ITRA reports - a 13th person sentenced for timeshare marketing fraud

A 13th person is heading to federal prison from Palm Beach County timeshare marketing firms Universal Marketing Solutions and Creative Vacation Solutions, prosecutors said Thursday.

ITRA | Why File a Timeshare Class Action Lawsuit?

ITRA (international timeshare refund action) and Owners Action have been filing class action lawsuits for people who have been involved in Timeshare fraud for over 5 years now. There have been many Timeshare complaints about deception, fraudulence and a pattern of abuse by people in the Timeshare industry, but you need not worry because you can take action.

ITRA is the best option since it is cheaper than instituting legal action by yourself, you will get the best lawyers from the likes of ITRA and Owners Action, and you will get unparalleled convenience. You are more likely to get a Timeshare refund in a law firm because your legal team will be more formidable compared to an individual lawyer. Why should you take action against those in the
Timeshare industry if you are a victim of Timeshare fraud?

You should take action because under the law, you have the right to seek Timeshare refund as well as to get compensation for the distress and damages if the timeshare purchase is not of merchandisable quality.

Taking class action is allowed in England and Wales under GLO (group litigation order). You can even participate in a class action lawsuit if you are outside England and Wales, provided the defendant is within the territories.

You should take action because it will not be detrimental to your pockets. Under the GLO, the class action will be handled on a no-win no-fee basis. This means the lawyers will only get a fraction of the payout if you win the case and will not get anything if you lose. The ITRA and Owners Action fund the claim and offer support throughout the case. 

Filing a Timeshare class action lawsuit is important because you will recover any investment that you will have made. This could prevent your financial ruin, especially if you are a pensioner.
Suing the guilty party is important because you will feel good about it, even if you do not win.

Instituting legal proceedings is a way of raising awareness about Timeshare fraud. By raising awareness, you will be helping others avoid falling into the same trap you fell into. You should take legal action because there is precedence of huge payouts. Provided you have a strong case, you are almost assured of a payout. Taking part in a class action lawsuit is important if you do not have a very strong case since you will ride on the stronger cases of other Timeshare fraud victims.

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ITRAs objective is to support the consumer in timeshare disputes. We have discovered a pattern of abuse, deception and even fraudulent issues that have been systematically perpetrated by many of the major timeshare industry players to the detriment of owners.

ITRA - What Makes a Good Timeshare Refund Claim Funder?

You should take legal action if you have such Timeshare complaints as problems disposing or transferring points or weeks, interest rates that are exorbitantly high in financial institutions that were introduced by marketers, escalating maintenance fees above inflation, and problems getting selected balanced exchanges from exchange companies.


The best way to go about suing players in the Timeshare industry is through Timeshare class action. In English and Welsh courts, the group litigation order (GLO) guides these lawsuits. You could also participate in a lawsuit from outside England and Wales if the defendant is English or Welsh. Filing a lawsuit when you have just lost your money is not feasible and it is often necessary that you get help from Timeshare claim funder. As the term suggests, a claim funder funds your entire case for a fee if you win. So, what makes a good Timeshare fraud claim funder?

International Timeshare Refund Action - New US visa scheme being debated

A new scheme which would allow foreign buyers easier access to the US is currently being debated by Congress.
The Visa Improvement to Stimulate International Tourism to the United States of America (VISIT-USA) Act has several parts but includes the creation of a new non-immigrant visa, renewable every three years, for overseas investors who spend at least $500,000 to purchase single-family homes in the United States. In order to be eligible, those applying must spend at least $250,000 on a primary residence where they will reside for at least 180 days out of the year while paying taxes to the U.S.

The debate comes as a new act, allowing the US to take action against fraudulent timeshare companies, has just become legislation.

The Timeshare Resale Accountability Act will force companies to offer easier get out clauses for investors, and also to be more upfront about the terms of their products. Penalties will be applied to companies which fail to apply.

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International Timeshare Refund Action

Our current UK Class Action claim is only for members of RCI Europe. This is because of legal corporate jurisdiction. RCI have many different companies operating under their banner throughout the World. For example, in the USA RCI trade as RCI - LLC which is an American company. They have recently made a settlement for their wrongdoings to their USA week’s owners and a claim by point’s owners is still ongoing.
We have recently appointed ITRA licensed agents who have opened offices in Singapore, South Africa and Australia who are pursuing claims and action where appropriate against RCI, resorts and management companies locally in much the same way of our European current operations.

Contact International Timeshare Refund Action for more information: www.itra.net

International Timeshare Refund Action

Florida Timeshare Resale Accountability Act Affords Consumer Protections

International Timeshare Refund Action

International Timeshare Refund Action (ITRA) is encouraged by the Florida Legislature’s passage of the Timeshare Resale Accountability Act, sponsored by Florida State Senator Andy Gardiner and Florida State Representative Eric Eisnaugle and supported by Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“Florida has taken a giant step in providing consumer protection against fraudulent and deceptive business practices utilized by unsavory timeshare resellers,” said Howard Nusbaum, president and CEO of ARDA (American Resort Development Association). “The timeshare industry plays an increasingly significant role in Florida’s recovering economy as tourism returns and grows in the state”.
The Timeshare Resale Accountability Act protects Florida consumers and helps put an end to deceptive marketing practices conducted by fraudulent timeshare resale companies that have been targeting consumers under the guise of offering a service to help sell their timeshare product. Specifically, timeshare owners will be given more information to make better decisions about purchasing timeshare resale services. For example, the legislation seeks greater transparency and will require, among other things, timeshare resale companies to disclose all terms and conditions of their business relationship with a consumer, provide for a right of rescission for consumers to cancel a contract for resale services, and impose penalties on companies who continue these deceptive practices.
Nearly 25 percent of all timeshare resorts in the United States are located in Florida, and these resorts represent a large and growing share of Florida’s tourism market. The Timeshare Resale Accountability Act is proactive legislation that is vital to ensuring the long-term health of a key sector of Florida’s tourism industry by protecting timeshare owners and legitimate businesses alike.

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International Timeshare Refund Action has entered into dialogue with thousands of timeshare owners from which we have discovered a pattern of abuse, deception and even fraudulent issues that have been systematically perpetrated by many of the major timeshare industry players to the detriment of owners.

ITRA now has many thousands of UK claimants who are joining our NO WIN – NO FEE action group to claim compensation from RCI for irregularities including skimming and renting high season weeks from their Spacebank to the detriment of their members. This case is currently being rigorously pursued and is at an advanced stage with our legal team. Full details and an online pre qualification form may be found within our website. www.itra.net

International Timeshare Refund Action

International Timeshare Refund Action–Survey Reveals Brits Like to Return to Same Resort

The British are officially creatures of habit! According to a new survey by RCI, the timeshare exchange company, nearly two-thirds (65%) of Brits have returned to the same holiday resort more than once, revealing people like familiarity when it comes to their holidays. Surprisingly, more than one in ten (11%) of respondents said they had returned to the same resort six times or more!

The main reason cited for returning to the same resort was that they had a good time there so they simply went back to have the same holiday (45%). Other reasons people stated were that they felt it met all their criteria (29%) and over a quarter (27%) said they didn’t see a need to go elsewhere if they had already found somewhere they liked. Respondents also stated they went back to the same place as they liked familiarity (14%) and found it less stressful knowing exactly what to expect where they are going (12%).

With over a third of people (36%) now taking fewer holidays than normal, it seems holidaymakers want to remove the risk of having a disappointing break. Returning to somewhere they have been before and enjoyed seems to have been given higher priority than having different experiences.

Sean Lowe, managing director of RCI, said: “We commissioned the research to gain insight into people's holiday habits and what is important is guaranteeing they have a good time. While travelling and trying different experiences suits some people, it’s apparent that ensuring a consistent quality and knowing what you’re buying is important to many which is why timeshare holidays and holiday exchange have remained popular.  Over a third (35%) of the people we surveyed who ‘repeat holiday’, said they would actually try a different holiday if they knew they would get a similar experience.”

Other holiday habits:

• ‘Familiar fun’ – nearly half (43%) of people tended to do the same activities and 6% saying they did the exact same things
• ‘Repeat eating’ – nearly a third (30%) of people surveyed said they went back to the same place to eat/drink
• ‘Meal monotony’ – 18% of people said they will only eat food they are familiar with and 12% said they order the exact same meal
• ‘Bay Watch’ – one in 20 (5%) people said they actually wait and then take the first opportunity to get their usual spot on the beach or by the pool!

* The survey was conducted by Online Opinions, and featured 1,000 adults who were polled online between 24-27 February 2012.

Whilst returning to the same resort every year may be a popular choice for any Brits, here at International Timeshare Refund Action (ITRA) we have found that owning a timeshare is not necessarily the ideal holiday solution that many timeshare owners had hoped.

We have discovered a pattern of abuse, deception and even fraudulent issues that have been systematically perpetrated by many of the major timeshare industry players to the detriment of owners. Many timeshare owners have found that rising maintenance fees and difficulty in obtaining suitable exchanges from companies like RCI have rendered their timeshare ownership virtually unusable and un-economical.

At International Timeshare Refund Action (ITRA) our objective is to support the consumer in timeshare disputes.

To find out more about the International Timeshare Refund Action visit our website www.itra.net

International Timeshare Refund Action (ITRA) – Timeshare Law in Spain

Timeshare Law in Spain

Any contract detailing the rights of an individual to use one or more property in Spain during a specific or specifiable period during the year is covered under this law, wherever and whenever the place and date of contracting.

Timeshare rights are those which give to the holder the right to use and enjoy an independent dwelling, with exclusive character, for a specific period of time within the year. It includes the necessary furniture for this use and any complementary services & facilities. It is regulated in Spain by a Law dated 1998. 

The Spanish regulation considers timeshare as a type of seasonal rental. Crucially, the holder of timeshare rights does not acquire ownership rights, but the right to use the property for a specific period of time only. The duration of these rights is not indefinite; the developers of these type of complexes need to specify the period for the enjoyment of these rights which s always should be between 3-50 years. Outright ownership of the property remains the developers’.

Because the developer retains ownership, they can always sell ownership rights with the limitations derived from the existence of the other person’s use and enjoyment rights on the sold unit, which will remain for the contracted period.

Provision 1.4 of Law 42/1998 prohibited the denomination of those rights as “multiownership" or any other way containing the word “ownership", “ owner” or "property".

For this reason, any contract signed in Spain containing the word “ownership or property" (propiedad) is null and void and you have the right to a refund of any money paid, plus legal interest.

In Spain, the description that was finally chosen, as most appropriate, descriptive and loyal to Law is "derecho de aprovechamiento por turno", which literally means “right to use and enjoyment in shifts"

Publicity or promotion of these type of developments can never contain the word "propiedad"(property or ownership)

The timeshare scheme can only be formed in a building, property or set of them which are architecturally individual or separated.  All independent units included in it, should be subject to the scheme. The building must have at least 10 units. 

The same building can be subject at times to different tourist operations, provided that the rights of timeshare accommodations fall on concrete and specific periods and units. 

The annual use/enjoyment period can never be less than 7 continuous days. In every case, within the same scheme, shifts should all have the same length. The units will also be reserved for repairs, cleaning or other common purposes for a period of time which shall not be inferior to seven days for each unit subject to the regime.

Main characteristics of timeshare rights in Spain are:

· It is a limited ownership right (enjoyment): two or more different people hold rights on the same property (the owners and the holders of enjoyment rights).

· It is immediate, as, in shifts, it gives to its holder a direct enjoyment of the property.

· It is entered in the Land Registry, which gives to its holder a complete legal safety within the Spanish legal system. Obviously timeshare rights need to be transmitted by Notary deeds for their entry into the Land Registry.

· It can be transmitted to others either in life or by death. They are part of the property trade.

Together with desisting from or cancelling the timeshare contract, possibilities that are subject to a shorter deadline, there is the possibility, initially sine die (without deadline) to apply for the nullity of the contract.

In what cases?

· When timeshare rights are transmitted disregarding the imperative Law which regulates them.

· When the transmission of timeshare rights are made before the scheme is actually constituted

· When there is a lack of veracity of information provided to the buyer.

The action for the refund of amounts linked to the nullity has a 15 years deadline.

There are numerous precedents in Spanish Courts for the nullity and refund of money if you were sold under the term "propiedad" (property).

The important issue of adaptation

From January 1999 any preexisting timeshare regime needs to adapt to this Law. If this has not happened, any holder of timeshare rights will be able to request a Judge to compel the developer to do so.

Adaptation will always require a Notary deed and proper registration in the Land Registry.

Adaptation will respect the nature of rights which were transmitted by virtue of the old private contract. If ownership was transmitted, this is how it will have to be registered after approval of a simple majority of Community of owners.

All old contracts will have a time limit of 50 years unless parties have agreed otherwise or parties mutually or freely agree in the adaptation deed on a different definitive or non-definitive period.

If the owner of the development does not comply with the obligation of adapting the regime to this new regulation, the holder of timeshare rights will have rights to cancel the contract with effective devolution of amounts and compensation of damages.

ITRA are now pursuing the coordination of a claim to the courts on behalf of timeshare owners who can justify due cause for full compensation, distress and damages on the grounds that their timeshare purchase was not of merchandisable quality.

To find out more about the International Timeshare Refund Action visit our website www.itra.net

RDO ACTIVITIES & SALICIOUS TIMESHARE WEBSITES

Who are the RDO?

The RDO are the Resort Developers Organisation, www.rdo.org originally based in Brussels and who have recently moved to a small office London. Their main sponsor is RCI who use them as a controlled credibility vehicle to protect their members resorts by alleging that everyone who is not one of their members is a crook.

Their “enforcement officer” is an ex Spanish policeman called Alberto Garcia, who has on their behalf launched a salacious site called www.mindtimeshare.me . If you look at their websites you will note that they are running an attack campaign against mainly ITRA in an attempt to discredit us to scare and dissuade potential claimants from dealing with us. This is inspiring because it shows how worried RCI are by our actions. We have launched a new website www.mindtimeshare.co.uk with only one page as a way of hitting back. Please read it and you see a challenge that we made to the RDO nearly two years ago to which we are still awaiting a reply. This will open your eyes and amuse you.

We do not run salacious non-productive quasi consumer websites and forums – We take commercial action! – So, wherever in the World you are, if you are not satisfied with any aspect of your ownership please contact us by email and remember, we do not charge any fees unless you receive a damages settlement. Advice is free. You will shortly find a new section on our website dedicated for this purpose headed FREE ADVICE.

Timeshare Complaints –Timeshare Does Not Die With You!

The following letter was published by the Guardian together with their comprehensive reply. This story is sadly typical of the situation Owners Action hear from many disgruntled timeshare owners.

My wife's mother died recently and included in her estate was a week at a timeshare property in Scotland that she and her late husband had bought in 1988. When my wife informed the company, Macdonald Hotels, the owner had died she was told that her parents had bought the timeshare in perpetuity and that she and her two sisters were now liable to pay the annual maintenance fee, currently £450. Not only do they have to pay this ever-increasing annual amount but our children would become liable to pay them when we die and so on for time ever more. BL, High Wycombe, Bucks

With contracts written in perpetuity timeshare ownership does not disappear when you die. Many people who bought timeshare are now retired and cannot afford the annual charge, often for a property they no longer visit, but have yet to realise the appalling legacy they will leave.

Macdonald Hotels admitted that selling timeshare is difficult and it might take some time to sell this out-of-season week. Occasionally, some go at auction for almost nothing but that does at least free you from the annual charge.

I wondered if it is possible for a timeshare owner to avoid passing on the liability to beneficiaries. You can't simply leave the timeshare out of your will because it is still part of your estate. Nor can you choose to leave it to "no one". Executors are responsible for administering the estate and also for paying the liabilities, which includes ongoing annual fees. They do not have to use their own money but would have to liquidise other assets in the estate to pay fees until the timeshare is sold.

Your wife and her sisters could refuse to accept the timeshare but they would have to renounce their entire inheritance. They can't cherry pick the assets they want.

Another thought is donating the timeshare to someone with whom you have no connection, perhaps the supreme leader of North Korea. Some owners had managed to leave their timeshare to dubious characters in eastern Europe, through a PO Box number, but this idea is flawed. Macdonald charges an annual amount split between the owners – so the fewer who pay, the more it costs the others. To complicate matters further, the constitution says you can only sell your timeshare to approved people.

Macdonald has told you it is considering whether to accept back the weeks, paying you nothing in return, but first every owner, possibly 52 people, would have to agree to surrender their ownership or switch to a different property.

source: www.guardian.co.uk

One of the commonest timeshare complaints is that contracts pass to timeshare owners’ heirs when they die, who are then obliged to keep up the maintenance fees, which often increase at a much higher rate than inflation.

 

At Owners Action, we seek to support the consumer in timeshare disputes. To learn more about our services, visit www.ownersaction.com

Timeshare Fraud! Timeshare rep Claims Timeshare can Cure Cancer

The following article, published by www.moneysavingexpert.com, struck such a chord with us at International Timeshare Refund Action (ITRA) that we’ve reproduced most of it here.

Timeshare rep claimed: timeshare = no cancer

Pushy timeshare reps often use bribes to lure unsuspecting holidaymakers into parting with their life savings. But unfortunately for them, they’d picked up a MoneySaver…

On a recent trip to California, I was asked to see a quick presentation in return for a totally free, no-strings-attached $100 gift card. My MoneySaving antenna popped up – the notorious timeshare freebie. I’d heard reports from those who’ve attended property sales pitches just for these bribes, so decided to give it a go.

Little did I know I was in for a three-and-a-half-hour sales ordeal that would use my own cash to hold me to ransom. They even claimed timeshares prevent cancer.

As I told them quite frankly at the outset, I had absolutely no intention of buying anything and was purely in it for the freebie. They were magnanimous – “That’s fine! There’s absolutely no pressure.” Considering the Rambo-esque sales tactics that followed, I’ve since decided they don’t consider anything short of a punch in the face as ‘pressure’.

Before I was allowed to attend, they checked I had all the ingredients for a mammoth impulse buy: earning above a threshold, partner in tow, and carrying an approved payment method. We were cheerfully packed into a minibus with a dozen other couples and told to enjoy our ‘free treat’ (final check: “Did you all say you have Mastercard? Good.”)

The minibus pulled up at a new hotel building, where we were herded upstairs to a windowless, low-ceiling conference room crammed with sales staff. Here are the tricks used in the sales pitches that followed, and more importantly, the survival strategies we used to grab the freebie and run.

The tactics they used:

• The show ain’t over till they say so. On arrival, we had to put down a refundable cash deposit of about $50 and sign a form saying we would forfeit this, and the promised gift card, if we left before the timeshare pitch was finished (which had no specified end time – eek). There was no mention of this when we signed up, so we had no choice but to pay up or leave.

  Incidentally, I say ‘about $50′, as bizarrely, neither myself or my partner can remember exactly how much it was. I can only assume it’s because a) it was sprung on us with absolutely no warning or b) the ensuing sales onslaught triggered a mild form of retrograde amnesia.

• Wear ‘em down. The sales pitch started late in the morning and lasted several hours into the afternoon. We were greeted with tea and coffee at the start, but there were no further refreshments, nowhere to get lunch – and if you didn’t want to forfeit your freebie and deposit, no way to leave without their approval.

• Divide and conquer. There were two parts to the pitch, starting with a presentation. Each couple was instantly assigned their own sales rep, who followed them throughout (more on this delightful practice later), and insisted on sitting with them during the presentation. Maximum sales patter, minimum privacy.

• Share the love. Having stated only couples could attend the day, we were all made to publicly declare our love – one couple at a time, moving around the room – followed by a kiss. I’m not joking. Each was accompanied by loud, satisfied ‘aaaaahs’ from the sales staff, and immediately used for the “if you love them, you’ll buy them a timeshare” tactic.

• Free chocolate. All at MSE Towers know this is my Achilles heel, and I must admit being pressured into spending tens of thousands on a holiday apartment is far more appealing when you add free chocs (incidentally, it was a Hershey’s kiss, woven into the presentation as reinforcement of the “love = timeshare” message).

• Buy a holiday home and you won’t get cancer. Stay with me a moment here. Yes, that’s what they said in the presentation. The equation was: your own holiday home = more holidays = less stress = stress causes cancer (?) Therefore timeshare = no cancer. I’m not being figurative, they literally spent several minutes arguing this bizarre equation.

I have since decided that, compared to what followed, the presentation was the ‘carrot’. What came next can only be described as a large number of sticks used to metaphorically beat us into parting with all our savings.

• Tell a sad story. The second part of the pitch was a face-to-face ‘chat’ with our allocated sales rep. I braced myself for the hard sell, but our saleslady started by casually flipping through a photo album. And pointing out all the people in it who were now dead. There were a lot.

  The entire episode was incredibly odd – I presume they were her friends, but I can’t say for certain. They could have been people who had refused to buy timeshares. Either way, I can only assume this was meant as a reminder to seize the day, but it made us feel pretty uncomfortable.

• Call in the ‘bad cop’. The face-to-face hard sell started. When I disagreed with the (frankly ludicrous) ‘savings’ they’d argued we’d make – which amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars – our sales rep called over what can only be described as the head sales-bully.

  With all the charm and tact of a Rottweiler with a machete, he snapped at me for not “understanding the value”. I was then barked the ‘savings’ again at twice the volume. He shouted at me for so long, I literally had to stare passively at my lap until he went away. Our persistent, human saleslady seemed a godsend by comparison.

• No solo bathroom breaks. After two hours of constant sales pressure, I excused myself to pop to the loo. My other half said he needed to go too. The timeshare saleslady insisted on ‘coming along’, and immediately wedged herself between us until my partner departed for the gents.

  When we got into the ladies’ bathroom, she stuck her head round a cubicle, flushed immediately, and walked straight back outside to wait for my other half, ensuring there was no conferring.

• The non-sequitur is king. If you aren’t going to buy property for a number of sensible reasons, why not ignore logic altogether? We had some real gems thrown at us by the sales staff. Me: “No thank you, I’m really not interested.” Saleslady: “Why don’t you think you deserve nice things?”

To read about how the author coped with this onslaught, continue reading here  

Over the years of operating, ITRA has entered into dialogue with thousands of timeshare owners from which we have discovered a pattern of abuse, deception and even fraudulent issues that have been systematically perpetrated by many of the major timeshare industry players to the detriment of owners.

To find out more about what we do, visit www.itra.net

British Timeshare Operator Arrested by Hungarian Authorities

Accused of  Timeshare fraud, a British businessman faces charges in Hungary

A Hungarian timeshare operation run by Britons Michael Turner and Jason McGoldrick collapsed in 2005. Hungarian prosecutors used European Arrest Warrants to detain the pair, saying the company's creditors were the victims of fraud, but both men have denied any wrongdoing.

Mr Turner described how, when he was first extradited on November 2, 2009, he was led through a busy airport in handcuffs on a dog-style lead and imprisoned for four months at the notorious Budapest Penitentiary Institute, where he was kept in his cell for 23 hours a day. He was released, with no explanation, on February 26, 2010 - having only been interviewed once by police - and returned to Britain.

Now Mr Turner, who has already spent four months without charge in a Hungarian jail,  is claiming British judges should be given more power to test the evidence in cases before Britons are extradited under the European Arrest Warrant.

The 29-year-old businessman from Corfe Castle, Dorset, must return to Budapest next week to answer allegations over a failed timeshare company which collapsed in 2005.

read more: www.granthamjournal.co.uk

At ITRA, we have discovered a pattern of abuse, deception and even fraudulent issues that have been systematically perpetrated by many of the major timeshare industry players to the detriment of owners.

Our objective is to support the consumer in timeshare disputes.

Find out more at www.itra.net

ITRA – How to avoid being caught in a Timeshare Scam

5 minute video with lots of tips on how to avoid being caught in a Timeshare scam.

ITRA

Our objective is to support the consumer in timeshare disputes. We have discovered a pattern of abuse, deception and even fraudulent issues that have been systematically perpetrated by many of the major timeshare industry players to the detriment of owners.

ITRA

International Timeshare Refund Action

Comments can be left at the end of this post, if you want to follow the original thread on YouTube click here

For more advice in video format follow ITRA on our YouTube channel by clicking here

  Or Call ITRA today for a Free consultation

To find out more about the International Timeshare Refund Action ITRA visit our website www.itra.net

ITRA - New laws introduced to protect consumers of timeshare and holiday clubs

New laws have been introduced to protect people from timeshare and holiday club scams - but Shropshire solicitors are urging people to continue to seek advice before they get involved.

International Timeshare Refund Action – ITRA

On February 23 2011 a new law came into action to protect consumers of timeshare and holiday clubs as the existing Timeshare directive only applied to certain products and had a number of loopholes. 

These loopholes were exploited by unscrupulous companies and individuals in the Timeshare industry; leaving consumers as the potential victims of numerous scams.

Linder Myers Solicitors, based in High Street, Shrewsbury, is in the process of raising a group action for all those who have been affected by issues with their timeshare or holiday club. The firm is assisting consumers in disputes with Club La Costa and the Petchey Group of Companies.

Solicitor Stephen Boyd today said: "Holiday Clubs fell outside of the protection afforded to customers by the Timeshare Act 1992 (later amended in 2003 and 2007). This means that if someone purchased a Holiday Club, they would not have the right to a cooling-off period that would have automatically applied if purchasing a traditional timeshare.

"There have been similar developments in relation to products described as "fractional ownership" or in products which are in reality timeshares, but which relate to boats, cruise ships, or aeroplanes. 

"In 2008 a new European Timeshare directive was adopted and it was a requirement that all European Member States should bring this into law by February 23, 2011. The purpose of the directive was to clearly give consumers greater protection."

Key features of the directive are that holiday clubs are covered in the cooling off period, shorter Timeshare contracts are allowed, all types of holiday accommodation are covered including caravans or cruise ships, Timeshare can be resold by the consumers and the introduction of exchange services.

"Another issue that has been addressed by the new Directive relates to the resale industry," added Stephen. "In recent years there have been a number of complaints received by Linder Myers regarding individuals who have contracted with companies offering to assist them with the resale of their Timeshare.

"Unfortunately in the past this has been another 'scam'. This will change under the new directive to help to eradicate this issue for consumers.

"The new regulations will be enforced by the Office of Fair Trading and Local Authority Trading Standards Officers in the UK. Failure to comply with the directive could allow for consumers to bring a civil claim against the trader.

Consumers now have the time to take away any contracts to do with Timeshares and holiday clubs before parting with any money. We strongly advise that you take legal advice before signing anything."

Source: Midlands Business News

To comment on the original article click here

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International Timeshare Refund Action – ITRA

Our objective is to support the consumer in timeshare disputes. We have discovered a pattern of abuse, deception and even fraudulent issues that have been systematically perpetrated by many of the major timeshare industry players to the detriment of owners.

To find out more about the International Timeshare Refund Action visit our website www.itra.net

Related ITRA links

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Timeshare Points Class Action Settlement

Owners Action report that a class action lawsuit filed on behalf of RCI Points members is moving towards a possible settlement.

The announcement was made in a US magazine: “A settlement agreement has been signed and a hearing is scheduled. At the hearing, the court will decide if it should give preliminary approval to the settlement agreement. If the settlement gets preliminary approval, notices will be sent out to all RCI Points members with the terms of the settlement and information about a “fairness hearing” at which Points members can express their support or opposition to the proposed settlement, or submit comments to the court in writing. Attorneys representing other Points members from California in a similar, more recently filed, lawsuit are trying to consolidate the two lawsuits and have the court disapprove the settlement agreement. Additional information about the terms of the settlement agreement will be in the Jan/Feb issue of TimeSharing Today”.

Owners Action are a firm of specialist consultants who deal with disputes within the timeshare industry.

Owners Action have been appointed as European marketing agents by International Timeshare Refund Action (ITRA) to generate and promote consumer awareness regarding a proposed Group Litigation against RCI Europe and others.

Timeshare Company to Sponsor Cycle Team

Major European timeshare company The Anfi Group will have its brand represented in more than 250 cycle races worldwide over the next 12 months and feature prominently in the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia and the Tour of Spain.

The move is the result of a new sponsorship deal that will see the Anfi Group logo displayed on the jerseys and bikes of the Saxo Bank cycling team, which features Alberto Contador, triple champion of the Tour de France and one of the most popular media sports stars of the moment.

Contador will join his Danish teammates during the first stage of the collaboration between the Gran Canaria-based company and Saxo Bank next January, when the squad, led by Bjarne Riis, will stay in Anfi Group resorts on the island, all of which are affiliated to RCI.

Read the full article: www.rciventures.com

International Timeshare Refund Action (ITRA) is pursuing the coordination of a claim to the courts on behalf of timeshare owners who can justify due cause for refund compensation, distress and damages on the grounds that their timeshare purchase was not of merchandisable quality.

To find out more about the International Timeshare Refund Action visit our website www.itra.net

Timeshare Exchange Company Says Brits Value Their Holiday Ownership

Interval International, a prominent worldwide provider of timeshare holiday exchange services recently revealed that its UK members travel extensively, find holiday ownership satisfying, own an average of 1.9 weeks of shared ownership time or its equivalent, and report average household incomes of approximately GBP 70,050 per year. And, more than one-quarter report ownership of a second home -- apart from their holiday ownership.

These findings are from Interval International's 2011 UK Membership Profile, which was developed from a sample of UK-resident timeshare owners maintaining an active membership with Interval. The online study was undertaken to provide insights for use in the development of services and benefits to be offered to Interval members.

Interval's UK members spend approximately 28 nights away from home travelling solely for leisure purposes. Additionally, these study respondents indicate a penchant to travel across the European continent during the course of the next two years, boding well for future holiday ownership purchases. Further afield, they have a strong desire to visit the USA and Canada, the Caribbean, and Australia and New Zealand.

"As going on holiday remains a high priority for our members, developers can look forward to welcoming more timeshare owners to their resorts," said Darren Ettridge, Interval's senior vice president of resort sales and business development. "That and the fact that our UK membership base continues to be interested in owning more holiday time should encourage resort sales and marketing professionals to take heed of this potential purchasing group."

Respondents desiring to purchase additional timeshare holiday time remain most interested in the two-bedroom configuration, with more than half (57 percent) citing a preference for that unit type. Purchase price, the luxury of the unit, and the annual maintenance fee commitment represent the three most influential factors in the decision making process.

Other notable findings from the 2011 UK Membership Profile include:

-- Approximately 83 percent of Interval's UK members report satisfaction with their timeshare ownership.

-- Nearly eight out of 10 acquired their timeshare interests from resort project developers and management companies.

-- An estimated 61 percent of leisure travel nights are spent travelling across the UK and Ireland and the European continent.

-- The average length of a leisure holiday within Europe is estimated to be 7.5 nights.

-- Almost half of Interval's UK members would be interested in taking a cruise during the next two years.

-- UK members prefer relatively less-strenuous activities on holiday with sightseeing, swimming, shopping, spending time in a spa and watching plays and concerts rating highly.

SOURCE: Interval International

At International Timeshare Refund Action (ITRA) our objective is to support the consumer in timeshare disputes. We have discovered a pattern of abuse, deception and even fraudulent issues that have been systematically perpetrated by many of the major timeshare industry players to the detriment of owners.

To find out more about the International Timeshare Refund Action visit our website www.itra.net

ITRA - What to do if you have a Timeshare you can’t sell – Contact International Timeshare Refund Action

Timeshare Complaints

The Timeshare Industry is mostly a legitimate Real Estate business with many people owning timeshares who are very happy with them. Though the Timeshare Industry's name has been tarnished by a few unscrupulous people who have set up resorts and fleeced owners of thousands of pounds and tied them into contracts they can't get out of. It's these few companies that have tarnished the name and caused many of the Timeshare complaints made against the industry, with many seeking a Timeshare Refund on the property many feel they were coerced into buying by very aggressive sales tactics.