ECC expert discusses timeshare relinquishment and claims on Valencia Life podcast with Eugene Costello

ECC discusses the most common timeshare problems — and realistic routes to resolution, including timeshare claims and timeshare relinquishment — with veteran journalist and podcast host Eugene Costello.

Valencia Life website and podcast

When veteran journalist and author Eugene Costello moved to Spain towards the end of his high-flying career in journalism, there was only one place he wanted to call home: Valencia.

"The food, weather and lifestyle are all glorious to a Brit used to the urban blandness and iron skies of London," says Eugene. "The locals are welcoming to us 'extranjeros' and the cost of living is so much lower than the UK. There is even a sizeable expat community here which makes it easier for new arrivals to find their feet."

Eugene, by his own admission, has too much energy to retire. In 2021 he founded the Valencia Life website, which reaches hundreds of thousands of people locally and further afield. The associated podcast launched in 2022 and now attracts over 3,000 unique downloads per episode. The show covers life in Valencia for expats, re-pats (people who moved away and returned) and a range of notable individuals from across the province.

Eugene Costello and ECC

In 2005, Eugene Costello's parents, Eileen and Denis, were targeted by a timeshare sales operation called Pestana Vacation Club in Portugal's Algarve. They were sold a 20-year membership (the senior Costellos were in their mid-seventies at the time) for over £20,000.

Unsurprisingly, age-related concerns meant the retirees were only able to use the membership three times in total. The annual fees (£650 per year) were payable regardless of whether they could stay at the property. The ongoing cost became a burden the family could not seem to escape, despite multiple approaches to the resort by the Costellos and their family.

Finally, after Eileen sadly passed away earlier this year, Denis asked Eugene to help rid him of the financial burden once and for all.

Eugene's research led him to European Consumer Claims (ECC), and he decided to document his experience with the well-known firm for the benefit of others in his father's position.

ECC achieved Denis's relinquishment within two weeks. Eugene later covered his experience in the Sunday Times, as well as Reader's Digest and The Sun.

He then invited TAC/ECC Communications Director Mark Jobling onto his Valencia Life podcast to explore the bigger picture: how timeshare ownership works, what a legitimate timeshare claim may involve, and what timeshare relinquishment can look like in practice.

Fraudsters vs genuine firms

One part of the process Eugene was keen to examine was how listeners can avoid being conned by scam operators offering similar services. Eugene's professional instincts quickly told him the marketplace is awash with fake firms looking to cash in on the desperation of timeshare owners. The question is: how do you separate a genuine operator from a fraudster?

The key indicators, as explained by Mark, are:

• Look for a company with strong feedback on trusted review sites. Also pay attention to how they respond to negative reviews. As Mark says: "Every company makes the occasional mistake, so look to see how they deal with that bad review. Are they condescending and dismissive? Or do they treat the reviewer respectfully and do their best to rectify the situation?"
• Look for a company that has been trading for many years: "Scammers quickly develop a poor online reputation and need to change their name and website. If a company has been trading for many years, they are more likely to be genuine."
• Look for transparent proof such as client video testimonials: "Written testimonials on a company's website are great, but how do you know who really wrote them?" asks Mark. "When you can watch real people discussing their personal experience, you are able to make a better informed decision."

Eugene and Mark also covered several other ways to carry out due diligence before instructing a claims or relinquishment company, but there is not space for a full checklist here.

Either way, this podcast is well worth a listen if you are looking for practical guidance on resolving a timeshare issue.

I've heard the podcast — now I'm interested in instructing ECC

"There are a huge number of people who are unhappy with their timeshare ownership," says spokesperson Suzanne Stojanovic. "And ECC has a policy of only accepting cases they know they can win. So your first step is to get in touch with our team at Timeshare Advice Centre (ECC's marketing arm) to arrange a free, no-obligation assessment interview."

"Our consultant will make sure your options are clear, and that you have the information you need to decide how to move forward.

"If you don't qualify for a claim, or in the unlikely event your membership can't be relinquished, our consultant will explain exactly why — so you can rebuff any future attempts by fraudsters to extract money from you for a service that is not possible to fulfil."