Anyone been 'conned' by Club La Costa

[connoisseur]

My husband recently found out he had 'won a luxury holiday through a firm called Club La Costa (Part of Ambassador Holidays).

We were due to go to a meeting of some sort on Friday to find out more information about the holiday we had 'won', so me being the skeptic that I am decided to do a bit of research.

I found out that they are a time-share company and what we would actually be going to on Friday would be one of their sales pitches.

I found a few articles, including one in the Guardian about the way they operate (the holiday's not entirely free, you have to pay a £50 booking fee and have to be earning a certain amount to qualify.)

I just wondered if anyone had ever actually been on one of these holidays, or if it really is a scam. I'm all for giving someone the benefit of the doubt after all.

 

[joe90]

Can't help you with this one hun, but ever the sceptic I would always think that if anyone offers me a free holiday, I would think it was timeshare.

I know from a friend of mine if you do go, they keep you there for hours on end and give you the real hard sell so it is very difficult to say no.

Don't sign ANYTHING!!

 

[Merrick]

My parents had the same sort of thing years ago, but it was for a grandfather clock!!! You go to the meeting, listen to some high pressure saleman for an hour, then you only actually get the thing if you bought a time share and paid the £50 delivery.

Also someone at work was told they had "won" a holiday, and went off to the meeting, paid the booking fee, and whilst they did get the holiday they couldn't enjoy because the whole thing was about trying to sell you a time share. Conditions of the holiday were you ate in the hotel at set times, during which it was sell sell sell, then whilst you were around the pool, the reps were trying to sell to you, you had to go to meetings so they could sell to you, by the time they had come home, they had all but lost the will to live. Although they did manage to not buy a timeshare!

 

[juju]

We had the same thing about 4 years ago.We got a call telling us we won a luxury holiday and to go to a meeting.We went out of curiosity and it was a ploy to buy into a scheme with points.The more points you get the better place you get for a hol.They give you a number to get your free hol which you pay so much for fees etc and you have to agree to go on an excursion to see property.It was hard sell when we got to the meeting and a glorified timeshare.hth

 

[hev]

i have to admit guys i use to work for club la costa in essex....i was there workin evenings... it was very bad tho!! the script was terrible...a total con!! i use to be amazed at the people that fell for it tho...not meaning any disrespect but nothin in life is free. Total rip off way of getting you to buy a timeshare!!

 

[connoisseur]

i have to admit guys i use to work for club la costa in essex....i was there workin evenings... it was very bad tho!! the script was terrible...a total con!! i use to be amazed at the people that fell for it tho...not meaning any disrespect but nothin in life is free. Total rip off way of getting you to buy a timeshare!!

Thanks for that ex-insider info Hev. Like I said I didn't want to cast aspersions and all, but I also didn't want to end up on the next episode of Watchdog! :|

 

[sarahknm]

They have been phoning me every year for the past three years, thought that they would have taken the hint by now because I have never turned up.
Ther has got to be some catch in it!!

 

[lizziekira]

Thanks for the info, My husband and I were going to maidenhead to one of these presentation evenings with no intention of buying but just going for the free holiday, but it sounds like is not much of a holiday if they are pestering you all the time. Time shares are a waste of money! £20,000 so you can go on holiday to the same place every year during the same two weeks and you still have to pay for flights!!
What a load of rubbish!!

I think we'll steer well clear cheers!

 

[RedAdmiral]

My family are in a time share scheme with RCI and Club La Cost its the best thing we ever did - we do pay annual fees but we can go anywhere in the world for 2wks and pay just the flights, we also get free holidays all the time and make money off our friends using it So they're not all bad!

 

[connoisseur]

My family are in a time share scheme with RCI and Club La Cost its the best thing we ever did - we do pay annual fees but we can go anywhere in the world for 2wks and pay just the flights, we also get free holidays all the time and make money off our friends using it So they're not all bad!

How long have you been in the scheme for and is there an option to opt out whenever you're ready?

 

[Tsia]

I had the same thing happen to me and nearly turned up for the 'meeting' until BF talked me out of it.
Turned out to be a timeshare that in the end, we would buy. Nothing was free atall.
Me being slightly niave, I went along with it. Glad I didnt go now!. xx :hug:

 

[connoisseur]

They do say the holiday is guarenteed, so if you've got the willpower to keep saying no when they try to persuade you to buy the timeshare, you could still be quids in.

On the other hand, as someone has already mentioned, this might also mean saying no continuosly for the duration of the holiday. Maybe you could go on excursions to get away from them!!

 

[Tsia]

They do say the holiday is guarenteed, so if you've got the willpower to keep saying no when they try to persuade you to buy the timeshare, you could still be quids in.

On the other hand, as someone has already mentioned, this might also mean saying no continuosly for the duration of the holiday. Maybe you could go on excursions to get away from them!!

This is exactly what I thought when I was going to go, but I called them and asked them specifically and they said there is a clause in that by accepting the holiday from them you are entering a contract of some sort.The minute they said that ... I realised it was a con! My fella said if it was that easy, everyone would be doing it.
if you want to go ahead, just be very vigilant and make sure you have ALL the facts first. :green:

 

[connoisseur]

there is a clause in that by accepting the holiday from them you are entering a contract of some sort.The minute they said that ... I realised it was a con! :green:

Okay, yeah that would set my alarm bells. ringing as well. It's such a shame cos I could really do with going away somewhere.

I suppose I better just stick to doing more treatments and earn my holiday!!

 

[libbyfan]

yep its a con, works out more expensive, you have to go to places you dont want to go to,, there are hidden costs which they dont tell you about such as the extortionate yearly fees, making you buy points you dont want and will never be able to use, time share is very very difficult to sell once your sucked in, like we were

My husband recently found out he had 'won a luxury holiday through a firm called Club La Costa (Part of Ambassador Holidays).

We were due to go to a meeting of some sort on Friday to find out more information about the holiday we had 'won', so me being the skeptic that I am decided to do a bit of research.

I found out that they are a time-share company and what we would actually be going to on Friday would be one of their sales pitches.

I found a few articles, including one in the Guardian about the way they operate (the holiday's not entirely free, you have to pay a £50 booking fee and have to be earning a certain amount to qualify.)

I just wondered if anyone had ever actually been on one of these holidays, or if it really is a scam. I'm all for giving someone the benefit of the doubt after all.