You can hold these timeshare salesman responsible for omissions and lies you were told during the sales presentation.
State
officials and Wyndham Vacation Ownership, Inc. have reached a settlement
to resolve complaints related to timeshare sales in Wisconsin.
The settlement includes more than
$665,000 in restitution to 29 consumers who purchased timeshare
contracts between 2008 and 2013, the Department of Agriculture, Trade
and Consumer Protection said Thursday.
According to the settlement, Wyndham will
provide a total of $665,404.88 in cash refunds and/or debt relief,
divided among the 29 consumers. The timeshare purchase contracts that
were the subject of the consumers' complaints were rescinded. In
addition, Wyndham will notify credit reporting agencies that no monies
are due to the company.
Wyndham will also pay a $99,520 civil
forfeiture to the State of Wisconsin and $62,702.20 in fees, assessments
and investigative costs.
The settlement comes as a result of an
investigation of consumer complaints alleging that Wyndham followed
unfair trade practices from 2008 through 2013.
By entering into the agreement, Wyndham does not admit that it has violated any laws or regulations.
Friday, July 24, 2015
Monday, May 4, 2015
SPINNAKER HIT WITH CLASS ACTION
Another Hilton Head Island timeshare company has come under fire.
Two North Carolina residents filed a federal class-action lawsuit Friday against Spinnaker Resorts.
The lawsuit alleges the company broke the law by not registering with the state to sell timeshares at Bluewater by Spinnaker -- its resort on Squire Pope Road -- until September 2014. Before that time, the company "knowingly sold unregistered timeshares to the general public," the suit says.
The company has not responded to the lawsuit. Attempts Tuesday to reach representatives from Spinnaker were unsuccessful.
Legal experts say the case could devastate the company since state law allows timeshare owners who bought from an unregistered company to cancel contracts, according to the lawsuit and the S.C. Timeshare Act.
"If owners can reverse most of the sales before that time, I'm sure this company would be seeking Chapter 11 relief," said Mike Finn, a Largo, Fla., attorney whose firm specializes in timeshare law.
It was not known Tuesday how many owners bought timeshares before Spinnaker registered Bluewater. The company started building the 86-unit complex on the banks of Skull Creek in 2005.
It registered Bluewater on Sept. 2, 2014, according to a copy of the registration included in the lawsuit. Spinnaker also runs Waterside, Southwind, Egret Point and Carolina Club on Hilton Head, as well as resorts in Florida and Missouri.
The lawsuit was filed by Mark and Paula Fullbright, who bought a $26,000 timeshare at Bluewater in June 2014, according to court records.
After buying, the Fullbrights found out the company was not registered to sell Bluewater timeshares.
"My clients filed a federal lawsuit ... To void the timeshare contract and obtain a full refund of all monies paid under the contract," Joseph DuBois, a Hilton Head attorney representing the couple, said in a statement. The lawsuit asks that other owners who bought before September 2014 have the option to receive the same refund.
Two North Carolina residents filed a federal class-action lawsuit Friday against Spinnaker Resorts.
The lawsuit alleges the company broke the law by not registering with the state to sell timeshares at Bluewater by Spinnaker -- its resort on Squire Pope Road -- until September 2014. Before that time, the company "knowingly sold unregistered timeshares to the general public," the suit says.
The company has not responded to the lawsuit. Attempts Tuesday to reach representatives from Spinnaker were unsuccessful.
Legal experts say the case could devastate the company since state law allows timeshare owners who bought from an unregistered company to cancel contracts, according to the lawsuit and the S.C. Timeshare Act.
"If owners can reverse most of the sales before that time, I'm sure this company would be seeking Chapter 11 relief," said Mike Finn, a Largo, Fla., attorney whose firm specializes in timeshare law.
It was not known Tuesday how many owners bought timeshares before Spinnaker registered Bluewater. The company started building the 86-unit complex on the banks of Skull Creek in 2005.
It registered Bluewater on Sept. 2, 2014, according to a copy of the registration included in the lawsuit. Spinnaker also runs Waterside, Southwind, Egret Point and Carolina Club on Hilton Head, as well as resorts in Florida and Missouri.
The lawsuit was filed by Mark and Paula Fullbright, who bought a $26,000 timeshare at Bluewater in June 2014, according to court records.
After buying, the Fullbrights found out the company was not registered to sell Bluewater timeshares.
"My clients filed a federal lawsuit ... To void the timeshare contract and obtain a full refund of all monies paid under the contract," Joseph DuBois, a Hilton Head attorney representing the couple, said in a statement. The lawsuit asks that other owners who bought before September 2014 have the option to receive the same refund.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
ATTORNEY GENERAL SUES TWO BRANSON TRAVEL CLUBS
FORSYTH — Less than a week after filing suit against a
Branson-area travel club, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster is
suing another one.
On Dec. 15, Koster filed court documents in Taney County Associate Circuit Court against JD&T Enterprises, Inc. of San Diego, California, and against Forever Grand Vacations, of Branson. Forever Grand Vacations sells travel club memberships in Branson for its partner, JD&T Enterprises, which is doing business as Travel to Go, according to the suit.
On Dec. 11, Koster filed a similar suit against VSA, LLC; VSA
Holdings; Vacation Services of America, LLC; and International Travel
Solutions, LLC; and the individuals Thomas Wood, of Orlando, Florida and
Denver Wood, of Branson.
In this most recent suit, Koster is seeking a permanent injunction that would prevent the defendants from doing business in Missouri and would prevent the defendants’ representatives and employees from selling vacation benefits. Koster is also asking the court to require the defendants to provide full restitution to customers, and to pay refunds to all Missouri customers who provided notice to have their memberships rescinded. He is also asking the court for the defendants to pay the state an unspecified civil penalty, to pay the state 10 percent of the total restitution paid, and to pay all court costs.
According to the suit, Forever Grand Vacations and and Travel to Go were selling travel club memberships to customers in Branson.
The companies told the customers that the membership would give them access to large discounts. However, according to the suit, customers found that they were not able to get the discounts advertised and customers had difficulty getting out of their memberships.
According to Koster, the defendants have accepted at least $100,000 from at least 37 consumers for goods or services that were not provided.
Examples
The suit gives two examples:
On Jan. 26, 2013, a customer from Waynesville attended a presentation and purchased a membership for $3,288. He was told he would have six months to cancel and receive a full refund. After making payments for four months, the man decided to cancel; however, he was told it would cost him an additional $500 to cancel and he still had to pay the $3,000 balance on his membership fee.
He was also offered, for $500, an opportunity to sell his membership. The customer paid the balance on his membership, as well as the $500 listing fee. His membership was listed on a site with hundreds of others and he never received a refund. He is also still being contacted by the defendants with other offers.
Another customer, from Virginia Beach, Virginia, attended a travel club presentation in Branson in March and was told by his presenter that the presenter had gone to Hawaii on a 50-70 percent discount and that airfare can generally be purchased for 50 percent less than the normal rate.
The customer paid the membership fee of $5,544 up front. The customer then tried to book a cruise but found this his membership could not get him a lower price. He eventually got a $2,500 refund after attempting to cancel his membership, but he is still owed $2,044.
Counts
The suit accuses Forever Grand Vacations and Travel to Go of three counts of misrepresentation and one count of deception. It also accuses Travel to Go, specifically, of operating as a travel club in Missouri without being registered as a travel club in the state.
On Dec. 15, Koster filed court documents in Taney County Associate Circuit Court against JD&T Enterprises, Inc. of San Diego, California, and against Forever Grand Vacations, of Branson. Forever Grand Vacations sells travel club memberships in Branson for its partner, JD&T Enterprises, which is doing business as Travel to Go, according to the suit.
In this most recent suit, Koster is seeking a permanent injunction that would prevent the defendants from doing business in Missouri and would prevent the defendants’ representatives and employees from selling vacation benefits. Koster is also asking the court to require the defendants to provide full restitution to customers, and to pay refunds to all Missouri customers who provided notice to have their memberships rescinded. He is also asking the court for the defendants to pay the state an unspecified civil penalty, to pay the state 10 percent of the total restitution paid, and to pay all court costs.
According to the suit, Forever Grand Vacations and and Travel to Go were selling travel club memberships to customers in Branson.
The companies told the customers that the membership would give them access to large discounts. However, according to the suit, customers found that they were not able to get the discounts advertised and customers had difficulty getting out of their memberships.
According to Koster, the defendants have accepted at least $100,000 from at least 37 consumers for goods or services that were not provided.
Examples
The suit gives two examples:
On Jan. 26, 2013, a customer from Waynesville attended a presentation and purchased a membership for $3,288. He was told he would have six months to cancel and receive a full refund. After making payments for four months, the man decided to cancel; however, he was told it would cost him an additional $500 to cancel and he still had to pay the $3,000 balance on his membership fee.
He was also offered, for $500, an opportunity to sell his membership. The customer paid the balance on his membership, as well as the $500 listing fee. His membership was listed on a site with hundreds of others and he never received a refund. He is also still being contacted by the defendants with other offers.
Another customer, from Virginia Beach, Virginia, attended a travel club presentation in Branson in March and was told by his presenter that the presenter had gone to Hawaii on a 50-70 percent discount and that airfare can generally be purchased for 50 percent less than the normal rate.
The customer paid the membership fee of $5,544 up front. The customer then tried to book a cruise but found this his membership could not get him a lower price. He eventually got a $2,500 refund after attempting to cancel his membership, but he is still owed $2,044.
Counts
The suit accuses Forever Grand Vacations and Travel to Go of three counts of misrepresentation and one count of deception. It also accuses Travel to Go, specifically, of operating as a travel club in Missouri without being registered as a travel club in the state.
Friday, March 20, 2015
WHY BUY THE BOOK
Our Get Out Book is more than sample letters and web addresses you can visit. It is designed to walk you through getting out of your timeshare.
It's not for everyone, if you have owned your timeshare for years, used it and suddenly decided you no longer want it, then this book is not for you.
But if you bought your timeshare because of lies and misrepresentation from the salesman and sales manager, then this book is what you need. These sales people don't have a problem bullying you into buying the timeshare, so now it's your turn to bully them into letting you out and giving you back your money.
It's not for everyone, if you have owned your timeshare for years, used it and suddenly decided you no longer want it, then this book is not for you.
But if you bought your timeshare because of lies and misrepresentation from the salesman and sales manager, then this book is what you need. These sales people don't have a problem bullying you into buying the timeshare, so now it's your turn to bully them into letting you out and giving you back your money.
WANT SOMEONE TO DO THE WORK FOR YOU?
Some people just don't have the time to do all the computer research required to successfully get out of your timeshare. Visit www.timesharetricks.blogspot.com and have all the work done for you.
Timeshare Tricks
Timeshare Tricks
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