The Rise and fall of the Timeshare Consumer Association TCA

The notion of the timeshare consumer association TCA was embraced by Mr Sandy Grey over 16 years ago. He alone began to challenge the timeshare industry and provided many timeshare owners with information with regards the consumers rights in timeshare. He effectively challenged the industry, brought together many claims and appointed many solicitors to assist consumers. He underpinned many group actions and level much blight against those who he believed were and still do cause the name of timeshare to be disreputable.

He was a maverick in his time and sadly died of Moto-neurone disease, leaving a huge gap in any “independent service” that consumers could access.

Therefore, David Cox brought into existence a new TCA with the permission of the beneficiaries of Sandy Grey and operated from a new web timeshareconsumerassociation.org.uk, as the old login details of the old timeshare.org.uk could not be located.

The old website has now been acquired by a part of the timeshare industry and presently transfers any enquiries to the very people Sandy Grey challenged each and every day.

You can now visit the old site here however it recommend the following

• TATOC (Timeshare Consumer Association)
• RDO (Resort Developers Organisation)
• Go Timeshare
• Citizens Advice
• How To Sell Your Timeshare

TATOC is sponsored by the industry, The RDO is the industry, Go timeshare is supported by the industry, the Citizen’s Advice Bureau [CAB] refers to the industry and How to Sell my Timeshare is Worldwide Timeshare Hypermarket who champions [in part] the industry and TATOC.

Therefore, the mission of Sandy Grey has been switched and many should understand that in visiting the site that its independence and been lost.

Having recognised a need for a similar style site to dispense “independent advice” a solicitor who Sandy Grey referred to from time to time, asked David Cox to bring into existence a new website along the same principles. David Cox had never been associated with the timeshare, but was familiar with legal actions, was a prolific negotiator in contractual disputes and had attended civil mediation training and was certified by the training programme developed by the USA ambassador for Alternative Dispute Resolution [ADR] “Alan Stitt”.

Therefore, a website was acquired and all the past information’s from the past TCA site was transferred. A company was acquired called the Timeshare Consumer Association Ltd and it commenced its service once again.

It was envisaged that the service would be, a part time hobby job, that I would be an inexpensive platform to assist, reassure and direct others who had timeshare problems. David Cox it could work to provide a free and reasonable service to its providers. The role Mr Cox took up was unpaid and any and all expenses incurred by the association was to be borne by Mr. Cox in the hobby job concept. Mr Cox had retired for his position as Managing Director of Buxton Water Ltd at 48 and had a need work but was restricted in what work he could undertake, as a result of the redundancy package that was offered and taken.

The website and service grew in 2014, became popular with consumers and the part time role became full time, as many issues existed in timeshare [at the time] therefore staff were required and costs rose rapidly.

Many do not fully understand or indeed appreciate timeshare and the differences in the contractual matrix, however what is more flummoxing is the incestuous nature of how the industry operates between its connected parties. Therefore, many stumbles did occur, many trips and snares had to be overcome until the links were made between most operators in timeshare. These promoted protections existed between the various entities which protected many developers and from consumer’s actions and in the main disseminated confusion not clarity.

Costs rose, more staff were required and more services were provided. The control of the costs was assisted by donations provided by some consumers however, the main source in revenue did come from the 2014 roadshow which was very successful and provided a spring boarded to even higher exposure. With controlled financial planning, the service was deliverable and into the future.

After the 2014 roadshows the TCA were approached by many companies wanting to be recommended by the TCA. In satisfaction of the requests many assessments were carried out and many failed what the TCA believed to be necessary standards. One request was made by Mark Rowe who at that time represented he had a “falling” out with the Timeshare industry and would like to give the TCA the opportunity in visiting with him, so that he could prove that they were the only re seller who did not charge an “upfront fee” for the re selling service of consumer timeshare products.

Happy to attend the TCA investigated and it became aware that it did not charge an upfront fee for the re selling service. However, as we suspected they did cold call, we were not prepared to recommend them. After the meeting it was explained to the TCA that on many occasions the timeshare could not be re sold and a need existed to have these contracts terminated. It was explained that this service had already been charged for and Mr Rowe had a need to employ a reasonable firm to undertake the legal work.

The TCA was a “not for profit” enterprise a fledgling company and did not have any shares, or share capital, it was a company under guarantee and its funding came from donating streams, which did cause it to be impecunious. The result of the offer to act, would be that the TCA could have an extra income stream if the offer was taken up and the price was acceptable.

Mark Rowe had a need for a service, a service which could be performed by the TCA however the TCA would have to form another company which it did and called it Timeshare Exits and Support Services Ltd [TESS]. This would insulate the TCA from any adverse trading activities.

A contract was agreed and for 800 timeshares and the work commenced in January 2015. The 800 was agreed to be filtered through at 100 per months so as to avoid congestion. No complaints were received from Consumers or Hollywood Marketing SLU throughout the commission.

Therefore, both the TCA and TESS were firing on all cylinders and consumers were being assisted which a licenced legal company backed by advice from a solicitors and the consumer advice lines were becoming more effective.

It was decided to repeat the road shows in 2015 so that we could meet more consumers, obtain further information’s and attain more similar fact evidence with regards the connections of the industry.

The advertising for the roadshows commenced, the venues were booked and the TCA were assisted by way of sponsorship. The main sponsor being TESS. As all the money TESS received was that of client moneys yet to be spent, it was placed into a client bank account, however should TESS make a profit that profit was donated to the TCA and other not for profit causes which helped timeshares consumers. As TESS had a surplus it decided to assist the TCA in the delivery of its roadshows which in turn might bring in private clients who paid reasonable prices [not inflated prices charges by the may marketing companies].

In that year in or about July the road shows where being planned and in August the road shows were being advertised in 11 cities in our around the UK. Those road shows were being promoted and sales of ticket were steadily increasing. That said, just before the they commenced TATOC decided with NO evidence to label TESS as “cold caller” and advertised the allegation as a fact on their website. This allegation was mischievous, false and could and did fundamentally affected the reputation of TESS which caused sufferance. Gossip was rife and in respect to TESS’s ethical basis.

The timeshare rumour mill became live and [at the time] many consumers were voicing issues in respect to the cold calling allegations. That being so, TESS was forced to pull out of the road show, preserve its position and the deliverability of its service. The TCA took the view that it could not continue with the road shows whilst having this wrongful blight in existence, therefore the TCA cancelled the road show events. This perverse claim had to be tackled head on and TESS issued a letter before action to TATOC who failed to remove the offending article and reference to which TESS issued proceedings against them for libel. The case will be heard next year.

As the TCA had lost its supporters whom were protecting their own position, its cost spiralled out of control and a decision had to be made as to how to address the costs which were incurred by the TCA in its failed road show.

As the TCA had no shareholders and little funds and wasted costs, it had to sell the only asserts it had i.e its websites Timeshare Consumer Association and Timeshare Talk. The sale of the sites would stabilise the company which owed a duty to its creditors and was required to act prudently and correctly. Therefore, the sites were put up for sale and buyers were sort. The only consideration was to discharge creditors and it was they who needed to be paid.

The sites were sold and to Tolmex Ltd. Tolmex was owned by Mark Rowe.

He Agreed with Mr Cox that the site would provide and disseminate information to consumers which was honoured [in part] however just recently it has become known that it is now being used to divert consumers to his own sales platforms selling Monster Credits.

TESS had a contract with Mark Rowe and no other, he paid money for the work TESS did on behalf of the clients it introduced, When Mark Rowe wanted a variance to that contract, TESS refused as the new contract contained what TESS believed to be a secret profit.

After the refusal to agree a new contract Mark Rowe engineered a dispute to which TESS suspended the agreement.

In June this year and after considerable assistance from TESS many clients, TESS began to picture together,what Monster Travel Hollywood Marketing and its side kick Sellmytimeshare.tv were up too.

In short they were advertising the service of reselling people’s timeshare and cold calling consumers. They provided them with a valuation of what the timeshare was worth, which induced consumers to attend meeting, fully expecting money to flow to them and not from them. Then they switched the offer whereby the consumers were introduced to another holiday product they had never heard of never sought nor wanted. Being scarred of the represented burden of the timeshare, many parted with 1,000’s of £ acquired Monster Credits on the promise that those credits could be cashed in after 14 months, for a full return of the money paid and the valuation of the timeshare sellmytimeshare.tv represented.

This needed to be exposed to the general public and the entire sales concept of dodgy and perverse product. TESS believing it had a civil duty did just that exposed them which provided many consumers with accurate information.

Those consumers having a need to obtained essentially what they were promised “urgent advice”, therefore TESS introduced them to a solicitor who has now confronted the culprits with an expected multi-million £ legal action.

Many are now investigating Hollywood Marketing, Monster Travel, Sellmytimeshare.tv and associated entities and when you corner a “fiend” they sometimes splurge false information so as to disseminate slurs.

An article was placed on the TCA website which especially attacked both a solicitor and David Cox “it worth reading”. It is especially a rebuttal by someone who has been exposed and caught conducting and perpetrating very serious wrongs.

Hollywood Marketing, Monster Travel and sellmytimeshare.tv have also been exposed by the BBC and for either mis-selling its product and for breaching the Consumer Protections Regulations 2008.

In this article the TCA claim many things all of which are spectacularly wrong, mischievous and simply lies. These lies are from a cornered rouge making a last ditched effort to deflect the truth which can be viewed on BBC Investigates Scotland.

This programme was created, as they too have received the same complaints as TESS. The claims TESS and Solicitors are raising, is directed at one of Mark Rowe other companies which took money and promised a huge return after a certain period in time (generally 14 months). None of those rewards has been paid out and accordingly sellmytimeshare.tv clients are “up in arms”, disgruntled and demanding back the sums promises.

At present TESS retains over 440 clients and the case is supported by litigation funding negotiated by TESS.

So you might consider the Mark Rowe “prank” somewhat disturbing and akin to a school boy spat. When you consider the spectacular nature of the allegations the consumers raise, it’s no wonder the solicitor has delivered a letter before action against the Association and the author of the article.

When you read the article which “we encourage to do”, have regard for the fact it’s the sledging of an ex timeshare salesmen who has been exposed and caught and is lashing out against a regulated solicitor.

The first allegations raised is breaches in “data protection” which TESS can confirm is a figment of the TCA own imagination. The named solicitor resigned from the TCA in 2014 and well before the creation of the MRL action group. To assist the TCA, talk about was the list produced by the TCA, and on that list are potential claimants, not actual claimants and that list is in their position and it’s that list they have decided to refer to.

The next matter “investigation” the truth is no one is investigating the solicitor other than the TCA themselves, that investigation is headed by an ex timeshare salesman who is being pursued by 440 clients seeking Millions in damages.

The list referred to was on an email account of the TCA’s Mark Rowe took them over and on Monday [knowing that the they were about to be exposed by the BBC] send each MRL client an email. The breach if any, was of the TCA own making and could be actionable.

It was TCA who dug out the list and it was they who made contact with the MRL Clients who have scoffed at the allegation.

The TCA Claim

this is a serious blow to this law firm, with already a string of complaints to TCA regarding its practices in the timeshare industry – namely from a number of MacDonalds owners who have signed up to the MRL action group, many paying hundreds of pounds, and so far empty promises of any compensation.

Firstly a solicitor is regulated and not by the TCA if such complaints existed and formed a string it has to be said that anyone can and could contact the SRA however, that is not the case as no complaints have been received and its made up by the mind of an ex timeshare salesman. Secondly the TCA has absolutely no idea of the amount of compensation any solicitor has received on behalf of the many consumers they represent. No solicitor or paralegal is in subjection to TCA as rightfully the information is private and rightly will not be shared.

Others are linked to TESS (Timeshare Exit & Support Services) Ltd

This again is the undulations of a feckless mind. TESS is not linked to anyone. If this company connection was true, Mr Cox could be linked to milkman, Tesco Plc and the post office

“run by David Cox, who are themselves the subject of commercial malpractice investigations”.

I don’t know where this is dreamed up from, as we are unaware of any claims have never received any contentious claim, whereby we are a defendant and have not in any way had any licence suspended. If an investigation is underway it’s a TCA investigation which has come into existence because TESS has exposed the Investigator for acts contrary to law.

One of their suppliers alleges it paid TESS over £1,000,000 last year and received a shoddy service:

I suppose TESS has to concede this, the supplier they did not name was Sellmytimeshare.tv and Hollywood Marketing SLU/Mark Rowe. I can’t confirm that was the right figure, however what TESS can say is that when they realised that they were receiving instructions from a charlatan, they suspended the contract and began to investigate them, produced a report and delivered it free of charge to all its clients.

You will note the term “Supplier” [which is true] as Monster Travel Sellmytimeshare or Hollywood Marketing/Mark Rowe were never a client of TESS. As their gastronomic delights are now exposed to be inedible of course, they will cry scream and bleat to try and wriggle out of the mess that has been construct from a mind of an exploiter.

The TCA says: -

Are TESS “ambulance chasers” or “vultures” that spout even more empty promises into a timeshare industry that, quite frankly, doesn’t need any more empty promises?

This has to be a misprint on the one had we have two licenced companies delivering legal services and the other hand we have a sledging web site called sellmytimeshare/TCA who induces consumers to attend with them on pretence of lies, that their timeshare is valuable, yet don’t or can’t sell it, but do sell an un-encryptable product costing thousands which delivers nothing.

There are some things in timeshare which beggar’s belief and Mark Rowe has to be one.

Ambulance chasers

If you have viewed the BBC Video, I am sure you will understand he is knowledgeable chap, but his running skills, that another matter. The required stealth and speed to chase ambulances is lacking in Mr Cox, I would have to say on this matter Mr Rowe’s Reasoning is rather impaired.

Vultures

This is a bit of an over statements in normal timeshare matters however, as we are dealing with the TCA and their side-kicks and connected parties Hollywood Marketing and sellmytimeshare.tv, TESS thinks Mr. Cox is circling Mark Rowe’s companies and intend to drop kick his product and pick his bones of his bank accounts so that consumers can have returned what they are owed.

Mark Rowes Video is here

Mark Rowe sellmytimeshare.tv website is here

And the TESS report is tess-monster-document

Posted on: 26th October 2016