Depending on who you ask, somewhere between 70% and 85% of timeshare owners regret buying a timeshare.
That’s, well, that’s…a lot!!
So, the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), the trade association of the timeshare industry, can be forgiven for wanting to do something…anything…to try to improve the industry’s reputation.
Earlier this year, ARDA launched an initiative to encourage people to try timeshares as a vacationing option by partnering with a variety of social media influencers and the popular Roadtrippers online platform.
The effort was even hailed in Resorts Trades Magazine (“Serving Timeshare Resort & Hospitality Professionals Since 1987”) for its transparency as an example of how “how proactive education can transform customer relationship and build trust through clear communication.”
But just how “transparent” is ARDA, really?
After all, the centerpiece of the ARDA initiative is the website GoTimesharing.com – yet you would never know that by looking at it.
That’s because there is nothing on the website that indicates it is actually run by ARDA!
Ironic, no?
Oh, sure, there are hints.
Like the suspiciously sunny answers in the FAQ section.
“Q: If you buy a timeshare are you stuck with it forever?”
“A: No” – followed by language referring readers to the ARDA-sponsored “Coalition for Responsible Exit.”
The many, many timeshare owners at companies like Hilton Grand Vacations and Capital Vacations who have filed complaints with state Attorneys General and/or the Better Business Bureau about how hard those companies make it to get out of timeshare ownership might disagree.
Or take the fact that the site has a section that says, “10 Million Timesharers Can’t Be Wrong,” featuring testimonials from seven “real people” singing the praises of timeshare ownership.
With 85% of timeshare owners regretting their purchase, a truly representative sample actually would have at least six out of those seven owners expressing regret!
So, it would appear to us that ARDA’s so-called “transparency campaign” is, essentially, trying to keep its association with GoTimesharing.com a secret!
Which is funny, really. Because ARDA usually isn’t at all shy about featuring its sponsorship of groups like ARDA-ROC, it’s so-called timeshare owners advocacy organization, or the Coalition for Responsible Exit, ARDA’s so-called exit program.
And Resort Trades Magazine even highlights ARDA’s sponsorship on its own website (just look at the lower left of their page), which might also explain why the article praising ARDA’s transparency was featured in the first place.
We have to hand it to ARDA. They are working hard to improve its reputation, even if it means they need to hide its role in trying to boost timeshare vacationing.
Doing anything, it seems, except finally treat timeshare owners with respect.
Now that ARDA’s little secret is in plain sight, who should we tell?
Let’s start with Jason Gamel, the President and CEO of ARDA. We can email him at jgamel@arda.org and ask when he intends to come clean with the public about GoTimesharing.com?
Then there’s Gordon Gurnik, the Chair of the ARDA Board of Directors, who is also the Chief Operating Officer of Hilton Grand Vacations. Let’s email him at gordon.gurnik@hgv.com and ask if he knows why ARDA wants to keep its association with GoTimesharing.com hidden.
Presumably, Travis Bary, Co-President of Capital Vacations, should know; he’s a member of ARDA’s board. Email him at tbary@capitalvacations.com to see if he’ll fess up to what ARDA’s hiding.
Discovered something your timeshare company has been hiding? Use this list of ARDA VIPs to let your company’s leaders know.
Are you among the 85% of timeshare owners who have regrets? Tell us why at info@timesharefacts.com
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