to her that we were kept waiting and that we do have to be outta here by 2pm. Not our fault if the 90mins is cut short due to their delay. She looked frazzled and just stood there. Her supervisor then piped in, ‘alright, move it Joan. You got 80mins!” Good… as long as we understand each other! We weren’t going to stay past the 90mins mandatory pitching time.
So Joan proceeded to «getting to know us» and we patiently listened to her and answered her tons of questions about our travels and vacations, etc. There were about 8 tables in the room we were gathered in. We were all then ushered into another room for the PR Marketing pitch with slideshows of their properties. All beautiful and around the world. We keep getting hints at how easy it is and hassle free to buy into the program.
Finally it was over and we went back to each of our little table to «close the deal». After another half hour of slight to medium sales pressure and finding out (finally) the cost, we concluded it was not right for us. A bit more pressure but we weren’t going to change our mind… So they signed us out and got us our certificates and off we go.
Not a bad experience overall. All depends on what you are looking for in terms of your vacations. The flexible points system is nice to know of but the costs add up quickly. Be thorough and know what you are getting yourself into. And of course, don’t forget to budget for airfares extra $$$$$ to get you to all those exotic destinations.