At Timeshare Advice Centre, the most common complaints we hear are about high-pressure sales tactics, spiralling maintenance fees, holiday booking systems that don’t deliver, and feeling trapped in contracts that are hard to escape. So, has Florida-based timeshare company MyMVP Club finally found a better way?
A besieged industry
“Timeshare owners seem happiest on two specific days,” says Suzanne Stojanovic, spokesperson for Timeshare Advice Centre. “The day they sign up, and the day they get out of their ownership.”
A quick look through online review pages for some of the world’s biggest timeshare brands, including Marriott Vacation Club and Wyndham Worldwide, shows a striking number of poor reviews. On Trustpilot, both Marriott and Wyndham owners overwhelmingly rate these providers at one star out of five.
The themes are consistent. People say they were pressured into buying something they didn’t truly want, and then faced repeated sales approaches each time they visited. Many are unhappy about how quickly annual fees rise, and disappointed by how the product performs in practice—particularly when it comes to booking where and when they believed they were promised.
A potential solution to “forever” contracts?
Timeshare contracts—especially in the USA—can tie people into remaining members in perpetuity, whether they are happy with the ownership or not. In effect, that creates a captive membership base, where owners are legally obliged to keep paying whatever fee increases are issued. It also reduces the usual market pressure for timeshare companies to perform well, because dissatisfied customers often can’t simply leave and take their business elsewhere.
A Florida company may be about to challenge that model with what many will see as a simple, long-overdue change.
MyMVP Club has done away with “forever” or in-perpetuity contracts in favour of three-year membership increments. There is no cost to relinquish membership, and exit is achieved simply by not renewing.
MVP club CEO Joseph Takacs Jr says: “MyMVP Club is designed so you know what to expect. After spending the last 15 years talking with owners as we helped them through reexamining their timeshare options, we designed a Club based on what they told us they want, like and need.”
Expert comment
“This certainly sounds like a welcome innovation,” says Andrew Cooper, CEO of European Consumer Claims. “It puts the onus back onto the timeshare company to work to retain their customers. They are motivated to keep annual fee demands competitive, to make sure that their holiday system works, and to minimise intrusive pressure sales during members’ holidays.”
“If they don’t get it right, their customers can leave after three years,” adds Cooper. “Traditional timeshare companies have no such incentive to impress. In general, timeshare companies actually prefer their members to have complaints, because it gives their in-house sales team an opportunity to ‘fix’ the issue by pushing yet another expensive membership upgrade.”
“It is too early to say definitively that MVP Club has got this right, but we will be watching with interest.”
How do I escape my “forever” timeshare?
If you have a traditional, long-term timeshare, the first step—before exploring other holiday options—is to understand how you can get free from your current contract. Timeshare companies rarely make it straightforward, because they rely on your annual fees whether you still want to be a member or not.
Exiting can be possible with expert help. Under certain conditions, mis-sold members may even be due sizeable amounts of compensation from their timeshare company, although this must be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
To discuss your options, get in touch with our team for a free, confidential consultation.
