One elderly couple from the U.S. were asked to attend an owner’s update meeting when they checked into their favourite resort in Pennsylvania. They were offered a free breakfast if they attended a short meeting informing them about changes to their timeshare after Wyndham’s buyout of RCI.

However, breakfast soon turned into lunch as the update meeting became a sales presentation. In fact, they were held for 6 hours and their first day on holiday had been ruined. As the presentation went on the pressure piled up, eventually Wyndham changed their offer and the couple became more interested.

Wyndham sales staff informed the elderly couple that the timeshare giant had purchased RCI and informed them that they could exchange their membership for a better one and that all fees associated with doing so would be waived. They were also told that they would be offered short trips, ½ price theme park tickets and discount airfare. They thought this deal was so good, they couldn’t refuse.

When the couple returned home from their month long vacation, they realised they may have made a mistake when they tried to access some of the benefits they were promised. It was almost impossible for them to book anything, and they began to discuss cancelling the Wyndham Timeshare altogether. They felt, as many timeshare owners do, they had been deceived and the salesperson had told them anything to get them to sign up and hand over their money.

Eventually the couple did manage to get out of their contract, through a reputable third party but wanted to warn other timeshare owners about the dangers of attending membership update meetings.

Timeshare Sales Tactics

Today, resorts employ on-site timeshare presentations to make a pitch and convince those in attendance to make a purchase. From these 8-hour presentations to discounts and elaborate today-only offers, those in attendance are pressured to append their signatures before leaving the presentation room. The timeshare sales contract is final once signed, effectively trapping consumers into a never-ending liability cycle.

Timeshare resort still employ high pressure, fraudulent tactics, misrepresentation, duress, and bait and switch methods, rendering the timeshare contracts signed as a result illegal. But timeshare owners still find it difficult to seek relief and rid themselves of their financial burdens.

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 types 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.