Royal Holiday Club Timeshare Fires Back
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Back in April, when The Timeshare Authority reported on complaints against Royal Holiday Timeshare, we weren’t the only one talking about the problems and alleged problems at this vacation club company. First, there was the investigation by ABC’s 20/20, and then came all the sources that followed up the 20/20 story. Among the publications covering the topic was TimeSharing Today, a timeshare owners magazine that has been in print since 1991.
To get caught up on the matter, you may want to read our past blog posts on the subject:
- Royal Holiday Timeshare Making the News for All the Wrong Reasons – Part I
- Royal Holiday Timeshare Making the News for All the Wrong Reasons – Part II
A Response from Royal Holiday Club Timeshare Company
In short, some timeshare owners at Royal Holiday felt that the product they bought was not as it was represented to them in the timeshare sales pitch they attended. Louis Laara Gonzalez, Director General of Royal Holiday Club, responded to the matter in general, and specifically to TimeSharing Today’s coverage of the situation, with a letter that included the following…
“I want to make absolutely clear that both the resale program you reference and the “International Leisure Group” name under which it was marketed were fraudulent undertakings by rogue sales individuals and were presented to prospective members without the knowledge, approval or involvement of Royal Holiday. The false promises that were made run counter to everything that we stand for at Royal Holiday. We have not only dismissed the individuals who engaged in these unscrupulous activities, but also initiated criminal proceedings against them…”
In his letter, which TimeSharing Today ran as a front cover item, Gonzalez went on to describe Royal Holiday Club as one of the largest and most successful vacation clubs in the world with a 25-year track record of providing outstanding service and vacation experiences. And in the spirit of fairness, the magazine additionally ran an article from a couple who have owned Royal Holiday Club timeshare since 1998 and who had only good things to say about the years they have spent with them.
For all of us involved in timeshare sales, timeshare resales, and timeshare rentals, it is important that we tell timeshare owners about problems, fraud, or scams that may be out there. But it is just as important, that we all also report on when and how these matters are remedied.
