alpha travel-time share or not

[davidmarsden]

my friends have been offered a virtually free holiday . they must attend a business centre in warwickshire for two hours but they have been told it is not a timeshare.anybody know the company?

[carmalee]

you get nothing for nothing - there will be a catch - it may well be timeshare cos these companies are doing this kind of things all the time . I've had a million invites for free holidays and ignored them all - have never known anyone to be satisfied in their dealings with this type of thing.

[dzug2]

No not heard of this particular outfit but there are two possibilities:

it's time share and they are lying

it's something along the same lines that is not technically time share so they are not lying

The second is far more likely these days - true timeshare is regulated even if many would think inadequately

In either case stay away.

[theshedman]

Hi, the other possibility is that it is a Travel Club which is a similar type of thing to timeshare. Either way as the others say keep well away if you want to keep your money.

[dzug2]

Companies in Warwickshire have generally been pushing buying a 'time share' in a boat - either a narrow boat or a sailing boat in Turkey. They word it to sound as if it's not timeshare

Either that or as the shedman says a holiday club. They take thousands off you for the 'right' to buy holidays that if you ever get them at all are much the same prices as online or a travel agent. Even if a few cheapies exist, it takes years to make enough savings and they've conveniently stopped trading well before that.

[KARL]

Whatever it is, I cannot imagine that you will have money taken from you against your will. All you need is willpower and the self discipline required to say "No". You can have the holiday for free or nearly so so long as you give up a couple of hours or so of your time. That said, sitting through these things is tedious when you are already determined to refuse to buy anything there and then. The best way to look at it is to see yourself as a tourist resisting the touts. The sellers are likely to be very persistent and you need to listen until the moment of truth arrives and then say you won't sign anything without thinking it over at home. It is 99% certain they will say the offer is only valid there and then in which case you make it clear you accept that and will not sign/agree to anything. ABOVE ALL never sign anything at the presentation even though you have a legal cooling off period, it is too much hassle to undo - unless you like the offer, in which case the choice is yours but then you must not blame anyone else if you regret it later. Timeshare is much cheaper in resale than at presentations and travel/vacation clubs are a poor deal because you have nothing you can resell if you no longer want it. Presentations are actually places where you can learn a few things about what is available and to that extent attending one or two is educational.

[davidmarsden]

thanks everyone-i have found the company and they are black-listed

[dzug2]

<All you need is willpower and the self discipline required to say "No". >

Unfortunately a significant minority of the population either do not have that will power or believe the saleman's spiel when he sells them the advantages of whatever it is he is pushing..

And at least some of the companies will make it as difficult as possible for you to take that virtually free holiday if you don't sign up.