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Also see our "Useful Links"
page...
 COMMON
SCAMS: See this website Free Vacation? Free and Discount Travel Fraud
for information on
- The Time Share Promotion
- Free Plane Tickets
- Free Vacation Package
- The Disappearing Travel Agency
- The "Limited Time Offer"
- Vacation Discount Cards or Certificates
- "Become a Travel Agent" Offers
- The Disappearing Discount
- Protecting Yourself
http://www.expertlaw.com/library/consumer/free_vacation_fraud.html
For information about fraud perpetrated by Mexico properties, phony table buy-backs, rental and
investment pitches and the waiver of your 5-day right to cancel, go here:
Mexico Timeshare Fraud Alert
Perhaps that the best source for information and
help regarding holiday clubs in the UK and Europe
is The Timeshare Consumers Association
at http://www.timeshare.org.uk In fact, go straight to http://www.timeshare.org.uk/holicon.html for his
holiday club warning and information page. For an active forum, where you can learn a lot and contribute your own
information, try Timeshare Talk
at http://www.timesharetalk.co.uk/.
An important source for those of you in the UK &
Europe is Vacation Owners
Independent Coalition in Europe (VOICE).
VOICE is a new non-profit making partnership that actively safeguards the interests of consumers and promotes the
positive development of timeshare throughout Europe. The organization has a close working relationship with the
Department of Trade and Industry, Office of Fair Trading, Trading Standards and Citizens Advice Bureaus throughout
the UK.
Consumers with queries about timeshare should contact VOICE on telephone +44 (0)870 240 8993 or email: uk@voice.eu.com
Web site: http://www.voice.eu.com
VERY IMPORTANT: No matter what kind of presentation
you attend, no matter how long it takes, no matter how tired you are at the end of it, READ THE CONTRACT. If the sales person promised you something that is not clearly in the contract,
DO NOT SIGN IT unless those promises are added officially to that contract
and signed off by upper management in the company. Do not listen to any excuses or reasonable explanations given
by the sales person or anyone else; the rule is simply this-- IF
IT IS NOT IN THE CONTRACT, IT DOES NOT EXIST. We repeat: IF IT IS NOT IN THE CONTRACT, IT DOES NOT EXIST.
And before you leave, make sure that you personally have a copy of every single thing you signed.
Note that in such circumstances your mother's training to always be polite
does not apply. You CAN simply get up and walk out. No gift you were promised
in exchange for attending a presentation is worth signing a contract that obligates you to pay for promises that
will not be honored.
Similarly, if you are in such a high pressure presentation that you are tempted to sign a contract just so that
you can get out of there, again remember that you have every right to leave
whenever you want to and again YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE POLITE. We are conditioned
from childhood to do otherwise, but at any point you CAN simply stand up, say Thank You Very Much but We Are Leaving
Now and then GO. You can ignore attempts to stop you, pretend you don't hear them, and if they get too agressive
quietly pull out your cell phone and offer to call the police. Cause a scene in the sales room if you have to.
We guarantee you they will let you go. Don't sit there enduring it just because you want the gift. The gift is not worth it.
Legal Conmen will "get your money back":
This is a fairly new twist on the resale scams.
You'll be contacted by someone saying they represent a firm that collects names and cases of people who have been
defrauded by fraudulent resale outfits, and turn them over to attorneys to handle the cases and get your money
back. They are usually in Spain, though they may be located in the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands or other
places. The catch is that they will require a fee to handle your case. These outfits are usually scams. Do not pay them, don't even talk to them. One such company
we know of currently that you should be careful of: Servicios Fuengirola,
in Fuengirola, Malaga, Spain. Especially if you are in Europe or the UK,
check with The Organization for Timeshare in Europe,
the official timeshare trade body, at http://www.ote-info.com
For more information on this issue, see Legal Representation offered by Fraudsters
Vacation/Holiday Clubs:
During the last several years a great number of questionable Vacation/Holiday Clubs have sprung up around the world
(largely to avoid the strict legislation that applies to a timeshare purchase) and large numbers of consumers have
been defrauded and/or disappointed by them.
GO HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION:
http://www.thetimesharebeat.com/alerts2.htm
ALSO: updated May 8, 2002- If you think you have been treated unfairly by any timeshare resort
or "Holiday Club" in Europe, you can contact the Timeshare Consumers Association.
CANADA: Be aware that
if you live in Alberta, Canada, the Fair Trading Act's Travel Club Regulation provides a number of protections
for consumers including a 10-day cancellation or cooling-off period, specific contract requirements and a code
of conduct.
In Alberta consumers have one year to cancel a travel club contract if the supplier does not have a valid provincial
license. Those wishing to cancel should write to the offending company by fax or registered mail, providing a copy
of the cancellation notice to the Consumer Services Branch of Alberta Government
Services.
A tipsheet prepared by Alberta Government Services that outlines consumer information related to travel clubs is
available at http://www3.gov.ab.ca/gs/pdf/tipsheets/travel_club.pdf or by contacting the department's Consumer Information Centre toll-free at 1-877-427-4088
RESALE SCAMS:
Especially prevalent in Europe, but certainly not limited to that Continent,
are resale scams from fly-by-night companies that offer to sell your timeshare for an upfront fee. Consider this
case:
"Casandalu" contacted me to sell my timeshare. They
actually claim that they have a buyer. The strange thing is that they want a 2550 Euro deposit from me. Could you
inform me if Casandalu is a genuine and trustworthy real-estate agent?
Avenida de Espana 62
29648 Mijas Costa
tel (0034) 68 08 19 945
fax (0034) 67 90 07 845
Casandalu No Reg: B4502/OX315
Our reply:
We have never heard of Casandalu, but we would bet the farm
that this is a scam. This tactic is common to resale scams, especially in the Canary
Islands, Spain, Portugal, and the Balearics. These outfits
collect money upfront, do not sell your timeshare, give you the runaround if you try to get your money back, then
close shop and open again under another name. They are very persuasive. Don't let them persuade you-- you will
never see your money again and you will still own your timeshare.
Never ever under any circumstances pay an upfront fee of
any kind to anyone offering to sell your timeshare. This applies to appraisal fees, accounting fees, listing fees,
bond fees-- no matter what they call it.
Sometimes they will tell you that if you purchase their holiday club they will sell your timeshare for you, and
they will deduct the price of your timeshare from the price for the holiday club. This also is usually a lie; do
not fall for it.
If you have been contacted by Casandalu, or God forbid you have already paid them money, contact http://www.marbella-lawyers.com/TimeshareScam.html to see if they can help you. In addition, file a complaint with The Organisation
for Timeshare in Europe http://www.ote-info.org and The Timeshare Consumers Association in the UK http://www.timeshare.org.uk
OTE can be contacted at info@ote-info.com or write to
- Consumer Enquiries
Organisation for Timeshare in Europe AISBL
Oak House
Cours St Michel, 100 - box 3
1040 Brussels
Belgium
Tel (Consumers): 00 32 (0) 2533 3069
Fax: 00 32 (0) 2533 3061
OTE says it prefers letters as complaints should include photocopies
of contracts and other documents.
Consumers in the UK should also keep in mind that the Department of Trade & Industry has many avenues available
for assistance. Online, look at http://www.dti.gov.uk/CACP/ca/regs.htm
Thanks for reading The Timeshare Beat
"We'll pay cash for your timeshare..."
One of the more ingenious operations around is from companies that offer to
buy your unwanted timeshare-- if you will only purchase their Vacation
Club instead. This is not new, nor is it necessarily illegal, but it appears
to be a growing problem for many consumers. GO HERE FOR MORE
INFORMATION: http://www.thetimesharebeat.com/alerts3.htm
Timeshare owners from Europe, especially the UK and Ireland, have been
hit especially hard in the last few years by resale swindlers operating mostly out of the Canary Islands, the Balearics
and the Costa del Sol in Spain. To see how these resale scams work GO
HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.thetimesharebeat.com/alerts3.htm We
also recommend you read this expose on resale scams: http://www.timeshare.org.uk/rescon.html
TIMESHARE ISSUES: The FTC, State Attorneys
General, etc. To contact these and other official offices GO HERE
FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.thetimesharebeat.com/alerts4.htm
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