The world of timeshare can be very confusing. It’s full of many different stories from many different people and it can be difficult to know what or who to believe.
Generally in timeshare, some sales people are looking for one thing and that is your money. These particular people will do whatever they can to get you to part with your hard earned cash.
Some customers say timeshare does not offer value for money, whilst others say they do. Some consumers will say that they were mis-sold, whilst others will say they were not. There are so many different versions of events, it’s incredibly important that you know, understand and trust the people you are discussing your timeshare options with.
In timeshare, sometimes ethical behaviour is cast aside and tactics such as confusion, lies and mis-representation are used which can led to swindlers and crooks exploiting consumers. They will often use of mis-truths to make sales, and this can prove to be very dangerous.
Glossy brochures, the illusion of a better life and the pushy sales person can often lead to people in to making quick (sometimes uninformed) decisions. The sellers will make their money, and often the customers dreams are then dashed as promises are not kept. The seller can then hide behind a collection of contracts and terms and conditions which are often not checked by the customer prior to making the agreement with the seller.
Any complaint afterwards then becomes one persons word against another’s. Misrepresentation exists, but though the consumer can often have an excellent case, winning any kind of ‘battle’ is not guaranteed. However some lawyers will publish their successes, but how many cases have they lost and not publicised? This is another area in which confusion is created as there seems to be no real evidence of who has won what, why that has happened and how. There are stories from timeshare companies regaling tales of robust, legal contracts and similar tales from lawyers advising that timeshare contracts are not robust enough to hold up in court. Which can you believe?
There are also marketing companies who claim to use the best lawyers, when in reality they use struck off solicitors. There are mediators who are not licensed, ex timeshare people claiming to be all omnipotent, and junior salesmen selling impossible dreams; all who know little about timeshare law, fighting over who can take your money. There are even intrusive cold callers contacting you by phone, through Facebook, magazines, newspapers and TV.
Consumers have to fight through the jungle that is the internet and social media to find the sites that are legitimate to try and fulfill their dreams of a wonderful timeshare experience (which is out there, if you spend the time looking for it)
The madness that can be timeshare sometimes has checklists that are not checked, policies which are not honoured, and institutions representing one thing yet doing another. This world can be littered with broken promises, broken warranties, broken contracts, debt collectors, fake court officers and fantastic looking legal eagles working from a shed in their back garden. Be careful!
There is ultimately an immense amount of confusion, unawareness, lies, mis-truths, and mis-understandings paid for by credit-cards, personal loans and bank overdrafts by unsuspecting customers hoping for a better life, with the biggest question being ‘Who can you trust?’
Our advice at TCA is if it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Trust your gut, do your research, take your time and make sure you don’t sign on the dotted line until you fully understand the small print!
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