UK media has recently begun acknowledging and covering the problem of timeshare exit scammers. Conversely they have also been writing about ECC, the genuine company leading the fight against unscrupulous timeshare companies.
Britain’s biggest selling newspaper, The Sun, joins the groundswell of media reporting on the issue.
Unwanted timeshares
Once an innovative solution to disappointing holiday accommodation standards, timeshare has degenerated into an outdated concept.
Many people owning timeshare in 2023 would prefer to be holidaying through regular channels like Booking.com. Membership has become an expensive burden whose annual fees have to be paid whether owners travel or not. These fees can be and are increased arbitrarily to levels often higher than the cost of staying in the same resort for non-members.
Timeshare companies knew that their customers would sooner or later realise that the membership does not give value for money, and created ‘ironclad’ contracts to prevent people from leaving.
Exit companies
Firms sprang up offering to free clients from their memberships. However, actually relinquishing a timeshare contract is extremely difficult. Too difficult for anyone but experienced, qualified experts.
Sadly the vast amount of desperate owners was too tempting an opportunity for many of the nefarious characters on the fringes of timeshare to ignore. And they weren’t going to let a minor detail like not being able to deliver the service get in the way of them selling it.
These fraudulent companies often sound completely authentic, and are able to convince customers to part with significant amounts of money. Sadly, after the payment has gone through, these organisations will cease all communication; leaving the victim even worse off than they were before.
There are hundreds of “exit companies.”
There are very few genuine ones.
Media coverage
The media is almost universal in citing European Consumer Claims (ECC) as the standard for honesty and capability in this field. Recently ECC’s work has been praised in the Sunday Times and Reader’s Digest. The New York Post reported on our USA division: American Consumer Claims (ACC).
Last weekend the largest circulation newspaper in the UK joined the movement. The Sun’s report on scam timeshare-exit companies highlighted ECC as an example of a firm that can be trusted to deliver.
Want to know more?
If you want to explore your options for escaping a timeshare contract, get in touch with our team at Timeshare Advice Centre (the marketing arm of ECC).
Generally our experts can help you find a path to freedom. If you were mis-sold and your case fits certain criteria, you may even be eligible for compensation.
