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Timeshare Consumers Association

(17 June) Police in Pathos, Cyprus, have started a major clamp-down on timeshare touts on the street.

(12 June) The Daily Mirror describes the misery of an investor in timeshare with  Resort Properties, Tenerife. See   here

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(28 May) Enforcement agencies throughout Europe join forces to stop the activities of bogus holiday clubs.    Details here

(26 May) The Consumer Protection Regulations become law in the UK.  Details here.

(19 May) Diamond Resorts (UK based) offer their points members the opportunity to withdraw from membership without any penalty. Copy of letter here.

(19 May) The final draft of the new Timeshare Directive is approved in the committee stage of the European Parliament.  Details here

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(7 January) The Consumer Affairs committee of the European Parliament approve ammendments to the proposed new Timeshare Law.  Details here

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News Headlines  2007

(18 December) The House of Lords endorses the European Commission plans for an improved Timeshare Directive but recomends  that the cooling-off period should be 21, not 14, days.    Full report

(12 December) Club Sunterra is renamed "THE Club" in a re-branding exercise by their new owners,  Diamond Resorts Inc, of Las Vegas.

(12 December) The Unfair Commercial Practices ("UCP") Directive becomes law.  A summary is here

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(5 November) IAC Corp announces plans to spin off  into five  separate companies, one of them being Interval International.

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(31 October) The House of Lords decided that the use of a credit card overseas will continue to be protected by the Consumer Credit Act..

(24 October) There will be an update of the John Palmer story in “Roger Cook’s Greatest Hits” on ITV1 on Tuesday 30 October at 9pm

(12 October)  UKRE launch a new website to provide a low cost  service to timeshare owners wishing to rent out their weeks. More details at www.rent-accom.com

(6 October)  VOICE ("Vacation Owners Independant Coalition in Europe"),  a joint venture between OTE and TATOC, which was established to provide consumer advice,  is to close in December 2007.

(5 October) The Office of Fair Trading ("OFT")  Scambusters Team launch a campaign to warn  consumers about becoming involved with bogus holiday clubs.

(2 October)  Credit card issuers will today appear at the House of Lords to appeal the Court of Appeal judgment that section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 applies to overseas transactions.

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(22 August) A claim for damages,  in the  Nevada Court,  is filed against Diamond Resorts, who bought Sunterra Corp. in April 2007,  alleging that Sunterra Corp. misled their stockholders.

(2 August)  Hilton opens a new hotel and timeshare resort (Hilton Grand Vacation Club) in Vilamoura, Portugal

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( 14 July) John Palmer is arrested by Spanish Police and held in custody in Madrid on allegations of bribery, arms possession, corruption, money-laundering, drug-trafficking, forging credit cards and passports, issuing threats and ordering acts of violence.

(3 July) Butlins opens their new timeshare apartments at Minehead, Somerset.

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(7 June) European Commission announce their proposals for a new Timeshare Directive - details.

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(15 May)  TCA moves to larges offices. Details.

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(18 April) The Chief Executive of OTE, Anthony Arke, resigns.

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(1 March) The European Commission, the Office of Fair Trading (London) and the Spanish  Consumer Centres  (Madrid) have joined forces to warn consumers about the dangers of becoming involved in holiday clubs.

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(1 February)  Febrary is "Scams Awareness Month" as the Office of Fair Trading advise consumers to avoid invitations to holiday club presentations. Full details

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(23 January) The appeal by Holiday Options against a Gloucester Court decision that Shakespeare Classic Line Houseboats  (at Barton Turns Marina) were covered by the Timeshare  Act 1992 failed.  More details here

(9 January) Montechorro Beach Club (now called Oura View Beach Club) launches an owners group - website here

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News Headlines 2006

(29 December) Department of Trade & Industry (“DTI”) announce improved consumer protection from cross-border scams such as timeshare and holiday club rogue operators.Full details here.
 

(14 December) The Lanzarote Beach Club Members Association (LBCMA) announce the launch of their long awaited criminal case in Lanzarote against eight,   as yet unnamed,  defendants.  Details at www.lbcma.org

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(21 October) Tenerife police announce further arrests of individuals involved in the resale scam.

(4 October) The European Commission publish the full text of all submissions to their review of the Timeshare Directive    Click Here
 (a very large file!)

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(15 August) TCA respond to the European Commission review of the Timeshare Directive.  Details

(11 August) Seasons Holidays plc purchase Clowance Estate & Country Club and announce plans for 42 new units to be sold on a sale and leaseback basis.

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(31 July) Butlins announces their “Blueskies” timeshare development alongside their holiday resorts at Minehead, Somerset.

(28 July) Nick Benson, CEO of Sunterra Corp. is formally dismissed [See 22 June below]

(22 July) Paramount Holiday Pass introduce new, low cost, access to timeshare accomodation in a competitive challenge to conventional timeshare ownership plus exchange. Details.

(19 July) European Commission organise a debate in Brussels on the review of the Timeshare Directive. AgendaParticipants

(17 July) Following the unsolved murders of Billy & Flo Robinson on Tenerife in January  2006 the Spanish police are setting  up a GRECO ( Grupos de Respuesta Especial al Crimen Organizado) squad to combat organised crime on the island.

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(22 June) Nick Benson, Chief Executive Officer of Sunterra Corp. in Las Vegas and previously Managing Director of Sunterra Europe,   is suspended pending the outcome of investigations into allegations of  tax irregularities  in Europe. Details

(16 June) Gloucester County Court Judge decides that  Classic  Houseboats at  Barton Turns Marina are  regulated by the Timeshare Act 1992.  Full details

( 1 June) European Commission publish a discussion document for the review of the Timeshare Directive.  Details

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(25 May) Police on the Costa del Sol announce that they arrested eight people in connection with an alleged  holiday club and timeshare  resale fraud amounting to 20,000,000 euros.

(8 May) Classic Houseboats at Barton Turns Marina are refused planning permission

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(27 April) David Harris employment as Chief Executive Officer of Sunterra Europe Ltd is terminated.

(25 April) Sunterra Europe Ltd admit to failing to pay withholding tax to the Spanish authorities amounting to $3.1M.  This sum has now been paid.

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(29 March) Spanish police arrest 28 people working for Design Vacation in Tenerife alleging the fraudulent sale of holiday club memberships, mainly to Germans.

(26 March) Department of Trade & Industry close down PR Holidays Ltd. who were selling membership of an internet based holiday club, Network Vacations.

(22 March) The Court of Appeal ruled that the use of credit cards abroad was covered by the Consumer Credit Act following a successful appeal by the Office of Fair Trading.

(17 March) Cendant Corp announce that their  Hospitality Services  Division (which includes RCI) will be "spun-off" from the main Cendant Corp company and renamed Wyndham Worldwide. This is expected to happen late in 2006.

(16 March) An American law firm launches  a class action against RCI on behalf of  RCI Weeks members alleging  that RCI rent out the higher demand weeks instead of providing them to members for exchange. Details

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(11 February) Seventeen British citizens are arrested in Costa del Sol on allegations of operating a “resale” scam.

(1 February) TCA publish their annual report on the timeshare industry in Europe. Details

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(13 January) Billy and Florence Robinson, who were selling  at Tenerife Royal Gardens, Tenerife are brutally murdered on the island.

( 6 January) Jeff Armstrong,  convicted of a series of timeshare frauds amounting to over half a million pounds,  is sentenced in Manchester to 39 months in prison.