Big Changes

As most of you know, I started Timeshare Insights and the blog “The Word From The Timeshare Crusader” with one goal:  to be a catalyst for positive change within the timeshare industry.

I’m pleased to say that I’ve helped a lot of timeshare owners and prospective timeshare owners.  While I’ve garnered some terrific media coverage from such outlets as CNBC, The Chicago Tribune, Senior.com and WGN-TV, it’s not about the media coverage, it was always about helping consumers and attempting to move the timeshare industry forward despite its stubborn intentions to stay stuck in the 1970s.

Today, in 2017 consumers are being ripped off in record numbers, there’s a never ending array of so-called “experts” who are hawking their latest company designed to prey upon unsuspecting timeshare owners and the industry has taken little or no steps to change an outdated marketing and sales structure which continues to foster a sense of distrust with consumers.

Despite that, I believe that timeshare has great potential.

So, it’s time for some changes.

Effective Tuesday, April 25^th, Timeshare Insights will change to a new company.  I’ll have more information on their important services to assist the timeshare owner on my new blog.

Simultaneously, The Word From The Timeshare Crusader will be redesigned and relaunched as The Timeshare Crusader Blog and can be accessed directly on http://www.thetimesharecrusader.com and on Twitter at @TheTSCrusader.  It will have more news, more guest bloggers, more features and will of course; maintain my own independent voice as the main blogger.

I continue to tweet at @LisaLooksAt and will remain as the timeshare contributor at Senior.com.

Additionally, I continue my important work with the National Timeshare Owners Association which is celebrating 20 years of educating, advocating and encouraging responsible timeshare management and ownership.  Check them out at http://www.ntoassoc.com.

In conclusion for today:  If you like what I’ve been doing for the past 12 years or so, stay tuned, it’s going to get better and more positive changes are just around the corner.  If you don’t like what I’ve been doing for the past 12 years or so, here’s a quote from Star Wars to get you thinking; “You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.”

Underhanded? You Ain't Seen Underhanded Until Now

I've been advising prospective timeshare purchasers for a LONG time on the questions that they need to ask before jumping in.

Those questions involve such things as:

*  what is the five year history of the annual maintenance fees
*  how sold out is the development
*  how is the HOA structured

Now however, I find out that there is another question that needs to be asked.  This question is so unexpected that I admit that I was shocked.

Here it is:

"If I purchase this timeshare, am I waiving my rights to enter into a Class Action lawsuit against the developer?"

Yes, you read that right.  It seems that a certain timeshare developer includes that somewhere in the morass of 974+ pages of documents that no one (other than themselves) ever reads.

How underhanded do you have to be to know how underhanded your business practices are and prohibit owners from suing you in a Class Action lawsuit?

It's a new low as far as I'm concerned.