Balisani clarifies

Balisani clarifies

JAKARTA (JP): Club Balisani, which is managed by PT Balisani Sentrawisata, denies having forced anybody to become members.

Vivian Maulani Widjaja, Club Balisani's member service manager, said on Saturday that membership deals were reached between the club and its members upon the members' approval.

The statement referred to a lawsuit filed by Arthur J. Manapa with the city police on Friday.

Vivian acknowledged that Arthur became a club member on April 4, 1995. "His being our club member was decided by himself after a thorough discussion with us," she said.

The membership fee was, according to the deal, a purchase and not an investment and this had been told to him before the signing, she added.

Membership cancellation is allowed, according to the prospectus given to Arthur, within 24 hours after a contract is signed, with a US$500 cancellation fee. "This is Interval International's policy which is applied in 78 countries in the world, not Balisani's," she said. A member who cancels their membership more than 24 hours after the deal is signed will not be reimbursed, she said.

"However, Balisani usually offers an alternative. Those who want to cancel membership are allowed to sell or rent the membership through Balisani," she said.

J. Arthur, an employee of the state secretary office, has file a lawsuit against PT Balisani Sentrawisata for fraud.

He said that he had been cheated by the tour company of Rp 10.6 million, a down payment for the Rp 14 million membership fee.

He changed his mind after handing over Rp 10.6 million and requested a refund. The company refused, saying that the membership fee could not be returned as stipulated in the deal. (sur)