Original Message:
Open Letter to Steve Cloobeck, Diamond Resorts International CEO (by Robert R.):
Dear Steve,
I saw your Undercover Boss show. Thank you for sending me and email informing me when it would be shown. I also appreciated the survey you sent about how my image of you had improved after seeing the show. Unfortunately, it did not improve. Seeing your lavish and expensive lifestyle only made me think that I am paying for that with my maintenance fees, which have increased over 40% in the few years since you took over my resort. The fees are now so high that I could rent a week at a comparable or better place for a lot less. If you want me to think better of you, roll back the fees, sell the private jet and take commercial flights like the rest of us.
It also did not help that the show was so obviously contrived. All the employees you worked with had personal or work issues that you were able to solve in the end with a show of generosity. I am sure the intention was to show what a good guy you are. Maybe you are but the fees are killing me. And you missed the point with your maintenance person who did not have a power sander. It is very nice that you bought him this inexpensive tool. But as a leader of the company you should have been thinking how it could occur that he did not have the proper tools to do his job. You should not have to think of that. His supervisor should have thought of that and taken care of it so he was more efficient in his work. The only thing I can think of to explain why your maintenance man did not have a $50 tool needed to do his job is that the organizational culture is focused on reducing operational costs to the extreme. But that contradicts the reason you told me that you needed to increase my fees: to spend it on the improved maintenance and upkeep of my home property.
And now you are marketing the "Undercover Boss Special" on your web site! You seem to be using this to get more unsuspecting prospects to your resorts for the high-pressure sales pitch. I hope to educate people about the realities of timeshare ownership today. I paid ILX a lot of money a few years ago for a week that is now virtually worthless on the market. It was worthless the moment I signed the papers. I actually could pay somebody to take it of my hands. Now DRI is squeezing me for ever increasing "maintenance fees" and I can't do anything about it. You might even hit me with a "special assessment" of thousands of dollars as I hear you have done at one of your other resorts.
Would you buy it back from me, Steve? I understand DRI has no buy-back program but I figure I could ask you personally. I would be happy with half of what I paid for it.
Sincerely,
Bob
P.S. - Your disguise was terrible!