www.SeasonsHolidays.com - Anyone heard of them?

[TMAngel]

Just received a letter (recorded delivery) stating I have won membership worth £3750 to ClubSeasons (Seasons Holidays).

 

It entitles me to 7 nights accommodation/year in over 80 worldwide locations - I just have to pay for flights and a maintenance fee.

 

Now I've heard of so called 'timeshares' before so before I ring them up I just wondered if anyone had heard of them and if it's all a big con!

 

I do remember entering a competition on their site for a trip to Vegas and by entering that competition you were also put into a monthly draw for free membership.

 

What do you think??

[huggys boss]

I personally have not heard of them.

 

Have a look in here Has Anyone heard of Seasons Holidays?? - Holiday Watchdog

 

There are good and bad reviews.

 

Read the small print and check it out thouroughly before you decide to hand any money over.

[Nurserynurse1]

I personally have not heard of them.

 

Have a look in here Has Anyone heard of Seasons Holidays?? - Holiday Watchdog

 

There are good and bad reviews.

 

Read the small print and check it out thouroughly before you decide to hand any money over.

Hello. I`ve just joined this forum just now and don`t quite know how to do things. I too have received a letter from `Seasons Holidays` which had to be signed for. Looking on the web there are some references to timeshare -but I havn`t followed it up- as I saw this site with my same thoughts. I hope that it isn`t a hoax- but you never know. Anyone else delved deeper into it?

[pompeyfaith]

just type seasons holidays into google and you will see it is indeed a [problem]

 

There tactics have a lot to answer too.

 

Regards

 

Leon

[TMAngel]

Yep just bin the letter unless you want to be tied into something! I had a good look at the site etc and didn't take it any further.

 

I had another letter last week offering me 50% of the maintenance fee for the first year! To be honest you'd end up paying over the odds for a week each year which you could find cheaper elsewhere!

 

A total [problem]!

[Trilby274]

Hello all. Just come across this after extensive searching because I wanted to find out if anyone else had any feedback.

 

I have been a member of Seasons Holidays since 2001. I have to say that they are not a [problem] but are quite expensive.

 

Basically, similarly to a timeshare, you purchase a holiday for life (as many weeks per annum as you can afford). When we bought ours, it was £6500 for a one week holiday per year in any of five UK resorts at any time. The holiday could also be transferred to one of their affiliated companies overseas but only for the accommodation.

 

There is an annual management/service charge which is applied for electricity/gas and cleaning. This is the expensive part (2009 is £400).

 

However, as members, you can get midweek and weekend breaks extremely cheaply (£78 for two for two nights).

 

Overall, in the 7 and a bit years we have been with them, it has worked out quite a bit cheaper than taking holidays in other ways (although we only holiday in the UK and Eire anyway).

 

Just putting the record straight (I don't work for them or anything) but if anyone wants to ask a question - I'll do my best to answer based on my own experience.

[barrie b]

My wife and I have been members of Seasons Holidays for over 10 years and always found the organisation efficient and fair. Yes you do have to purchase your time allocation, but then nothing is for free! Seasons offers a range of accommodation both in the UK and overseas. We have used their resorts in Wales, Cornwall, The Lake District, Spain & Portugal plus their affiliate resorts in Australia, the USA and South Africa. We have also enjoyed using the facility of short breaks at weekends and mid-week in addition to the allocated week. Experiences so far? Always reliable bookings, thoughtful and caring staff and value for money. Communication from the head office is instant and the membership panel is effective membership voice.

Any regrets? none at all. We regard our membership as a good investment which has repaid our investment with some memorable trips.

Those who see it as a [problem] I suspect are looking for something for nothing.We attended a number of time share presentations before buying and we can confirm that some of them were dreadful experiences but those experiences at least gave us a yardstick to measure the claims of the reputable companies.

Finally Seasons in particular and timeshare in general may not be the best option for everyone as a holiday facility but our experience has with this company been completely positive.

Edited January 2, 2009 by barrie b
spelling

[RichardM]

On the other hand, my mother and stepfather have been with seasons for over 10 years. They started off with a single unit and annual fees of approx £200 per annum. For that they had to sign a 55 year contract, but were given assaurances at the time that if they wished to sell their time slots, Seasons would do there best to find a buyer and that the package would not lose it's value.

 

Since that time, they were pursuaded to buy two "red week" time slots, cruising holiday, Carnival exchange all of which amounted to an outlay of well over £15,000. Her annual management fees are now in excess of £900 per annum and they advised her this year that to pay for refurbishment of her home site (Loughan in West Wales) they would be increasing the management fees by 5% on top of inflation for the next three years.

 

They are both now disabled (he seriously disabled), and have tried to sell their timeshares but have been told they are almost worthless. Seasons will not take them back, suggesting that they are liable for the remainder of the contract if they try and walk away or fail to pay management fees on time. At one stage, they even suggested that in the event of their death I inherit the contract and would be liable for it. LIKE HELL I AM!

 

She wanted to pass them on to me in her will, as this is something that Seasons push (you can pass this gift on to your children). I calculated that what she was trying to give me was a life debt for approx £135,000 for holidays that I didn't want at places I had no intention of ever visiting.

 

My advice for anyone who is ever preswnted with literature from seasons is find the nearest bin. You won't regret it in the long run and neither will your bank balance.

[ashmk]

I think there way of getting people to call is misleading and this company should be avoided at all costs.

 

Untill they learn to promote there products fairly you should goto center parks instead

[Seasons Holidays]

We would like to set the record straight regarding a number of postings on this website by consumers who have not provided sufficient information and background to a number of promotions we have hosted on the web recently, nor have they actually enjoyed a holiday at one of our holiday resorts or put our money back guarantee offer to the test. We are sorry if some participants are disappointed, but it is also important that other participants are in possession of all the facts so they can make their own judgement, rather than relying on unsubstantiated rants. More than 500,000 UK households already own timeshare and a recent independent survey based on thousands of responses showed that the vast majority of UK timeshare owners are satisfied or very satisfied with their timeshare experience.

 

Here are the facts.

Seasons Holidays are one of Europe’s leading resort developers, with six luxury resorts in the British Isles and three in Europe. Each year Seasons arranges holidays for more than 75,000 customers. We offer both timeshare on a flexible, multi-destination basis, and also freehold luxury holiday homes and fractional ownership. During the last 12 months, we have built and sold more than 120 brand new luxury holiday residences in Scotland the Lake District and Cornwall.

We have been operating since 1996 and we are an English registered company. We work closely with our home authority trading standards office to ensure offers are clear. We are proud of the quality and value that we offer our customers and the valuable year round employment we are bringing to rural communities, without forcing up the price of local residential property for first time buyers. It is more selfish to buy an outright residential home for holidays, then leave it empty for most of the year and then take down provisions for a few weeks each year. All of our property offers encourage multiple use of holiday properties.

For the last 5 years our marketing has been structured around opt-in marketing for our products and we have indeed been offering the chance for consumers to win a Clubseasons timeshare membership worth £3750, excluding annual management fees which are paid by all co-owners and these are currently £367 per week. We are surprised to see comments on this website that we have in some way tried to hide these facts, since these facts were included very clearly in original offer page. The management fees include all bed linen, utility charges and VAT, as well as all the usual services required to maintain a portfolio of very nice residences and facilities. We offer a money back guarantee to winners who are not entirely satisfied upon returning from their first 7 night holiday.

Yes it is possible that some people may have had bad experience of timeshare in the past, when the trade was young and inexperienced. Our industry has by and large developed into a responsible and ethical group and most problems these days relate to non-property based discount travel clubs which have been set up to get around laws and code of ethics that our industry has adopted. We are members for the Organisation for Timeshare in Europe (OTE Organisation for Timeshare in Europe - Home).

Our marketing is based on an opt-in basis without compulsory sales presentations and we are glad that the resort experiences sell themselves. We have generated opt in lists of more than 400,000 consumers over the last few years offering the incentive of the chance to win a timeshare (excluding annual management fees) as a means to attract consumers who may have wondered how to find out about resorts. Yes consumers are required to pay annual management fees for their share of the collective costs of running the resorts in the portfolio but anyone who has won a prize should note that more than 1000 clients have purchased the prizes on offer for more than £4000 per membership excluding annual management fees. We have given away nearly a 1000 memberships worth £3750 over the last 24 months: non winners have been offered the chance to enjoy a low cost inspection break in the UK or overseas without obligation to find out more about Seasons timeshare. In fact some of the winners have also gone on to purchase more weeks from us, others have decided to walk away from ownership without penalty and that is fine no product will meet the needs and aspirations of every client. We let the resort experience do the selling; we are a commercial organisation and of course we will always encourage customers to purchase more, and there is nothing to be ashamed about in being enthusiastic about a rapidly growing, asset based club that will definitely save members money on better quality holidays for whatever period they choose to remain within the club. We are truly unique in being able to offer to customers six very sought after destinations within the British Isles and even more overseas. I am pleased to say that more than 50 % of our sales last year were existing owners who have owned for 2 years or more deciding to purchase more, so it is clear that what we offer is very attractive to some consumers.

EDIT

Edited January 8, 2009 by freakyleaky
Commercila link removed

[Trilby274]

Beat me to it. I was going to go through my contract this evening to try to put right some of the misconceptions that have been posted. I'll still do it, although many of the queries have been answered above.

[Folkiedave]

Type Seasons and Trading standards into Google.

 

Carmarthen, Cornwall Shropshire were all places they were fined.

[ashmk]

Dont trust there letters. Dont even open them.. Just throw them in the bin.

 

Its nothing but a marketing ploy to get you to ring. Once they have your details they spam you for life. Im saying this first hand because my missus did it last year and we get bombardrd with junk and phone calls trying to sell us tat.

 

Seasons holidays make there money on hidden costs and by sueing people when they refuse to pay for poor services.

 

Dont take the risk.. Just avoid at all costs.

 

And yes... google Seasons holidays and trading standards and read about the court cases they have pleded GUILTY to.

[sweets-on-the-move]

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[cdcake]

I too won a membership; 1 free week until 2069 with maintenance fees only annually. Fees reduced by 50% 08-09 to £195. Offered free fes for 09-10 oncompletion of induction at Bath. Went but it was not induction but hard sell to buy peak weeks for life (never asked the price told them we would not make any financial committments on the spur of the moment) They were friendly until we said no, then aggressive and quite rude.

 

£400 approx a year fees is good value for high quality accommmodation, especially if there's 4 of you, but for 2 people we can get expedia 5 * hotels for this price. You still have your travel costs and of course an investment outlay and the resorts are not all where we want to go.

[jacktheband]

I just have to get my tuppence worth on this thread. To all those who have said that they are a [problem]: quite simply, you are wrong. They are nothing of the sort.

 

They are a holiday company that sells weeks of holiday time at the various resorts/locations around and outside of the UK. I have no precise info as to the costs involved (my dad's a member, not me!) but they are legit. As to whether they offer value for money for what they provide, that would be down to the individual's opinion, but this does not make it a [problem].

 

My dad and his partner pay a certain amount of fees each year (again, i haven't any idea how much) and they go away for weekends and weeks at the various locations around the UK. They love it! At the end of the year they have got 3 massive, top-quality lodges down at Clowence House in Cornwall which the whole family will be going to and getting together. I went with them to Clowence last year and i have to say that it is breath-taking. An amazing place.

 

My dad gave me a week of his holiday entitlement the other year for me and my partner to go to Portugal to stay at a place that Seasons ran at the time. Again, proper top-notch. The Seasons rep was really friendly, although obviously buttering us up for the inevitable sales pitch. A few days into the holiday we had to attend a meeting with him where he quizzed us about our holidaying, interests, affordability, disposable income, etc... basically a sales pitch for us to become Seasons members too. We had completely expected this (they are a timeshare-esque company after all) and told him in no certain terms that we thought the holiday was great but every question he asked us about if we were interested in joining would be met with a reply of "only if you waive all fees involved for a 5 year period". He quickly realised that it was a wasted sales-pitch and told us to enjoy the rest of our holiday. Which we did!

 

So, in summary: It is not a [problem] at all, it is a legit company. The locations that they operate at are fantastic. I have no idea of the value for money (again, it's not me who's the member - but my Dad has nothing bad to say about them). The do have a big sales element to their company, but this is expected.

 

Sorry to write quite a bit, just thought i'd give my opinions and experiences! Thanks for reading.

[RichardM]

As with most companies of this nature, there will always be those who are totally satisfied with the product on offer and manage to get the most out of it. However, it is the way that seasons do buiness and the sales methods that bring them into disrepute.

 

The "you have won a free holiday letter" is a [problem]. Those who get taken in by it are often subjected to a very hard sell on their "holiday" and are often totally unprepared for the financial outlay that they agree to under the hard sell. For my part, my parents have, perhaps unwisely, allowed themselves to be pressured into agreeing to a number of ungrades in their timeshare plans. Their current outlay on maintenence fees is £900 and seasons are increasing this by inflation PLUS 5% for the next three years to allow for "redevelopment and inprovement" of Laughan in West Wales. She wanted to leave me this timeshare in her will, a facility that Seasons are keen to promote. I calculated that is she did that, she would be committing me to an outlay of in excess of £130,000 (yes you did read that correctly) over the remainder of the 65 year contract. Suffice to say that I have advised her not to do anything of the sort.

 

When originally purchasing the timeshare facility, all sorts of promises were ade about how they would retain their retail value, and that if required, Season's would even buy back their timeshare and allow her to walk away from it. The timeshares that she has are worthless. She has been trying to sell them for the past three years and the only offer she has had was some 70% below their purchase value. She has asked Seasons to take them back and was told that they would only do so if they could find a buyer for them. They even had the cheek to suggest to her that if she died, the contract would automatically transfer to myself, and that I would be liable to maintain the contract. (I would really like to see them try that).

 

Furthermore, two of the upgrades that she bought into were timeshare exchanges, where she could offer part of her holidays in this country in exchange for those accommodation in other countries. It has come to light in the past year that was has been happening is that accommodation being put up for exchange is instead being SOLD by companies particularly in America, leaving little accommodation for exchange. The other upgrade was for cruises at reduced rates, but again, availability in locations anywhere other than the Bahamas is extremely limited. Since the reason that wished to start cruises was because my stepfather can no longer fly, this is also useless. Prior to purchasing, she was assured that GB bases cruises were available.

 

In short, your parents may be happy at the moment because they can get the full value. If you're happy taking holidays in this country it can be for you. If you want variety and to go further afield it is not. I hope for thier sake that their circumstances do not change and that they continue to enjoy their investment. They may not be so happy when they find just how little it is worth if circumstances do change and they need to sell it.

[rickyd]

I can't believe that anyone smart enough to find their way onto here could still be taken in by this [problem].

 

TV experts have been warning us about these things for years. What kind of a company is it that has to trick you into visiting them by offering you a "free" holiday and then asking you to pay towards it?

 

I'm sure there are people who truly think they're a good idea, but logic tells me that if they have to hide behind so called "free" holidays there's something wrong. Why not just tell people its timeshare and offer a free visit to try the place out?

[jacktheband]

Fair point about their sales tactics, offering a 'free holiday' is a devious way of getting a potential member to attend a sales opportunity. I can't believe that anyone attending a meeting about a 'free holiday' should expect anything other than a hard-line sales pitch. I can't really defend this method of marketing.

 

It is indeed working out nicely for my dad being a member and the locations they run are amazing, so i can defend the final 'product' as being of a high standard.

 

So some good and bad about Seasons, really. I just think that if we were to highlight the negative aspects, it's only fair that it's pointed out what the positive parts are too.

[merlin100]

Just a quick question - [problem] or not, why would anyone buy into one of these anyway?

You are restricting yourselves beyond belief regarding holidays - and a 55 YEARS CONTRACT????? - not a chance!

Ill keep my money in my pocket thanks - and go where I choose to go, not some poxy Welsh glorified campsite and the British weather!!

[scottie26]

We have been a Seasons member for a year after "winning" the competition. We paid £275 maintenance fee for a weeks holiday - tell me where else you can get high standard well equipped holiday apartments for that. We took up the opportunity to visit one of the sites and were really impressed. Yes there was sales talk but we decided to wait and see before joining.

 

We had a great weeks holiday and have since had short breaks which are exceptionally cheap over Nov - March. Why not try before you buy into it!

 

Also you don't need to sign up for 55 years we signed for 15 years and already feel we are getting our monies worth. Its the cost of a couple of holidays. They also have a travel club to get deals on flights and you can exchange into other networks.

 

Instead of a cheap and cheerful package holiday which not be that cheap actually get a good standard of accommodation and facilities thus peace of mind.

 

The staff are also really friendly and you all feel part of the seasons family.

 

Yes there are some interesting schemes out there eg Island bay residence club - Radisson but seasons is a member of the RDO too.

[zither]

Ham

[jasonjmx]

I honestly dont know how anyone can possibly say that Seasons do not operate scams. My better half is a fan of entering competitions and im happy to say we won a fully paid for holiday to Kilimanjiro last year from one competition she entered, all expenses paid, in other words all we had to pay for was our own clothes. However, we recieved a fancy letter through the post today saying she had entered and won a competition worth 3,750. It didnt say she would have to pay anything. On phoning them up she was asked if she was a home owner, when she replied that she wasnt the person replied back saying she wasnt elegible for anything. THIS IS A [problem]. Id like to hear if any representative or member can argue over this? I thought there was meant to of been a crack down on this kind of thing?

[mustang67]

I honestly dont know how anyone can possibly say that Seasons do not operate scams. My better half is a fan of entering competitions and im happy to say we won a fully paid for holiday to Kilimanjiro last year from one competition she entered, all expenses paid, in other words all we had to pay for was our own clothes. However, we recieved a fancy letter through the post today saying she had entered and won a competition worth 3,750. It didnt say she would have to pay anything. On phoning them up she was asked if she was a home owner, when she replied that she wasnt the person replied back saying she wasnt elegible for anything. THIS IS A [problem]. Id like to hear if any representative or member can argue over this? I thought there was meant to of been a crack down on this kind of thing?

 

Timeshare scams are alive and kicking unfortunately.

Anyone cold calling you about so called free holidays should be avoided at all costs

[sweets-on-the-move]

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