Anfi lose in court, the truth is out

[martyboy02]

HI Yowl

Please check out the following link.

http://www.free-press-release.com/news-timeshare-industry-set-to-collapse-in-spain-1276467543.html

It confirms what alot of people have known about, and have been turning a blind eye to.

Hopefully this is the begining of the end of Anfi and the crooks who work there.

See Yowl

[partymonkey]

In the interests of a balanced view :-

http://www.rdo.org/node/572

Clearly there's no smoke without fire on Anfi's part but Claims Directive/Reclaimgc or whatever they are called have perhaps exagerated the situation.   Am watching with interest.

[Calvin]

quote:Originally posted by partymonkey

I
Clearly there's no smoke without fire on Anfi's part but Claims Directive/Reclaimgc or whatever they are called have perhaps exagerated the situation.   Am watching with interest.

Not an uncommon situation as far as I have been able to ascertain, even with posts within the forum[V]

[Boss Man]

Story is also here -

http://www.timesharetalk.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12212

[martyboy02]

Hi Yowl

I fully appreciate Partymonkeys calls and post for a balanced view, but is the RDO the best people to give such a view.

The RDO are funded by timeshare companies, they have (RDO) have failed to respond to my complaint against ANFI, and no doubt hundreds of others who have complained. Would the RDO find in our favour and bite the hand that feeds them (Timeshare companies), I think not.

The RDO state in research that 87% of timeshare owners are "satisfied or extremely satisfied", what are the RDO doing to address the complaints and concerns of the other 13% who aren't "satisfied or extremely satisfied". 13% is a significant number. Would the RDO not like to see 98-100% satisfaction?

They also state that there are not 200 live claims for timeshare miss selling against Anfi Del Mar. How does the RDO know how many cases are on a companies books awaiting to be lodged in court? They are probably right that there aren't 200 the true figure is probably a lot higher.

Is there a need to mention who set up Claims Directive, well, from the RDOs point of view I should imagine that they are attacking this persons credibility, but as far as I can see, who better to start proceedings than poacher turned game keeper (Bit of an own goal there oops RDO)

They also slate reclaim and holiday clubs that use scratch card to get people through the doors, quite rightly, does Anfi still not use scratch cards, why does the RDO not report all card users to the authorities as this practice is against EU Law, if there is no actual prize.

As for the previous court case, yes Anfi did win on appeal, and that was because the other sides legal team didn't turn up on they day due to not having been paid, so there was no one to oppose the claim of appeal. Not what I would call a major victory.

The RDO also state that holiday clubs are the biggest threat to the timeshare industry, what a load of tosh. The biggest threat to to the timeshare industry are

1. The RDO - because they fail to address complaints (Such as mine)and have no legal powers to make rogue companies comply. The RDO know exactly what is going on.

2. Timeshare companies themselves, they know what they are doing, and the con artists that they employ.

3. Committees that allegedly represent members in timeshare resorts. They claim that various groups that work from that resort have nothing to do with the rest of the resort. For example it is claimed that Anfi Beach Club have nothing to do with Anfi Sales, so why do they share the same Bank Account?

What the industry needs is culling and starting again with nice simple rules enforced in law, such as

1. No deposit to be taken within 3 months of signing contract (no other part expect the company are to take a deposit/partial payment)
2. Finance for purchase is to be supplied by the company its self.
3. All reps and companies to be licensed.
4. All sales pitches to be recorded.
5. An ombudsman who has the legal power to impose fines, refunds, shut companies down and remove operators licences.
6. If the resort accommodate you you as a try before you buy scheme, the company foot the bill.

Like I said earlier the RDO are bound to put out a statement like this, their Masters are at risk and the fact that they have worked with authorities to shut down 51 holiday clubs is commendable, but out of those 51 how many were members of the RDO scheme, I would imagine, none, so there is no financial impact on the RDO purse.

[letdown]

martyboy makes a very good point IF the RDO is doing everything they can to shut down holiday clubs WHY are they still letting Anfi and other RDO members sell a bogus holiday club pack.
Strange Pot Kettle Black situation.

[partymonkey]

I would have liked to have seen a response to these claims from Anfi themselves.   I may have missed it and apols if so.   Or perhaps I have already seen it on the RDO website []

[Calvin]

I don't think we will ever see any comments from Anfi[}:)]

[martyboy02]

Hi Yowl

The following is from Anfis latest news letter

Dear Member

We write to you in the first instance to thank you for the confidence which you have placed in ANFI. We feel privileged that you have chosen our company and our vast experience in Vacation Membership to place your confidence in, along with all our other satisfied members. Because of this, we feel it is our responsibility to ensure that all of your expectations are met at all times. Furthermore, we feel it is our duty and obligation based on the Vacation product you have purchased, to communicate to you and make you aware of the increasing number of companies outside of ANFI (most of them located in Gran Canaria) that may contact you for one of the following:

 To offer a service for the resale of weeks

Our Vacation Membership product can be sold and/or transferred to anyone you wish. This condition has allowed for the expansion of organizations dedicated to offering services for this. These companies offer reduced prices to buy weeks and elevated prices to sell, as well as unrealistic discounts and offers which can make it very attractive for prospective clients. In reality, fraudulent practices and unfulfilled promises have given rise to multiple complaints and cases of fraud, which resulted in the clients' loss of rights. This has made it necessary for many owners to start legal proceedings in order to recuperate their weeks or amounts of monies paid, having no guarantee of a successful outcome.

 To offer fraudulent holiday products

During a stay in Gran Canaria or even in your own country, you can be contacted by persons or companies offering you free holidays, aggressive discounts on holiday products or other schemes to replace your ANFI membership. Our investigations have been confirmed by clients who have been mislead or duped by products offered by these companies, without having the support of a tour operator or airline. In many cases these products do not exist. We also know that the sellers in these illegal companies introduce themselves as consultants or holiday advisors, or even claim to be contacting you on behalf of ANFI. In both cases this is false. The representatives of ANFI can be identified clearly by their official identity card. Anfi does not operate from any office other than those within the Anfi resorts. The Spanish authorities have been working together with other official organizations and national offices to eradicate these companies which operate outside of the European law and the corresponding Spanish law.

 To offer legal assistance services

Over recent months, we have been advised about a number of cases on behalf of Anfi members related to companies who guarantee legal assistance in cases against ANFI, promising to recover a higher amount than the amount invested for the original purchase. In all cases where there has been a possible fraud by one of these companies, and after a Spanish tribunal has ruled that Anfi has not broken any Spanish law, we will try in any way possible to offer help and assistance to our members. However, in cases where monies have been paid in anticipation of action, it is very difficult to recuperate them in favour of our members. These fraudulent companies like ReclaimGC, Claims Directive, LifeTimexperience, Greatescape Holidays, passport Java and others, before any kind of legal action, will ask for an initial pre-payment to cover legal expenses, which they claim will be discounted from their final bill. Whatever the result, this will never be recovered.

Anfi would like to advise that in relation to the cases which have actually been presented, apart from those that have been resolved in an amicable manner, there are three other cases which have all been settled in favour of Anfi interests. In this way, the international organization RDO that assures the owner's security has confirmed our reality and the satisfaction level of the clients in Europe in a recent formal communication attached to this letter in ANEX 1.

In our maximum interest to protect and guarantee your well being and look after the product's right you have acquired with us; we recommend that you completely ignore any offer made by these companies and refrain from signing any documents or making any down payments to said companies, until the legality of these companies is verified and that the services provided by them comply with current legislation for the said matter and that in itself, these alleged services do not constitute an excuse to obtain funds from you.

At the same time, we would like to express our total disposition for queries and further information that any of our members would request. For such matter, we kindly advise you to contact our personnel at 928 15 29 90 or contact via e-mail at customerservice@anfi.es

We would like to take one last opportunity to thank you for the trust you have placed in Anfi and offer you our kindest regards,

ANFI GROUP
ANEX 1

AN OFFICIAL RESPONSE FROM RDO (RESORT DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION) TO THE PRESS RELEASE OF JUNE 15: TIMESHARE INDUSTRY IN SPAIN IS SET TO COLLAPSE

Contrary to the statement made by Claims Directive, a company located in Arguinegun Gran Canaria that claims to represent timeshare owners' interests, the timeshare industry both in Spain, the rest of Europe and USA as well as other international territories is extremely robust.

Some of the world's biggest hotel brands operate within the timeshare industry, such as Hilton, Marriott, Wyndham, Disney and Four Seasons. Timeshare owners recently reported high levels of satisfaction with their timeshare  87% overall were satisfied or extremely satisfied according to a report by The Christel DeHaan Tourism and Travel Research Institute at the Nottingham University Business School.

The survey also reveals that there are 1.5 million owners in Europe, 48% of whom own in Spain, where there are 345 resorts. Furthermore, 3.2 billion was generated by the industry in 2007 alone, 957 million of which came from timeshare sales.

The assertions of fact with regards to the number of claims in the market made by Claims Directive are incorrect and misleading. There are categorically not '200 live claims for timeshare miss-selling against Anfi Del Mar'. In fact, only 3 court rulings have been made, one of which was in favour of ANFI Group and in the other 2 cases, it has not been proved that Anfi took deposits directly in connection to the timeshare sales. The company is required to return a small amount as the documentation presented by Anfi was considered not enough in court due to formal interpretations. In this way, both rulings are being appealed by Anfi at the moment. Claims Directive does not clarify that Spanish law only prohibits taking of deposits for timeshare sales when deposits are received between the purchaser and the seller.

We understand that Claims Directive was set up by a former manager at ANFI Group who no longer works with the company. Furthermore, Claims Directive is linked to a number of companies based in Gran Canaria acting as Class Actions and is also linked to a holiday club called Voyager. RDO considers holiday clubs to be one of the biggest threats to the reputation of the timeshare industry as a whole. Many timeshare owners report that they have been enticed to presentations under false pretences, perhaps having been told they can join a class action scheme, but are then persuaded to sign up for a holiday club membership they did not want in the first place.

Consumers should be aware that the Spanish European Consumer Centre in Madrid reported that between 2005  2007 over seven hundred formal complaints were lodged about holiday clubs operating in the Canaries, causing loses to European Consumers of at least four million Euros at the time, and accounting for 60 % of all complaints made about this type of bogus scheme during the same period.


One of RDO's main responsibilities as a watchdog organisation in the timeshare industry is to crack down on fraud. RDO has been working with the authorities in Spain and the Canary Islands to have bogus holiday operators shut down  in fact 51 holiday clubs were forced to close in the last 18 months alone.

[martyboy02]

Hi Yowl

I am amazed at the hypocrisy shown by Anfi at accusing others of fraud. It has taken me all weekend to read (several times) and digest the utter tripe that Anfi have come up with. I have emailed Anfi telling them what I think and how thier news letter contradicts what actually occured to me and is still occuring, but as usual they will hide behind thier guilty wall of silence.

On a good note Afi has just lost another court case this morning. So we can stand by for more disillusioned rantings from the Anfi press gang, whose office is marked "W.C".

See Yowl

[partymonkey]

Hi Martyboy,

I don't suppose by any chance you have got a weblink to the actual rulings themselves? (appreciate today's will be unlikely but perhaps the two cases of the 27th May?).    I'm intrigued as to the content of the cases but I just don't seem to be able to find anything on the net so far.

Cheers,

Partymonkey

[martyboy02]

Hi Partymonkey

The information as far as I am aware will not be available on line. The information you so crave is available from the court on request, but certain parties details will be blanked out (Data Protection).

Hope this is of some help. Google search: court rulings in Gran Canaria.

Are Anfi suggesting all these sites are fraudsters, I think Anfi are in the minority here.

I am begining to think Anfi is an abbreviation for:
Another Naughty Financial Infringement.

[partymonkey]

Thanks mate,

The google search doesn't give me anything more than I've already found myself...which
are a load of websites, that have pretty much lifted the original press release.

I'd just like to see for myself the actual rulings, even with certain parties details removed for data protection, so I may well try to contact the courts.   Let you know how I get on if I decide to do this.

Was today's case they lost yours ?

[martyboy02]

Hi Partymonkey and ALL Reader

I have no affiliation/business dealings with any timeshare/resale/reclaim or vacation club. I have met with a couple of reclaim companies and having parted with one lump of cash I wasn't going to get stung again.

I am simply attempting to hold Anfi to account and attempting to help other like me to get some justice, yes it really is as simple as that. I will attempt to hold to account all those who support Anfi or turn a blind eye to the goings on at that haven of inequity.

I have also been informed that the sales pitch of Anfi "Being exclusive" is no longer valid as package holidays can now be booked there. That will break a few snobbish hearts. When I find out which companies I shall be writing to them and informing them of mine and others experiences.

There is more than one way of skinning the Anfi cat.

See Yowl

[Casperkit]

Hi Martyboy
I am gobsmacked that you are saying that package holidays can now be booked.  What is the point in anyone having a timeshare at Anfi if this is the case?  Everyone will just be paying to fund this through their maintainence fees, surely.  
We are still arguing with them as they want us to pay another 5000.00 on top of the 17000.00 we have already paid them just because we changed our contract to own at Monte.  We have told them they are not getting any more money but they have threatened us with the debt collectors.
Now you have said package holidays will be allowed there they are definately not getting anything more, blinking cheek if you ask me.
Bye

[partymonkey]

@Martyboy - That's more like it - for a while I thought that your user ID had been hijacked[][].    I just found it incredible that you were posting about today's court ruling ahead of any of the reclaim companies that may claim to have been involved.

As you know, I was one of the 'lucky' ones who cancelled during cooling off, so I know how it feels, even though in the end, I didn't get hit financially, like you and many others.

With regard to selling 'package' holidays at Anfi, I think they may have done something like this in the past when they were part owned by TUI, just a way to get people through the door to sell the 'dream' to I guess.

I would have thought, however, that it would be difficult to sell package holidays against anything other than floating week stock (as it's all done on a subject availability basis).  

Like Casperkit, I'd be very interested to hear more about this if you do turn up anything.

[Calvin]

quote:Originally posted by partymonkey

I would have thought, however, that it would be difficult to sell package holidays against anything other than floating week stock (as it's all done on a subject availability basis).  

Like Casperkit, I'd be very interested to hear more about this if you do turn up anything.

You don't have to look too far.

Holidays at Anfi can be bought through Thomas Cook's friends Neckermann in Germany. Not usually available in the UK.

As you say they are normally at Monte or Gran

[partymonkey]

Thanks Calvin

If I were a floating week owner in either of those clubs, I have to say news like Neckermann (and indeed maybe even more if Martyboy turns something up) would pretty seriously p*** me off.

I've seen postings on this and other forums on the mixed fortunes of floating week owners getting what they want, when they want it.   It doesn't seem quite so bad if you are just competeing against other floating owners [] but to be competing against package tour operators too is a real kick in the privates.

[martyboy02]

quote:Originally posted by Calvin

quote:Originally posted by partymonkey

I would have thought, however, that it would be difficult to sell package holidays against anything other than floating week stock (as it's all done on a subject availability basis).  

Like Casperkit, I'd be very interested to hear more about this if you do turn up anything.

You don't have to look too far.

Holidays at Anfi can be bought through Thomas Cook's friends Neckermann in Germany. Not usually available in the UK.

As you say they are normally at Monte or Gran

I have been informed that you can not book a Neckermann holiday through Thomas Cook in the UK. But, and theres always a but, could could book on line.
Totally agree with Partymonkeys sentiments, no wonder I couldn't get a week when I wanted,

[Cotswolder]

quote:I have been informed that you can not book a Neckermann holiday through Thomas Cook in the UK. But, and there's always a but, could could book on line.
Totally agree with Partymonkeys sentiments, no wonder I couldn't get a week when I wanted,

Neckermann normally only deal with German tourists.
Numbers of Anfi owners in Germany is a lot less that the UK so there is not likely to be as much critisism