I have taken a 3 years menbership from Highland Holiday Homes in october last 2006. I got a call from a telephone executive of highland holiday homes saying that I am amoung the lucky 25 chosen from a lucky draw for a 2 days- 3 night free stay in there resort and an **exclusive membership at especial rate.
Lured by the offer I visited there office at Manipal centre in bangalore. They explained me the special offer that was as follows:-
1)3yrs discounted membership at Rs 19000, further discounted to 17000 if I make a payment through credit card.
2)7 days stay at any of there resorts+ affiliated resorts with 5 star service by paying **450 per suite
and each suit can **accomodate 4 person.
3) **Rs 450 paid includes pickup and drop sight seeing complimentry break fast.
4)Can use all services at company affiliated resorts and clubs( that include country club) in the city by producing a membership card that is provided by them for free **. Each card can enter 4 people.
5) Can sell the allocated holidays back to compny any time and compny pays 1500 per day for the left days in the year.
Lured by the above offer I joined the club by paying 17000 through credit card, but when I started using the service I got to know the reality.
1) The service at there resorts was below any standards of an ordinary hotel.
2) What they call suite is a bedroom with a double bed and an attached small room with a single bed. They expect 4 adults to sleep on a double bed. Since we were 6 adults we had booked 2 suits.
*what we got was single suit( as per normal specification) having 2 bedrooms with double bed and a hall connecting them having a single bed. I had to sleep on the ground as the people in resort said this is what they have booked for us.
3) There was no complimentry breakfast, no pickup and drop, and no sight seeing.
4) when I visited country club with the membership card, they said I have to pay for every service I use there.
5) when I came back and complained in there office, they denied all the offers they had made and an excecutive( named aisha) behaved very rudely. Actually I got my bills and there tarrif sheet from there resorts that clearly claimed that what they charge from member is very high as per there tarrif sheet. when I went second time aisha claimed that the person whome I gave those sheets has meet with an accident and left the job(heights of marketing stratigy).
Troubled by everything when I opted to sell my holidays, she brought a clause that **i cant sell it before sept this year.
*Strong advice to everyone, never get in a trap like this.