New Florida Attraction Hopes To Bring Timeshare Relief

A new attraction in Universal Orlando Resort, which opened on June 18, brings hope of timeshare relief to the timeshare owners, and industry as a whole, in Florida. The brand new $200 million attraction is called The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and has brought high hopes to cause a surge of vacationers looking to spend time in Florida. Because the timeshare industry is over flooded with people who want to get out of their timeshare properties, and avoid paying high maintenance fees when they are not using their timeshare, any new and exciting attraction, such as this one in Orlando, should increase timeshare sales as people start enjoying this vacation hot spot. By creating this demand for vacation accommodations hopefully many timeshare purchasers will be able to enjoy new timeshare properties in and around the Orlando area to check out the new Harry Potter themed attraction.

With the timeshare industry in the state it is now, any added incentive to visit a timeshare will help to provide more people that are interested in investing in vacations. This will ultimately help travelers find a little timeshare relief. And with the current environmental disaster in the gulf the gulf coast areas need all the travel and vacation incentives available to provide not only business for tourism but also for the timeshare industry in this location. Any way you look at it this new Universal Orlando attraction can only mean good news for everyone with a timeshare in Florida or anyone who loves the Harry Potter story.

Spain’s Timeshare Industry Is Set To Collapse

With a new court ruling in Spain on May 27^th of 2010 there is expected to be up to 400,000 illegal timeshare contract compensation claims that could reach up to 2 billion €(euro). It has been ruled that a timeshare developer in Gran Canaria must pay back double the amount of the timeshare deposit by Magistrate D. Juan Carlos Socorro Marrero.  There are currently over 200 live claims for timeshare miss-selling in the Spanish court system against Anfi Del Mar. More claims were coming in at a rate of 10 per week before this ruling.

Spanish law also states that even if a property is sold and all encumberments and debts are passed on to the new owners those new owners will still be liable for new compensation claims. Within the industry it is said up to 200 developers that operate out of Spain, Balearics and canaries are trying to sell of timeshare resorts that have or soon will have actions brought against them.

Some brand name European timeshare developers have been taking illegal deposits up until as late as 2009. The European regulatory body representing timeshare owners in Europe has had some of its paid members break these same laws in the past. With this new ruling timeshare owners will finally get the chance to take on large corporate brand developers. As long as the timeshare development still exists you will be able to reclaim a double deposit if you paid after the cooling off period in 1996.

Timeshare Sales Tactic – Limited Offer, Today Only!

Whether you’ve been sold a vacuum cleaner, or a gym membership, or even a timeshare property, you are familiar with this phrase:  “today only.”  In other words, buy it right this very instant.  Because if you don’t, the price is going to be astronomical and you will spend the rest of your life wishing you hadn’t walked away from such an incredible offer.

Except maybe it’s not exactly true.  If a deal is legitimate and profitable today, it will be tomorrow, too.  The only reason the buy it now price is such a big deal is so you won’t go home and think about it.  Or ask for advice from an attorney or accountant or someone else you trust.

Here’s one person’s experience.  The salesman said a membership, was $6000.00. We couldn’t afford that, so he said a 10 year was $3999.00 and you have 36 months to upgrade to the lifetime membership. $395.00 down & $91.00 a month. Plus $300.00 in maintenance fees per year.

The catch?  This deal is only good for the day you go.

We asked, “You mean we can’t go home and think about it, and let you know Monday.” He said “Absolutely not, the price then would be $12,000.00.”

It won’t surprise you to learn that two weeks later a friend of his went to the same presentation and the $3999 price was still good.  But just for today.

Don’t You Love Your Kids? The Timeshare Hard-Sell

That’s the question that most rankled one prospective timeshare owner at a recent timeshare presentation.

“Of course I do,”  he answered.

“Then why wouldn’t you want them to grow up with such wonderful vacation memories?”

Granted, not every timeshare presentation uses manipulative sales techniques, but a few do.

Here are some common tools used during time share presentations:

An appeal to the emotions (see above)

Limited Time Offer  – if you walk out of the door, you can’t get the same deal tomorrow.

Everyone is doing it – some presentations are even known to plant another couple in the room who enthusiastically sign.

It will just take an hour – or two or three.  If they told you it would take three hours, you’d never agree.  You’ll notice there are no clocks in the room and sometimes alcohol is offered.  The bottom line is this:  the longer you are there, the more likely you are to buy.

A solution for that problem.  For every objection you come up, they will have at least four or five solutions.  You don’t have the money, they can help you find financing.

Promises, promises.  Regardless of what the salesperson says, if it isn’t written in the contract, it isn’t true.

Remember that timeshare salespeople are trying to make a living – sometimes their only source of income is the commission they earn from those sales (though they can be as high as 60% of the bill).  Still, buyer beware!

What Timeshare Owners Need to Know About the BBB

If you have a question or a concern about a company you have had dealings with, or are considering using, whether it’s a contractor for your home or a company that you are buying a timeshare from, check out what the Better Business Bureau has to say about them first.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) issued a reminder this week to remind anyone who is a timeshare owner to be aware of brokers who call out of the blue, ask for a fee and say they have prospective buyers.  Many of these are scams and remember, you can always check out a company with your local BBB.

In addition, Steven Cole, president of the Council of Better Business Bureaus says consumers are encouraged to obtain the names, addresses and telephone numbers for the lodgings, airlines and cruise ships advertised in a vacation promotion.

“Armed with that information, you can check with the BBB or a recognized travel organization to find out whether the business has been the subject of customer complaints. BBBs offer reports on travel-related businesses in both the U.S. and Canada,” said Cole.

The BBB defines its mission as “ensuring that high standards for trust are set and maintained. We exist so consumers and businesses alike have an unbiased source to guide them on matters of trust. We provide educational information and expert advice that is free of charge and easily accessible. “

For more information on the Better Business Bureau, go to http://www.bbb.org