Taking the time to analyze the mistakes and failures of our industry helps us provide the best possible solution for timeshare owners. While public records of sales infractions and class action lawsuits provide us with insight on misconduct in the relief realm, consumer complaints are what really help us understand the entirety of the buyer’s experience. After reviewing this past year, the Better Business Bureau’s 144 complaints for one timeshare exit business caught our attention.
Since we only specialize in one thing, we have to be able to advise all vacation owners on every option. This is why we offer no-cost consultations. Every buyer deserves a chance to identify potential pitfalls before proceeding with any transaction. Our intent isn’t to shame companies, but to inspire change throughout the exit industry. When owners consider termination with VOC, we don’t want to leave anything to question. But some operations don’t seem to mind, impacting the reputation of the industry as a whole.
The Downward Trend of Timeshare Exit Businesses.
The BBB has been noticing a pattern in timeshare exit business complaints over the last few years. At this point, hundreds of grievances have already poured in surrounding customer service issues, contract disputes, warranty concerns and problems with service guarantees. Oftentimes clients complain about inadequate case updates and their inability to garner a refund. Although the cancellation process can take some time, clients should have clarity on what to expect. Doing so allows them to trust and understand the process.
Even when a certain timeshare exit business replied to BBB complaints, it doesn’t seem like they’re doing much to address the root of the problem – hence the record number of grievances filed in 2019. Many exit companies tell consumer protection agencies that they’ll “right the ship” but sit on their hands for years – even when vacation owners continue grumbling about the same things. Because of the growing mistrust, timeshare owners have even begun to reject the exit company’s responses.
The Frustration of Misled Timeshare Owners is Obvious.
One timeshare exit business review had a telling response late last year. “‘X’ wanted to try one more avenue, but we are having none of that. No more delays, refunded demanded as the only resolution. A representative from Customer Relations said they would put our refund request to upper management immediately. So now we wait..” You can almost sense the impatience and mistrust in this reply. Another customer response helps us better understand why.
“I am rejecting this response because: Though ‘X’ was unable to provide the service we signed up for, they did declare they would honor their refund policy. This seemed to be initiated however the electronic legal documents issued did not have our correct mailing address and did not have the correct refund amount. We have asked repeatedly for the documents to be corrected but do not get any reply. We can’t sign documents that are incorrect and the electronic documents have expired. It has been over a month and we are getting no response so our case is still unresolved.”
Without looking through every single complaint, you can tell timeshare exit businesses are struggling to follow through. “I am requesting my refund of $5,975.00. The response is not acceptable. I have been waiting for communication since my last BBB complaint [on] 11/2019 and have not received any follow-up on my exit.”
Vacation Owner Trust is Beginning to Waiver for Exit Firms.
The simple fact that the company is offering other products while failing to deliver on an initial promise is also discouraging. “My trust in this company has grown even further in not trusting a thing they try to sell me.. Please stop talking in circles and stick to the fact: I paid, I waited 18 months, no timeshare exit completed.. Please process my refund and have a great day.”
From the looks of it, customers aren’t buying their efforts. “The response is not acceptable. I explained to Derek, ‘The only reason he called was because of my complaint to BBB’.” Over the last 3 years, one exit company has tallied nearly 360 complaints. 41 have already been filed on the BBB’s platform this year.
Timeshare Exit Businesses That Have Failed to Provide Resolve.
No matter how eager people are to simply move on from the negative experience, every little detail seems to let them down. “The email does not give me a timeline for my refund and is not acceptable. I have been hearing the same thing since I signed up with the company, ‘Someone will give you a call’. Why do I need to keep reaching out to BBB for someone to give me a call? Not Acceptable.”
Keep in mind, these people were led to believe their timeshare frustrations would soon be over. After battling with the resort – sometimes for years – they finally made the decision to terminate their agreement with paid endorsement brands in the exit marketplace. Little did they know they’d still be under contract and battling the timeshare exit business for another promise that wasn’t delivered. This is why we stress that all owners do their research before hiring any company whether it has to do with assisting them with their timeshare contract or a service call for home maintenance.
Washington Finally Steps In For the Consumer.
Some disgruntled owners have been waiting on an exit refund for a while now. Because of this, the King County Superior Court in Washington State decided to go after Timeshare Exit Team for unfair or deceptive business practices in February of this year. The court’s accusation states Timeshare Exit Team (AKA Reed Hein and Associates) violated multiple laws in the Debt Adjusting Act and the Washington Consumer Protection Act.
Maximizing profits can be a dangerous thing when you’re unable to deliver on the basics of a service. This is why we focus on what we do best and always qualify every timeshare owner before explaining our attorney based process. At the end of the day, making things more difficult for an already devastated owner is not worth it. Even if timeshare exit companies try to cover up their deficiencies, the experiences of their customers will still remain. For their sake, we hope all cancellation services take notice.
