Timeshare Exit Team Urges ARDA-ROC to Join Them in Championing Consumers Amid COVID-19 Crisis

BELLEVUE, Wash., April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Amid a pandemic that has drastically changed the lives of millions of Americans in just weeks, Timeshare Exit Team is reaching out directly to Ken McKelvey, Chairman of the American Resort Development Association – Resort Owners Coalition, with a message urging them to push for a fast path out for owners who need relief from their timeshare contracts.

Dear Mr. McKelvey,

When it comes to timeshares, we've been on different sides of the fence. Your organization has worked closely to further legislation that is friendly to timeshare developers, and mine helps owners find a path out of ownership, so we are far from beloved by developers. But I believe we share a common interest in wanting to help people.

Right now, Americans really do need the help. We are facing an unprecedented crisis unlike any other we've seen in our lifetime. Many have lost loved ones, while others are faced with medical or financial hardships. They have also lost their freedom to travel, including their ability to use their timeshare. The need for consumers to exit their timeshares is more relevant now than ever, yet their ability to exit is stifled by the red tape put up by the timeshare industry.

So I write this to ask: what exactly is ARDA-ROC currently doing to help consumer-focused causes related to COVID-19? Its stated mission is to "champion owners' causes on every regulatory and legislative level­." It appears that the website hasn't been updated for nearly a year and ARDA-ROC's Twitter feed hasn't shared a message since November. 

Does this mean that the fight for owners' causes is over? The thousands of requests for help that Timeshare Exit Team has received just this year, along with the countless social media posts from owners expressing their panic and disgust at developers' insensitivity and hardline tactics during this time, would indicate otherwise.

If ARDA-ROC is really focused on championing timeshare owners, then it should consider lending a hand to the countless Americans who are struggling to put dinner on their table and pay their medical bills due to the timeshare they feel trapped in, or the maintenance fees they're still being forced to pay.

We recognize that for the past eight years, we've been a harsh critic of your industry, but we are willing to put that aside and work alongside you to help push owner-friendly reform to lawmakers and developers at a time when consumers need it most.

There are a few specific areas that we'd recommend as a starting point for helping timeshare owners in distress:

• Timeshare owners can receive a one-year hiatus on all maintenance fees. If they can't safely use the property, they should not be charged for it.
• All paid-in-full timeshares should be able to be transferred back to the resort at no cost.
• Any timeshare owners facing a legitimate hardship, whether medical, financial or other, should receive a responsible exit.
• Resorts must establish a mortgage forgiveness program. For context, the average timeshare this past year was sold for more than $20,000. At the typical interest rate of 17%, that's almost $350 per month that many of these owners can no longer afford.

We are willing to work with developers - no attorneys, no third parties, no strings attached. Our exit specialists will make sure the paperwork is in order and walk customers through the process with your team to ensure a positive customer experience is delivered.

Now is the time for a consolidated effort to help those who need it most. If ARDA-ROC really wants to champion owners, now is the time to step up and use your influence to do just that.

Sincerely,

Brandon Reed
CEO, Timeshare Exit Team

About Timeshare Exit Team
Timeshare Exit Team is the industry leader in helping people exit their unwanted timeshares. Understanding this hardship, Timeshare Exit Team started in 2012 with one goal in mind: help consumers find financial and emotional freedom from their timeshare situation. To date, it has helped more than 20,000 timeshare owners exit their timeshare contracts. For more information, please visit https://timeshareexitteam.com.

SOURCE Timeshare Exit Team

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