RDO has warned owners to be wary of any approach inviting them to join a class action scheme against their resort developer or exchange company, as these are often a cover up to make them join an expensive Holiday Club under false pretences, something which has been illegal since 2008.

A new procedure to fight against the fraudulent activities of Discount Travel Membership Clubs (DTMCs) in the Canary Islands was agreed following a meeting between RDO’s Enforcement team and the local authorities.

Attending the meeting were representatives from the Consumer Affairs, Tourism and Development departments in the Canary Islands Government, as well as the Head of the EU’s Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) for the Canaries.

New legislation approved in Florida will provide relief to timeshare owners’ associations (HOAs) and developers left to foot the bill for those owners who can no longer afford to make their maintenance fee or mortgage payment, by shortening the time needed to complete a foreclosure action.

While judicial processes for timeshare interest foreclosures can take as long as 18 months, the new process, referred to as a “trustee foreclosure”, will only take 90 days, allowing HOAs to replace a non-paying owner more quickly and cost effectively.

The Village at Machrihanish Dunes on the southwest coast of the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland, considered a haven for golfers, has been affiliated to The Registry Collection luxury exchange programme.

The area is home to The Machrihanish Golf Club, designed by Old Tom Morris, which opened in 1876. Its first tee, regarded by many as the greatest opening hole in golf, lies just across the road from the resort, which also has its own 18-hole golf course, designed by David McLay Kidd.

Timeshare owners and resorts with available inventory can now rent their unused weeks to holidaymakers looking for resort-based apartment accommodation thanks to Holiday Letting Shop (HLS), a new holiday resort rental business and website.

The www.holidaylettingshop.com website features a live search, reservation and secure payment facility, and allows holidaymakers to look for accommodation by date, range, country, region or resort name.

Perspective International celebrates an early finish to its expansion project with the announcement that a new Asia Pacific edition of Perspective Magazine will be launched at the ATHOC Convention in New Zealand in September 2010, months ahead of schedule.

This will be the fourth version of the shared ownership industry magazine, which has grown from a small European publication into a globally recognized name in a few years. Its North America edition was launched in February 2010 and a South Africa edition will be formally launched next month.