It’s not the printer that will cost you…it’s the ink.
 
If you have a computer printer at home, you already know where the big money is for printer manufacturers. They make a lot more money selling toner and ink than selling printers!
 
That’s something they have in common with timeshare companies like Capital Vacations.
 
Regardless of what you pay for a timeshare, you can be certain you will pay a lot, lot more in maintenance fees than you did for the original timeshare purchase. That’s how timeshare companies like Capital Vacations actually rake in the money.
 
Case in point: Keith H.  He thought he got a good deal on his timeshare AND the maintenance fees, only to find out that Capital Vacations had deceived him. We found his story in the complaint he filed with the Better Business Bureau.
 
“Our first contract with Capital Vacations Club started on May 1, 2022.”
 
A Capital Vacations telemarketer offered Keith a low-cost vacation…with just one catch.
 
“We would only have to attend a 90-minute timeshare presentation.”
 
“The first presentation was about Capital Vacations Club. It lasted about 45 minutes and featured a podium speaker…Then, we were separated into couples when we met with our assigned sales representative.” 
 
“During the purchase we were told there would be a cap on our maintenance fees if we purchased gold.”
 
Sounds pretty good– almost like getting printer ink at a guaranteed low price. 
 
“We ended up noticing a 10% increase on our first bill.” 
 
Or, maybe not.
 
What gives?
 
“We went to a meeting so that they could address it and were told we had a temporary gold level but technically we were silver which is why we saw a significant increase.”
 
At least when you buy a printer, you know you’re getting a printer.
 
“This time we were told we can get a permanent gold level by upgrading and by doing that, it would cap us at 3% increase yearly.”
 
“The next bill we received was a 9% increase on my maintenance fee, we were very upset and clearly knew then that we had been lied to.”
 
That’s quite the whopper – even for Capital Vacations.
 
“After requesting cancellation of our contract Capital confirmed that the maintenance fee scheme was a lie and offered us points to appease us. Which we respectfully declined.”
 
“I am a 100% disabled veteran, and my wife is over 60 years old, we are at a point in our lives we cannot handle this kind of stress and burden.”
 
And they shouldn’t have to. 
 
Let’s email Travis Bary, the co-president of Capital Vacations, and tell him his company’s maintenance fee business model isn’t a model policy for timeshare owners. Travis’s email is tbary@capitalvacations.com.
 
Jason Gamel, the President and CEO of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA),which represents timeshare companies in Washington, DC, should get that message too.  Email him at jgamel@arda.org.
 
But the person who needs to hear it most is Kenneth McKelvey, the chairman of ARDA’s Resort Owners Coalition, who claims to represent timeshare owners. He’s also an executive consultant to Capital Vacations, so he’s very familiar with Capital’s business model – perhaps too familiar. His email is consumer@arda-roc.org.
 
Tired of paying more and more in timeshare maintenance fees? Use the contact information in this list of ARDA VIPs to let your company’s leaders know.
 
Know of a timeshare model that no one should copy? Share it with us at info@timesharefacts.com. 
 
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