The Timeshare Law Firm

The SEC published a warning from the FBI. Scammers are targeting owners of timeshares in Mexico. The scammers pretend they are working on behalf of a brokerage firm, travel agency, or even an escrow agent. Scammers claim they will buy your timeshare or claim you are entitled to stock in connection with your timeshare. The scammers will then say you must pay a fee or tax to put the money in your name. They will take your money but do nothing. When you start getting suspicious, they will switch up their act. Then another salesperson you haven’t met will pretend to be part of the government and claim to help recover your money for another fee. This is a form of a scam called an “advance-fee scam.” The scam works by telling the victim they are entitled to money or stock, but they must pay a fee or tax to get it. Fraudsters running this scam often target investors who have previously lost money in bad investments. This is probably why they have begun targeting timeshare owners. Timeshares a...

  Timeshare Resellers are Lying to You: A Timeshare is NOT a Hedge Against Inflation With inflation on the rise, we are seeing a worrying number of articles written to give the impression that timeshares are a “hedge over” or “beating” inflation. This is categorically not true. The basis of their argument is that with rising prices of hotel rooms, timeshare owners are getting savings on their timeshare when compared to booking costs today. This argument does sound appealing; however, the truth is more complicated than they lead you to believe. These articles claim that the maintenance fees will be less in a year then the actual cost getting a hotel room. These articles frequently will ignore the upfront cost as a factor and, booking restrictions mean sometimes substandard use or no use on a given year. The most important omission, is that maintenance fees usually also rise with inflation, making their whole point moot anyways.   The truth of all these articles is simple,...

       Every prospective owner should always be aware of what kind of timeshare they are being sold. Contract prices and terms can be totally different for two buyers, even though they purchased at the same resort, on the same day. But one common feature is that what is said during the sales pitch usually doesn’t reflect the reality of the contract terms being signed. Timeshares are shrouded in restrictions and costs not readily apparent to the consumer, and typically have a much higher cost than simply booking the room online. They are pushed to consumers through deceptive presentations, often taking 4 to 6 hours that create stressful situations during what should be a relaxing vacation. Timeshare Differences While each case is different, there are two main types of Timeshares: Shared ‘Deeded’ Ownership : These represent ‘true’ Timeshares, in that the room is treated legally as a property owned by the resort condominium and a 1/52 nd interest (a week) is sold to ...

     As discussed in the previous article, “Booking Companies: How Neutral Are They?” , RCI and Interval International, work as an extension of the resorts. The parent corporation, Wyndham in RCI’s case (or Marriott Vacations Worldwide, for Interval International), directs new owners towards the seemingly third-party Booking Company to manage their Timeshare. However, owners soon find themselves buried under restrictions they never knew they had. Purchasers were originally told it would be anywhere, anytime bookings , but there can be fees they never knew to pay, with huge advanced booking requirements and artificial availability, when you could just book it today online. These restrictions are all carefully manufactured by the booking companies to turn a profit at the expense of the consumer. Upgrades      When a timeshare owner uses the booking company, they may glean actual benefit from them, perhaps for several years even, with legitimate bonuses and ad...

     When one purchases a Timeshare, they are often directed by the resort to a booking company to properly make use of it. Companies like RCI and Interval International are seen as neutral parties, working through membership programs and providing access to resorts all around the world. But how neutral are they? Who owns them, and why? What is RCI?      RCI, formerly known as Resorts Condominiums International, is a vacation exchange membership program. By purchasing a subscription for their membership program, the consumer is provided the ability to find, price, and book usage for their timeshares. The services offered by RCI, or its main competitor, Interval International, are usually requested by the resorts in order to manage and book timeshares.      In theory, it sounds reasonable, so what’s the catch? What often goes unmentioned is how RCI operates. They claim to be independent from the resorts, offering their services on an unbiased ...

     The Timeshare Industry thrives on deception, misdirection, and overwhelming pressure, they entrap consumers into high-pressure sales presentations. It’s imperative then for consumers to be informed of these situations, as to best prepare and avoid them if possible.      A recent story coming out of Las Vegas, Nevada, first reported by Channel 8 news, speaks of a family going through this process. They had purchased a timeshare in 1998, under Diamond Resorts. For a little over 20 years, they had few issues, however, their problems began in 2021. On advisement from the resort, they decided to upgrade their timeshare package. But instead of a better deal, they were dealt an extreme monthly fee and heavy restrictions on the use of their timeshare, realizing then that they were charged more per month than it was worth annually. What happened between then and now?      The confusion first began not in the conference room, but completely above...

     When looking to cancel a Timeshare, consumers often find themselves fighting an uphill battle against the resorts. Debt collectors, threatened lawsuits, and false information overwhelms even the savviest of Timeshare owners, and it is easy to lose track of the most important details. The first and foremost among these being the Statute of Limitations, an absolute time limit on when one can challenge their contract in a court of law. It’s a race against the clock to litigate against the resorts, as a case can be dismissed if the Statute has passed the designated deadline. What is a Statute of Limitations      The statute of limitations dictates the maximum amount of time available to pursue a legal action, starting from the date of the alleged offense. In the context of Timeshares, the statute of limitations provides a timeframe by which an offended consumer can pursue litigation against their resort. The timeshare industry is well aware of these li...