Karma Group announces the opening of Karma Sitabani, in the Corbett Tiger Reserve, India
Karma Group has announced the opening of Karma Sitabani, in the Jim Corbett National Park, part of the Corbett Tiger Reserve in the picturesque heartland of Uttarakhand in Northern India. Karma Sitabani offers guests a truly unique opportunity to experience a side of India they may have never seen. Guests can relax and enjoy the ruggedly beautiful, green landscape at the foot of the Himalayas as well as take a safari into the Park to view tigers and other unique wildlife. There are fewer than 4000 tigers remaining in the wild on the planet, and itis estimated that as many as...
KwikChex given Trading Standards Hero award
KwikChex, which manages the Timeshare Task Force on RDO’s behalf, has been awarded a Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) Hero Award for its work in targeting fraudsters and protecting consumers through its close cooperation with Trading Standards and local law enforcement agencies. Much of KwikChex’s focus has been on businesses targeting timeshare owners and in addition to providing guidance and assistance to consumers through its online and telephone services, it has provided expert witness testimony in a number of court cases in the UK, all of which have been successful. KwikChex is a corporate affiliate member of the CTSI and has been...
Eze directors sentenced to prison
On March 21st, Eze Europe Ltd director Dominic O'Reilly was sentenced to 28 months in prison and his daughter Stephanie to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years. Both were also banned from becoming company directors for nine and six years respectively. Last November, Dominic O'Reilly and Stephanie O'Reilly had pleaded guilty to offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 relating to misrepresentation regarding the selling of "Leisure Credits" or 'Concierge Services", a so-called holiday and lifestyle product, as well as connected purported legal assistance to timeshare owners. In sentencing, Her Honour Judge Laurence Creed said that the O’Reillys...
Member Relations Manager for EUROC is appointed
The Board of EUROC is pleased to announce the appointment of Jane Gilmartin as the Member Relations Manager for EUROC (European Resort Owners’ Coalition). Jane has an extensive career in timeshare and the holiday industry generally, stretching back to 1996 where she worked amongst other things as an overseas tour manager in Europe, Canada and the USA. She spent three years with Sunterra as a team leader before it was taken over by Diamond Resorts International (DRI) which then led her to working for its related travel partner; The Big Journey Company as Operations Manager. With a brief spell in Human Resources, she...
Important advice re increasing risks related to timeshare claims businesses
On 22 February 2019, purported timeshare claims specialist’ businesses Meredith Pritchard Consultants Ltd. and First Law Solutions Ltd. were wound up in the UK High Court following action by UK authorities. The Insolvency Service presented petitions to the court on the grounds that both companies traded with a lack of commercial probity by failing to provide contracted services in a timely manner or at all. This included accepting payments in respect of non-viable claims, charging excessive fees, and using misleading and aggressive sales techniques. Losses to consumers deceived by the businesses are believed to be in excess of half a million...
Another judgement made against International Timeshare Refund Action (ITRA)
International Timeshare Refund Action (ITRA) have had a judgement made against them in a court action brought by a consumer. The action was supported by KwikChex, which manages the Timeshare Task Force on RDO’s behalf. On 4th June, ITRA, which failed to turn up in court and defend the claim, were ordered to refund a consumer all the monies he paid to them plus costs – a total of over £5700. For more information, go to https://timesharetaskforce.org/2018/06/28/another-judgement-issued-against-itra-in-court-and-this-time-they-dont-even-show-up/...
Interval International and the Absolute World Group sign exclusive affiliation agreement
Interval International has entered into an exclusive, multi-year master affiliation agreement with the Absolute World Group, the founding company behind Absolute Vacation Club. The contract extends the relationship first established in 2004 and encompasses four existing club properties, as well as any future resorts developed or acquired during the term of the agreement. “The Absolute World Group firmly established itself in Asia many years ago and has grown to be a respected developer of boutique properties in very desirable Asian destinations,” said Joe Hickman, Interval’s vice president and executive director of resort sales and service for Asia Pacific. “It has been...
New Zealand’s Taupo Ika Nui resort selects Interval International
Interval International has announced its agreement with Taupo Ika Nui Resort to provide a broad range of programs and services that enhance the benefits of ownership and reinforce the value of exchange. The resort is in the heart of New Zealand’s North Island and overlooks Lake Taupo, the country’s largest freshwater lake. “Taupo Ika Nui is very popular with families who enjoy the outdoor lifestyle owing to its location in a stunning year-round vacation destination. Our owners and guests have access to a wide array of experiences, from delving into local Māori culture, river cruising and white-water rafting, to snowboarding and...
Ave atque vale
For those of you who are not Latin Scholars (including myself – 14% at Common Entrance), Ave atque vale means hail and farewell. This comes from Catullus 101 (Wikipedia is a wonderful thing), the poem to his dead brother or rather to his ashes, but may in fact be Greek in origin, which is very apt as I was using it in a “Greek” context. These last few weeks we have had to say farewell to two stalwarts of the industry – Dimitris Manikis who has left RCI after 27 years to take up a similar but expanded role at...
Interval International recognised for excellence in technology
Interval International received the ARDY Award for Technology Project Team at the ARDA World Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. The winning Interval team was honored for its innovation in the development of the hotel exchange benefit and included a cross-functional group of software developers, business analysts, user experience experts, and quality assurance specialists. Despite the challenges of delivering a new technology with unique requirements, hotel exchange launched successfully and since then has generated bookings well above the forecasted numbers. “We have a tenacious and resourceful team,” said Jeanette Marbert, president and CEO of Interval International. “They were laser-focused on delivering an outstanding...