Clubseasons - Is it a con???

spokeshave

Well, It's half way through the year, so they lose very little by giving you this year's membership free - but don't forget, it's £2950 each year thereafter, plus the maintenance fee of £320.

For that you get a four person holiday, so that if there are already four of you, it could be OK at around £750 each plus the maintenance fee. Depends if you regularly spend that much on a week's break.

If you are just two and don't want to involve friends, it looks pricier, but if you regularly go away with friends, on a sharing cost basis, it might look better.

What they don't say on their site is how they intend to deal with membership or maintenance in future years. They could, say, double it! On the other hand, you could accept the freebie and cancel before the next year is due...unless taking the 'prize' ties you in to a further year of membership.

Ask some more quaestions!

S

Dustersshadow wrote:

Ahhhhh!! Don't know whether my luck has finally changed or whether I'm being sucked in! Please help!! Yesterday I received a recorded delivery advising that I have won a prize worth £2950 from Clubseasons. I phoned today to check it out and it seems I have won free membership with this company via Myoffers website - a competition I do remember entering admittedly! Only catch is that I have to pay approx £320 per annum for management charges?? I tend to be a bit niave at times & so I must admit I was quite excited by the prospect when I visited their website! My partner, on the other hand, is convinced we should stay clear as it's a take on! Has anyone else had any involvement with this company? Any advice or info would be great!

spenoken

:rolleyes: Yep! I got one of these "registered" letters, I have phoned them twice and as yet have received no proper replie(s)

Looks like yet another partial scam to me, saying that, I have just received a call (at last!) to say yep I have "won" a Club membership!! (what a surprise!)
but here is a good "catch "; because I am a "major prize winner" (Ha!) I will only have to pay £161.00 for a "maintenance" fee (for what??)
As yet I have not been offered a cardboard box, log cabin, hut, or a studio etc.
Be VERY careful in dealing with these people,and, ask for a letter with ALL the full details of there offer
THEY ARE NOT TIMESHARE THEY ARE CLUB CLASS HOLIDAYS.

P.S. IF YOU DOUBLE THE £161.00 YOU GET £322.00 Whch is close to a full years "maintenance" fee!! (£320.00 /annum.)

bbruce

spokeshave wrote:

Well, It's half way through the year, so they lose very little by giving you this year's membership free - but don't forget, it's £2950 each year thereafter, plus the maintenance fee of £320.

For that you get a four person holiday, so that if there are already four of you, it could be OK at around £750 each plus the maintenance fee. Depends if you regularly spend that much on a week's break.

If you are just two and don't want to involve friends, it looks pricier, but if you regularly go away with friends, on a sharing cost basis, it might look better.

What they don't say on their site is how they intend to deal with membership or maintenance in future years. They could, say, double it! On the other hand, you could accept the freebie and cancel before the next year is due...unless taking the 'prize' ties you in to a further year of membership.

Ask some more quaestions!

S

They told me the membership is for life.
Also, the £322 p.a. starts in 2008. I need only pay £161 for the remainder of this year and all of next year.
I've got a week to think about it. Am skeptical of course. They weren't pushy but took my phone no so may become so.

Techno

I won this prize a month or so back but they wanted the full £320 from me. I wouldn't give them my phone no. so maybe that's why.
I was told the only cost is the maintenance charge (but this could go up each year) and you get a weeks holiday either in UK or Europe but you also get cheap weekend or mid week breaks.
I said I'd think about it and 3 weeks later they posted me the brochure - still thinking!!!
For more info they have got a website so have a look at that before you make any decisions (look on google for clubseasons)

the_deciple

Hi
I also won one of these great offers ???, saving £2950 and receiving 1 week and a short break free in the first year for £161 from £322.
Working it out monthly (3 months left of 2006 management fee) I come to £322 / 12 = 26.83 * 3 = £80.50 instead of £161 – already alarm bells are ringing

OK here goes – I have investigated after first wanting to sign up immediately due to the thought of saving money for the family – as if:

Website: http://clubseasons.co.uk/ - exert from About your membership

“After your initial one year introductory period, until the year 2069, you may continue to request one week’s self-catering accommodation each year in a one bedroom cottage, villa or apartment (sleep up to four people) subject to availability in any green band period at any Seasons directly owned or affiliated resort in the UK and around the world, upon payment of your annual management fee Please refer to the week numbers which appear in the little green boxes featured on the resort pages throughout this website. Dates are available throughout the year but vary from resort to resort.”
!!!!!!!!Sorry I challenge you to find those wonderful green dates !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The holiday year starts on January 07, so realistically the holiday would start in October 06 leaving three months to book a free seven day holiday and midweek/weekend break.
This then counts as your first year unlimited entitlement – Next year from January, you will be limited to green slots – basically Jan to April and Nov – Dec, off peak. Imagine how many people will be applying for those slots ???

Also – if you refer to the brochure that you will receive clubseasons developers (back page) are seasons holidays plc – looks like they may have been found out and promoting clubseasons for the following reasons (please refer to the following links):

http://www.crimeshare.net/94.html and
:http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=57346

:T

LEICESTER_3

I also received one of their recorded delivery letters this week. I am giving it a very wide berth. I've kids at school so all the off-peak holiday dates would be off limits to me. Also, you can book a self-catering cottage anywhere in the uk for not a lot more than they are asking for their maintenance charge (which I would prefer anyway). These lot ought to be reported to trading standards as no 'prize' should involve paying anything should it?

spud30

I 'won' a prize worth £2950 a few months back.

Arent we all lucky on here :rotfl:

gogogeegee

After receiving a letter from Clubseasons telling me I'd won their life membership worth £2950 I thought I'd do a bit of sensible checking rather than relying on the rabid vitriol that seems to spout from many people on this forum who don't appear to have bothered finding anything out at all, and have just made assumptions! They certainly put the frighteners on me! Anyway, I rang the Timeshare Consumers Association (01909 591100). A very nice man explained to me that Clubseasons are a legitimate company. It is not a scam or fraud. What will happen is that for your first year or two you will get very nice holidays at whatever time of year you want in very nice places and undoubtedly have a great time. He said after that they will try and sell you an upgrade which will probably cost upwards of £6k. If you don't buy he said you'll end up with the 'box room over the kitchens in the middle of January every year', which is what your free membership will basically entitle you to. His advise was to enjoy it for a year or maybe two, then WALK AWAY and DO NOT UPGRADE. He said the reps will be like wasps round a jam jar but be polite and firm and just say no. If you feel unable to do this and think you might give in under pressure then don't reply to the letter. If you are able to say no, then enjoy some cheap and nice hols for a couple of years. Also, just to clarify, I rang up Clubseasons and asked them how long the half price (£161) maintenance fee was for - as some people are saying it is until the end of the year only with another charge of £322 in January. This is not correct. I have been assured that you will not have to pay anything further until January 2008. So me? I'm going for it. I'll get a UK mini break and a week in one of their resorts, not bad for £161. Then I'll say 'thanks, but no thanks' and leave it there. Hope this helps some of you who are unsure. By the way, I got the number for the Timeshare Consumers Association from the Office of Fair Trading so they are legitimate.

Foxyfeline_2

Someone with some sense who has actually bothered to check this out thoroughly.

I too have 'won' a Clubseasons membership. As it happens it suits me very well as money is tight at the moment and there is no way I could afford a week in say, Cornwall, and Portugal for £168.50 which is the half price maintenace fee for 2007 (this is not per person but for up to 4 people). After that there is no obligation, furthermore if you hate it they say they will refund that fee.

There are a lot of ill informed suspicious people on this website who just can't wait to put everything down (and incidentally can't write English or spell either) and no, I don't work for Clubseasons! In fact I have registered on this website specifically to set the record straight. Over the years I have only ever been caught by one scam which cost me £12.99 and that was enough for me to report it to The Office of Fair Trading so you can see I am sceptial and savvy about most things!

Thank you so much for listing the Consumers' Association number. I rant them too and, as you say and I suspected, it is legitimate but a promotion rather than a prize -hence the fees. Yes the flights cost money but really with air travel as cheap as it is and airmiles and other offers it is still a good deal. The only thing to be wary of is being able to resist sales pressure - both my husband and I are/have been professional sales people so this is no problem for us but I appreciate it might intimidate some people.

I hope this is useful to someone

mpython

Foxyfeline wrote:

I too have 'won' a Clubseasons membership.......

There are a lot of ill informed suspicious people on this website who just can't wait to put everything down (and incidentally can't write English or spell either) and no, I don't work for Clubseasons! In fact I have registered on this website specifically to set the record straight. Over the years I have only ever been caught by one scam which cost me £12.99 and that was enough for me to report it to The Office of Fair Trading so you can see I am sceptial and savvy about most things!

Thank you so much for listing the Consumers' Association number. I rant them too .......

I hope this is useful to someone

Welcome Foxyfeline, glad you could join us.

Yes, there are some suspicious people on here, or, as I prefer to think of them, more experienced and worldly.

Its funny how often its newbies who are the only ones justifying these kind of scams/schemes* (*delete as appropriate). And if you're going to have a go at other people's use of english, its probably a good idea to make sure your contributions aren't deficent in its use.