Club La Costa World gets greedy over 2021 maintenance fees despite Covid disruption

The coronavirus pandemic has caused widespread disruption, with job losses, market uncertainty, lockdowns and travel quarantines affecting millions. Club La Costa timeshare owners have felt the impact too.

Many people who had holidays booked in 2020 saw trips cancelled and were able to secure refunds for flights and hotels. By contrast, a number of timeshare owners say they were told their prepaid 2020 maintenance fees would not be refunded.

For thousands hoping to travel to popular destinations such as Spain and the Canary Islands, the announcement of a 14-day quarantine on return to the UK was another blow. Jet2 cancelled its Spain flight schedule until November, while other airlines reduced services.

Even for those determined to travel, ongoing restrictions can make for an unpleasant holiday experience. With further lockdowns and new measures introduced as case numbers rise, there has been no clear end in sight.

Against this backdrop, many members have been surprised to hear that Club La Costa World has informed owners that their 2021 maintenance fees are now due.

CLC World

Even if you have been unable to use or book this year’s allocation, you are still required to pay your 2021 maintenance bill. And with travel restrictions changing quickly, there is no certainty about what travel will look like in 2021.

In the same notification, Club La Costa also advised owners who missed out on 2020 usage that they can roll it over to 2021. However, even if travel restrictions ease, it remains unclear where the additional availability will come from to meet two years of accommodation demand in a single year.

So once again, owners are being asked to pay 2021 maintenance fees with no certainty they will be able to travel — and even if they can travel, no guarantee of availability.

The question is: will you be paying your 2021 maintenance fees?

Club La Costa receives tens of millions of pounds each year in management fees. If tour operators have been forced to refund consumers, why are timeshare resorts able to retain funds already received while placing many staff on furlough, aside from some gardeners and security staff?

An email was circulated to all members from CLC Chairman Roy Peires on 23 September 2020. In that update, the Chairman outlined additional options for using membership to holiday within the UK due to restrictions on overseas travel. Some owners may welcome an expanded UK inventory, but many who bought in Spain did so specifically to enjoy holidays in Spain, not the UK. This may also be seen as a way to ease pressure on the difficult task of accommodating members overseas when there is not nearly enough capacity. A UK canal boat is not a like-for-like alternative to a two-bedroom apartment in Spain overlooking the sea.

An increasing number of Spanish timeshare owners are looking into whether they qualify to claim money back. Reports of growing numbers of positive judgments, including awards in the millions, are leading more owners to believe this could be a viable route to exit their ownership and pursue a refund.

M1 Legal, European Consumer Claims’ associated firm of lawyers, have achieved court success against Club La Costa World with 574 cases in the Spanish courts valued at £12.1million and awards totalling £1.7million.

The Bradshaws V Club La Costa

Click here for the Bradshaws’ full story.

Other sources:

https://www.investegate.co.uk/article.aspx?id=202009251600041761A

https://agilitypr.news/Timeshare-Resort-Club-la-Costa-World-Get-12513

If you wish to discuss your timeshare problems, or you have any other timeshare-related enquiries, email us at info@ecc-eu.com or call 0800 6101 512.