BEWARE- Holiday club Club Class Concierge

weeden

Mum was also duped into buying from Club Class Concierge on the basis of receiving a substantial refund!! Unfortunately having accurately forwarded the correct documentation to them over the years - my sister-in-law (who took to do with this matter on mums' behalf) has received notification that the final set of documentation is incorrect!! Despite the fact it has been notified as correct in previous years!!!! Does this mean that mum - like so many others - will receive nothing! A further letter to them has resulted in them basically telling her where to go.

There are too many people out there promising to help, emails, telephone calls, letters, all asking to help retrieve her costs - at a fee of course!! All cons and scams too!! The many requests to be sent ownership docs to people/companies?? because they have a respectable buyer with cash waiting to purchase her ownership with Club Class Concierge - with the request of an £895 holding/retainer fee of course. All cons and scams too!!

Can anyone legitimately help - where do we/she go from here?

Will she still be able to make a section 75 application to her credit card provider - is there a time restriction on making claims?

Cateran

A quick web search will give you some reassuring information about what debt collectors cannot do. Club Class versions are simply untrue - yet another example of their corporate lying practices!
Then read the Limitations Act 1980 - a summary will be enough - and look at "Statute Barred" for the 6 year limitation. Club Class do not like this being quoted at them and my last caller got quite rude and short tempered. An enjoyable result even if my chances of getting money back from them are poor.

Allan1859

post on the mindtimeshare.me website and they will send you all the documentation and advice you need to make the claim. They are wonderfully helpful - but be warned, it took me 18 months of persistence to get my full refund from my credit card!

Cateran

I have read a report that the dates on a member's copy of the original paperwork is not the same as the dates on the Club Class original. I have checked what I have left of my own papers and there are differences there too with the version in the latest Club Class email. One incompatibility is so glaringly obvious I could have kicked myself when I reread it. No details as Club Class almost certainly read these blogs. I have refused to answer telephone calls and told them in writing to put everything in writing. They have not complied (not received my written request? Again! What a surprise!) and just leave messages on my answerphone which i am now keeping especially as Club Class callers may be using several false names depending on what company they claim to be. The date variation incompatibility would explain why so many members have reported problems in the reclaim processes with a common problem being wrong dates of submission. Different names also make it easy for Club Class to deny any accountability or version of facts which does not suit them.

Cateran

The Mindtimeshare site has drawn my attention to The London Gazette Notice number 1449120 of 30 Sep 2010 - A petition to wind up companies namely CLUB CLASS HOLDINGS licence 31934 in the UK and the Seychelles AND in the matter of the Insolvency Act 1986. Case to be heard this year. This could also explain why they never identify their "contracted debt collection agency" and the threat of "advanced collection methods" (as opposed to legal methods?) as I cannot see a Debt Collection Agency taking on a case where they are unlikely to be paid as well, never mind the dubious merits of the claim. As a courtesy I have sent a copy of the Gazette notice to our local DCA's and drawn their attention to this blog.
Another related company is facing similar action in Singapore.
For some inexplicable reason Club Class appear to have stopped calling and emailing me (don't they like me anymore? They did'nt even use my first name in their last call) so I have not had the pleasure of asking them about this legal action.
Personally I suspect they may be making a last ditch grab for as much money as possible before doing a runner.
Sadly all this action is unlikely to publicise the real villains behind Club Class who will probably be resurrected in some new scam.

Cateran

My morning mail has just arrived with a letter from the Financial Services Authority advising me that as part of their investigations my contact details have been found on a list of people believed to be targetted by fraudsters.
What a coincidence!

paddy72

My parents have been scammed by Club Class before, about 3 years ago. They were fortunate to get all their money back (around 3k I think) from the credit card companies involved thanks to a very helpful man at their local trading standards office. Yesterday and today, they got a call from a woman at ITRA (who I understand are another incarnation of Club Class) with a spiel about getting money back for people who have been conned by timeshare companies (!) so if my parents would like to pay 1000 euros up front... Their hard neck is unbelievable. People who are desperate to get rid of timeshares are so vulnerable to the promise of buying themselves out of it - it's sickening.

lion57

We were conned 5 yrs ago also by a scatchcard tout (we were not thinking ) and of course won!!!! £5000 quid down the drain and no cashback, we didn't do this or that on time. We just wan't to get out. Have been told we have to pay the maintainance fee or they come for the lot. Wish I'd never heard of CCC, a bunch of crooks. Any Idea's. HELP!!!!

Cateran

First do a bit of research for reassurance.
Read these posts and just look for Club Class fraud online as well and you will see a lot of other victims reporting their own position similar to yours.
Log all Club Class calls and keep any emails and letters. If you can, tape their calls as well. They do not leave a caller id - another mark of a scam operation and I let them rant on the answer machine.
Club Class is currently being taken to court in the UK to have several of their businesses de-registered because of their fraudulent practices. This includes the holiday club scam, the money reclaim scam, the resale scam and a compensation scam. I had not heard from Club Class for nearly 10years after I tried to get my money back and they cancelled my membership as a punishment! They were incompetent and lied about the standards of the holiday accommodation I was sent to and I refused to pay any more on the grounds they had breached their contract - my complaint letters were either unanswered or returned.
In my opinion they are just trying to scam as much money as possible from their victims before they disappear to avoid prosecution. No doubt they will reappear in a new form later.
They are also being investigated by the Spanish authorities - which is typically very slow as they are probably waiting for the Uk authorities to do the work. In Singapore their companies are being investigated by the police and the equivalent of the Citizens Advice and Advertising standards. Complaints have also been made to the american equivalents and the EU.
Club Class have also been threatening Debt Collection Agency action (their language is tending to the criminal in my opinion) but there is no known record of them doing so and precedent with the Petchey time share action for recovery of fees when it was thrown out of court with costs for the victims is not good for Club Class.
I refuse to talk to them. Everything in writing or on the tape machine - and I never write to them.

Coolbar

Does anyone know of a legitimate legal company in the UK that may be taking out a class action against club class PLC ?
This would be the route to take, do not under any circumstances hand any more money over to anyone, as for the threat of debt collectors, send them in, I am waiting for them.