Holiday Concepts Questions & Answers

It is incredibly difficult. Not only have we not been able to sell it, no family member wants to be gift it (because of the high maintenance) and we cant even give it back to Holiday Concepts for nothing. We have been threatened with legal action if we don't pay the yearly maintenance. When it works well, it is good. Many people who sign up don't realised they are locked in forever.

No it is carved in stone, your kids will inherit it. see if you can gift it to someone which they would not thank you for in the long run, no way out. We tried everything.

yep they have made it extremely difficult to get out off my Elderly Mother is on a pension and they are threatening to to take her to court when all she wants to do is hand it back they are very difficult to deal with

I think you are disgusting to do this to people

Hi Chris, did you get any advice about this. I am in a similar situation with my parents. They are now in n arrears c and c want to get out of it. How did you go? Thnx for letting me know, Mardi

Decided not to go further with this as cost was about 5K, although guaranteed to off load contract. Decided to use units where we where we can, but have learnt that ownership does not necessarily pass on to children etc, as they can refuse to take if in Will. Have read in these threads too that can be willed back to HC (if they still exist then) there have been stories on Current Affairs type shows, where very elderly, infirm owners on pensions were being hounded by debt collectors, so there are legal avenues that can be taken. I think HC and the like try to put fear into people about not keeping up payments. Good luck!

You can refuse to accept the will, disclaim it, but I believe the disclaimed component still owing will then be taken out of the estate which will mean your inheritance will be reduced by the amount owed. If the amount owed is more than the estate value then you are still likely to be liable for the debt still owing (I think). Exit timeshare seems legit - I hope anyway as they have just taken on my parents as clients - but also claimed they had refused others at the same time because they could not identify the chance of winning. My parents are in their 80s and one had bad dementia which exit timeshare said fitted the profile of the type of claim that would succeed. It’s all an awful business, murky and opaque and sinister.

Thanks Lyall. If it eases the minds of your folks, that’s a good thing. Some of reasons, I declined, after reading quite a lengthy document, were: Exit Timeshare could use any means to offload timeshare contract including buying it themselves (which seems to me to be a pretty easy thing to do, despite timeshares being pretty unsaleable) I have never seen a contract that locks me into a 99 year period (most metro cemeteries don’t even have that) Wherever that contract exists, it does not include my children having signed up for it. We have recently updated our Wills, and made Testamentary Discretionary Trusts for our children, which ensures that no future partners or children of their previous relationships could contest the portion our own children receive. That, I imagine might include the likes of HC. Seems whenever current affairs programs present cases of Timeshare harassing owners for unpaid fees, there has been a quick back pedalling. Having recently used HC resort, noticed the usual bargain offers of $2000, which included that year’s maintenance fees. So, might these offers stem from forfeited owner’s weeks? Don’t know, but for $5K, I could well engage my own lawyer. ExitTimerNow seems to be a growing business, so the demand is there and if it eases stress for those, great. For us, the upfront cost was significant, and in my opinion, not commensurate with work to be undertaken, which was not known at time of payment. All this is opinion only. Others may perceive it quite differently.

Hi Chris, My parents died about 5 years ago, As i didn't know what to do with the timeshare or how it worked i just paid the maintenance every year, we have never used it (which we apparently cant anyway until you transfer it into your name). This is where it scared me, I didn't want to be transferred into something i knew nothing about so I didn't pay the last invoice in January. I also wanted to speak with the other family members on how they felt about this. In the meantime HC threatened legal action and have just sent me a "Notice of Forfeiture" which i am guessing they just take the week back? I will contact them and ask for all of my options and a copy of contract but it sounds like if I don't pay any more that's the end of it they just keep the week?

Thanks for that, Mick. I will look forward to hearing how you get on. As we’re in SA and most resorts are in Vic, it involves significant travel, and with Covid, a lock down at any time. It seems ridiculous that we had to use our week by the end of 2021, because 2020 was impossible or incur a fee if we postponed it say, to 2022. Of course, by then, we would also have to use our 2021 week or incur a fee to to do likewise with that. Doesn’t seem to be any advantage to having ownership. I also find it curious that we have to pay for breakages etc; one would think that was covered by exorbitant maintenance fees. Recently it was announced that there would be an enquiry into the ripoffs in some retirement villages. It would be useful if the same happened to timeshare resorts. While they may have had some usefulness in the 90s, that is no longer the case. I am considering similar action as you on arrival of next invoice. And if they do take the week back, why would I engage Exit Timeshare Now and part with $5K to do the same. I find it curious that you are not named as the owner, yet are liable for fees. I don’t have a contract but have not seen anything to that effect. I think the Exit timeshare mob are doing very well because people don’t know what to do and just want this out of their lives. Cheers

Hello Mick, just wondering how you went with this please.? Did they just take the week back? Cheers

If the HC contract isn't in your mothers Will my understanding is it reverts back to HC as there is no one to bill anymore and the owner has passed on. This is a very sore point with many owners as the weeks are difficult if not impossible to sell. I recently gave one of my 2 weeks away free after paying the following years fees so it actually cost me money to get rid of it. If you're in Australia try this site - external link  I believe the pandemic has made local holidays more in demand so you may be able to move it this way. Good luck.......

almost impossible to get rid of or even to use. the legal aspect of passing the debt on to beneficiaries is a good one, this does not stand up in court.

Thanks Glenn R and Big Dunc. This helps put our minds at rest. Fortunately not too many young people are influenced by the sales pitches anymore. Google has been a god send. Cheers Julie and Ken

Hi All, I wonder what percentage of owners of HC trust units are unhappy and would prefer to no longer have them. The trust is comprised of the unit holders and as such a majority can vote to change the constitution I believe, or even possibly dissolve it so that assets can be sold and at least unit holders would be able to realise some value. Other timeshares have been dissolved. My elderly parents also have a HC unit they are unable to use. I am in the process of trying to get them out but I really would prefer to pursue a better solution for everyone struggling. However my parents are not up for the confrontation. Do you know of others similarly dissatisfied?

If something like that could be initiated, I think many owners would give it support.

Have just received an email from HC about some constitutional changes which I am yet to read properly, but I am keen to find out from other members probably with better understanding of that sort of ‘legalese’ to know where we stand. Apparently the site is open for 10 days for our vote. Obviously HC would hardly be viable with Lockdowns in Vic. Are they seriously considering that members, many who are also financially compromised, would continue to prop them up, with no value in return. Really looking forward to responses.

Points can be used for weeks Fri-Fri or for part of a week Mon-Fri. The number of points you will need depends on the level of accommodation, the quality of the resort and the time of the year. You need to ring HC to find this out.

Hope this is helpful. I don’t know about Weeks

I think you have to practically give them away.

Check on EBay

I have one to give away if anyone wants it.

Anyone tried to post with external link ?

I got rid of mine by advertising to give away but whoever wants it had to pay next years fees $790,00 and all transfer of title legal costs which I had someone very next day take it off my hands , I know holiday concepts helped with for transfer of property , it might have been holiday concepts which would make sense as they can resell it for huge profit , I am so pleased no more worries and no more fees due yearly . as you cant get any money on a resale now , ,

I have one to give away.

I don't think you can walk away, just put it on a timeshare sales web site for almost nothing, I think that's the only thing you can do.

If you have any luck let us know.

We've had it on a resale site for a year for $1000 and haven't had one offer. So guess we just keep paying.

Absolute scam with no outlet. totally unfair especially when you are older, & family these days are not interested in Timeshare these days. and Maintenance fees go up every year !

The only thing I've seen Lee is people have refused to pay their maintenance fee and ultimately they have forfeited their week. That week has then been put up for sale by Holiday concepts. You'd have to check but maybe if the weeks haven't been registered and transferred into your name its not your responsibility ? I don't know for sure though. A solicitor would be able to answer that for you

Hi Lee, The only thing you can do is give them away I think. Try listing them on external link  or Google "time shares for sale" A young family should be interested? When you have someone who will take them contact HC and they have a department that handles the transfer.

Good luck,

Glenn

If you had a ball on holidays growing up it worked but if you don’t want it hand it back coz then your dept free I have a friend you just stopped paying the fees never hear from them again

You'll have to check with holiday concepts but I thought you "forfeited" your week back by not paying and just walked away. They could then onsell to someone else.

I don't know, I guess you have to sell it if you can but you wont get much for it , nearly have to give them away, or try not paying fees anymore and just walk away , sometimes the resorts have weeks for sale guess they are because people have walked away , cant see holiday concepts buying it back off you, But you are right they are always putting up levies and pricing themselves out of business for what you are offered in the resorts they own , and you can only stay in Victoria and one in NSW now and to use other resorts it costs you extra and now extra if you don't use it within the year , holiday concepts used to be ok but not any more , I just holidayed with another couple with different company in QLD and heard holiday concepts going broke No Wonder

Yep, if you are "points" non payment appears to be the same as walking away. We never moved to points and were on the initial input almost 20 years ago. No idea if you can on-sell your points. Ask directly to HC

sorry but all that happened for us was threats from them if we wouldn't pay the fees and the people we asked to sell the thing charged us $300 and we never heard from them again. we are now poorer by some thousands of dollars and 'gave back' the wretched timeshare. so it was a sad lesson for us - and i hope you have some success in your endeavors.

We paid $19000 for a 7500 points per year scheme at marine cove. We have not used any points ever, were told we'd later be able to use them on overseas holidays....what a load of.... Answered a "Sell your Timeshare " ad which cost $2000 & we never heard from them again, either. HC were really helpful, I don't think.

How can you get out of this scheme? Class action does sound a good idea.