PLEASE READ.!!! TIMESHARE & HOLIDAY CLUBS

[Fred 2]

We are being let down to a quite staggering extent by those who have the power to close these people down in the UK. Having said that - people have to take responsibility for their own actions.

There is a lot of information out there and the time to make enquiries is before and not after you make a decision that you might regret. It is quite amazing that people will pay out large sums of money, and will often borrow to do so, to a company that they know nothing at all about after a four hour harangue. That goes beyond being innocent. Naive I can go along with.

[jint]

Fred2 and Jan C
Its fine being wise after the event but that doesnt help the many people like me that has been duped perhaps we are too trusting and believe me it happens, I actually work in a legal dept and I was duped and Im still fighting, didnt even think about finding sites like this as myself and hubby believed what they said ( and have felt stupid and embarassed ever since but thats just how convincing they are)
Perhaps you can tell us what to do now, we have written all the letters that TCA told us, said about the 3 month and 10 day cooling off period under whatever Act if they never stated or showed a date for cooling off, gave them 14 days to write back with comfirmation of cancellation, that ended today, we have not heard a thing from Beuna Viva, we will be writing again to GE money with a copy holding them equally responsible, what else do you suggest?.Oh by the way we dont have to pay until Oct, I have already cancelled the direct debit.
Jint

[Fred 2]

Jint - We ARE helping the "many people like you" - I hope. That's what the forum is here for. I would like to see the cheating companies wiped off the planet - but if people took more care of themselves the companies would cease to exist in any case. Follow what TCA told you for the time being and come back to the forum if you need more help.

[CET]

It doesn't seem like it's just these 'Holiday Clubs' that are conning us.
It's amazing how ALL of these 'Holiday Club' scams seem to have something in common.
Unless I'm wrong - have they all been financed through GE or Barclays Partner Finance (Clydesdale)?

PERHAPS WE SHOULD OPEN A NEW THREAD REGARDING THIS?

It is impossible to cancel the Purchase Agreements with these bogus 'Holiday Clubs' and these finance companies are deliberately giving us the run around too.
On our 'switched' credit agreement it says that it is regulated by the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
That means because we went to their place of trade we will be unable to cancel.
Unfortunately like many of you,we were tricked into going to their business premises by a bogus marketing company called Meridian.
The marketing company name, the 'Holiday Club' name and the venue change on a regular basis.
Barclays Partner Finance were informed that we were tricked into attending this presentation and told a pack of lies.
It also says at the top of our credit agreement that it is actually a Credit card Agreement, however, the t&cs /cancellation notice were missing.
It also says that it is an agreement for the purposes of the Timeshare Act 1992. (However, they insist it wasn't a timeshare product).
At the top right hand corner it has been black marked out (obviously something they didn't want us to see?)
We've even sent them a copy of the 'switched' credit agreement so they can check it with one that Buena Viva submitted.
Barclays Partner Finance were also informed that we've closed our bank account due to our concerns with the Holiday Club.

If they CHOOSE to release this money knowing all of this then what does that say to you?
I don't know any other finance companies that would release money knowing that you've gone to the trouble of closing your account.

Mind you once the money is released it's kept in the 'Barclay Finance Partner' chain - so what have they got to lose?

They have had several phone calls and e-mails now. They've also had 3 cancellation notices(by recorded delivery) up to now, we've heard nothing!
We've also written to ALL of the companies stated on the Purchase//Credit Agreement. They've not replied either!

[Fred 2]

They are by no means all financed by those companies. Many are funded directly on peoples' credit cards. Some pay cash. I have seen Tesco, bank loans from customers' usual banks and the daddy of them all - Northern Rock (some of them after the crash, so they really should know better).

One serious problem is that the sales companies use agents to arrange the finance, and they lie to the finance companies, saying that the loan is for 'home improvements'.

I agree entirely that GE are in the thick of it - and they do know what the loans are for. Clydesdale, now trading as Barclays Partner Finance (and a number of other things) have for a long time been in the "rough" end of the lending market. Neither seem to be customer friendly once they have lent the money.

Conspiracy theory will not really advance things. Facts will.

I suggest that if you want to do some good you should write to the Financial Services Authority pointing out what is happening.

Do bear in mind, and use to your advantage, the fact that the Consumer Credit Act 1974 makes the lender jointly and severally liable with the seller for any wrongdoing, lies and failure to provide what is promised. This is unaffected by where the contract was signed.

You also have a possible advantage if the agreement states that it incorporates Timeshare legislation. If it's in the contract then they cannot say that it doesn't apply as you bought into a holiday club. There is a distinct possibility that you can pull out if they have not given you all that this legislation requires, such as a mandatory cooling-off period. I suggest that you should ask for advice from the Timeshare Consumers' Association - www.timeshare.org.uk for exact details of this legislation.

[CET]

Thanks Fred,

We have informed the FSA etc of our concerns and they have informed us of the procedure to follow.
Obviously we have evidence with our Purchase/Credit documents.

If Barclays Partner Finance do not allow us to opt out of the agreement and insist on proceeding with it, even though they were informed less than 24 hours after we were scammed, we will send 'BPF' a letter of complaint stating our concerns about what they have done and inform them that we will contact the Financial Ombudsman Service. We hope that the evidence we have is enough for them to rule in our favour, If the decision goes against us we will still keep fighting for as long as we can until we go bankrupt anyway.

[kimmie18]

We to attended a 2 hour presentation which lasted 4 hours and the promise of a free holiday. They began to loose patience with us as they realised they were not getting a sale from us and there mood changed dramatically.

We did eventually leave with M&S vouchers so not all bad for an evenings work (left a bit brain dead afterwards though)!!

What is annoying is that I have a call approx once every two weeks saying I have won a holiday with Club La Costa, when I ask is this the time share they put the phone down on me which is extremely rude. I have asked them not to call us but they take absolutely no notice.

The brochure did look nice but if your spending that sort of money on a holiday you can do it from many internet sites just as good. But this may suite some people I suppose it all a matter of choice.

[CET]

Hi Kimmie,
We learnt the hard way! Don't touch any of these companies with a barge pole! They can call themselves whatever name they want, but they're virtually all the same thing... a load of Scammers!
You were lucky!

[N62]

I don't think your put down was necessary. Most of know we have made very stupid, expensive mistakes. That doesn't make us stupid ignorant people.

[PLAZZ]

Hi,
If you read the last post you may realise it was actually a warning from
someone who was actually scammed. It no way implies anyone was stupid or ignorant!
It was just a warning that if anyone was ever tempted to go to one of these presentations... DON'T!