This is a copy of an email recieved by the TCA and from a very respectable person who holds a commission in law enforcement in the United Kingdom. The TCA have vetted this person and can confirm he is in a senior position in the law enforcement authority and has a genuine complaint.
What is very interesting is that he and his family have been subjected to the advice on the Citizens Advice Website like all other consumers. What is of particular interest is he acted on that advice.
I have sent the e mail to the CAB however we have not received a response.
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Attended a presentation evening at a hotel in Burton whereby sat for three hours through high pressure sales, told would get free holiday with flights and car hire if we signed up there and then otherwise it was just a weeks holiday. Wife xxxx xxxxxx (now deceased) paid a deposit to the team on her credit card.
Signed to Destinations Club on 12/04/2006.
Had number of holidays and then in Tenerife a pressured sales environment to upgrade to Vacations Club on 11/07/2007 as they were ‘SCRAPPING’ Destinations Club and that to remain in the Club we had to upgrade. Received a certificate at the time post-dated to 03/08/2007?
Continued to have holidays until wife passed away in September 2009
I then informed Club la Costa who took copy of death certificate with a don’t worry we’ll sort everything attitude.
Attended Marina del Sol resort in 2011 with my new partner xxxxx xxxxx whereby again we were taken to the sales centre and told that Vacation Club was now being phased out and and that members were all buying up into the Fractional Owners Club, we were told that if we bought into this that in a period of time they forecast that a profit would be made on the property we were buying into when it was sold. When I asked if we could look at the property I was told that there wasn’t time and that guests were also in the unit making it impossible. Had I seen the property we were being sold I wouldn’t have bought into it. We weren’t told the name of the property only given a unit number code. When I told them I couldn’t really afford to buy into this I was made to feel inadequate by the sales team and almost embarrassed into signing into a credit agreement.
In 2012 I was in a position where I could not afford to continue paying the rising membership fees. I called Club la Costa to be told that I couldn’t relinquish this membership and was tied in unless I sold it. When I asked how to do this I was referred to the RDO.
On the RDO website at the time were four companies listed as reputable Timeshare sales companies, one was Wx- Tx- Hx-, one was based in Warwickshire I forget the name and another was ‘ Visions of the World’.
As the reviews on Visions of the World appeared good, but still being sceptical I contacted Citizens Advice Bureau for their advice. Again I was informed that the RDO was the industries main body and they were the ones to trust.
After having my timeshare listed on their website for a number of months with no interest I received a call from Visions Sales Team stating that they had a solution and would I be willing to come down to Southend and meet with them to discuss their proposals. They paid for a hotel and then on 09/06/2012 I attended the offices with my partner where I was met by Jason Clowrey the Managing director/owner and other sales managers and a male my partner recognised from a shopping channel on TV Andrew Bernard who dealt with us.
Jason looked over our Fractional contracts and said yes we can get you out of this however it comes at a cost and will involve buying into Sutton Hall Timeshare resort which if we didn’t want could just hand straight back. Of course out of sheer desperation to be free of Club la Costa we agreed and the contracts were signed and the money transferred at a later date into an accountants LAS Partnership.
The then sales manager Glenn Stroud and Jason Clowrey assured us that they would sort the paperwork and the Certificate in regards to CLC.
At this stage the relief was immense that it was all sorted and we were free from our timeshare.
I then continued to receive bills from CLC Memberships and when I contacted them they told me I was still the contracted member and liable for fees. I then spoke again to Glenn Stroud who assured me it was all sorted and would contact them again to make sure. This happened a number of times.
We then heard nothing for 18 months or so till I received a bill for £3500 or so from CLC and when I again contacted them I was informed the same thing that they had received no correspondence and that I was liable etc. for the monies. They were rude to me on the phone to which I had to ask them not to be.
I have been unable to contact Visions of the World as a company TFP Services are currently fronting the advertising side of the business due to a bereavement involving a family member of Jason Clowrey. Although company checks reveal the company is still trading. An employee at TFP has been trying to look into the issue however as usual they never get back to me despite numerous calls.
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A copy has been set to an MP of the 1922 Committee who is assisting us in this matter.
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