Timeshare availability poll finds fewer than 5% of owners can book preferred holidays

A Timeshare Advice Centre poll on timeshare booking availability has attracted a high response from owners – and the findings highlight widespread difficulty booking preferred resorts and dates.

Timeshare availability poll

There has been significant recent publicity around timeshare owners who have been unable to book their preferred resorts or travel dates.

In response, the Timeshare Advice Centre decided to run a poll to hear directly from owners about their booking experience.

The aim was to understand how satisfied respondents are with securing the accommodation they have already paid for.

Participants selected from the main resort groups reported as being affected, including CLC World, Marriott, Azure, Diamond, MGM, Silverpoint and “other”.

They then chose one of six responses, ranging from “I always find availability” through to “I’ve given up trying to request availability”.

Shocking results

Here are the results from the poll:

• I always find availability: 0.48%
• I sometimes find availability: 2.12%
• I rarely find availability: 61.10%
• I never find availability: 30.56%
• I’ve given up trying to request availability: 5.74%

Serious timeshare booking availability problems

The results indicate serious availability issues for timeshare owners trying to book the holidays they want.

In total, 91.66% of respondents said they rarely or never manage to secure their preferred dates or resort availability.

A further 5.74% said they have stopped trying altogether.

Only a very small proportion of owners reported success: fewer than one in 20 respondents said they always find availability – a figure even we found surprising.

Discontent among owners

According to Andrew Cooper, CEO of European Consumer Claims (ECC), “Even the amount of people who say they ‘sometimes’ find the availability they want is telling.”

With only around 2% saying they sometimes get availability and more than 60% saying they rarely do, Cooper notes that “there is not much difference between those two words except connotation.”

Describing success as “sometimes” can suggest uncertainty, whereas “rarely” clearly reflects dissatisfaction with the booking outcome.

No longer satisfied with the model

It is becoming increasingly clear that many modern travellers are no longer satisfied with an expensive, dated timeshare model.

People want to travel where they want, when they want, with far greater flexibility when it comes to booking holidays.

Need some help?

If you want help or advice on getting free from your timeshare ownership, contact the Timeshare Advice Centre for free and confidential advice. You may even be able to claim compensation, so find out more about your options today.