They say bad things come in threes.
 
As kids, we read cautionary tales that warn us about how trouble can triple up. Think the Three Little Pigs.  Or the Three Wishes from Alladin’s Lamp.
 
Then there’s real life.  We don’t always see it coming as clearly as in a storybook.  
 
The first bad thing can make you cringe.  But it helps you brace for the second bad thing.
 
But by the third blow… you wonder if you just should’ve known it was coming. 
 
And now, thanks to one of the hundreds complaints against Hilton Grand Vacations at the Better Business Bureau, you can add fee increases at Hilton to the “story of threes.”
 
Because as one owner discovered, upgrading once or twice at Hilton is never enough.
 
“I am writing to vent my disgust with the predatory practices of the Hilton Resorts regarding their timeshare sales practices.”
 
“Predatory practices.”
 
We wondered if they would provide an example.
 
They gave us three, actually.
 
“Since our initial purchase in December 2019, we have upgraded three times, with the most recent upgrade being to the HGV Max program.”
 
Why so many?
 
“Each upgrade has come with promises never fulfilled, leading us to feel targeted, misled, and coerced into unnecessary and costly upgrades.”
 
Targeted, misled, coerced. 
 
That’s not a trio of tactics anyone wants to deal with.
 
“Specifically: we were led to believe that our second upgrade would enroll us in the HGV Max program, only to be contacted again a few months later by our salesperson, indicating that the upgrade did not count and that another upgrade was necessary.”
 
A third upgrade – right after the second?
 
“Despite complying with this request for an additional upgrade, we were falsely promised our fees would be reduced, only to find out that they actually increased.”
 
You’ve got to be kidding.
 
“We are burdened with monthly payments of $1501.63 and maintenance fees of $4555.48, with no discernible benefits from this arrangement.”
 
“We were repeatedly given misinformation, experienced coercion, and the tactics used lacked transparency.”
 
Misinformation. Coercion. Lack of transparency.
 
Sadly, those aren’t the only three things you have to worry about with Hilton.
 
There’s another Hilton threesome who are also bad news.
 
First, there’s Mark Wang, the CEO of Hilton Grand Vacations.  He runs Hilton’s timeshare sales force. Let’s email him at mark.wang@hgv.com and ask when the bad news for Hilton owners is going to stop.
 
Second, there’s Chris Nassetta, President and CEO of Hilton Worldwide, who’s in charge of promoting Hilton’s global brand. We should email him at christopher.nassetta@hilton.com to tell him that whatever Mark Wang is doing, it’s not helping Hilton’s reputation.
 
Finally, there’s Jason Gamel, the President and CEO of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), the trade association that represents the timeshare companies like Hilton in Washington, DC. Send him an email jgamel@arda.org to find out what, if anything, he’s doing to keep bad things from happening to Hilton owners. 

The good news is that there is potential hope on the horizon. Last December, U.S. Senator John Curtis (R-UT) and Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced the Timeshare Transparency Act (S.3502). Essentially, it’s a long overdue “bill of rights” to prevent timeshare consumers from being sold a dream and delivered a nightmare.  

The Timeshare Transparency Act (TTA) sets out clear, commonsense requirements for timeshare companies, so consumers understand exactly what they are purchasing:  

• Total Cost Disclosure: Requires a single document itemizing all acquisition and maintenance costs (including fee increases).
• 14-Day Cancellation Period: Grants buyers in all states a 14-day, penalty-free period to cancel contracts.
• Exit Options: Requires clear, documented procedures for exiting ownership.
• Review Period: Allows buyers to review documents privately without high-pressure sales staff present.
• FTC Enforcement: Empowers the Federal Trade Commission to enforce these regulations. 

To be considered further by the U.S. Congress, the Timeshare Transparency Act needs more support.  

If you agree, contact your U.S. Senators and U.S. House Representative.  Tell them you support the Timeshare Transparency Act (S.3502).  Share your own timeshare horror story. Tell your representatives you’re tired of seeing families “misled and flat-out lied to” by an industry that seems to value profits over fairness and transparency.