ARDA and the Timeshare Transfer Industry: United at Opposite Ends of the Spectrum

“In the end, you make your reputation and you have your success based upon credibility and being able to provide people who are really hungry for information with what they want.” – Brit Hume

A Credible Organization

Credibility breeds trust, and trust is the unifying element of any great relationship. Throughout our lives, we strive to build this credibility with friends and family, to build it with our coworkers, and to build it in our business enterprises. Without trust, creating a strong network of communication would be impossible. The key to developing an association based on good faith is taking an honest approach in everything we do. Is it any wonder, then, that trust is so difficult to establish in the timeshare industry, a veritable desert of ethical conduct?

However, there are a few individuals and companies in this seemingly desolate landscape that are working to bring a degree of trust and integrity to the timeshare arena. One such group that has been establishing standards for good business practices for over forty years is the American Resort Development Association (ARDA).

Based in Washington D.C., ARDA is a trade association that seeks to cultivate the progress of the timeshare industry throughout the United States. In short, they work to establish business standards throughout the industry via several different means. They were first established in 1969 as the American Land Development Association, and today they have grown to include nearly 1,000 corporate members. ARDA’s primary purpose, as declared in their mission statement is to “foster and promote the growth of the industry and to serve its members.”

A Necessary Good

A lot of people might read that quote and immediately think that there is some sort of spite between ARDA and the timeshare transfer industry (with ARDA taking the side of the resort developers and the transfer industry taking the side of angry consumers), but this just isn’t the case. Like any competitive industry, there are always going to be multiple layers and multiple perspectives. We live in a world of opposites, and these opposites are in place to maintain a sense of harmony, a sense of balance throughout the universe. Why would the timeshare business be any different?

The fact is, sometimes timeshare owners simply want out of their contracts.  Maybe it’s become too expensive, or maybe the owners just don’t have the time to use it, but either way, they don’t want the property anymore. With the resale market being what it is, being released from a timeshare contract would be nearly impossible if it weren’t for transfer companies. We hope that ARDA continues to help the timeshare business grow and prosper, but for individuals who feel that they’ve erred in purchasing a vacation property, we’re here to help.

Fostering the Industry

ARDA’s mission is accomplished through a number of different avenues. For one, ARDA serves as a highly influential advocate on behalf of resort developments and consumers by engaging in lobbying efforts centered on legislative and regulatory issues such as “unwarranted taxes and excessive regulation.” They also work to enact public policy involving the timeshare industry and timeshare owners.

Further, ARDA seeks to educate its members with timeshare information by conducting industry research, hosting webinars, and by publishing Developments magazine, “the voice of the timeshare industry.” Throughout the year, there are ten issues circulated that are full of informative articles that focus on industry trends concerning both consumers and developers.

Finally, ARDA also offers a major networking opportunity by holding the ARDA Annual Convention and Exposition. The conventions consist of dozens of educational seminars that cover marketing, technology, finance, and design, among many other topics.  Last year, the convention was held in Las Vegas, and this year’s conference will be held in Hollywood, Florida – just north of Fort Lauderdale.

ARDA isn’t only concerned with catering to the corporate side of the industry, however. ARDA-ROC (Resort Owner’s Coalition) works to defend timeshare owners against legislation that could have potentially disastrous consequences. According to their website, through ARDA-ROC, “Owners can be part of an effective grassroots lobbying coalition of timeshare unit owners dedicated to preserving, protecting, and enhancing vacation ownership.” This organization gives owners a significant political voice in an industry where it can sometimes be difficult to be heard.

A Trusted Leader

With all of this in mind, it’s easy to see why ARDA is such a major player in the timeshare industry. They maintain an influential presence in Washington, and they offer a valuable service to their many constituents. They are a trusted leader in the timeshare development arena, and they are fighting to protect the interests of the industry and their members. At the end of the day, their primary goal is a noble one – to enhance the vacation resort development industry – and we applaud them in this endeavor.

At Newton Group Transfers, we have a distinct appreciation and respect for ARDA (although we do not endorse them, nor are we endorsed by them). They attempt to regulate the timeshare industry in a manner that they feel best represents their members’ wishes, and they’ve worked tirelessly to establish a great deal of trust and credibility, which is always an admirable enterprise. In fact, we’ve learned a lot about consumer advocacy from ARDA that we attempt to implement in our own business practices on a daily basis.

We don’t believe that the resort development advocacy that ARDA strives for and the consumer rights that Newton Group Transfers works to protect are mutually exclusive. Although the timeshare transfer business may occasionally be at cross purposes with ARDA, we feel that our two general ethos align pretty closely. In fact, we think that the timeshare transfer business and ARDA balance each other out perfectly, as we are both dedicated to increasing the credibility of the industry. Newton Group Transfers advocates for the group of owners that no long have a need for keeping their timeshares, while ARDA strives to advocate for the entire industry as a whole, which, in some cases may not specifically address the segment of owners who are seeking an exit. We seek to gain our client’s trust through our core values of integrity and transparency, while ARDA seeks to gain the same through similar upstanding ethical conduct.

A Model of Excellence
So, there you have it. ARDA has over 40 years of timeshare-related regulation under their belt. They’ve established themselves as leaders in the timeshare industry, and they’ve built credibility along the way, both in Washington and throughout the country. They stand for something in a business that often shudders when asked to perform with integrity. Although Newton Group Transfers hasn’t been around as long as ARDA, we’re dedicated to doing things the right way, and we plan on using ARDA as an ethical model in our pursuit of excellence as we continue to perform a valuable service on behalf of our customers.

ARDA attempts to maintain and enhance the timeshare experience, while Newton Group Transfers offers assistance to those seeking an exit. We’re both looking out for the best interests of our clients and members, and, at the end of the day, it’s a commitment to remaining true to our core values that really counts.

With nearly a decade of experience, we have accumulated a vast expanse of knowledge on the industry, and, as a result of this experience, we have heard literally thousands of different owner's
stories. Many of these stories detail an ownership experience that was everything the consumer could have asked for and more. This is the type of experience that ARDA has been fighting for throughout their history. Unfortunately, not every story we hear has a happy ending. Sometimes, timeshare owners are desperate to get rid of their properties, and we feel that we give them the best opportunity to do so in an honest and trustworthy fashion.

If you and your family feel like you may have reached this point, please contact us at (877) 354-4321, or visit us online at newtongrouptransfers.com.

The Sad Truth About Timeshare Donation

The holiday season is rapidly approaching and we all know what that means… the season of giving is upon us! Christmas is a time of goodwill, peace, and charity, but it’s not necessarily always better to give than receive. For instance, donating your timeshare to charity might seem like a convenient way to rid yourself of such a financial burden, but the only thing you’ll receive is a massive headache!

Timeshare donations paint a picture of philanthropy coupled with massive tax deductions, along with the obvious benefit of ridding yourself of your timeshare obligations. This pie in the sky offer seems too good to be true! Unfortunately, it is.

Timeshare donation is one of the most common and expensive scams in the industry today. Not only that, but it could trigger an audit of your tax returns by the IRS, upon which, it will be revealed that the donation was really a scam – leaving you owing Uncle Sam a hefty sum. To put it simply, donation just isn’t a viable option as a timeshare exit solution.

Here’s how it works: A group of sales professionals sequester a group of disgruntled timeshare owners into to a physical location or a webinar with someone posing as a timeshare counselor.

Once the presentation begins, they’ll feed you quasi-accurate information about the folly of listing your timeshare on the resale market (Note: This is the only part of the scam that is remotely valid – timeshare are nearly impossible to sell).

When they feel like they’ve convinced you to enlist their services, they will request a large up-front fee to channel the timeshare to various charities with which they’re affiliated. Next, they’ll appraise your timeshare and claim that it’s worth roughly 75-80% of its initial value.

After the bogus appraisal has been completed, they’ll ensure you that you can write the appraisal figure off on your taxes. For the salespeople, the closer is that the amount that you will receive in your tax deduction will far exceed the amount you paid for their services – a patently false claim.

Keep in mind, if you go through with this process, the IRS will audit you and hold you responsible for the refund that you receive. At this point, it will be too late to plead ignorance.

Given the shabby resale market, the IRS is fully aware that your timeshare is not worth what these companies appraise them at. Further, they know that you are also well aware of this fact, and they will act accordingly.

Timeshare donation is a dangerous, expensive, and inefficient method of timeshare disposal. If you don’t believe me, discuss the matter further with your attorney or accountant; you’ll hear the exact same thing from them. At best, it’s a poor financial decision, at worst, it’s a scam that could get you and your family in hot water with the IRS. If you’re honestly considering timeshare donation, please, at the very least, seek an accurate appraisal of your timeshare from an objective source.

I strongly urge you to be thorough in your search for an efficient and expedient timeshare exit solution, but I’d really hate to see you dig deeper into financial difficulty by dealing with timeshare donation agencies. I know that many of your have dealt with less that reputable individuals and organizations in the past, so please don’t make the same mistake twice!

At Newton Group Transfers, we make no pretense about the value of your timeshare. The goal isn’t to prey on your financial insecurity and then swindle you out of your hard-earned money. We genuinely want to help you end your timeshare obligation through honest and legitimate means.

If you use and enjoy your timeshare, then it has significant value to you and your family. If not, then you need to ask yourself if timeshare ownership is still the best choice. The legitimate, most expedient way to get out from under the heavy burden of a timeshare contract is to transfer it with Newton Group Transfers. Ever confident in our ability to remove the timeshare from your name, we back up our process with a 100% Guarantee of our services. 

We have our client’s best interests in mind, and we will work tirelessly and honestly to remove you from your timeshare obligation through legitimate means. Please contact us today at 1-877-354-4321 or visit us online at www.newtongrouptransfers.com to liberate yourself from your timeshare contract.