Why this web site?

This informative web site which covers the various aspects of timeshare was created in November 2001 as an initiative of several consumer associations: Association belge des consommateurs Tests-Achats (Belgium), OCU (Spain), Comitato Consumatori Altro Consumo (Italy), DECO (Portugal), grouped together within the Conseur Group and CLCV (France).

It was created as part of a project initially subsidised by the European Commission (DG Sanco) and entrusted to OCU (Spain). The project aimed to create a special Timeshare Litigation Commission, which would provide a means for out-of-court XXXX settlements of timeshare complaints and litigations in the five following countries: Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Since the beginning of 2003, access to this Commission is in principle restricted to members of the five participating consumer associations.

The handling of complaints, the resolution of cases and preventing litigation due to better information, is carried out by the five consumer associations mentioned above, in conjunction with the OTE (Organisation for Timeshare in Europe) which brings together today some 133 member companies and which, under the terms of an agreement signed with Conseur, has committed itself to the objectives of the project and to cleaning-up the market. Thanks to this contribution as well as the guarantees provided by the OTE, it is clear that consumers should benefit from a greater level of protection, especially when the company concerned is a member of the OTE. In this regard, one should note the importance of the OTE's four codes of conduct which are presently under review (May 2003) and which the OTE members have to respect. For more details, see the OTE web site.

Finally, thanks to your experiences and responses, this web site will be completed and updated on a regular basis. We will be pleased to receive any information, including information updating our black list of companies.