It’s ironic, isn’t it?
 
It’s called the “timeshare industry.”
 
But it really seems to be not interested in sharing time at all!
 
Timeshare sales pitches go on so long.  There’s no time for customers to focus on what’s really important – like reading all the documents they are asked to sign.
 
And that’s the ironic part. 
 
Because the Code of Ethics of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), the timeshare industry’s trade association, requires its members to give customers enough time to read everything they are signing.
 
It clearly states: “The consumer should be provided with a reasonable opportunity to review the contract documents before signing.”
 
After running across this complaint against Hilton Grand Vacations from earlier this year, one of hundreds on file with the Better Business Bureau, we’re thinking it’s Hilton that needs to take a little more time for document review – especially ARDA’s ethics code.
 
“The sales presentation began at 2:45PM and was supposed to be 2 hours, but the salespeople were aggressive in keeping me in the seat listening to their sales pitch.”
 
“I let the salespeople know that I am unable to afford any of the packages they presented to me. I also made it clear that I have an even to attend at 6PM and would not be able to stay past 4:44PM (my obligation).” 
 
“They continued to pressure me into buying a package by lowering the points I would receive. At this point I saw no way to leave the pitch except to accept their proposal.” 
 
Well Hilton, at least, considered time to be on THEIR side.   
 
“Upon beginning to sign the paperwork, I was not told that the process normally takes upward of an hour, even though I informed them earlier I had to leave.” 
 
“To ensure I don’t leave without signing every piece of legalese, the agent rushed through the paperwork, saying that typically these signings take a lot of time to explain and that I’ll have a lot of questions after signing.” 
 
AFTER signing????
 
ARDA’s ethics code specifically says a “reasonable opportunity” should be provided “before signing.”
 
“She especially failed to explain the 10-day rescission period I am entitled to.”
 
More irony. ARDA’s ethics code says: “Consumers should be afforded the opportunity to sign an acknowledgement that they have received a copy of the rescission rights disclosure.”
 
Clearly that didn’t happen – because Hilton was hoping to run out the clock. And they did.
 
“I unfortunately did not find out about this rescission period until after it had lapsed on 7/12/24.” 
 
“I contacted Hilton to attempt to fix the situation. After calling several Hilton numbers, I reached [an agent] who went on to belittle me over the phone while using sales papers (not contracts) I filled out to tell me they would not be releasing me from the contract.” 
 
How does Hilton keep getting away with violating ARDA’s ethics code?
 
Well, Mark Wang, the CEO of Hilton Grand Vacations, is on the board of directors at ARDA and Gordon Gurnik, the Chief Operating Officer of Hilton Grand Vacations, is the board’s Chair. In fact, as Chair, Gurnik, along with Jason Gamel, ARDA’s CEO and President,  approves all the members of ARDA’s Ethics Committee.
 
And that’s the problem. Because ARDA’s Code of Ethics requires that Ethics Committee members can only come from the timeshare companies the committee is supposed to be keeping in line. We doubt they spend a lot of their time investigating one another.
 
Let’s email Mark Wang at mark.wang@hgv.com, Gordon Gurnik at gordon.gurnik@hgv.com and Jason Gamel at jason.gamel@arda.org to say the time has come to stop the self-dealing self-policing at ARDA.
 
You can use this list of ARDA VIPs to let your company’s leaders know it’s time for a change, too.
  
Does your timeshare company treat all your time like it’s all theirs? Tell us how at info@timesharefacts.com 
  
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