Street Talk International Archives

Street Talk is a compendium of tips, facts, gossip, rumors, speculation and editorial comment provided by The Timeshare Beat as an outlet for the free expression of its readers and for their entertainment. The Timeshare Beat makes no assertion as to the veracity of the items contained herein. If erroneous information is inadvertently included and a correction to this information is subsequently sent to The Timeshare Beat, the correction will be prominently published. Opinions published within Street Talk are the opinions of the authors thereof and are not necessarily the opinions of The Timeshare Beat.

STREET TALK INTERNATIONAL: Week of August 15 - August 21, 2003 Street Talk is a compendium of tips, facts, gossip, rumors, speculation and editorial comment. PUBLISHED ON FRIDAY E-mail: news@thetimesharebeat.com | Email: street@thetimesharebeat.com Lost & Found Women in the Biz Street Talk Back Issues Street Talk International Archives Thanks to new international guidelines just published, lottery schemes, prize draws, holiday club schemes and credit " con tricks" that operate across national borders will be easier to fight. UK Consumer Affairs Minister Gerry Sutcliffe welcomed the guidelines published by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as part of its new drive to combat international scams and Internet fraud. The guidelines, which were negotiated and agreed by the OECD's committee on consumer policy, set out broad principles for international cooperation. Specific provisions include: establishing an early-warning system to notify other countries of scams that may affect them a national contact point to ensure clear channels of communication and cooperation and a further look at the benefit of enabling enforcement authorities to gain monetary redress on behalf of consumers. The guidelines also seek to ensure that every country has the necessary authority and powers to take action in cross-border cases, and set the stage for future work on the issue of consumer redress. E-mail street@thetimesharebeat.com UK & EUROPE People who have been affected by the false re-sale of timeshare are beginning to form groups, having received little response from the authorities as individuals. Danes, Germans, British, Belgians and French are all on the list of those who have allegedly been swindled. Read about it: (external) Fifty firms accused of false time-share re-sale THE UK: According to The Timeshare Consumers Association (http://www.timeshare.org.uk) Diamond Vacation Club Limited (DVC) was placed into voluntary liquidation on 17 July 2003 and a meeting of creditors was held on 4 August, in Southend-on-Sea. Diamond Vacation Club was one of many of the allegedly fraudulent holiday clubs running rampant throughout Europe and the UK these days. According to sources, members of Diamond Vacation Club are being told that their membership has been transferred to Landmark Travel Club and that all their promised holidays will be honoured. The problem is that Landmark and Diamond are both apparently owned by the same guy: Kim Waller, whose reputation is less than sterling. TCA's advice to members of DVC: write to the liquidator registering any claim as a creditor if you believe that you are a creditor. The liquidator is: Jamie Taylor, Begbies Traynor, The Old Exhnage, 234 Southchurch Road, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 2EG. if you paid more than £ 100 by personal credit card then you should have a valid claim against your cdard company, under the Consumer Credit Act, for ALL the money paid to join DVC. Please read How to cancel If you accept alternative membership of another club, such as Landmark Travel Club, you may lose any right of claim against your card company. If in doubt, take legal advice. Please note that TCA are gathering evidence from members of DVC, to present to the liquidator, in respect of the conduct of the Directors. If you can provide any evidence, or require further advice you should contact TCA at http://www.timeshare.org.uk/contact.html SWITZERLAND: BAAR: Hapimag partners, checking the member area of the Hapimag homepage for vacant apartments in 2003 in New York currently get the following message, according to sources: " This holiday destination ist closed on the following dates: 4.3.2003 to 31.12.2199(?)" Rumors making the rounds among Hapimag partners insist that the resort is on the market, due to high taxes and heaven knows what else. We have asked Hapimag about it but at press time have not yet received a response. Is the New York property just being refurbished or is it for sale? Or? SPAIN: COSTA DEL SOL: Marriott Vacation Club has opened its latest resort in Spain - Marriott's Playa Andaluza. The 225 apartment resort is situated on the beachfront of the Costa del Sol near the renowned yacht port of Puerto Banú s. Located within close proximity to the nearly sold-out Marriott's Marbella Beach Resort, Marriott's Playa Andaluza opened its first phase of 32 apartments in July. E-mail street@thetimesharebeat.com

CANADA

BRITISH COLUMBIA: VICTORIA ISLAND: Aviawest, formerly Starpointe Resort Club, is currently in the planning phase of developing a 120 suite private residence club on the corner of Humboldt, Blanshard, and Fairfield Streets in Victoria BC. Plans also call for a restaurant, retail shops and a spa. Construction is expected to start in the winter of 2003/4, with completion in the spring of 2005. Aviawest Resorts is the developer of Pacific Shores Resort & Spa and develops resort hotel and vacation properties on the west coast of Canada. Aviawest vacation club sales grew by 42% in 2002, and is on track for even stronger growth in 2003. Aviawest currently owns or manages approximately 198 hotel and condominium suites in five locations, four on Vancouver Island and one in Vancouver. E-mail street@thetimesharebeat.com

CARIBBEAN

BAHAMAS: Work has started on Phase III of the Atlantis Resort, with initial construction of 3 very expensive villas at the upscale Ocean Club. Phase III will also add 212 timeshare units to the Sheraton Harborside Resort. Construction on that is expected to start in 2004 and will last 16 months. ST. MAARTEN: We think we've got the situation with American Resorts International and Oyster Bay Beach Resort sorted out at last. American Resorts International's (" ARI" ) subsidiary or affiliate, Oyster Bay Club NV, used to be the developer of Oyster Bay Beach Resort and was selling timeshare interests in Oyster Bay Beach Resort. ARI (or what's left of it) also has another timeshare product known as ARI's Holiday Network that conveys to consumers a membership interest in the Holiday Network Vacation Club (their points-based club). Pearl Development N.V. acquired ownership of Oyster Bay Beach Resort at a public auction in April, 2003, as we reported at the time. All purchasers (in good standing) of a timeshare interest in Oyster Bay Beach Resort from ARI's affiliate, Oyster Bay Club, NV, continue to enjoy their rights to the use of Oyster Bay Beach Resort with Pearl, as the new owner. HOWEVER, those purchasers of memberships in ARI'S Holiday Network did not have any ownership interest in Oyster Bay Beach Resort. Accordingly, when Oyster Bay Club NV ceased to own the Resort, the members in Holiday Network no longer had the right to have a direct exchange into Oyster Bay Beach Resort. It is our understanding that those members of Holiday Network that belong to Interval International can still use their membership in Interval International to exchange into Oyster Bay Beach Resort in accordance with II's exchange rules and policies. Now then: Does ARI have any resorts left in their network besides the Austrian properties? E-mail street@thetimesharebeat.com

MEXICO

A COMMENT FROM YOU: --" Perhaps some insight regarding Mexico timeshare developer misconduct might be in order. I do not profess to know it all but the Mexico companies identified as being engaged in unacceptable new sales behavior each has a different mentality and corporate culture. Pablo is probably partially unaware of how the hot-head Mustaffa Bouzid in Cancun (and others) direct the policies [of Royal Holiday Club] to generate negative consumer tactics. The Sunset group is almost teflon-coated due to their State (Quintanna Roo) connections (although the exit program " air" and Vacation Network ties need to be changed). They are aggressive wheeler dealers but are slowly changing for the better. The Mayan Palace's rental pitch needs to be scrapped, are you listening Casey Owens? And last but not least, Velas Vallarta- Juan Velas started as an OPC, go figure. Some of the sales teams he has engaged are white hot to the point of using third party companies' letterhead making false promises and being faxed from the very next room as if they were just received from the unknowing third party company. A beautiful resort such as this should do fine without the heat. The Beat goes on...... (Sonny and Cher classic). Long live the TS Beat." E-mail street@thetimesharebeat.com QUINTANA ROO: CANCUN: Does Avalon Resorts really have properties in progress and near completetion in Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, Jamaica, and Cuba? And what is the status of the Avalon Reef in Belize? Come on now. Someone knows. Talk to us. E-mail street@thetimesharebeat.com

AUSTRALIA

The Accor Premiè re Vacation Club (APVC) has just announced a new sales record for July 2003. A total of 4.2 Million Dollars Sales Volume was achieved, with a VPG of 1691-- the highest monthly figure in the company's 3 years of operation, up from 2.3 Million for the same time last year. They expect to break the record again in August. KUDOS Look for new property acquisition on the Gold Coast to be announced soon, and the opening of new sales decks...

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Street Talk is a compendium of tips, facts, gossip, rumors, speculation and editorial comment provided by The Timeshare Beat as an outlet for the free expression of its readers and for their entertainment. The Timeshare Beat makes no assertion as to the veracity of the items contained herein. If erroneous information is inadvertently included and a correction to this information is subsequently sent to The Timeshare Beat, the correction will be prominently published. Opinions published within Street Talk are the opinions of the authors thereof and are not necessarily the opinions of The Timeshare Beat. THIS COLUMN CONTAINS OPINIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THIRD PARTIES. THE TIMESHARE BEAT DOES NOT REPRESENT, ENDORSE OR GUARANTEE THE TRUTHFULNESS, ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY OF SUCH CONTENT POSTED BY SUCH THIRD PARTIES, OR ENDORSE ANY OPINIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS EXPRESSED BY SUCH THIRD PARTIES. ANY RELIANCE ON CONTENT POSTED BY THIRD PARTIES WILL BE AT YOUR OWN RISK. CHANGES ARE PERIODICALLY MADE TO THIS COLUMN AND MAY BE MADE AT ANY TIME.

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