[Kaumad]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

That said, you have not replied to my pricing thing. One question. If you were not a Club Mahindra member, and stayed in similar properties, would you be paying more if you did your vacation year after year?
Please do the math.
I did the math and Club Mahindra worked out to be frightfully expensive as compared to doing it on our own.

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

If it is indeed important to stay at a Club Mahindra property, one can simply book in advance as a guest through multiple online hotel sites (Expedia, Makemytrip, Travelguru etc.), and bank the lumpsum membership fee as well as the annual service fee that are to be paid otherwise. You can stay for 2 days, 1 week, or even 2 weeks. It still works out cheaper than being a member.

Guys, I told you I am really bad at math and I concede defeat up-front if you start throwing numbers at me

My only idea was to say something nice about Club M and the good experience we have had so far. And no, I am not associated with Club M in any which way - to make it clear.

If this is going to turn out to be a number-crunching this versus that, I will back out happily!

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Kaumad

My only idea was to say something nice about Club M and the good experience we have had so far.

Thats the point. You can still go to Club Mahindra and have that good experience without being a member. Why pay for that membership and get restricted?

We dont need to do number crunching, but we surely do a 10000 feet analysis of our finances (I am sorry if I sounded rude). Only point I dont understand is: if that first order analysis is so obvious, how come this business model survives and flourishes?

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by ampere

...if that first order analysis is so obvious, how come this business model survives and flourishes?

Is it that obvious?

Aggressive marketing, false promises, and the prospect of a new sucker being born every minute in this country helps this business model flourish! And now Country Club etc. are scrambling for a share of the pie too.

How many know that CM rooms can be reserved even without being a member?

Originally Posted by Kaumad

Guys, I told you I am really bad at math and I concede defeat up-front if you start throwing numbers at me
If this is going to turn out to be a number-crunching this versus that, I will back out happily!

So continue to grin and bear the hit on your pocket, or find someone to sell your membership to!

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

People who are members of Club Mahindra grin and bear with the costs...

[ani_meher]

Time share schemes, especially when the unused hotel nights are not redeemable, are great for losing big money fast. PAN card club has such schemes for many years, but they repay the unused nights with CAGR of some 10+ %. However, the Club M and other schemes are just schemes to lure unknowing 'non-number-crunching' public, with no way out.

Coupled with their calls that promise this and that, just to go to their office and listen to their corporate crap, I have a good amount of disdain for such places, and NEVER recommend it to anyone.

BTW, this thread should have poll, so that the community decision is easily conveyed.

[drsingh]

After going through details on country club websites , we have realised that over a thirty period my buddy would have to pay at least 4 lac rupees. Only for hotel room expenses.

He was falsely told that my friend and his parents can go as three adults instead of 2adults +2 kids.

Falsely told that 4* and 5* facilities will be provided where ever he chooses to go.I don't think all properties and tie ups are 4*5* properties.

Pick up and drop facility - extra charges.

Was falsely told that kitchen/ cooking facilities available to cook own food.outside food is not allowed at these facilities as per website.

' Free 'travel voucher is not free,4k administrative charges to be paid in India, more outside.

Free air tickets will be provided later. these too come with admin fee of 2k

Air tickets valid for 6 months only again st 1 year as advised by sales staff.

Annual maintenance charges are presently 7.5 k which will increase as per inflation.

Falsely told AMC charges are 5k. This is on lumpsum extra payment for 15 years.

Credit card swiped before paperwork.

No receipt given,no membership id given.to be mailed after 30 days.

The worst thing was that a female senior citizen was the target of the 'sales force' attack.' Your mother has mostly 10 years of active life, gift her holidays as a good son' . Brainwashing for three hours!

Promised lucky draw prizes were a useless 'free vacation voucher' and a plastic microwave bowl set instead of a 'dinner set'

Another thing which angers me is that their SA who haunts the big bazaar parking for user details begged his mom to sign up for 'lucky draw coupon' because 'meri naukari ka sawaal hai'

My friend was emotionally blackmailed into being a 'good son' and defrauded .his queries were not entertained as ' office time is over sir'.
Your papers will reach at home.

He was given agreement papers one of which he signed .and we have gone through the fine print and its ridiculously one sided!

I have advised him to stop EMI payment.but I don't know if that's possible. Any pointers?

[JohnyBoy]

The math doesn't justify 'investing' in such memberships. Also the one sides fine print clauses. I would not buy the membership nor allow any of my family or friends to buy.

But if some one is happy and enjoying it, let him be. Don't try to make him feel bad or look like a fool (for paying more on the membership etc). He is not. May be without the membership, he might not have planned any vacation and wouldn't have gone anywhere. The memberships, especially if you are paying EMI, 'forces' you to take vacations. For some, this may be a good thing.

Originally Posted by Kaumad

...My only idea was to say something nice about Club M and the good experience we have had so far. And no, I am not associated with Club M in any which way - to make it clear.

If this is going to turn out to be a number-crunching this versus that, I will back out happily!

Kaumad, enjoy your CM holidays. Life is not always to be measured on numbers and how much money you could have saved. The happiness in your daughter's face when vacationing at CM resorts is more valuable than any of this.

[travelwriter]

I have stayed in CM property in Goa. I am not a member. I went once on a free voucher that I got because I listened patiently to their sales spiel and the other voucher, I got as a gift from a member.

My take on the facilities and the location is this. CM properties are generally self-sufficient. Hence, the holidays are worth it if you are looking to take a break from the world, so to speak. if you plan sight-seeing, then CM Goa is not a good choice. Food and amenities are priced steeper than expected.

Now the membership fees. It makes no sense to plonk in such a huge amount. This membership is worth it only if you go on two vacations a year and at least one international vacation every two years. Only then you can break even in 8 to 10 years.

Not worth it for an occasional 5-star holidayer like me

[msdivy]

There is big credibility on booking a place of choice when required. Even if the CM/CV maintain their promise, flexibility takes a hit.

1) I am interested in local sight seeing, so I want to stay in town X. I am interested in relaxing, so I want to stay away from town X. I can't have both if I am member.

2) I want budget vacation in town Y. Sometimes I want to stay in best accommodation in same town Y. I can't have both if I am member.

3) Sometimes I travel with only family. Sometimes I travel with family & friends, who may not be members. My options are restricted if I am member & I don't want to look like salesman of CM/CV while planning a vacation.

4) CM/CV say that I can sell or rent my holidays. So, if I don't use my holidays, it will be a task for me to scout for prospects and I wouldn't like it because I am not in the business of selling holidays.

Inspite of all these, I decided to consider their plans & accepted their gift vouchers. Though I vacationed, I couldn't use their gift vouchers in 1 year they were valid for (at any of *their* places in India or International). So their holiday plans are useless for me.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by drsingh

After going through details on country club websites...
I have advised him to stop EMI payment.but I don't know if that's possible. Any pointers?

Don't know the rules about Country Club, but Club Mahindra has a clause about giving you full refund if you express a written intention to cancel your membership within 10 days of signing up. However, their welcome package usually arrives much later than 10 days after you sign up (where you get to read the one-sided fine print), and by that time it is too late to get all your money back. Also, they can be quite mean about trying to wriggle out of refunding your money - they don't respond to your communications at all.

At the time that Club Mahindra went public in 2008, their red herring prospectus mentioned that they have 51 consumer suits worth over Rs.56 lakhs pending against them, and criminal proceedings under Section 420 of the IPC pending in the Supreme Court against MHRIL's MD and other. The numbers today ought to have climbed much higher.

In case your friend has contracted to pay his EMIs through his credit card, ask him to cancel and block the card when he cancels his membership. CM tried this with me - they tried to collect the second EMI after one month even though I had initiated proceedings to cancel my membership well before that, but fortunately, since my card was cancelled and blocked, they did not manage to collect the money.

[luvurride]

My take on this:

1. Go only for a reputed company that manages the properties professionally.
2. It works for people who are at the comfort of calling their own shots on the vacation dates. For instance, we plan our vacations usually in less than 2 weeks and it really helps.
3. The above point will be supplemented well if you are capable of taking vacation during off-seasons.
4. It is much more VFM if you invest during the early days of the scheme as it will make you realize your investment pretty soon. So the rest of your holidays are pretty much free.
5. Their F&B are ridiculously priced as that's where they make their profits.

[sandeep joshi]

I still not understand why people don’t type Club mahindra or country club in google ?
There are thousands of complaints, bad reviews, fraud stories appear on the first page of google if you type country club
Inspite of internet available on mobile phones , how come people sign the deal without Googling , without reading review on net ? Very strange .
Even if we want to for a holiday for 2 days, many of us read reviews on "Tripadvioser" for that hotel.
At least those which are in IT , read reviews about hotels before booking , how come anybody book a holiday for entire lifetime without reading reviews ?

[vineet_k21]

There's another variable when it comes to holidays - the travel part. While acco expenses are a significant factor, the travel costs are equal if not more. It's very difficult to strike a balance between a good travel deal (read flights esp. for far-off destimations incl. foreign locations) and room availability at these resorts.

I voted for "not sure" but I'm more inclined to "no way"!

[vineet_k21]

Originally Posted by v&v

Jaksons,
There is another side to too, the way they generate sales is giving them negative marking for instance ,

You visit to Big bazaar or any other mall , Once can find guys with a small coupon stating that you will this form , you may get free holidays for 2 nights! Then these guys will call you and try to enforce you too buy the membership.

Yeah I agree. Any sales person who tries to force his/her way just puts me off. The very first question these guys roaming in Big-Bazaar ask is "sir which car do you own/drive?"

This marketing goes completly against all the lessons learnt during MBA

[Jignesh]

Hello All,

Though I opted for not sure option, but in back of my mind I have never liked the idea of joining one of these time share holiday plans.

My quick take on these clubs - Most of the hotel facilities though good & self sufficient, are based in remote site at a particular location (e.g. Club Mahindra in Goa). Thus accessing other places of interest in that location will a task.
Also say you have planned to visit couple of places while on a 7 day holiday, particular Club may not have accomodation facilities in all these places.

Also for both husband & wife working it is always difficult to plan holidays three or four months in advance. Further if someone has school going kids, they have to go for holidays in peak vacation seasons when the rooms in these clubs may already have been booked. On going through some blogs online, I read that for many people these yearly plans go unused due to non-availability of rooms when required. Infact someone has presented a analysis where almost 40% of people could not used these facilities every year.

If someone can manage to plan holidays 3 / 4 months in advance, then he / she do not need be member of any club, because they can anways get great deals while booking directly well in advance.

Thanks,

[v&v]

One important factor to consider is the category of membership you opt too. Most of the guys buy the basic or the lowest one as 90% of them are trapped by the sales guys. So you will not get reservation if not booked at least 4-5 months in advance.

Eg
CM has Pink, Red , White & Blue membership levels. IMO 80% of the crowd will be in Blue & White. Dec - Jan, May-June, Oct (Diwali) are peak seasons, hence Blue & White has limited booking access. So all these guys will have to plan their holidays well in advance to get a booking. As for Pink and Red, they get the preference for the above said season.

My advise is to go for time share like CM or CC only on their top category which will ensure booking every season. Also time share is good option for international holidays like CM has tie-up with RCI which also have some real good properties to stay at a very nominal cost.