Pueblo Bonito Scam

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Original Message:

Re: Pueblo Bonito Scam (by Marcelle B.):

We have been owners of 3 weeks at Pueblo Bonito Blanco, 2 weeks at the Rose', and 1 week at Sunset. We have been owners for 15+ years. They are floating weeks. We have NEVER, EVER had problems getting accommodation until last year. In 2014 we HAD NO CHOICE but to cancel our 3 October weeks because of the hurricane. The airport was closed and we had absolutely no way of getting there. In July 2014 we attempted to re-book the same weeks for 2015 and were told that there was nothing available at any of the 3 resorts and that we should have booked one year in advance - something we were never notified to do. I called back when they said we should and was told that they had nothing available at any of the 3 resorts. I managed to get 3 weeks for May, 2016 for which I had a confirmation number. The Manager told me to call him in October 2015 for October 2016. He went a step further, which I thought was very commendable, and said that he would make a note on his calendar to call me if I did not hear from him. I called on October 1st as instructed and made several more calls in October, left numerous messages for him and did not receive any calls back. I continued to call through November and December (at least 2-3 times per month) and was horrified when, after leaving messages for him with 7 other people who do reservations, that I no longer had a reservation for May and that it had been cancelled. I had never spoken to anyone about a cancellation and assured these 7 people that this could not be as I had a confirmation number and had not cancelled the booking. Each one told me that they had looked it up and it was definitely cancelled. I then left a message for the manager, who had still not returned my call, letting him know that he left me no choice but to go to the owner who I happened to know ... and hallelujah ... he called me back. When I told him that I was really upset that the May accommodation had been cancelled by someone and that I was upset that it took all these phone calls and eventually a threat to contact the owner to get him to respond. He skirted this by saying he was looking up the May booking and that there must have been a mistake when I was told that it had been cancelled. He alluded to the fact that 7 people who I had spoken to could be new agents and did not know how to check. When I said they all told me that they could see it had been cancelled he skirted this too by saying he was going to check his inventory and see if he could get me the dates I wanted in October of 2016. Lo and behold, he had accommodation available and I now have 3 weeks in May and 3 weeks in October.

Now for another problem. We had now accumulated 14 weeks because of missing out as a result of the hurricane and not being able to get any other bookings in 2014 or 2015. By January 1st, 2016, we will have accumulated another 6 weeks which will bring our total of unused weeks to 20 weeks, and we have now received a letter from the owner telling us that by January 1st maintenance fees for 2016 have to be paid.

Owners, especially those with floating weeks, are being shunned by the resorts. Six friends of ours have just returned from Los Cabos and spent the two weeks before this week (Christmas week) at Blanco, Rose', and Sunset. They were struck by how empty the resorts were saying they did not have problems getting chairs on the beach and there were hardly any people at the pools - YET WE WERE TOLD THEY WERE FULL TO CAPACITY and they had nothing for us those same weeks.

We would actually like to be done with Pueblo Bonito and wonder if anyone knows whether this is possible by just walking away from them or what! HELP!!!