Timeshare Con....I need help!!!

[lindsayhowlett]

Hi,
Is anyone out there at all versed in the world of timeshare?

To cut a very long story short my Mother has been investing in a timeshare for about 20 years, it has undergone a whole variety of changes during that time including companies going under and it being taken over, her swapping her weeks for other weeks etc.

The most recent issue is this: In May last year she went back the original resort in which she bought her timeshare with the intention of handing it back because she was fed up with it, she was persuaded out of this by a company called Points Generation Group (who I have since found out are major con artists and their limited holding company doesn't even exist under Companies House records).

This company persuaded her to effectively trade her weeks for a points system, however they have never actually processed the paperwork properly and she is now liable for all of the maintenance fees on her first two weeks and also on the new points system she is a member of, to top this off they also persuaded her to part with nigh on £5000 when they offered her this "fantastic" service....

From what I can tell she got nothing for her two timeshare weeks that she still has to pay for, she had to buy points up front for a cost of £3800 as well as pay £500 for a presentation fee!!!!!

If anyone has any legal knowledge, experience of this or any words of wisdom on how to deal with this please please contact me.

She is at her wits end, she has worked all her life to earn herself a good retirement and has been royally scammed!!

I am happy to provide any additional info that may be needed in order to help you, help me! But as it is a very long and drawn out story I have literally just brushed over the facts that I can gleam from some very unprofessional paperwork!!

Any help at all will be appreciated!

Many thanks in advance!

Lindsay

[loulou11]

Hi

I havn't got any answers but here is the number for the timeshare consumers association, 01909 591100.

They will advise you

Hope it helps good luck

[knnoblesson]

This is yet another example of the kind of disgraceful timeshare scams that make me think the entire system should be shut down in spite of the number of reputable timeshare companies out there. The EU is trying to change the laws to fix a few of the problems you mentioned (maintenance fees, etc) but in my opinion its too little, too late, since these creeps will just find another loophole (I posted this in a different thread so I won't dwell on it). My cousin Lindy had almost the EXACT SAME experience across the pond in the US, and got so frustrated she hired Timeshare Relief to simply dispose of her timeshare (I'm not sure if they operate over here but you could try if you're at wits end: www.timesharerelief.com). It's a shame the laws can't always protect innocent people. Anyway I hope things are working out better for you and your mother now, and good luck.

[buzby]

This isn't really a genuine timeshare scam - simply a trading in scheme manipulation that supposedly buys your timeshare and swaps it for points. This is no better than trading one car for another, or even a mobile phone. Customers end up with 2 contracts or owning two cars! If she wanted out of the scheme she really should have sold privately to dispose of her interests than believe sales hype and part with even more money.

[CMedinburgh]

Originally Posted by knnoblesson

This is yet another example of the kind of disgraceful timeshare scams that make me think the entire system should be shut down in spite of the number of reputable timeshare companies out there. The EU is trying to change the laws to fix a few of the problems you mentioned (maintenance fees, etc) but in my opinion its too little, too late, since these creeps will just find another loophole (I posted this in a different thread so I won't dwell on it).

While I understand the anger these guys cause by their mis-selling and lies, banning the product because there are crooks in the industry is hardly the answer.

If we follow this logic, we will ban pensions, electricity, gas, mobile phones and landline phones. Hardly a solution to anything.

The real solution is for Holiday Clubs (which are almost wholly crooked - not all, but almost all) to be brought within the Timeshare Legislation. Timeshare is a very good product if sold by honest companies and run well. Since the legislation came into force, there have been very few real problems with it - except that the people who used to run less-than-honest timeshare companies moved to these Holiday Clubs.

If we put pressure on our MEPs to get the legislation driven through to regulate these sharks, things would improve.