Interval International, the global timeshare exchange network, recently surveyed a sample of US members from its membership database. The statistics indicated that most of the participants were more than satisfied with their timeshare membership. Some are even thinking if they should buy more vacation time!
The survey indicates a “bullish” outlook for future timeshare sales, with 83% apparently claiming they are satisfied with their timeshare ownership, and even more remarkably, 20% of owners saying they will be buying more shared ownership time to spend with their families in the coming years.
Active Interval International members were asked about the type of timeshare they owned, how often they use it and how they acquired it, as well as the destinations they’d most like to visit in the next two years.
“The observations and insights drawn from this research reinforce the value our members place on vacationing,” explained David C. Gilvert, Executive Vice President of Resort Sales and Marketing at Interval International. “This study also represents the latest in Interval's continuing commitment to bring timely and consumer-centric research to the market.”
Gilvert added: “Along with our renowned Future Timeshare Buyers series and Affluent Shared Ownership Buyer Profile, these publications serve as a barometer relative to leisure preferences and intentions and assist resort developers in better understanding the psyche of today's vacation consumer.”
The findings of the survey are surprising, since over the years of operating, ITRA has entered into dialogue with thousands of timeshare owners, from which we have discovered a pattern of abuse, deception and even fraudulent issues that have been systematically perpetrated by many of the major timeshare industry players to the detriment of owners.
One of the primary complaints that we hear about timeshare is to do with problems obtaining a selected, balanced exchange from exchange companies. For example, the worldwide exchange system offered timeshare buyers by the exchange company that was associated with the developer in the original presentation and sales agreement was often the client’s principal reason for purchasing, but we have consistently heard strong allegations and evidence that the exchange company unlawfully utilised the weeks in the inventory bank for their own benefit, thus reducing the availability of prime inventory to its members.
These are serious issues, which despite the upbeat findings of Interval International’s survey in the US, continue to affect timeshare owners everywhere.
Over the past 3 years ITRA has, with the support of its members and sponsors who have funded the investigation of these issues, continued to pursue the coordination of a claim to the courts on behalf of timeshare owners who can justify due cause for refund compensation, distress and damages on the grounds that their timeshare purchase was not of merchandisable quality.
No comments:
Post a Comment