| Timeshare Facts continues to receive mail at a fast clip. The stories are incredible… …and filled with red flag, know-before-you-buy warnings. Like about the sketchy Timeshare Point System… Ann is very upset with Holiday Inn Vacation Club: “We purchased a timeshare before anything was ever built (we were supposed to have rights that others didn’t, because we were charter members!), and after two timeshares salesmen convinced us that we needed to convert it to points and purchase an additional 50,000-point membership, we did. We had used our first timeshare many times, and it was completely paid for. Just before COVID hit, we decided that the maintenance fees and costs were just too high, so we consulted with a lawyer who said we should just quit paying the maintenance fees on the older timeshare and quit paying on the newer timeshare. He said they would eventually work with us. That didn’t happen, either! Unbeknownst to us, they took back the first timeshare – they didn’t send ANYTHING to us to let us know we were in danger of losing it – and began threatening foreclosure on the 50,000-point timeshare. They will not meet us halfway on any issue. We can pay the timeshare off, as well as all the maintenance fees, THEN return the timeshare to them. Other than that, we can pay it off with all the maintenance fees and keep it (we can’t use 50,000 points; they’re worth NOTHING!), or we can sell it – but who would want it since you can’t really vacation anywhere for only 50k points. Holiday Inn Vacation Club is a HUGE thug.” And Stan sent us this story: “I too am a victim of lies and deceit. I don’t understand why these people aren’t indicted for fraud! I am an owner with BlueGreen Vacation Club, and my membership was all paid up. I went to an owner’s update and the salesman offered to help me totally eliminate my maintenance fees. I had to move up a step from “Silver” to “Gold” and I would never have to pay maintenance again, he said. It cost me over $20,000 extra and now I have to sell my time share points to a third party, but I have NO POINTS LEFT TO USE FOR VACATIONS!!! What a scam. I have tried to talk to many people at BlueGreen but their “solution” is to upgrade again for another $10,000 to $20,000 ! It just never ends. I now have over $61,000 invested in my time share and I want to get my money back.” Doreen told us this: “I bought and paid in full with Monarch Brand in Vegas. Then it was sold and everything changed and they tried to force me to buy more timeshare. I have basically walked away and want nothing to do with it. Took the loss of several thousands of dollars because I hate the company Diamond Resorts and would have NEVER bought with them.” Martin also had trouble with points: “Diamond Resorts said we could use our points to pay for our maintenance fees, or use our points to buy food and accessories to bring home. That was a lie – you have to buy their products with the points – the points are unusable. I am trying to sell mine so I can get out of this mess, because their fees are outrageous. I can’t afford them.” The lesson here: beware of over eager timeshare sales brokers. Especially those who insist MORE POINTS will counter balance HIGH MAINTENACE FEES. If these industry-wide sales tactics make you as mad as they make us, we have a place for you to send your complaints. The American Resort Development Association (ARDA) represents timeshare companies in Washington, DC. Jason Gamel is the President and CEO of ARDA. He may have some good advice about what the timeshare industry suggests for owners who have fallen on hard times. Let’s email him at jgamel@arda.org. And Michael D. Brown. He’s a good person to ask. He’s not only the Chairman of the Board at ARDA, he’s also the CEO of Travel & Leisure Co., a Wyndham timeshare company. You can email him here: michael.brown@wyn.com Tell us your timeshare horror story, too. Send it to us at info@timesharefacts.com. PS: Follow us on social media. Twitter Facebook Instagram |
