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Timeshare Consumers Association

Getting out of timeshare or fractional ownership is now very difficult and, in many cases, impossible.

The options are:-

• Sell to another consumer. With the demand for timeshare at an all tine low, weeks in mid and low season, floating weeks and points are totally worthless as the number of owners trying to get out exceeds potential buyers by a factor of at least 500:1 . Only fixed high season weeks in top quality resorts appear to be selling although prices are only a small fraction of what the owner originally paid.
• The best chance of making a sale is through an honest resale broker. Here is a list of brokers recommended by TCA. Once you have decided which broker(s) you want to deal with, do not fix a specific price but say “offers” which increases the chance of making a sale.
• An advertisement in your resort or club might find a buyer. But many resorts block such adverts because it indicates the poor value of the ownership to other owners or potential owners. And others advertise at prices which are too high to achieve a sale.
• Alternatively an advertisement on eBay; in a local shop, post office or your place of work might be effective.
• A paid-for advert in a newspaper is almost universally unsuccessful
• Hand back the ownership to the resort or club. A few resorts and clubs do accept weeks or points back – usually for no payment to the owner - so this option is certainly worth pursuing. But seek a quick response from your resort/club as they may delay in an attempt to get you to pay fees for a further year. Some resorts/clubs will accept the return of a week from owners who are over 75 or 80 years of age.

• Walk away by stopping payment of the annual fees. This was an effective method for a number of years but, with the increasing practice of timeshare companies taking “defaulters” to court, this option is becoming less attractive although owners who own in perpetuity who are legally obliged to pay for the rest of their lives with the liability passing to their children on death may see this as a least worst option.
  • Some owners have successfully defended claims on the grounds of misrepresentation at the point of sale. See here
  • A list of the more aggressive companies is here
  • If you actually receive a County Court claim for un-paid fees please see here

• Charities are no longer interested in taking over timeshare ownerships.
• If you have a temporary cash problem then consider:-
• Renting out your week(s) to provide a temporary respite from the annual fees . See here
• Arranging a payment scheme with the resort/club

WARNINGS There are numerous fraud companies offering to “relieve” you of your timeshare liability. Do not do business with anyone who cold calls you or advertises such a service in the newspaper or TV. You will end up many thousands of pounds poorer and still own the timeshare . Your resort/club may offer you a deal to get out – you pay them a lot more money and they will release you from the continuing obligation to pay. Which looks distinctly like extortion ! AVOID.

Legal Action

The following companies/clubs/resorts have threatened, sometimes through debt collectors/solicitors - or actually taken  (marked with "*") - legal action against owners/members for non-payment of annual fees:-

• Macdonald Resorts & Hotels Ltd - Europe   *
• Club Riza - Malta    *
• Club la Costa - Europe
• Diamond Resorts - Europe
• Clube Praia D'Oura, - Portugal  * (see here)
• Exclusive Club - Malta
• Los Molinos - Lanzarote
• Beverley Hills - Tenerife
• Hollywood Mirage - Tenerife
• Palm Beach - Tenerife
• Petchey Leisure - Europe    * (see here)
• Canaltime/Abacus - England
• RCI Points (Pure) - England
• Flexi-Club - England
• Shakespeare Classic Line - England * (see here )
• Classic Narrow Boats - England
• Jardines del Puerto - Spain
• Pueblo Evita - Spain * (see here and here )
• Fairways Club - Tenerife * (see here)
• Wimpen Resorts - Spain
• Kingswear Park - England
• Vistamar - Portugal
• Palm Oasis * (see here)
• Rhinefield House - England   *
• Las Rosas - Tenerife 
• Dames de la Mer - Turkey    *

If you have evidence of any names missing from this list, please contact us

August 2010