It only took one word, and we instantly understood.
Among the hundreds of complaints against Hilton Grand Vacations on Reddit, it was a single word of warning that spoke to all the broken promises, underhanded tactics and outright lies that are so easy to find in the timeshare industry.
“Beware!”
It doesn’t get any more direct than that.
“We were swindled by Hilton Grand Vacations.”
Or that.
And that’s just the opening line.
“We had a deeded timeshare for over 20 years, but the deed was never recorded and repeated requests for a copy so we could sell it were ignored.”
“Last spring we attended a Hilton Grand Vacations presentation just so we could address this.”
That seemed like a good idea, except…
“We were told there was no way the deed could be produced at this late date, but that without it we couldn’t sell our timeshare and our heirs would be stuck with it.”
“Our only option, convert to the points system.”
Of course that was the only option. Just what we’ve come to expect from Hilton.
“So, for a bit over $10k, we converted to 5000 points a year…a significant downgrade from our tier 5 timeshare.”
“That was insulting to start with, considering the issue was our deed never being recorded and them not being able to produce a copy of our deed.”
“But they did give us 13,500 bonus points…”
Shame on Hilton for raising their expectations.
“…WHICH HAVE TURNED OUT TO BE UNUSABLE.”
Yup, there is it. The truth.
“Although we had the original timeshare since 2000, in the transition to the points system we are not technically members until January 2025, putting us in limbo for most of 2024.”
“The bonus points were for 2024. But we could not get a valid reservation with them because we’re not members until 2025.”
We can see where this is going.
“So, we tried to get a reservation with them in 2025 but were told they can only be used in 2024.”
Wait a minute…that sounds like…
“The perfect Catch-22.”
“Hilton Grand Vacations scammed us in a big way.”
Well, it seems that the one word we started with sums up this horror story very well.
“Beware!”
Sadly, at this point, our expectations for Mark Wang, the CEO of Hilton Grand Vacations, are justifiably low. Nevertheless, let’s email him at mark.wang@hgv.com and ask him to stop scamming owners with non-solution solutions.
Let’s also email Chris Nassetta, President and CEO of Hilton Worldwide at christopher.nassetta@hilton.com and tell him we expect better from Hilton.
Jason Gamel, the President and CEO of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), the trade association that represents the timeshare industry in Washington, DC, should hear from us too. Email him at jgamel@arda.org to ask how he expects to improve the industry’s reputation when Hilton behaves like this.
Expectations for timeshare companies should be higher. That’s why the Timeshare Transparency Act (S.3502) is so important. 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) 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.
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
Do your timeshare company’s leaders keep living down to expectations? Use this list of ARDA VIPs to tell them to do better.
Had a timeshare experience that didn’t meet expectations in a big way? Let us know at info@timesharefacts.com.
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