Tau Resort Vacation Club is a timeshare program that is part of Táu Resort Nahui, located in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The resort itself appears to be managed by Interval International, a global timeshare company, and owned by Velas Resorts. It may have, at one point (about five years ago) been maintained by the Bel Air Collection, a resort company.
While Tau Resort Vacation Club appeared to be a legitimate investment to many people, it turned out that the properties they gave their money to had actually not been constructed yet. This construction apparently has never been completed judging by what’s available as far as information online.
There are a few other resorts with similar names — Casa Táu, Táu Beach Club, and Táu Residences — that are located in the same area. These have been announced very recently (i.e. earlier 2021) so it would appear that the resort and company have been operating under a few different names. However, that does not by any means indicate that their situation has changed. In fact, their newness may imply that they’re very much operating the same way.
As it stands, this situation is just one of many reasons people seek to cancel Tau Resort Vacation Club timeshare. Some of the other related reasons include the following:
- High pressure sales tactics
- Bait-and-switch practices with rooms and properties
- Misrepresentations in contracts, particularly calling timeshares “real estate”
Our attempts to find more information on this resort proved difficult, but we ultimately did find several relevant complaints. The following were a few of the most prominent.
From TripAdvisor:
- “During our recent trip to PV, we experienced a timeshare presentation at the Tau Resorts. I’m writing this to help others avoid taking vacation time for a presentation at the Tau Resorts. My spouse and I soon after this experience decided that this will be our last timeshare (aka fractional ownership) presentation. … By the time we got to the Tau Resort, the OPC had exchanged our original paperwork for replacement paperwork, with a specified gift of much less value that would come from the OPC himself, and this was what he presented to our handlers at the Tau Resort. In the end, our received honorarium was less than 1/5 of what we were first led to believe.”
- “Tau promised owners who purchased by the end of December 2010,that the completion date was July 15, 2011 and those that purchased first week of Jan 2011 that the completion date was Dec 15, 2011. A home builder said to me that there is no way that the resort will be completed by Dec 15 based on what was seen on August 28, 2011. It will take hundreds of workers and heavy equipment to finish a project of that size. Your best bet is to start the recovery process of getting your money back.”
A few responses to these comments included:
- “I am trying to reach them to no avail. Actually, it is the My Preferred Travels Limited that got my red flag up, because they are the entity that took care of my timeshares in trade and now they are nowhere to be located. Emails bounce back, and telephone is out of service! Tau does not answer their phone nor return calls. Highly disappointed- any news/help?”
- “Beware of Tau Resorts. … As a personal note, we drive by there frequently and there is absolutely ZERO construction going on in their shell structure.. It´s been like that for years. Sadly, I think it´s a non-starter.”
We also found that, while Tau Resort Vacation Club does not have much in the way of online reviews, the managing company Velas Resorts has several negative reviews and 3 stars on ComplaintsBoard. The Bel Air Collection, also called the Bel Air Vacation Club (or Owners Circle) has an F with the BBB.
There are also around 60 positive/five-star Google reviews of the resort itself that are pretty spare and nondescript, with a few noting that it still isn’t finished but “will be great when finished.” So we would definitely call this a red flag.
Unfortunately, based on all of these glaring red flags, our evaluation is that Tau Resort Vacation Club appears to be a scam. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get out of Tau Resort Vacation Club timeshare. There are a few options that you can try to get released from your contract.
Tau Resort Vacation Club Exit Program
Sometimes resorts like this one will feature an official exit program on their website in order to keep people from using a third party to cancel Tau Resort Vacation Club timeshare. This isn’t the case with Tau Resort; on the website for their current iteration, Casa Táu, the timeshare program isn’t listed either. Your best bet for getting in touch with the resort would be via the Contact page, where there is an email address that you can use for a more direct connection.
Based on the customer experiences cited above, we can only conclude that it is difficult enough to get rid of Tau Resort Vacation Club timeshare directly that it isn’t truly an option.
Tau Resort Vacation Club Class Action Lawsuit
While we did not find any class action lawsuits that directly involved Tau Resort Vacation Club or any of its managing agents/owners, there is a trail of fraud that involves one of its developers. There are two sources you can look into to find out more about this history. First, the article “NAFTA claim is ‘last resort’ in fraud case” with Mexico News Daily highlights how the developer Héctor Cárdenas Curiel borrowed money to start Tau Resort, but the resort was never built. There is also a Blogspot page called “C&C Capital Fraud” that has further information about Curiel, and other properties he has used for fraudulent activity. Again, while there has not yet been a lawsuit, this background is something you should be aware of and keep an eye on if you’ve invested in Tau Resort Vacation Club.
Find a Timeshare Exit Company
When it comes to fraudulent timeshare companies like Tau Resort Vacation Club, your best bet is to work with a legitimate and reputable timeshare exit company, especially one that has a background in the legal field and a track record of success getting people out of vacation properties.
Timeshare exit companies typically do not try to sell your timeshare. Instead, they tend to work directly with the timeshare developer or resort in order to encourage them to take the timeshare back and cancel your fees. They may work with lawyers in order to do so. While using a timeshare exit company can cost a bit more than other routes to get out of Tau Resort Vacation Club timeshare, it can ultimately be the most effective.
Avoid Timeshare Exit Scams
There are always signs you can look out for when it comes to scams like this one. If you know what to watch out for in terms of red flags, you can keep them in mind and avoid scams in the future. This is not only important when it comes to vacation properties and rentals, but also for finding the right timeshare exit company.
While there are several timeshare exit companies who promise timeshare owners that they’ll cancel their timeshare, they only run on a money-back guarantee, and then never deliver on their promises. Then they keep the money that you paid them and disappear. That’s why we make sure to only recommend companies with a proven track record of cancelling timeshares and only taking payment through escrow. You can learn more about why escrow is important on this page.
To avoid running into any other scams, pay attention to the following:
- Avoid any company without an online presence. If they don’t have a website, it’s likely a scam. Online ratings and reviews of timeshare exit companies can help you with this.
- Avoid any company with a poor or no BBB rating.
- Avoid any company without a track record of successfully getting timeshare owners out of their contracts.
- Make sure you get everything in writing! Having a contract is a good idea when working with a timeshare exit company.
- Don’t settle with the first company you find: shop around. Prices can vary widely by company.
Summary
Getting out of a timeshare like Tau Resort Vacation Club can be challenging, but working with a company who truly has the tools and resources to help you can make it so much easier. While you’re exploring your options, you can explore some of the companies that we recommend on this page.
Still have questions about how to cancel Tau Resort Vacation Club timeshare, or about timeshare exit in general? Feel free to get in touch with us. You can give us a call at 833-416-8796, initiate the live chat, or fill out the contact form on the right side of the page.