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Timeshare Consumers Association

The TCA  Black List  (unpublished) contains the names of over 2,050 crooks in and around the timeshare industry and the list is growing at the rate of a new name every second day.    Cold callers represent by far the largest single group in this list and have already stolen nearly £1 billion from innocent consumers - don’t be another of their victims !

How cold callers steal money from you

It’s a three stage process.

Stage 1 – the Story.

This is the softening-up process to get you in the right frame of mind to be stung. The “cheese” in the mouse-trap.

The story could be any of the following:-

• “we have a buyer for your timeshare (or holiday club membership)” – often quoting prices 1,000 times greater than the true market price
• “we have sold your timeshare and the money is in our bank”
• “we are confident we can get a buyer for you”
• “we can get you out of your ownership”
• “we can get back money you paid to fraudsters who promised to :-
• sell your timeshare - but did’t
• get you out of ownership - but did’t
• get you a club membership - but didn't
• “the previous people you paid have gone bust so we need a further payment
• “you can join our compensation group(s) to get money from major timeshare companies who have deceived you
• “you have won a (low cost) holiday
• "etc. etc. etc. etc. - the list is almost endless. The crooks are highly creative !

To give themselves credibility they may falsely claim to be:-

• part of a large, well known, organisation
• representing a department of the UK or Spanish Government
• lawyers
• members of a (real or spurious) trade organisation
• real estate brokers.
• that you have already registered with them or completed a survey
• a UK registered company
• etc. etc. etc.

And they may have:-

• a business name which suggests honesty, responsibility and integrity
• a very professional website – often heavily advertised through Goggle

They will often try to scare you by falsely claiming that you, and your children, will have to continue paying annual fees for ever. Or that the resort will take you to court if you stop paying. See the truth here

And they will certainly say that there is “no money required up-front” . A promise they very quickly break. !

And a new twist - an automatic caller inviting you to "press 2" if you want to get out of youth timeshare.

Stage 2 – the Sting

Which can take place over the ‘phone; in their offices (UK or Spain) or in your own home. This is where you pay the crooks money for a service which never happens.

The payment can be for a wide range of alleged “services”:-

• legal fees
• security payment
• tax
• membership of a club
• OR they may ask for your card number for them to put money INTO your account (No ! the money actually flows the other way)
• etc. etc. – the crooks can invent reasons off the top of their heads!

The crooks (men and women) running these frauds can be:-

• very charming and persuasive. Expert at instilling confidence = “con men”
• very persistent
• highly skilled; make a lot of money and have no morals whatsoever,
• and VERY nasty if you eventually reject them with the charm instantly turning into bursts of anger, threats of legal action and abusive language.

Stage 3 – the Silence

It can take weeks, months or even years before you realise that you have been scammed.    When the promises fail to materialise, or the crooks are no longer contact able it dawns on you that you have paid money to a Fraudsters and have received nothing in return.    A painful realisation !

How to avoid getting scammed

If you are cold called and timeshare or holidays are mentioned - PUT THE ‘PHONE DOWN IMMEDIATELY. The longer you let them talk the more likely you are to be scammed – they are highly skilled confidence tricksters.

And do NOT give them your card number for any reason whatsoever – there is no certainty that you can get the money back when the fraud is exposed. If you are being pestered by ‘phone calls then:-

• Consider using an answering machine as a filter – crooks don’t like talking to machines
• Register with the Telephone Preference Service which should block unwanted calls from the UK but is not effective for calls from Spain where most of the crooks are based

And please read “How to get out of timeshare “

If you have already been scammed

If you have given a card number over the telephone then you cannot stop the payment – but you can stop any more money being taken and may be able to recover what you have already paid. Immediately contact your card company (details are on their statement) telling them that you are the victim of a fraud and require your card to be blocked. They will do this instantly.

There are only two possible ways of getting money back if you have been scammed:-

1. If you paid over the ‘phone (using a card) then you have the right to cancel the verbal agreement (in writing within 7 working days of receiving their paperwork – which you should NOT sign) . This is under the Distance Selling regulations. If you do this there is a good chance that your card company/bank can recover the money under their Voluntary Code.
2. If you used a CREDIT card and do not get the service that you bought then make a claim under the  Consumer Credit Act 1974   against the card company. Your claim should be for "breach of contract".

If you made the payment(s) by any other means your money is lost.

Finally

If the crooks are claiming to be in the UK then report them to your local Trading Standards officer (usually in the Town Hall).