Google “hypocrisy.” 
 
hy•po•cri•sy noun:  the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s own behavior does not conform; pretense.
 
That’s from the publishers of the Oxford English Dictionary.  So, we were willing to take their word for it.
 
But we must admit, we were surprised that the first thing that popped up on Google wasn’t more like this:
 
hy•po•cri•sy noun:  the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) Code of Ethics.
 
ARDA is the timeshare industry’s trade association. And, believe us, its behavior does not conform to the standards it claims to have.
 
Maybe that’s because the ethics code requires that all the members of ARDA’s Ethics Committee come from the timeshare companies they are supposed to be policing.
 
What could possibly go wrong?
 
Tony can tell us. He’s one of the many Capital Vacations owners who have filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. 
 
Admittedly, he probably didn’t even know that ARDA has an ethics code or that it requires: “All Members shall conduct their activities honestly and fairly in compliance with applicable laws, and with professionalism, integrity, dignity and propriety.”
 
But read Tony’s story and you can see that Capital Vacations failed on all counts.
 
“Capital Vacations lie and use pressure techniques to trap individuals into a contract that too often is a financial burden on their clients.”
 
“Lie 1. A 90-minute presentation: Turned out to be 6 and a half hours.”
 
That doesn’t seem fair.
 
“Lie 2. I asked more than once specifically what would happen if say my wife and I became unable to travel in two years.  what would happen to the maintenance fees.: They would just go away and you wouldn’t have to pay them. Never was anything said about a 10-yr contract.”
 
Nor honest.
 
“Lie 3. Exhausted and filled with anxiety reluctantly signed with assurance that we could exit the membership at any time without penalty.”
 
Where’s the dignity, Capital Vacations?
 
“Lie 4. Was presented with the option to get $8000 dollars back and exit the program or stay in current contract and estimated maintenance fees would be double what was presented in initial meeting or pay an addition $19,000 and upgrade. We chose to get a refund.”
 
Okay, even we couldn’t find hypocrisy there…until we read further down.
 
“Lie 5. When corporate calls to verify the refund and exit make sure you are honest with them about initial sales deception. Corporate never called.” 
 
That’s not very proper.
 
“When we called to inquire about our refunds, was told that that was not an option. The sales rep would not take our calls or return calls. He was a flat-out liar.”
 
And certainly not very professional (or honest, but also, see Lie 2).
 
“I would advise everyone, do not sit through the pressure sales, they lie and mislead you.”
 
Finally, there may be some hope on the horizon for prospective timeshare owners like Tony.
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) (S.3502) 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. 

Importantly, the bill preserves states’ rights to enact and enforce even stronger consumer protections in the timeshare marketplace.
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

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, orcomplaints with the Better Business Bureau.  

Jason Gamel is the President and CEO of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA).  Let’s ask Jason why he’s so afraid of affirming a nationwide 14-day cancellation window and why the timeshare industry needs to trap buyers before they can change their minds? Jason’s email is jgamel@arda.org   
Sharing your timeshare horror stories does have an impact.  If you have a story to share, tell us at info@timesharefacts.com

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