Consumer alert - United Wealth Management

Consumer Alert

It has been brought to the attention of RDO [Resort Development Organisation] that a Singapore based company called United Wealth Management may be informing timeshare owners during presentations that the company is registered with RDO.

United Wealth Management is not associated with RDO in any way and is not authorised to act on its behalf. Members of the public should be on their guard if contacted by this company and are advised to take legal advice before parting with any money.



Applicability of new Timeshare Directive to Fractional Ownership

Timeshare Directive and Fractional ownership

The new ‘Timeshare Directive’ is to be implemented into national law across the European Union by 23 February 2011. Some countries have implemented the Directive already, notably France, others such as the UK and Finland, have recently issued draft proposals for new laws and several are consulting interested parties.



Programme details for RDO1 conference announced

2010 Conference

The Resort Development Organisation (RDO) has unveiled details of the sessions, guest speakers and social events that members will be able to enjoy at the RDO1 Conference which will take place at the Don Carlos Resort & Spa in Marbella (Spain) on 5-6 October 2010.



Have you been defrauded?

Fraud

Timeshare owners who have been defrauded by Resale Firms*, Holiday Clubs, Cash Back Schemes, Class Actions, Fly Buys*, etc. should contact RDO’s Enforcement team on enforcement@rdo.org as soon as possible.



Stop press -- police make arrest in Spain

police make arrest in Spain

Brussels 8th July 2010 - The police in Spain have arrested a person behind fraudulent timeshare resale company Benedetti & Asociados. This company, which operated from offices on the Costa Del Sol, targeted Spanish timeshare owners and RDO has received a number of complaints about its activities this year. The arrest follows a report that RDO’s enforcement team sent to the police in Marbella.



Should cooling-off periods be applied more widely?

A couple of weeks ago in the OPP News, there was a call for the establishment of a European wide cooling-off period in the cases of sales of freehold, often second-homes abroad, in order to avoid some of the scams perpetrated on people looking to buy their “Place in the Sun” .



The truth behind Class Actions - RDO lifts the lid on dubious schemes

The truth behind Class Actions

You've seen an advertisement or had a call out of the blue - something in itself to be wary of as your details have probably been obtained through a stolen database - and are now considering whether to join a class action against your resort developer or even exchange company.

So what's the reality behind these schemes; is this just another scam, a way of obtaining money from timeshare owners under false pretences?



Details of RDO1 Golf Competition announced

rio real golf

The Resort Development Organisation (RDO) has announced details for its traditional pre-conference golf tournament. The RDO1 Golf Competition will be held at Golf Rio Real, a challenging 18 hole course owned by the Rio Real Hotel

Considered one of the best golf courses in Marbella, Golf Rio Real was inaugurated in 1965 and designed by Javier Arana. It has its own country club and golf learning academy.

Registration for the Golf Competition costs 100 euros. More details are available on the RDO1 Conference website www.rdoconference.org.



AN OFFICIAL RESPONSE FROM RDO (RESORT DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION) TO THE PRESS RELEASE OF JUNE 15: “TIMESHARE INDUSTRY IN SPAIN IS SET TO COLLAPSE”

Brussels 15th June 2010 - Contrary to the statement made by Claims Directive, a company located in Arguineguín Gran Canaria that claims to represent timeshare owners’ interests, the timeshare industry both in Spain, the rest of Europe and USA as well as other international territories is extremely robust.



A Momentous Meeting?

I am trying to avoid what I would call a “Unite moment” i.e I do not want to be accused of giving away the contents of an important industry meeting at the time it took place, so I have left a decent interval before talking about this particular one.



Travel 2010 – Where is everyone going?

Travel trends 2010

We have just put up on the RDO website, a paper on Travel trends 2010 prepared by Flagship, a UK based PR company, who act for and advise RDO and are themselves members of the organisation. It is well worth reading. This is of course an issue of real interest to RDO members for obvious reasons and is why at the RDO1 October Conference, we have asked the Director of the Travel and Tourism Research Institute at Nottingham University Business School, Leo Jago, to address the issue of what the next few years will hold for our industry in terms of travel trends as the world- and Europe in particular, struggles to come out of recession.



Renewed scope for online debate as RDO enters the blogosphere

RDO has introduced The Chief Executive’s Blog on www.rdo.org, the organisation’s latest initiative to increase positive online coverage of timeshare and engage with the industry, the media and the public in an open, honest online debate.

Paul Gardner Bougaard, RDO’s Chief Executive, will regularly offer his views on key industry issues, ranging from consumer trends to the industry’s responsibility to tackle fraud or how to attract new buyers, inviting comments from online followers.



No – Fly Ban, crisis what crisis?

No Fly Ban

With all the attendant publicity given to horror stories, of holidaymakers and travellers stuck at airports and hotels, unable to travel home due to the no-fly ban across Europe, and the decision by Ryanair not to compensate travellers, which was reversed shortly thereafter, it is worth reflecting that “no news is good news”, in that nothing much was heard during this period of crisis from timeshare owners stuck at resorts around Europe.



Timeshare Resorts Help Stranded Guests Facing Major Flight Delays

UK Airspace as at Midday

With a massive backlog of flights now facing holidaymakers trying to get home, despite the opening of European airports, timeshare resorts which are members of the Resort Development Organisation (RDO) have been working tirelessly to provide emergency accommodation for stranded guests, helping them get home whenever possible now that the flight ban is officially over.



Timeshare Complaints Continue to Fall, but why are we still one of the Media's 'Bad Guys'?

I don’t have a problem with the legitimate consumer watchdog sites , they clearly do a good job and RDO works with many of them from time to time. I also understand the old adage that “good news doesn’t make for good newspaper sales”.

There is undoubtedly a huge gulf between how timeshare is reported in the media and the consistently high satisfaction rates found amongst timeshare owners around the world. How has this happened and what can the industry itself do to improve this?