Express newspaper exposes widespread timeshare scam harassment calls, including Club La Costa

Express Crusader report reveals a 25-year Club La Costa nightmare of timeshare problems, scam calls and harassment

Daily Express Crusader article

One of the UK’s longest-established newspapers, the Daily Express, was launched in 1900.

With Lord Beaverbrook at the helm, the Express quickly became the highest-circulation newspaper in the world and remained so for decades. In 2024, it continues its long tradition of backing British consumers through its Crusader section.

Maisha Frost is the “business, and consumer watchdog at the Daily and Sunday Express, covering business enterprise and consumer affairs as well as The Crusader.”

In early 2024, Frost published a hard-hitting article that shines a light on the darker side of timeshare-related fraud, including persistent scam and harassment calls.

A familiar timeshare story

Like hundreds of thousands of other Brits, George and Judith Hayward fell prey to a slick, high-pressure timeshare presentation.

Their story began in 1999 with a Club La Costa sales pitch in Tenerife. The Haywards bought two weeks, believing they’d made a smart decision for their future holiday needs.

It didn’t take long for them to realise the booking system was never going to deliver the holidays they wanted. Meanwhile, the annual fees spiralled out of control. They were later persuaded to “upgrade” into points, but this didn’t solve the underlying issues.

The Haywards exited their membership in 2010 — at a time when timeshare companies would sometimes allow owners to leave.

A barrage of scam and harassment calls

In the 14 years since leaving CLC, George and Judith say they’ve been bombarded by chancers offering to “relinquish” their membership or claim compensation against Club La Costa for alleged mis-selling.

The callers variously claimed to be:

• debt collectors
• timeshare lawyers
• genuine claims or relinquishment firms

Unable to tell the (likely very few) trustworthy callers apart from those trying to take their money, the couple adopted a sensible default: refusing to engage. More recently, the pressure has escalated. The latest approach is to claim Mr and Mrs Hayward owe £20,000 in overdue maintenance fees. “The worst call was from a debt collector ordering us to ‘pay or else,’” Judith says.

How the couple’s information is being passed around is deeply concerning and, they believe, plainly unlawful. “They don’t say where they got our information from. They mention new owners of the business.” They have now been “ordered” to attend a meeting to “discuss legalities.”

“We cut them off, but our home feels invaded.”

At this point, the couple feel they are out of options. They are elderly, the stress is wearing them down, and changing their number would be “enormously disruptive”.

Expert comment

“The reality is that a huge proportion of firms in this space are fraudsters,” explains Andrew Cooper, CEO of European Consumer Claims. “The Haywards were right to follow their instincts about these nuisance calls.

Cooper notes the journalist may have some details wrong — specifically, that the Haywards are not in a position to claim because CLC World is going through liquidation. “It’s an understandable mistake,” says the experienced anti timeshare-mis-selling crusader. “Any journalist has limited time to research and is only going to be as accurate as the sources they choose.

“Mr and Mrs Hayward may potentially still be entitled to compensation.

“Firstly, CLC’s liquidation does not annul their debt to those they have wronged. The group has vast tracts of luxury real estate, among other assets. The liquidators of Club La Costa UK: FRP are looking at making recoveries on behalf of mis-sold owners, as well as other creditors.

“Secondly, just because somebody relinquished their membership, it doesn’t negate the fact they were mis-sold and have lost a lot of money because of illegal activity on CLC’s part. However, to determine eligibility in a specific case would take examination by legal experts, and it sounds from the article that this couple now just want a peaceful life and to put the whole affair behind them — which you can sympathise with.”

Lessons to take from the Haywards’ experience

So what can we learn from the Haywards’ highly representative timeshare experience — from the sales pitch through to years of scam calls and timeshare debt-collector threats?

Suzanne Stojanovic, spokesperson for Timeshare Advice Centre, breaks it down into four key points.

1) Don’t buy a timeshare.

“In the past, when many people bought a timeshare, it could be a genuine solution to holiday issues like quality and exclusivity,” says Suzanne. “That is sadly no longer the case. People don’t buy memberships without slick marketing and sales operations manipulating them into buying. This is because the product doesn’t offer genuine holiday value. The safest way to avoid being stuck with a timeshare is not to buy one.”

2) If you are considering a timeshare, do NOT decide on the day.

“Timeshare companies don’t want you to go away and think about the purchase,” notes Suzanne. “Timeshare is an emotional sale. When the emotion of the presentation subsides, logic takes over and people are rarely interested at that point.

“Ignore any threats that the deal is ‘only available today’. If you did return, they would readily accept your cash.”

3) If you want to escape your membership, get trustworthy, capable expert help.

“There are far more scammers than genuine companies offering this service,” explains Suzanne. “There are various ways to distinguish genuine companies from fraudsters. Be absolutely sure before parting with your hard-earned cash.”

4) Before you do anything about an unwanted timeshare, check ALL your options.

“There are lots of ways to get it wrong when leaving a timeshare. Conversely, there are sometimes ways to come out financially ahead. For example, if you were mis-sold you may be entitled to considerable monetary compensation.”

Contact our team to discuss your best way forward.