Club La Costa - sound or con?

[mustang67]

Hi all

 

what a relief to see I'm not the only one !!

Same story here .. been told a pack of big fat lies in the presentation, signed and only now I see what I've signed up to !

 

There are lots of people out there who feel that they have been conned by CLC . My advice would be to contact www. Timeshare Consumers Association , ( TCA ). When you ring them up they will point you in the right direction.

Also read other posts on other sites www.moneysavingexpert.com

 

go to praise vent and warnings on there.

also www.timesharetalkforums.com

 

Plenty of reading on those sites wish I had seen them years ago !!!!!!!

Good Luck.

Edited September 25, 2009 by mustang67
spelling

[Paco69]

my wife got a phone call saying she entered a competition online and she had won a holiday. all we need to do is go to a 2 hour exhibition to claim it. i know this is a timeshare thing but i WONT be buying one. all i want to know is has anyone went to this thing and got the free holiday, i know its not free cause you have have to pay booking fee of £29 and airport taxes. i can handle paying £60ish to go on holiday for a week to tenerife and i know i would loose half a day listening to their shpiel again but as i said i WONT be signing up for anything.

[acra]

hi well clc/ge money are useless after notifying g e that i had joined cag they sold my debt to link financial who have now taken me to court and i have a ccj by default which i am appealing to set aside so i can defend my case and win we need to fight as agroup against clc and g e money my email address is adrianvcade@ntl world.com please join and we will win

[mustang67]

my wife got a phone call saying she entered a competition online and she had won a holiday. all we need to do is go to a 2 hour exhibition to claim it. i know this is a timeshare thing but i WONT be buying one. all i want to know is has anyone went to this thing and got the free holiday, i know its not free cause you have have to pay booking fee of £29 and airport taxes. i can handle paying £60ish to go on holiday for a week to tenerife and i know i would loose half a day listening to their shpiel again but as i said i WONT be signing up for anything.

 

What firm is it ?

[mustang67]

hi well clc/ge money are useless after notifying g e that i had joined cag they sold my debt to link financial who have now taken me to court and i have a ccj by default which i am appealing to set aside so i can defend my case and win we need to fight as agroup against clc and g e money my email address is adrianvcade@ntl world.com please join and we will win

 

Am in same situation, GE sold mine to Link but so far have not paid them a penny 12 months down the line.

Did you send them 'Gross Misrepresentation letter ' ?

[mustang67]

hi well clc/ge money are useless after notifying g e that i had joined cag they sold my debt to link financial who have now taken me to court and i have a ccj by default which i am appealing to set aside so i can defend my case and win we need to fight as agroup against clc and g e money my email address is adrianvcade@ntl world.com please join and we will win

 

Has there been any response ?

Edited September 27, 2009 by mustang67
missed word

[Paco69]

What firm is it ?

 

club la costa

[mustang67]

Enough said. Do not be tempted

[majka]

Hi

Yes, I've been to this site before and tried to cancel my membership with CLC ( obviously thye are not accepting my reasoning !) and cancelled my direct debit with bank. My loan provider was barclays partners and not GE Money. They are not accepting my reasoning either and now they are threatening me with debt collectors ...

As far as I know TCA are planning to start a court action against banks who support CLC, but it may take a while.

I agree with accra, maybe we should act as a group and start something ourselves ?

[mustang67]

It would be good if people could get together over this, but there does seem a reluctance for anyone (myself included ) to give your true identity away. Some posters may be false etc. !!!!

I myself have contacted TCA and have been told that any action will come later, but how much later ?

My loan for CLC has been sold on to the usual suspects. Am keeping them at bay at the moment, but a mass action would certainly help.

 

Any ideas on how to get one started ?

[majka]

We feel a huge weight has lifted from our shoulders - contact timeshare.org today to join the list and save yourselves thousands. We too felt like we are trapped but now we are going to follow advise and stop paying immediately. There is light at the end of this very dark tunnel x x x Thanks to everyone especially mustang x x x x

 

Hi

am in the same boat, stopped paying to the bank and they now bombard me with letters and I get 5 phonecalls a day ! ( though I did send them the gross misrepresenation letter - they just don't care).

i wonder - is the website you menioned timeshareconsumergroup.com ? where do i find the list to sign up ?

 

thanks

[mustang67]

The site you want is Timeshare Consumer Association (TCA)

On there you will find contact No. Just tell them your situation regarding CLC. Was told last week by them that action could take place later in the year. The sooner the better!!!

[majka]

Thanks mustang !

yes, the sooner the better ...

[Folkiedave]

my wife got a phone call saying she entered a competition online and she had won a holiday. all we need to do is go to a 2 hour exhibition to claim it. i know this is a timeshare thing but i WONT be buying one. all i want to know is has anyone went to this thing and got the free holiday, i know its not free cause you have have to pay booking fee of £29 and airport taxes. i can handle paying £60ish to go on holiday for a week to tenerife and i know i would loose half a day listening to their shpiel again but as i said i WONT be signing up for anything.

 

Make sure you take no means of payment with you in the UK. Try and avoid the sales spiel until the last minute when in Tenerife or the Costa Del Sol (it is always Tenerife or the Costa Del Sol) - feign illness - anything to avoid them.

 

Ask how long the spiel will last and keep looking at your watch.

 

Read a book. Keep forgetting the appointment. LIE TO THEM because sure as hell they will lie to you!!

 

Go individually - just one person feigns illness - and say you have to discuss it with your partner.

 

Personally I wouldn't give them smallpox.

[mustang67]

Make sure you take no means of payment with you in the UK. Try and avoid the sales spiel until the last minute when in Tenerife or the Costa Del Sol (it is always Tenerife or the Costa Del Sol) - feign illness - anything to avoid them.

 

Ask how long the spiel will last and keep looking at your watch.

 

Read a book. Keep forgetting the appointment. LIE TO THEM because sure as hell they will lie to you!!

 

Go individually - just one person feigns illness - and say you have to discuss it with your partner.

 

Personally I wouldn't give them smallpox.

 

Excellent reply. To any one tempted ,dont do it, it is quite easy to get sucked in. Just spend your money on a normal holiday. But watch out for the scratchcard [problem] if you go abroad, these [problematic] are all over the place.

[geordiegirl35]

Please, Please, Please do not be fooled by these con men.

 

We were. Fortunately we only paid for a Trial Membership (which we got for less than £3000)

 

The holiday for 4 at £29.50 each - CON - when you try to book it for 4, after already having paid the 4 x £29.50 - you end up with a further bill for about £600 for so called taxes etc. Enough said, we didn't take it.

 

Yes, your introductory week at California Suites in the Costa del Sol will lull you into a false sense of security. It's beautiful. 5 star all the way. This is what they claim to be selling - a 5 star holiday experience for life for about £20 grand! CON - we went to Tenerife with them to Paradise Club, most definately a 3 star experience. We booked for Bali, but the brochure accommadation was not available. We had to pay an additional £100 to book via their Worldwide facitily. Have just returned from beautiful Bali - but the apartment was definately 2 star.

 

We booked to go to the Monterey in Tenerife next February for one week because we were told it is 5 star. After we booked a one bed apartment our son decided he would like to come with a friend. I rang to upgrade to a 2 bed apartment. I was told sorry there were non available, but they could let me have an additional apartment for my son. I booked it. I have just found out that because we took a second apartment we have lost our final week ( I understand the logic, but wasn't told at the time - I still thought I had a week left.)

 

I am yet to find out if Monterey is as 5 star as Calafornia Suites.

 

Please dont be conned by these people. They do have SOME 5 star places, but claim in the extremely hard sell (which you have to go through every time you book a week though them) that in buying into Club la Costa you are buying into a 5 star holiday dream for life

 

This is completely untrue - out of my 6 total weeks, so far 3 have been well below what my husband and I would usually travel to.

 

Also, while there is no maintenance involved in the Trial Membership, we were told by a couple who are on the Points system on our very first visit that they had bought in 9 years ago and were paying about £300 in maintenance per year and were told it would never go up very much. They are now paying just short of £1,000 per year in mainteneance.

 

Save yourself money and grief. Book a great 5 star holilday through a travel agent and get what you really pay for

 

We are.

[mustang67]

Please, Please, Please do not be fooled by these con men.

 

 

 

We were. Fortunately we only paid for a Trial Membership (which we got for less than £3000)

 

The holiday for 4 at £29.50 each - CON - when you try to book it for 4, after already having paid the 4 x £29.50 - you end up with a further bill for about £600 for so called taxes etc. Enough said, we didn't take it.

 

Yes, your introductory week at California Suites in the Costa del Sol will lull you into a false sense of security. It's beautiful. 5 star all the way. This is what they claim to be selling - a 5 star holiday experience for life for about £20 grand! CON - we went to Tenerife with them to Paradise Club, most definately a 3 star experience. We booked for Bali, but the brochure accommadation was not available. We had to pay an additional £100 to book via their Worldwide facitily. Have just returned from beautiful Bali - but the apartment was definately 2 star.

 

We booked to go to the Monterey in Tenerife next February for one week because we were told it is 5 star. After we booked a one bed apartment our son decided he would like to come with a friend. I rang to upgrade to a 2 bed apartment. I was told sorry there were non available, but they could let me have an additional apartment for my son. I booked it. I have just found out that because we took a second apartment we have lost our final week ( I understand the logic, but wasn't told at the time - I still thought I had a week left.)

 

I am yet to find out if Monterey is as 5 star as Calafornia Suites.

 

Please dont be conned by these people. They do have SOME 5 star places, but claim in the extremely hard sell (which you have to go through every time you book a week though them) that in buying into Club la Costa you are buying into a 5 star holiday dream for life

 

This is completely untrue - out of my 6 total weeks, so far 3 have been well below what my husband and I would usually travel to.

 

Also, while there is no maintenance involved in the Trial Membership, we were told by a couple who are on the Points system on our very first visit that they had bought in 9 years ago and were paying about £300 in maintenance per year and were told it would never go up very much. They are now paying just short of £1,000 per year in mainteneance.

 

Save yourself money and grief. Book a great 5 star holilday through a travel agent and get what you really pay for

 

 

We are.

 

Agree with everything you say. Do not be tempted, you can book better places through a Travel Agent without the hassle of sleazy timeshare reps trying to sign you up.

If you do go to Monteray it is at the top of a steep hill, you have been warned!!!!!!! Have been there and the FREE breakfast is at the Paradise. Do not go to that. Would not rate it as 5 star.

[majka]

yeah .. have I known it earlier .. After my battles with the bank when I was trying to cancel my loan on the grounds of misrepresentation, they have passed my "debt" to debt collecting agency who are now calling me every day , even to my work number ! very annoying and embarassing !

is anyone in a similar situation, ie. stopped paying the loan and is now being threatened by a court action by debt collectors ?

I start losing my nerves ..

[mustang67]

yeah .. have I known it earlier .. After my battles with the bank when I was trying to cancel my loan on the grounds of misrepresentation, they have passed my "debt" to debt collecting agency who are now calling me every day , even to my work number ! very annoying and embarassing !

is anyone in a similar situation, ie. stopped paying the loan and is now being threatened by a court action by debt collectors ?

I start losing my nerves ..

 

Hi there,I am in same situation with a DCA concerning CLC. Have had many threats over the years, but nothing has happened even though I have paid nothing. Hang on in there. The way I look at it is that the original lender has passed on the debt of over 20 grand to a DCA because they must have know that they are on sticky ground because of the 'Gross Misrepresentation' allegation. So it is now in the hands of a DCA and I have started the same process against them. During all this my Credit rating has been shot to pieces, but this is a small price to pay to get this debt wiped out. Have been in touch recently with the TCA and they said that a Group Action against CLC and lenders should start shortly.

If you are getting phone calls of the DCA there is a letter template in the letters sectionon this site that you can send to them. That should stop the calls.

Have you sent the 'Misrepresentation' letter to the DCA ? If not send it as soon as possible.

 

Hold your nerve and hang on in there.

[majka]

Hi there,I am in same situation with a DCA concerning CLC. Have had many threats over the years, but nothing has happened even though I have paid nothing. Hang on in there. The way I look at it is that the original lender has passed on the debt of over 20 grand to a DCA because they must have know that they are on sticky ground because of the 'Gross Misrepresentation' allegation. So it is now in the hands of a DCA and I have started the same process against them. During all this my Credit rating has been shot to pieces, but this is a small price to pay to get this debt wiped out. Have been in touch recently with the TCA and they said that a Group Action against CLC and lenders should start shortly.

If you are getting phone calls of the DCA there is a letter template in the letters sectionon this site that you can send to them. That should stop the calls.

Have you sent the 'Misrepresentation' letter to the DCA ? If not send it as soon as possible.

 

Hold your nerve and hang on in there.

 

Hi Mustang, thanks for your help, it's a real support !

I just wanted to share my latest experience - I spoke to Mercers ( DCA dealing with my case, I have loan with barclays partners) and told them AGAIN that I am still disputing the decision etc. told them about misrepresentaion ( also sent letter but it does not seem to have helped) and ... they told me that since I am refusing to pay, the nest step will be a doorstep visit !! What's enough is enough, now I am well annoyed ! From what I have seen on this site, it does not seem to be quite legal is it ?

This bloody CLC story is starting ruining my life ..

[mustang67]

My DCA has made that threat, but a DCA can only call at your house if you have made an appointment with them. If and it will be a BIG IF, if anyone turns up tell them to take a hike or you will have them for tresspass.

 

Yeah, for all the pleasure that CLC promise you your life is turned upside down because of the lying b******s.

I was in dispute with original lender but they still sold it on. All quiet at the moment, no one has turned up so thats another broken promise !!!!!!!!

Keep us posted of any developments

Cheers

[mustang67]

If anyone wants to read more about CLC go to

MoneySavingExpert.com and go to Praise Vent and Warnings there is a large thread on there.

[majka]

The site you want is Timeshare Consumer Association (TCA)

On there you will find contact No. Just tell them your situation regarding CLC. Was told last week by them that action could take place later in the year. The sooner the better!!!

 

Hi Mustang

 

I was wondering if you had any more news on the court action by TCA at all ? I had an email from them a few weeks ago, that it will be probably early next year before a decision is made whether the action is to be started or not... Have you had any update maybe ?

My DCA are threatening me with a court action if i don't pay the whole amount ( over £ 16k) within a week ! good laugh.

I also sent CLC a letter saying i'm not paying the maintenance fee.. just waiting on e reply though i know what they will say anyway.

CLC - the worst mistake of my life !

[mustang67]

Hi Majka,

Have heard nothing since last posting. But am hanging on. My DCA has also rejected the Misrepresentation letter, but that was to be expected.

They are blaming CLC for not replying to my complaints but in my book the original lender and now the DCA is equally responsible for the misselling.

 

I think if they had a cast iron case it would have been in Court years ago.

When they ring me up again I am going to ask for an out of Court settlement !!!!!

Try to keep your DCA at bay,most of their letters are just threats, full of maybe's and might do's.

 

As I have mentioned previously stopped paying the maintenance fees a few years ago. Glad to see you are going to stop them as well.

 

Will be glad when the whole sorry saga is over. CLC was the worse mistake of my life as well.

 

It's all quiet on the other CLC Forums as well.

Will keep you posted if I hear anything.

Cheers.

[Millington4341]

Hi,

 

Glad and also sorry to see so many people in this miserable CLC 'boat'. After last outrageous Maintenance bill have decided to not pay it and to cancel our DD to CLC - which GE Money are charging exorbitant interest on. Like many of you, CLC is without doubt my worst ever decision.

 

Can't face another holiday spoiled by a session in the 'Glengarry Suite'. If they just delivered - let alone over-delivered - on the promise, then the existing membership could be the best unpaid sales force on earth. Instead they inflict 'Swiss Tony' on us, and this forum is the result.

 

Grateful to Mustang for the great input into this, and I hope we will all be OK in the end. I think I need to send that 'Gross Misrepresentation' to CLC and to GE. Where do I access that please?