We used to think there was nothing worse than not being able to reach anyone at a timeshare company like Hilton Grand Vacations.
 
Read through the many, many complaints against Hilton that timeshare owners have filed with the Better Business Bureau and you could be forgiven for thinking that no one’s answering the phone. 
 
New owners call their sales reps when they find out things aren’t as they promised, only to be ghosted. 
 
Owners can never reach a live person to get the online registration to work. 
 
Messages owners leave with the billing department asking questions about skyrocketing maintenance fees go unreturned.
 
But…it turns out, there IS something worse than not being able to reach a Hilton representative…
 
…and that’s actually making contact with someone who’s allegedly supposed to help!
 
At least that’s the experience of this Hilton owner:
 
“DO NOT purchase a timeshare with this company.”
 
We’re already guessing…it’s not going to be a “feel good” story.
 
“During the sales presentation, we were assured that maintenance fees and incidental costs would be minimal.”
 
Starting out good! Maybe we got it wrong.
 
“Lie.”
 
There it is…Nope!  We were right from the start.
 
“In reality, these fees have been not only burdensome but have also been consistently escalating.”
 
And that was a problem for this owner.
 
They kept paying their fees but falling further behind in their household finances.
 
So, they contacted Hilton and were actually connected with someone who said he could help.
 
Good news!
 
Except…
 
“We have been working with their representative to find a way out of this nightmare, who has frankly done NOTHING to help us.”
 
Troubling…but not necessarily worse than getting no help at all.
 
“Instead of addressing our grievances, he’ll say things like, ‘there’s no reason to get agitated,’ or ‘you signed a contract’ and implied that since we are making our monthly payments, we should not have any problems making payment to a timeshare, which is an absurd notion.”
 
Adding insult to injury. 
 
Okay, that really IS worse than getting no help at all! 
 
“How dare he tell US how to feel when his company was the one that LIED TO US?”
 
“It is unacceptable to expect us to pay for mistakes that were clearly not ours to begin with. All we want is to be released from this agreement so we can MOVE ON with our lives.”
 
“Assistance” that makes bad things worse can’t possibly be Hilton’s goal!
 
Or CAN it?
 
That’s a question only Mark Wang, the CEO of Hilton Grand Vacations, can answer. Let’s see what he says by emailing him at mark.wang@hgv.com to ask.
 
Jason Gamel, the CEO and President of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), the trade association of the timeshare industry, might be interested in the answer, too. Email him at jason.gamel@arda.org to see if he’s willing to ask Mark Wang why Hilton keeps making things worse for its owners.
 
And you know who else might want to hear from you?  Your U.S. Senators and Representatives!  That’s because there is a bill trying to gain traction in Congress.  It’s called the Timeshare Transparency Act (S.3502) and was introduced last December by U.S. Senator John Curtis (R-UT) and Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA).
 
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. 

Tell your representatives you support the Timeshare Transparency Act (S.3502), and you’re tired of seeing families “misled and flat-out lied to” by an industry that seems to value profits over fairness and transparency.

• Find your Senator: senate.gov
• Find your Representative: house.gov

Things going from bad to worse at your timeshare company? Use this list of ARDA VIPs see whether contacting your company’s leaders will make any difference.
  
Had a worse experience with your timeshare’s representatives? Let us know at info@timesharefacts.com 
  
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