Newton Advocates Timeshare Exit Industry Reform, Rejects Diamond Resort's Push to Prevent Third Party Assistance

PHOENIX, Aug. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Gordon Newton, author of the Consumer's Guide to Timeshare Exit and President of Newton Group, a leading timeshare exit company, has published an editorial rejecting Diamond Resorts CEO Mike Flaskey's national video campaign proclaiming his dedication to "shutting down" the timeshare exit industry.

"Flaskey's push to prevent Diamond timeshare owners from seeking third party assistance when exiting a Diamond timeshare is both self-serving and dangerous for consumers," Newton said.

Newton, a 15-year veteran in the timeshare exit industry, is an advocate of consumer education and industry reform. In early 2018 he published the Consumers' Guide to Timeshare Exit to educate and assist consumers when selecting a timeshare exit company. He expressed his concern over Diamond's efforts to limit consumer choice in the free marketplace.

"Timeshare exit is very different from timeshare sales--they are separate industries," Newton said. "The fact is, there wouldn't be an exit industry in our free market economy if there was no consumer demand. A trustworthy, legitimate, third party exit company is a valuable part of a healthy life cycle of timeshare ownership."

Newton strongly objected to Flaskey's position that "there is simply no need for [exit] companies to exist other than to mislead consumers for their own benefit" by stating that Flaskey "has a financial interest in persuading consumers to talk only with Diamond." He quoted statistics (see graph) gathered from Newton Group client declarations of timeshare owners whose exit requests were rejected by Diamond.

"Flaskey is either blind to the problems that diamond timeshare owners are facing today, or he is fully aware and his national campaign to shut down the exit industry is an attempt to keep Diamond owners locked into contracts and paying fees into perpetuity," Newton said.

Newton took further exception to Diamond's exit program, labeled "Transitions™ By Diamond Resorts," and its list of "Conditions to Apply", including that "participation with a timeshare exit or resale company or firm may negatively impact [the] ability to apply for Transitions."

"[Transitions is] ripe with disclaimers, open to Diamond's interpretation and not even guaranteed to remain in existence," Newton said. "Their entire program to 'relinquish...vacation ownership' shocks the conscience. It's akin to hostage takers saying not to seek help from the police, or in this case, any third party help or legal advice."

Newton ended his editorial with a commitment to pursuing timeshare exit industry reform, by stating that Newton Group will be publishing their reform recommendations in the coming days. "Consumers benefit from choice," Newton said. "Flaskey is missing a valuable piece to solve the problem: a need for comprehensive legislation and strict rules that protect consumers when ending their timeshare ownership."

About Gordon Newton
Gordon Newton is a 15 year veteran of the timeshare exit industry and author of the Consumer's Guide to Timeshare Exit.  Newton Group is A+ rated with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), finalist for the Torch Award for Ethics and five star rated at Google, Trustpilot and the BBB.

SOURCE Gordon Newton