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Welcome to the timeshare council
Our objective is to give timeshare owners independent advice, terminate unwanted contracts and pursue timeshare companies for compensation through our network of UK based legal advisors. The European directive was passed in 2008 and enforced in 2011 to protect consumers that had been mis-sold any timeshare product.
If you have had problems with any of the following points we will be able to help:
- Have your management fees increased over and above the rate of inflation?
- Were you told that your purchase was an investment and would increase in value?
- Did you fully understand the terms of the contract?
- Was it explained that your family could become liable to take over the contract if something happened to you?
- Did they explain that if you didn’t keep up your management fees that they will take you to court?
- Did you believe that your resort was exclusive to timeshare owners?
- Have you struggled with availability?
- Did you feel pressurized into making the purchase ?
We will only act if we are 100% confident of a successful outcome
We know that pursuing a company through the legal system can be a complex and confusing process, especially in a foreign country.
That’s why we do everything – so you don’t have to!
From your initial consultation until a successful outcome, we will guide you through every step of the process.
Getting The Best For You
Once we have identified your area of concern we can recommend the best course of action and put you forward for a free of charge consultation if you have a legitimate claim against your Timeshare company(s), and our lawyers will work on your behalf to reclaim back the money you were “cheated” out of.
Most timeshares contracts have no cancellation clause and the annual maintenance fee liability could last for life and on death therefore legally terminating the contract is very important.
Frequently Asked Questions
Every case is different so it is our job to make sure your case is solid before you are put forward for a consultation. All types of contracts can be dealt with from points, fixed weeks, floating weeks, fractional etc. We will only arrange your consultation if we are 100% confident of a successful outcome. We will refer you to the correct legal body equipped to deal with your case. The consultation will always be completely free of charge regardless of whether you proceed or not. All referrals are to UK registered companies that have a track record of dealing with these types of cases. The lawyers will take a percentage as agreed with yourself if you decide to proceed. In some cases a fee may be charged for the termination of the contract. All the costs are broken down for you before you make any type of decision.
Many people have become frustrated with the ongoing maintenance fees and paying out for something that they are unable to benefit from and simply stopped paying their fees. Unfortunately as the contract is legally binding in most cases the management company have the right to reclaim them from you either through debt collection agencies or through lawyers. Many people have ended up with bad credit ratings and still ended up after a long battle having to pay them anyway. Bear in mind they do not want to release you from your contract as you are the ones that are maintaining their resorts.
One thing that timeshare owners find very difficult to face is that there is virtually no resale market at all and you certainly shouldn’t expect any kind of return or profit on your investment. The timeshare resale market is a minefield and many owners have found this a costly and frustrating experience. Many companies claim to have buyers “ready and willing” to buy . If that was the case why would they ask for an upfront fee for this service. The only advice we would give regarding resale is to privately market yourself and hope for a miracle.
In most cases your timeshare will automatically pass on to the next of kin, like any property owned it will have to pass through probate which can take time and maintenance still has to be paid even though it cannot be used. For most people passing on a timeshare is not a good idea as not everyone has the same holiday requirements. Difficulties occur especially for families with children of school age and not everyone has the same financial capability. In most cases you’re actually passing on a liability not an investment. Make sure your family is aware of the responsibilities and costs involved.
The answer to that is fairly self-explanatory, the timeshare company doesn’t want you to leave your contract as that means you are no longer liable for annual maintenance or management fees. Also the timeshare company does not want you to claim against them for misrepresentation. Bear in mind they are losing members on a daily basis.
Brexit? & Timeshare
How will the Brexit affect the timeshare owner?
There are 1.5 million timeshare owners in Europe, of whom 589,000 are British. The 1980s marked the peak of timeshare sales and many owners are now desperate for a chance to quit unwanted contracts. Thousands bought shares in resorts, often in Spain or Portugal, only to find that as well as the original cost, they had to pay maintenance fees, which could increase by an unspecified amount each year.
Worse, they were often locked into long contracts or, most notoriously, ‘in perpetuity’ – when the contract continues after death, with the costs passing to their children.
With the issue of the EU directive people have more rights and protection and can terminate unwanted contracts. Leaving the EU is likely to take this protection away unless a specific agreement is put into place. Flight prices are likely to increase in a single market again making timeshares non cost effective in comparison to package holidays. The change with the pound is also likely to push up maintenance fees and the worst case scenario could well be that a visa may be required to travel in Europe no doubt with costs involved.
In uncertain times is it a good idea to offload your timeshare like many others?
Get your facts and figures and make your own decision.
What's Happening In The Timeshare Industry?
Testimonials
Don't just take our word for it...
We were offered a free holiday in Tenerife on the basis that we attended a presentation to purchase points for future holidays. We subsequently purchased the minimum number of points, which as it turned out, was not enough to use for a proper holiday, we were not offered a cooling off period. It was a hard sell by the company and we both felt pressured at the time.
We have not used our points, other than attending ONE free weekend to attempt to sell us more points. The main reason we have not used the points is because the availability never suits us as due to medical problems we can only travel in the UK.
We are grateful to the Timeshare Council helping us to get out of this contract and making it a stress free experience. We can now spend our money on holidays we actually want.
Mr and Mrs L from Exeter
The Timeshare council have helped us to recuperate some of our lost investment and lifted the worry of this passing on to our children.
We came into contact with the company through an agent stationed in Romford centre. We felt pressurized to sign as they could not let us go away to think about it. They said this was a deal only for that day. In hindsight this was a massive mistake We were told that we were buying into an exclusive resort that would accommodate our large family and be available in the school holidays We were promised we could sell our fraction at the end of 20 years and the lowest amount we could get a return on was £20,000 but the advisor stated it is always more. They gave us breakfast, champagne, tour of the upgraded facilities and resorts. We feel a breach of contract and misrepresentation has occurred in the fact that we were never informed we would have to pay over £83,000 and that if we are unable to sell our fraction the 20 years would start all over again.
Mr and Mrs J from Essex