Crackdown on ‘holiday club’ scam

Consumers across the EU will benefit from tougher holiday protection - when they buy and resell timeshare holidays, timeshare-like holidays on cruise boats, canal boats or caravans and popular 'discount holiday clubs' - under new rules proposed by the European Commission, June 2007. The aim is to further boost consumer confidence in the Timeshare industry (worth over €10.5 billion and responsible for more than 40,000 jobs across the EU) and to eliminate the rogue traders which can bring legitimate operators into disrepute and cause consumers problems. The 1994 EU Timeshare Directive gives consumers basic rights to clear information, a ban on deposits and right to withdraw and change their mind. The new proposals published today aim to tackle loopholes in the current rules. Most importantly they will extend the scope of the 1994 EU Timeshare Directive to cover new products which have emerged on the market – like discount holiday clubs, and "timeshare-like" holidays on cruise boats, canal boats and caravans - and extend protection to important areas like timeshare resale and exchange clubs. The new rules should ensure that consumers are equally well protected across the EU and will create a level playing field in the market for timeshare and certain other holiday-related products.

• Primary Source

European Commission: Press Release: IP/07/775: Consumers: EU steps up protection for holiday makers for Timeshare holidays and holiday discount clubs http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/775&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: DG Health and Consumer Protection: Consumer Affairs: Safeguarding Consumers' Interests: Ensuring Safe Shopping: Timeshare http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cons_int/safe_shop/timeshare/index_en.htm

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