ComplaintsforThe Imperial Hawaii Resort at Waikiki

• Initial Complaint

  11/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Dear BBB,I am writing to file a complaint against Imperial Hawaii Resort regarding their lack of communication and failure to address our concerns.Imperial Hawaii Resort placed us on a quit claim waitlist after expressing our desire to be released due to the numerous issues we have faced with their services over the years. Initially, when we raised our complaints, they offered us the release option. However, since then, they have stopped responding to our attempts to contact them.We are incredibly frustrated and disappointed with the lack of communication from Imperial Hawaii. We have no information regarding how long we will remain on this waitlist or when a decision will be made to proceed with our release, as they had promised.We kindly request your assistance in contacting Imperial Hawaii Resort on our behalf. Their lack of response and failure to address our concerns is highly unprofessional and unfair. We hope that with your intervention, we can finally get some resolution to our situation.Thank you for your attention to this matter.Sincerely,*******, ******, and *******************

  Business response

  11/17/2023

  Quitclaiming timeshare weeks is not a common practice with many timeshare resorts...the Imperial is no different. However, under certain circumstances, such as hardship or illness, we do make that exception as we understand the challenges that many face especially when their financial/health status has changed. The **** party contacted us via letter in January of this year (January 20, 2023) expressing their extreme "dissatisfaction" with the Imperial's services, claiming we "lied and "cheated" them out of money and livelihood. The **** party had the privilege of owning their Imperial week for 20 years and have exchanged/deposited their week with RCI every year since acquiring ownership. If the **** party took advantage of the exchange opportunity, (as many timeshare owners do) then they've benefited from the extended opportunity that owning a timeshare opportunity provides. If they had a problem with their exchanges with RCI, then that is between them and RCI. We have many owners who have not had any issues with their exchange companies, as RCI is not the only one that provides the exchange opportunity. We are a legitimate and successful business and have been operating the same way with a very large and satisfied Owner base for years dating back to the late 1990's. Obviously not everyone will accept terms from a specific business, hotels included. The Imperial has won numerous awards for service excellence so we're not sure where her dissatisfaction is directed at. Nonetheless, her slanderous reasons for relinquishing her timeshare week were received, and acknowledged, despite the fact that the criteria is not what we would normally accept (i.e. hardships, ***********) and a letter was sent on February 1, 2023 acknowledging receipt of her letter. However, we made the exception for her and was placed on a waiting list as we do with all quitclaim requests as there are other owners who meet the criteria who have submitted quitclaim requests before she did. Like many things in life, certain processes are done in an orderly fashion, and her claim unfortunately has not been processed yet as simply put, because we have not arrived at their claim on relative to the order in which it was received. It is not fair to expedite her claim simply because she is dissatisfied with it (after owning it for 20 years) when there are other long-term owners who have submitted a request before her who have legitimate reasons for letting their week (s) go.  We have received complaints such as the ***** here through your BBB portal, and we have resolved all claims the same way...in fact a claim that was submitted a couple of months ago had been rescinded by the author because we were able to find resolve internally...as it should be and not through a social medium platform. I thought it best to send you a response here as I don't see it appropriate to provide banter over a medium such as this, especially when responses are often made public and resolutions are done internally. To publicize such slanderous comments from the author about a business I feel is harmful, especially for those who work hard at the business, and is counterproductive. The Imperial is guilty of no wrongdoing as she is claiming, regardless of her claim however, we are happy to proceed with her quitclaim request when we arrive at her request on the list. Until that happens, we have agreed that we will not assess her with any maintenance fees until her quitclaim request has been settled. Thanks for reading. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I am an owner of a unit at the Imperial, which has been in the family for over 30 years. Between my aunt and myself, we have always paid our dues, on time. I made a visit to the resort this past April for my elderly mothers birthday, and had by far the worst travel experience of my entire life. The resort staff make jokes about committing suicide from the top floor balcony. As someone with close family who struggle with depression and mental health, this is completely out of line and unethical. I cannot support any business who would treat their members in this fashion. Our room had a leaky AC unit and mold, that gave both my mother and I excruciating headaches and allergy type symptoms. I had so much anxiety staying there, that we left early. I will not be returning to the Hawaiian islands, nor will I be returning to the Imperial. I have requested to terminate any relationship with this business, but have yet to get a response to my attempts at communication.

  Business response

  08/11/2023

  We have been in direct communication with this Owner and have managed to find a positive resolve. This is my 3rd attempt at answering and hopefully the response is received. 

  Customer response

  08/11/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********.  The business has been in contact with me, and has done a great job resolving my issue.  Please close this complaint. 
  
  Sincerely,
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  07/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Imperial Hawaii has been blatantly ignoring us. Weve been emailing them for weeks asking for a cancellation of our timeshare contract, and no one has even acknowledged us! We have enough reason to want out since we cannot exchange our timeshare points for accommodations on the mainland. The unit didn't have air conditioning the one time we were able to. The suite was located on the second floor, which posed a significant challenge due to my disability. Despite our specific requests, we struggled to find accommodations that either had an elevator or were situated on the first floor.With the onset of the ******19 pandemic, our situation has worsened. As my immunity is compromised, travel has become impossible for us. This has rendered our timeshare useless, yet its financial obligations still burden us.We have recently retired, and with mounting medical concerns, maintaining this timeshare has become a significant financial hardship. We have sent multiple emails to Imperial Hawaii Resorts requesting the cancellation of our timeshare contract but to no avail. Their disregard for our predicament and failure to respond to our cancellation requests is unacceptable and unprofessional.

• Initial Complaint

  12/22/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I would like to file a complaint against Imperial Hawaii Resorts in that I canceled my timeshare purchase within the rescission period and some man called me after I sent back all my paperwork and convinced me to keep it. I live in ******** and it is nearly impossible for me to visit the Islands anymore. I am on a fixed income. I live alone, and I have several health ailments that prevent me from even being able to walk without supported assistance. I wish to cancel this and get my money back, and this time, not get scammed into keeping something they know I cant use. Please help me.

  Business response

  12/22/2022

  Was this a recent purchase that you changed your mind about or are you an existing Owner trying to QC your week back to us? How is this our fault? Did this man have a name? We don't have any "male" staff at the resort in the department that handles membership services. Have you called and spoken to anyone at the resort there about this instead of posting here? We have staff here that can assist in these situations. You have not provided any more information for us to go on, so I suggest you contact us at the resort. Information you share regarding your membership is confidential, and we'd rather not discuss it on a forum such as this. Call us at the resort, ask for membership services, and let's see if we can assist you. I understand your situation, however if you are citing a "scam", then it would be your prerogative to speak with us directly. Mahalo.

• Initial Complaint

  10/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We feel that your staff left out a lot of details when they tried to sell us the timeshare. These details could have been the difference between signing the contract and walking away. The promises they did make have been seen to be nothing more than untruthful promises. Your company has not been honest with us from day one. We were sold a product that was not what we were wanting nor promised and your company has an obligation to fix this issue we have. We have yet to use the timeshare because the staff sold us on false hopes of amazing vacations. With the thought of traveling around the world at a discounted price from doing the booking on our own we felt that this was a smart decision to invest into, we were wrong. The timeshare that we purchased is nothing close to the timeshare we were promised and led to believe that it would be. We were under the impression that it would be easy to resell as well but that has been seen to be a harder transaction than we were told by the sales team. We feel that this timeshare is not something we want to keep and pass on to our heirs when we pass on from this Earth and look to your company to rectify this situation and reverse the contract we have with your company. We feel that we were sold on false promises and hopes.We expect a full refund with the rescind and for this matter to be completed in a timely manner from this date.

  Business response

  10/07/2022

  ******************,

  Have you tried to contact the resort regarding your complaint? Your testimony about "untruthful promises" is vague and I would like more clarification on this. You've owned your week, at least on record, since ****. You've exchanged your week with IIX almost every year you've owned it, and have been to the resort  only once...at least in our records. You've had this timeshare for over 20 yrs, used it as an exchange during such time, and now you're asking for a "refund" citing false promises. We are not in any position to "refund" your purchase, especially since you've had use of it all these years. Subsequently, there is no promise of a deed back in your contract.  I'm not clear as to what your travel habits were using this week based on your message, but it does appear that you've had usage of it. I'm also not clear when you say that your "timeshare purchased is nothing close to the timeshare we were promised and led to believe that it would be.". What timeshare were you promised that differs from the one you currently own? You purchased your week from a developer, not through the resort, thus as mentioned, we are under no obligation to refund your purchase. With that said however, have an exit program that we can assist you with for a fee if this is something that interests you. It's not the normal process for all timeshare resorts, however it is an option that we present to qualified owners. Is this something you'd like to pursue with us? I'm sorry you felt you were misled and are unhappy with your ownership. We are a legitimate business and do not sell our weeks under any false pretenses. I can't speak for what the sales person said to you 20 years ago, however we can do what we can here to assist you as best as we can. 

• Initial Complaint

  06/24/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We are writing this complaint against the Imperial Hawaii Vacation Club which we purchased back in ****. We have since paid our loan in full and have had our maintenance fee increased tremendously since ****. We would have never agreed to anything involving a system of never ending charges such as our unreasonable maintenance fees. We recall when we purchased the timeshare in Hawaii. The sales person assured us that we could easily sell our unit If we decided to do so, and we would have a tremendous profit because of the location. We have found this not to be true. We have never even been able to rent our timeshare, even through an agency who will list it. Also, since our purchase 35 years ago, we have retired. We are living on a fixed income and our health has declined. A major portion of our income is being encumbered by health related expenses. We have paid this timeshare for over 30 years and are asking for them to be understanding of our current situation yet we have been thrown to the back burner and not given any assistance. We need out of this contract as soon as possible. We look forward to your response.

  Business response

  06/29/2022

  Aloha ****************,

  Mahalo for your inquiry, and I will attempt to provide an explanation here. First and foremost, we would like to thank you for being an Imperial Owner all of these years, and sincerely appreciate your continued support over the years. I am saddened that you are unsatisfied with your ownership, and understand your reasons for being so. However, Maintenance fees, like many businesses that levy them, are static, and never stay the same. I'm not sure what the sales person conveyed to you back when you bought it, but especially in Hawaii, that isn't true. Your testament to the "profit" you'd gain by selling your unit, is subjective, and is not the same for each owner. We've had Owners who have sold their units for great amounts of money, and there are those who have sold them for not much more than the cost of their maintenance fees. It's all case by case, but the true value in owning a unit in Hawaii, is the trading power you have when you seek to trade or exchange to another resort of your choice...if in fact you take advantage of that benefit. Many owners simply use their week to return to the Imperial year after year...others have used it to trade for other destinations year after year. 

  While your reasoning for letting go of your week is understandable as I can certainly understand that finances and priorities change....as it has in your current situation. We offered you an opportunity to quitclaim your week back to the resort back in 2020. It isn't a process that is the norm in the industry, however it is something we offered our long term owners like you, as we understand that situations in life do change. With that offer, we also agreed to freeze your account so that you aren't responsible for any assessments after accepting your quitclaim. We have a list of owners like yourself who have submitted quitclaim request like yours, prior to yours, thus we need to go in order of acceptance. It is an arduous process as not every owner will qualify, and those that do, once we approach their name on the list, will have to go through a closing process because it is a deeded week...much like real estate. COVID certainly didn't help with that situation as we were extremely limited in staff, especially in the ********************** We haven't put your request on the "backburner" as you've indicated...we just need the time to process the ones that have submitted their claim prior to yours. It may not be reasonable for you, but that is being fair to others. Until such time, we still haven't assessed you, and have no intention of doing so other than the required fees that are levied for all quitclaim requests. 

  I hope this sheds some light on the process and again, we thank you for continued patience. 

   

• Initial Complaint

  11/10/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I am submitting this complaint as I have exhausted all communication with the company directly.I have sent so many emails to this company with absolutely no response. I have paid all my money owed to this company and now need to separate myself from this timeshare. I am unable to travel due to medical issues with my back and hips. I cannot continue to pay the rising fees associated with this company and timeshare. I have asked over and over for my request for cancellation to be reviewed with no response. I did, however, of course, receive my next **** from them. Its impossible to sell or even give this away. WIth my situation and my experience and treatment from Imperial Hawaii Resorts, I need someone to send me information for cancellation as soon as possible.

• Initial Complaint

  10/26/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We have been trying to contact Imperial Hawaii Resort in regards to getting our timeshare contract cancelled, but they dont reply at all. In our opinion we were conned and deceived by high-pressure sales persons into buying our timeshare. For example, we were told during the timeshare sales presentation that we would be able to rent it out if we did not use our week one year, but they failed to explain that it was such a burdennearly impracticalto get someone to rent it. Also, they mentioned that it would be something great to pass on to our kids but did not let us know there would be ever-increasing yearly maintenance fees with no bounds. We do not want our daughter, who lives on a modest income, to have to inherit that financial burden when we pass. Over the years, as the annual maintenance fees have soared, we have been forced to borrow money to pay the fees, yet we cannot afford to travel to Hawaii to use the timeshare. We are now old and retired, living on a lower fixed-income, and have moved to Kentucky (from ******, which was much closer to Hawaii). We need to know what options we have in getting out of this timeshare and having the Imperial take it back. We can no longer pay for this financial burden. Please assist us in getting a response from Imperial Hawaii Resorts. ***** and ***************************

  Business response

  10/29/2021

  Aloha ******* Ohana, 

  Mahalo for your inquiry regarding your timeshare unit with the Imperial Hawaii Vacation Club. I am sorry to hear you feel that you were "conned" into purchasing the week with us. Looking into your account, you have owned this for quite some time, dating back to at least ****. With that said, I also noticed there was very little activity with your week over the years...having only used it a few times...****, 2009, and 2012. I'm not sure what the reasoning is behind your limited use, but I am assuming that in your message, it had to do with renting it out as well as the elevated costs in traveling to Hawaii.

  I'm not sure what you were told upon purchasing it back then, but I can assure you that the Imperial Hawaii Resort runs a legitimate, streamlined business, and there is nothing deceptive in the way our operations are run. Your inability to rent out your unit is not something I fully understand as many Owners like yourself have had success in doing so. If fact, we have many Owners who own multiple weeks who rent their units out every year without issue. Others have joined exchange companies which allow them to travel to other destinations other than Hawaii...places that are much closer and less expensive. I do sympathize with you on costs as Hawaii in general is a far and expensive destination. Our Maintenance fees do go up incrementally year over year and much of that calculation is based on overall costs of living and running a business in Hawaii. While I would like nothing more than to not levy any Maintenance fees to any of our Owners, that simply isn't feasible from a business standpoint especially in Hawaii. We do however put great effort in trying to keep Maintenance fees as low as possible as we do recognize the that it is important to keep our Owners invested in returning to the resort, but at the same time, sympathizing with them over the ever increasing costs here in Hawaii. 

  I am not sure who you tried to contact here at the resort trying to exit your timeshare as there are no notes of any conversations regarding your wishes on your account. Regardless of that, I am sorry to hear that your efforts have gone unanswered either way. We have your number on file. I will contact you directly to assist you in your options relative to your requests. Again, I thank you for your message here and we will be in contact. 

   

  *************************

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