Timeshare a nightmare: iLIVE

The Vacation Ownership Association of SA is a voice for the timeshare companies and has little interest in clients' complaints ("Timeshare bandits", yesterday).

I had the disappointing opportunity of dealing with the association. It passed on the communication between me and the company, never had a solution or anything positive to report, and I had to constantly follow up.

I have been with Flexi Club for 15 years, having carried over the burden from my late dad. I would love to rid myself of this nightmare, but I am told it is an eternal contract. My kids will have to suffer this burden, and so on for generations to come.

We pay R12000 annual fees but never find weekends or weeks available when we want them. I have been double-booked twice in peak holiday periods and been given the wrong unit type twice. If you don't book a December holiday in February, you are likely to get nothing.

I still have R14000 in holiday club fees that I can't access. It can't be used to buy more points or for bonus breaks, and it will soon be lost due to expiry - all because the points needed for a booking are more than the monetary cost and you never have enough points.

I was one of the complainants with the legal company involved and met many disgruntled members doing the same. I await the outcome of this matter.

Will we ever be winners in this timeshare nightmare or will it haunt us to the grave and beyond? - Tired, by e-mail

Flexi Club responds: There are specific conditions for the cancellation of membership and there are conditions for allowing the member full use of amounts they hold in credit, provided all their fees are up to date and they are in good standing.

I BOUGHT shares from Flexi Club when economic times allowed me to but things changed for the worse and I could not afford to pay the premiums any more.

The company told me it would take me to court and blacklist me. When I asked it to sell my shares, I was told I must finish paying first. Even then it would not buy or sell them but there were agents who would, at a quarter of the price.

I have been trying to sell these shares for more than five years. They are worth more than R35000 but it is difficult to sell them for even R10000. - Never Moyo, by e-mail

Flexi Club responds: The buying and selling of points is attended to by a developer, which also carries finance for members. No member will be blacklisted unless his account is seriously in arrears (at least one and sometimes two years). The club follows due process for the protection of its members - those who do not pay accounts will certainly be required to do so.