What lies ahead?

[helpmate2]

Already we are over a third of the way through the first month of 2018. Lots of things happening in and around the world of timeshare and yet we cannot talk about them for fear of stealing someone`s thunder. Good news for some is just around the corner. Bad news for others is edging ever closer. It is so frustrating waiting for news to break and pieces of the vexing puzzle that is timeshare to fall into place. Nevertheless we must wait a little longer for others to relay their news and probably by other media channels.
For our part, we are on the verge of extending our forum to a much wider audience as we now seem to be the only credible timeshare forum open to all timeshare users in Europe. There are other forums out there but they attach themselves to individual resorts or developers (If they are even allowed to exist) and so censorship has a part to play in how they are run. There are other forums encompassing timeshare in general but the main one, TUG is based across the pond and not at the moment directly involved in what is happening here in Europe, which is what the first paragraph in this post refers to.
Our forums are open to all timeshare consumers who wish to participate in order to make their timeshare holidays the best experience possible. So we hope to create more interest and participation in the coming months as I am sure there will be much to talk about and discuss as events, likely and unlikely, unfold.

[Sunseeker]

A strange post this, from one of our admin team. It raises up more questions than answers and so maybe we should read between the lines for answers which may or may not be correct or have any substance. Obviously starting with the good promised. We have to expect that things being as they are then welcome changes within the timeshare industry that benefit its users will take place in the coming months. It stands to reason that developers who are having the rug pulled from in front of their cosy fireplaces will need to move towards the appeasement of their customers if they wish to retain them. For the bad if we accept internet reports that Action Fraud are currently taking more than a passing interest in the scammers around the industry, how much interest are they taking and what will be the result and more to the point, how far reaching will they go?

[Ollie]

I do hope that Action Fraud or whatever it is called are doing something about the misery that these scams cause for so many people. I hope that they get more funding from the government to chase these bad sods and rid timeshare of them for good. Probably wishfull thinking from me though as there are much bigger fish elsewhere that the government does nothing about.

[Sunseeker]

If we do accept that Action Fraud are taking more than a passing interest then will there be a witch hunt extending into timeshare itself and not just involved in rooting out the scam companies?
After all miss selling products is a fraud in itself and it just may be that the timeshare reps who perpetrate it may well feel some heat being pitched at them for a change. The developers will no doubt plead innocence as having little knowledge of what their, commission only, mercenaries get up to but they are only too happy to take profit and new custom from the mercenaries “killings” Ok some may object at killings so let`s tone it down to press ganged victims, which I thought went out of fashion with the demise of the sail rigged merchant shipping industry. In any event I would suggest a serious investigation into these activities as a future possibility.

[Charlie1]

Sunseeker in some ways I am inclined to agree with you where those that are very elderly have been 'worked' on. This usually takes the form of scare mongering about the massive debt that your be saddling your loved ones when they inherit your 'nasty' timeshare. I have known folks to be taken upwards of 50K.
There are others that have been blinded by greed regarding 'crazy' returns if they bought into this product.
What will unfold in the coming months is more likely to act as a deterrent to the smaller players. Reality is financial constraints will restrict who the legals chase as they will focus on the bigger game. Its not just the financials but the expertise of people resource that will be tied up on the bigger projects.

[helpmate2]

Unfortunately with the miserly sentences being dished out to the perps of fraud around timeshares there is little or no deterrent. Action Fraud must be totally dismayed by the sentencing which can only encourage more scams not discourage them.

[Dooley]

I have had a copy of an e-mail sent to me which is said to come from DRI
A short couple of pieces from within it are below.
One of which refers to the apparent criminal act of using aggressive commercial (sales?) practices.
Another refers to companies closed down because of using misleading and aggressive sales techniques.



2019. Dominic O'Reilly was sentenced to 28 months imprisonment and was banned from being a company director for 9 years, his step-daughter, Stephanie O'Reilly, was sentenced to an 18 months custodial sentence, suspended for two years, and was banned from being a company director for 6 years. Their sentencing followed their earlier guilty pleas to two overarching offences relating to a failure to act with professional diligence, for using aggressive commercial practices and for offences under the Consumer Protections from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008
Further down the email reference is made to other now closed down companies who were deemed to be guilty of a variety of activities.
This included using misleading and aggressive sales techniques.

The questions arising are as follows.
If we are to believe what we read elsewhere on the World Wide Web then are not Diamond Resorts or their agents guilty of some of the very same practices that they are warning their customers about?

It is understood that the O`Reillys pleaded guilty to 2 charges. There were allegedly 27 other instances of possible criminal activities. Have these 27 other activities been taken into account or have they been left on file to be pursued at a later date?

The reason for asking the latter question was that the word overarching was used in the e-mail and this word can be translated to mean all encompassing so it could be taken that the other 27 alleged offences have been taken into account. If so it is amazing what money can buy when it comes to top lawyers. Especially when it is other peoples money!