Change is hard.
But does it have to be unfair, too?
Not necessarily.
Unless Capital Vacations is involved.
There has been a big change in the timeshare world. Used to be that owners bought into a specific unit with an independent timeshare property. But now, giant timeshare companies sell points instead of properties.
We found a frightening account that shows the dark side of this change in the timeshare business model. You can read it too, in the complaint about Capital Vacations Jodi and Bob filed with the attorney general’s office in Missouri.
“At Stormy Point, they promised us the moon and stars, saying we’d own actual property with a deed – a solid investment with no room for regrets. They painted a picture of exclusivity, hinting at high resale value and endless vacation opportunities.”
Sounds nice. And it was…for a while.
“Then came Capital swooping in, changing the game.”
“Suddenly, our purchased week became completely worthless, restricting us to just Stormy Point in Branson.”
That doesn’t sound very fair.
“No more flexibility, no more trading – just stuck in one place as the other timeshares use points instead of weeks. We had to convert to points or risk never being able to use our deed.”
So how did that go?
“Even after switching to points, there has been no availability for us to vacation with Capital.”
A change for the worse, it seems.
“The final blow was the relentless push for more upgrades and higher payments.”
Another unwelcome change.
“WE cannot continue to pay $829.71 monthly mortgage and almost 200.00 maintenance fees a month especially when we haven’t left the house. Bob is retired, a Navy veteran, and on a fixed income.”
“WE can’t afford to take a vacation when we have this huge payment to make.”
All Jodi and Bob want is the same thing everyone wants from a timeshare.
“We are middle-class hard-working folks who just wanted to be able to call, make a reservation, and be able to travel.”
What did the changes from Capital Vacations bring them instead?
“It’s a saga of broken promises, sneaky attempts to upgrade, and financial traps.”
“Capital took our dreams and turned them into a nightmare of endless payments and false hope.”
That’s so sad. And so unfair.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Let’s ask Travis Bary, the co-president of Capital Vacations, why the changes at Stormy Point weren’t made with fairness in mind. Travis’s email is tbary@capitalvacations.com.
You’d think Jason Gamel would be concerned about fair treatment too. He’s thePresident and CEO of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), which represents timeshare companies in Washington, DC. Let’s see what he’s doing to make sure that companies like Capital Vacations make changes that are equitable for owners, not just profitable for the companies. Jason’s email is jgamel@arda.org.
Worried about the changes at your timeshare property? Use this list of ARDA VIPs to ask your company’s leaders how they are going to make sure you are treated fairly.
Experienced your own timeshare change for the worse? Let us know at info@timesharefacts.com.
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