Timeshares, holiday clubs, leisure credits, bonus weeks and vouchers are just some of the offers you might have seen when planning your holidays or when you're actually on holiday. The ins and outs of these long-term holiday engagements can be hard to understand and lead you to take decisions that will be difficult to change.
So forewarned is forearmed: a new report and tips for consumers from the European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) can help you find your way through the timeshare maze.
Existing EU rules protect you when you buy timeshare or long-term holiday products, but it is better to be well- informed to make sure people selling them obey the law. In the last few years a whole new range of products and sales techniques have emerged that have rendered the consumer's choice even more complex.
This prompted the ECC-Net to study the major traps within the market - to raise awareness among consumers, authorities and other stakeholders of problems related to timeshare-like products. This has led to a report and 10 timeshare tips, which are now published on the UK ECC website.
Four tips to help keep you out of trouble:
So forewarned is forearmed: a new report and tips for consumers from the European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) can help you find your way through the timeshare maze.
Existing EU rules protect you when you buy timeshare or long-term holiday products, but it is better to be well- informed to make sure people selling them obey the law. In the last few years a whole new range of products and sales techniques have emerged that have rendered the consumer's choice even more complex.
This prompted the ECC-Net to study the major traps within the market - to raise awareness among consumers, authorities and other stakeholders of problems related to timeshare-like products. This has led to a report and 10 timeshare tips, which are now published on the UK ECC website.
Four tips to help keep you out of trouble:
- Don’t sign anything unless you are sure you want to buy. You don't need to sign contracts immediately and the seller must give you all necessary information in good time before you sign.
- If you have second thoughts, you have 14 days from signing a contract in which to cancel it free of charge.
- If something looks too good to be true, it probably is. A typical case involves an offer of a scratch card at a resort which shows that you've won a prize. To get it, you have to go to a nearby office to hear a short presentation. This turns into a lengthy sales pitch during which you're pressured to sign a contract without having chance to think about the terms and conditions.
- Read first, pay later. You cannot be asked to pay a deposit upfront. Take contracts home to go through them properly before signing.
The UK ECC's aim is to help as many UK consumers as possible who encounter problems with a trader based in Europe, to achieve a resolution: a replacement, repair, refund or cancellation of their contract.
