Dear Team
Member Name: Aparna Shankarraman
Ref.: CCDL12V10LW9626
Registration Date: 10-09
Registration done at Aquamarine Aroma Hotel, Sector 22, Chandigarh
Membership City: Delhi
Nature of membership: White studio
I received a call from Country Club Delhi on 9th September stating that they are celebrating their anniversary at Aroma Hotel, Chandigarh and I was entitled to a lucky draw of free stay at any of their resorts. The caller called us many times to confirm time of visit and also followed through till I reached the venue. When I reached there, I saw that there was no such function but some group of people sitting in various tables and were attended by the sales people of Country Club. They introduced themselves as sales officials of Country Club India Ltd, hereafter known as CCIL. They gave a presentation about their resort, mesmerised us and showed us a green picture of many of their resorts. We were impressed and since we wanted to take our parents abroad, we thought this might help us in making our parents feel happy.
We expressed our doubts to be able to utilise the offer now as our baby was just 3 months old and it was difficult to travel with an infant. The sales person informed us that it was not a problem and we had the option of carry forward of holidays which could be utilised within next seven years. We agreed to take up the membership and paid Rs70000/-. The AMC was decided at Rs6500/- and the initial year AMC waived off.
However, my husband received a transfer order next day and I also read about the country club reviews in the websites and immediately called the sales executive who had sold the membership to us. He refused any kind of refund and told us that we could use the holidays while we were based abroad. I talked to their Sales Head at Chandigarh and he also assured of best services and he told us not to have any doubts about the club. We could not utilise any of the holidays till June. However, we tried booking a resort of our choice since August and we have been unable to do so due to lack of clarity of information in the call centre staff, mis guidance by the county club offices and unavailability of slots most of the times.
They have made me run up and down all through without any result and I need to waste STD calls even for small problems. I need to waste a lot of time and money running after CCIL without any benefit. I have followed up for refund of money through their call centre, Chandigarh offices at Sector 9and Aroma Hotel and even the Delhi office but of no use. I have sent a mail to their [email protected]. However, no one bothers to respond at CCIL. Let me list some of the major problems faced by me with CCIL:
• Carry-forward of unutilised holidays and complimentary holidays
1. The holidays which were not utilised during 12 expired and I had to call the Hyderabad call centre innumerable times, argue with them and then they carried forward the holiday to 2021-22. They have made me pay an additional AMC indirectly in 2021-22 as my membership ends in 21.
2. I lodged an online complaint for the carry forward year and the response was: As per the company norms we can carry forward the holidays like this which is there in your account but if you want any booking then that time you can let us know we will do that or for more details contact to 040-44610100/66533764.
I have been promised assistance in utilising the carry forward year while booking holidays but when I approached the call centre to book the holidays for 2 rooms using the holiday weeks of both years, they told me that they would use only the advance year of 14 and not the carry forward holiday week.
3. The Hyderabad call centre assures me that their senior would call for resolution of problems but no one has called me since 11th September. The Delhi office executive talks to me as if I contact him for the first time during every instance.
4. I was allotted two set of complimentary holidays on payment of AMC through online mode. However, I told them to provide me the holidays in November and December which was agreed by the staff following up for payment but the online system reflects AMC valid up to October3.
I called the Delhi office and also the Hyderabad call centre but with no solution. They all agree to extend the date but it is never effected in the system. I visited the Chandigarh office of CCIL and the sales head promised to get it done. Three days have passed with no action. I now received a call from the Delhi CCIL that they would extend the holiday whenever I wished to book holidays. I asked them to provide in writing but nothing received as yet.
5. The sales head at Chandigarh informed me that the carry forward holidays can be utilised only in the subsequent year and not for seven years as promised by his sales executive.
• Membership of Delhi CCIL when booking done at Chandigarh
I was allotted the membership at Aroma Hotel, Chandigarh. The sales person promised that they would open an office at Chandigarh and could get all queries resolved in a face to face manner. I saw the opening of Chandigarh CCIL in their website and approached them. They did not help me on any account stating that I had taken the membership through their DSA and that they could not help me. Any queries had to be addressed through their DSA only.
The DSA in turn, expressed inability to resolve any queries as it was only a sales unit. They forwarded all issues to Delhi, however, Delhi response is pathetic and totally unprofessional nature.
I asked for change of membership city to Chandigarh as I had taken the initial membership at Chandigarh but was refused stating that it is not possible.
The USP of CCIL is: Everyone assures of service but no one actually services a customer.
• False communication at the time of membership
I was shown images of CCIL resorts at Shimla, Manali, Dubai and were promised that we could utilise their facilities at any week. It was only the affiliated properties which were booked through the DAE live system that had to be paid Rs6000 in India and Rs12000 in international travel. Even false information that hotels like Udaipur Palace came under the affiliates of CCIL came to light when I searched the DAE live site for booking and availability status.
They advertise having new resorts at Nainital, Auli, Bhimtal but they are all associated properties.
Now, Hyderabad call centre and other offices at Delhi and Chandigarh claim that associated properties need to be paid like affiliated properties. In that case, all tourist locations of Shimla, Manali, Nainital, Auli, Bhimtal, Dubai need to be paid before stay.
I don’t understand the need to pay the subscription amount of Rs.70000 and the AMC of Rs8244 for the current year when I need to pay for most of the tourist locations.
• Mis-communication during the course of membership
1. The online system of booking shows all dates for Nainital, Auli, Bhimtal as ‘Sold Out’ for four months. When I enquired about this with the Chandigarh office, they told me that these resorts could be booked only by sending a mail to the reservation department as the availability status of these places cannot be displayed online. That means, the online system shows false status just to mislead the customers.
2. A call centre executive informs the utility charge to be paid at Shimla resort as Rs500/- and some other executive informs Rs700/-.
3. The call centre staff was not aware of the type of room to be allotted in their associated property at Shimla and asked me to contact the local office to confirm this. When I contacted the Chandigarh CCIL office at Sector 9, Chandigarh, they asked me to visit their office to get the booking done and payment of utility charges also at their office premises itself. They assured us that they would get the room booked at our preferred date even if the system showed non-availability status.
When I visited the CCIL Chandigarh office the next day, everyone feigns ignorance of having received any call for clarification and even the receptionist kept quiet. They told us that they could not help us as our membership was of Delhi and also because we had taken through their DSA. The Shimla property was to be booked online and that we had to pay the money online or at the hotel. When we visited the system to book online, the dates were sold out and the Chandigarh CCIL office bluntly refused any assistance. When we argued about the assurance over phone, they stated that AMC department who are responsible for collection of dues would have communicated this and that they could not help us.
4. The Hyderabad call centre and Delhi CCIL confirms action on a certain issue over phone but no action is ever taken after that.
5. Food coupons worth Rs.500/- were promised through mail at the time of receipt of AMC but I have not yet received them even after several reminders on phone and online system.
6. Hyderabad call centre never gives a concrete solution and keeps the customer behind their back with false promises and diversions to local offices. The local offices in turn, claim that all action needs to be taken at Hyderabad. The customer is made to run pillar to post to address a query.
• Administration/ Subscription charges in AMC & non-receipt of any magazine/communication from Country Club India
I was informed about AMC of Rs.6500/- per annum. However, there is an element of admin/subscription charges of Rs.941/- added to the AMC amount which none of your executives have been able to clarify. One executive told me that it is the magazine charges. However, I have never received any magazine till date. If you claim to have despatched them, please show me the Proof of delivery of the magazine. I have asking for waiver of these charges not informed to me but in vain.
I have wasted a lot of time running between CCIL offices and making STD calls with no result till date. I have also not been able to book any holiday at my preferred location. This simply implies wastage of Rs70000+Rs8244 of AMC charges.
Please help me get the refund of membership fees and Annual Maintenance charges paid worth Rs.78244/- and save me mental tension, harassment, depression and wastage of further money.
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