Blog Archives

Marriott Timeshare Reviews

3/25/2012

Marriott has become one of the largest and most recognized name in the industry, and there are endless reviews available across the internet. If you have had valuable experience in dealing with Marriott or any other timeshare resort, we are always looking for your expertise and advice for other customers. Submitting a timeshare review is the most helpful thing you can do for unwitting customers who are considering purchasing a timeshare.

Marriott is widely known and respected as an organization, but the timeshare industry is synonymous with fraud and deceit, so it is no wonder that reviews are often mixed. Marriott timeshare reviews actually tend to be more positive than most, but customers still overwhelmingly advise to stay as far away from timeshares as possible.

How are Marriott Timeshare Reviews Different?

Marriott Timeshare Reviews

Marriott timeshare reviews are different than the majority of timeshare reviews in several ways. The more positive tone from customer reviews remark that Marriott offers many beautiful locations, friendly staff, and clean facilities. Marriott timeshare reviews rarely denote disappointment with the physical aspects of these timeshares. This is a far cry from timeshare reviews that complain about poor service, dilapidated facilities, and poor vacation destinations.

However, the majority of Marriott timeshare reviews are still very negative. The same fraudulent business practices that run rampant throughout the industry are still very much in effect. Hidden fees, inflexible contracts, and an inability to sell the timeshare are all still associated with Marriott timeshares. This can actually be a double blow. Because Marriott timeshare reviews are filled with praise for the facilities, this often comes with much higher hidden fees than other timeshare resorts.

If you have had experience with Marriott timeshares, please comment or submit a timeshare review of your own.

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Timeshare Complaints: It All Starts with the Presentation

3/25/2012

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Always on the top of our list of timeshare complaints, the timeshare presentation is where fraud runs most rampant in the industry. While the hidden fees and lies are exposed later, all timeshare complaints essentially come from the presentation. This is where innocent customers are fooled into signing inflexible contracts through fast sales pitches and fraudulent claims.

While most consumers submit complaints once they are locked into their contract, all of these complaints stem from how they were deceived at the original presentation. Consumers were told that a timeshare is a good investment, a wonderful vacation option, and they could always sell at a later date. If any of these claims were true, it is unlikely that we would receive any timeshare complaints at all!

How Consumers are Tricked at Timeshare Presentations

Timeshare Complaints

Consumers are usually lured into a timeshare presentation through the promise of a fabulous gift. Attendees usually do not complain about the gifts themselves, because these promises are usually fulfilled. However, these presentations typically run much longer than advertised, making the gift opportunity much less worthwhile.

However, the number one complaint about timeshare presentations do not come from the falsely advertised time. Consumers who attend these presentations have complaints that mostly deal with the immense pressure salesmen place upon attendees. Consumers often complain that they are placed in a small room and subsequently bullied and pressured for hours.

It is no wonder that so many contracts are signed without consumers even reading what they are signing and getting themselves into. Timeshare Consumer Bureau would not exist without the massive amount of complaints and grievances filed because of timeshare presentations everyday. If you must attend a timeshare presentation, be prepared beforehand. It is always better to avoid the timeshare mess altogether, rather than filing a complaint once it’s too late.

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Selling Timeshares

3/20/2012

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Why the Timeshare Industry is seen as a scam

To many consumers who have little experience with the timeshare industry, the concept seems simple enough. The chance to have a vacation property in the meantime, with the opportunity of selling at a later date to make a profit may even sound enticing. Those who sell timeshares will certainly try to convince you of that.

Selling a timeshare is an extremely difficult process with little probability of success. This process usually begins with the realization that customers must bear the burden of the many negatives of timeshare ownership. This includes:

1) A high annual fee
2) Property taxes
3) Upfront fees

This is what leads most timeshare customers to eventually want to sell their timeshare. However, they soon learn that they cannot, and it is already too late.

Why Selling a Timeshare is so Difficult

Selling Timeshares

The main reason the timeshare industry has become so synonymous with fraud and scam artistry is the misleading way sellers represent the process of selling timeshares. Consumers are subjected to upfront costs, fixed payments, and fixed locations. Once timeshare buyers realize they are locked in, there is actually very little they can do on their own to break the chains.

The primary reasons for the difficulty in selling a timeshare comes from the market for timeshares. The wonderful market for timeshares that consumers were sold on is in reality extremely depressed.

The arduous process for selling timeshares should halt potential buyers until all the facts are gathered. Those who are stuck in a contract and are looking to sell their timeshare are best served by enlisting the help of a third party. Legal representation and companies who specialize in breaking timeshare contracts or selling timeshares are a consumers best bet.

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Timeshare Advice: Types of Timeshare Ownership

3/16/2012

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Timeshare Advice: Know your ownership

Timeshare Consumer Bureau wants all of our dedicated advocates to understand as much as possible about the timeshare industry, so we offer expert advice at every step. There is nothing as important as understanding your timeshare contract, and that is some of the best timeshare advice we can possibly provide.

Before finding a solution, consumers need to be armed with all the timeshare information and advice they can possibly get. The Timeshare industry is so large and powerful that many consumers feel absolutely helpless, no matter how much advice they receive. Do not feel overwhelmed. We will start with the basics for a powerful foundation and force for change. We will now discuss the two types of timeshare ownership, for all other timeshare advice stems from the type of contract you have signed.

Deeded and Non-Deeded Timeshares

For the very best timeshare advice anyone can provide, you must first understand if you have signed a deeded or non-deeded timeshare. In a deeded timeshare, the consumer signs a contract that purchases an ownership interest in a resort. If your contract allows you to stay in only one unit in one particular time of year, you own a deeded timeshare. This is also called a fixed time ownership, and can only be traded through a timeshare exchange program. Our best timeshare advice is to stay far away from these programs, as they often charge massive hidden fees, as in the RCI timeshare scam.

A non-deeded timeshare is the purchase of a licence or lease that allows the customer to stay in a particular resort for a specific amount of time each year. This is called a floating time arrangement. Reservations must be made in advance to secure the customer’s time in the year. A great piece of timeshare advice is staying away from these types of agreements. Reservations are often very difficult to make, even months in advance. There are often many hidden fees associated with non-deeded timeshares as well.

The best piece of timeshare advice is to stay away from timeshares altogether, but understanding your timeshare contract is a close second. To understand your contract is the first step in breaking the cycle through a timeshare service or attorney. All along the way, Timeshare Consumer Bureau will be here to offer the best timeshare advice possible.

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RCI Timeshare Scam

3/15/2012

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Why the RCI timeshare program has caused great consumer backlash

Scams within the timeshare industry run rampant, and RCI has become the latest focus of a large group of angry consumers. One of the most common complaints received are not about a specific timeshare resort at all, but rather the RCI timeshare exchange program.

This latest movement has consumers up in arms against what they call the RCI timeshare scam. Customers must pay an annual fee, but are also charged bloated hidden fees and ridiculous exchange rates for any amount of “decent” service from RCI. The perfect paradigm for the entire timeshare industry, RCI apparently sells a scam to customers with deceitful tactics and misleading information. RCI is preying on a group of people who are already weak from their current timeshare scams.

Understanding the RCI Timeshare scam

RCI Timeshare Scam

RCI boasts “3.7 million members worldwide and over 4,000 affiliated resorts in countries around the world.” The key to the RCI timeshare scam is in numbers, which fools unsuspecting consumers into believing that a large number of subscribers and resorts equals quality service. In reality, the RCI timeshare scam is well documented and has a very bad reputation within the timeshare community.

The basic premise behind the RCI timeshare exchange service is, by paying an annual membership fee, consumers can trade their timeshare to other members with other timeshare resorts around the world. The RCI timeshare program sounds like a low-risk opportunity to make some use out of a likely unwanted timeshare.

However, members soon learn that the fraudulent tactics of timeshare companies are present in the RCI timeshare scam as well. Customers are locked into RCI and forced to pay large hidden fees, just like their timeshare contract. Massive deposits have to be put down for exchanges, unbeknown to customers until it is too late. Immense fees are also tacked on for each exchange, especially for heavily sought weeks and locations.

The most frustrating aspect of the RCI timeshare scam seems to be customer “service.” Many consumers complain about the difficulty of reaching anyone in RCI capable of meeting basic needs. Consumers are given the run-around in RCI until more fees are tacked on and are forced on customers. Rude agents, unanswered calls, and nonexistent responsiveness have frustrated many consumers into finding legal help with ending the RCI timeshare scam. We are here to be your voice, so please comment or submit a complaint about your experience with the RCI timeshare scam.

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Timeshare Misrepresentation: The Timeshare Presentation

3/11/2012

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The place where the timeshare industry truly displays fraudulent tactics and misrepresentation is the timeshare presentation. Timeshare resorts and contracts probably wouldn’t have such a negative reputation if these meetings actually told the truth to consumers. There are several ways in which timeshares are misrepresented in these presentations.

The most common complaint we receive from consumers are due to the timeshare misrepresentation which runs rampant at these meetings. If you are going to attend a timeshare sales presentation, it is a great idea to be prepared for this misrepresentation beforehand. People usually attend these meeting under the guise of giving up a small fraction of their time for a nice gift or prize. About the only thing not misrepresented is this final gift the consumer will receive (although sometimes even that is.)

Timeshare Misrepresentation

1) The length of the timeshare presentation

The timeshare misrepresentation begins even before the meeting occurs. Often, the time of these presentations run much longer than advertised. A 90 minute advertised meeting can easily run multiple hours. The purpose is to exhaust consumers into blindly signing the misrepresented timeshare contract after the lengthy presentation.

2) Timeshare as an investment

One of the most obvious cases of timeshare misrepresentation is when salesmen try to convince consumers of the great investment opportunity. These claims are at the very least very overstated. Timeshares include fixed payments, high annual costs, and unreasonable hidden fees.

3) The Timeshare contract

The timeshare contract is also extremely misrepresented. So misrepresented, in fact, that many consumers blindly sign it after being worn down for so long at the timeshare meeting. Timeshare contracts are binding and inflexible, and ensure that you will not be able to break them easily. The contract also allows the timeshare company to take legal action against you if you cannot pay.

What kind of timeshare misrepresentation have you experienced when attending these sales presentations?

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Timeshare Reviews: From an Expert Source

3/9/2012

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That source is YOU! Timeshare Consumer Bureau is dedicated to making sure you are heard, and one of the best ways to share your knowledge is to submit a timeshare review. General timeshare complaints are extremely valuable, and we will bring those complaints together for discussion and possible solutions. However, if you have had a specific experience with a timeshare resort, a review helps make sure timeshare resort activities do not go unchecked.

A huge problem with the timeshare industry is that there are no watchdogs, so little information about their practices, and few credible reviews by the consumer. Your timeshare review will go a long way to making sure these corporations are regulated and cannot perform harmful business practices without repercussions. A review may not seem like a huge blow to a specific timeshare resort, but every single review counts. The entire purpose of the Timeshare Consumer Bureau is to take individual reviews and complaints and focus them into a powerful force for change.

Every Timeshare Review Counts!

There are some who will visit our timeshare forum and will need no urging to submit a review. Their experience was likely so horrendous that they are ready to warn the public immediately. However, there may be some more moderate timeshare reviews out there that are not so outspoken in frustration. We want to hear those too. Timeshare reviews do not need to be forceful or angry. We are interested in information that will help the consumer, and if your review is mixed to even positive, it will certainly help the public to hear.

Those consumers with information regarding specific timeshare resorts can be the most helpful hand in informing our neighbors and friends about the industry. Your timeshare reviews of these powerful resorts are incredibly valuable, and we want to hear your voice!

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Timeshare Complaints: A Forum for YOU

3/7/2012

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Have your timeshare complaints fallen on deaf ears? To long have victims of overpricing, absurd maintenance fees, and timeshare fraud been ignored. Timeshare Consumer Bureau was created with one, novel purpose: to ensure that finally, your feedback, complaints, and experiences are heard in an open forum.

Timeshare Consumer Bureau (TCB)

We come from diverse backgrounds of expertise in timeshare practice, legal representation, and consumer advocacy. We wanted to create a platform where the timeshare industry will be reviewed by you, the consumer. This blog, forum, and community will be filled with timeshare complaints, reviews, news, and other resources to help the public make expertly-informed decisions. Don’t be a victim of atrocious business practices any more. Help contribute to the conversation, and arm yourself with knowledge here with us!

You are not alone in your complaint with the Timeshare industry

The main purpose of the blog is to provide common topics and complaints for timeshare consumers to explore and share experiences. Many consumers feel powerless and alone in their own situation with a timeshare. Most likely, every situation has been experienced by many others, all with timeshare complaints very similar to your own. Our goal is to bring these victims together to make a unified voice that the industry will finally hear.

Reform is within reach, but we need your help! This open forum is nothing without consumers standing up for what is right. Please feel free to provide comments right here under whichever blog posts resonate with you. Submit timeshare complaints through our official complaint submission page. You can also submit reviews for specific timeshare resorts. Finally, we will provide information about companies offering solutions to timeshare owners, such as resale and contract termination. These experiences can be mixed as well, and reviews of these companies are extremely valuable to the timeshare consumer community.

In short, don’t be silent any longer! The more we come together in a unified voice through our complaints against the timeshare industry, the more likely we will be able to create real reform for the entire public.

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How are Marriott Timeshare Reviews Different?

How Consumers are Tricked at Timeshare Presentations

Why the Timeshare Industry is seen as a scam

Why Selling a Timeshare is so Difficult

Deeded and Non-Deeded Timeshares

Why the RCI timeshare program has caused great consumer backlash

Understanding the RCI Timeshare scam

Every Timeshare Review Counts!

Timeshare Consumer Bureau (TCB)

You are not alone in your complaint with the Timeshare industry

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