RDO agrees action against DTMCs with authorities in the Canaries

Discount Travel Membership Clubs

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.



Arrest of bogus timeshare resale company in Spain

Following a report from RDO’s Enforcement team, Spanish police have arrested the person behind the fraudulent timeshare resale company Benedetti & Asociados, which was targeting timeshare owners on the Costa del Sol.

Using the name of a company which had in fact been dissolved in 1989, the fraudsters were approaching timeshare owners with the promise of a corporate buyer, demanding an upfront fee of 499 euros to secure a sale which then never materialised.



New Florida legislation provides relief to timeshare owners

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.



New Mexican eco-resorts for Interval International

Interval International has announced the affiliation of two properties from Tau Resort’s collection of beachfront and boutique eco-resorts: Tau nahui and Tau Santa Maria in Mexico.

According to Marcos Agostini, Interval International’s vice president for Latin America, the new resorts “will give members the opportunity to experience some of the rich cultural traditions and ecological diversity of this region.”



Scottish fractional golf resort joins The Registry Collection

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.