Since we’ve covered a majority of the timeshare problems in the States, we thought it’d be beneficial to see how grounded vacation owners are doing overseas. But it appears they’re dealing with the same set of issues. Remember Marriott’s data breach that we wrote about in the beginning stages of the pandemic? Well, millions of their former guests are not very happy about it.
Ever since we started publishing news articles a few years ago, positive timeshare stories have been few and far between. While there are a few good wins for timeshare owners here and there, we can’t help but notice that there just isn’t much good news to report on in the industry.
After years of awaiting restitution and watching their lawsuit disappear, Marriott timeshare owners are back for vengeance. On the 20th of last month, former class members, alongside their representation, plead with the 11th circuit court to revive their dismissed ruling and reopen the arranged Marriott lawsuit immediately.
Aggressive timeshare sales pitches aren’t anything new. For decades now, vulnerable consumers have been gullible enough to sign up for a lifetime agreement they weren’t actively searching for – and frankly, never needed. Like we’ve mentioned before, popular tourist locations, like Las Vegas, have become a hotbed for misleading timeshare appeal.
The latest timeshare company to land on our news desk is facing another class action battle for alleged planned contract omissions. While Wyndham Vacations is no stranger to controversy, this accusation is a little more aggressive than past claims.
2020 has not been a fruitful year for the timeshare industry. Aside from a number of lawsuits and settlements working against their favor, travel bans have halted almost all of their revenue stream. In fact, they’re somewhat dependent on the steady flow of timeshare owner payments.
Many consumers don’t know timeshare companies spend an awful lot of time in the courtroom. When they’re not battling unhappy buyers, appraisers and timeshare exit services keep lawyers busy. Although a rewarding guest experience would eliminate spite, timeshares choose to progress this way.
According to a 103 page lawsuit filed in the District Court this past summer, hundreds of class members accuse Westgate Resorts (and other participating parties*) of withholding pertinent contract information and wielding “high pressure tactics” to register new timeshare owners. This follows a common trend that’s not limited to the American region.
After pleading guilty in July, Manuel Parrado and Ronald Carapellucci also found themselves in prison for promising to sell timeshares fraudulently. Like many timeshare resale operations before them, the Floridan duo conspired with a number of immoral entrepreneurs to pull off the ploy.
Timeshare travel in America has always leaned heavily on political advantages when it comes to growth. For years now, we’ve been covering the effects of lobbyists on lawmakers and how the industry has essentially taken over major vacation destinations across the country…
In the beginning stages of the Coronavirus outbreak, it was difficult for many of us to know what to expect. Now that the pandemic has lasted most of 2020, millions of people have lost their jobs. If you think about it, the hospitality industry has probably been devastated the most.
Earlier this month, the Attorney General of Connecticut (AG), William Tong, and the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) issued a public warning regarding potential timeshare resale traps in the state. In the after effects of the COVID pandemic, it appears a growing number of con artists are looking to take advantage of grounded vacation owners.
For a handful of timeshare companies, the recent pandemic has been a burden they’ve been unable to outlast. After operating in the red from 2015 to 2018, the Canadian properties at Carriage Hills and Carriage Ridge are set to close down on January 6.
To say the travel industry has been on edge in 2020 would be an understatement. Billions of dollars have been lost as travelers remain home. At the same time, unlike other tourism-based companies, the element of fractional ownership has given some resorts a unique ability to profit.
For years now, the general public has slowly realized that the elderly population is frequently targeted by convincing offers that are said to improve their overall quality of life. Timeshares have been no exception.
