A COUPLE that was slapped with a surprise $55,000 bill after renting a vacation property has claimed they were taken advantage of by a dirty deal.
Joseph and Sandy Parks had no idea they would lose a fortune when they signed the dotted line on a lengthy, confusing agreement.
For decades, the elderly couple has rented a timeshare at the Sea Club IV Resort in Daytona Beach Shores, Florida.
They inherited the room from their parents and paid off their annual week of residence years ago, they told ABC affiliate WSB-TV.
Sandy said they especially loved the deal when they had younger kids and didn’t have as much money to spend on vacations.
The pair planned to keep their agreement in Daytona Beach for the long term until two sales representatives from Capital Vacations Resorts presented them with an interesting proposition.
In a drawn-out and confusing pitch, the salesmen explained a new system in which customers can exchange their current timeshare for a point system.
Instead of having one week in the same room, they could collect points throughout the year and spend them on a variety of Capital Vacations Resorts
“They made it sound like this is great,” Sandy said.
“You know, you’re just switching your week to points.”
Joseph and Sandy said they had difficulty following all the finer details and felt pressured to sign documents as soon as possible.
But the deal sounded seamless, so they agreed to sign up on the spot.
Weeks later, the couple got a bill in the mail that made them regret ever taking the meeting with Capital Vacations Resorts.
According to the bill, the couple had agreed to purchase additional timeshares that cost a massive $55,000.
Sandy insisted that they had never talked about pricing with the salespeople in the agreement and alleged that they had reported incomes that were significantly higher than what she truly earned.
The salesmen allegedly used the false income numbers to apply for credit cards on their behalf so they could start making payments.
Sandy said the agreement she signed was 27 pages long, and she wants her story to serve as a warning to others.
“I don’t know how they could live with themselves,” Sandy said.
“I don’t know how they could sleep at night doing this to people.”
In a statement to WSB TV, Capital Vacations Resorts said it has no comment at this time.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to them for any updates.
Another couple who went on a complimentary cruise was left in absolute shock when they were hit with a $47,000 bill.
