(VIDEO) Timeshare Advice Centre ends 90 year old's 2 decade timeshare hell

Two decade Portuguese timeshare nightmare finally over for Ealing grandfather

Dennis and Eileen Costello were on a 2003 holiday on the Portuguese island of Madeira with their friends who owned a timeshare. The friends seemed keen to introduce them to a salesman called Paul who signed them up for a membership.

The Costellos' son Eugene takes up the story.

Inappropriate sale

"I had the misfortune of meeting Paul myself a couple of years later," says the 56 year old London journalist. "He seemed very shifty to me. At any rate he had sold my parents a £20,000 timeshare membership which they ended up using a total of three times in the following two decades."

Eileen faced numerous health challenges which prevented the senior Costellos from travelling abroad. "Dad wrote to the club numerous times and asked them to cancel the membership," recounts Eugene. "He didn't ask for the £20,000 back, just to be allowed special consideration to leave because of my mother's situation. The resort didn't even respond.

"The maintenance fees were £600 a year and the club didn't care that my parents could not use their membership. They wanted that money every year regardless.

"My parents were far from wealthy. Dad was a schoolteacher and mum used to be a nurse. Like most pensioners they had to watch their cashflow and an annual outgoing of £600 for something they couldn't use was untenable. Back then you could stay in a quality hotel for a week for that kind of money, but without the yearly commitment."

Search for help

Fast forward to 2023. Dennis, 90 years old by now, and mourning the recent loss of his wife was still being harassed for the punishing annual payments. "That's when he asked me to help him find a way out," says Eugene.

Eugene quickly saw that there were pitfalls to avoid with timeshare relinquishment. "It seemed like the space was awash with scam firms. Timeshare cancellation and claims companies had an abysmal reputation, and I needed to find one who wouldn't take our money and run.

"We settled on Timeshare Advice Centre and European Consumer Claims, who are two different aspects of the same organisation. Their reputation was good, their history and success was all documented on the website and externally referenceable. Online review sites showed hundreds of customers giving them detailed, positive write ups.

"What sealed the deal for me was the video testimony page," affirms Eugene. "Written Google or TrustPilot reviews definitely give you a good insight into people's experience with a company, but videos of people telling their story give a higher level of credibility.

"You can watch the person's face as they speak and judge their integrity for yourself. After watching the retired Scottish policeman Douglas and his wife Linda share their experience, my mind was made up. Dad agreed and we got in touch with Timeshare Advice Centre."

Freedom

TAC and ECC were quick to deliver. "A man called Steven took us through the process. He was clear and concise. His communication was faultless, answering our many, many questions in a timely, detailed and patient manner.

"We were told to expect a several month turnaround before the contract was officially cancelled. But in fact we got the good news within a week. Not only was dad free, but his backlog of outstanding maintenance had been wiped clean.

And Eugene's advice for other trapped timeshare owners considering retaining TAC/ECC? "Give them a call," he says with confidence. "TAC are hugely experienced and work with top industry lawyers. They got my dad free, and that was our goal, but in some cases people can even claim compensation if they have been mis-sold.

"You certainly won't lose anything by having a chat with them."

If you want to discuss your options regarding an unwanted timeshare, get in touch with our team at Timeshare Advice Centre for a free, confidential consultation.