March 2022 Update:
Looks like Zest Breaks is no longer operational. Club Mahindra is running a 3 year membership scheme called GoZest. Details here
--- Original Post ----
This post gives some basic information on Zest Breaks- a new holiday concept launched by MHRIL (A Mahindra Group company which promotes Club Mahindra)
While I had advised people not to go for Club Mahindra membership in one of my earlier posts [read that here], I’m not offering any verdict on Zest as of now in this post. I’m only giving the related information. Decide as you wish.
Basic differences between Club Mahindra and Zest Breaks
Club Mahindra:
Target customers: Above age group of 35-40 who tend to take well planned and longer holidays with less frequency
Membership Term: 25 Years, 7 days an year
Number of Properties (as of now, as per my knowledge): 16+
Zest:
Targets young executives in age group of 25-35 years who want to take short breaks or impulsive holidays.
10 Years, 6 days per year.
Number of Resorts as of now: 3+ (Ooty, Kodai and Yercaud (Yercaud is a tie up property))
Key differentiators between Club Mahindra and Zest Breaks:
1. While CM has its rooms classified into 3 types-Studio Aps, 1 and 2 BR (more details here) , Zest shall have all resorts with Studio Aps. This implies the following: Less headaches while selecting rooms/checking availability etc.
2. CM classifies seasons as Pink, Red, White and Blue (full details on CM seasons here),with Zest it is Verve (Most popular seasons, 42/365 days), Buzz (Regular seasons, 179/365 days) and Pep (least popular seasons, 144/365 days)
3. While CM is building properties at popular tourist places/hill stations all over India, Zest aims to build resorts at places which are a drivable distance from a metro, so that members can reach the resort by few hours of drive (or overnight journey max): Travel expense and time will be less.
4. When members take long holidays (say 6-7 days) occupancy will be high and others may not get a chance. With Zest members are likely to take short breaks-say 2-3 days) meaning availability will be relatively higher.
5. Club Mahindra currently has an overflowing membership disproportionate to the capacity at its resorts. Zest being new, can afford to give better attention to its members. (Assumption is that Zest has dedicated properties which are not shared with CM or other partners, along with dedicated staff for customer care etc-this factor is not verified. Infact a comment I got in my Club Mahindra article says Zest is sharing properties with Club Mahindra in Ooty and Kodai-If Mahindra is selling Old wine in new bottle then it might be better to stay away-be sure to read this comment) (Thanks Nitin for that comment)
6. Per day expense appears to be little cheaper at Zest compared to Club Mahindra. [Go to Club Mahindra pricing]
7. Club Mahindra resorts focus mainly on internal activities-swimming pool, indoor games etc while Zest focuses more on outdoor activities-trekking, night safari, cycling etc (as available, at extra cost)
Pricing of Zest
Refer price chart below for Total Cost of Zest Holidays (Accommodation + maintenance only, Food, outdoor activities, Transportation etc extra)
Membership (Valid for 10 years at 6 days per year) price varies from Rs 69000 to 129000 (depending on season) Plus Annual Service Fee of Rs. 3200 to Rs. 2400 (Plus 12.36% service tax extra) per annum (depending on season again). In other words, total cost ranges between Rs. 91,170 (Pep season, full payment in advance) to INR 1,94,598 (Verve season, 36 months EMI). Per day it will be Rs 1519 to 3243, inclusive of taxes. (You may also keep a provision of Rs 1200 per person per day for Food (approx amount) and another Rs. 1000 per person for outdoor activities (trekking, night safari, cycling etc-prices vary depending on activity)
Also note: ASF may increase in future. Loss of interest not considered.
How much it costs for non members?
Non member pricing differs from location to location, depends on if it is a weekday or weekend as well as on season. Current non member prices range between INR 3750 (week days, Club suit, non popular seasons) to Rs 6250 (Luxury Suite, weekend on popular season) per room per day including complementary breakfast (22 hours to be precise-Check in at 1200 hours, checkout at 1000 hours). This is nearly 2 times what a member would pay. Also note that there’s no concept of Club Suite and Luxury Suite for members. I’m not sure what is extra in luxury suit [Info sourced from Zest Ooty Pricing]
While I had advised people not to go for Club Mahindra membership in one of my earlier posts [read that here], I’m not offering any verdict on Zest as of now in this post. I’m only giving the related information. Decide as you wish.
Basic differences between Club Mahindra and Zest Breaks
Club Mahindra:
Target customers: Above age group of 35-40 who tend to take well planned and longer holidays with less frequency
Membership Term: 25 Years, 7 days an year
Number of Properties (as of now, as per my knowledge): 16+
Zest:
Targets young executives in age group of 25-35 years who want to take short breaks or impulsive holidays.
10 Years, 6 days per year.
Number of Resorts as of now: 3+ (Ooty, Kodai and Yercaud (Yercaud is a tie up property))
Key differentiators between Club Mahindra and Zest Breaks:
1. While CM has its rooms classified into 3 types-Studio Aps, 1 and 2 BR (more details here) , Zest shall have all resorts with Studio Aps. This implies the following: Less headaches while selecting rooms/checking availability etc.
2. CM classifies seasons as Pink, Red, White and Blue (full details on CM seasons here),with Zest it is Verve (Most popular seasons, 42/365 days), Buzz (Regular seasons, 179/365 days) and Pep (least popular seasons, 144/365 days)
3. While CM is building properties at popular tourist places/hill stations all over India, Zest aims to build resorts at places which are a drivable distance from a metro, so that members can reach the resort by few hours of drive (or overnight journey max): Travel expense and time will be less.
4. When members take long holidays (say 6-7 days) occupancy will be high and others may not get a chance. With Zest members are likely to take short breaks-say 2-3 days) meaning availability will be relatively higher.
5. Club Mahindra currently has an overflowing membership disproportionate to the capacity at its resorts. Zest being new, can afford to give better attention to its members. (Assumption is that Zest has dedicated properties which are not shared with CM or other partners, along with dedicated staff for customer care etc-this factor is not verified. Infact a comment I got in my Club Mahindra article says Zest is sharing properties with Club Mahindra in Ooty and Kodai-If Mahindra is selling Old wine in new bottle then it might be better to stay away-be sure to read this comment) (Thanks Nitin for that comment)
6. Per day expense appears to be little cheaper at Zest compared to Club Mahindra. [Go to Club Mahindra pricing]
7. Club Mahindra resorts focus mainly on internal activities-swimming pool, indoor games etc while Zest focuses more on outdoor activities-trekking, night safari, cycling etc (as available, at extra cost)
Pricing of Zest
Refer price chart below for Total Cost of Zest Holidays (Accommodation + maintenance only, Food, outdoor activities, Transportation etc extra)
Membership (Valid for 10 years at 6 days per year) price varies from Rs 69000 to 129000 (depending on season) Plus Annual Service Fee of Rs. 3200 to Rs. 2400 (Plus 12.36% service tax extra) per annum (depending on season again). In other words, total cost ranges between Rs. 91,170 (Pep season, full payment in advance) to INR 1,94,598 (Verve season, 36 months EMI). Per day it will be Rs 1519 to 3243, inclusive of taxes. (You may also keep a provision of Rs 1200 per person per day for Food (approx amount) and another Rs. 1000 per person for outdoor activities (trekking, night safari, cycling etc-prices vary depending on activity)
Also note: ASF may increase in future. Loss of interest not considered.
How much it costs for non members?
Non member pricing differs from location to location, depends on if it is a weekday or weekend as well as on season. Current non member prices range between INR 3750 (week days, Club suit, non popular seasons) to Rs 6250 (Luxury Suite, weekend on popular season) per room per day including complementary breakfast (22 hours to be precise-Check in at 1200 hours, checkout at 1000 hours). This is nearly 2 times what a member would pay. Also note that there’s no concept of Club Suite and Luxury Suite for members. I’m not sure what is extra in luxury suit [Info sourced from Zest Ooty Pricing]
While it appears to be economical to take Zest membership, please be informed that all drawbacks Club Mahindra’s life membership has got continues in Zest. Some of the key factors you should be aware :
0. Of the 6 days of holiday per year, only 2 days can be on weekends, rest you need to avail during week days only.
1. No cancellation of membership allowed once you commit.
2. No commitment from Zest on availability of resorts-Once member base increases disproportionate to resort capacity getting a booking when you want will be a challenge.
3. Zest salesmen too indulge in making false promises [Read this comment to know more]
4. No compensation policy whatsoever if there’s a difference in what you got and what you were promised.
5. Since resorts are not exclusively for members, chances are that a member may get to hear 'no availability' while non member gets the booking easily.
If you’re staying in north India I suggest waiting some more time before joining Zest. They have only 3 resorts as of now (all in Tamil Nadu state) and will take some time before more properties get added. Flying down all the way for a small break may not make economical sense.
As I said in the beginning of the post, I am neither recommending Zest, nor discouraging you from becoming member. This is a new concept and we need to wait and see how it picks up. Not much member feedback is available as of now so no first hand experience accounts. While we can hope for good after sales service from Zest it will be premature to assume it will be excellent or predict it will be very bad. Zest is yet to build its member base so if you’re signing up right now, you shouldn’t be having a problem of non availability of resorts. As long as Zest can give confirmed booking within short notice (say one week or so) this should be a good deal for those who take short breaks every few months. But then, concept of timeshare has its own drawbacks (listed in an earlier paragraph) hence reach a decision after weighing pros and cons.
Zest season classifications:
Refer images below to know what all days fall under each season.
1. Verve (Peak Season)
2. Buzz
3. Pep
Update: There was an allegation in this comment that I have been hired by Country Club to write this review, mainly because I’ve not written anything on Country Club. I hereby clarify that not a single post on this blog is sponsored by anyone. I may take some time to study Country Club’s business model and identify its pros and cons. As of now, those willing to know about Country Club may check some consumer review websites for a feedback on Country Club.
Update 2: Country Club experience in this post
Disclaimer:
All information shared through this post represent the information available with the author at the time of composing the post. Pricing, facilities and other factors may change over a period of time. Readers may please check with Zest for latest pricing and other updates.
Personal opinion only. Please use your discretion and/or take second opinion if required.
My review on Club Mahindra Why fixed week is better than floating week
Club Mahindra FAQs: What are the pros and cons of CM membership? * What are the latest membership prices at Club Mahindra? * What are the Escalation points at Club Mahindra? * Where can I buy/sell a used Club Mahindra membership? * How best to Cancel a Club Mahindra membership? * Zest breaks Review * interview with CM official * MHRIL IPO Q&A* Resort Review-Binsar, Coorg * Indexed cost of CM membership * Fixed vs Floating week membership *
If you’re a Zest member please drop a comment about your experience.
Looking at your blog I am left to wonder. Have you been hired by Country Club or its Competitors to malign Mahindra holidays? I haven't seen you write anything about them.
ReplyDeleteConsidering that you are from Andhra Pradesh, that may actually turn out to be a the case ...crony for you-know-who. How much did they pay you to write ill?
I can sense your concern. Will Study country club and Sterling business models and try to figure out their pros and cons. When I find there're some loopholes I try to keep people informed about it-that's all.
ReplyDeleteI am not from AP and wasn't paid by anyone.
Dheeraj I am from North.
ReplyDeleteClub Mahindra may be best of TimeShare in the country but still this fact may not guarantee value for money. OR because it is top in timeshare companies it does not mean people can not have complain to the company.
Today I inquired about availability in Goa resort from 20Jan to 2nd Feb, I got to heard there no availability even booking two months in advance. So there is nothing wrong If some one warn prospective buyer that if marketing guy is promising 15 guaranteed booking he is making false promise.
etc .. etc .
I have some comments on some of the points ..
ReplyDelete------------
4. When members take long holidays (say 6-7 days) occupancy will be high and others may not get a chance. With Zest members are likely to take short breaks-say 2-3 days) meaning availability will be relatively higher.
------------
Zest or CLubMahindra(CM) members both can take min 2 day to any number of holiday in balance. "likely" is not guaranteed, it is just marketing position from CM sideone point here Ooty and Kodai properties are same as were getting used with ClubMahindra, usages pattern from south part of the country is going to remain same.
With 2days usages which is more likely will be on weekends utilization of resorts is going to be lower in average not higher ..
mean less available when you require it more (on week ends).
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5. Club Mahindra currently has an overflowing membership disproportionate to the capacity at its resorts.
----------------
Though it may be true, I am not sure what is the source of this information or calculation? I we can prove that then probably I can ask answer direct from their MD.
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Per day it will be Rs 1519 to 3243, inclusive of taxes.
-----------------------
Like always I do not like doing simple math :) (simple averaging over 10 year will give very distorted picture) per day cost is much higher then 1519/-
Bhupesh,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your experience and opinion in first comment.
I'll respond in detail little later (a day or 2) for other comments.
Bhupesh,
ReplyDeleteSorry for the delayed response. Yes, I agree pressure on weekends will be far higher.
Here’re the logics why I feel they have member base disproportionate to the capacity of their resorts:
CM has over 60000 members (Info from their annual report, blog and other media reports)
They have over 15 resorts and on an average each resort has 100 rooms (Coorg resort has 62 Rooms,Kodai-26, Munnar- 104 rooms, Goa has over 168 rooms, as per their website, for simplicity I take an average of 100 rooms per resort). I’m sure not 100% of their resort capacity is reserved for members, since they also accommodate one time visitors and sell resort space through other partners, let me keep a provision of 20% for such activities with remaining 80% available for members.
If 60000 members were to take 1 week holiday every year CM needs 60000 resort weeks.
15 resorts * 80 rooms * 50 weeks (since pink seasons not open for members I count 50 weeks per year)=60000 resort weeks.
Hence theoretically they have member base at par with their capacity, but in practicality following factors need to be considered:
Demand for a particular location and particular room type during a particular season will be more while for other combinations this will be less. Hence there’ll be shortage of rooms in a specific resort during specific time.
We can not assume a guest will check in as soon as previous guest checks out. Rooms may lie idle for a day or two between consecutive occupants.
Some members may not choose to take holiday on a particular year and may choose to take additional holiday next year. Or members may shift between rooms and seasons as well. Net impact of these shuffles might get neutralized overall but at times they may not, creating shortage of particular room/resort/season etc
My calculation makes a set of assumptions for simplicity and may need corrections as appropriate. But Member feedback at various consumer review sites and comments received at my own blog post indicate that it is really difficult to get confirmed booking at a resort and time combination of your choice even when one plans few months in advance (While those who take one time holiday get availability at much shorter notice). It’s CM’s obligation to provide guaranteed holiday to its paid members (who book within a reasonable time) (or at least compensate them appropriately if they cant be provided with accommodation)before entertaining one time visitors.
These are the reason I felt member base in overflowing compared to resort capacity. Your views please.
Mahindra Holidays to add 1,000 rooms
ReplyDeletehttp://sify.com/finance/fullstory.php?id=14566214
According to this news article there are 850 rooms .. not sure it counts
2Bed room as two unit or one unit.
Also not sure it counts ClubMahindra arrangement with other resorts (not through RCI).
They try to fill shortage of room by arranging it from other resorts, though they are not of same standard as it' own resorts, but bottom line is we are not sure they have enough inventory to match growing membership.
Indian timeshare resorts has created a self regulatory body
AIRDA [All India resort development association ]
Office at :
864, 1st Floor, 3rd Cross
7th Main, HAL 2nd Stage
Indira Nagar
Bangalore 560008
Fax : 080-41261781
Email: airda@vsnl.net
Helpline Numbers : 080-41255007 / 41255008
Club Mahindra is member of this association.
there more loose strings on our part that we have to close like you said ...
They do not sell Purple membership is it executed or they do not sell ?
Rooms for non members are different or come from same inventory?
Similarly there are other loose ends
I need to look in to my membership agreement what are the commitments from CM side will update this
blog.
personal message to you. You need not approve it to display at your blog
ReplyDeleteI have tried document my thought on one blog .. inspired by you ..
http://what-goes-in-my-mind.blogspot.com
but I am not able to give time to this .. What ever material you find good you can copy it for larger benefit.
Dear Bhupesh,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing those information.
Hope the new rooms and other measures bring relief to members and result in better service.
I do not intend to copy anything from your blog. I'll give link to your blog soon whereever appropriate.
Thanks again.
I have some more correct information now for both Zest and CM.
ReplyDeleteZest:
Out of six yearly vacation days, a member can only one weekend break. It means if you have only taken Friday or Saturday night break now you can not book your next break which include either Friday or Saturday night.
CM:
About Rooms Vs Members:
Club Mahindra draft prospecutus to SEBI says :
Club Mahindra has 63,375 Members as of Oct 2007 and has 707 apartments.
As all members are not Studio members so I consider this even out if some of the units are one bed or two bed units.
63,375 ( Members)
_______________ = 1218 apartments
52 ( weeks in a year)
Club Mahindra has 707 apartment compared to required 1218 apartment.
Hi Bhupesh, Thanks for bringing those details to light. I spent some time reading 342 page Red Herring draft prospectus filed by Mahindra Holidays...
ReplyDeleteIf possible I'll write a detailed post on that.
Very good analysis... I am one of the unfortunate to enroll in Club Mahindra and as every one have mentioned, availability of ANY resort is always an issue and even I tried booking 3 months in advance, they could not even guarantee a resort in 4 countries. That is when I decided to pull the string and fortunately,got my money back! If Zest is gonna be only in India, I wonder how the availability issue will be resolved. And this affects the travel planning and may increase travel costs a notch higher!
ReplyDeleteMiss Laddoo,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments. You're lucky to get the refund. Ideally they shouldn't enroll members in excess of their capacity but they don't set any cap and keep enrolling unsuspecting members.
Hello 2 all of you. I m currently preparing a report on club mahindra holiday resorts. i would be very thankful 2 u if u could provide the current status of cm in the market and its compepitors.
ReplyDeleteRefer Draft Red Herring Prospectus filed by Mahindra Holidays at SEBI
ReplyDeletehi,
ReplyDeleteafter reading most of the posts here i feel like a hapless chap, who ended up paying an upfront fee of 13.5K to enrol into the zest breaks holiday earlier today.
the sales personnel came to my home, ate away three solid hours of my time (on a saturday evening) and finally convinced me to opt for the package. what instantly caught my attention was the way the chap was showering me offers after another. after two hours of his bullying, i finally succumbed and put ink to all joining papers.to get a club membership at 80K and that too for 10 years, i thought was wonderful.. but now having gotten an idea of how bad the availability (of rooms) issue is, i am led to wonder if there could be any way for me to opt out of this and cash out.
I was asked to pay 13,350/- initially. It came down to 3,350 in a flurry and it finally seemed like a catch to me. I'm told i'll be getting a call some time next week to confirm the details on my application. Shrinidhi, pls. advise if i should opt out.
also could somebody confirm if the zest resorts in ooty and kodai are being shared with CM?
Hi Krishnan
ReplyDeleteYou need not feel helpless, there must be some clause in membership that you can return it within 10 days of purchase. I know it is there with Club Mahindra membership.
Even if this clause is not there you can insist on canceling your membership.
About if CM members are using Zest resorts or not, I think it is non issue as main issue is if an organization can give you accommodation in long run or not.
We have seen with ClubMahindra they are enrolling members much more then their resorts capacity. It is not much far when Zest situation will be like ClubMahindra.
see
Membership-growth-vs-room-growth for ClubMahindra
http://what-goes-in-my-mind.blogspot.com/2008/01/membership-growth-vs-room-growth-for.html
Krishnan,
ReplyDeleteI agree with Bhupesh's reply.
My concern with timeshare, Zest, CM or otherwise, is that there has to be a mechanism wherein every member should get his money's worth. Else it is like gambling.
You can take only one weekend out of 6 days, rest of the days have to be on week days. You know how difficult it is to make a group of people apply leave on same day and then go for a break...
Bhupesh,
Thanks for responding so quick.
Regarding Ooty and Kodai resorts,
ReplyDeleteI haven't cross checked but this comment says they are shared with Club Mahindra...
http://www.enidhi.net/2007/02/never-go-for-club-mahindra-membership.html#c5961786371397305546
Hi,
ReplyDeleteIn my case the sales guy told me that they have around 1200 zest members in bangalore. How correct is this number? He told me that if I take "buzz" I can book any time in a year. After reading in details now I know I can take only two days on a week-end. But don't you think timeshare is a better thing compared to private accomodation. I was just thinking about Orange County Resort in Coorg. They have a price of 12000 per night for a County Cottage. Even if Rs10000 is charged, for six days one need to pay 60K. This is in 2008. In 2004 the rate was around Rs. 5000. Even if you keep paying ASF + Delta increase in ASF every year, don't you think it will be still less than what one has to pay for private accomodation? Plus availability in such good places will also be a difficult thing to get during peak season.
I fully agree that these places should be exclusively available for members only. I was told by zest sales guy that zest is better than CM as they don't share their property with RCI.
Girish,
ReplyDeleteI agree that timeshare is really a good model, conceptually. It is really a good investment, only if timeshare companies deliver all that they promise. But my observation says that the ground reality is something different.
All sweet talks are made only till you part with your money and later you’re at the mercy of timeshare company. There’s not much of a plant B- no efficient exit plans and refund policy, no commitment that timeshare company won’t enroll members in excess of their capacity and the probability of getting accommodation when and where you want it, will be low.
Because of these limitations, my personal opinion is that it is better to invest the money smartly elsewhere and get good returns, use that to take holiday at the place and time of your choice. However, I wish timeshare companies modify their business model to ensure a fool proof system that ensures every member gets what he was promised.
You can weigh the pros and cons and take an appropriate decision
Thanks for sharing your experience and opinion
I have made a complaint about this company to the consumer court recently and am waiting patiently for their reply.
ReplyDeleteHere's the link:
http://www.consumercourt.in/
Please do complain and i wish we can launch some program to stop such companies from blood sucking us.
Hi Shrinidhi,
ReplyDeleteA few points:
1. Strongly appreciate your VERY STARIGHT-FORWARD, HONEST and NO-NONSENSE approach.
Data collected by you is correct - anybody with a little interest can verify the facts themselves.
2. Have spread the word around in all major IT companies in Blr and Hyderabad where I have friends -
The mrketing guy NEVER told us that ONE holiday taken over the WEEKEND and your ENTIRE QUOTA for taking another holiday on another WEEKEND in the same year is OVER.
3. THANKS a LOT for the EYE-OPENERS!
It is really USELESS to promote - book as early as 48 hours and drive down to places nearby (like Ooty, Masinagudi, Pondy) - when only one holiday can be taken over the weekend - Why the hell do I travel on working days - when I get weekends or long weekends to use for holidays.
You just saved me and around a dozen more group of freinds from diff. IT companies big bucks. Even their colorful brochure NOWHERE mentions the only one WEEKEND limitation!
We guys are OPTING OUT of this ZEST business - also on the internet are numerous complaints that membership was not cancelled - the MARKETING guy told us - Just ONE EMAIL and membership will be cancelled.
Business on HALF-TRUTHS and unfriendly FINE LINES of the SMALL PRINTS are sure one way of unethical business.
@onikez
ReplyDeleteSpreading words to other IT companies is good first step. I think people should also complain about such practices to
0)Write back to Head - Member Relations (ClubMahindra) you can find his email address on this page, search for clubmahindra.com on this page
http://www.gurgaonscoop.com/story/2007/1/4/42433/20997
1) airda@vsnl.net
AIRDA [All India resort development association ]
2) http://demotemp41.nic.in/guest/complaint/default.asp
CORE [ Supported By DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS]
3) amitabhk@nic.in
Joint Secretary,
Ministry of Tourism
Government of India
Room No. 123,
Transport Bhawan,
No. 1, Parliament Street,
New Delhi - 110 001 (India)
Telephone: +91 - 11 - 23715084
Telefax : +91 - 11 - 23715084
E-mail : amitabhk@nic.in
Bhupesh and Onikez,
ReplyDeleteAppreciate your comments
I recently signed up for Zest. It has gone the same way as Club Mahindra, with no reservations available anywhere (I have Verve membership).
ReplyDeleteNot recommended.
I wonder what Mohammad can do with this..
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I wish you could follow up to this topic???
ReplyDelete-Sincere Regards,
Loren
Thanks for this eye-opening post!
ReplyDeleteThanks all for comments. sorry for late reply
ReplyDeleteHi Srinidhi, I'm from banglore had a plan of going for Zest membership in the month of Feb-2011 and gave all my documents including my credit card details, but due to some family problems I had to drop the plan. I asked the Zest executive to stop proceeding with my membership until I confirm further and asked him to destroy or return the documents and I can contact them once I'm ready and I was told by him that my documents will be destroyed. But to my surprise on 2nd June-2011 I got an SMS saying my credit card is charged for 15k at Club Mahindra. When I contacted the executive asking for this, he mentioned that it was charged by mistake and the amount will be refunded in 2 days. I contacted his manager and Bangalore Branch Manager who is Mr. Sujith Sebastian who promised the amount will be refunded to my account via cheque on 14th Jun which dint happen. Request you to please provide a contact number from the Higher Authority from ZEST whom I can report about this and also report about the Bangalore Branch's ability in this matter.
ReplyDeleteThank you,
Sampath.
Unfortunately I do not have escalation contacts of Zest.. you can try escalation contacts of Club Mahindra (available in my CM post) or try reaching out to them on their social media channels..
ReplyDelete*) First you should block your card before they charge another EMI.
ReplyDelete*) This more looks like cheating so you should file a complaint to police.
GUYS,
ReplyDeleteDONT EVER EVER OPT FOR THIS MEMBERSHIP!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY ARE A TOTAL FRAUD. YOU WONT GET YOUR MONEY BACK. A Zest sales rep had approached me for taking membership in a mall. When I said I was sorry and cant take on the spot decision, he encouraged me to fill up a form and sign and said that he would not use it without consent(in the terms of 'preserving Club Mahindra's name') and gave me till monday to confirm.
The following Monday When I sent the mail saying that I had thought about it but still the membership didnt suit me, he called me and said that he would cancel the membership promptly and offered a one time holiday pack of 4 nights 5 days for Rs. 9,200 instead. When I asked that this was not at all in the terms and conditions, he once again said this was a special offer. I still havent even thought of taking it. I HAD GIVEN NO CONSENT, BUT HE WENT AHEAD AND CHARGED MY CARD.
Now I see I have been fooled by their rep. THIS IS OUTRIGHT FRAUD AND CUSTOMER ABUSE. FOR TWO MONTHS I HAVE REPEATEDLY COMPLAINED TO ZEST CUSTOMER CARE AND CALLED THEIR OFFICE. THEY DONT DO ANY RESPONSE. ALL THIS IS AN OUTRIGHT EYEWASH. THEY DONT INITIATE ANY ACTION WHATSOEVER. THEY ARE USING THE BANNER OF MAHINDRA TO LOOT THE COMMON MAN.
DO NOT EVER GO FOR THIS!!!!!
Regards,
Rajeev Ganesh.
GUYS,
ReplyDeleteDONT EVER EVER OPT FOR THIS MEMBERSHIP!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY ARE A TOTAL FRAUD. YOU WONT GET YOUR MONEY BACK. A Zest sales rep had approached me for taking membership in a mall. When I said I was sorry and cant take on the spot decision, he encouraged me to fill up a form and sign and said that he would not use it without consent(in the terms of 'preserving Club Mahindra's name') and gave me till monday to confirm.
The following Monday When I sent the mail saying that I had thought about it but still the membership didnt suit me, he called me and said that he would cancel the membership promptly and offered a one time holiday pack of 4 nights 5 days for Rs. 9,200 instead. When I asked that this was not at all in the terms and conditions, he once again said this was a special offer. I still havent even thought of taking it. I HAD GIVEN NO CONSENT, BUT HE WENT AHEAD AND CHARGED MY CARD.
Now I see I have been fooled by their rep. THIS IS OUTRIGHT FRAUD AND CUSTOMER ABUSE. FOR TWO MONTHS I HAVE REPEATEDLY COMPLAINED TO ZEST CUSTOMER CARE AND CALLED THEIR OFFICE. THEY DONT DO ANY RESPONSE. ALL THIS IS AN OUTRIGHT EYEWASH. THEY DONT INITIATE ANY ACTION WHATSOEVER. THEY ARE USING THE BANNER OF MAHINDRA TO LOOT THE COMMON MAN.
DO NOT EVER GO FOR THIS!!!!!
Zest Holidays is a complete FRAUD. Please do not pay any money to people who approach you in malls. We were approached at a mall and they kept following us with 6N/7D bonus package for which we paid Rs 9200. We were told that we can go and try out and see the resorts for ourselves and then decide whether we would like to go ahead with the membership. This was on July 19. They promised that we will get a welcome call immediately and some vouchers. After following up for 2 months, we have got a membership id. When we try to book a holiday, we were told as a matter of fact, that these are bonus holidays and hence not available for WEEKENDS. Despite out repeatedly asking the sales rep, he did not give us any such information. He knew upfront that we are a working couple and obviously will not travel on weekdays. Now, they refuse to answer our calls, or give us weekend bookings even if these are available. This is absolutely DISGUSTING behavior and a WASTE of time.
ReplyDeleteAnd no, we are not part of competition or any other club resorts! I am a genuine customer with a genuine membership id. So please do not waste your time over these sort of schemes and never ever agree for ECS or Credit card automatic payments as you will never get any response.
I'm planning to hunt down the manager of this con job and get back my money!!!!
Well, even for members there's a one or 2 weekend limit...
ReplyDeleteZest Holidays is a complete FRAUD. Please do not pay any money to people who approach you. At start they promised to add 2 resorts every year and now they are saying that they are not adding any more resorts. Last year they had 6 resorts booking and now they have only 5 resorts. I have paid around 65000 INR till date and now preparing myself to put a case in consumer court for unfair trade practice followed by Zest while selling their product. Another key fact is they do not quote the price of the product in the agreement which is illegal. If anyone wants to join me for launching the complaint against Zest, pls mail me at satya_k_b@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteHello guys.. Any1 interested in buyingvZEST membership frm me (hav 9 full yrs) intact... Since I already now hav a club Mahindra membership and hence wanna sell/transfer my ZEST one.... Let me know - Kunal/9884322733
ReplyDeleteHello guys....Any1 interested in buying my ZEST membership ( 9 yrs ) let me know since I'm now a Club Mahindra member and hence wanna sell/transfer this ZEST one...reach me on 9884322733/Kunal
ReplyDeleteI have been defrauded by Zest Membership as well . % years and Never been able to go on a vacation > Mr Satya , I would like to join you in filing a suit in a court of law against this organisation . It is shameful that Mr Anand Mahindra & Mahindra organisation is lending its name to this organisation . It is run as a total fraud .
ReplyDeleteI ma yet to hear or meet a single customer who has been satisfied .
How do I proceed and recover my money ?
Rgds,
Sankar