Consumer complaint received 2025-08-21 00:00:00
Product: Debt or credit management — Debt settlement
Issue: Confusing or misleading advertising or marketing — 
Company: Monterey Financial Services LLC
State: MI

Complaint narrative:
My husband and myself were on our annual vacation to XXXX XXXX back in XX/XX/XXXX. While we were there, we decided to meet with the staff ( XXXX XXXX XXXX  ) to go over options for the time shares offered at this resort. We met with the main representative named XXXX XXXX, who is from XXXX XXXX XXXX, who we also have a picture, video and text messages from- who was XXXX of the main people that were scamming us. The day that we did all of this and became members was XX/XX/XXXX around XXXX XXXX  their time ( I have text message proof of that as well ). They initially charged a deposit of around {$4600.00} in which we paid, thinking that we were putting a down payment for the services they were promising, as we had asked them several times to make sure that it was for that particular resort ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ), that particular price, those particular rooms during that particular month ( XXXX ). XXXX XXXX XXXX was the only resort we would be interested in, we made that very clear-and every time they reassured us that it was. After that down payment, we knew there was a balance due of {$14000.00} that we were going to pay once we got back to the United States. I also have a video that I took with XXXX, showing my children the room that he had told us that we were staying at, at that resort. 

In the following week of us signing the papers, I was waiting for a welcome call they said I would receive, to finish setting up my account so that I could start booking for the following year -- I was told that they would call within the first 24-48 hours and they never called. I received the phone call 11 days later, the day before we flew out. So on my first opportunity on XX/XX/XXXX, a couple days after we got back from XXXX XXXX, I sat down to start booking our vacation for the next year and I realized I could not book anything for XXXX XXXX XXXX or for the prices that I was promised. I reached out to XXXX about the issue I was having on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX  letting him know everything, and he had said that my membership wasn't active yet and that it takes 30 days after signing. I let him know that his group supervisor, no name was given but a phone number ( XXXX ) had told us that our membership becomes active after 5 days of signing and that I would have to cancel at that time if needed, which I had no access to my account to know that they scammed me. After we told him that, he avoided that question and we never heard back from him. I did a little digging after XXXX never responded back to me and that it when we found out that this company, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX was out of XXXX XXXX, NV. We were not able to get our deposit back, which we were going to chalk up as a loss, but then we were threatened for the remainder of the amount owed. We got our lawyer involved and he sent the company a letter to dispute the fraudulent charges a little over a year ago, and we never heard back from the company after that. Just recently our credit report had been hit dramatically with a derogatory remark trying to collect over {$17000.00} from Monterey Financial that was opened on XX/XX/XXXX. 

My husband and myself have tried everything in our power to stop this company from scamming and ruining our credit, and that has not been the case.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation