(29 December) Department of Trade & Industry (“DTI”) announce improved consumer protection from cross-border scams such as timeshare and holiday club rogue operators.Full details here.
(14 December) The Lanzarote Beach Club Members Association (LBCMA) announce the launch of their long awaited criminal case in Lanzarote against eight, as yet unnamed, defendants. Details at www.lbcma.org
(21 October) Tenerife police announce further arrests of individuals involved in the resale scam.
(4 October) The European Commission publish the full text of all submissions to their review of the Timeshare Directive Click Here (a very large file!)
(15 August) TCA respond to the European Commission review of the Timeshare Directive. Details
(11 August) Seasons Holidays plc purchase Clowance Estate & Country Club and announce plans for 42 new units to be sold on a sale and leaseback basis.
(31 July) Butlins announces their “Blueskies” timeshare development alongside their holiday resorts at Minehead, Somerset. (28 July) Nick Benson, CEO of Sunterra Corp. is formally dismissed [See 22 June below]
(22 July) Paramount Holiday Pass introduce new, low cost, access to timeshare accomodation in a competitive challenge to conventional timeshare ownership plus exchange. Details.
(19 July) European Commission organise a debate in Brussels on the review of the Timeshare Directive. Agenda. Participants.
(17 July) Following the unsolved murders of Billy & Flo Robinson on Tenerife in January 2006 the Spanish police are setting up a GRECO ( Grupos de Respuesta Especial al Crimen Organizado) squad to combat organised crime on the island.
(22 June) Nick Benson, Chief Executive Officer of Sunterra Corp. in Las Vegas and previously Managing Director of Sunterra Europe, is suspended pending the outcome of investigations into allegations of tax irregularities in Europe. Details
(16 June) Gloucester County Court Judge decides that Classic Houseboats at Barton Turns Marina are regulated by the Timeshare Act 1992.
( 1 June) European Commission publish a discussion document for the review of the Timeshare Directive. Details
(25 May) Police on the Costa del Sol announce that they arrested eight people in connection with an alleged holiday club and timeshare resale fraud amounting to 20,000,000 euros.
(8 May) Classic Houseboats at Barton Turns Marina are refused planning permission
(27 April) David Harris employment as Chief Executive Officer of Sunterra Europe Ltd is terminated.
(25 April) Sunterra Europe Ltd admit to failing to pay withholding tax to the Spanish authorities amounting to $3.1M. This sum has now been paid.
(29 March) Spanish police arrest 28 people working for Design Vacation in Tenerife alleging the fraudulent sale of holiday club memberships, mainly to Germans.
(26 March) Department of Trade & Industry close down PR Holidays Ltd. who were selling membership of an internet based holiday club, Network Vacations.
(22 March) The Court of Appeal ruled that the use of credit cards abroad was covered by the Consumer Credit Act following a successful appeal by the Office of Fair Trading.
(17 March) Cendant Corp announce that their Hospitality Services Division (which includes RCI) will be “spun-off” from the main Cendant Corp company and renamed Wyndham Worldwide. This is expected to happen late in 2006.
(16 March) An American law firm launches a class action against RCI on behalf of RCI Weeks members alleging that RCI rent out the higher demand weeks instead of providing them to members for exchange. Details
(11 February) Seventeen British citizens are arrested in Costa del Sol on allegations of operating a “resale” scam.
(1 February) TCA publish their annual report on the timeshare industry in Europe.
(13 January) Billy and Florence Robinson, who were selling at Tenerife Royal Gardens, Tenerife are brutally murdered on the island.
( 6 January) Jeff Armstrong, convicted of a series of timeshare frauds amounting to over half a million pounds, is sentenced in Manchester to 39 months in prison.
For more information regarding this article or assistance in any other timeshare related issues please contact the TCA on 01908 881058 or email: info@TimeshareConsumerAssociation.org.uk