ECC confident Doncaster couple's £220k Marriott compensation win is the "tip of the iceberg"

Marriott's Vacation Club International

With a 2023 annual turnover of $4.72 Billion, MVCI are the world's second largest timeshare company behind Wyndham Destinations. Marriott's have over 90 resorts worldwide, of which three are in Spain.

The flagship of those three Spanish resorts is Marriott's Marbella Beach Resort which opened for business in 1996 and swiftly established itself as a leading revenue earner in the burgeoning arena of Spanish timeshare sales.

Timeshare laws

Three years later, in 1999, Spain introduced much needed legislation to protect holidaymakers from brutal, high-pressure timeshare sales operations. The new constraints were welcomed by the wider tourist industry which was hampered by the effects of negative publicity attracted by largely unpoliced timeshare sales schemes.

Timeshare is an emotional sale and resorts knew that if they complied with the rules, they could no longer generate the vast revenues of the past. Most companies therefore chose to ignore some or all of those new laws, seemingly relying on the labyrinthine Spanish justice apparatus to shield them from the effects of legal actions.

This strategy worked for 17 long years. The majority if those who sued over their illegal contracts eventually gave up after years of being mired in a foreign legal system. A system where they did not speak the language, where they could be delayed and endlessly filibustered by aggressive timeshare resort lawyers for years. Most people threw in the towel long before achieving justice.

The dam bursts

Most people, but not Tove Grimsbo. This determined, Norwegian Anfi victim won a €40,000 victory against her resort in 2017, opening the door for all future claims against timeshare resorts.

Grimsbo had help in the form of a timeshare claims company. Where individuals could be browbeaten into submission by delays and legal subterfuge, claims companies would never give up.

The law is on the victim's side. No matter how many months, or even years the resort lawyers hold back the tide for, a claims company will generally win in the end on behalf of their client provided they keep up the process until completion.

Since Grimsbo won that first case, an avalanche of similar claims were filed. In the eight years since, timeshare companies in Europe have since largely been forced to close down new member sales, and now owe hundreds of millions of pounds in compensation. Many resorts are currently in liquidation.

Marriott compensation record

Giant international brand MVCI were no exception when it came to ignoring the timeshare consumer protections. Leading claims firm European Consumer Claims (ECC) has 335 active cases against Marriott. 260 of those are at various stages of court proceedings, with a total value of £6,309,087. Of the 260 that have so far reached court, 130 have been won, and 130 are ongoing. None have been lost.

Marriott have an admirable record, compared to most timeshare companies, of paying what they owe in a timely fashion.

In October of 2024, a record sum of money was awarded to a grateful couple from Bessacarr, near Doncaster.

Steven and Bella (names changed) were awarded a staggering €220,000 for their illegal Marriott's Marbella Beach Resort contract, based (in this case) on it not specifying the apartment and time that they owned.

This kind of life-altering award is something that Greg Wilson, CEO of ECC believes many other MVCI owners may be not even be aware that they are entitled to.

"This couple won a huge amount of money, nearly a quarter of a million Euros," says Wilson. "But it could well be just the tip of the iceberg.

"Marriott's in Marbella have done a vast amount of business with Brits, and with other nationalities too. A appreciable percentage of those contracts are illegal and most owners have no idea.

"Because Marriott's owners are often happy with the product they have never been motivated to delve too deeply into their contracts and wouldn't necessarily know they were sold illegally.

"Steven and Bella are still able to stay in their beloved Marriott's Marbella Beach Resort, but now their route is do so via Booking.com or Expedia for more or less the same cost as they used to pay in annual maintenance to Marriott. And of course they have this significant financial award in their favour."

What about you?

If you are a Marriott owner, even if you are happy with your timeshare, it makes sense to at least check the legality of your contract.

If you were sold illegally, being content later does not excuse the initial way in which they signed you up to a serious commitment with their company.

Why not get in touch with our team for a fee, no-obligation consultation? Knowing your options will allow you to make the smartest decision for you and your family.