Holiday Club Scams
Have you been approached with a scratch card while on holiday or asked to fill in a form at the airport or supermarket to win a free holiday?
If the answer is yes, you have also likely received a phone call congratulating you on the ‘free holiday’ you have won. This is usually followed by a request to attend a meeting to claim the holiday in a bid to sign you up to a holiday club.
The process:
You might be tempted with glossy brochures offering you exclusive holidays in 5* resorts and hotels in tropical locations at the fraction of the usual cost. The key is buying the membership, which will open the doors to affordable luxury holidays worldwide.
Once you have signed up, you realise the destinations are not guaranteed, availability is poor, you have to book months in advance and the prices are actually not that great.
By now you have already signed the contract because the salesman sounded so genuine and convincing and the idea of plush affordable holidays sounded exciting at the time.
Remember that Holiday Club agreements signed in the European Economic Area (EEA) country are governed by the Consumer Right Act 2015 as well as Timeshare Regulations and you have a two week cooling off period.
The tactics:
The presentation can last all day and eventually you sign just to get out of the room. Remember, you have 14 days to cancel the agreement.
Alcohol can be offered for relaxation.
You are offered a special discount, valid only there and then.
You could be discouraged to speak to other couples who are attending the meeting and you are not given time in private to discuss the offer.
You are asked to sign the contract there and then without explaining it to you properly or giving you time to review it at your leisure.
If you are already an owner of a Holiday Club product, beware of companies who call you and offer to buy or sell your membership. You will almost definitely end up losing money or ending up with another product you don’t need.
Check Using Our Claim Calculator to check if you qualify for a Timeshare Release
Our timeshare claim calculator is a quick and easy way to find out how much you could receive in compensation from your mis-sold timeshare.