Timeshare Suit: Royal Oasis Owners May Be Taken To Court

Among those expected to be named in the suit are resort owner Driftwood Freeport, David Buddeyemer, president of Driftwood Freeport Limited, and Lehman Brothers.

The situation is leaving a bad taste in the timeshare owners' mouths and a terrible impression on the government of The Bahamas.

"We don't want it to come to this, but with no information forthcoming, it seems we have no other recourse," says one frustrated owner, who has yet to use her time-share since her purchase in 2003.

Fifteen months ago, the Crowne Plaza Golf Resort and Casino at the Royal Oasis closed down, reportedly for much needed repairs after Hurricane Frances in September 2004.

The closure forced the lay-off of some 1,300 employees and subsequently the timeshare arm.

With no word from the timeshare resort for several months regarding a pending sale or reopening of the resort, and virtually stuck with a timeshare point system that is useless to them, several owners are threatening legal action.

Darlene Barber from Stafford, Virginia, paid cash for her timeshare "points" in July 2004 and says unlike many she can't stop her payment.

"I didn't take a loan, I didn't make monthly payments, I wrote a check for $12,000," Mrs. Barber told The Freeport News yesterday.

Just four weeks ago, she received a letter from RCI stating that there was a hold on her timeshare points.

She said, according to the letter, the "management company" (Driftwood or Royal Oasis) had notified RCI that she had not paid her maintenance fees. But Mrs. Barber explained that she had never received a bill.

With her points being frozen, she is unable to take advantage of any other time-share properties like she had anticipated.

"Now we are out in limbo. We can't go anywhere because RCI says our points are blocked and no one will return my e-mails or my phone calls and so I'm out of $12,000 and can't even go on a vacation," she said.

After the resort closed, she was told the owners were rebuilding, but she said red flags started shooting up when she received the letter.

"That's when I started making phone calls and realized that Driftwood had abandoned everything down there," she said.

Now, she says she doesn't understand how Driftwood can have property all over the Untied States and elsewhere and still be running and totally abandon the people who have invested in their project in Grand Bahama.

The resort closed only two months after she bought her points, adding insult to injury.

She says the situation is upsetting and even admits it makes her want to cry at times.

"Hopefully, I would get my money back," said Mrs. Barber, who is willing to go all the way. "Whatever I have to do."

Some owners even took out loans to buy their time-share, while others have been making monthly installments.

A number of owners continued with their monthly payments out of fear they would lose their points, but they now question where the funds were going since the resort remained closed and their points have been frozen.

Owners Francis Becker and Diane Sgro of Vernon, Connecticut, say they had not been impressed with the timeshare unit's "unprofessional system" even before the hurricanes.

The couple purchased their points in February 2004 and Ms. Sgro says it has been chaotic ever since they returned to the U.S., trying to get through to the time-share unit.

"It's unfortunate that they were hit with the hurricane; however, all of this could have been handled more appropriately," she said yesterday.

Ms. Sgro revealed they were unable to use their points in the first year before the hurricanes hit.

While she is not saying whether they are joining in on the class action suit, she said they are going to take some action for the thousands they have invested.

"We're going to do what we feel we have to do to recoup our money and also make sure that others are aware of their unprofessional manner of doing business," she said.

Some owners also feel the government is not helping either and have made attempts to get their plight heard via e-mails and telephone calls, but to no avail.

One Alberta, Canada, father and husband, in a recent e-mail to Prime Minister Perry Christie, explained that they had such a wonderful time here, they invested in the Royal Oasis timeshare, but now they fear their investment is lost.

In fact, they were planning to send their daughter and her friends on vacation here after they graduate high school next year.

Still anticipating his return to the island to bask on our "beautiful" beaches, he beseeched the prime minister, "I would like to ask for your attention to this situation so that this can be resolved quickly."

To-date, there has been no word on the status of the resort or the time-share unit.

Brutal Murders In Murky World Of Timeshare

It was an unusually cool January evening in Tenerife as timeshare bosses Billy and Flo Robinson met their senior manager, Chris Collins, and his wife for a regular get-together at one of their favourite restaurants.

The two expat couples chatted over their meal in Teppenyaki, an upmarket Chinese/Japanese restaurant, tucked away above the designer boutiques in the Safari shopping mall, far from the tourist bustle, on the edge of Playa de las Americas, the island's busiest resort on the south-west coast.

The Robinsons set off for home about 10.30pm, though it is unclear whether they were in separate cars. An hour later they were dead, brutally murdered, their bodies dumped at separate locations. Mrs Robinson was found at 11.30pm on January 12, in a pool of blood beside her silver Mercedes, on a single track lane less than 300 metres from their luxury £1m villa at Oroteanda Alta in the San Miguel de Abona region. Mr Robinson's body was not discovered until the morning, on the back seat of his gunmetal-grey Porsche Cayenne on a bleak road behind an industrial estate, Las Chafiras, a few kilometres away.
Officially, police said Mr Robinson, 58, suffered multiple stab wounds, while Mrs Robinson, 55, appeared to have been bludgeoned to death. But the Guardian has been told by another source that both had been tortured and their throats slit. Mrs Robinson suffered horrific mutilation. The killers were also at pains to emphasise how little they cared about the Robinsons' wealth. A £100,000 gold watch remained on Mr Robinson's wrist, and Mrs Robinson's diamond earrings were still in her ears.

"Whoever did this, it was very personal," one source said. "It seems like an act of revenge. They wanted the Robinsons to suffer and those close to them to know that they had suffered."

One theory is that they were chased and rammed off the road by a red 4x4 or other vehicle. Traces of red paint were supposedly found on both cars but police have refused to comment.

The Robinsons, originally from north London, had worked for the notorious John "Goldfinger" Palmer, acquitted of helping to dispose of £26m of gold bullion stolen from Heathrow airport in the Brink's Mat robbery in 1983 but jailed in 2001 for a £30m timeshare fraud involving homes in Tenerife. He served four years. Mrs Robinson was his personal secretary at one time and Mr Robinson was also involved in the business.

After he was jailed the couple started their own business, Global World Travel, incorporating a company called Timelinx, a sort of repackaged timeshare business, where customers bought into a whole-lifetime holiday package rather than the old much-maligned timeshare.

The Robinsons became even richer, but lived a secluded life in their remote villa, going to the same handful of restaurants and bars, mixing with the same friends. Their son, Liam, lives in a house within their heavily fortified complex, while daughter Billee lives with her family in London, to which Mrs Robinson combined regular shopping trips with visits to her grandchildren.

Mr Robinson was said to be a generous but quiet man, never happier than when in the company of the couple's two beloved Jack Russell terriers, Sid and Nancy. "He'd buy you a meal and drinks all night the first night you met him but you could know him a year and he'd hardly speak two sentences to you," said one former employee. "Flo was an angel though, a real mother figure who made everyone feel welcome."

Among their close friends were actor Michelle Collins's mother and stepfather, who house-sat for the Robinsons when they were in London for Christmas, and had planned to return for a holiday with them a few days after the date of the murders.

Four million tourists visit Tenerife each year. But behind the sunshine image lurks an underbelly of violence tied up with some of those involved in the expat timeshare world.

"It's a closed world," said one former worker. "They work together, socialise together, even the sons and daughters marry into other timeshare families. But tread on the wrong man's patch or shag the wrong man's wife and you'll know about it. You'll be threatened, beaten, ordered to leave the island."

It is not that all timeshare businesspeople are fraudsters, said Inspector Trinitario Sanchez, of the National Police, who specialises in investigating timeshare fraud. It is just that where big money is to be made, criminals are drawn like moths to the flame.

Insp Sanchez gets five or six reports a month of tourists being conned, usually British or Germans, and often elderly. Sometimes, the fraudsters will ring existing owners and tell them they have a rich multinational buyer who wants to purchase the entire complex that houses their timeshare and is prepared to pay three times the asking price. They will send over official-looking papers and sometimes even introduce the "buyer". But the deal involves handing over a €900-€1,200 (about £600-£900) "legal fee", after which the "buyer" mysteriously vanishes. One con artist used this ruse to pocket €300,000 in two years.

Other scams tread a thin legal line by getting the timeshare owner to come to Tenerife to meet a potential buyer, but then selling them another package, cruise or holiday, with the promise that this will help seal the deal.

Between companies, the criminality usually involves extortion - move into this patch but at a price, usually 10% of takings.

What happened to the Robinsons may not have come out of the blue. A source told the Guardian that the Robinsons - Billy, Flo and Liam - started getting threats several years ago. It is unclear if these were directed at business interests or something more personal. There are claims that Billy was badly beaten two years ago and required hospital treatment but refused to file a police report.

The couple clearly took security seriously, as the heavily fortified walls around their villa and the video intercom at the gate show. The Guardian met Liam Robinson, still visibly shocked at his parents' murders, outside the villa but he did not want to talk.

The Spanish police have said little about the crime, telling the Guardian they could not discuss it while the investigation is in progress. But an elite police unit, Greco, is being sent to the island in March to try to replicate organised crime clear-ups it has already undertaken in the Costa del Sol.

Spanish politicians have been equally quiet, perhaps fearing harm to Tenerife's tourist trade, and the story quickly dropped out of Spanish newspapers. Tenerife locals see it as an inter-Brit criminal problem they do not want to get involved in.

One theory is that the murderers got off the island that night or the next day. But they would have been drenched in blood, and would have needed a safe house in which to wash themselves and dispose of their clothes, and perhaps private transport to avoid airport CCTV and security checks.

Among the expat British timeshare community, the fear is palpable. Those the Guardian managed to speak to were obviously afraid. All refused to be identified. Two people the Guardian planned to meet backed out at the last minute, one indicating he had been "warned off". Inquiries in pubs were met with silence or nervous comments about not wanting any trouble.

One timeshare gossip internet site is full of allegations about dozens of different companies from disgruntled punters, as well as comments from those connected to the industry, including the sentiment that the Robinsons somehow "had it coming" and anonymous veiled threats to others.

But the mystery of why they were killed remains, along with the ominous feeling that whatever has started is far from over.

Big idea

· Europe's timeshare industry started in the late 1960s from an idea by a German entrepreneur, Alexander Nette. By 2001 the initial handful of resorts had grown to 1,452, comprising 83,000 separate units

· Its original appeal was to offer consumers an affordable compromise between booking a holiday in the same resort each year and owning a holiday home outright. Today 1.4 million people, one third of them British, own timeshares in Europe

· Spain is the most popular country for timeshare resorts, with more than 35% of all European timeshares located there. Of these, more than a third are in the Canary Islands

· Tenerife has more than 8,000 timeshare units, in 104 resorts

Crackdown on Aggressive Timeshare Marketing Practices

Local authorities and regulatory agencies in San Pedro, Belize take action to stop the overly aggressive marketing tactics of some timeshare operators.

January 12 2006 - The Belize Tourism Board heard one complaint too many about the aggressive timeshare marketing practices of some timeshare operators on Ambergris Caye. They decided to take action to protect the laidback serenity of San Pedro, the quiet Caribbean town that is the major settlement on the one-mile wide, twenty-five mile long island strip.

Members of the San Pedro Town Council, including Mayor Elsa Paz, the Belize Tourism Board, and the San Pedro Police Department met on December 8, 2005 to address the problem. Present at the meeting were representatives of six major timeshare properties on Ambergris Caye.

The results were two ordinances, both effective immediately. The first requires, “all timeshare operators cease and desist from soliciting timeshare sales in public areas.”

The second required that timeshare operators obtain trade licenses for their booths or kiosks through the San Pedro Town Council, by December 31, 2005.

Tourism dollars from Belize’s nearly quarter million annual visitors, account for 15-20% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of Belize, according to published statistics of the Belize Tourism Board. Undeniably, timeshare dollars make a significant contribution to this income, but high-pressure timeshare tactics and intrusive sales people benefit neither the timeshare industry, nor tourism in San Pedro.

Jason Tremblay, CEO of Sell My Timeshare Now, LLC. says, “when local governments get involved in regulating the actions of overzealous or unscrupulous timeshare operators and off-property agents, the timeshare industry across the board reaps the benefits. Ethical timeshare sellers want to see people purchasing timeshares because they recognize it as an investment in a lifetime of vacationing, recreation, and relaxation—not because they are victims of strong arm timeshare sales tactics.”

Available Money Pumps Up Industry's Timeshare Growth

Despite a sluggish economy, timeshare growth continues to accelerate at a healthy pace. Specialized lenders, along with a new breed of financial institutions, continue to secure deals without missing a beat.

"Good deals are still getting done, but it's getting harder," said Jim Butler, chairman of Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro's Global Hospitality Group, in Century City, Calif. "Clearly, timeshare growth is continuing. You are seeing every hotel brand get into it, even the upscale resorts."

And as long as consumer demand is strong, financing shouldn't be an obstacle for sustained growth in the fastest growing segment of the lodging industry.

"With more than three-fourths of timeshare sales financed, there is a significant amount of financing that needs to take place," said Jack Westergom, managing director of Manhattan Hospitality Advisors, in Manhattan Beach, Calif.

While Heller Financial and Textron Financial remain major influences, the recent bankruptcy of powerhouse timeshare lender Finova created a void. The financing landscape shifted, opening its doors to other financial institutions traditionally not focused on timeshare lending.

"It's somewhat in a state of flux because Finova is out," Westergom said. "There are a number of other financial institutions exposed to timeshare."

Bob Dennis, executive vice president of vacation ownership finance for Chicago-based Heller Financial, said the conditions are ripe for growing business.

"We're absolutely very active," Dennis said. "It's a very attractive market. Timeshare lenders continue to be bullish and active because of the comfort level of the quality of the collateral."

Dennis said that while Heller works with branded and non-branded developers, he agreed that brands have a competitive advantage over independents.

"It's fair to say that non-branded is a little choppy right now," he said. "Brands are a part of a larger company. They have the access and cost of capital is a competitive advantage for brands today."

Because of the geographical dispersion of timeshare development outside Florida, regional and local banks are stepping up and seeking potential deals.

"There is a broader, deeper demand for financing," Butler said. "It's in their [own] backyard."

Dennis said they work in tandem with smaller banks on many timeshare deals.

"Some smaller institutions are interested in participating because they see a nice return," Dennis said. "They are more inclined to make the real-estate loan [with] a larger specialized lender for receivables."

A better productWestergom said timeshare projects are attractive because of high yields and good rates and said the spread between lending and borrowing percentages is appealing.

During a recent project in Palm Springs, Calif., where lenders were attracted to the project primarily because of the mixed-use timeshare component, the lender recognized the vast incremental income it would bring to the bottom line.

"It probably wouldn't be financed if there wasn't a timeshare element," Westergom said. "Timeshare income is almost securing the financing for the hotel."

The industry's improved reputation and performance has made financing deals easier. Also, lenders are pleased to see mature businesses growing profits as well as sales.

"It's a better product," Dennis said. "Despite concerns and slowdowns with the economy, the numbers we see show that development continues. That's really been an important transition from revenue growth to margins and profitability."

Mixed-use projects typically are more favorable to lenders because of the multiple revenue streams, Butler said.

Brand power will continue to influence and legitimize the industry. In many cases, brands enjoy a competitive edge over smaller independents when it comes to financing.

"Lenders, consumers and investors see going with a brand as risk mitigation. Maybe it shouldn't be," Butler said. "Unfortunately, the industry still suffers from a 'fly-by-night, go bankrupt' syndrome. There is great comfort seeing brands, and there is a confidence critical to consumers and lenders."

Butler said brands that are contemplating entering the timeshare arena see big dollars.

"Brands are taking a long, hard look at timeshare financing and using it as another weapon in their financing arsenal," he said.

Tenerife Timeshare Couple Beaten To Death

Spanish police are investigating the murder of a British couple in Tenerife.
It is understood the couple, in their 50s, had lived there for more than 15 years and ran a timeshare business.

Their bodies were found near their home at San Miguel, close to Playa de las Americas, in the south of the island.

The Foreign Office said it would not confirm the couple's names until relatives had been told. Maybe a timeshare related murder, maybe not!

A police spokesman told the Daily Telegraph: "The couple had severe head injuries and everything points to them being the victims of a brutal attack with a heavy object.

"There are no signs of anything being stolen from either of the victims."

The couple once worked for fraudster John "Goldfinger" Palmer, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The Spanish island's timeshare industry is yet to emerge from his shadow after he was jailed for eight years in 2001 for a complex fraud. (Scam, scam, scam, scam)

Up to 17,000 investors, many of them elderly, paid up to £30m for shares in holiday homes they never received.

Palmer, dubbed "Goldfinger" after being acquitted of handling gold from the £26m 1983 Brinks-Mat bullion robbery, was declared bankrupt in 2005. (SCAMMER)

Tenerife journalist Karl McLaughlin told BBC Five Live that Spanish police are investigating whether the couple may have been victims of a timeshare turf war.

He said: "South Tenerife and particularly Playa de las Americas have been in the headlines quite a lot in recent years because of considerable criminal activity.

"There have been many stories of violent patch wars in the timeshare industry.

"There's also an increasing presence of eastern European mafia on the island, we've had several cases of shootings involving Albanians, Kosovars and lately Romanians."

Who would of ever thought the timeshare industry could lead to murder!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Crackdown On Aggressive Timeshare Marketing Practices

The Belize Tourism Board heard one complaint too many about the aggressive marketing practices of some timeshare operators on Ambergris Caye. They decided to take action to protect the laidback serenity of San Pedro, the quiet Caribbean town that is the major settlement on the one-mile wide, twenty-five mile long island strip.

Members of the San Pedro Town Council, including Mayor Elsa Paz, the Belize Tourism Board, and the San Pedro Police Department met on December 8, 2005 to address the problem. Present at the meeting were representatives of six major timeshare properties on Ambergris Caye.

The results were two ordinances, both effective immediately. The first requires, 'all timeshare operators cease and desist from soliciting timeshare sales in public areas.'

The second required that timeshare operators obtain trade licenses for their booths or kiosks through the San Pedro Town Council, by December 31, 2005.

Tourism dollars from Belize's nearly quarter million annual visitors, account for 15-20% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of Belize, according to published statistics of the Belize Tourism Board. Undeniably, timeshare dollars make a significant contribution to this income, but high-pressure tactics and intrusive sales people benefit neither the timeshare industry, nor tourism in San Pedro.

Jason Tremblay, CEO of Sell My Timeshare Now, LLC. says, 'when local governments get involved in regulating the actions of overzealous or unscrupulous timeshare operators and off-property agents, the timeshare industry across the board reaps the benefits. Ethical timeshare sellers want to see people purchasing timeshares because they recognize it as an investment in a lifetime of vacationing, recreation, and relaxation-not because they are victims of strong arm timeshare sales tactics.'

Great Timeshare Information

• Starwood Vacation Ownership is expanding its Sheraton Vistana Villages, located at 12401 International Drive in the heart of Orlando's theme park attractions. The current expansion phase will include 200 new villas, a new swimming pool complex, a new recreation building that will house a second fitness center, game room and arcade, as well as an activities desk with sports, pool games and equipment.

• Nova Scotia, Canada is joining the luxury Private Residence Club world with its new RCI-affiliated White Point Residence Club, located on Nova Scotia's South Shore.

• Fleetwood Enterprises, one of the nation's largest producers of recreational vehicles, is setting up a new points-based timesharing product, affiliated with RCI. Called the Fleetwood Vacation Club, it will offer consumers access to high-end Class A diesel and Class C gas-powered luxury motor coaches from participating Fleetwood RV franchisees to be located across the United States.

• Fairfield has acquired the Franklin Printing building adjacent to the French Quarter in downtown New Orleans, with plans to convert the former industrial complex into a 119-unit timeshare resort. The new resort, to be called Fairfield New Orleans at La Belle Maison, marks Fairfield’s second timeshare project in the Crescent City.

• In Hawaii, Kapalua Bay, LLC & Marriott have joined forces to redevelop the Kapalua Bay Hotel and neighboring Kapalua Shops property beginning in the spring of 2006. The project will include a Ritz-Carlton Club fractional ownership component.

• Shell Vacations has recently added the Mountainside Lodge to its growing stable of resorts. Located in the popular four seasons resort area of Whistler, in British Columbia, Canada, the property has two components: a 41-unit existing timeshare plan, partially owned by about 1,600 existing interval owners as well as 37 all-suite units. The hotel units will all be converted to timeshare units.

• Eagle Crest Resorts has begun work on its new Brasada Ranch, located in Central Oregon's high desert outside of Bend. Brasada Ranch will feature 900 real estate units spread over its 1,800 acres, half of which will be preserved as open space. Fractional ownership will be one of the components offered at the resort.

Donate Your Timeshare To Charity: National Foundation For Cancer Research Launches New Giving Program

The National Foundation For Cancer Research (NFCR) has initiated a new program to accept unwanted timeshares as gifts that can be sold with proceeds used to help fund cancer research. Donors receive a full charitable tax deduction for the value of their gift.

“Many timeshare owners commonly want to rid themselves of their timeshares for a variety of family, health or personal reasons,” said Franklin C. Salisbury, Jr., president of NFCR. “They also often find themselves in a difficult situation when it comes to finding a buyer, either individually or with an agent—the process can be a headache. Now individuals can turn that headache into helping find a cure for cancer and receive a charitable tax deduction in the process.”

The process for donating a timeshare is as easy as visiting the NFCR website at www.NFCR.org or calling (800) 321-2873 and answering a couple of quick questions. Acceptable timeshares should be free and clear of any outstanding mortgages and be located in the United States, Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean.

80-90% of the timeshare gifts offered can be accepted and the gift completed at no cost to the donor within 2-4 weeks. A typical timeshare gift will provide a charitable tax deduction of $3,000 – $5,000 per timeshare week donated and the donor can avoid the up-front “listing fee” of $300-$900.

Timeshare Is Back - But Not As We Know It

WHATEVER you do, don’t call it a timeshare. Some of Scotland’s most luxurious resorts have taken the notion of owning a holiday property for a few weeks of the year, stripped out the dodgy salesmen with fake tans and reinvented the whole thing as ‘seasonal ownership’.

Among them is the five-star Gleneagles, which is charging up to £100,000 for the right to own a luxurious getaway one week every year for the next half century.

Christmas, Hogmanay and some September weeks at the 50-home Glenmor seasonal ownership village in the grounds of the Perthshire hotel have already sold out, even though construction is not due for completion for several years.

In addition to a price of between £7,500 and £51,000 to own a week a year for the next 55 years, buyers face an additional annual maintenance charge of around £1,000, potentially taking the bill well into six figures. But despite the price, more than 700 weeks have been sold, netting £11m.

George Graham, the development’s director, said: "They are selling very quickly and the most expensive weeks have sold first. Seasonal ownership is really taking off."

Graham said the word ‘timeshare’ was never mentioned, either by Gleneagles or its customers. "We say to them that there may come a point when they want to exchange their properties, but they say to us we are not timeshare we are seasonal owners," he said. "The bad reputation of timeshare came about because of high-pressure selling. This is low-pressure selling and we are having no problem getting sales."

Graham conceded that maintenance charges added a considerable amount to the total bill, but said they were an accurate reflection of the costs.

"We are keeping them in absolutely tip-top condition so they never look tired," he said. "We want the owners to be very proud of them."

Another group rapidly expanding in the market is De Vere which is planning more than 100 seasonal ownership homes as part of a new £50m development on the shores of Loch Lomond.

Prices will range from £7,450 in winter to almost £40,000 at peak times, with an annual maintenance charge of around £500. Managing director Craig Mitchell said: "We went down this route because the people who buy seasonal ownership are very different from second-home owners.

"The latter stop off at Marks & Spencer to buy their food and drink on the way, whereas the seasonal owners spend between £400 and £500 a week in the resort hotel and restaurants because they are more likely to be on a special holiday."

Mitchell said that while the concept of timeshare had been sound, its reputation had been tarnished, prompting the change of name.

"The feeling is that timeshare is something you buy abroad, while seasonal ownership is something you buy in Scotland from high-quality leisure companies," he said.

"The people who went into timeshare 20 years ago were single entrepreneurs. The companies involved in it here in the UK are big companies with solid reputations."

The De Vere properties will be on its new 300-acre ‘The Carrick at Loch Lomond’ site, close to the company’s Scottish flagship Cameron House Hotel, and built around an 18-hole championship golf course. So far, £4m-worth of ‘weeks’ have been sold from a development set to bring in £18m overall.

The Hilton group is also becoming increasingly active in the seasonal ownership market, with weeks for sale in lodges on its properties on Royal Deeside, the Cairngorms National Park and Perthshire.

New properties at its Dunkeld House property in Perthshire have been put on the market for up to £23,500 per week, with a £480 maintenance charge.

"We probably called them timeshare originally but have made the switch to seasonal ownership," a spokesman said. "It’s just a much better phrase."

Andrew Martin, director of the Scottish Centre for Tourism at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, said: "People like to say they are seasonal owners, whereas they wouldn’t admit they had bought a timeshare. It’s almost ‘timeshare bad’, because of the high-pressure selling of the past, and seasonal ownership good."

He believes the growth of seasonal ownership will be good for the Scottish economy. "The people who buy these are high quality, high spenders who love what Scotland has to offer," he said. "They also come here 52 weeks of the year.

"It is not that long ago that Gleneagles closed in the winter. Seasonal ownership makes it more of an all-year-round attraction."

Timeshare was in need of an image change because of irresponsible operators, largely working abroad in countries such as Spain, using high-pressure sales techniques that damaged the industry’s reputation.

In some cases hundreds of holidaymakers were cheated out of vast sums in frauds. Customers were faced with complex, misleading paperwork and a confusing network of companies which meant they never got their properties. Those who did found them almost impossible to sell on, and suffered losses.

Consumer organisations say most complaints came from British tourists being sold timeshare apartments by British sales teams.

But the nature of the market changed dramatically following the introduction of tougher consumer protection laws by the European Union in the late 1990s, and the emergence of major hotel groups which came on to the scene.

Around 450,000 Britons now own timeshare properties, mainly abroad, but experts are forecasting a rapid expansion as more high-quality seasonal ownership developments are completed.

But according to the Timeshare Consumers Association, owners even at the top end of the market should not treat their purchase as an investment.

"Experience has shown this not to be the case," said chairman Sandy Gray. "But I doubt those buying at the very top end are doing it for investment reasons anyway."

Record Number Of Timeshare Practitioners Awarded Registered Resort Professional Designation, ARDA’s Highest Recognition For Professional Development

A record-setting 67 experienced timeshare practitioners were honored in 2005 by the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) after earning the professional designations Associate Resort Professional (ARP) and Registered Resort Professional (RRP). Sponsored by the ARDA International Foundation’s education programming, the program promotes professional awareness, enhances workplace performance and fosters self-esteem among professionals of the vacation ownership industry. There are now a total of 470 industry professionals honored with the RRP and ARP designations.

Earlier this month, the following 21 professionals were awarded the Registered Resort Professional (RRP) designation: Kit Armour, James S. Badia, Jan Barrow, Terry Braband, Daniel Davis, Scott W. Dravis, Karey M. Finch, Kevin L. Giles, Gordon S. Gurnik, Tanya Hensley- O'Neal, William G. Johnson, Robert A. Kobek, Peter John Mitchell, Virginia Hornkol Polinski, David L. Pontius, John K. Reyelt, Michael G. Scofield, Julie Renee Smith, Thorp S. Thomas, Toby A. Weas, and Stanley R. Whittington.

The RRP designation is given to those industry leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to high ethical and professional standards through long-term participation in educational and industry-related activities. Prerequisites include active ARDA Advantage membership, a minimum of five years of full-time industry employment, and a total of 10 education credits. Candidates must also pass the ARDA Qualification Test (AQT), which examines a person’s knowledge of the industry, including the ARDA Code of Standards & Ethics and the laws affecting the industry. Credits for the RRP program are earned through participation in educational and industry-related activities, professional tenure in the vacation ownership industry, the receipt of industry awards, formal education and certification by accredited institutions of higher learning, participation in industry workshops, seminars and self-study courses, and by writing articles for Developments, the industry magazine published by ARDA.

The following 11 professionals received the Associate Resort Professional (ARP) designation: Nusrat Andersen, Tara A. Bergeron, Edward A. Carraro, Bryan D. Coy, Jeremy S. Grogg, John E. Livingston, Jay M. Lloyd, Giancarlo J. Novo, Benjamin Pierce, Cheryl Shipe, and Lorie A. Trauscht. A step in the process towards earning RRP designation, the ARP designation recognizes accomplishments by individuals with at least two years industry experience.

“Participation in educational programs of the ARDA International Foundation indicates that a company and its team of vacation ownership professionals strive for the highest standard of industry knowledge, ethics and professionalism,” said ARDA President Howard Nusbaum. “Each year, as more of our talented professionals earn the RRP designation, the expectations and standards of excellence within the industry are raised that much higher, translating to improved quality and innovation in the products, services, and experiences we offer vacation owners.”

The ARDA International Foundation (AIF) conducts research and develops education programming for the timeshare industry. The American Resort Development Association (ARDA) is the Washington D.C.-based professional association representing the vacation ownership and resort development industries. Established in 1969, ARDA today has nearly 1,000 members ranging from privately held firms to publicly traded companies and international corporations with interests in timeshare resorts, community development, fractional ownership and resort communities. The membership also includes timeshare owner associations (HOAs), resort management companies, and owners through the ARDA Resort Owners Coalition (ARDA-ROC).

Marriott Unit Loses Personal Data Of 206,000 Timeshare Customers

A subsidiary of the Marriott hotel group lost tapes containing the personal data of 206,000 associates, timeshare owners and timeshare customers, the unit said.

The data, which includes names, addresses and Social Security numbers of the company's clients, was on backup computer tapes in the Orlando, Florida headquarters of Marriott Vacation Club International, the company said in a statement.

A spokesman said MCVI is investigating how the tapes went missing and has notified federal authorities about the loss.

In a statement, the company said that although accessing the data on the tapes requires specialized content, it has notified its clients and has offered help in monitoring their personal credit ratings in case the information on the tapes is used fraudulently.

"We regret this situation has occurred and realize this may cause concern for our associates and customers," said MCVI president Stephen Weisz in a statement.

"We have recently mailed notifications to associates, timeshare owners and timeshare customers and are available to answer any questions they may have."

2005-2006 Timeshare Research Studies

Just Completed and Available in the Research Library:

State of the US Timeshare Industry, 2005 Edition
This report presents data and estimates regarding a number of key characteristics of the vacation ownership industry in the United States. Characteristics described in this report include the number and location of resorts, number of units, resort occupancy, average week prices, average maintenance fees, number of weeks owned, number of owners and more.

Currently in Progress or Scheduled:

Financial Performance 2005 Edition: A Survey of Timeshare & Vacation Ownership Resort Developers
This annual report provides timely information that permits companies to compare operations to industry benchmarks; a reference for tracking industry trends; and a source for potential entrants to the industry. The reader will gain an insight into sales performance for both public and private companies participating in the timeshare industry. Gain a better understanding of the role hypothecation and securitization play in the timeshare industry. An overview of the status of consumer financing and portfolio performance is also included.
Release Date: October 2005

2006 Economic Impact of the Timeshare Industry on the U.S. Economy
An analysis of the timeshare industry's importance to the U.S. economy. The report analyzes the impact of timeshare owner expenditures on the U.S. economy including developer sales and operations, and the impact of timeshare owner expenditures. Results are reported in three categories: direct economic impacts; indirect economic impacts; and fiscal impacts. Consumer satisfaction information and characteristics are also included.
Survey scheduled: January 2006; Release Date: Summer 2006

State of the US Timeshare Industry, 2006 Edition
This report presents data and estimates regarding a number of key characteristics of the vacation ownership industry in the United States. Characteristics described in this report include the number and location of resorts, number of units, resort occupancy, average week prices, average maintenance fees, number of weeks owned, number of owners and more.
Survey scheduled: January 2006; Release Date: Summer 2006

Financial Performance 2006 Edition: A Survey of Timeshare & Vacation Ownership Resort Developers
This annual report provides timely information that permits companies to compare operations to industry benchmarks; a reference for tracking industry trends; and a source for potential entrants to the industry. The reader will gain an insight into sales performance for both public and private companies participating in the timeshare industry. Gain a better understanding of the role hypothecation and securitization play in the timeshare industry. An overview of the status of consumer financing and portfolio performance is also included.
Survey Scheduled: April 2006; Release Date: October 2006