ComplaintsforAll Villa Options

• Initial Complaint

  09/14/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We paid AVO $1600+ dollars to advertise and sell our deeded time share until it is sold, no expiration. At no point in time were we verbally told that we must "renew" our advertisement every 90 days (Why would I want them to stop trying to sell my timeshare? That's what I paid them to do). When I asked them about it, they said it was in the written part of the contract in the "Terms and Conditons section of the Advertising contract. Shame on me for believing them to tell me everything and not have them insert something into the fine writing! That is my fault. But I want to warn others that they 1.) have not sold my time share 2.) intended to drop my advertisement and not attempt to sell my timeshare because I didn't understand the process they cunningly made. I don't feel this is an honest practice. It is true that they will communicate with me, no qualms there. But the one thing I paid them a large sum of money to do they haven't done - sell my deeded timeshare.

  Business response

  02/08/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 12, 2022/01/03) */ With the interest of transparency, AVO will address this review with both client and service in mind. AVO received this complaint from client on DEC 9. 2021, the day after communicating with client via email and keeping the advertisement active. At no point did AVO mention verbally, in writing or at all -any sort of intent to drop the advertisement. AVO's terms and conditions are made clear upon inception and sent for approval to each client prior to any service being procured. Clients then have an additional 10 days to review and rescind for any reason and receive a full refund. AVO has been in contact with this client several times unlike what was expressed by client in first review. In the latest review, Client acknowledges this but then claims AVO intended to drop advertisement which has never been the case. As a matter of fact, AVO had renewed the advertisement a day prior on December 8, 2021, at 12:01 PM EST and sent confirmation by email to Client. AVO included specific detail on how to view, when the next renewal date would be and included updates and recommendations to the client as requested. Client did not respond at all to AVO. The following day, Client went on BBB and filed another negative review, which based on AVO's records and emails is not true. AVO is willing to make these emails public info if BBB deems it appropriate to dispel. In the meantime, AVO will continue to provide its advertising and marketing services to help Client sell their timeshare and look forward to hearing back from Client regarding the last updates and recommendations provided to Client by Email on December 8, 2021. Consumer Response /* (3000, 14, 2022/01/07) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) First and foremost, it is interesting that my main concern is not being addressed (and I quote): they (AVO) "1.) have not sold my time share ." This concern was not addressed at all by AVO. They gave me ideas to give my advertisement more "traction," and I replied to them with this information on 12/2/2021 on 0938: ***** Last minute bookings are fine - in fact they have a discounted program for that which they named "Last Call" vacations, and you can book last minute, week long vacations for $200. In general, you can book for as many or as few days as you want. Vacations can be booked one year in advance if it is your home residency in which you own the property, or 9 months in advance for all properties. Please add that information to the advertisement to give it more traction, please. How are the corporate events going? Any luck in picking up some interested buyers there? Those were made out to be your main source of interested clients. Maybe there is some progress in that area? Happy holidays, Melinda *** ****** Unfortunately, AVO did not respond to this email that I sent them. Also, please make any and ALL emails available to BBB (not just some). I too will make all emails available, happily. Such as this one: **** Expiration? Yahoo / Sent Mindy To: AVO Sat, Sep 11, 2021 at 9:06 AM AVO actually has record of being in communication with client responding to calls and emails as well as adjusting the asking price as requested by client. when this review was received, AVO contacted Mrs. *** abut it prior to this review response. Client was referring to AVO initiating communication and as explained to Mrs. ***, AVO will forward any/ all offers as they are received and contact Client prior to the advertisement's expiration. This was posted in response to my review on the BBB. What exactly does the "advertisement's EXPIRATION" mean? I thought you all were supposed to advertise and sell our property until it is sold, no expiration? Please clarify, thank you! Melinda *** ****** This email from myself to AVO clearly demonstrates that I did not understand there was an expiration to our "advertisement." Now that I myself realized there was an expiration date, I reminded myself to renew the advertisement. On December 7th (NOT 8th as AVO first mentions - they left out the 7th): Mindy *** <**********@yahoo.com> To: AVO Tue, Dec 7, 2021 at 5:05 AM I would like to renew my listing with you all. Please update me with any progress there has been. Thank you, Melinda *** Then on Dec 8: Mindy *** <**********@yahoo.com> To: AVO Wed, Dec 8, 2021 at 8:20 AM Hello, I have not heard back from anyone on my listing being renewed and any progress on interested buyers. I'm aware communication is important to you, so I'm following up on my e-mail. Our advertising ID is RXXXXX. I know you were very confident that there was a great market to sell our timeshare, so I look forward to hearing what progress there has been in the six months you have been working diligently for us at corporate conferences and such. Merry Christmas! Melinda *** Sent from my iPhone > On Dec 7, 2021, at 8:05 AM, Mindy *** <**********@yahoo.com> wrote: > I would like to renew my listing with you all. Please update me with any progress there has been. Thank you, Melinda *** ********** When facts are only told partially and in a certain way, they can be contorted to make a story that is biased in a certain direction. I move for full disclosure. I am willing to send all emails to BBB so that facts such as the above are no longer made partially available to make the teller look good. I would also like AVO to address my main concern specifically and to the point - I paid them a large sum of money to sell my deeded timeshare and it is NOT sold. They simply didn't do what they advertised themselves to do - sell the timeshare. Having a deeded timeshare is a truly unfortunate issue, especially in these times. People are talked into deeds they don't understand and are stuck with burdens they can't get rid of. Not, at least, without ruining their credit, declaring bankruptcy, or hiring an expensive lawyer (if that works, I don't have enough money to try). It's odd for it to be legal to be "stuck" with such a thing in this day and age, but here we are, and it is legal. And it's harmful because innocent people fall victim to these timeshares who truly do not deserve them. What's even worse, though, is in my search for companies and lawyers to help me on my quest to end this burden I have been taken advantage of time and time again. It is inflammatory the sheer number of people who are willing to take advantage of those who are already in a bad place. It's disgusting really. The last person to try to take advantage of me took me to a "free" dinner, and then tried to get me to pay him more than $7,000 to get rid of my timeshare. Guaranteed it would work. I left. I no longer believe people and I have no reason to believe AVO is any different, because they still haven't done the one thing I asked them to help me do. Sell my deeded timeshare. I'm sad and disheartened by this entire process. On a side note, I am an ICU nurse. A COVID and non-COVID ICU nurse. I have worked for 14 years to save people's lives every week of my life, on a literal basis. And yes, there will be days I cannot reply to my email right away. I might be doing CPR or taking on more patients than is fair because there is such a shortage of nurses. But I will reply on my off days, just like I am now. My husband has been in the Coast Guard for 13 years, serving his country. To say I am sad and disheartened is by far an understatement. Business Response /* (4000, 21, 2022/01/21) */ AVO values and appreciates every client and all prospective clients. Much of AVO's business is generated through direct referral. We believe this is largely due to AVO's extensive customer service, attention to detail and complete transparency of who we are, who we are not and exactly what we do for our clients. AVO helps clients rent or sell their timeshares with modern and innovative marketing and advertising services. AVO does not sell timeshare, as it is a for sale and/ or for rent by OWNER service. This is made clear from inception through contracting verbally and in any/ all AVO's contracts. During Client ***'s answer to our response displays how upset she is about making the decision to purchase the timeshare originally. It is clear that Clients discontent has tricked down to AVO yet we understand how frustrating it can be owning something that you no longer want, however AVO are the only ones actually still assisting Client with her desire to sell by advertising and marketing the timeshare. Client provided information to the BBB that is incorrect. AVO has no record of the email mentioned by client sent on 12/2/21. Client contacted AVO by email on 12/7/21 asking for an update and instructing AVO to renew the advertisement. AVO responded the following day 12/8/21 providing Client with updates and recommendations and included a new link to the ad as well as information stating when the next renewal was. It is not possible that AVO could have provided any updates or provide any info to Client on 12/2/21 to a question that Client asked AVO by email on 12/7/21 like Client states in the latest complaint. Client has either confused dates, companies or other. We urge Client to please communicate directly with AVO so that together we may continue to market, advertise and help Client get the job done in a satisfactory manner. Consumer Response /* (4200, 23, 2022/01/25) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Again, I am filing a complaint because AVO hasn't done the one thing I paid a large sum of money for them to do. And if it's helpful, I'll use AVO's stated definition of what they do: "AVO helps clients rent or sell their timeshares with modern and innovative marketing and advertising services." AVO has neither "rented" or "sold" our "timeshare" with "modern and innovative marketing and advertising services," as they literally stated was the purpose to their business. I will not retract my complaint unless the money I paid is refunded or my timeshare is "sold" or "rented" (at the actual cost of staying at the Hilton, of course), their words not mine. As far as the email, I am not incorrect. I provided the actual email with an electronic time stamp. They may be confused on the dates - there were a lot of emails I provided, all with electronic time stamps. One was SEPTEMPER 2. Or They may not have seen the written date correction I submitted. Which again, is not my mistake.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩