DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Fla. — An elderly central Florida couple claims they were duped by a major timeshare company and ended up with a surprise bill for more than $50,000.
Do you have a consumer complaint or need help from Jeff Deal and Action 9? Click the banner below to submit a tip.
They turned to Consumer Advisor Clark Howard and Action 9 Consumer Investigator Jeff Deal to bring attention to the issue. They said they had no idea they were buying new timeshares and didn’t think the deal they signed would cost them anything.
With sunshine and fresh air, the Sea Club IV Resort in Daytona Beach Shores was the perfect place for Sandy and Joseph “George” Parks to enjoy their timeshare that was originally bought by Sandy Parks’ parents decades ago and it was fully paid for.
Sandy Parks said, “We actually enjoyed it back when we had no money to take the kids on vacation, they would give us their week.”
‘They didn’t protect my property’: Woman’s car stolen at off-site airport parking lot
Even now in their golden years, they still enjoyed it. So, they were intrigued when two men from Capital Vacations suggested a change.
According to the Parks, they were told they could trade out their week for points. It would be a move that would offer more options and flexibility to check out other Capital Vacations resorts.
“They made it sound like this is great. You know, you’re just switching your week to points,” Sandy Parks said.
‘The worst nightmare’: Homeowner claims solar panels don’t work
Sandy and Joseph said they were bombarded with information and despite a lengthy presentation, they were pressured to sign documents quickly. But they said the salespeople didn’t mention there would be any extra cost involved.
It wasn’t until weeks later, a surprise bill arrived that made them take another look at their contract. It turns out it was to purchase additional timeshares for more than $55,000.
“And we about fell out of our seat. We could not believe it,” Sandy Parks told Action 9 Consumer Investigator Jeff Deal.
Not only that, they also claim the sales agents entered false income information to make it appear as if they made more money than they do in order to get them qualified for credit cards to start paying on their new timeshares.
Capital Vacations gets just over a one-star rating on Yelp. We saw several reviews with warnings about dealing with Capital Vacations.
One person wrote, “they will FLAT OUT LIE to you.”
Another reviewer wrote, “Horrible. Liars. Do not trust capital vacations... they will lie and tell you anything to get you to buy.”
Someone else wrote, “Their salespeople are deceitful and their contract does not align with what was verbally promised.”
We took the consumer concerns in these types of posts and concerns from the Parks to Capital Vacations.
The company wrote in an email, “Thank you for reaching out regarding this matter. At this time, we do not have a comment. However, should something change, we will reach out. Thank you.”
‘We have unauthorized charges here’: Scammers use fake QR codes to steal money and personal info
That leaves the Parks stuck with a $55,000 they said they can’t afford, and they believe Capital Vacations took advantage of their trust and their age.
“I don’t know how they could live with themselves. I don’t know how they could sleep at night doing this to people,” Sandy Parks said.
It’s important for consumers to read and understand everything they are signing especially if it’s a timeshare contract that’s dozens of pages long.
©2025 Cox Media Group
