Hilton Grand Vacations certainly has some chutzpah!
 
They really know how to hit a customer where it hurts.
 
In our last message,  we shared the audacious story of Elizabeth Domingo, the 63-year-old Maryland woman who followed the rules, canceled her purchase of a Hilton timeshare within the 10-day rescission period allowed by Florida and specified in her purchase agreement.
 
Except Hilton refused to honor her cancellation.
 
Despite the fact that her timeshare agreement says it “shall be governed under and interpreted and enforced in accordance with the law of the State of Florida” Hilton claimed that a shorter seven-day rescission window should apply, since Elizabeth had purchased the timeshare while at a presentation in Hawaii.
 
But Hilton’s refusal to honor the cancellation was just the first domino to fall on Elizabeth’s finances as the company did everything it could to collect money it wasn’t owed.
 
Here’s what happened next, according to Elizabeth’s lawsuit seeking damages from Hilton Grand Vacations.
 
When Elizabeth contested the charges on her American Express account related to the canceled contract, Hilton insisted they were legitimate. When Elizabeth refused to pay, American Express canceled Elizabeth’s account. 
 
Another financial domino fell.
 
Hilton also initiated foreclosure proceedings against the timeshare – even though Elizabeth had legally rescinded her contract.
 
Another debt domino.
 
And, of course, the account closures and foreclosure actions were shared with credit reporting agencies.
 
As a result, Elizabeth’s credit score dropped by more than 200 points in six months due to Hilton’s unfair claims.
 
Before she was exposed to Hilton’s hardball harassment, Elizabeth’s credit score had been more than 830 points.
 
According to Experian, one of the big three credit report agencies, a drop from 830 to below 630 would mean Elizabeth’s credit rating had gone from “Exceptional” all the way down to “Fair.”
 
That means Elizabeth will be paying higher rates on credit cards, bank loans and insurance. 
 
And that’s why she is seeking more than $30,000 in damages from Hilton.
 
We wish her luck.
 
Now, $30,000 in damages probably won’t hurt Mark Wang much. He’s the CEO of Hilton Grand Vacations and he makes millions. But let’s let him know it means a lot to the rest of us. Email Mark at mark.wang@hgv.com and ask him why he would rather ruin a customer’s finances than honor a contract.
 
We should also email Christopher Nassetta, President and CEO of Hilton Worldwide, at christopher.nassetta@hilton.com. A thirty-thousand dollar court case wouldn’t hurt Hilton much, either, but the damage that Mark Wang is doing to the Hilton brand might concern Mr. Nassetta. Let’s find out.
 
Jason Gamel, the President and CEO of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), needs to hear from us too. ARDA is the trade association that represents the timeshare industry in Washington, DC. How does it look when a leading timeshare company financially attacks a customer instead of keeping its word? Ask Jason at jgamel@arda.org.
 
Does your timeshare company play games with your finances? Use this list of ARDA VIPs to contact your company’s leaders and tell them to stop.
  
Has your experience with a timeshare company left your hurting?  Share your story with us at info@timesharefacts.com 
  
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