Former Marriott Marbella timeshare owner receives €78,000 compensation payout after court claim

Former Marriott Marbella timeshare owner receives €78,000 compensation payout as more members pursue claims over illegal contracts

Happy owners

Myra Bromfield, 55, and her husband John bought their first two weeks of Marriott timeshare in around 1998, at Marriott’s Marbella Beach Resort in Spain.

“It was still being built back then,” Myra smiles. “We bought two Bronze weeks, which were cheaper at the time and meant we could holiday in winter. There was only a portacabin and a show flat, but we could see the potential.”

Over the years, Myra and John—who owned a construction equipment procurement company based in Gibraltar—added to their Marriott ownership. At their peak, they held Marriott timeshare in Paris, Mallorca, Spain and the USA.

“We did have some good holidays,” Myra admits. “There were never issues with the quality of the resorts.”

Disillusionment

Myra, who now lives back in Wales, says their Marriott ownership eventually lost its lustre: “The costs kept increasing. By the end we were paying over £7,000 a year, which is just too much.”

“There were also things we were told by different salespeople that turned out to be untrue. For example, one told us Marriott would always buy our memberships back if we no longer needed them. When we actually asked to do this, we were told there had never, in reality, been such a policy.”

“It was extremely frustrating with so much money involved.”

Eventually, the Bromfields had had enough. “We heard through the timeshare grapevine that Marriott had been writing illegal contracts,” says Myra. “We got in touch with ECC and they told us we could claim compensation from Marriott. The process wasn’t quick, but ECC never gave up.”

“Our patience—and ECC’s resilience—was rewarded with a compensation payout of €78,000. The money was paid a couple of weeks ago.”

For now, Myra says she will keep the compensation in the bank. “My motivation was never really about the money, although of course it’s welcome. We wanted to be free of the commitment of expensive annual fees, and for Marriott to take responsibility for illegal contracts and untrue sales promises.”

Expert comment

“Many Marriott owners share Myra’s attitude,” explains Greg Wilson, CEO of European Consumer Claims (ECC), the company that secured Myra’s compensation award payment.

“Marriott owners are often people for whom the principle matters more than the financial aspect,” Wilson continues. “A frustrating point is that, despite annual reports listing sufficient funds being set aside to cover court-awarded compensation for this exact reason, Marriott have still dragged their heels.”

“Anyone who would like to find out more is welcome to get in touch with our team for a no-obligation consultation, in complete confidence.”