In yesterday’s Timeshare Owners Blog, we looked at an ABC 20/20 investigation of Royal Holiday vacation club. Here is Part II of that post:

The hidden camera videotape made by ABC’s 20/20 investigators reveals that Royal Holiday breaks a lot of rules when it comes to selling timeshare. People who attend the Royal Holiday sales presentation are promised an incentive if they sit through a 90-minute sales pitch, which actually lasts 3 or more hours. They are told that they can only take advantage of special pricing if they buy today…on the spot, and if they prove reticent to buy, that price may mysteriously be cut in half in hopes of getting them to sign up now, as first one and then another salesperson tries to break down their resistance.

Royal Holiday also serves alcoholic drinks to their prospects. It is poor business ethics to do this, and it is an absolute no-no for you, as a prospective buyer, to make the mistake of clouding your good judgment with alcohol. Never, I repeat never, mix alcohol with the decision to buy timeshare.

Other criticisms of Royal Holiday’s sales tactics include promises made by salespeople that a buyer’s money is invested in a foreign bank account and will be returned to them in 30 years; that rooms shown as examples of what you are buying are far nicer than the rooms you actually can book; and that availability in busy seasons is scarce.

How to Avoid High Pressure Timeshare Sales Tactics

All in all, 20/20’s report was extremely negative. There is however, one foolproof way to avoid the heavy hand of a timeshare company salesperson. Buy resale timeshare. Deal only with the person who already owns the timeshare or vacation club membership. Bypass that salesperson who works for the timeshare company yet counts on you to pay his or her salary through commission.

When you shop for timeshare resales or timeshare rentals online, you can take your time. You can ask questions, you can compare products. You can sleep on your decision and consult your attorney or your financial planner. Money doesn’t come easily these days; take your time deciding how you will spend it.

Royal Holiday Vacation Club Timeshare Resales

Currently Sell My Timeshare NOW timeshare resales and timeshare rental advertising company has more than a hundred different listings for Royal Holiday vacations. Some start at under $1000.

The Royal Holiday vacation club affords you the opportunity to travel the United States and Mexico without joining an exchange company. Royal Holiday Club has occupancy rights at Sheraton Cancun Resort and Towers in Cancun; Sol Caribe in Cozumel; Sheraton Ixtapa, Mexico; the Raddison Xanadu in Freeport, Bahamas; Wave Crest in Del Mar, California; Powell Place, San Francisco; Marriott’s Streamside at Vail; Tropicana Golf Estates in Las Vegas; High Point in Orlando; and Brigantine Beach, NJ.

Sell My Timeshare NOW can help you buy, rent, or sell Royal Holiday vacation club timeshares, without the hassle.

Part I of a two-part post.

If you ask the people that own and operate Royal Holiday vacation club and timeshare, they will tell you that 97 percent of their approximately 65,000 timeshare owners or members never complain. Yet a recent investigation by ABC’s 20/20 revealed a different picture.

Let’s start with the semantics of what Royal Holiday Club sells. According to an ABC News report, “Royal Holiday calls its Vacations for Life plan an alternative to the complaint-riddled timeshare business.”

We can skip the double talk here. Vacation ownership, fractionals, vacation clubs, and timeshares are all variations of the same thing. The type of ownership will vary. You may have deeded timeshare ownership or you may own the right to use a timeshare resort property. You may even own points that can be used like currency to pay for your vacation accommodations. But in all cases, whether it is one week every other year, or 180 days of glorious vacation time, you still own vacation rights that are measured in intervals of shared time. Voila! Timeshare! And frankly, companies that call themselves something other than a timeshare are usually just looking for an angle they think will improve their marketability.

Two Sides to this Timeshare Sales Story

There are two sides to every argument. Royal Holiday is probably correct, that they have a huge number of satisfied timeshare owners, a.k.a. members. I also think the 20/20 investigators are right that there are unhappy timeshare buyers who justifiably feel ripped off by Royal Holiday.

While the average member at Royal Holiday vacation club, who buys from Royal Holiday, pays $11,000 to join, plus a yearly fee of about $465, this price varies greatly depending on how much vacation time a person is seeking.

And it doesn’t seem that the majority of the complaints are about Royal Holiday’s resorts. The vacation club company has more than 180 destinations, as well as 3000 different cruise itineraries, which members can access by spending their “Holiday Credits” or points.

But here’s the problem. There are some angry people who are very dissatisfied with the difference in what they thought they were buying and what they actually own. And it all goes back to the sales people who sold them their Royal Holiday vacation club memberships, and some very unethical sales practices.

According to the 20/20 investigation, the company has, “…a growing number of members who say Royal Holiday misled them about how the club operates, and the availability of vacations they’d want. The only thing royal about their membership was the way they were ripped off.”

“They lie,” was the accusation raised most often in describing the sales staff at Royal Holiday. And if complaints are the measure of dishonesty, then it looks like lying is a growing trend at this company.

In 2005, there were 282 complaints against Royal Holiday; in 2006, there were 506 complaints; and by 2007, there were 761. Unless the company’s business tripled between 2005 and 2007, their complaint ratio is definitely moving in the wrong direction fast. As further proof of the problems, consider the fact that the Better Business Bureau gives Royal Holiday its lowest ranking, an “F”.

Take a few minutes, watch the 20/20 investigative report on Royal Holiday courtesy of YouTube, and then come back to the Timeshare Owners Blog tomorrow to read the rest of the story…

Gary May of the Ottawa Citizen has written an excellent article with advice for buying timeshare and timeshare resales. The article was printed in last week’s The Vancouver Sun, and covers 10 things to consider when you are ready to buy timeshare.

Here are a few of the reasons his timeshare advice is exemplary:

Gary May does not start or end his article with warnings about why it is a bad investment to buy timeshare. He seems to have a solid (and correct) grasp of the concept, that buying timeshare is no more about investment potential than buying a new car. You buy it to use it, not as a replacement, or even a supplement, to your financial investments.

He identifies that timeshare buyers have choices and options and that time is on their side. He counsels you to shop around and seriously evaluate your needs. How do you and your family vacation? Do you like to visit the same vacation destination every year, or do you like to explore new locations? He talks about maintenance fees, taxes, and timeshare exchange. All of which are very important to consider when you buy timeshare.

And on May’s list are two points, that are very important and resonate with great truth:

“Don’t be railroaded into buying something you aren’t sure about. If you go to a special promotion, you will be required to attend a demonstration. Consider this an education on the merits of timeshare. Don’t buy on a whim. Ask questions. Think it over. If you like what you see, bargain the price down. Never buy at the first price they offer.”

“Consider buying a timeshare from an owner: resales are everywhere since people’s lifestyles change. Resales can usually be purchased for far less than the original price and are listed on timeshare websites and in newspaper want ads.”

Answer to Your Questions about Buying Timeshare

On Sell My Timeshare NOW’s website we have a page - a long page - devoted to answering frequently asked questions about buying timeshare resales. We explain the difference in types of timeshare ownership, discuss banking timeshare weeks, and help you understand why timeshare purchased directly from a timeshare resort developer costs so much more than timeshare resales purchased from their current owners.

Timeshare ownership can be a great opportunity for you and your family to enjoy a lifetime of vacations. But like anything else, it should not be purchased in haste, nor should it be bought during a high-pressure sales pitch.

And for more on the subject of timeshares sold by high-pressure tactics, read the Timeshare Owners Blog tomorrow when we will be looking at a Mexico timeshares company that has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

With a late-season surge in the flu going on in many parts of the US, it is easy to assume that most travel-related illnesses are airborne, but according to a recent health edition article on Forbes.com, experts estimate that up to 50 percent of travel related illnesses are contracted from contaminated water or food.

Many people today find it difficult to work more than one vacation into their schedules and budgets each year; for others, those treasured vacation days roll around even less frequently. So what could possibly be worse than saving dollars and vacation days for months, even years, only to plan a trip and spend any part of it feeling ill?

The Forbes online article quotes Dr. Susan McLellan, director of the Tulane University Travel Clinic and associate professor of medicine in infectious disease at Tulane University School of Medicine as saying, “Traveling without taking some precautions is like driving without your seatbelt. You’re probably going to be fine-unless something bad happens.”

Here are some worthwhile tips about staying healthy on vacation, and a few thoughts on how owning a timeshare or timeshare resale makes guarding your health when you travel even easier.

Playing it Safe with a Timeshare Condo

Everyone knows that they should drink only bottled water when traveling abroad. And most people even remember that rules applies to the water they use when they brush their teeth, or wash a piece of fruit. But here’s something many travelers don’t know: play it safe with bottled water and drink only from bottles that you open personally.

Restaurants have been known to serve bottled water to guests, but to “graciously” remove the bottle cap first. While you may think they are being accommodating, (and maybe they are) they may, in fact be serving you tap water that has been poured into the bottled water container as a cost saving measure.

And here’s another food-handling tip that could make the difference in a great vacation and a week spent tethered to the bathroom: the fewer times food is handled, the lower the risk of it making you ill. As Forbes writer Allison Van Dusen points out, “You might be better off eating something straight from a street vendor’s boiling pot than off a swanky hotel buffet that’s been sitting around for a while.”

A week in an exotic location may be just the recharge your brain and body needs. Even a not-so-exotic location, like Mexico timeshares, can offer you the sun, sand, and the climate change your body craves, without traveling halfway around the world. But wherever you go, vacationing in a timeshare condo with kitchen facilities might turn out to be the difference between a fabulous holiday and a miserable experience.

You don’t have to bypass dining in restaurants when you go on a timeshare vacation; new and diverse cuisines are part of the fun of travel. But the truth is: you dramatically improve your odds of avoiding travelers’ illness by limiting the number of times you eat food prepared by others. An in-suite kitchen and dining area is a rarity in most hotels, and not available in every timeshare resort. But there are plenty of timeshare resorts in the US and abroad that do offer kitchen and in-room dining areas. Selecting a timeshare condo that provides a kitchen means you personally have control of the food handling and safety of the meals you and your family eat. Like the experts say, you’ll be fine, unless something bad happens…so when you plan a vacation, make it a timeshare vacation. You will be improving your odds of staying healthy as well as enjoying wonderful accommodations and amenities.

To learn more about the opportunities in timeshare resales and timeshare rentals visit Sell My Timeshare NOW.

Henriette was an almost overlooked hurricane this past week, as the brutal Hurricane Felix, a strong category 5, grabbed headlines and left death and destruction across Nicaragua, Honduras, Belize and parts of Mexico.

Making landfall as a category one hurricane, Henriette hit Mexico’s tourist and timeshare resort destinations of Cabo San Lucas and Acapulco on Tuesday.

According to Eddie Dalmau of the Van Wormer Resorts, “Palmas De Cortez and Playa Del Sol sustained no damage”. He went on to say, in an article, which appeared in the Daily Breeze, that electricity and water were expected to be restored on Wednesday (September 5) and all roads from San Jose Del Cabo to the East Cape area were open, along with the San Jose Del Cabo airport that reopened on Wednesday morning.

As the storm made impact in the Baja area, the Mexican government declared a state of emergency in southern Baja California. Waves reached 15-feet and plumes of whitewater reportedly soared 30 feet into the air at the Cabo San Lucas marina. CNN reported that one restaurant owner said he had lost 40 percent of his beach before the storm even hit.

Two destinations of interest to timeshare owners have already released the following reports:

Villa del Palmar Los Cabos timeshares reports that at the time the hurricane hit, they had 65 percent occupancy and other than the effects of the rain, all resort amenities were available to guests as normal. Electrical service and telephone service were not interrupted because of the storm.

Club Royal Solaris Los Cabos timeshare reported that they are operating regularly and that their beach was not damaged by Henriette.

Here’s a nice You-Tube video shot earlier this summer at Cabo San Lucas during sunnier times.

Now that Hurricane Dean has made its way across the Yucatan Peninsula, residents and business owners are left to face the clean up and disruption to life (and often revenues) that follows in the aftermath of a hurricane.

Timeshare owners of Cancun timeshare or Cozumel timeshare can breathe a sigh of relief that reported damage to the resorts there does not generally seem to be extensive. The timeshares and resorts of Cancun and Cozumel missed the worst of Hurricane Dean, even though pounding waves potentially may have caused serious beach erosion.

By midday (Eastern Time) on Tuesday, August 21, 2007, the Palace timeshare resorts were reporting that guests who had been relocated to a secure area onsite, had already returned to their rooms. Throughout the Palace Resort properties, the restaurants were reopening and clean up of poolside areas had already begun.

The Cancun tourist area still shows signs of repairs from Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Although fast-moving Dean was a stronger hurricane, many experts expect the damages to be less than those of Wilma, which stalled over the Yucatan Peninsula, pounding it for more than a day.

For a first hand report on timeshare resorts in Cancun, check what they say on the Storm Carib blog which says, “Club Internacional de Cancun, Royal Sands and Royal Haciendas are fine. It is too soon to tell the exact condition of the beach at Royal Mayan, Royal Caribbean, and Royal Islander.”

Hurricane Dean made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane and at one point had a wind speed of 165 miles per hour, with gusts up to a staggering 200 miles per hour. The Costa Maya area, known for its diving and sports fishing, is identified as ground zero where Dean made landfall. The largest city in the Costa Maya area, Mahahual, is roughly 230 miles south of Cancun.

Prior to the storm, 250 small communities were evacuated according to Quintana Roo (just north of Belize) Governor Felix Gonzalez in an Associated Press interview published by MSNBC.com. Damages of the coastal areas where Dean came ashore will no doubt be severe, but as often happens after such storms, blocked roads and downed phone lines make immediate assessment difficult. If you own timeshare at the Sole Vacation Club at Sunscape Tulum, your Mexico timeshare may not have fared as well as did most of the timeshare resorts in Cancun and Cozumel. However, I have no definitive information about Sole Vacation Club in Tulum, Mexico at this point.

A few weeks ago, the Timeshare Owners Blog offered a series of posts dealing with what to do if a hurricane threatens during your timeshare holiday, what to expect from your timeshare resort if hurricane repairs are necessary, and even a look at travel insurance designed especially for timeshare owners.

To add to this, I have included links to the Palace Resort timeshare’s hurricane policy, which says in part: “If guests wish to postpone their vacation and travel at a later date, we will protect original rate for travel up to one year after original departure date. Bookings must be rescheduled within 30 days after a hurricane strikes. Based on availability and black out periods apply.”

To review the full details of this hurricane policy, visit the Palace Resort timeshare’s main page and then follow the link labeled, “2007 Hurricane Policy” that appears at the bottom of the page.

And to learn more about Mexico timeshare resale and Mexico timeshare rental visit Sell My Timeshare NOW.

Tomorrow I’ll share the updates I find about timeshares in other parts of the Caribbean impacted by Hurricane Dean.

You often find me blogging about golf, the PGA Tour, and timeshare resorts with great golf courses. Timeshares and golf go together in part, because on-property or nearby to so many timeshare resorts are fabulous golf courses. Often this means that timeshare owners can enjoy reduced rates on tee times and even play the course at times when there are no tee times available for non-owners. Overall, the demographic of timeshare owners includes a large number of people who enjoy golf recreationally or as a spectator sport. And in a recent study by ARDA, over 22 percent of the timeshare owners surveyed ranked “golf” as the most attractive characteristic of a resort area.

Recently I learned that the relationship between golf and timeshare vacation resorts goes beyond the consumer level. Textron Inc., is a multi-industry company whose brands include Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft, Kautex, Lycoming, Greenlee, and E-Z-GO golf cart and turf maintenance vehicles. What I did not realize was that over the years, Textron Financial has expanded their financing of golf courses to include financing hotels and timeshare resorts.

Textron Financial offers hotel and timeshare resort financing for acquisition and development loans, construction loans, inventory loans, and notes receivable financing, in amounts that range from $5 million to $80 million. Their investment portfolio includes hotel properties and timeshare resorts in the US, Canada, the Caribbean, and Mexico.

Textron Financial sees timeshare resort financing as a logical choice for their company because their strong presence in the golf industry positions them to recognize the long-term value of golf course investment strategies for a resort. When major companies don’t hesitate to put big money into underwriting timeshare resorts, the rest of us ought to also feel pretty comfortable about the wisdom of buying one or more timeshare intervals to enjoy with our families.

Missouri Secretary of State’s Office issues cease and desist orders over possible timeshare investment fraud.

Robin Carnahan, Missouri Secretary of State, has issued cease and desist orders against four Missouri men, a business in Panama, two Mexican businesses, and a Nevada promoter. Allegedly, the group has targeted Missouri residents, all of whom are between the ages of 64 and 86, for an “investment” deal that promised returns between 9 and 11 percent for 25 years.

After investing a minimum of $5,000 each, the individuals were told that their “investment” was actually a timeshare resort property in Cancun, Mexico. Sell My Timeshare NOW reminds you, timeshares should never be purchased as an investment for financial return.

Timeshare vacation property offers an excellent way to “invest” in a vacation lifestyle. Timeshare units afford you a way to lock-in today’s vacation prices for a lifetime of vacation accommodations. And timeshares are one of the easiest ways for busy families to manage their vacation planning. In many cases, when timeshares are owned as deeded property, the timeshare can be left through your legal will to your heir, providing generations of vacation enjoyment. But timeshare ownership, as rewarding as it can be, should never be entered into as an investment for the purpose of realizing financial gain. Not only is it unethical to represent timeshares as investments, it also violates Securities and Exchange Commission laws.

In the Missouri case, the investments totaled $1.8 million. According to an article in the Kansas City Star, “Carnahan’s office said the investments were not registered in Missouri and the investors did not understand that they had to manage their timeshare units themselves.”

In other words, the only way for the new timeshare property owners to earn a return on the money they spent on timeshare intervals, is for them to use it as timeshare rental properties. Saddest of all is the news that some of the money these people spent was from their retirement funds or other annuities, or from certificates of deposit and IRAs, representing money that is critical to their support.

The businesses named in the cease and desist order are: Yucatan Resorts (Mexico); Resort Holdings International (Mexico); Majesty Travel (Panama); and Resort Holdings International (Nevada, US). Action against these companies may also be taken in Minnesota, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and New Mexico.

Lastly, let me take this opportunity to remind you that, if you are interested in Mexico timeshare, there are excellent, legitimate ways to purchase it as a Mexico timeshare resale, Cancun timeshare resale, Mexico timeshare rental, or Cancun timeshare rental.

More than sun and sand to enjoy during your Mexico timeshare vacation

There is a multitude of reasons to enjoy a vacation in a Puerto Vallarta timeshare resale or timeshare rental, some you may know, and others that might be a surprise. But before I share with you some of the really interesting information I have recently learned about Puerto Vallarta, let me give you two links to our website where you can find an amazing inventory of timeshare vacation properties, in Puerto Vallarta as well as other great Mexico timeshare destinations.

Puerto Vallarta timeshare resales - Puerto Vallarta timeshare rentals

Puerto Vallarta has an interesting history. For many years, it remained a small beachside secret enjoyed primarily by visitors who traveled from other parts of Mexico or southern California. Then Hollywood came to Puerto Vallarta, and it was never the same.

In 1963, famed movie producer, John Huston, choose the site for the filming of The Night of the Iguana. The film starred Richard Burton, Deborah Kerr, and Ava Gardner—three of the most press-worthy names of their time. But what really drew attention to the small town, was the arrival of Elizabeth Taylor, who came to be near Burton during the movie’s production. Now add to that, the drama of Taylor’s ex-husband Michael Wilding already on the set as Burton’s press agent. Or the fact that Peter Viertel, who had once been romantically involved with Ava Gardner, accompanied his wife Deborah Kerr to the movie location, and it is easy to understand why, overnight, Puerto Vallarta became a media hotspot.

But development has been kind to Puerto Vallarta. Despite the luxurious hotel and timeshare resorts, there is still a strong measure of village charm. Most days, the sky and the ocean compete to see which one can be the bluest. Just off shore, in the protected waters of Banderas Bay, dolphins play year-round and humpback whales come to spend the winter. Forested hillsides slope down to the sea, and you can canopy tour (also known as zip lines) a great deal of the area on one of the most extensive canopy cable networks in Mexico.

Puerto Vallarta has wonderful shops and galleries to browse, but some of the most amazing art in the area can be found right on the beach. One particular example is the “La Rotunda del Mar” statues overlooking the ocean. Puerta Vallarta is rich with outdoor sculpture, with some of the most interesting pieces appearing along the Malecón, a favorite beachside boardwalk.

Our appreciation to the people at wired blog for bringing this artwork to our attention.

Name may change but quality remains with Wyndham Vacation Resorts.

Effective in 2007, you can expect Fairfield Resorts, TrendWest North America, and TrendWest South Pacific to be renamed and re-branded as part of the Wyndham hospitality empire.

When the name change is completed, more than 140 timeshare resorts throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific will carry the Wyndham identity and logo.

Fairfield Resorts will become Wyndham Vacation Resorts. TrendWest South Pacific will be known as Wyndham Vacation Resorts-Asia Pacific, while WorldMark by Trendwest will become WorldMark by Wyndham. Wyndham Worldwide chairman, president and chief executive officer Stephen P. Holmes, announced last summer that for Fairfield Resorts, the re-branding process will begin immediately.

Industry experts believe that the renaming will go a long way to reinforcing the Wyndham brand, especially on mixed-use hotel and timeshare properties, which seem to be the way of the future. When corporations re-brand a product, there is always initial cost and at least a little confusion. In the end, it typically proves to be a cost-saver, allowing the corporation to focus all of their marketing and advertising dollars on a single identity or label.