UK Trading Standards Warn About Holiday Club Scams

Consumers travelling abroad for some winter sun are being warned to keep on their guard from scratch card touts offering holidays, cash or luxury consumer goods and Trading Standards Officers have issued reminders of the need to protect yourself against Holiday Club scams.

In order to claim these prizes consumers are invited to attend a small presentation or awards ceremony.

Unsuspecting consumers find that once they attend a presentation that they are subjected to high-pressure sales pitch to sign up for to a holiday club. 

Those who sign up to a holiday club may find that they have committed themselves to long running and expensive agreement, with little or no means of withdrawal or cancellation, afterwards. 

Very often the same deals on resorts and hotel being offered through the holiday club can be booked through a local travel agent at the same price. 

You may find it easy to get caught up in the excitement of winning a prize and  the sales representatives may be very good at persuading holiday makers that they will make big savings on holidays if they sign up immediately.   Unfortunately it is perhaps only when you come home from your holiday that you may realise the mistake you have made and bythat time it is too late.

Holiday Clubs are not subject to any cancellation rights unlike time share agreements which do provide such protection under The Timeshare Act 1992, as amended by the Timeshare Regulations 1997.

The Timeshare Act implements a European Directive and a number of European states have adopted protection for consumers.

Safeguards offered to consumers when buying a timeshare from a UK based company include:

* A 14 day cooling off period during which the buyer can cancel the contract;

* The seller may not ask for or accept any money from the consumer during the cooling off period, so no actual money changes hands, immediately;

* A brochure in the consumer’s preferred language setting out information about the timeshare so the buyer knows the full terms and conditions of the contract and is given time to examine these

* Written notice of the right to cancel the contract and a cancellation form, so the buyer can contact the seller quickly if they decide they do wish to cancel their agreement.

The UK now has its own European Consumer Centre, which is co-funded by BERR (Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform).

Based in the UK the European Consumer Centre offers specialised advice on consumers rights for consumers when travelling abroad.

Their advice for to consumers who find themselves targeted by holiday club sellers is:

* Be cautious when you are told that you have won a holiday or cash, after all you have to question what is in it for the company and why are they appearing to be so generous?

* Be wary of anything that involves you having to attend a presentation, especially if you are told to bring a partner along.

* Don’t get taken in by the sales pitch and sign up as a method of getting away from the presentation.

The UK European Consumer Centre website offers more information on holiday clubs and any consumer problems relating to a cross-border purchase.

Log on to www.ukecc.net <http://www.ukecc.net/> . Consumers can also email for further advice at ecc@tsi.org.uk <mailto:ecc@tsi.org.uk> , or telephone them on 08456 04 05 03

Highland Scotland Office:
Highland Trading Standards, 38, Harbour Road, Inverness, Scotland