‘I want out of this travel club but they say ‘no’ ’
The ink on the contract wasn’t even dry and Palladium refused to issue his refund
QMy husband and I recently stayed at the Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort & Spa in Montego Bay, Jamaica. While there, we attended a presentation for the Palladium Travel Club, which offers access to other Palladium resorts. We signed a contract and paid $1,540 for our membership.
After coming back to our room and analyzing the paperwork, we realized this is not an investment that benefits our family. So we decided to cancel.
I contacted the Palladium Travel Club while I was still at the resort. But a representative told me that I could not cancel because the contract says I can’t cancel. I just got news last night that my company is closing, so I truly need to cancel this ASAP. I can’t afford this, financially. I need Palladium cancellation help. — Esmeralda Nicolescu,
Laval, Canada
AI’m sorry about the loss of your job and the difficulties you’ve been having with canceling your Palladium Travel Club membership.
Most travel-club contracts have a cooling-off period that allows you to cancel within a certain period of time. It’s unclear what your contract allowed or whether you were within that period. But, in reviewing the correspondence between you and Palladium, it appears that you missed that short window to cancel. That’s why you need Palladium cancellation help.
Your case is a reminder to pay close attention to the details in your sales presentation and review the contract carefully before you sign. Don’t wait until after you’re back in your room, or back from vacation, to have second thoughts.
People often ask me about travel clubs, and whether they’re worth the money. I usually tell them the only legitimate travel club is AAA. But let me expand on that answer. I’m not a fan of the high-pressure sales tactics used by virtually all travel clubs. I think travel companies hurt themselves when they market their products in this way. They may make short-term gains, but they will alienate many customers over the long term.
Palladium’s description of its travel club on its site is vague, and I couldn’t find a sample contract. To me, those are warning signs that something might be amiss. You could have reached out to one of the Palladium executive contacts in this case; I list their names, numbers and email addresses on my consumer-advocacy site: elliott. org/company-contacts/palladium-travel-club/. You also might have called your credit card for Palladium cancellation help and initiated a dispute if all else failed.
I contacted Palladium on your behalf. A representative described your situation as a “misunderstanding” and told me the company isn’t trying to trick anyone into buying or keeping a club membership. “Our goal is to have happy members in our family,” he told me. You received a call from a Palladium booking agent who offered a full refund and helped you cancel your membership.
Christopher Elliott’s latest book is “How To Be The World’s Smartest Traveler” (National Geographic). You can get real-time answers to any consumer question on his forum, elliott.org/forum, or by emailing him at chris@ elliott.org.