Holiday clubs

There are many genuine holiday clubs who operate within the law but there are some clubs which are bogus and you could lose money if you go ahead. Holiday clubs are not covered by timeshare legislation, as the agreement is for less than 3 years, so you may not be able to cancel if you change your mind.

You may be enticed into attending a presentation with the offer of a 'free' holiday, only to find later that the 'free' holiday has add-ons which may make it expensive, and you may be restricted as to when and where you can go. At the presentation, you may be subjected to high-pressure sales tactics to persuade you to buy 'membership' or 'points'. This is supposed to give you rights to holiday in different destinations at times that are convenient to you. In reality, you may find that you are unable to even book a holiday, as the contact details are false, the company may cease trading, or the small print may dictate when and where you can holiday, and the prices may not be as attractive as you had been told.  If you have a UK credit card consider paying at least the deposit with it.  You will then be covered by section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, which states that in the event of a breach of contract you can hold the credit card company equally liable.

Never sign a contract straight away without allowing yourself ample opportunity to check it over, which most genuine companies will allow, and always seek independent advice.

The UK European Consumer Centre has available a free newsletter, “UK ECC – your update”. The aim of the newsletter is to provide you, the consumer, with a flavour of what the UK ECC does, provide examples of cases we have been working on and, more importantly, provide you with the best advice on cross-border shopping.  Please use the link below to subscribe to our newsletter.

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