Sellers of club vacations that are dubious from the point of view of legislation (in our country it simply does not regulate this sphere of activity) know these two basic qualities of their clients thoroughly and know how to use them deftly.
The story of the deception can begin in the most unexpected place. For example, at a theater, where my acquaintance brought her granddaughter to a New Year's performance. During intermission, a pleasant-looking lady approached them and asked if they liked to vacation abroad. Having received an affirmative answer, she immediately asked for my acquaintance's phone number and promised to invite her to a "completely extraordinary event." And a few weeks later, my acquaintance was invited to a luxurious office.
Inside there were many people of all ages who watched with great enthusiasm a video about a serene vacation in some magnificent hotel. After the viewing, a middle-aged woman dressed in a strict suit and very well-groomed cheerfully and very insistently assured that exactly such a vacation awaits those who buy a club vacation certificate from their company. She also explained what a timeshare is. My acquaintance especially liked the incredibly friendly and enthusiastic atmosphere. And also the "spirit" and "energy," as she later said. Therefore, having borrowed from all possible acquaintances and adding all her savings, the lady paid $7.6 thousand that very same day for the right to vacation with her granddaughter in Spain for many years.
But the daughter and granddaughter of our heroine moved abroad. There was no one to vacation with in Spain. A year or two passed, and no one had used the certificate. And suddenly, the owner of this seemingly worthless piece of paper began to receive calls from strangers, all offering help in selling her certificate. By 2002, the calls had become literally daily. And she made up her mind, especially since the prospect of getting back considerable money seemed more than tempting. Having visited several offices of a very dubious appearance, the lady finally stumbled upon a luxurious, as it seemed to her then, firm. The charming and impeccably dressed (this is generally the signature style of timeshare operators) employees immediately announced that the scrap of paper for which she had paid $7.6 thousand several years ago now cost at least $16 thousand!
The lady was delighted that they would help sell the certificate for this crazy money. Only for the mediation would she have to pay. How much? A mere trifle compared to the expected profits - $800. And my acquaintance "gave in." She agreed, and the wheel of Fortune was set in motion. It was already impossible to stop. The lady was called many times a day, telling her about one potential buyer or another. Once they even scheduled an in-person meeting with a buyer in the office. But, as one might guess, he "was unable" to come. And a few days later they announced that the $800 had already been used up and she needed to pay more. And then more, more...
At the moment, our heroine has in her hands a whole stack of contracts with the intermediary company totaling $4,480. And not a single buyer, which is typical. In the summer of 2005, the lady, having lost money and all faith in well-dressed people, filed a lawsuit. She wants only one thing - to return the funds spent on searching for imaginary buyers of her club vacation certificate. When she told the company's general director about her intention to sue, she didn't even seem surprised. Everything suggests that this is common practice. While the lawsuit is ongoing, the company may "dissolve" and change its name a hundred times. Good luck finding it. An investigation is currently underway.
How to avoid falling into a trap
Lawyers warn that fraudsters usually use several typical techniques to dull our vigilance. To avoid "getting burned," you should remember the following things.
1. Any haste in paperwork, hype, too loud music are methods of psychological manipulation. And all this should put you on alert.
2. Often the timeshare company employee assigned to you tries to teach you to lie. A typical situation is that you don't have the money for a certificate worth several thousand dollars. And the company employee begins to ask in detail about the financial situation of your close and distant relatives. And then he says: "Let's go right now to your Aunt Masha and tell her that you are terminally ill and need money. Don't worry, I'll convince her, she'll lend you the money." In this case, doubt is unnecessary - immediately hit the stop signal.
3. Before concluding any contract, you should check the state registration of the company you are going to deal with. Moreover, you should not completely trust the certificate that in many offices is hung in a frame in a prominent place. It may turn out to be a fake. You can verify the legality of the company by checking the state register.
4. The contract should be read not in the company's office. Take it home, or better yet, consult with a lawyer. The contract must clearly state what exactly you are paying money for. And be careful: cunning company representatives insert a clause that the purpose of the payment is to help a charitable foundation. Do you need that? And legally you can't find fault with it. The contract should also specify the full amount of the transaction. If after your request to provide the documentation "to take away" they lose interest in you, that is a bad sign. In all likelihood, you have run into fraudsters.