Vacation Hub International - Stay Away!!

Member 502682. On 27/02/2018 we attended a presentation at Protea Hotel Centurion, after receiving an invitation from the Horizon Group. The sales representative Clement Arendse guaranteed an income from our timeshare with RCI and Vacation Club by selling for instance bonus breaks, which would pay for the membership. We signed the agreement and had to sign consent for right of use of these memberships. We paid a deposit of R14399. When we got home, the agreement clearly stated that “VHI or the Service Provider does not in any way guarantee that any income will be derived from this Travel Consolidator Option”. It was clear that Clement’s promises were false and completely unrealistic and we also have serious doubts whether VHI have the international network as claimed, to sell the bonus breaks. Clement would not give any contact number and after the sale disappeared. We afterwards found out that it is not allowed to sell the vacation ownership to a third party. The following day, 28/02/2018 we decided to cancel the agreement, only to find out that it could only be done at their address in Somerset-West (clause 22) and had to be done within five business days. The cancellation letter was send with a courier to the address and was received by Nadjezchda on 2/03/2018. This clause is clearly a tactic to make it difficult for anyone to cancel within the five days. Further proof of this is that when their office was phoned on 28/02/2018, the receptionist Najefta said that the cancellation could only be processed once the agreement is received and she refused to transfer the call to the admin department. A fax number and email address also appears on the agreement and the cancellation was also send to both on 28/02/2018. This is the same address where the office is but this kind of communication is not accepted, although the CPA regard it is sufficient. On 28/02/2018 phoned again and spoke to Rozelle Van Wyk and a Manager Elsabe Labuschagne, in the admin department to inform them about the cancellation. Rozelle refused to answer any questions related to the cancellation or contract. Both of them agreed that there was no cancellation fee if cancelled within five days. On 1/03/2018 we telephonically submitted the tracker parcel reference number of the courier to Elsabe and she said that she will inform us once the cancellation is received, which did not happen. Was also told by Elsabe to send an email to VHI email on agreement but never received any feedback. On 2/03/2018 contacted Elsabe to find out about status of the cancellation but she said will phone back in 30 minutes which did not happen. On 6/03/2018 phoned again and was told that Elsabe works with the file and only she can assist but she is not available. Left a message for her but she did not phone back. On 8/03/2018 phoned again and again left a message for Elsabe to phone back. Spoke to Sandra and was told that there is no upload on the system w.r.t. the process of the cancellation. Was also told by her that they have no yet received the agreement that was posted to them on 28/02/2018. This is just further proof of the questionable way in which they go about doing business. If we have waited for them to receive the agreement as advised on 28/02/2018, and only then cancelled, the five day period would have expired and fees or penalties will then have to be paid. It is clear that this is just another way of making money out of innocent customers. What is of great concern, how is it possible that they have not yet received the agreement after 11 days. Elsabe phoned back on 8/03/2018, left a voicemail saying that they have received my cancellation. This is totally unacceptable as they have already received the cancellation on 2/03/2018 and this means in 6 days they have done nothing to process the cancellation. If the refund is not paid within the 15 day period as prescribed by the Consumer Protection Act, a formal complaint will be laid with the CPA. Are also looking at finding the Regulator of this Industry to lodge a complaint, as this company clearly needs to be investigated.