Time-shares may be burden over bliss

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/06/2011 (5243 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

While in an indirect way, all three of today’s questions deal with security. Whether it’s investing in a timeshare, seeing the tour company you booked with go bankrupt, or concern about how children are cared for when they travel alone, each can bring consternation or comfort.

QUESTION: A couple of years ago we accepted a free stay at a major resort in Mexico which markets time-shares.

The sales presentation was absolutely overwhelming, and we ended up signing up to buy four time-shares on the agent’s promise that because we were buying at pre-construction prices we would be able to flip them at a profit within a year. The agent actually promised to sell them for us.

Two years have passed and the agent has provided nothing but excuses. Is there anything I can do now to get my money back?

ANSWER: I’ve made two observations about time-share sales organizations over the past number of years.

First, the higher the incentive offered to listen to the presentation, the more adept the sales people who paint the picture of the great opportunity they’re giving you.

Second, after-sales service is not in their mantra. They are fast guns for hire who fluidly move from one client to the next. They have little regard for anything they may have said while convincing you that the program they outlined is a guaranteed winner, regardless of the strategy you may have been contemplating.

I have not heard of many time-shares being sold at a huge profit after the original owner has taken possession. There may be some but, with new options coming on the market almost daily, there are always new deals to be found.

The last couple of years have been tougher on the Mexican tourist industry than ever before. Between publicity about crime in the country and the U.S. recession, Canadians are the ones still delivering growth numbers to the various tourist destinations in Mexico. I talked to a number of operators last year and the message was the same: the Americans just aren’t showing up.

Unfortunately, ou needed to get that time-share promise in writing. That won’t help you now, but it may be a lesson to others that it’s thesame old story: buyer beware.

It should be acknowledged that many people who buy time-shares are very pleased with their decision, particularly when their property is associated with a large company that allows them to exchange their weeks for others in exotic locales.

But anyone who walks into a time-share presentation needs to remember they are going to be sold hard by some of the best in the sales business. More than a few have had buyer’s regret in the weeks, months and years after.

QUESTION: The Manitoba government has been calling for input on a possible consumer-protection plan for travellers. Do you think a new bureaucracy is warranted in a small province like Manitoba?

ANSWER: Fraud and bankruptcy are not just confined to big provinces. Only a few weeks ago a Manitoba agency left a number of its clients in the lurch when the owner appeared to be the one who made off with their funds.

During my tenure as the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies president, we worked hard to gain greater levels of security for travellers by approaching each province on what is essentially a provincial jurisdiction. Since then, we’ve tried to convince our province to be more proactive in this area.

Three provinces have enacted strong legislation. While different, Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia have introduced excellent programs that have saved consumers hundreds of thousands of dollars on several occasions.

Until now, Manitoba has always believed that credit-card protection was sufficient, which really doesn’t address protection for groups or individuals who paid by cheque. The Manitoba plan appears to also ensure greater transparency in advertising, which has become ever more farcical in recent years. It’s common to see low prices for an advertised tour, only to have the agent explain that fees associated with the offer almost double the advertised price.

Europe and the United States are already far ahead of Canada in consumer-protection programs for travellers, with penalties specified for keeping air passengers on the tarmac too long and for delayed or lost baggage. Canada, and especially Manitoba, are still in the dark ages in developing consumer protection for this industry sector.

Those are my views. Regardless of whether you agree or disagree, you should take your ideas to the government.

Forward your travel questions to askjourneys@journeystravel.com. Ron Pradinuk is President of Journeys Travel & Leisure SuperCentre and can be heard Sundays at noon on CJOB. Previous columns and tips can be found on www.journeystravelgear.com or read Ron’s travel blog at www.thattravelguy.ca

Forward your travel questions to askjourneys@journeystravel.com. Ron Pradinuk is President of Journeys Travel & Leisure SuperCentre and can be heard Sundays at noon on CJOB. Previous columns and tips can be found on www.journeystravelgear.com or read Ron’s travel blog at www.thattravelguy.ca