timeshares

[homegirl]

Hi, I got a phone call from a company called club costa or costa club tonight , they said they were not a time share (but i think they are).they said i could have a holiday for 4 and only pay taxes and admin fees, which are �45 each.We could get this by going to a hotel near where we live with ID and hear a presentation.What I was wondering was if anyone has ever taken the weeks holiday on offer and enjoyed the holiday without submitting themselves to any timeshare tours or meetings once they were there.

[CheekyChops]

Just google 'Club La Costa' and read all the links that come up. It seems that many people have a had a free holiday but you do have to attend a meeting once there and have to be very strong to resist their sales techniques!

[Reverandfunk]

Timeshare, holiday ownership etc etc all the same thing.

Why would anyone give you a free holiday without wanting something back?

Avoid like the plague lol

[homegirl]

Thanks to both of you for your answers, I think I will take them up on their offer and have a holiday on the cheap, and like you say cheekychop as long as I dont let them wear me down it will be fine, my hubby always says, I am very stubborn.

[vehelpfulguy]

The problem with the "free" holiday is that if you dont sign up then all of a sudden this "free" holiday becomes rather difficult to arrange.

They say things like "You have to leave tomorrow, you have to fly from Plymouth airport and have fly back to Aberdeen airport".

When you say you cannot make that they say "sorry, we offered you a free holiday but you turned it down".

Just remember these people dont get rich by giving away free holidays, and once you have paid your �45 each (nearly �200) you wont get your money back.

Put the �200 towards a proper holiday or you will regret it.

Let us know how it goes.

[vehelpfulguy]

See article below.

A couple of years old, but an interesting write up on the tactics of these people.

Also gives an idea of how difficult it to get your free holiday, with difficult dates, night flights and all sorts.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2003/jul/19/b udgetingforyourholiday.scamsandfraud

[homegirl]

Thanks vehelpfulguy I hadn,t thought of that , think I will give it a miss and as you say put the money to a holiday I know I,ll enjoy.

[vehelpfulguy]

A general comment.

Because the timeshare business got such a bad reputation many companies have moved on to selling you holiday "points".

The more money you pay the more points you get, and the more points you have the better the holiday you can get.

This is the way the new Butlins apartment at Minhead work, see this web site

http://www.butlinsonline.co.uk/microsites/Blue Skies/index.cfm?page=6707)

So it is not timeshare any more, but the principle is the same.

One scam these people do is to tell you that you can buy say 50 points for �5,000, and make out you can have a great holiday with that.

But when you come to book your holiday they tell you that you cannot get much of a holiday for 50 points and try to sell you more.

So now you have to decide if you put even more money into the company, or cut your losses and lose what you have already paid.

Either way, these people are just stealing your money, but in a way that means they cannot be arrested. They are smartly dressed muggers.

I would have nothing to do with them.

[homegirl]

Just read your link vehelpfulguy I am definately not going to take up this offer, but something should be done about these companies, there are a lot of trusting people out there who will fall for this scam and be left out of pocket because of this companies heavy sales tactics.

[buildersmate]

A good analysis by VHGuy on Timeshare Points. It relies on people's greed - thinking they can get something 'better than average' by buying more points. But if lots of people buy more Points, there's a problem because the volume of 'quality' timeshare resorts is still just the same, and not everyone can get that super holiday. So buying Points gets you nowhere, just poorer more quickly.

[homegirl]

Thank goodness for AB ,thanks everyone for your answers, it is really clear to me now how these companies work