In yesterday’s Timeshare Owners Blog, we looked at an ABC 20/20 investigation of Royal Holiday vacation club. Here is Part II of that post:

The hidden camera videotape made by ABC’s 20/20 investigators reveals that Royal Holiday breaks a lot of rules when it comes to selling timeshare. People who attend the Royal Holiday sales presentation are promised an incentive if they sit through a 90-minute sales pitch, which actually lasts 3 or more hours. They are told that they can only take advantage of special pricing if they buy today…on the spot, and if they prove reticent to buy, that price may mysteriously be cut in half in hopes of getting them to sign up now, as first one and then another salesperson tries to break down their resistance.

Royal Holiday also serves alcoholic drinks to their prospects. It is poor business ethics to do this, and it is an absolute no-no for you, as a prospective buyer, to make the mistake of clouding your good judgment with alcohol. Never, I repeat never, mix alcohol with the decision to buy timeshare.

Other criticisms of Royal Holiday’s sales tactics include promises made by salespeople that a buyer’s money is invested in a foreign bank account and will be returned to them in 30 years; that rooms shown as examples of what you are buying are far nicer than the rooms you actually can book; and that availability in busy seasons is scarce.

How to Avoid High Pressure Timeshare Sales Tactics

All in all, 20/20’s report was extremely negative. There is however, one foolproof way to avoid the heavy hand of a timeshare company salesperson. Buy resale timeshare. Deal only with the person who already owns the timeshare or vacation club membership. Bypass that salesperson who works for the timeshare company yet counts on you to pay his or her salary through commission.

When you shop for timeshare resales or timeshare rentals online, you can take your time. You can ask questions, you can compare products. You can sleep on your decision and consult your attorney or your financial planner. Money doesn’t come easily these days; take your time deciding how you will spend it.

Royal Holiday Vacation Club Timeshare Resales

Currently Sell My Timeshare NOW timeshare resales and timeshare rental advertising company has more than a hundred different listings for Royal Holiday vacations. Some start at under $1000.

The Royal Holiday vacation club affords you the opportunity to travel the United States and Mexico without joining an exchange company. Royal Holiday Club has occupancy rights at Sheraton Cancun Resort and Towers in Cancun; Sol Caribe in Cozumel; Sheraton Ixtapa, Mexico; the Raddison Xanadu in Freeport, Bahamas; Wave Crest in Del Mar, California; Powell Place, San Francisco; Marriott’s Streamside at Vail; Tropicana Golf Estates in Las Vegas; High Point in Orlando; and Brigantine Beach, NJ.

Sell My Timeshare NOW can help you buy, rent, or sell Royal Holiday vacation club timeshares, without the hassle.

Part I of a two-part post.

If you ask the people that own and operate Royal Holiday vacation club and timeshare, they will tell you that 97 percent of their approximately 65,000 timeshare owners or members never complain. Yet a recent investigation by ABC’s 20/20 revealed a different picture.

Let’s start with the semantics of what Royal Holiday Club sells. According to an ABC News report, “Royal Holiday calls its Vacations for Life plan an alternative to the complaint-riddled timeshare business.”

We can skip the double talk here. Vacation ownership, fractionals, vacation clubs, and timeshares are all variations of the same thing. The type of ownership will vary. You may have deeded timeshare ownership or you may own the right to use a timeshare resort property. You may even own points that can be used like currency to pay for your vacation accommodations. But in all cases, whether it is one week every other year, or 180 days of glorious vacation time, you still own vacation rights that are measured in intervals of shared time. Voila! Timeshare! And frankly, companies that call themselves something other than a timeshare are usually just looking for an angle they think will improve their marketability.

Two Sides to this Timeshare Sales Story

There are two sides to every argument. Royal Holiday is probably correct, that they have a huge number of satisfied timeshare owners, a.k.a. members. I also think the 20/20 investigators are right that there are unhappy timeshare buyers who justifiably feel ripped off by Royal Holiday.

While the average member at Royal Holiday vacation club, who buys from Royal Holiday, pays $11,000 to join, plus a yearly fee of about $465, this price varies greatly depending on how much vacation time a person is seeking.

And it doesn’t seem that the majority of the complaints are about Royal Holiday’s resorts. The vacation club company has more than 180 destinations, as well as 3000 different cruise itineraries, which members can access by spending their “Holiday Credits” or points.

But here’s the problem. There are some angry people who are very dissatisfied with the difference in what they thought they were buying and what they actually own. And it all goes back to the sales people who sold them their Royal Holiday vacation club memberships, and some very unethical sales practices.

According to the 20/20 investigation, the company has, “…a growing number of members who say Royal Holiday misled them about how the club operates, and the availability of vacations they’d want. The only thing royal about their membership was the way they were ripped off.”

“They lie,” was the accusation raised most often in describing the sales staff at Royal Holiday. And if complaints are the measure of dishonesty, then it looks like lying is a growing trend at this company.

In 2005, there were 282 complaints against Royal Holiday; in 2006, there were 506 complaints; and by 2007, there were 761. Unless the company’s business tripled between 2005 and 2007, their complaint ratio is definitely moving in the wrong direction fast. As further proof of the problems, consider the fact that the Better Business Bureau gives Royal Holiday its lowest ranking, an “F”.

Take a few minutes, watch the 20/20 investigative report on Royal Holiday courtesy of YouTube, and then come back to the Timeshare Owners Blog tomorrow to read the rest of the story…

Gary May of the Ottawa Citizen has written an excellent article with advice for buying timeshare and timeshare resales. The article was printed in last week’s The Vancouver Sun, and covers 10 things to consider when you are ready to buy timeshare.

Here are a few of the reasons his timeshare advice is exemplary:

Gary May does not start or end his article with warnings about why it is a bad investment to buy timeshare. He seems to have a solid (and correct) grasp of the concept, that buying timeshare is no more about investment potential than buying a new car. You buy it to use it, not as a replacement, or even a supplement, to your financial investments.

He identifies that timeshare buyers have choices and options and that time is on their side. He counsels you to shop around and seriously evaluate your needs. How do you and your family vacation? Do you like to visit the same vacation destination every year, or do you like to explore new locations? He talks about maintenance fees, taxes, and timeshare exchange. All of which are very important to consider when you buy timeshare.

And on May’s list are two points, that are very important and resonate with great truth:

“Don’t be railroaded into buying something you aren’t sure about. If you go to a special promotion, you will be required to attend a demonstration. Consider this an education on the merits of timeshare. Don’t buy on a whim. Ask questions. Think it over. If you like what you see, bargain the price down. Never buy at the first price they offer.”

“Consider buying a timeshare from an owner: resales are everywhere since people’s lifestyles change. Resales can usually be purchased for far less than the original price and are listed on timeshare websites and in newspaper want ads.”

Answer to Your Questions about Buying Timeshare

On Sell My Timeshare NOW‘s website we have a page – a long page – devoted to answering frequently asked questions about buying timeshare resales. We explain the difference in types of timeshare ownership, discuss banking timeshare weeks, and help you understand why timeshare purchased directly from a timeshare resort developer costs so much more than timeshare resales purchased from their current owners.

Timeshare ownership can be a great opportunity for you and your family to enjoy a lifetime of vacations. But like anything else, it should not be purchased in haste, nor should it be bought during a high-pressure sales pitch.

And for more on the subject of timeshares sold by high-pressure tactics, read the Timeshare Owners Blog tomorrow when we will be looking at a Mexico timeshares company that has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

According to information released by Wyndham Timeshares and Resorts, the United Arab Emirates is undoubtedly one of timeshare’s hottest markets. “It is expected that Middle Eastern residents will spend an estimated $1.2 billion a year on shared ownership properties by 2020…” says Wyndham timeshare in a recent media release.

The company makes it clear that the problems in the US economy will not create problems for Wyndham Worldwide, which not only owns Wyndham timeshare, but is the parent company for Group RCI timeshare exchange. And they credit much of their optimism to the sunny predictions specifically for Middle East timeshares.

Wyndham Timeshare CEO Speaks at Dubai Tourism Summit

Chairman and CEO of Wyndham Worldwide, Steve Holmes, is also the vice chair of the World Travel and Tourism Council. Holmes was part of the panel on “Travel and Tourism – It’s Good and Getting Better” that met this week during the Global Travel and Tourism Summit in Dubai. Holmes explains, “Travel and tourism continues to be a stable and growing industry around the globe… We have seen that when it comes to taking time off, people will adjust their travel plans to fit their budgets, but rarely cancel their vacations altogether.”

Wyndham timeshare’s position is that historically they have benefited from people tightening their wallets because many of the products they offer are in the mid-price and economy segment. Holmes sounds sympathetic but not empathetic when he says, “While we would like to see the US economy rebound, our company is well poised to succeed, even in this economic environment.”

Last week, The Timeshare Owners Blog reported on the partnership of Group RCI and Al Ghaith Holdings to operate timeshare exchange at the Bavaria Executive Suites timeshare resort. Two days ago we looked at Marriott timeshare announcing Marriott Vacation Club Dubai Festival City. If the predictions hold up, you can expect to continue to hear a lot of positive news about Dubai and United Arab Emirates timeshares in the months to come here on our blog.