Original Message:
Re: Vacation Village in Berkshires Hancock Massachusetts (by Irene P.):
KC Timeshare were routinely sold as real estate, easy to sell, yet VV requires medical or financial hardship. If I have a 5 BR home and the kids moved out, I don't need to prove hardship to downsize. A Canadian VV owner, age 80, a widow, has debilitating arthritis so bad she can't lift a large glass of water, much less a suitcase. She also said she has cognitive dysfunction. She has been attempting an exit for years. I got on the phone with her. We were transferred to three departments, then sent back to the first department that turned out not to be the correct department, owner services instead of owner resolutions. She just submitted medical documentation. All her pain pill prescriptions (in the middle of a pandemic) wasn't sufficient. She is grateful she got this far with a maybe.
ARDA encourages up-selling to those in distress, as reported by Communal News 11/20/20 below. Many members have reported they attended a presentation specifically to exit the timeshare due to financial distress, but were convinced to buy additional points, falsely promised that they could only cancel, or be able to sell points if they purchased more points. "The way these companies are treating their valuable customers during these challenging times is downright strange and cruel…..The comments of the chair of the American Resort Development Association-resort Owners Coalition (Kenneth McKelvey) have been highlighted in the recently -issued Forbes article in which he said, “The best thing we can do with exit (is) judicial foreclosure, ruin the credit and enforce the contract.” “Each developer should have an exit strategy office with (their) call center, also can be an opportunity to upsell. Only 40-50% (of owners) actually exit after reaching the office of exit.” https://communalnews.com/the-impact-of-coronavirus-on-travel-and-tourism-globally/