“Membership has its privileges.”

That’s the motivating force behind every business built on membership fees – from country clubs to wholesale warehouse stores, even American Express!

Well, every membership business except, it would seem, Hilton Grand Vacations.

In fact, if you scroll through the hundreds of complaints owners have filed with the Better Business Bureau against Hilton Grand Vacations, you’ll find a sizeable share focus on the unavailability of reservations.

As one long-time owner discovered, membership at Hilton doesn’t come with any privileges.

“As a loyal paying customer since 2018, I have invested a significant amount of money into this timeshare program.”

“Despite my investment and loyalty, I have been consistently disappointed with the level of service and the inability to utilize the benefits.”

Being able to enjoy the benefits for which you pay a pretty hefty fee would be number one on our list of privileges.

But, apparently, not Hilton’s.

“Despite our best efforts there are never enough points or availability to secure a reservation.”

So, here’s where we feel obligated to mention that Hilton Grand Vacations is a member of the American Resort Developers Association (ARDA), the trade association for the timeshare industry.

The reason that’s important to know is because ARDA’s Code of Ethics states: “The Member shall not sell more use rights in a Vacation Property or a Vacation Interest plan than are available for use in such Vacation Property or Vacation Interest plan.”

Is Hilton selling more membership availability than it actually has? That would explain the huge number of complaints from members about never being able to get a reservation.

“Instead of addressing our concerns and rectifying the situation, we have been bombarded with harassing phone calls urging us to upgrade our program by investing more money.”

“It is evident that these calls are merely attempts to extract further funds from us, as they do not offer any tangible solutions to the underlying issue of availability.”

Right. You’d think the solution would be, well, making more units available to timeshare members.

But that’s not how Hilton rolls.

“The deceitful promises made during the initial presentation of the timeshare have left me feeling betrayed and disillusioned.”

Understandably so.

Maybe ARDA’s Ethics Committee should start investigating why so many Hilton owners can’t enjoy the privileges they are paying for.

After all, no one should understand Hilton’s availability failures better than the Chair of the ARDA’s Ethics Committee, Gordon Gurnik, who just so happens to be the Chief Operating Officer of Hilton Grand Vacations!

Okay, maybe that’s too much to hope for.

But ARDA CEO and President Jason Gamel is also on the Ethics Committee. He could look into things…except he answers to ARDA’s board of directors, which includes Mark Wang, the CEO of Hilton Grand Vacations.

That could be awkward!

Few of us enjoy the self-policing privileges that ARDA members have, which probably explains why so many Hilton owners aren’t enjoying any of the privileges they thought they had.

If only there was a legally binding “bill of rights” to prevent timeshare consumers from being sold a dream and delivered a nightmare!

While it would seem long overdue, there is some 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). The Timeshare Transparency Act (TTA) sets out clear, commonsense requirements for timeshare companies, so consumers understand exactly what they are purchasing.

Predictably, the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), the trade association that represents the timeshare companies in Washington, DC., is already out there claiming this bill is “unnecessary,” “duplicative,” and creates “unnecessary federal regulations.”

Unnecessary? Tell that to the thousands who have filed lawsuits, or complaints with their state attorney general, or complaints with the Better Business Bureau.

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.

• Find your Senator: senate.gov

• Find your Representative: house.gov

We can also email Gordon Gurnik at gordon.gurnik@hgv.com, Mark Wang at mark.wang@hgv.com and Jason Gamel at jason.gamel@arda.org to ask what, if anything, they intend to do to make things better for timeshare owners.

Don’t feel privileged to have your timeshare anymore? Use this list of ARDA VIPs to ask your company’s leaders what they are doing to make your membership worth it.

Can’t enjoy the privileges of your timeshare membership? Tell us all about it at info@timesharefacts.com

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