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05 Feb 18
23:06
Joined:
Date Joined:
05 Apr 06
May interest you Slippy....you said you used to sell them
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42909256
Thousands of people desperate to get out of their timeshare contracts are currently unable to because it is far too complex and costly, the Victoria Derbyshire programme has been told. For some, it is like a "disease" they cannot get rid of.
"I thought it would be a suitable place for my disabled grandson to visit, because it was a bungalow that could sleep up to six," says Wendy Barker, describing the countryside holiday home in which she holds a timeshare.
A timeshare usually involves paying a one-off lump sum, plus annual maintenance fees, in return for being able to use the property for an agreed number of weeks each year, every year for life.
Wendy bought her timeshare with her partner Anne Jackson Blanchard in 2005.
For many years the couple enjoyed holidays at the lodge with their family, but Wendy says it has since turned into a burden - financially and emotionally.
"I tried to sell it, tried to give it away, but nobody wanted it. It's like a disease hanging over me."
Wendy Barker bought her holiday home timeshare in 2005
Predominantly in the 1980s and 1990s, timeshares were marketed as holidays without the hassle, and many investors were told their timeshares would increase in value and be easy to get out of, whenever they wanted.
But for many, like Wendy, this did not materialise.
Instead she has been left to pay the maintenance charges that come with the property, which have now increased to £900 per year.
"It was just constant," she says, "[them] wanting money, wanting money.
"I was like, 'I can't afford it, we are pensioners'."
As time passed the couple separated. Wendy retired and Anne's health deteriorated, meaning they were not able to use the home despite paying the charges.
Some companies allow timeshare owners to terminate agreements on request. Others only allow it if a person is sick, elderly or bankrupt. But Wendy's partner Anne was told she was not sick enough. In October, she died.
Wendy says worries over the timeshare "certainly didn't help" Anne's health.
.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42909256
Thousands of people desperate to get out of their timeshare contracts are currently unable to because it is far too complex and costly, the Victoria Derbyshire programme has been told. For some, it is like a "disease" they cannot get rid of.
"I thought it would be a suitable place for my disabled grandson to visit, because it was a bungalow that could sleep up to six," says Wendy Barker, describing the countryside holiday home in which she holds a timeshare.
A timeshare usually involves paying a one-off lump sum, plus annual maintenance fees, in return for being able to use the property for an agreed number of weeks each year, every year for life.
Wendy bought her timeshare with her partner Anne Jackson Blanchard in 2005.
For many years the couple enjoyed holidays at the lodge with their family, but Wendy says it has since turned into a burden - financially and emotionally.
"I tried to sell it, tried to give it away, but nobody wanted it. It's like a disease hanging over me."
Wendy Barker bought her holiday home timeshare in 2005
Predominantly in the 1980s and 1990s, timeshares were marketed as holidays without the hassle, and many investors were told their timeshares would increase in value and be easy to get out of, whenever they wanted.
But for many, like Wendy, this did not materialise.
Instead she has been left to pay the maintenance charges that come with the property, which have now increased to £900 per year.
"It was just constant," she says, "[them] wanting money, wanting money.
"I was like, 'I can't afford it, we are pensioners'."
As time passed the couple separated. Wendy retired and Anne's health deteriorated, meaning they were not able to use the home despite paying the charges.
Some companies allow timeshare owners to terminate agreements on request. Others only allow it if a person is sick, elderly or bankrupt. But Wendy's partner Anne was told she was not sick enough. In October, she died.
Wendy says worries over the timeshare "certainly didn't help" Anne's health.
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Just to correct you The Leopard, I was never a 'Del Boy' type timeshare agent. I worked for a huge company that sold properties off plan for about 15 years and we sold villas and apartments, mainly on golf courses and urbanisations in Southern Spain. I had nothing to do with timeshares. Hope this helps. When it was good it was a ridiculously profitable employment, then the exchange rate crashed and the game went belly up. I was friends with a few bank managers and I'd get a kickback for sending them clients as the Spanish banks could not not wait to lend but pretty much everyone got burnt. I've got a place out there that is worth a third of what is used to be, it's just a holiday place for family and friends and that's OK. Cheap flights from Gatwick and 5 minutes from the beach. Spain is completely bankrupt, I'm going there in April for a bit of sunshine.
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