TravelTalkOnline

Club O Refunds?

Posted By: PelicanPirate

Club O Refunds? - 12/31/2017 11:28 PM

Club O Facebook has a post from Bob indicating he has made a third request for a refund.

They indicate they are elderly and on fixed income and cant afford to donate their €500 deposit.

Im all for donations..........but im equally all for refunds.

The sporadic internet and bank access excuse after 4 months seems mighty thin especially when $100k plus was received from friends and distributed to the employees. How did they do that without bank access and internet?

And the chair/ beer concessions are running ( not sure if that is Club O or an adhoc group of employees).

Regardless, a deposit is a deposit and reserves should be kept every hurricane season to cough it back up if unable to deliver the goods.

For those who donated, good on ya. They could probably use some more.
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/01/2018 01:15 AM

I agree, if someone wants a refund, they should get it, it's plenty of time for a refund to be given.
Posted By: rpotter28

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/01/2018 04:44 AM

>> Club O Facebook has a post from Bob indicating he has made a third request for a refund.

My first thought is a total lack of details in your post. Was it their third request this week/month/year or?

Secondly, give Club O a break. There is a difference between a deposit not coming, and one that is delayed in
someone's opinion. A very reputable company that has suffered a catastrophic loss might not be the first out of
the gate to refund deposits, but as along as they do I am OK with that.

My 2 cents.
Posted By: astropilot

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/01/2018 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by rpotter28
>> Club O Facebook has a post from Bob indicating he has made a third request for a refund.

My first thought is a total lack of details in your post. Was it their third request this week/month/year or?

Secondly, give Club O a break. There is a difference between a deposit not coming, and one that is delayed in
someone's opinion. A very reputable company that has suffered a catastrophic loss might not be the first out of
the gate to refund deposits, but as along as they do I am OK with that.

My 2 cents.


Really? After nearly 4 months? Perhaps you can afford throw 500 euros down the drain, but like 'Bob' I would want my monies back. Quit frankly, with the lack of communications, or efforts to clean up the property, let alone starting to rebuild - and no I don't consider the perch light and a few scavenged chairs to be rebuilding - I seriously doubt they'll ever be back.

Just my $0.02 worth...
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/01/2018 01:28 PM

I agree, four months is long enough. I have no idea whether they will be rebuilding or not. I assume so. But four months is too much to wait for a refund.
Posted By: Biturbo

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/01/2018 04:36 PM

We also agree. We had made 2 separate deposits, one each at Clubs Orient & Fantastico. Chloe emailed my wife saying that the deposit had been refunded - we would have been okay with it being applied to our next stay (sometime in '18). CO had posted a month ago that they would be able to start refunds, but nothing forthcoming yet. When we knew that our Nov. SXM trip was kaput, we decided we would go to Curacao and could certainly use that refund. We'd even be happy to donate a portion of it to the employee fund, but can't afford the entire 500E.
Posted By: irish1223

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/02/2018 01:04 AM

We finally received our refund via international wire transfer on December 22. At first, for several months, we just received the standard email from Club O stating that they were currently closed. I then emailed Florence directly at reservations@cluborient.com on December 8 and heard back from her on December 12 that they were finally able to begin refunding deposits. Once I gave her all the requested bank information for a wire transfer (on December 19), we received the refund directly into our bank account several days later on the 22nd. You might want to try the above email address to contact Florence directly.
Posted By: Maria_and_Steve

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/03/2018 01:55 PM

We have requested a refund 4 times from Club Orient. The first request was 2 weeks after the hurricane and then 1 request was sent each month since then with the latest being on January 2, 2018. We have received no reply from Club Orient for a refund of our deposit of 500 Euros. We sent the Club O receipt each time to verify our deposit and still no reply.

Club Orient is now acting irresponsibly toward their customers by not even replying to a request for a refund. We have stayed at Club O for over 15 years and now we are not very impressed by the resort, to say the least.
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/03/2018 02:23 PM

Sorry to hear that. Did you try what Robin and Ed suggested above? I agree this is not acceptable at all.
Posted By: Maria_and_Steve

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/03/2018 02:51 PM

Yes, sent two emails to Florence at reservations@cluborient.com with no response whatsoever. Not good.
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/03/2018 03:28 PM

OK, sure hope you get some satisfaction soon..
Posted By: RABBY

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/03/2018 04:00 PM

We've been trying unsuccessfully also to obtain our deposit refund. We only receive the standard email reply. We've been going to Club O for over thirty years. A resort such as this should have the means, in the event of a catastrophe such as Irma, to refund people's deposit after a reasonable amount of time. They posted on their FB page, weeks ago, that they now have internet access, etc. This is just plain irresponsible now. We have an alternate vacation planned for March and we certainly could use the deposit money for that trip. My husband is retired, and we don't have an unlimited amount of vacation dollars. Today, I sent another email, received the same standard email reply, and will give it a few more days. This time, however, I used the reservations@cluborient.com address hoping for a better/quicker response. Initially, I thought we could donate a portion of that deposit to Club O, however, given their lack of responsibility, I have changed my mind.
Posted By: beachbum1313

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/03/2018 04:37 PM

I too, had but a deposit on a stay to Club O that was to be in October 2017. When Irma came in and destroyed everything in September, I waited a few weeks to let everything get settled down before sending documentation showing I had a pending reservation that was canceled due to Irma. I did receive an email back from them that they would have to wait on insurance and getting all their records before they could begin to refund to those that wanted refunds. I left it at that, and had not inquired about the refund anymore. I was proud of myself for being patient, but after a while, I got to thinking that maybe I was just going to have to write off ever receiving any of that deposit back. However, just last night, I did receive an email from Florence stating that they were beginning to start refunding deposits, and they wanted to confirm my name and address and then they would be refunding the money. I will see if it arrives, but at least they did contact me without me having to continually request the refund. I hope all others expecting a refund will receive what they are owed.
Posted By: RABBY

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/03/2018 04:41 PM

Thank you Wayne and Lynne. I will give it a bit more time!
Posted By: foreversxm

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/04/2018 01:20 AM

Under the extreme circumstances why would anybody think they could afford or able to refund? The property like so many others was almost totally destroyed and insurance companies are jerking and everybody around. Many hotels etc are just not able to refund until insurance kicks in and then they will be lucky if the get 25% of their claim. I'm Sure these room refunds are a pittance to what they have already lost and will never recover. I would not want to be in their shoes. The headache to deal with that plus pissed of guests. Travel insurance is widely available and cheap if you don't want to take the risk.
Posted By: SXMScubaman

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/04/2018 01:31 AM

As is business interuption insurance.. A refundable deposit is just that. Refundable.
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/04/2018 01:36 AM

Sorry, nope. No pass on this one. Club O was asking people to voluntarily donate their deposits to the Club, and then now you say that they shouldn't have to refund deposits?? These are unearned amounts, which should be refunded, period.
Posted By: BeachKitten

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/04/2018 02:27 AM

And deposits for future stays should not be your operating capital.
Posted By: JimCandD

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/04/2018 12:15 PM

We just sent an email to that address and got the response that they didn’t have internet access and so on. No matter what I wanted to do that put a stop sign up to communication. Wondering what to do now.
Posted By: ruralcarrier

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/04/2018 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by BeachKitten
And deposits for future stays should not be your operating capital.

Agreed, something sure seems amiss.
Posted By: boucharda

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/04/2018 12:19 PM

That doesn't excuse not responding to inquiries. An upfront response goes a long way
Posted By: RonDon

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/04/2018 12:27 PM

I emailed GCBC on Dec 16th for deposit refund. Received a credit against my credit card 2 days later. And they are also on the French side and subject to whatever banking restrictions in place. What's Club O's problem?
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/04/2018 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by JimCandD
We just sent an email to that address and got the response that they didn’t have internet access and so on. No matter what I wanted to do that put a stop sign up to communication. Wondering what to do now.


Gee, how do you RESPOND to an email and say you don't have email access?? crazy And that excuse works for maybe a couple weeks or a month. In that amount of time, you can do a work around and get access to email, if you WANT to. Looking at the current state of the property, as of January 1, in the video posted in that other thread. I really am thinking that they are not going to rebuild, which I never would have thought, in a million years.

I know there are some people here with some connections to owners. Any comments that anyone would care to make??
Posted By: astropilot

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/04/2018 04:24 PM

[quote=Carol_Hill Looking at the current state of the property, as of January 1, in the video posted in that other thread. I really am thinking that they are not going to rebuild, which I never would have thought, in a million years. [/quote]

I've saying that for some time now, and getting ripped for it (over on FB). If they rebuild it will surprise me... I hope i'm wrong, but I don't think I am.
Posted By: Biturbo

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/04/2018 04:36 PM

Hi, my wife Cleta (Rabby on here) was able to get a response from Florence. She said that she thought our "travel agent" said that we would contribute our deposit. I assume she was referring to Jim Ruos, although we never told him that. I accept that in all the confusion there could easily be a misunderstanding. Flo said that we would be put on "the list" for receiving a refund. On a related note: We were notified by our CC (Cap 1) that our Fantastico deposit refund has been applied. Merci, Chloe, and we will be returning in '18 - hopefully sooner than later.
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/04/2018 05:36 PM

You and I both know that Jim Ruos would NEVER in a million years tell them that, without your direction. Their credibility is slim and none. If you are on "the list" for a refund, it should be done, period..
Posted By: deputydog1157

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/04/2018 05:56 PM

As with any business, the bottom line is the almighty dollar. Granted there are some businesses that act responsibly to their customers but not all do. If Club O is holding on to the refunds longer, they gain the benefit of any interest it accrues. I would be willing to bet they are also waiting on the French Government to make ruling(s) on setbacks and construction standards along the waters edge before rebuilding, if that is even going to happen. If I owned Club O I would definitely want to know BEFORE I commit to spending millions on rebuilding only to have the government come in later and make me move or remove the structures I had already built. Based on comments from many it seems that the government of France is in no real hurry to assist Saint Martin. I agree it's wrong to keep any deposit that wasn't gifted and to do so might not be criminal in the country of France but it is at least immoral.
Posted By: PelicanPirate

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/04/2018 06:47 PM

I have 99.9% faith in Club O. I'm sure they are just conserving cash until insurance.

That said, customers have different levels of patience and some have run out of their allotment. I'd expect those requesting to be getting their refunds or a good response soon.

As for the rebuild, Club O is complicated, but the demand for their product is high, they are insured to some level and have loyal employees and customers.

I remember when inquiring about ownership, insuring the unit within the "group" was required.

The mess looks horrible, but nothing some heavy equipment can't clear out in short order. The question is what to build.

I think the future requires setback, elevation and concrete. It will be different raising things, but then again the units might get more breeze and more view. Handicap accessibility may become a factor. Perhaps sand buildup around the units, designed to wash away in the surge.

Anyway, I'm sure this thread has gotten their attention and I hope they rebuild ASAP.
Posted By: irish1223

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/04/2018 06:59 PM

Originally Posted by foreversxm
Under the extreme circumstances why would anybody think they could afford or able to refund? The property like so many others was almost totally destroyed and insurance companies are jerking and everybody around. Many hotels etc are just not able to refund until insurance kicks in and then they will be lucky if the get 25% of their claim. I'm Sure these room refunds are a pittance to what they have already lost and will never recover. I would not want to be in their shoes. The headache to deal with that plus pissed of guests. Travel insurance is widely available and cheap if you don't want to take the risk.


Oh, they can afford to refund deposits. No company should be using customer deposits as operating capital. Customers' REFUNDABLE deposits should be placed in an 'escrow'-type account upon receipt for just that reason. It really should have nothing to do with insurance companies or anything else. Club O is just jerking everyone around, and having to wait almost 4 months for a refund is inexcusable. If they have internet enough to know who donated their deposits and who didn't, then they have internet enough to respond directly to a refund request. Sending a computer-generated standard response form over and over for months on end is just wrong. We had booked our trip through Jim Ruos and initially contacted him regarding our refund. Unfortunately, he was in the same boat as the rest of us as far as getting any kind of decent response from Club O. He was the one who suggested we try contacting them directly at reservations@cluborient.com. No doubt they are a bit overwhelmed with emails at the moment, but that's not an excuse to not directly respond to their customers.

As far as travel insurance goes, we had that too and, in fact, initially tried to go that route when we weren't getting any response from Club O. The insurance company told us they could do nothing until Club Orient showed a response that they could not, or would not, refund anyone's deposit. So stuck in limbo yet again. Sorry, but there is no excuse for this type of delay any longer. Internet has been up and running. We just stayed persistent and kept emailing Florence until we received our refund - finally. We suggest you do the same.

Edited to add: this has little to do with patience either. Four months is a long time for most people. Not everyone can afford to lose 500 euros. Some of us booked other vacations in place of our Club O trip and could have used that money to do so. Sorry, this is wrong on so many levels.
Posted By: PhillynBill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/04/2018 08:38 PM

Hello,
I was told by Florence to send my bank info and it will be wired back to my account but then just received an email saying it will cost them a lot of money to do that so I was told it will be mailed to me.

well see,

Philly
Posted By: Packedready

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/04/2018 10:03 PM

We were booked at Club O in October after Luis hit. We were refunded without a request within 2 weeks. Understand, the Brinks felt a personal responsibility to all of their guests that were booked. American refunded us with no problem. We know Irma was a more damaging hurricane than Luis, but Club O was still badly damaged by Luis. The Brinks replaced most of the units.

We went to Jamaica and then came back to Club O after it was rebuilt several years later. We spent at least 4-6 weeks yearly at Club O from that point on.

If I had been booked during this terrible time, and had booked within 6 months and wanted my deposit back, I would dispute the charge with the credit card company.

We are heart broken over the destruction of Club Orient. It will be very difficult to re-build this time without the Brinks. I hope to spend another vacation at Club O, but I think the chances are very slim.
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/04/2018 10:22 PM

Sorry, that doesn't wash. They should know how much it's going to cost for a wire, especially since one person has already said they received a wire refund?? Mailing is not acceptable, as it can take WEEKS for mail from SXM to the US. And I HOPE they are not going to mail you a check on a SXM bank, as THAT is going to cost YOU a LOT of money to cash in the US--like 20%, if it's anything like a check on a Dutch side bank. We did that ONCE. Won't do that again!!
Posted By: SXMWendell

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/04/2018 10:41 PM

There a sooo many easy ways to send money these days ( if you want to). Paypal, refund your credit card, Western Union, Moneygram, Alipay and even wire transfer. If the CO management made visitors pay by wire transfer CO should refund the money by wire transfer. If the visitor paid by credit card CO should refund by credit card. Never never take a check wrote on a foreign bank. Chances for tooo many problems.

CO management is dragging this out by choice. This can happen when you send money to a foreign country.

Wendell
Posted By: SXMWendell

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/04/2018 10:48 PM

From years ago I was under the understanding that the Brinks didn't "own" the Chalets. Just Papagayos and the utilities. Individual people bought the Chalets with limited rights. Even if they wanted to use their Chalet they had to pay a discounted rent to the management company ( Brinks). But the "owners" did get a percentage cut of the rental of their units.

So maybe it is not up to the Brinks ( or CO management) to rebuild or not. IF an individual "owner" didn't have insurance on their Chalet there would not be any money to rebuild. Or if the Brinks decided not to replace the water, sewer and electricity. You could rebuild but have no utilities. Kinda reminds me of the old Mullet Bay saga.

Wendell
Posted By: Biturbo

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/04/2018 11:01 PM

Wendell, refunding the credit card seems like the logical way to do this. That's what Club F did.
And Carol, I agree that Jim Ruos is an honest businessman. All of our dealings with him have been pleasant & efficient.
We'll let you know when and if we get this straightened out.
Regarding whether or not they will rebuild - this is a prime location. If they don't, someone will. I worry that it would be a big money chain hotel (a la Westin, etc.).
Posted By: SeaStar

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/05/2018 02:49 AM

Biturbo,
You may have hit the nail on the head with that possibility especially since there doesn't 'appear' to be much clean-up going on. I was surprised at the number of sinks and toilets around the property from the video posted in another topic.
Club O had no problem taking the donations from a lot of folks, now it is time for them to do what is right and get all the folks who want their refund to get it to them.
Good luck to all those expecting refunds and I truly hope Club O will rebuild!
Posted By: paulmoor

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/05/2018 05:17 PM

Club O is holding three $500.00 ($1,500) deposits... Thanksgiving Week, Christmas Week and Feb/March 2 weeks. Emailed In October after generously donating to the employee fund. I am emailing Florence and ClubO Reservations and getting auto response. Any suggestions? Since folks are getting refunds, they must have a system in place. Any help, serious suggestions, would be appreciated.

Thanks.
Posted By: PhillynBill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/05/2018 07:33 PM

I thought that was a little strange since I read here someone else had theirs wired to them!
well see how this plays out...

Philly
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/05/2018 08:12 PM

Did you ask any other questions? Are they going to mail you a US check from the US?? If not, send them back a note and tell them it is not acceptable, if they plan on sending you a foreign check. it will take FOREVER to cash and will cost a lot of money. A wire should cost Club O about $15 and you the same amount. But as Wendell said, there are a million easier ways for them to do this, that won't cost them or you. That is, if they WANT to refund you the money.
Posted By: boucharda

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/05/2018 08:22 PM

Just being Captain Obvious here but they should refund funds using the same method that the was used for the deposit
Posted By: PhillynBill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/05/2018 09:36 PM

Carol,

Just received an email stating they sent the check already and it is 575.00 US

I didn't think to ask about what kind of check they would send never having to go thru this,

I didn't even think about Foreign or otherwise.

Live and learn

I will post WHEN I actually receive it

Philly
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/06/2018 12:49 AM

Not sure how that amount computes, versus the Euro amount charged? But keep us apprised of status..
Posted By: boucharda

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/06/2018 12:19 PM

Right now $575 equates to 477 Euro
Posted By: ruralcarrier

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/06/2018 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by boucharda
Right now $575 equates to 477 Euro

Many places on the island set their own exchange rate, it is not necessarily pegged to the published rate.
Posted By: boucharda

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/06/2018 12:28 PM

Correct but it WILL be pegged when they cash the check
Posted By: SXMScubaman

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/06/2018 12:44 PM

Only if it is written in Euro.
Posted By: Eric_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/06/2018 12:46 PM

Well it depends on how they wrote the check. It may have been written in Dollars. That seems to be what was said. Then it is a matter of what bank it is issued on. A lot do have banks in the US also.
Posted By: boucharda

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/06/2018 01:27 PM

Guess it depends on what the original deposit (in dollars) was. If it was 500 euro then $575 is pretty darn close and dependent on euro to USD at the time of deposit
Posted By: PhillynBill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/06/2018 01:56 PM

575.00 was my initial deposit made by my credit card back in Aug,2017

Philly
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/06/2018 04:56 PM

OK thanks. Keep us updated when you can.
Posted By: astropilot

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/06/2018 05:32 PM

The sounds of silence from Club Orient is deafening, and somewhat telling....
Posted By: irish1223

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/06/2018 10:31 PM

Originally Posted by PhillynBill
Hello, I was told by Florence to send my bank info and it will be wired back to my account but then just received an email saying it will cost them a lot of money to do that so I was told it will be mailed to me.

well see Philly



Carol is right -- that doesn't wash because when Florence got back to me, she said the opposite. This is copied directly from her email to me. It contains the info she needed in order to do the wire transfer (even though it's not listed here, they also needed the bank's ABA # for wire transfer, which I sent her in a follow-up email):


>Dear Robin,
>We are now able to refund deposits.
>To speed up the process you can send me your wire transfer instructions as
>the credit card refunds will take much more time.

>Beneficiary:
>Bank:
>Bank Address:
>Bank Phone number:
>SWIFT Code:
>Kind regards,
>Florence

>Florence BERNARD
>Rooms Division Director
>Directrice de l'Hébergement

>CLUB ORIENT RESORT
>1 Baie Orientale, 97150 St. Martin, French West Indies
>www.cluborient.com

We received the wire transfer a couple of days later. It was 500 euros, which translated (at the time) into $584.95 USD. Our bank charged us $16 for the wire transfer. BTW, we paid our initial deposit via credit card.
Posted By: SXMScubaman

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/06/2018 11:51 PM

If it was put on your credit card then they should have just credited your card. Nice and simple with out the wait for snail mail or bank transfer.
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/07/2018 12:01 AM

At this point, I think they are the only folks here on TTOL who have actually confirmed they have RECEIVED their refund, so they can count themselves lucky.
Posted By: irish1223

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/07/2018 01:47 AM

Originally Posted by SXMScubaman
If it was put on your credit card then they should have just credited your card. Nice and simple with out the wait for snail mail or bank transfer.


You are right, but for some reason, that wasn't offered as an option. According to Florence's email, that would have taken more time. ??


Posted By: BeachKitten

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/07/2018 01:58 AM

They probably no longer have the equipment from the Bank. No CC machine, etc. Or connection to a phone line/computer line. Their merchant account is perhaps no longer functional. Though...in a hurricane...depending upon who their processor was, they should be able to get new equipment. But, where does it go?
Posted By: gone2beaches

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/07/2018 04:17 AM

I received the same email from Forence early Dec, gave my bank info and the refund bank wire came a week later. Paid by CC.
Posted By: foreversxm

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/07/2018 05:09 AM

I think that is great, they are at least trying to refund ASAP. Sounds right that they don't have their credit card machines working as the office was damaged or flooded, maybe even the booking records hard to get to etc. Its not that easy on a little island to just go to the Bank and get online with new equipment which they don't even have on hand. So they have to wire the money but still I would not doubt they are limited to the money they have. In theory these room deposits are not income until used but I would bet most small properties and even some larger ones live on them day to day. No one expected anything like Irma did. Its gonna take a long time to get back to anything close to normal but it will happen.
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/07/2018 02:18 PM

Hi. Welcome to the board! Glad you received your refund. Sounds like you definitely are one of the lucky ones!
Posted By: gone2beaches

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/08/2018 02:26 AM

Carol, Thanks for your guidance on the forum.
Maybe leavng some money on deposit helped or they may be processing alphabetically.. I'd be near the beginning of the list.
Posted By: paulmoor

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/08/2018 11:05 PM

I am delighted that some people (2) have received their refunds. But we are still waiting for our $1,500 deposits for 3 reservations and we also contributed $500 to the employees GoFundMe account. Go figure: It leaves a bad taste in our mouth,
Posted By: SXMScubaman

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/08/2018 11:21 PM

Doesn't sound like very good business practices to not refund deposits when asked for. If it was deposited via a credit card have the bank go after it by disputing the charges. Don't get caught with your pants down holding the bag. Oh wait. It's clothing optional Club O. HeHe
Posted By: BeachKitten

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/08/2018 11:58 PM

There are time limits for disputes. Varies by MasterCard, Visa, AMEX.

For example, this is MC

4855 - Goods or Services Not Provided The chargeback time limit is calculated based on one of the following:
120 calendar days after the Central Site Business Date when goods or services were provided
120 calendar days after the latest anticipated delivery date when the provision of goods or services was delayed
120 calendar days after the cardholder’s realization that interrupted services have ceased, but not to exceed 540 calendar days of the Central Site Business Date
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/09/2018 12:26 AM

Scubaman--I really don't think the situation is at all funny...
Posted By: beachbum1313

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/09/2018 12:49 AM

Originally Posted by beachbum1313
I too, had but a deposit on a stay to Club O that was to be in October 2017. When Irma came in and destroyed everything in September, I waited a few weeks to let everything get settled down before sending documentation showing I had a pending reservation that was canceled due to Irma. I did receive an email back from them that they would have to wait on insurance and getting all their records before they could begin to refund to those that wanted refunds. I left it at that, and had not inquired about the refund anymore. I was proud of myself for being patient, but after a while, I got to thinking that maybe I was just going to have to write off ever receiving any of that deposit back. However, just last night, I did receive an email from Florence stating that they were beginning to start refunding deposits, and they wanted to confirm my name and address and then they would be refunding the money. I will see if it arrives, but at least they did contact me without me having to continually request the refund. I hope all others expecting a refund will receive what they are owed.


I wanted to follow up on my original post above to post my experience with the refund. I replied to Florence and confirmed the address she had listed for me was accurate, and on Thursday, January 4th I received an email from her saying she had mailed a refund check in the amount of the deposit owed back to the address that I had confirmed. Today, I went to the mailbox and the check was there. That was pretty quick, considering it was over the weekend. basically. The check apparently was mailed from their US office and is from a US bank with an address in the state next to mine. I am depositing it into my bank account tomorrow, so I am completely satisfied with the results, even though it did take some time for this to get resolved. I just wanted to report this, and hope all the others waiting on a refund have the same success that I have had.
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/09/2018 01:00 AM

Thanks for posting!! Glad it has worked out for you.
Posted By: irish1223

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/09/2018 01:15 AM

I believe (but don't quote me on this) I was told that Club O has a Florida office; I think it might have been Jim Ruos who told me that, but again, not sure where I heard it from. So it shouldn't have been that difficult to get to the records. I know that initially Florida was impacted by Irma also, but they've been up and running for awhile down there. I'm not knocking Club O, as we love it there; but seriously 4 months was a bit much to have to wait for a refund. We could afford to wait some; not everyone can do that, especially with trying to substitute other vacation plans in place of Club O. And it's weird how some of us (a few) have gotten refunds already and others haven't heard anything at all. Can't be alphabetical because our last name starts with 'U'. smirk In any event, I hope everyone gets what they're waiting for very soon. I'm sure this is a trying time for everyone.
Posted By: PhillynBill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/09/2018 01:44 PM

ok , received my refund for entire amount in the form of a check yesterday.

Glad that's over!

Like above poster it was mailed from a US bank.
Philly
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/09/2018 04:10 PM

Great! Thanks for posting..
Posted By: Cathyg

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/10/2018 02:12 PM

I e mailed Club orient yesterday and this is the response i received regarding my refund.

Thank you for contacting Club Orient. We are temporarily closed due to the effects of Hurricane Irma and Maria. There is currently no phone service available. Please visit our website ClubOrient.com or our Facebook page for current information. Everyone's email will be responded to, but we have limited staff and internet. Thank you for your patience and understanding during a very difficult time.

CLUB ORIENT RESORT
1 Baie Orientale, 97150 St. Martin, French West Indies www.cluborient.com <http://www.cluborient.com/>

<https://www.facebook.com/ClubOrient>

<https://twitter.com/ClubOrientResor>
<https://www.instagram.com/cluborient/>
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/10/2018 02:14 PM

Sounds like more BS to me.
Posted By: ruralcarrier

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/10/2018 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by Carol_Hill
Sounds like more BS to me.


I don't want to throw salt on the wounds but considering the generosity or people to the resort and staff and the acceptance of such generosity, Club Orient's excuses and conflicting responses sound just as you stated.
Posted By: thesimpsons

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/10/2018 03:48 PM

Definitely time for Club O to cancel this auto-reply message.
Posted By: Biturbo

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/10/2018 04:02 PM

My wife received an email from Florence yesterday, asking to verify our address and saying that a check will be mailed to that address. She responded, sending a nice thank you to Florence. I'll let you know. But if "the check is in the mail" is accurate, considering the total devastation, 4 months isn't all that unreasonable. The worst part is not knowing during that period what our status was.
Posted By: irish1223

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/10/2018 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by Cathyg
I e mailed Club orient yesterday and this is the response i received regarding my refund.

Thank you for contacting Club Orient. We are temporarily closed due to the effects of Hurricane Irma and Maria. There is currently no phone service available. Please visit our website ClubOrient.com or our Facebook page for current information. Everyone's email will be responded to, but we have limited staff and internet. Thank you for your patience and understanding during a very difficult time.

CLUB ORIENT RESORT
1 Baie Orientale, 97150 St. Martin, French West Indies www.cluborient.com <http://www.cluborient.com/>

<https://www.facebook.com/ClubOrient>

<https://twitter.com/ClubOrientResor>
<https://www.instagram.com/cluborient/>





Hang in there, Cathy! We received that standard auto response during each of our contacts with Club O, but it was followed within a few days by a 'real' response from Florence.
Posted By: boucharda

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/10/2018 09:31 PM

I think they could have eliminated a huge amount of bad vibes by actually responding to inquiries...rather than an auto-response. I think many would have accepted a delay in receiving their deposits if it was handled on a personal basis....
Posted By: Cathyg

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/11/2018 05:42 PM

Update

We got an email today saying we would receive a refund.
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/11/2018 06:13 PM

Good, thanks for posting! I still think they need to eliminate their auto response, or at least modify it to say the email was received and will be responded to within (x) amount of time, something to that effect. The current auto response is inappropriate.
Posted By: BerneandGary

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/11/2018 07:08 PM

Don't know if I am allowed to post this way - if not, please delete - this is from Club O's Facebook page, today, less than 1 hour ago:

Message from Florence:
We apologize to those of you who have not yet received answers to your questions, comments or refund requests.
From your feedback we find we did not receive all the emails sent to us.If you did not receive an answer, please forward your message to reservations@cluborient.com
Feel free to write to this same address if you have questions, need immediate attention, etc.…
We have started to process the deposit refunds for those who requested it.
Doing this is a long process ,as some guests have not only asked for a refund, but also requested a charge back to their bank.This creates a number of issues and takes a lot of time, as each request must be verified.

We are still unable to make credit card refunds because of technical issues, but we are working very hard on it.
I understand it is frustrating, but we continue to work under difficult circumstances.
I would like to thank all our friends for sending nice notes and support messages. It means a lot to us and brightens our days with positive vibes.
Thank you for your patience. We'll get there as quickly as we can thanks to all of you help and support.
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/11/2018 08:03 PM

No problem with the post. Glad they are finally being more responsive.
Posted By: TD11

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/11/2018 08:55 PM

How big is/was Club O --- Number of Rooms?
Posted By: PnPinNC

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/11/2018 09:02 PM

Just took a look at the room overview and it looks like 165 rooms
Posted By: Mjc

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/13/2018 04:12 AM

Received refund check today. Donated some of deposit and got refund on the rest.
Posted By: PelicanPirate

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/14/2018 10:35 PM

Good to see the refunds flowing to those that need them.

Hope to see Club O get the govt approvals and insurance money flowing they need to get rebuilding plans going.
Posted By: Cathyg

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/16/2018 01:06 AM

I received an e mail from Florence...the check is in the mail
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/16/2018 01:08 AM

Glad to hear it. Seems like the refunds are actually coming now, which is a good thing!!
Posted By: PelicanPirate

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/21/2018 03:42 PM

Anybody new get a check, have a check clear? How long did it take? Any unusual cost assoiated with the deposit?
Posted By: Eric_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/21/2018 03:50 PM

Quote
Any unusual cost assoiated with the deposit?


The reports are that the checks are drawn on a US Bank in Florida and in US dollars. With that being the case, it would be no different than a normal bank deposit that you would make.
Posted By: PelicanPirate

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/25/2018 05:09 PM

All good to hear. I’m sure this thread may have generated a bit of impetus to get that all behind them.
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/25/2018 05:13 PM

Have the people who posted in this thread previously received their refunds?
Posted By: sphotovacations

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/25/2018 06:29 PM

We were told a couple of weeks ago that we had a check on the way. Still have not received it.
Posted By: ruralcarrier

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/25/2018 09:20 PM

If it was mailed from SXM, it could take forever. If it was mailed from the US, you should have had it within a week of mailing. Sadly, that excuse is old, very old.
Posted By: Sun4MnM

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/25/2018 09:49 PM

Sent our deposit refund request to Florence on 18 Jan and she refunded 500 Euros against our credit card on 23 Jan. No complaints...she was very responsive! Apparently, they’ve only gotten the credit card refund capability in the last week.
Posted By: RABBY

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/26/2018 02:09 PM

We received an email from Florence on January 16. She advised check was mailed. We have not received the check. This is getting old.
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/26/2018 02:35 PM

Don't blame you. The one person said that their check was mailed from the US, so if it was mailed from somewhere in the US, you should have gotten it by now.
Posted By: Cathyg

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/26/2018 07:30 PM

We got our check today
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/26/2018 07:52 PM

Glad to hear that!
Posted By: ruralcarrier

Re: Club O Refunds? - 01/26/2018 09:24 PM

Good deal. Was is mailed from SXM or the US and what was the postmark date?
Posted By: Biturbo

Re: Club O Refunds? - 02/03/2018 03:56 PM

We just got our Club Orient refund - $575 from Bank of America. Sending Florence a merci email. This completes the cycle. Refunds received from Club F, Club O & flight insurance. We're happy!
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 02/03/2018 04:27 PM

Good to hear.
Posted By: DnCnVA

Re: Club O Refunds? - 02/15/2018 11:34 PM

FYI: Following Irma, on Sep 12 we contacted Club O to cancel our November reservations and asked for a refund for our deposit when they were able to do so. On Feb 4, I emailed Florence to request that a refund be issued to our credit card. On Feb 7, she responded that our credit card had been refunded the 500 euro amount, and on Feb 11 the refund showed up in our statement. So, to Florence and Club O, I want to thank you for following through with your refund policy - it was effortless on our part (which is more than I can say regarding JetBlue), and we look forward to the day we can return !
Posted By: daveb7

Re: Club O Refunds? - 02/16/2018 02:27 AM

I have been reading with interest TTOL posters complaining about the time it took to get their deposit refunds back.
My wife and I had made reservations at Club O for last October and again for April 2018. The total deposit was equivalent to four or five nights in the circle.
After seeing the scope of destruction to Saint Martin and especially Club Orient we decided to do the right thing.
If you can afford to stay at Club O you can afford to do the right thing.
Posted By: foreversxm

Re: Club O Refunds? - 02/16/2018 04:11 AM

What a wonderful, thoughtful thing to do. I can only imagine the struggle these hotels are going through just to get rebuilt and back open not to mention then trying to sort out demanding guests refund requests with limited resources while trying to get their own life's back together. No one like to lose money but I just think the islands business in general and what a huge loss it is in comparison to a most hotel deposits. The hotel we stay at offer us a refund for our OCT 2017 trip but we let them hold it for a future visit. What goes around comes around but do the right thing can mean many things to others.
Posted By: Bahston

Re: Club O Refunds? - 02/16/2018 05:09 AM

Some can afford to donate their deposits and perhaps still vacation elsewhere this year. Others cannot. Everyone’s personal financial situation is different. I don’t ask, and I don’t judge.
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 02/16/2018 02:05 PM

Bahston--Amen. What is the 'right' thing to do depends on the person's individual situation, and there is a difference between holding a deposit for future use and making a gift of it to the business. People that frequent Club O love the place and want it to survive, as it is a truly unique place in the world, but when it comes down to it, Club O is a BUSINESS.
Posted By: RABBY

Re: Club O Refunds? - 02/16/2018 02:46 PM

Carol - you are so right ! Yes, we love SXM and Club O with all our heart. We have given them our business for many, many years. However, at the end of the day, it is a business. A business which should have contingency plans in place, all the right insurance, etc. We were more concerned about the wonderful folks who ended up losing their jobs; their livelihood. We were scheduled for November and requested a refund. We received the refund, after many, many emails, etc. The "right" thing for us, was to put that money towards another vacation, which we did. We don't have unlimited vacation dollars and vacation days ! We don't judge; and don't expect to be judged by not donating our deposit to Club O.
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 02/16/2018 03:06 PM

Agreed, we all truly are concerned about those individuals who are hurting financially from the hurricane, which is virtually everyone who works in the tourism industry. But Club O is a business, and a fairly big business, as far as SXM is concerned.
Posted By: SXMScubaman

Re: Club O Refunds? - 02/16/2018 04:14 PM

Originally Posted by RABBY
Carol - you are so right ! Yes, we love SXM and Club O with all our heart. We have given them our business for many, many years. However, at the end of the day, it is a business. A business which should have contingency plans in place, all the right insurance, etc. We were more concerned about the wonderful folks who ended up losing their jobs; their livelihood. We were scheduled for November and requested a refund. We received the refund, after many, many emails, etc. The "right" thing for us, was to put that money towards another vacation, which we did. We don't have unlimited vacation dollars and vacation days ! We don't judge; and don't expect to be judged by not donating our deposit to Club O.

Right on.
Posted By: SXMScubaman

Re: Club O Refunds? - 02/16/2018 04:15 PM

" But Club O is a business, and a fairly big business, as far as SXM is concerned."
So true.
Posted By: irish1223

Re: Club O Refunds? - 02/16/2018 10:29 PM

clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping clapping

Who is anyone to tell others what 'the right thing to do' is? thumbsdown mad
Posted By: soualigacapt

Re: Club O Refunds? - 02/18/2018 02:30 AM

My business was shut down Sept 7 and we didn't start back up until Dec 25 and I had made $50,000 in refunds for everyone who had booked for the months we were not able to deliver tours by the middle of Oct. Everyone was refunded in full before they even asked for refunds. That's just the way I run my business
Posted By: pat

Re: Club O Refunds? - 02/18/2018 02:34 AM

And that, My Friend, is but one of the many reasons you and Captain Brett and Soualiga day trips are so very well respected. Well, that along with the fact that everyone I’ve spoken to who has actually gone out with you has had a great day!
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Club O Refunds? - 02/18/2018 03:00 AM

Bob--Yes, that is the way things should be done..
Posted By: SXMScubaman

Re: Club O Refunds? - 02/18/2018 04:17 PM

Exactly.
Posted By: Jay&Kath

Re: Club O Refunds? - 02/18/2018 09:46 PM

Can we book 6 people for June
Posted By: jazzgal

Re: Club O Refunds? - 02/19/2018 12:03 AM

This is his website: Capt. Bob
Posted By: PelicanPirate

Re: Club O Refunds? - 03/04/2018 08:41 AM

As was mentioned on the Bare Necessities cruise by a Club O owner, they are/have issued refunds. They said to ask if you havent gotten yours. I think that about wraps the refund issue as it sounds like most have been made whole.
Posted By: PelicanPirate

Re: Club O Refunds? - 05/06/2018 09:14 PM

Went to our local club this weekend and there were two Club Oers who hadnt asked for their refund and didnt know to do so.
Posted By: PelicanPirate

Re: Club O Refunds? - 08/08/2018 06:41 AM

So, Club O Just announced they are refunding any deposits that folks decided to keep on account for a future stay, so they said it may take a bit with folks cards/expiration dates may have expired and they would have to make contact to issue the refund.
Posted By: stangied

Re: Club O Refunds? - 08/08/2018 11:32 AM

Well if most people are like me that left their deposit with them for future stays or just to help them until they could get back up and running are not concerned about how long it takes to get the refund. So if your not one that left them your deposit I don't t think this should concern you. I know for one the card i used has had to have the numbers changed because of fraud with a merchant here in the U.S. So I am sure it may take a while for me to get my money back.
It seems to me a lot of people are down on Club O that has no stake in the situation. I never hear on here about all the time share maintenance fees that are having to be paid even though you can use your week
Posted By: SXMFOX

Re: Club O Refunds? - 08/08/2018 11:57 AM

Please read carefully. I found this from not to far back, enjoy! Just a conversation folks, please don’t beat me up!

https://www.sxm-talks.com/the-daily...ntends-to-rebuild-says-managing-director
Posted By: ruralcarrier

Re: Club O Refunds? - 08/08/2018 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by SXMFOX
Please read carefully. I found this from not to far back, enjoy! Just a conversation folks, please don’t beat me up!

https://www.sxm-talks.com/the-daily...ntends-to-rebuild-says-managing-director


This same article was posted on April 19, it is nothing new.

Daily Herald April 19
Posted By: PelicanPirate

Re: Club O Refunds? - 11/02/2018 06:58 AM

If you read their facebook post from last month they are shutting the OBC hotel mgmt operation and indicated they would be refunding those that kept their deposits on account.

If you havent gotten your refund yet, now sounds like the last time to get it.
Posted By: SXMScubaman

Re: Club O Refunds? - 11/02/2018 01:57 PM

Can't believe its taken this long for refunds.
Posted By: PelicanPirate

Re: Club O Refunds? - 11/13/2018 12:20 PM

Some didnt want them. Im pretty sure all who asked/received. Now the die hards have to get a refund per CO.
Posted By: ruralcarrier

Re: Club O Refunds? - 11/13/2018 12:38 PM

Since there is a more recent thread going about this, I am going to close this one. Further discussion can take place on the newer thread.

NEW THREAD

Thanks.
© 2024 TravelTalkOnline