The picturesque city of Charleston was rated recently as one of Americas top travel destinations, but could the city's tourism industry have a dark side?
Pay-offs, unwanted solicitation and overzealous sales pitches for time shares are just some of the allegations against the so called "visitor information" booths.
City administrators and those that depend on tourists dollars say it needs to end.
More four million people head to Charleston's historic streets every year, but Charleston's tourism industry, one of the most regulated in the country, is starting to fight back against what many call misleading sales strategies and unwarranted sales pitches from timeshare companies.
They appear on some of the cities most popular streets standing in store fronts, advertising visitor information.
"The top three things are carriage rides, Fort Sumter and Magnolia Plantation. Those are three things most people do," one employee said.
They will try and entice out-of-towners with discount tours and tickets. But once inside, the friendly and courteous employees begin the hard sell - the product, timeshare membership
Phyllis Katzen, owner of Doin' the Charleston Tours says the imposter ambassadors are costing her and legitimate tourism companies money.
"What they've done is put up store fronts and they have themselves promoted as tourist destination centers," she said.
After numerous complaints this past April, Charleston City Council passed an ordinance requiring the information booths properly identify themselves with signage. Employees have been banned from approaching tourists on sidewalks.
Mayor Joe Riley called the practice deceptive. He said it casts the city in a bad light.
"People left Charleston thinking the City of Charleston was in the business of selling time shares because they went into a place they thought was an official visitor's center," Riley said.
To avoid an unwanted sales pitch, city leaders say the only officially operated and regulated visitors center is located at 375 meeting street downtown.
Have you been miss-sold a Timeshare? Have you brought into something where the maintence costs are escalating? Are you trying to resell your Timeshare?
Our objective is to support the consumer in timeshare disputes. 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.
To find out more about the International Timeshare Refund Action visit our website www.itra.net
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