There are timeshare brand names everyone knows, and timeshare brand names with which people may not be as familiar. Often, the lesser known brands are either not affiliated with a hotel chain and therefore don’t benefit from hospitality brand recognition or they are regional resort destinations, and as such, may be well known in some parts of the country while not a recognized name in other areas.

If you know the name Welk Resort timeshares, it is likely to be because:

1. You live in southern California; Branson, Missouri; or Cabo, Mexico where all of the beautiful Welk timeshare resorts are located.
2. You remember big band leader Lawrence Welk, who founded the brand, and whose family continues to manage the resorts.
3. You are already a happy Welk Resorts owner or have enjoyed vacationing in a Welk Resort timeshare rental.

Vacationers, who come to know the Welk Resort brand, quickly recognize that these are high quality resorts with an emphasis on family vacation experiences. At Welk Resort timeshares you will find sparkling pools, great golf, and on-property theaters.

Here’s a closer look at the Welk Resorts located in the US:

• Lawrence Welk’s Desert Oasis is located in Cathedral City, California, in the heart of the Coachella Valley. In addition to on-property amenities, you will find nearby shopping, championship golf courses and casino entertainment.
• Lawrence Welk Resorts Mountain Villas Timeshare; Lawrence Welk Resort Villas; Lawrence Welk’s Villas On The Greens. The three Escondido, California Welk Resorts are nearby the popular tourist attractions of San Diego including LEGOLAND California; SeaWorld San Diego; the San Diego Zoo, the Wild Animal Park, the Sea Life Aquarium, and the beautiful California coastline. They are also ideal destinations for enjoying professional sports events, on-property or nearby golf, tours of Temecula Valley wine country, or the Actors’ Equity theatre Welk Resort San Diego, with its quality, Broadway-style plays and musicals.
• Lawrence Welk’s Timber Ridge Lodge is a favorite Branson Missouri timeshare destination. In addition to all the family-friendly entertainment and fun of Branson, The Lodges at Timber Ridge offers tasteful, upscale accommodations, an indoor Splash-A-Torium and a game room.

Follow this link to learn more about the popular Welk Resorts. And watch the video below from AskMandoTV to find out what Welk Resorts is doing to keep its timeshare owners happy.

While the flooding waters that have plagued many areas of the country have raised the water levels in Branson, timeshare resorts there want people to understand that they are most definitely open for business. The biggest concern, it seems, is that people who are apprehensive of the flooding are unnecessarily canceling their vacations and Branson timeshare holidays.

Heavy rains over recent weeks have lakes in the Branson, Missouri area at high levels and in cases of some low-lying residences, evacuations have been necessary. But the popular tourist and resort areas, including Branson timeshares, are not affected by the floodwaters. Lynn Berry with the Branson Chamber of Commerce points out that Branson was planned and built with an eye on the 100-year flood plan and that most shops, restaurants, resorts, and attractions are never in danger. The Army Corps of Engineers is reporting that Branson’s Table Rock Lake has stabilized with the minimum possible disruption. Both Table Rock Dam Tours and much loved, “Ride the Ducks” are operating, although their routes have been changed slightly by the high waters.

Branson Timeshare Always a Popular Family Destination

Known as the Family Friendly Las Vegas and the Live Music Capital of the World, Branson is a popular year-round timeshare destination. Many trusted global hospitality brands have timeshares in Branson, including: Diamond Resorts The Suites At Fall Creek Timeshare; Marriott’s Horizons At Branson Timeshare; WorldMark Branson Timeshare; three Wyndham timeshares; two Westgate timeshare properties, and Silverleaf’s Holiday Hills Resort, to name a few.

Before you plan your Branson timeshare vacation, it is a good idea to contact your resort directly or to call the Branson Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-296-0463 for the latest updates regarding a limited number of road closings. But above all else, the businesses of Branson encourage you to, “Come on down!” so that unnecessary concerns don’t wipe out your timeshare vacation and their spring business season.

Executive Quest, Inc., assists Sage Marketing Group Works in placing two key personnel hires at Trophy Run’s Lakefront Resort (fractional) in Branson, Missouri.

Sage Marketing Group, Inc, specializes in direct marketing and sales strategy. By partnering with Executive Quest, Inc, a firm known for placing executives in the timeshare, fractional and vacation ownership industries, two key positions were filled at Trophy Run’s Lakefront Resort In Branson, Missouri.

This 340-unit luxury fractional community is waterfront, with Adirondack-style cabins and 900’ of shoreline on scenic Lake Taneycomo in Branson; it is affiliated with Interval International. Offering both fractional ownership and whole ownership, the secluded community is ‘Energy Star Certified’ making it one-of-a-kind for the Branson area.

In filling the Director of Sales and the Director of Marketing positions, Ron Roberts, President and CEO of Sage Marketing Group, Inc. said, “I’ve known Keith Trowbridge (President of Executive Quest) for some thirty years … when the opportunity arises in our projects, we never hesitate to work through Keith and his Executive Quest, Inc. executive search firm for key personnel in the fractional/vacation ownership industry.

“We were quite pleased with EQI’s applicant base and found a number of excellent professionals for the Trophy Run project, its Director of Marketing and its Director of Fractional Sales. The main problem is that ALL the candidates were so qualified and appropriate for the positions that I needed to fill, that I had a hard time deciding on the final applicants.”

Click here for more on Branson vacation ownership opportunities.

More from The Timeshare Authority on Executive Quest.

Timeshare Industry in Modest Recovery Says Timeshare Industry Expert

More Timeshare and Fractional News from the CRDA Annual Conference

In a world where good customer service in any type of business just doesn’t happen as frequently as it should, this account of great service in timeshare exchange is welcomed news.

Timeshare owner, Rodney Van Housen wrote a Letter to the Editor that ran in the September/October edition of Timesharing Today. He chronicled the excellent customer service he received while trying to reserve a Branson timeshare, followed by a consecutive week in a Texas timeshare through the timeshare exchange company Interval International.

Mr. Van Housen had several specifications to address in arranging his timeshare exchange. His range for travel dates was narrow and he wasn’t sure if his timeshare points would cover both timeshare exchange weeks. But the representative at Interval International was undaunted by the challenge. So over the course of a three-hour international phone call, during which the representative and Van Housen were disconnected twice, plans were made, adjusted, and remade until finally the timeshare owner had just exactly the timeshare exchange he wanted.

Yes, You Can Exchange Timeshare

I’ve heard it before and so have you: the allegation that you can’t exchange timeshare. And timeshare owners who try to exchange timeshare but cannot be flexible about dates and resorts may have a harder time getting the timeshare exchange they want. But testimonies like this one from Timesharing Today are proof that the option to exchange timeshare really does increase its vacation value for the owner. And whether you want a Branson timeshare, a Texas timeshare, or a Manhattan timeshare condo, the combination of persistence and a dedicated timeshare exchange company are the ingredients that make the important difference.

Silverleaf timeshare, a family-favorite timeshare resort with more than a dozen properties, announced last week that Michael A. Jenkins will rejoin its Board of Directors to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Janet Whitmore.

Jenkins, who is the President of Leisure and Recreation Concepts, Inc., served as a member of the Silverleaf timeshare Board of Directors from 1997 to 2002. The Board of Directors has also designated Herbert B. Hirsch, already a Silverleaf Timeshare Board Member, as the audit committee financial expert.

Silverleaf Timeshare, a Popular Drive-to Timeshare Vacation Option

The first seven Silverleaf timeshare resort properties were Texas timeshares and Missouri timeshares, opened in 1989. Then in 1997, the company went public; that same year it opened Timber Creek Resort to serve the St. Louis, Missouri market and Fox River Resort to serve vacationers from the Chicago, Illinois area.

One of Silverleaf timeshare’s most popular resorts is the Oak N’ Spruce Resort that serves the New England/New York market. In 1999, Apple Mountain Resort opened in the Blue Ridge Mountains, attracting vacationers from the Atlanta area. In the past decade, Silverleaf timeshare has added a beachside Galveston timeshare (Texas); an Orlando timeshare, (the Ocean Breeze Resort); and the Pinnacle Lodge, for Winter Park, Colorado ski vacations.

Silverleaf timeshare has opted for a unique strategy, building many of its resorts in beautiful, but sometimes lesser known destinations, located where high density populations can visit them easily – often within a convenient one-day or half-day drive. The idea of owning drive-to timeshare sounds better than ever to many budget-tight vacationers, which means that the idea of owning a drive-to timeshare resale looks absolutely fantastic.

Silverleaf Timeshare Resale Opportunities:

• Silverleaf’s Villages – Flint, Texas
• Silverleaf’s Seaside Resort – Galveston, Texas
• Silverleaf’s Ozark Mountain Resort – Kimberling City, Missouri
• Silverleaf’s Orlando Breeze Resort – Davenport, Florida
• Silverleaf’s Oak N’ Spruce Resort – South Lee, Massachusetts
• Silverleaf’s Holly Lake Ranch – Holly Lake Ranch, Texas
• Silverleaf’s Holiday Hills Resort – Branson, Missouri
• Silverleaf’s Hill Country Resort – Canyon Lake, Texas
• Silverleaf’s Fox River – Sheridan, Illinois
• Silverleaf’s Apple Mountain – Clarkesville, Georgia
• Silverleaf Timber Creek Resort – Desoto, Missouri
• Silverleaf Piney Shores Resort – Conroe, Texas
• Silverleaf Lake O’ The Woods – Flint, Texas

According to an article published by the Springfield, Missouri News-Leader, Festiva timeshare resorts will pay $339,000 to the State of Missouri and to Festiva timeshare owners participating in the lawsuit, for using what was determined to be, “false and misleading sales tactics while selling timeshares at a Branson resort.” The action specifically refers to timeshare sales at the Cabins at Green Mountain near Branson, Missouri, which are owned and marketed by Festiva Resorts, an Ashville, North Carolina company.

Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon’s office originally brought suit against Festiva timeshares in 2005. In the Attorney General’s news release, issued at that time, the lawsuit alleged that, “Festiva lured consumers by falsely promising to:

• Help them sell other timeshares they owned.
• Help them rent out timeshares they bought from Festiva.
• Help them get good deals on condo rentals in attractive locations.
• Help them get good deals on vacation packages.
• Give refunds to those dissatisfied with their purchase.

Nixon also says Festiva didn’t give consumers enough time to make decisions, creating a sense of urgency and a high-pressure sales environment.”

An unidentified number of consumers will receive a total of just over $324,000 collectively, and the state will receive $15,000 for civil penalties and costs. Of the settlement to consumers, $106,885 will go to customers who complained to the attorney general’s office before June 25, 2005, and use their timeshare at least once. The balance, $217,508, will be distributed to consumers who filed their complaints before June 25 and never used their timeshares.

If a Festiva resort timeshare owner, who is part of this lawsuit, used his timeshare at least one time, he is given the choice to: deed the timeshare unit back to Festiva and receive a partial refund; keep the timeshare and receive a small cash payment; or keep the timeshare and receive a free upgrade from the resort. If the timeshare owners who participated in this lawsuit have never used their timeshare, they have a choice to receive a portion of what they paid Festiva and then return their deed to the company.

Criticisms of Timeshare Sales Practices, but not of Vacations at Festiva Resorts

Remember that this lawsuit deals with timeshare owners who are unhappy with timeshare sales practices at Festiva Resorts, and their perception that promises made were never fulfilled. These timeshare owners are not unhappy with their vacation experience; there are thousands and thousands of very satisfied timeshare owners at Branson’s Cabins at Green Mountain timeshares.

This problem goes back to what we say time and time again at SellMyTimeshareNOW.com…timeshares can be great to own and enjoy and offer wonderful vacation opportunities…if you understand what you are buying and can make a thoughtful buying decision without the pressure of unethical or inappropriate sales tactics.

The Timeshare Owners Blog (March 12, 2008) first wrote about a timeshare scam involving Branson Log Homes, a company that does business as Executive Timbers Resort and Golf Course.

Currently Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon is seeking restitution for timeshare buyers for alleged fraud, deception, and misrepresentation by Executive Timbers in the advertising and sales of timeshare memberships, timeshare real estate, timeshare vacation club plans, and timeshare resale brokerage services.

Following up on the charges, AG Nixon has stated, “A number of consumers spent thousands of dollars and attempted to trade in their existing timeshares as part of an agreement to purchase a new timeshare from Branson Log Homes.”

The lawsuit requests that the court order Executive Timbers to stop violating state consumer protection laws and to pay restitution (including civil penalties and all costs associated with the investigation and prosecution) to all consumers who suffered a loss due to the timeshare company’s unlawful conduct.

Unrelated Charges Against the Branson Timeshare Company

According to Branson Daily News, Branson Log Homes, has also been cited by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources for chronic failure to conduct required bacteriological testing on its drinking water system. In Missouri, the DNR requires that all public water systems be tested for bacteria at least once per month to verify that the system provides safe drinking water to the public. Failure to monitor drinking water does not mean the water is necessarily unsafe, however routine testing is a crucial part of maintaining a safe water supply.

Consumer Complaints Against the Branson Timeshare Company

For a list of the consumer complaints filed against the timeshare company, or to file a complaint of your own, against Branson Log Homes, visit the website for the Missouri Office of the Attorney General.

For a list of reliable Branson timeshare resales and Branson timeshare rentals, visit the website of timeshare advertising and marketing company, Sell My Timeshare NOW.

State of Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon has filed a lawsuit in Taney County Circuit Court against Branson log Homes, a company which does business as Executive Timbers Resort and Golf Course. The lawsuit alleges that the southwest Missouri company used deceptive practices, fraud, and misrepresentation in the sale an advertisement of timeshare memberships, timeshare plans, and timeshare property.

Details of the Alleged Timeshare Fraud

According to the Attorney General’s Office, consumers who contacted them complained that the timeshare company:

• Failed to provide required notice to them of their right to cancel contracts.
• Failed to allow consumers to cancel their contracts within five days after they purchased a timeshare membership.
• Billed timeshare buyers for maintenance or upkeep fees on property they were trading in, after neglecting to inform consumers that they would be required to pay such fees.
• Did not reimburse consumers for maintenance fees after telling them those fees would be reimbursed.
• Promised that consumers who purchases a timeshare membership, plan, or property from them would receive certain benefits , but then didn’t make good on those promises, and
• Did not disclose the fact that it was already over $30,000 in debt to the travel club that it was using to provide travel club memberships to the consumers.

What To Do If You Are a Victim of a Timeshare Scam

The Missouri Attorney General’s investigation has revealed that most victims of this timeshare scam have lost between $7,000 and $17,000 each, but some people may have lost more. If you want more information about this problem, contact the Office of the Attorney General at cphillips@phillipsgarcia.com or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

If you believe you are a victim of timeshare fraud in another US state, contact that state’s office of Consumer Protection or the Attorney General. Another way to learn more about protecting yourself against timeshare fraud is to talk with other timeshare owners.

And to learn more about safe and cost effective ways to buy timeshare, visit the website for Sell My Timeshare NOW.