Over the years, we have seen some laws passed in an attempt to provide timeshare owners recompense from the immoral practices of timeshare companies. We at Mercantile Claims have the pleasure of assisting thousands of clients and reclaim money for contracts that were mis-sold to them. It is extremely rewarding to be able to help so many clients, who, more often than not, have been through years of financial hardship, worry and stress.
Today, we have the pleasure of sharing with you another successful claim for compensation. Our clients finally have an end to their timeshare trauma and have received a settlement of over £7,000, just in time for Christmas.
Our clients purchased their timeshare in the US whilst holidaying in Florida. The USA has a buoyant timeshare market, unlike Europe, US timeshares are still incredibly popular, and the attitude towards timeshare selling in the US is very different to Europe. The main difference between Europe and the US is that the US timeshare market has a stronger resale value for timeshare whereas European timeshare sales have stalled over the past 10 years thus producing a stagnation in the European resale market. Mercantile Claims deal with many UK based clients who we have successfully terminated US based timeshares for.
Our clients owned a timeshare in the US they had purchased a few years previously and in 2017 flew to Florida to visit their resort and utilise their membership. Whilst checking into their accommodation, our clients were approached by a representative of the resort who invited them to attend a brief membership update meeting. The resort rep insisted that they attend this meeting as they had important information to give them regarding their membership. The representative reassured our clients that it was just an opportunity to receive vital information about how to maximise their holiday experience with the resort and the meeting would last no more than an hour. They made it clear to our clients that this was not a sales meeting, it was purely to discuss their current membership.
Our clients reluctantly accepted the invitation and were collected from their accommodation and taken to their meeting location. They were greeted by a sales representative who insisted they take a tour of the resort, what followed was a high pressured sales presentation which lasted for several hours. The sales representative explained to our clients that there had been a restructure within the resort and that their current membership was no longer suitable for their needs. This was extremely worrying to our clients as they had already invested so much in their current membership and committed to travelling to the US all the way from the UK, every year. However the sales rep was able to offer our clients a solution, all they had to do was trade in their current membership in exchange for another one which was more suitable for their needs. With their new membership they would have access to more choices and would have priority booking available to them. Needless to say, the resort wanted a hefty fee for all of this. The presentation was so convincing, our clients felt they had no other option but to change their membership and pay the fee of just over £7,000. They were put under considerable pressure to make this decision and decide on the day, and at no point during the presentation were they given an opportunity to discuss it between themselves or take a break.
Additionally, although our clients were offered a cooling off period, they did not receive their documentation from the resort until around 6 weeks after returning from their holiday. By this time the cooling off period had passed and our clients were unable to exercise their right to cancel the agreement. They felt totally coerced by the sales rep and let down by the resort and decided to contact Mercantile Claims. Thankfully for our clients we have great experience and success in dealing with US timeshare and have negotiated a settlement in relation to their claim.
What to do if you think you have a claim against your resort?
Before we can progress any claims we require a detailed summary of the sales procedure and how the ale was made, in particular what was promised at the point of sale. It would also be prudent to list down anything that was promised to you but did not materialise. For example, if you were told that you would receive certain benefits that you have never received. Were you sold a timeshare apartment that was different from the one you actually were given upon purchase? We appreciate that it may have been some time since you actually purchased your timeshare. However, the more detail you can provide the stronger our case will be, should the timeshare resort challenge the termination.
People who enter into Timeshare agreements often find it difficult to keep up with the mounting maintenance fees and simply cannot afford it any longer. They may also find that the Timeshare no longer suits their needs and simply want to end the contract. There are too many individuals who are willing to take advantage of Timeshare owners and offer fake products, along with Timeshare exit schemes. Before agreeing to any Timeshare termination or exit procedure with an individual or company, seek independent advice and fully research any company you are thinking of working with.
It is also important to remember that purchasing a Timeshare should NEVER be viewed as a financial investment. Timeshare is an investment in lifestyle, in future holidays and family time together. There is almost no resale value to a Timeshare.
The mis-selling of holiday products is, unfortunately, common practice within the holiday industry and these type of crimes often go unreported by the most vulnerable in our society and criminal convictions are few and far between.
If you have purchased a Lifestyle / Concierge Service, a Timeshare or a ‘Holiday Points’ based product from a resort or company and feel unhappy with the service, or feel you have been mis-sold this product, please get in touch with us to discuss how we may be able to help you with a possible Money Back Claim.
