Timeshare News – 2009

17^th of December. Five people involved with St Frances Marketing Ltd of Exeter (t/a Buena Viva) are committed to the Crown Court charged with 36 offences against the Consumer Protection for Unfair Trading regulations 2006.

8^th of December. Beijing erects posters around the city warning people not to buy Timeshare. Details

4^th of December. Mr John Dalli is nominated as Commissioner-Designate for Health and Consumer Policy in Brussels to replace Commissioner Kuneva. Mr. Dalli has held a series of senior posts in the Maltese Government.

30^th of November. The OFT co-ordinate raids on a number of Incentive Leisure Group offices in the UK.

18^th of November. Arthur Goddard, 60, and Alan Hill, 51, who ran Graig Park Village Ltd, are convicted of fraudulent trading and jailed for two and a half years in Mold Crown Court. Details

5^th of November. RCI offer settlement to claimants in a class action brought against RCI in New Jersey, USA, alleging that RCI transferred exchange weeks into their rental pool thus denying these weeks to exchange members. Details

29^th of October. Daily Mirror exposes attempts by Ragni Trotta (wife of Bob Trotta, boss of Resort Properties) attempting to bury a Mirror report critical of Resort Properties. See here

15^th of October. Five people connected with a timeshare marketing company in Exeter are expected to appear in the Magistrates Court on 20 October on charges under the Consumer Protection for Unfair Trading regulations 2008.

(22 September) Marriott International announces that it will halt Timeshare development in Europe

26^th of August. Fairways Club Issues County Court claims against owners who have not paid their 2009 annual fees.

21^st of August. Pueblo Evita resort issues County Court claims against owners who have not paid their 2009 annual fees.

3^rd of August. Around 300 people are poised to take group legal action alleging misrepresentation by Easy Save Finance Ltd. t/a Leisure Time Promotions and St Frances Marketing Ltd. t/a Buena Viva based in Exeter.

28^th of July. Palm Oasis resort issues County Court claims against owners who have not paid their annual fees.

9^th of July. Real estate brokers in Florida are banned from taking advance payments from timeshare owners seeking to sell.

10^th of June. An advertisement on behalf of Incentive Leisure Group banned by the Advertising Standards Authority as being misleading. Details

10^th of June. Incentive Leisure Group plead guilty in Reading Magistrates Court to 11 counts of fraudulent misrepresentation (whilst marketing membership of DWVC) and are fined £28,000 plus £26,164 costs. More

1^st of June. Incentive Leisure Group indicted in the Reading Magistrates Court on 36 counts of fraudulent misrepresentation. More

12^th of May. Asset Link Ltd. fail in their court action against a consumer who used a loan from GE Money to purchase a timeshare from Leisure-time Promotions, Exeter.

21^st of April. Dial an Exchange (UK) and Hapimag (Switzerland) enter into an agreement which will provide members of both organisations access to a wider range of resorts through the sharing of inventory.

25^th of March. The Organisation for Timeshare in Europe “OTE” changes name to Resort Development Organisation “RDO” and announces the cancellation of their annual conference/forum.

7^th of March. The American Resort Development Association “ARDA” spent $270K in the fourth quarter of 2008 to lobby the US federal government in an attempt to prevent foreclosures on loans made to purchase Timeshares.

Timeshare News – 2008

12^th of November. Bob Trotta of Resort Properties, Tenerife, withdraws a claim of libel he made against Sandy Grey, Timeshare Consumers Association. Mirror report here

27^th of October. The Organisation for Timeshare in Europe (“OTE”) announce plans to change its name to ‘Resort Development Organisation’ (“RDO”)

23^rd of October. ARDA – the trade body for timeshare in the USA – pleads for financial support for the industry from the US Government to stave off possible collapse.

23^rd of October. A Judge decides that the assignment of a debt does not necessarily deprive the borrower of the protection of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

22^nd of October. The European Parliament approve the adoption of a new Timeshare Directive.

22nd September. GP Travel Ltd and Club Select Holidays (UK) Ltd, based at Graig Park, Dyserth, along with Director Jennifer Robinson; Company Secretary Alan Hill and Sales Manager Adrian Gleeson, have given undertakings that in future they will not breach the provisions of the Misrepresentation Act 1967, the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988, the Common Law of Contract, the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 and the Companies Act 1985, when selling holiday club membership.

27^th of August. The Advertising Standards Authority state that a TV advertisement by ETOO is misleading. Details here

13^th of August. TAG World Services, a holiday club run from premises in Sudbury, Suffolk, is closed down by the High Court for serious misrepresentation.

4^th of August. 3 Key Select Club companies are wound up by the High Court following investigation by the Companies Investigation Branch.

24^th of July. The Official Receiver has been appointed as provisional liquidator to Full Circle Management Limited. Details here.

17^th of June. Police in Pathos, Cyprus, have started a major clamp-down on timeshare touts on the street.

12^th of June. The Daily Mirror describes the misery of an investor in timeshare with Resort Properties, Tenerife. See here

28^th of May. Enforcement agencies throughout Europe join forces to stop the activities of bogus holiday clubs. Details here.

26^th of May. The Consumer Protection Regulations become law in the UK.

19^th of May. Diamond Resorts (UK based) offer their points members the opportunity to withdraw from membership without any penalty.

7^th of January. The Consumer Affairs committee of the European Parliament approve amendments to the proposed new Timeshare Law.

Timeshare News – 2007

18^th of December. The House of Lords endorses the European Commission plans for an improved Timeshare Directive but recommends that the cooling-off period should be 21, not 14, days. Full report

12th of December. Club Sunterra is renamed “THE Club” in a re-branding exercise by their new owners, Diamond Resorts Inc, of Las Vegas.

12^th of December. The Unfair Commercial Practices (“UCP”) Directive becomes law.

5^th of November. IAC Corp announces plans to spin off into five separate companies, one of them being Interval International.

31^st of October. The House of Lords decided that the use of a credit card overseas will continue to be protected by the Consumer Credit Act.

24^th of October. There will be an update of the John Palmer story in “Roger Cook’s Greatest Hits” on ITV1 on Tuesday 30 October at 9pm

6^th of October. VOICE (“Vacation Owners Independent Coalition in Europe”), a joint venture between OTE and TATOC, which was established to provide consumer advice, is to close in December 2007.

5^th of October. The Office of Fair Trading (“OFT”) Scam busters Team launch a campaign to warn consumers about becoming involved with bogus holiday clubs.

2^nd of October. Credit card issuers will today appear at the House of Lords to appeal the Court of Appeal judgment that section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 applies to overseas transactions.

22^nd of August. A claim for damages, in the Nevada Court, is filed against Diamond Resorts, who bought Sunterra Corp. in April 2007, alleging that Sunterra Corp. misled their stockholders.

2nd August. Hilton opens a new hotel and timeshare resort (Hilton Grand Vacation Club) in Vilamoura, Portugal

14^th of July. John Palmer is arrested by Spanish Police and held in custody in Madrid on allegations of bribery, arms possession, corruption, money-laundering, drug-trafficking, forging credit cards and passports, issuing threats and ordering acts of violence.

3^rd of July. Butlins opens their new Timeshare apartments at Minehead, Somerset.

7^th of June. European Commission announce their proposals for a new Timeshare Directive.

15^th of May. TCA moves to larger offices.

18^th of April. The Chief Executive of OTE, Anthony Arke, resigns.

1^st of March. The European Commission, the Office of Fair Trading (London) and the Spanish Consumer Centres (Madrid) have joined forces to warn consumers about the dangers of becoming involved in holiday clubs.

1^st of February. February is “Scams Awareness Month” as the Office of Fair Trading advise consumers to avoid invitations to holiday club presentations. Full details

23^rd of January. The appeal by Holiday Options against a Gloucester Court decision that Shakespeare Classic Line Houseboats (at Barton Turns Marina) were covered by the Timeshare Act 1992 failed.

9^th of January. Montechorro Beach Club (now called Oura View Beach Club) launches an owners group –website here

Timeshare News – 2006

29^th of December. Department of Trade & Industry (“DTI”) announce improved consumer protection from cross-border scams such as timeshare and holiday club rogue operators. Full details here.

14^th of December. The Lanzarote Beach Club Members Association (LBCMA) announce the launch of their long awaited criminal case in Lanzarote against eight, as yet unnamed, defendants. Details atwww.lbcma.org

21^st of October. Tenerife police announce further arrests of individuals involved in the resale scam.

4^th of October. The European Commission publish the full text of all submissions to their review of the Timeshare Directive Click Here (a very large file!)

11^th of August. Seasons Holidays plc purchase Clowance Estate & Country Club and announce plans for 42 new units to be sold on a sale and leaseback basis.

31^st of July. Butlins announces their “Blueskies” timeshare development alongside their holiday resorts at Minehead, Somerset. (28 July) Nick Benson, CEO of Sunterra Corp. is formally dismissed [See 22 June below]

22^nd of July. Paramount Holiday Pass introduce new, low cost, access to timeshare accommodation in a competitive challenge to conventional timeshare ownership plus exchange. Details.

19^th of July. European Commission organise a debate in Brussels on the review of the Timeshare Directive. Agenda. Participants.

17^th of July. Following the unsolved murders of Billy & Flo Robinson on Tenerife in January 2006 the Spanish police are setting up a GRECO (Grupos de Respuesta Especial al Crimen Organizado) squad to combat organised crime on the island.

22nd June. Nick Benson, Chief Executive Officer of Sunterra Corp. in Las Vegas and previously Managing Director of Sunterra Europe, is suspended pending the outcome of investigations into allegations of tax irregularities in Europe. Details

16^th of June. Gloucester County Court Judge decides that Classic Houseboats at Barton Turns Marina are regulated by the Timeshare Act 1992.

1^st of June. European Commission publish a discussion document for the review of the Timeshare Directive. Details

25^th of May. Police on the Costa del Sol announce that they arrested eight people in connection with an alleged holiday club and timeshare resale fraud amounting to 20,000,000 euros.

8^th of May. Classic Houseboats at Barton Turns Marina are refused planning permission

27^th of April. David Harris employment as Chief Executive Officer of Sunterra Europe Ltd is terminated.

25^th of April. Sunterra Europe Ltd admit to failing to pay withholding tax to the Spanish authorities amounting to $3.1M. This sum has now been paid.
29^th of March. Spanish police arrest 28 people working for Design Vacation in Tenerife alleging the fraudulent sale of holiday club memberships, mainly to Germans.

26^th of March. Department of Trade & Industry close down PR Holidays Ltd. who were selling membership of an internet based holiday club, Network Vacations.

22^nd of March. The Court of Appeal ruled that the use of credit cards abroad was covered by the Consumer Credit Act following a successful appeal by the Office of Fair Trading.

17^th of March. Cendant Corp announce that their Hospitality Services Division (which includes RCI) will be “spun-off” from the main Cendant Corp company and renamed Wyndham Worldwide. This is expected to happen late in 2006.

16^th of March. An American law firm launches a class action against RCI on behalf of RCI Weeks members alleging that RCI rent out the higher demand weeks instead of providing them to members for exchange. Details

11^th of February. Seventeen British citizens are arrested in Costa del Sol on allegations of operating a “resale” scam.

1^st of February. TCA publish their annual report on the timeshare industry in Europe.

13^th of January. Billy and Florence Robinson, who were selling at Tenerife Royal Gardens, Tenerife are brutally murdered on the island.

6^th of January. Jeff Armstrong, convicted of a series of timeshare frauds amounting to over half a million pounds, is sentenced in Manchester to 39 months in prison.

Timeshare News – 2005

27^th of December. Marriott Vacation Club International warn members that their database containing personal and financial details of over 200,000 members (and employees) has been stolen from their Florida offices.

19^th of December. The Office of Fair Trading obtain a High Court injunction against Mr Gurdeep Singh for breaching his earlier undertaking in respect of OMI Club by continuing the same pyramid selling practices under VIP Club.

6^th of December. Macdonald Hotels announces plans to develop the Cardrona Hotel, Peebles to include timeshare accommodation.

9^th of November. A Lanzarote court has awarded 13 French couples compensation totalling €215,010 for loss of their membership in the Lanzarote Beach Club. The compensation is to be paid by the company currently operating the old timeshare resort.

24^th of October. Cendant Corp. announce that they are splitting their business into four separate companies. No names have yet been chosen for these companies but one of the company’s will be made up from the merging of RCI with Vacation Rental Group.

14^th of September. “Visit Florida” (the State tourist organisation) warns UK citizens to avoid being misled by bogus companies. Details. See also

5^th of September. Travel-works Ltd and its director Ms Nicola Hudson have given undertakings to the Office of Fair Trading that they will stop making misleading claims. This follows similar undertakings made by Atlantis Vacations Ltd and its director Ms Lisa Bradshaw earlier in the year.

4^th of September. Lynch Hotels launch an RCI points based scheme for a 5-year timeshare ownership at three of their hotels in Ireland.

15^th of August. The Herald newspaper reports that the attempt by Macdonald Resorts to wrest back control of Loch Rannoch resort (see 23 June) has failed.

3^rd of August. DTI wind up Network Vacations and Intasun Holidays UK in the public interest. Both companies were the subject of press criticism in Scotland in 2003.

11^th of July. Sunterra announces substantial reductions in numbers of staff in Europe designed to reduce costs by $3 million a year from 2006.

11^th of July. Timeshare Consumers Association changes its legal structure from a Members Club to a Company limited by Guarantee.

27^th of June. Walton Hall, near Stratford upon Avon, has been sold for £15.2M to Dawnay Shore Hotels and will be converted from a timeshare resort into a luxury hotel and conference centre.

23^rd of June. The Herald newspaper reports that Macdonald Resorts are trying to wrest back control of the Loch Rannoch resort from the owners who took over control two years ago.

11^th of June. Macdonald Hotels & Resorts issue County Court claims against owners who have not paid annual management fees. A new forum for Macdonald owners is at macd.ecclesweb.co.uk/

10^th of June. Sunterra announce details of a “points trial buy-back scheme” for selected members of Club Sunterra

25^th of May. Nigel Moore and Paul Charleston, who had defrauded 1,200 consumers out of £3M in various holiday internet scams, were debarred from being directors for 10 years. Their companies, which were compulsorily liquidated in 2002, were Travel-masters Ltd, Mediterranean Marketing Ltd, Call-masters UK Ltd, CCH International Ltd, Inter-sun Ltd and Leisure-masters Ltd.

6^th of May. Lawyers representing groups of consumers in UK, France and other European countries presented documents to the Court in Madrid alleging fraud by eight named individuals in respect of the consumer’s membership of Lanzarote Beach Club, Lanzarote Beach Club 2 or International Vacation Club.

6^th of May. John Palmer is declared bankrupt by the High Court in London. Palmer, who is still in prison, is hoping for parole in late May.

1^st of May. Which? (Consumers Association) publish an article advising consumers how to avoid the holiday club touts.

19^th of April. The directors of Intenta Marketing Ltd.(now in liquidation), Andrew Hennessy and Simon Hadley, have signed undertakings with the OFT not to mislead consumers whilst promoting membership of a holiday club.

8^th of April. Following action by the OFT, One World Holiday Club (which sells membership of “Club Atlantis”) have signed undertakings that they will stop making misleading statements and stop harassing purchasers. Full details

29^th of March. Designer Way Vacation Club SA (a company in the Timelinx Group), and all its European based marketing agents, have agreed to provide a 7 day cooling off period to purchasers and have agreed not to make misleading statements about the benefits of DWVC membership.

14^th of February. Action Group Scotland Against Sunterra launch their campaign for compensation.

19^th of January. Charter International and Charterline are wound up by the Court – see 20 October 2004.

8^th of January. International Herald Tribune comment on the worldwide timeshare industry.

6^th of January. E Kirk Shelton, former top executive of Cendant (owners of RCI) is convicted of a number of frauds, involving inflating revenue by $500M, by a US court.

5^th of January. Seasons Holidays plc announce a new marketing campaign in the UK involving the distribution of free “Seasons” branded playing cards.

Timeshare News – 2004

30^th of December. Platinum Travel.com Ltd. has given written undertakings to Glasgow City Council that it will stop making misleading claims about the holiday club memberships that it sells.

21^st of December. The Office of Fair Trading announce that they are to appeal the ruling made on 12 November in respect of the Consumer Credit Act.

15^th of December. DTI has closed down Echo Beach Vacations Ltd, Sheffield, for failing to honour promises of “free” holidays.

1^st of December. As part of a new campaign to reduce “mass-marketed scams” the Office of Fair Trading plan to crack down on holidays clubs which they call the “new timeshare”.

26^th of November. Hazel Green Village Club/Wootton Creek Village Club resolve to wind up.

24^th of November. The Isle of Man planning department granted outline planning permission for a leisure complex which includes 51 timeshare suites on the island.

16^th of November. Timeshare Consumers Association launch “Sunterra Compensation Group” in liaison with law firm Irwin Mitchell.

12^th of November. The High Court rules that Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 does not generally apply to overseas transactions. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) have said that they are considering appealing this ruling.

12^th of November. Hazel Green Village (aka Wootton Creek Village) closes as a timeshare resort. A Special General Meeting has been called for 26 November with a resolution to wind up the Club.

20^th of October. DTI petition for Charter International UK Ltd, Chaterline Services Ltd and Countrywide Enterprises UK Ltd to be wound up.

6^th of October. Macdonald Hotels abandons a claim for £800,000 against the three committee members at Loch Rannoch Highland Club and have agreed not to attend the Club AGM on Saturday 8 October.

1^st of October. Langdale Leisure launch a new timeshare development “The Lodges on Loch Ness” in Scotland.

1^st of September. Members of the Loch Rannoch Highland Club are told that the Club made a modest profit in its first year of independence, despite having reduced annual fees by 18.5% , and that fees for the current year will be further reduced by 5%

28^th of July. Bankruptcy proceedings are started against John Palmer by lawyers Irwin Mitchell on behalf of successful compensation claimants.

21^st of July. The Office of Fair Trading are to apply to the High Court tomorrow asking for a declaration that Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 applies to transaction abroad.

20^th of July. John Palmer wins the right to have his “security” status reviewed by the prison authorities.

19^th of July. John Palmer applies to the High Court for the right to be moved to an open prison. The Home Office is expected to object on the grounds that he could not be trusted and that there is a serious risk that he may escape.

16^th of July. Malcom Bruce, MP for Gordon, launches a campaign in the UK Parliament to include holiday clubs within the same laws that protect timeshare buyers.

1^st of July. Maltese Government introduce a law (effective 25 May 2026) to control timeshare street touts by licensing.

24^th of June. John Palmer is ordered by the Court to pay one of his mistresses, Saskia Mundinger, £3M.

23^rd of June. RCI Europe plan a £7M direct marketing campaign to try to improve its relationship with European members.

22nd June. Citizens Advice launch a website to help shoppers who encounter problems with goods and services bought in another EU country. Citizens Advice say that four out of ten complaints relate to timeshare and timeshare-like purchases. Link: www.eurocounsumer.org

29^th of May Macdonald Hotels plans for a hotel, private housing, 90 timeshare apartments and a golf course in Aberdeenshire are threatened by resistance by the local planning committee.

28^th of May. The European Commission plan a major crackdown on rogue traders through much tougher laws and greater cooperation between authorities throughout Europe to enforce these laws. Specifically targeted are “holiday clubs”.

28^th of May. Brothers, Ronald and John Popely, and 6 others have, been disqualified from acting as directors of companies in the UK as a result of the DTI investigation into the failure of Hever Vacation Club, Hever Racing Club plc (and eight other companies) which were wound up in 2000.

20^th of May. John Palmer is ordered to pay £3.89M compensation, plus costs, in respect of the civil claim originated by the TCA and managed by solicitors Irwin Mitchell.

10^th of May. De Vere Hotel group obtain planning permission for a golf and leisure resort on the banks of Loch Lomond which includes 96 “five star” timeshare lodges.

6^th of May. John Palmer criminal compensation claimants receive payment of their claims in full.

2^nd of April. Eric Vickers – who ran Time2Share in Aberfoyle – is convicted of fraud and sentenced to 200 hours’ community service and ordered to pay compensation (see 23 November 2025)

1^st of April. A survey by Interval International and Marriott Vacation Club International indicates that approx. 13% of UK adults are interested in purchasing holiday ownership.

12^th of March. First payments are made to Palmer victims under the criminal compensation order.

25^th of February. John Palmer, jailed for fraud in 2001, was ordered to pay £3.25M into court within 28 days or lose the right to defend the compensation claim made by many of his victims.

11^th of February. The Office of Fair Trading obtains undertakings from Cyber Travel (UK) Ltd, and Meridian Marketing Ltd that they will not, in future, make misleading statements to consumers. Mr Peter Johnston, an ex-director of Cyber Travel (UK) Ltd, also gave similar undertakings.

8^th of February. Loch Rannoch Highland Club AGM decisively rejects proposals by Macdonald Hotels which would have enabled Macdonald Hotels to recover the management contract for the club.

29^th of January. Flanesford Priory Owners Club (managed by Sunterra Corp) is wound up and it is resolved to sell the property.

28^th of January. Following the appointment of a Receiver to Thurnham Leisure Group, Sunterra announce that they have purchased the common areas and assets of Thurnham Hall, Cromer Country Club and Club Britannia for approximately £2M

27^th of January. The appeal by John Palmer against the compensation order is rejected. Over 400 victims can now expect to receive compensation within a couple of months.

6^th of January. Office of Fair Trading (OFT) obtained an undertaking from Discovery Concepts Ltd and director Mr Frank Madden not to mislead consumers about “free” holidays offered to attend presentations for holiday club membership and their relationship with timeshare exchange companies. The Company and Mr Madden also undertook to notify consumers of their right to a 7 day cooling off period under the “Doorstep” Regulations where the sales presentations took place in a hotel.

Timeshare News – 2003

28^th of December. Gleneagles says that it has sold over 400 weeks of timeshare in its Glenmor resort in the first year at an average price of £21,500.

18^th of December. John Palmer applies to the Court of Appeal for the compensation order made against him for £2. 3M should be reduced by up to £800,000. A full hearing is expected on 14 January 2004.

5^th of December. Satish Singh, who controlled liquidated company Oyster Leisure Limited, was refused a credit licence by the Office of Fair Trading applied for by another company controlled by Satish Singh, Worldscape.com Limited.

23^rd of November. Eric Vickers, who ran Time2Share Ltd in Aberfoyle in 1998 and 1999 is charged with timeshare fraud. He denies the charges.

12^th of November. Macdonald Resorts launch their own brand of points, “Options”, in conjunction with Interval International. Existing owners of weeks will be able to continue to use RCI.

5^th of November. Citizens Advice launch a campaign to persuade the British and European Governments to tighten up the timeshare laws to remove loopholes such as holiday clubs, narrow boats and timeshare resale scams . More details

31^st of October. The Timeshare Act 1992 is amended to require a statement about the right to a cooling off period to be included on the purchase agreement close to the place where the purchaser signs.

19^th of October. Members of Airtours Beach Club form an Owners Group to seek to resolve problems at the resort.

8^th of October. Dial an Exchange, based in Yorkshire, has absorbed Donitas Exchange, based in California, to form the “third force in the timeshare exchange market”.

6^th of October. The very first timeshare company, Hapimag (which launched in 1967 in Switzerland) re-opens its San Augustin resort in Gran Canaria after a £2.45M refurbishment.

1^st of October. Office of Fair Trading issue their warning leaflet about buying a timeshare or holiday club membership. Details on www.oft.gov.uk

23^rd of September. Manchester born timeshare salesman, Robert Terence Graham, working in Spain, is arrested by police investigating the murder of two young women in Spain

22^nd of September. Lisa de-Ville Bradshaw and Timothy John Roberts, both officers in failed company Travel Quest Group Ltd, have given undertakings to the Office of Fair Trading not to publish misleading advertisements or breach consumer contracts in relation to offers of free flights or accommodation to consumers attending timeshare promotions – at any time in the future.

15^th of September. Marriott International announces plans for a new timeshare development in Alicante, Spain.

4^th of September. Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) succeed in having 5 companies, involved in selling “holiday club” memberships in the UK, wound up. The companies include The Travellers Guild, Travel Concepts LLC, Riverside Travel Services Ltd and Buckingham Leisure Ltd.

3^rd of September. Grand Vacation Company Ltd is to change its name to Sunterra Europe Ltd to create a common image throughout the world for the “Sunterra” brand name. Grand Vacation Club Ltd (the members club) will be asked in October to change their name to Club Sunterra.

18^th of August Samordningsforeningen for Timeshareagre i Norden (Organisation for Timeshare Owners in Nordic Countries) joins the Alliance of Timeshare Consumers in Europe (ATCE).

14^th of August. An English company claiming to be managing Vistamar Apartments, Portugal has failed in its legal attempts to extort money from owners.

13^th of August. Marriott Vacation Club International open their third timeshare resort in Spain at Playa Andaluza, close to their Marbella Beach resort.

4^th of August. Diamond Vacation Club Ltd (of Bolton, Lances) is placed into voluntary liquidation.

25^th of July. Lanzarote Beach Club (LBC) is criticised in France (le Monde) and in Britain (BBC) for forcing many owners out of the resort by charging excessive annual fees. Full report in www.lbcma.org

17^th of July. Mohamed Derbah, one time associate of jailed timeshare fraudster John Palmer, is arrested in connection with the financing of al Qaeda.

16^th of July. Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) petition to wind up 5 companies involved in selling “holiday club” memberships in the UK. The companies include The Travellers Guild, Buckingham Leisure and Travel Concepts LLC (a US company).

12^th of July. Swiss police target Spanish resale fraudsters using Swiss banks to collect their payments.

9^th of July. Malta plans to tighten controls on timeshare street touts to stop them annoying visitors to the island.

7^th of July. Gleneagles launches a £25M timeshare development in the grounds of the 850 acre Perthshire estate.

26^th of June. Two mistresses of John Palmer, Saskia Mundinger and Christina Ketley, are planning to apply to the Courts for substantial financial settlements for themselves and their children by Palmer.

25^th of June. Marriott Vacation Club International open their first resort in France, Marriott’s Village d’ile-de-France, near Paris.

21^st of June. The European Commission publish a proposal for a Directive to outlaw “Unfair commercial practices” which would include misleading consumers and the use of aggressive practices.

20^th of June. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) takes two credit card issuers – Lloyds TSB and Tesco Personal Finance – to court claiming that Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act applies to purchases made whilst abroad. The outcome of this case could have a major impact on timeshare and holiday club purchasers.

18^th of June. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) publish guidelines for closer co-operation of European enforcement agencies to combat cross-border fraud – including timeshare and holiday clubs.

10^th of June. An independent management company, Timeshare Management Services Ltd (TMSL), are to take over the management contract of Loch Rannoch Highland Club as from 1 July 2026 from Barratt International Resorts Ltd (BIRL). TMSL are urging all owners to only pay their management fees to TMSL and not to BIRL.”

6^th of June. Interpol establish a Pan-Europe operation to combat timeshare fraud. Victims are asked to report any suspicion of a timeshare fraud to their local police.

3^rd of June. Park Street, Mayfair, London is the address of the latest fractional ownership scheme in the UK operated by Marriott Grand Vacation Residence Club.

23^rd of May. Lord Woolf, Lord Chief Justice, rules that it was wrong for John Palmer to be allowed to keep the £33M which was originally confiscated from him but returned to him on appeal. But Lord Woolf’s decision will not require Palmer to pay the money as the appeal ruling cannot be overturned. Lord Woolf’s decision will have far ranging impact on future appeals against confiscation orders.

10^th of May. Owners at Lanzarote Beach Club receive a second levy this year, having already paid the management fees.

2^nd of May. At a specially convened Annual General Meeting of the Loch Rannoch Highland Club the three Committee members earlier interdicted (see 6 March) were re-elected by a large majority.

23^rd of April. Ragatz Associates (RCI) report that timeshare sales in the US increased by 14% in 2002.

17^th of April. New Zealand timeshare company fined NZ.$30,000 (£10,500) for misleading consumers when offering a free holiday to attend a timeshare presentation.

7^th of April. One of the longest established UK timeshare websites – Timeshare UK – gets a big makeover.

28^th of March. Legal action started by OTE against seven holiday companies based in Spain fails. OTE say that they will appeal.

28^th of March. Office of Fair Trading launch a major campaign – spearheaded by Esther Rantzen – to warn consumers of the problems of Holiday Club membership.

20^th of March. Office of Fair Trading approve the ABTA Code of Conduct under their “Kitemark” scheme.

6^th of March. Scottish Judge rescinds the interdict obtained by Barratt International Resorts Ltd on the three elected Committee Members at Loch Rannoch Highland Club. Full details.

30^th of January. Macdonald Hotels planning application for a hotel and timeshare complex in Grassmere (Lake District) meets with local objections to having a timeshare development on their doorstep.

23^rd of January. Cendant Corp increase the number of employees in the Cork (Eire) call centre to 735. They now have staff from 30 different countries speaking 18 different languages.

9^th of January. Cendant Corp. (parent company of RCI) plan to raise $2billion in loan notes to repay existing loans which, according to their Finance Director will help provide Cendant with ample liquidity for future plans.

Timeshare News – 2002

20^th of December. DTI apply to have 14 companies connected with the internet based club The Travel Association wound up. The companies include Holiday Direct (UK) Ltd, Club Direct Travel Ltd, Vacations Direct UK Ltd and Manor Farm Promotions Ltd.

12^th of December. DTI wind up six companies involved in mis-selling internet based holidays. The companies include Travel-masters Ltd, Call-masters UK Ltd, CCH International Ltd (Bahamas), Inter-sun Ltd and Leisure-masters Ltd.

26^th of November. Hapimag, the very original timeshare developer based in Switzerland, announces a new resort in Sylt in northern Germany

6^th of November. The Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) announce proposals for minor changes to the Timeshare Act 1992.

3^rd of November. TCA launch a campaign to find 16,000 potential victims of the John Palmer frauds.

25^th of October. Citrus Hotels, which recently bought the Edinburgh and Glasgow Residences (see 30 July) announce that they have now sold the Edinburgh Residence to an unnamed buyer.

22^nd of October. Donald Gonczy, a US citizen, was sentenced to seven years’ jail for his part in a timeshare “valuation” fraud which cost 38,000 owners a total of $15.4M Other members of his family were also sentenced.

15^th of October. Hapimag – the very first timeshare company, based in Switzerland – opens a new 100 units resort in Orlando-Lake, Florida.

12^th of October. Russian Government is to introduce a licensing scheme for sellers of timeshare and holiday clubs. Licences will run for a period of five years.

19^th of September. Three banks, HSBC, Bank of Scotland and Sainsbury’s Bank confirm that they will in future not differentiate against claims made abroad under the Consumer Credit Act.

2^nd of September. Gleneagles Hotel, Scotland, obtains planning permission, after three attempts, for a timeshare development close to the hotel.

29^th of August. Office of Fair Trading appeal for victims of timeshare and holiday club frauds in Spain to enable the OFT to apply for “Stop Now” orders under their new powers covering the whole of the European Union.

12^th of August. Seasons Holidays plc, Direct Tours & Travel and Vacation World were fined a total £18,000 (plus £3,000 costs) for making false claims in respect of “free holiday” promotions.

31^st of July. Spanish police announce that timeshare frauds valued at one hundred million Euro have been perpetrated against an estimated 70.000 Europeans.

30^th of July. Sunterra Corp – parent company of Grand Vacation Company – emerges from bankruptcy in the US more than two years after seeking court protection from its creditors

30^th of July. Edinburgh Residence and One Devonshire Gardens (Glasgow) have been bought by a company headed by Richard Harrington and Ian Ganney – who sold their LSI business to Sunterra/GVC four years ago. (See 18 Oct 2025)

19^th of July. The Alliance of Timeshare Consumers in Europe – ATCE – is formed by the consumer organisations in France, Germany and the UK. TCA is the UK member of ATCE.

12^th of July. John Palmer makes a second appeal against his conviction. The Appeal Court reserves its judgement.

4^th of July. Strasbourg Parliament vote 431 to nil to adopt the Legal Affairs Committee report – see 19 June.

19^th of June. Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament publish proposals for major changes to the EU Timeshare Directive, to be debated by the European Parliament shortly.

14^th of June. Further arrests see 6 Nov and 23 Nov, 2001) of eleven people in connection with timeshare and other frauds took place yesterday in Tenerife and the Costa del Sol. A number of Britons are involved including associates of jailed John Palmer.

8^th of June. USA Interactive Corp – a company specialising in controlling companies with internet booking systems – buys Interval International.

29^th of May. RCI announce a rental scheme to enable any holiday maker to rent timeshare accommodation surplus to the requirements of RCI Weeks and RCI Points

20^th of May. The Irish “European Consumer Centre” comprehensively reports on problems for timeshare and holiday club consumers.

30^th of April. Office of Fair Trading admit to conducting an informal investigation into sales which are excluded from the Timeshare Act 1992 (as amended)

19^th of April John Palmer was ordered by the Court to hand over £33M which was said to represent the loss to those of his clients that he defrauded.

15^th of April eBay, the world’s largest internet based sales operators, have linked with RCI to provide a website for resorts and owners to offer their resale weeks for sale.

11^th of April Five people were arrested in Tenerife by the Spanish police in respect of allegations of major timeshare frauds on the island. These allegations are believed to be associated with the arrests made in 23 November 2001. [see 23 Nov]

11^th of April. The appeal by John Palmer against his conviction, on the grounds that an indictment was not signed, fails. Palmer is said to be making a further appeal on different grounds later this year.

9^th of April. An attempt is being made to appeal the conviction of John Palmer on the basis that the indictment document was unsigned. After two trials lasting more than a year and costing an estimated £15m. (See 23 May 2026)

2^nd of April Cendant Corp (parent company of RCI) buys Trendwest, a timeshare operator with 48 resorts in the Eastern side of the US. Cendant had previously purchased Fairfield and Equivest in the Western US.

14^th of March. Plans to develop a timeshare resort at Gleneagles were finally rejected by the Scottish Executive after an appeal against a planning decision.

22^nd of February. Paula Woodgate, previously Managing Director of Interval International in Europe, takes over as Chief Executive Officer of Grand Vacation Company in Europe following the move of Nick Benson to be CEO of Sunterra Corporation in the US.

14^th of February. Cendant Corp (the US parent of RCI) announced that it has bought Equivest Finance Inc, a major timeshare marketing and finance company, merging it into Fairfield Resorts (with 30 resorts in the US). Cendant already own Century 21, a leading US reseller, recently linked with the UK reseller Primeshare.

1^st of February. Sunterra Corp (the parent company of GVC) has filed plans for financial reconstruction so that it can come out of Chapter 11 (protection from bankruptcy) in the US.

1^st of February. “Sorted” of the Mirror exposes a timeshare crook, Sydney Goodchild, who is now on the run in the US. Sorted claim that Goodchild has at least nine other alias names and has been active in the UK

28^th of January. Disney boosts timeshare confidence in the US with a change of use of part of a major hotel into a timeshare complex as part of the Disney Vacation Club.

24^th of January. At the creditors meeting of Residence International Ltd the Receiver warned timeshare owners that their contracts cannot be guaranteed

13^th of January. LBC Members Association resolve to continue to fight for a “fair deal” for owners at Lanzarote Beach Club. Details

5^th of January. Holiday Which? publishes a report on European timeshare indicating that recent legislation has had little effect in reducing consumer problems. Included in its recommendations are improved rights of owners.

Timeshare News – 2001

14^th of December. Matt Ferguson, an owner at Barratt, Forest Hills, loses his court case to show that a levy imposed by Barratt was unconstitutional.

1^st of December. Malta implements the final part of their new Timeshare Act which gives purchasers a 10 day cooling off period.

26^th of November. Department of Trade & Industry issue a warning about timeshare resales

25^th of November. News of the World invites its readers to send in their experiences of timeshare resales for a future article.

23^rd of November. Three Britons have been arrested in Tenerife, along with a Lebanese citizen, Mohammed Debra, charged with offences involving drugs, arms trafficking and timeshare fraud.

22nd of November. Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament held a public hearing of timeshare experts, including representatives from OTE and consumer body, to help the Committee formulate their proposals for a review of the European Timeshare Directive.

17^th of November. Marriott Vacation Club announce plans for a new resort at Disneyland, Paris. The resort is projected to open in June 2003

6^th of November. We are receiving, so far unsubstantiated, reports of a number of arrests on the Costa del Sol of individuals believed to be involved in the Spanish resale scams – see 25 Oct below.

24^th of October. Two “freebie” holiday companies are wound up by the court – Incentive Marketing Ltd and Holidays Direct Travel Ltd, better known as “Holidays Direct” – for failing to provide holidays they promised to 65,000 consumers.

18^th of October. Residence International Ltd (developer of the Edinburgh, Glasgow and Paris “Residences”) is placed into receivership. Ron Haylock, recently elected Chairman of OTE, was a Director of Residence International. Ltd.

18^th of Oct. TCA announce a plan to recover money paid by owners to fraudulent resellers operating out of Spain.

11^th of October Kenneth Noye, a close associate of jailed timeshare crook, John Palmer, lost his appeal against conviction for the “M25 murder”. It was disclosed that Palmer had assisted Noye to avoid arrest.

30^th of September. Cendent (parent of RCI) issue a profits warning after the downturn in tourism confidence following the attack on 11 September.

29^th of September Morritt Marketing Ltd of Derby was ordered by a County Court Judge to repay a pensioner who had claimed that the verbal promises made to him when he was sold membership of Diamond VSI did not materialise. (Derby Telegraph report)

29^th of September Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) update their “guide to Timeshare” website –

28^th of September. Scottish brothers, Scott and Steven Miller, were found guilty by a Paris court of defrauding “many thousands” of French citizens in “Free” holiday scam. They were both given suspended sentences. Eight others were on trial, six of whom were discharged, the others receiving suspended sentences.

26^th of September Essex based Somerville Leisure plc – also known as Dream Leisure Club – was wound up following a DTI investigation. Members of Dream Leisure Club should address their enquiries to the Official Receiver.

21^st of September. Benalmadena (Costa del Sol) toughens up on street timeshare touts with heavier fines.

10^th of September DTI apply to the Courts for two companies trading as “Holidays Direct” to be wound up. The companies are Incentive Marketing Ltd and Holidays Direct Travel Ltd

7^th of September. RCI announces that it will have disaffiliated 124 resorts by the end of this year because of “poor quality”

15^th of August. Universal Vacation Club and Universal Vacations have been bought by RMI (Gibraltar) Ltd. This acquisition will increase the RMI portfolio of eight resorts currently owned and managed.

14^th of August. Department of Trade & Industry wind up two “Free Holiday” companies – Expanding Horizons Ltd and Vacation Time Ltd, including the holiday club “Quality Vacation Club” – in the public interest.

10^th of August. A High Court Judge ordered that the companies owned by John Palmer (see 23 May) should be investigated in an attempt to seize the proceeds from his crime.

9^th of August. Ten US citizens are charged with a resale appraisal (valuation) fraud claimed to have defrauded $12M from 20,000 US timeshare owners.

20^th of July. Consumer Minister, Melanie Johnson, launches a major campaign to warn consumers against the dangers of holiday clubs. The campaign is supported by ABTA who have asked their 7,000 travel agent members to make a leaflet – see 18 July – available to travellers.

18^th of July. DTI publish a leaflet “Timeshare – making the right choice” warning holidaymakers about loopholes in existing timeshare laws which could limit their protection. to view on their website.

12^th of July. The case in the Hamilton Sherriff Court between Barratt International Resorts Ltd and Mr Matthew Ferguson was not completed in the allotted three days and is expected to continue in October.

12^th of July. Malta Government are to introduce the first stage of their Regulation providing protection for timeshare purchasers on 15 September 2001. The final stage, on 1 December 2001, will bring Malta into line with the European Directive on Timeshare.

10^th of July. Dial-an-Exchange offer to help owners at Lanzarote Beach Club following the withdrawal by Interval International of exchange facilities.

2^nd of July. John Palmer’s girlfriend, Christina Ketley, was given a two year suspended prison sentence for her part in his timeshare fraud. See 23 May, below.

24^th of June. The Annual General Meeting of the Palm Beach Owners Club was abandoned following allegations of irregularities in the voting procedure. It is expected to be re-convened in Edinburgh in a month.

21^st of June. Seasons Holidays transfer allegiance from RCI to Interval International – and launch a scathing attack on RCI Points.

20^th of June. Holiday Travel Watch launch their new website at www.holidaytravelwatch.com – to answer queries and problems with holidays and travel.

9^th of June. “Timeshare News” is launched as an independent printed publication for owners.

(23 May) The largest timeshare criminal trial in the world ends with John Palmer being sentenced to 8 years in prison for defrauding some 16,000 timeshare owners out of an estimated £40M over a 6-year period.

11^th of May. The Scotsman newspaper reports that two Scottish brothers have been accused of swindling 2,700 people out of nearly 100 million French francs (£10M) by selling them non-existent timeshares. Their trial starts in Paris on 21 May.

2^nd of May. Consumers Association “Holiday Which” magazine quotes a Grand Vacation Club purchaser as an example of a credit agreement signed incorrectly, the purchaser eventually had their agreement cancelled.

1^st of May. The Marriott Vacation Club Int. move into timeshare in Eurasia continues with their announcement of a new resort called Marriott’s Phuket Beach Club. Marriott are already involved in an up-market resort development in the Canaries.

10^th of April. Kim Howells, Consumer Minister, launches a crackdown on rogue traders – including timeshare touts (throughout Europe) who use pressure selling techniques. The “Stop Now Orders” will come into force on 1 June 2026

4^th of April. The Grand Vacation Club (GVC) call centre at Burton-on-Trent is highlighted by Channel 4 News with a story that operators are put under heavy pressure to perform – including clocking in and out of the loo!

2^nd of April. MacDonald Hotels plc announce that they now own 100% of Barratt International Resorts Ltd (BIRL) having purchased the 50% they previously did not own from Barratt Developments plc

2^nd of April RCI launch their “RCI Points” worldwide – and RCI Points Members re-launch their MORPS group, including www.morps.org

31^st of March. The Daily Telegraph issues a warning about Holiday Clubs advising great caution.

10^th of March Club Resorts International Ltd – “CRI” – changes its name to RCI Points Ltd. Full report atwww.morps.org;

28^th of February. Holiday Which? magazine warns timeshare owners to avoid dodgy resellers.

24^th of February. Owners at Stratford Court & Stratford Court Cruisers form a Concerned Owners group.

20^th of February. Three owner’s groups are formed to enable an exchange of information about the operation of their Club. Click to link to: CRI Points members UVC members.

13^th of February. A major resale scam breaks in the US involving 20,000 timeshare owners. The allegations claim a systemic fraud to persuade owners to make up-front payments for appraisal (valuation) fees totalling over $20M.

2^nd of February. Kim Howells, Consumer Minister, announces major funding to help Trading Standards officers tackle rogue traders across national and international boundaries.

31^st of January Cendant Corp. (owners of RCI) announce the purchase of Holiday Cottages Group Ltd., the leading UK brand in the holiday cottage rental sector. Holiday Cottages Group Ltd. have 12,000 properties in UK, France and Ireland.

7^th of January Sunday Express warns timeshare owners about resale touts who take any up-front money.

5^th of January Timesharer Magazine is to cease publication, the current issue (Jan – Feb 2001) being the last. Started over three years ago as the only independent publication for UK owners, it was not considered viable to continue, according to the publishers.

Timeshare News – 2000

31^st of December. Sunday Times reports that Sun-weeks International boss, David Gray, is being probed by the Official Receiver.

30^th of December. Hazel Green Village Concerned Owners Group publishes its first newsletter.

17^th of December. Mail on Sunday publish a warning to owners about sending money to Platinum Properties, Spain on their promise to sell a timeshare at greatly enhanced prices.

16^th of December. International Herald Tribune publishes a worldwide review of timeshare based on a profile of TCA

15^th of December. Stephen Byers, Trade & Industry secretary, announces tougher measures to stop persistent rogue traders – including sellers of timeshares.

15^th of December. RCI announce “RCI Points” – an effective merger of GPN (Global Points Network – based in the US) and CRI (Club Resorts International – based in Europe) – to produce a worldwide standardised points system. And a re-launch of “RCI Weeks” – a re-statement of their commitment to conventional timeshare exchange.

18^th of November. German Timeshare Consumer body awards “European Timeshare Consumer Awards” to ten timeshare operators who have acted in a wholly consumer protective manner during 1999. Most of the award winners also won the award in 1998.

5^th of November. Cruise-share Inc, based in Florida, announces plans for five cruise ships to be sold on a timeshare basis. Owners will be able to buy one week, for use every year, for a cruise to a different location each year. Costs will be higher than land based timeshare but will include food and entertainment.

2^nd of November. Cendant Corp (owners of RCI) announce the purchase of Fairfield Communities Inc. Fairfield is the largest timeshare operator in the USA with over 300,000 owners in 33 resorts. The total purchase price is $635M

11^th of October. Sunterra Corp (USA) announce their “rescue” team headed by Gregory F Rayburn a specialist in “underperforming and troubled companies”.

2^nd of October The trial of John Palmer and Christine Ketley opens in the Old Bailey, with nephew Andrew Palmer, named as defendants. The charges allege that the three were involved in swindling 16,000 people out of millions of pounds in a timeshare “holiday con”.

19^th of September. Independent on Sunday paints a very positive picture of timeshare with emphasis on the benefits of buying in the secondary market.

5^th of September. Which? magazine criticises Barratt International Resorts Ltd. for excessive increases in annual management fees. Which? say that they want the government to crack down on this and other timeshare problems.

29^th of August. Warnings have been received from Spain of a concerted telephone marketing campaign planned for this autumn and winter to sell Holiday Clubs to UK timeshare owners.

25^th of August. Some consumers caught by the sudden disappearance of R&S Marketing Ltd have received their money back from their credit card issuer.

24^th of August. “Beware Rogue Traders” (ITV) exposes International Vacation Club – based at Lanzarote Beach Club – in the words of an ex-salesman “…. the largest scams I’ve ever encountered”

21^st of August. The DTI petitions to wind up two timeshare companies – Step Management Ltd and Time-plan Ltd, operating from Manchester and Perth.

13^th of August. The Sunday Express carries three articles on timeshare including the Hever story (see 11^th of August. The other stories warn about the dangers of buying into holiday clubs on the Costa del Sol.

13^th of August. Mail on Sunday exposes Dinastia, Club Class Holidays and Reclaim and warns consumers against signing up for any form of holiday club.

11^th of August. Hever companies are wound up by the court (see 23 Mar and 26 May) following the sale of timeshare interests to various companies, some associated with the vacation Club Action Group.

4^th of August. Owners at Barratt resorts launch their own web site

30^th of July. Consumer body publishes their report and proposals submitted to the DTI in response to their review of legislation for timeshare in the UK.

23^rd of July. The Sunday papers continue their exposure of timeshare problems. The Scottish Sunday Mail (see 17 June) confirms that some purchasers of GVC points have been offered refunds. News of the World links Kenneth Noye (jailed for ‘life’ for the M25 road rage killing) with a timeshare development in Cyprus and the Scottish Sunday Post exposes mafia like activity in timeshare selling on Tenerife.

14^th of July. BBC Watchdog link an expose of marketing malpractices in GVC/Sunterra Europe and La Dorada Club under the general heading of “Holiday Clubs”.

2^nd of July. News of the World announces a poster campaign on the Costa del Sol to warn consumers about Roy Buck and the Marco Polo Vacation Club (see 25 June)

29^th of June. The five men convicted of a £30M timeshare fraud (see 25 May) were each jailed for periods ranging between 14 and 18 months

29^th of June. Tony Pearce – who started the gvc-members website – is elected to the Board of Grand Vacation Club Ltd as an owner Director.

25^th of June. The News of the World claims that Roy Buck, convicted fraudster boss of Marco Polo Vacation Club, sells non-existent holiday packages on the Costa del Sol to unsuspecting tourists.

21^st of June Underscar, a high quality resort in the Lake District, claims to have sold more than half its planned inventory in under two years from start.

17^th of June. For the fourth Sunday in succession the Sunday Mail (in Scotland) continues the story of problems experienced by Grand Vacation Club (GVC) members who have purchased through Caledonian Resort Sales Ltd. A number of Scots GVC members have formed an action group in the hope of taking legal action.

15^th of June. Three former Cendant Corp (owners of RCI) executives pleaded guilty to participating in a massive accounting fraud and said their superiors encouraged them to routinely inflate profits.

6^th of June. RCI announce the resignation, with effect from 31 July, of Nelson Hitchcock as Managing Director of RCI Europe and also the retirement of Colin Collins, the director responsible for the CRI points system, on medical grounds.
Also announced is the appointment of Brett Archibald as Director for RCI Eurasia – an amalgamation of RCI Europe and RCI Asia-Pacific. Brett Archibald was previously with RCI Southern Africa.

31^st of May. The Sunterra Corp files for creditor protection (Chapter 11) and announces that it has obtained temporary financing to provide time to get approval of a plan for reorganization. Sunterra Europe is not included in the Chapter 11 filing.
29^th of May. Timeshare-Refund, based in America, claims that it found a way for a large number of timeshare owners in the US to get a full refund on their timeshare purchase, even if it was up to three years ago.

26^th of May. A Vacation Club Action Group, representing members of Hever Holiday Owners Club, succeed in obtaining court approval for the purchase of inventory from Holiday Worldwide Properties. This is the first, important, stage in establishing a new club for Hever Holiday Owners Club members.

26^th of May. Airtours plc quit the timeshare business following heavy first half year loses. This follows a close down of their off-site marketing operations last month.

(25 May) Five men convicted of defrauding 17,000 timeshare owners of out “at least £30M” after an Old Bailey trial lasting eight months. The men, Martin Addington-Smith; Malcolm Watford-Wallace; Alexander Thompson; Michael Harbison and Simon Stevens were freed on bail awaiting pre-sentencing reports.

21st May. The Sunday Post publishes the story of a Scottish lady who was persuaded to “invest” in timeshare properties by Resort Properties of Tenerife. So far with a nil return on her investment of £12,000.

20t of May. UK-investreports on the development of the UK timeshare industry and on plans for further legislation to tighten up on anti-consumer practices.

19^th of May. The town of Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol plans to stamp out excessive timeshare touting and to control advertising in an effort to reduce complaints from tourists.

17^th of May. Sunterra Corp close down most of their sales operation in the US as a possible prelude to filing for Chapter 11 (bankruptcy)

15^th of May. Sunterra Corp (US) problems worsen as they fail to make an agreed interest repayment and report continuing poor trading results in persistent rumours that Sunterra Europe is to be sold are not confirmed.

8^th of May. Wisconsin prison authorities agreed to employ inmates as telephone salesmen for a timeshare resort – until they found out that the man marketing the resort was a fraudster!

2th of May. John Palmer, accused of a £30 million fraud involving 17,000 timeshare owners, was discharged by the Old Bailey judge after a trial lasting eight months. John Palmer now faces a retrial.

1^st of May. German timeshare consumer protection association announce that they will be awarding the European Timeshare Consumer Award again this year to those timeshare operators who meet the association’s very high standards.

27^th of April. Consumer body submit a broad range of proposals to the European Commission for further and better legislation throughout Europe to curtail anti-consumer practices in the timeshare industry.

25th April. Dr Kim Howells, Consumer Minister, publish proposals for a major shakeup in the laws covering timeshare in the UK. The proposals, which cover both the pre-contractual period (buying) and the post-contractual (ownership) are designed to protect consumers in an industry which can be a “sensible way to secure a regular family holiday”.

2^nd of April. RCI South Africa publish their “Space Availability” chart for the next six months.

1^st of April. The Lanzarote Beach Club have proposed abandoning the holding of Annual General Meetings – see LBCMA.

23^rd of March. The DTI petition for the winding up of another Hever company, Hever Management Ltd, in addition to the seven already listed for winding up petitions. (see 3 Dec 2025)

14^th of March. European Consumer Centre in Spain publish a useful guide to buying timeshare in Spain. In English, Spanish and French. Contact Us for a copy.

2^nd of March. Swedish newspaper Expressen reports that Air tours is stopping sales of timeshare in Spain.

17^th of February. The Department of Trade & Industry publish proposals for organisations to be able to apply for injunctions stopping rogue traders – including timeshare sharks – from cheating consumers. The new regulations will become effective on 1st January 2001. Applications will be able to be made in any EU country.

10^th of February. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) report on consumer complaints for the first half of 1999 show complaints about package holidays declining, year on year, but timeshare complaints have risen 20% over the same period.

6^th of February Another worldwide exchange company, Timex, is launched bringing to six the number of exchange companies serving UK owners. The other three smaller ones being UKRE, Dial-an-Exchange and Timelinx

21^st of January Stockholders in Sunterra Corp have started a legal action against the company (and some of its officers) claiming that they issued false and misleading profit statements. The value of Sunterra corp shares fell to an all-time low.

19^th of January Sunterra Corp warns of profit drop; possible stock exchange investigation into insider dealing, and Richard Harrington (ex. LSI boss) is appointed CEO.

10^th of January Sunterra Corp (owners of Sunterra Europe/GVC) share prices drop by 25% following a number of large share sales in New York Stock Exchange.

Last modified: 8th March 2016