Do You Recognize any of these Deceptive Sales Tactics?

Were you given gifts or money to go to a timeshare sales presentation?

Were you told a timeshare is a better value than paying for a vacation each year?

Were you told a timeshare is an investment opportunity that will increase in value?

Were you told It’s easy to rent or sell your timeshare to another party?

Were you told you could cancel your timeshare contract at any time?

Were you told the price offered was specific to you and only good for a certain time?

Were you promised there would always be availability are not be able to book when you want?

Were you told you’d be able to use your timeshare to vacation anywhere at any time with a point system?

Were you told about the endless FEEs to use your timeshare points/credits to vacation anywhere, at any time, with the RCI or II point system?

Did The Salesperson Fail to Mention the following Disclosures?

Timeshares should not be purchased with the intent to resell – because you will most likely not be able to sell.

Timeshares should not be purchased as an investment – an investment implies a potential to profit. You timeshare will have little to no value since you will most likely not be able to sell your timeshare and is therefore not an actual investment.

Timeshare companies may do repairs without your consent, and you are responsible for the costs – Many resorts are constantly being renovated and repaired due to damages from severe weather among other things.

Timeshare maintenance fees will continue to increase over time – In addition to raising your maintenance fees to add profits to their corporate bottom line, when resorts lose money, they will raise your maintenance fees. A resort’s expenses can cause a hike in your maintenance fees. When other timeshare owners don’t pay, which occurs at an increasing rate over time, those owners’ maintenance costs are passed onto the remaining owners, and the resort raises your fees even more.

Timeshare responsibility will be passed on to your heirs – this is why your timeshare comes with a deed, for property tax purposes which are linked to inheritance laws which is why your heirs are take over your responsibility.

Timeshare contracts are subject to change at any time without your consent – the contract typically gives the timeshare company the right to add to, modify, and delete benefits and services.

Timeshare Lies and Deceit!

Many timeshare salespeople will say just about anything to get a sale —in fact, many are trained to tell lies! The following examples of commonly used misrepresentations are from the stories of real timeshare owners.

Some of these may apply to your experience; if they do—you should include them in any complaint letter you write!

Make sure you specify what the salespeople said—quote them if possible. Remember, use strong language like, “They lied to me when they promised…” rather than the passive and weak “we were told” or “it was promised to us.”

If they lied—ACCUSE THEM OF LYING! Put it in writing.

You have everything to lose and rightfully so, if you do nothing with the power you have been given today.

IF your Sales Podium Presenter ended the scripted Sales Presentation with words to the effect -

"The first couple, in this room to hand their Credit Card and Driver's License to their Sales Agent before they get to the next room will Guarantee themselves a FREE Vacation stay in beautiful, tropical, Honolulu, Hawaii including Airfare.

"NOW, who in THIS ROOM,

wants to go to Hawaii, if I am paying for it?"

Then YOU my friend have a very winnable position. Because if they did NOT deliver EXACTLY what you were promised in the Podium, as it was described, you were subjected to FRAUD and Unfair Trade Practices in a DO IT NOW or Lose it, high pressure, greed motivated, sales tactic practiced and rehearsed psychological, sales manipulation, scheme.

Pick the Lies that apply to YOUR particular experience and simply put that into the writing of your written Complaint(s).

Here are a few dozen typical lies used in timeshare/travel club sales presentations:

They told me that the timeshare was an investment and that it would appreciate like real estate

They told me that the timeshare was real estate or that I was purchasing something other than a timeshare (like a hybrid vacation plan).

They told me that the area where I was purchasing would soon be a new development property and that by purchasing now I would obtain the best deal.

They told me the meeting would last a specific time (i.e., go minutes) but it lasted far longer.

They told me that a new water park (or theme park or retail development) was being built next to my property, which would increase the value of my timeshare.

They told me that I could, with or without their help, rent the timeshare for a profit.

They told me that I could make money by selling the timeshare later.

They told me that the company had a buy-back program for the timeshare if I wasn’t satisfied.

They told me that friends and family could use my timeshare instead of me without additional fees.

They told me that I would be able to exchange property locations at anytime and go anywhere (with or without fees, in five star luxury condos).

They told me that the maintenance fee would never increase.

They told me that the maintenance fee would increase only in small increments.

They told me that I could eliminate maintenance fees with owner referrals.

They told me to lie about/ or forged my income on a credit application.

They told me to lie and say that I was a homeowner on my application.

They lied to me about the prices and terms of membership.

They told me that I would be attending an update to discuss questions, when it was actually a timeshare sales presentation. (Also called, an owner’s update meeting, owner’s dinner, or policy change meeting).

They told me that if I did not purchase that day the offer would expire.

I was shown hand-written charts or diagrams to support false rental increases, low maintenance fees, future value, etc.

They told me that the resort or representatives of the resort would sell previously owned timeshares on my behalf.

They told me that I could use my points to purchase airfare, cruises, car rentals, and other amenities.

They told me that I would be assigned a personal account manager-coordinator who turned out to never be available.

They told me that I had to buy more points because my fixed-week timeshare (Personal Interval Choice or PIC) was converting to a points based program and my week would now be useless.

They told me that I had missed out on a special offer that had been extended to all owners.

They told me that I could write off the timeshare interest or the timeshare itself on my taxes.

They told me that I could refinance my timeshare with my personal bank and get a lower interest rate.

They told me that I could earn a living using a rental program.

They told me that the maintenance fees at my specific resort would increase and that I needed to purchase elsewhere and upgrade in order to keep a lower maintenance fee.

They told me that in order to have reservation power I would need to own a certain level of membership (VIP, Platinum, Presidential Reserve).

They told me that the point amount I purchased would give me my sales representative’s offer to pay my fees for me, in order to get me to sign the contract.

They told me that I was not enrolled in programs that I really was in order to make a bigger purchase.

They told me that I could not cancel the contract because it is/was an upgrade.

My contract was not canceled within the legal rescission period even after I turned in the correct cancellation paperwork.

They told me to wait for a membership package (with identification or membership number) before using my timeshare, thus delaying my possible cancellation.

They told me that I was buying a timeshare at a resort that does not exist.

They told me that I was purchasing a timeshare in one location when I was actually purchasing in another location.

I was subjected to high-pressure sales or felt that I could not leave the presentation without purchasing the timeshare.

A line of credit was opened in my name without my knowledge or consent.

They told me that in order to get the price they were offering, I had to write a letter to a fictitious person at their corporate office.