The RDO Code of Conduct was introduced in 1999 and over the years has been regularly updated to reflect best practices within the timeshare industry.
RDO’s consumer services department handles complaints but in the rare event of non-resolution, these may be brought into the Alternative Dispute Resolution Scheme (ADR) procedure, which is independently administered by NetNeutrals. This scheme allows consumers to have a cost effective alternative form of redress.
RDO’s updated Code requirements go over and above those covered by law and in addition to it being mandatory for members to have an exit programme in place, the following specific new elements have been adopted (although in the case of some members and their clubs such practices have been in place already for a number of years):
- In the event of the death of a joint owner, the surviving owner can surrender their timeshare if they wish and additionally, the beneficiaries of a will are not obliged to take on the timeshare if they do not wish to do so.
- A timeshare owner who has been declared bankrupt may hand back the timeshare without charge.
- If a sole owner or either of the joint owners is suffering from a long-term illness that prevents them from travelling to their resort for the foreseeable future, the timeshare interest may be surrendered.
- In all other cases, an owner may surrender their timeshare interest at any time, subject to the agreement of the RDO member. In such cases any surrender fee shall not exceed a sum equivalent to 3 years current maintenance fees.
The full text of the Code and ADR Scheme is available here in .pdf format.
