Industry experts clarify misunderstandings following timeshare lobby organisation press release claiming that a Spanish Supreme Court decision heralds a “new era of clarity and opportunity for the timeshare community.”
The press release, published on the RDO website, reports on a Spanish court ruling and implies that a single element of Spanish law will somehow transform the legal landscape and miraculously relaunch timeshare in Europe.
While this aspect of Spanish law has historically been significant – particularly in the context of a 2015 Supreme Court ruling which resulted in thousands of legal judgments against timeshare companies – the RDO fails to acknowledge that timeshare operators remain fully exposed to claims under laws governing misrepresentation, Unfair Commercial Practices, Unfair Contract Terms, and fraud.
Millions of pounds worth of compensation have already been paid to timeshare owners in both the UK and Spain, following rulings that many timeshare products had been mis-sold. These types of claims are ongoing and continue to be actively pursued.
What is the RDO?
The RDO is a lobbying entity employed by certain European timeshare companies to promote the industry and improve its public image.
Its board and advisory councils are made up of executives from timeshare companies – including Marriotts and Club la Costa – that have been under sustained legal pressure for many years.
RDO members – including Seasons Holidays PLC and Onagrup, represented by Ona Cala Pi Maintenance SL – are embroiled in claims and allegations of mis-selling.
The implied bias of RDO’s membership base, leadership and funding brings their impartiality into question as a source of information for distressed or dissatisfied timeshare owners.
It is more advisable to seek advice from legal professionals who are independent of the timeshare industry.
RDO claims
The RDO article rang alarm bells for people who are currently claiming against timeshare companies for mis-selling and illegal contracts.
The announcement celebrated a Spanish Supreme Court decision delivered on 30th October 2025 which said (among other things) that timeshare contracts of over 50 years, or floating time (not points) are no longer automatically null and void.
The court ruling followed an intense lobbying campaign, heavily funded by giant timeshare companies who believed they were losing money by having to follow the existing consumer laws.
RDO perhaps unsurprisingly hailed the decision as “emphasising transparency and clear contract terms,” tenuously extrapolating that the Supreme Court ruling somehow “safeguards the interests of timeshare owners.”
In fact, taken at face value, the opposite seems to be true in that the interests of wealthy timeshare companies have been prioritised over the protection of their customers.
Thankfully the ruling is nowhere near as damaging or wide reaching as the RDO’s report is indicating
The facts
- Claims against timeshare companies over mis-selling and other illegal behaviour will still be made.
- Those claims currently in process will be continued.
- If additional resources and funding are required to pursue alternate routes to claim, our commitment to our clients remains steadfast.
- This ruling will not cost any client of ECC, despite the extra work it may necessitate.
- Certain future claims will need to be carefully reviewed against the new ruling, which may incur additional legal work and expense..
Expert comment
“The timeshare industry has a long history of underhand behaviour,” explains Greg Wilson, CEO of European Consumer Claims (ECC), the company responsible for over £28 million in court ordered compensation awards to timeshare victims.
“In the 1980s and 90s timeshare horror stories appeared in the papers every day. Criminals laundered huge sums of money through major operations in the Canaries, Balearics and Costa del Sol. People were bullied into visiting timeshare complexes by aggressive street touts and then lied to and pressured into signing up for expensive memberships that in many cases they later regretted.
“Spain reacted slowly, but scale of the fraud, and pressure sales increased to the point that their tourist industry (around one eighth of Spain’s entire GDP – Ed) itself was under threat as people started to seek destinations without the intense timeshare pressure.
“A series of laws passed from 1999 onwards provided common sense safeguards such as ‘no deposit to be paid on the day,’ no ‘generational’ contracts that tie people in for 50 years or more and no floating time or points.
“Timeshare sales in Europe almost ground to a complete halt.
“However money talks, unfortunately. As we reported in July last year, the RDO was engaging in large scale lobbying efforts, funded by financial giants such as Marriott Vacation Club, aimed at overturning this protective legislation.
“For the timeshare companies this minor victory may seem like a good investment from all the money they have been spending in their lobbying efforts through the RDO. For the ‘little guy’ who was pressured or mis-sold by these powerful, deep-pocketed organisations, its just one more blow to absorb.
“You can rely on ECC to stand with you and fight for your rights. While there may be new regulations, there are always viable routes to claim for clients that have are victims of consumer abuse.”
Anyone who with any questions about how this ruling may affect their claims can get in touch with our team for a more in depth update.
