Timeshare Stripped Bare. Seminar to look at the realities of timeshare

May 22, 2009 - PRLog -- In the last 20 years, the timeshare industry has frequently hit the news headlines for negative reasons - scratch cards scams, inflated selling prices, re-sale issues and hollow promises are frequently amongst the words used to describe the industry.

But do the headlines always provide a balanced perspective?

One of the little known realities is that close to half a million British families own timeshare. Significant percentages of this number typically use the exchange service to go on quality holidays all around the world.

September’s seminar is being held at the picturesque Barnsdale Hall Hotel & Country Club near Oakham in Rutland. Entitled "Timeshare Stripped Bare" the seminar will tear away the veneer to take an honest and in depth look at all of the issues that have confronted timeshare, and that have given the industry such a tarnished reputation for the last two decades.

Searching for solutions to established problems
The organisers of the event insist the seminar is not a platform to simply talk over issues, and to seek to cast timeshare in a favourable light. One of the key objectives of the seminar is to draw on some of the respected companies and individuals within timeshare to shape solutions to known industry problems, thus protecting the interests of the consumer.

Topics for scrutiny
Some of the topics for discussion at the seminar are:

1. Does timeshare really represent good value compared to other methods of holidaying?

2. Tens of thousands of owners wish to sell their timeshare. What are their prospects of doing so, will they recoup any of the original purchase price , and how can they set about the task selling?

3. Which companies within the industries can consumers really trust and why?

4. How can customers protect themselves from bogus operators?

5. How can owners get the best value from their timeshare?

6. What are the best exchange options?

7. What does the future hold for the timeshare industry?

The company behind the seminar is Dial An Exchange (DAE), who provide a service whereby owners of holiday properties can swap weeks.

In the last 12 months DAE have held four customer Roadshows in front of some 650 owners.

The Managing Director for the European office of DAE is David Lilley.

Commenting on the seminar, David said "It is clearly apparent that timeshare owners want an opportunity to discuss their issues in an open forum. Our DAE Roadshows have been held to do exactly that - to listen to issues, offer protective advice and to create improvements. After having staged four events, it has become acutely apparent to me that more needs to be done. Some owners really don't understand what they own and whilst others have had good value from their ownership, they are now ready to relinquish but find their escape route blocked by their inability to sell."

Speakers at the event
Speakers already confirmed for the event are Simon Jackson, Managing Director of Macdonald Resorts, Philip Watson, Managing Director of Worldwide Timeshare Hypermarket, Ramy Filo, CEO of Classic Holidays, Paul Mattimoe, Editor of Owners Perspective Magazine, Matthew Moody, Managing Director of Millennium Property and David Lilley, Managing Director of Dial An Exchange Europe.

Timeshare owners can share their experiences
Timeshare owners are being encouraged to contact the organisers to share their timeshare stories. There are also fifty free spaces available for the event.

Anyone interested in the event can find out more via a specially created website, http://www.timesharestrippedbare.com. Timeshare owners can also share their stories via this website.

END OF RELEASE
Notes for editors
1. Photo opportunities and telephone interviews with any of the speakers can be arranged before and after the event.
2. Quotes from some of the speakers are attached.
3. Subject to arrangement, broadcasters, journalists and news publications are invited as delegates to cover the event. Video cameras will be permitted via arrangement.

Primary Contact (7 days a week)
David Lilley via e-mail david@dialanexchange.com or by telephone on 07872 13 13 14





Phil Watson's thoughts about speaking at the event
"I am really looking forward to the conference as it will hopefully allow me the opportunity to reinforce the efforts that I have worked long and hard on over the years, to raise the profile of resale companies and what they can offer both the resorts and the owners.
Nobody can deny that resale companies are not all created equal. It is also true that some of them work with nobody's best interests in mind other than their own pockets. This has lead to an unfavourable image in the publics' mind which we, at Worldwide Timeshare Hypermarket, strive to overcome.
During the conference I hope to be able to demonstrate how resale companies can aid the current owners and bring a new stream of members to the resort with all the benefits which this brings. I also hope to demonstrate how a good professional relationship between resale company and developer can bring added benefits to both."

Simon Jackson quote

"I am delighted to be speaking at this event. During my tenure at Macdonald Resorts, we have worked really hard to tangibly demonstrate that we care about our customers. No business or industry is perfect and that could be said of the timeshare industry, but we always have to strive to improve our services and products as the consumer is the most vital part of our all our futures.

I want to be involved in genuine initiatives to improve the timeshare industry for its existing customers and for entrants into this fantastic, quality way of holidaying.

This seminar is being held at exactly the right time. Many businesses across many sectors have suffered a torrid time recently because of the global economic crisis and timeshare is no exception. It is therefore hugely important that we seek to answer and find robust solutions to the issues that face many concerned owners and seek to shape a positive future.

It will be a great honour speaking at this event to help achieve our collective consumer and industry goals."


David Lilley quote

"Whilst there are many happy timeshare owners in Europe (and we should not ignore that important point), there are thousands of other owners who are not happy and their issues need to be addressed.

It is clearly apparent that timeshare owners want an opportunity to discuss their issues in an open forum. That will be one of the best things about this seminar – getting issues out in the open.

After having staged four Dial An Exchange Roadshows this last 12 months, it is apparent that solutions to acknowledged challenges need to be shaped. Our Roadshows were primarily held to listen to owners issues on exchange and re-sales, to offer protective advice and to seek to create improvements.

What I learned from these Roadshows amazed me. There are some long standing owners who really don't understand how their timeshare works, what trading power is and how points work. And then there are those owners who have definitely enjoyed good value from their ownership, but they are now ready to relinquish their ownership but find their escape route blocked by their inability to sell.

I am really looking forward to the event. It is time to strip the issues bare to see how we can improve matters."