Sarah Ravani, SFGate, November 18, 2016: On November 17, 2016, a San Francisco Superior Court jury awarded Trish Williams, a timeshare developer sales employee, $20 Million in punitive damages resulting from her termination from the company. She had complained to management about the deceptive practices being used during timeshare sales presentations and, without warning, had been fired for her whistleblower efforts.

The deceptive practices? Williams provided details regarding lies told to prospective timeshare buyers about rates, yearly maintenance fees, and presented customers with the idea that they could rent their timeshares, making the purchase a “good investment.” Particularly egregious was the practice of targeting elderly people who had been customers for years, convincing them to purchase more timeshare points, sometimes for tens of thousands of dollars. Many times, payment for these “upgrade” points would go upon credit cards issued in the name of the consumer without their knowledge – until the bills started to arrive. Consumer loyalty caused most of them to sign many of the papers without reading them carefully, causing the ensuing problems. It was also stated to prospective buyers by timeshare sales agents that a buyback program would be in affect within a year, allowing consumers to sell back their points to the developer. Such a program was not created.

It took 6 years from her firing date to receive the judgment, but Williams was happy that her case went to trial, where others could benefit from her troubles.

Do the deceptive practices described herein sound familiar to what you experienced and you desire to divest yourself from your timeshare through cancellation? Consider retaining the services of a reputable timeshare cancellation law firm, such as the Aaronson Law Firm, to help you cancel your timeshare. Our attorneys stand ready to bring the expertise and pressure necessary to get your timeshare cancelled. It’s all that we do…