Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/13/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

   
  Complaint: 23062212
  
  Thanks.
  
  Has the *** and resort ever had a deed-back program?  Do they intend to have one in the future?  

  
  You use words like "currently do not have." We think that is misleading. We don't feel that there is any intention to have a deed-back program, and using words like "currently" is deceitful.
  
  Please provide us with a list of interested buyers.

  
  With a destination as nice as Hawaii and an Association that does NOT have a deed-back program (making it almost impossible to refresh clients and inventory), the association MUST have a list of interested buyers who desire to own a piece but cannot find inventory because of the association's lack of a deed-back program (currently).
  
  Thanks
  
  ****** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 03/14/2025

  While we understand and sympathize with the owners desire to exit ********* ownership, we are unable to simply take their interval back.Unfortunately, their Association does not currently have an active deed-back program, nor are they required to under applicable law. Since the owner purchased a deeded timeshare interval, it will remain in their name until it is sold or transferred to another individual.

  If the owner no longer wishes to maintain ownership with ************************************, they may choose to sell or transfer the interval to another person. Many of our owners have successfully transferred their intervals to friends, family members, or community members who are interested in enjoying time on Kauai or using the interval for exchanges to other locationssimilar to how the owner has done in the past. Should the owner need assistance with the transfer process, we have brokers available to help once they have identified a buyer.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/18/2025

  ************************************ is a not-for-profit association.  The Association does not have a list of individuals who are looking to acquire inventory, but the owner has the right to sell or rent their intervals as they wish.     As stated previously, the Association does not have a deed-back program available, nor are they required to.  This interval will remain in the name of the owner until they sell or transfer the interval to another owner, just like numerous other owners have done before them. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/29/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am writing to share my experience with this company. It has been overwhelmingly disappointing and stressful. Initially, we were enticed by the salesperson's promises, likening the purchase to owning a home with its associated benefits. They made it seem so simple to use, suggesting we could take vacations whenever we wanted, which has not been the case. The lure of a free dinner drew us into a meeting that was promised to take only a couple of hours, yet we were subjected to five hours of high-pressure sales tactics. They assured us that maintenance fees would remain stable after paying off the mortgage, which we later found to be untrue. Despite expressing my financial concerns, we were pushed into sealing a deal for a property in ****** with $7,000 and monthly payments of $140.00. Crucially, they failed to disclose the interest rates or provide a detailed breakdown of the financial obligations. For years, I found myself paying predominantly interest rather than principal, which was never clearly explained to me. Using the timeshare has been fraught with difficulty, from booking complications to the subpar quality of the properties. When I finally managed to stay at one of the timeshare locations, it was outdated and poorly maintained, with air conditioning only in the living room and not in the bedroom. The fitness facilities were grossly misrepresented, consisting of a tiny room that barely accommodated two people at a time. The resort's surroundings were unsettling, with a significant presence of homeless people that made me feel uncomfortable, and the staff treated us as if we were mere motel guests rather than property owners. This timeshare has become a source of immense stress. The increasing maintenance fees are now unaffordable, and I feel exploited, paying for something that is ultimately unusable. The allure of a vacation destination is lost on me, as even an ****** would be a preferable alternative.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/30/2024

  The owners complaint regarding high-pressure sales tactics and misleading information being presented at the point of sale should be directed to the company from whom they purchased the timeshare interval.  This was neither Pohaku Resort Management nor *************************************  In addition, neither of these companies have any information regarding the loan that the owner took out to purchase the interval.   Pohaku Resort Management is simply the management company *************************************  We are involved in overseeing the reservations and billing for the Association along with the management of the three Associations at Pono Kai.
  

  While we understand and sympathize with the owner's desire to exit the ********* ownership, we cannot simply take their interval back.  ***************** does not have an active deed back program available at this time, nor are they required to under applicable law.  If the owner no longer desires to be an owner with ************************************, they can sell or transfer the interval to another individual.  We have brokers on hand to assist with the transfer process if the owner needs assistance once they have found a buyer.

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/09/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

   
  Complaint: 22401384
  
  I am rejecting this response. I do not in any way accept this company's response. If they can take our payment, then they can assist us with this situation. If they are not willing to help directly, then they need to get us in contact with someone who can assist. They are managing our ownership and taking our money so they are very much involved in this situation. 

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ******

  Business Response

  Date: 10/10/2024

  While we understand that the owner is unhappy with the promises made when they purchased the interval, this was not purchased through Pohaku Resort Management or *************************************  The owner should direct their complaint regarding the purchase of the interval to the company they purchased the interval through as none of the options they indicated were mentioned at the sales presentation were offered by Pohaku.  Pohaku Resort Management is simply the management company *************************************  We are involved in overseeing the reservations and billing for the Association along with the management of the three Associations at Pono Kai.

  It is unfortunate that the owner has been unable to utilize their interval ownership to their benefit over the years.  Many owners use their timeshare interval and the exchange program that the owner signed up for when they purchased the interval year after year with no trouble. 

  Unfortunately, as we have explained in the past to the owner, ************************************ does not have a deed back program available.   We do not make the rules of the Association and cannot change them based on the request of an owner.  The owner is asking for something that the Association does not offer at this time. Many owners sell/transfer their timeshare intervals to friends, family or community members.  We see these transfers being processed frequently and have brokers on hand that we can refer our owners to for assistance once they have someone interested in taking over the interval.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/15/2024

  While we understand that the complainant is disappointed with the response we provided, it does not change the fact of the matter that the owner's grievances should be directed to the company through whom they purchased the timeshare interval from.   
  
  As stated in our previous response, Pohaku Resort Management is the management company for ************************************, a non profit organization.  We are involved in overseeing the reservations and billing for the Association along with the management of the three Associations at Pono Kai.   We do not make the rules of the Association and cannot change them based on the request of an owner.  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/02/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We're really disappointed in their response for multiple reasons. First, it seems like no one in this situation wants to take accountability for the issues we've shared, and it keeps being blamed on UNNAMED third parties that are supposedly responsible because they sold it to us. Well, who was that and who should we be contacting then? And why were they allowed to sell us a timeshare for this property and yet this company gets to say that it's not their fault?
  Another issue we have with this is the mention of maintenance fees. Sure, one would expect that it's understandable for the fees to rise, but it's impossible to predict or budget for these increases and maybe we would've known to expect it if this had been actually covered with us before we bought it. We were incredibly misled about what this ownership would look like and what the financial commitment would be, both short-term and long-term.
  They say they don't have a deed back program because they're not required by law. Does this company feel they only need to do the right thing when the law compels them to?? Because it seems inhumane and unethical to allow people like us to remain perpetually trapped in a contract that comes with such a huge financial obligation with no way out. Especially when we have shared our negative experience that's led us to seek this cancellation. There may not be a law for everything under the sun, but laws are made because of SITUATIONS LIKE THIS. Where innocent consumers are taken advantage of because some company thinks that just because something is legal, that makes it okay.
  We do not feel that their response shows that they've made a reasonable effort to resolve this because they have given us NO direction to fix our situation and have not specified who exactly we should be reaching out to about this if it's not them.
  Resorts, given these longstanding challenges and the considerable financial burden they have posed. Our requests were repeatedly met with a suggestion to sell or transfer the timeshare ourselves which is not a viable solution that acknowledges the negative experience we have endured. The onus should not be on us to remedy a situation created by the resort's unfulfilled promises and increased costs.We strongly urge Pohaku Resorts to resolve this matter by canceling our timeshare ownership immediately and partially reimbursing us for the distress and financial strain caused. We are seeking a resolution that respects our time and investment and alleviates the ongoing stress associated with this ownership.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/08/2024

  The complaint being filed against Pohaku Resort Management is misdirected and unwarranted.  In the complaint, the owner indicates that they have suffered from stress from the high-pressure sales tactics that were used to persuade them into this contract.  This should be directed towards the company that they purchased the timeshare interval through as it was neither Pohaku Resort Management, nor Pono Kai Interval Owners Association.  

  They also mention unexpected maintenance fee hikes.  It is only natural that maintenance fees would rise over the course of 30 plus years as the cost of living rises.  Maintenance fees for the Association are carefully budgeted each year through a formal budgeting process and approved by the board of directors.  

  The owners state that they have not been able to easily trade their week with RCI.  Unfortunately, we have no control over RCI's inventory and cannot assist with what they can book with them.  We have offered suggestions of other exchange options to the owner to try and assist them. We have also offered to assist with renting their week to recoup their maintenance fees, but they did not opt to do so.

  While we understand and sympathize with the owners' desire to exit the timeshare ownership, we cannot simply take their interval back.  *************** does not have an active deed back program available at this time, nor are they required to under applicable law.  As we have previously explained to the owner, Pohaku Resort Management is simply following the directive of the board of directors in regard to this.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/23/2024

  Date Sent: 7/23/2024 11:58:06 AM
  We're really disappointed in their response for multiple reasons. First, it seems like no one in this situation wants to take accountability for the issues we've shared, and it keeps being blamed on UNNAMED third parties that are supposedly responsible because they sold it to us. Well, who was that and who should we be contacting then? And why were they allowed to sell us a timeshare for this property and yet this company gets to say that it's not their fault?
  Another issue we have with this is the mention of maintenance fees. Sure, one would expect that it's understandable for the fees to rise, but it's impossible to predict or budget for these increases and maybe we would've known to expect it if this had been actually covered with us before we bought it. We were incredibly misled about what this ownership would look like and what the financial commitment would be, both short-term and long-term.
  They say they don't have a deed back program because they're not required by law. Does this company feel they only need to do the right thing when the law compels them to?? Because it seems inhumane and unethical to allow people like us to remain perpetually trapped in a contract that comes with such a huge financial obligation with no way out. Especially when we have shared our negative experience that's led us to seek this cancellation. There may not be a law for everything under the sun, but laws are made because of SITUATIONS LIKE THIS. Where innocent consumers are taken advantage of because some company thinks that just because something is legal, that makes it okay.
  We do not feel that their response shows that they've made a reasonable effort to resolve this because they have given us NO direction to fix our situation and have not specified who exactly we should be reaching out to about this if it's not them.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/26/2024

  While we understand that the complainant is disappointed with the response we provided, it does not change the fact of the matter that owners grievances should be directed to the company through whom they purchased the timeshare interval from.  In searching the State of ************* of Conveyances, it appears that they purchased this interval from the initial developer of the property, ***********************************************, in April of 1987.

  
  As stated in our previous response, Pohaku Resort Management is the management company for Pono Kai **************************** a not-for-profit Association.  We are involved in overseeing the reservations and billing for the Association along with the management of the Associations at Pono Kai.  We do not make the rules of the Association and follow the direction of the board of directors for the Associations. The owner is asking for something that the Association does not offer at this time.  Many owners sell/transfer their timeshare intervals to friends, family or community members.  We see these transfers being processed all the time and have brokers on hand that we can refer our owners to for assistance once they have someone interested in taking over the interval. 

  
  Weve also, again, tried to offer assistance with the owner rental program.  We understand that times are not always easy and try to do everything within our power to help the Association owners until they can sell/transfer the interval.  Just because an owner now wishes to deed back their interval, after years of usage, is not an option for the Association, and therefore is just not something we can do.