Timeshare 

Now, here's a very delicate subject to approach. I'm not trying to put anyone off or convince anyone to join, I'll try and explain what I know as objectively as possible. When I first arrived on the island I used to work in the Anfi resort, Gran Canaria, showing people around so I know first hand how it all works. I didn't last very long because that kind of sales work isn't my style.

In the world, there's something like 5,500 timeshare resorts through 100 different countries, it's big business and a very popular way of taking holidays. There are a lot of timeshare complexes around the islands and there seems to be various ways of selling membership but the one you'll see if you're coming here on holiday is street promotion. Each timeshare resort tends to have PR guys and girls on the streets - there job to convince you to go to the resort they work for and have a look around. In return, you're then eligible to some kind of "gift" - could be anything such as a bottle of booze and some fags, discount vouchers for excursions or a "free holiday". The latter tends to be to a timeshare complex where you'll come across sales staff at least a couple of times during your stay, it's also accommodation only and you don't get much of a choice when you can go. If you are given a "scratch-card" and win a prize, it's timeshare. You may be told it's not but it is, take my word for it.

Now, here's the trick; If you are interested in having a look at one of them, maybe you just want the free goodies, they actually tell you all you need to do is spend 90 minutes having a look around the resort and then let a sales guy tell you the figures, then you can tell him "no" (or "yes"). You may have heard of horror stories of people spending five hours in a place but to be honest, nobody forces them to stay that long. Sure, they try to convince you to stay longer or take their time showing you around but if 90 minutes is up and you want to go, nobody forces you to stay - go!

I've not been too positive about the system so far but here's the thing. If you go on holiday every year and like to spend a little extra so you don't end up in a dump, maybe you don't like basic self-catering and want something a bit nicer, then I still believe that this is the best bet. Once you've seen one of these resorts you'll be amazed. That's how they sell so well to people who are here on holiday. They spend a few hours looking at all the luxuries, facilities and marvelling at the high standards and by the time they're ready to go, they want one. Trouble is, these resorts don't have offices in the UK where you can go and join, you have to do it whilst you're here.

I'll throw some figures at you that I used when I was in Anfi in Gran Canaria a few years ago. If you are happy with last-minute deals and basic accommodation for little money then this is probably not your thing though. Lets say you're interested in a 1 bedroom apartment. Well, if it was to cost £8,000 for 1 week a year it would seem like a fortune? So, look at a 10 year plan. A 1 bedroom apartment really does sleep 4 with lots of space to spare so if you book out of a brochure and pay a total of £1,500 for everyone, a week self catering with flights. You could probably get the flights for 4 for a total of £500 so £1,000 goes on your accommodation. After 8 years you've spent £8,000 on pretty basic accommodation and facilities where as you could have had 5 star luxury. There are service charges to pay each year, around £200. To counter this, think about inflation, in 8 years time you will probably have to pay a lot more than £1,500 for a family holiday and after 8 years, you've made your money back and then some anyway.

Now, say you've got a week a year for £8,000 - some places offer you "floating weeks" so you can go any time of the year you want, others fixed weeks, for instance week 5 (beginning of February each year). There's a couple of HUGE companies that everyone's linked to, either RCI or Interval International. They have thousands of resorts all over the world. Interval has something like 1,400 resorts on their books. Sheraton, Hilton, Disney and Marriott are some of the names that have joined. There's a lot of smaller companies too. If you've bought in Gran Canaria but want to go somewhere else, you can give your week here to RCI and look at the weeks other people have given back and do a swap. Alternatively, you may have friends of friends who are coming to Gran Canaria and spending £1,500 on a week. You could sell them your week, do a deal with them and they get luxury accommodation without having to pay more than they budgeted for in a 2 star apartment complex. There's all kinds of other pluses about owning as it lasts anything from 99 years upwards. You can sell your membership or pass it on to your kids. Not forgetting, after 8 years you've probably spent the same on timeshare as you would from a brochure, difference being you can carry on using the timeshare every year at no extra cost other than a maintenance fee, free holidays if you like?

If you do buy membership whilst you're here you are asked to pay a large deposit of around £2,000 and the balance you can pay over a year or two. I'm told that if you do want to buy you don't actually have to pay the deposit, you can pay the whole lot on finance. The resorts can arrange financing for you too. There's a "cooling-off" period of 10 days from when you get home so if you change your mind, you can cancel, get your money back and cancel your finance arrangements. Make sure you can afford it!!!! If you can't keep up the payments, you loose everything - deposit, your membership and anything else you paid.

So, in a nutshell - there's all the basic facts. I might not agree with the way they sell their product, pushy guys on the street in your face every day, however - I do believe they have a great product and though it's not suitable for everyone, a lot of people maybe aren't fully aware of what's on offer and could be benefiting from it. Anfi is amazing. Their beach and facilities along the beach are second to none on Gran Canaria. People from all over the island travel down to use it and the apartments have everything you could imagine and more, all the luxuries you enjoy at home plus those you'd expect to have on holiday.

A good way to "test-drive" holidaying this way is to go there for a holiday before you buy. Several resorts have teamed up with some tour operators to offer a week's holiday on the condition you spend some time with a sales person during your stay. There's no hard selling but you are expected to give them the time to tell you how it all works and how much it costs. Check with your travel agent to see who has teamed up with who if this is of interest. I know Airtours and Anfi are promoting their resorts this way to sell membership and are removing their guys from the street. They are also teaming up with holiday reps here and if you go have a look at a resort (again Anfi and Airtours are doing this) you get a free excursion or other benefit. So, the good news is the touts on the street should be fewer and farther between as time goes by.

If you want to have a look around one of the resorts whilst you're here - easy! Wait until you're approached by someone with a scratch-card and let them pay for a taxi for you there and back and give you free goodies to have a look round for 90 minutes.

Useful Links

The two main companies that have all these individual resorts on their books are RCI and Interval International One of the better, smaller companies is Dial an Exchange  The Organisation for Timeshare in Europe Timeshare Consumers Association