Costa Packet Shattered.

[padi56]

Couple of friends of ours were a pair of, a poor gullible tourist, walking down Magaluf high street for the very first time, wearing there Union Jack T-Shirts, browsing through the local selection of Donkey shaped paper weights, Palm frond Panama hats and other essential Holiday souvenirs, and within moments, there Holiday took a new and sinister step.

The step into Time Share.....

Oh yes, this bloody fantastic idea offers you a 'Lifetime of Holidays' for just a few thousand pounds, and whats more, the option of switching to even more desirable destinations at any time.

Almost unable to stand up due to the combination of a huge trousers boost extension,and by the mere thought of a lifetimes worth of 'almost free' Holidays.And five or six glasses of Sangria laced with Vodka and Gin, and the fact the silver tongued Northern sh!temonkey ('Sales adviser') will say absolutely anything that will secure his commission. And hence another few months pleasure with the tarts in the sun. They swallowed up the stories of people making thousands selling their 'Red' fortnights at a later date, or perhaps by subletting their Apartments out to friends who eagerly lust after the Costa Del Lotta lifestyle.

Foolishly, they agree to sign the papers and pay the down payment, which proves to be a bigger mistake than Freddie Mercury learning how to say I will bend down in Russian.Now they cannot do anything as it comes under some sort of Spanish Law.

The victims of this nasty scam are not clever enough to realise that they still have to pay for flights, Insurance and the annual service charges, which are similar to those of an early 70's Jaguar . (In fact the industry average is around £450 a year for the overheads alone, while return flights can be as expensive as an entire package holiday)

The overall costs in fact, are about the same as a normal Holiday...

Except, you don't have to actually go on Holiday for the management fees to keep rolling in. Along with Fees, Insurance, and after the first few years, essential repairs, unbodging the original drains which the Spanish idiots had thrown in so badly. That the building has actually become a huge bleeding floating cruise ship, in a sea of sewage. Shortly before it takes on a severe list, and looks for all the world like a modern day Leaning Tower of Pisa before sinking into Hell and being condemned.

Now at this point they discover the insurance company, namely 'Fook off and Scarper' of Gibraltar have never actually been registered with Lloyd's as originally claimed, and you are left with sweet 'Fugue' all. A sad tale but a bit late now to tell them I told them so.Be very careful out there holiday seasons approaching fast, always check the very small print before ever signing your life away.


Holiday clubs are in no way similar to Timeshare, as they do offer you the chance to enjoy 'almost free' Holidays for the rest of your life!

[Rockrolex]

I have several friends who invested in Time Shares. They love them. I wouldn't touch one with a stick. Even those that are legit. They tie you down as to where you can stay. You can only use them for a specific number of weeks a year. And as an investment, they're like boats on land - they are a hole in the ground into which you keep throwing money. No thanks.

[C.J.]

Good post, Peter I agree with you and Ed. Never in a million years.

Ed's description is why I am not involved in Time Shares, or own a cottage. I have a lot of family that have cottages up in the Penetanguishine area of Ontario, and I've been going up there since I was a kid. Now all my cousins from one family have bought cottages on the same lake (4 of them), and not only are they money pits, but they are a ton of work. They do the commute up the 400 highway every weekend, and spend most of their time working on the cottages.

The only time they really get a break from the work is when they have company to entertain, so I guess that's one reason why we have an open invitation.... :-)

I would not want to feel obligated to go to any particular place due to the fact I had spent so much money on it, so cottages and time shares are out for me!

Time shares IMO are rip offs. You never get to use them when you want and often they're left in a mess from the other people who use them. We've been roped into a couple of 'demos' on TS and not only do I not like them, I despise the way the salespeople hold you almost against your will when you want to go.

As for cottages... no thanks. Keeping up one house is enough work without having to drive hundreds of kilometers to another house you barely use and spend all weekend fixing up, only to do it again, weekend after weekend.

A few high school buddies parents had cottages and I got invited up frequently, only to realize I'm there for free labour. Felling trees in black fly-and-mosquito infested forests, building cribs in frigid lakes to mount docks upon, roofing... no thanks.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Atomic

Time shares IMO are rip offs. You never get to use them when you want and often they're left in a mess from the other people who use them. We've been roped into a couple of 'demos' on TS and not only do I not like them, I despise the way the salespeople hold you almost against your will when you want to go.

As for cottages... no thanks. Keeping up one house is enough work without having to drive hundreds of kilometers to another house you barely use and spend all weekend fixing up, only to do it again, weekend after weekend.

A few high school buddies parents had cottages and I got invited up frequently, only to realize I'm there for free labour. Felling trees in black fly-and-mosquito infested forests, building cribs in frigid lakes to mount docks upon, roofing... no thanks.

Would agree John looks like my friends are going to be over £4500 out of pocket, plus the lawyers fees to get them out of this mess.