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Leisure Network Ltd
Hi All,
Does anyone have any info (good or bad) on a company called Leisure Network Ltd - based in Colindeep Lane, London, UK. They have written to me asking me to attend a seminar with all the usual carrots to tempt people along. From what I can tell it is some kind of time share but not 100% about that. Any info greatly recieved... Jason |
#2
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my husband has booked us in for one of the 'presentations' tonight, so i'll
let you know !!! |
#3
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my husband has booked us in for one of the 'presentations' tonight, so i'll
let you know !!! |
#4
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Hi... Having won the same "prize" as yourselves, I did a search on the
internet and found this 'talkabout' site here, plus the info that I have included for your info. Whether this is 'Leisure Network Ltd' or not I don't know, but it certainly is 'Club La Costa'!!! I had forgotten that I also went to one of these presentations a couple of years ago (I forget who the company was) but it was exactly the same as this lady's experience below! Hence, I won't be going this time! Good Luck! ------------------ 'You've won a free holiday!' The voice on the phone has an offer that sounds too good to be true. All Sue Webster has to do is come and claim it . . . (Filed: 03/12/2002) ---------------------------- A man phoned out of the blue, informing me that I was the lucky winner of a free holiday. "Seven nights of luxury," he said. "In self-catering accommodation." He wondered why I didn't sound more thrilled. The words "no such thing as a free lunch" were on the tip of my tongue, but I admit I was curious - if a little irritated by his asking me to confirm that I was a) married; b) a homeowner; c) between the ages of 28-65; and d) in receipt of a joint income of more than £18,000. Grudgingly, I noted down a freephone number, which I had to call to hear the details of my holiday. When I did so, the operative assured me that the holiday, in either the Costa del Sol, Ibiza, Menorca or the Algarve, was merely a marketing exercise to publicise the launch of a new holiday company, Express Travel. Fifty couples only were sought to take the holidays, have a good time, and tell their friends about it. I should hurry to make up my mind whether I could attend a presentation ceremony the following week, or lose the holiday award. There would also be a free UK mini-break for couples attending. I said I would go. A few days later, I received a letter with directions to the company's head office in Maidenhead - a two-hour journey for me - and a list of conditions under which my holiday would be awarded. These included the criteria stipulated over the phone, plus attending the two-hour "Exhibition" with my spouse or cohabiting partner, complete with ID, at midday in Maidenhead. This was tricky. My husband refused to take half a day out of his office to participate in what he instantly suspected was going to be a timeshare sales push. Fortunately, my friend Nick was more obliging and together we took the train to Maidenhead. Once we had (reluctantly) relinquished the holiday award letter in reception, we were shown up to a large room in which a dozen or so cafe-style tables were already occupied by other couples. There was no exhibition, unless you count a few travel posters on the walls. Each table had a salesman, a felt tip pen and a pad of lined paper. Our salesman was called Nigel, but we were to be processed by several employees at higher levels who each appeared to have sharply delineated areas of responsibility. A hard-faced young woman with elaborately painted nails introduced herself as the sales manager. She went on to explain that we had to sit through a sales presentation lasting two hours in order to qualify for the free holiday, which, she admitted, was "just a little carrot to get you here". Then she went to sit against the wall with the other supervisors, including a tall, rotund man with a great deal of heavy gold jewellery. This, Nigel whispered, was the "big boss". Who were these people? They were not from Express Travel - apparently that was merely a marketing company that brought them leads. They were from Club La Costa, "the most successful company in Europe" [sic] and their first aim we were told was to save us money on travel. First we had to fill in yet another form detailing our status, income, usual holiday expenditure, and so on, as well as our dream holidays. The strict age limits and homeowner status were intended to guarantee no "lager louts" ever joined. Nigel's presentation was maddeningly slow, but each time we tried to get to the point - such as what Club La Costa might actually offer - he would beg us to let him follow his script, otherwise he would get into trouble with the listening bosses. So we waited politely while he wrote such illuminating keywords as "LIKE", "USE" and "WANT" in big black letters on the pad between us. His colleagues came at intervals and wrote the same words in the same oversized scrawl. They all said they wanted to know whether we "liked", could "use" or "wanted" the product. But we still didn't know what the product was. After an hour or so spent establishing the sort of holidays we might like, a ringbinder appeared on the table and we were allowed to flip through 20 or so pages of third-rate UK country clubs - "This is Gleneagles, have you heard of it?" asked Nigel. "Yes, but this isn't Gleneagles," I replied. "Well it overlooks Gleneagles golf course" - and large, plastic-looking resort complexes on Spanish hillsides. This was the product. We were being invited to buy a timeshare property that would be ours for one week a year. I didn't "like" it and I knew I would never "use" it - but I "wanted" to hear the sting and so remained non-committal. Nigel explained that an annual "maintenance charge" of £282 would be levied to keep the timeshare resorts in the excellent condition we could see they were obviously in. My friend Nick remarked that if one apartment had 52 owners, each staying one week in the year, the maintenance charge alone would produce a yield of almost £15,000 annually. For a small resort of 100 units that was £1.5 million - pretty good business. Panicked by this daring multiplication, Nigel immediately called over salesman No2 - the one with the black shirt and gold tie - to insist that the maintenance charge was "absolutely non-profit-making". The ringbinder disappeared and was replaced by an ancient holiday brochure, offering many more destinations worldwide on the exchange network. These were "bonus holidays" we could take and pay for in addition to the week we would buy as part of what was now being referred to on the pad as a "flotting" (sic) timeshare. If we wished to go on one of the bonus holidays, it would cost between £90-£374 per week. By this time I was feeling bored, tired and hungry. All the other couples in the room had left, probably without buying anything, despite the assertion that one in four "holiday awardees" do join. Our two hours were nearly up so I began to press for the cost of joining Club La Costa. Nigel and his colleague prevaricated, reverting to the pad to note down benefits they had already pointed out. We suggested that the reason for their reticence was due to the price being predicated on what they felt we could afford. This was strongly refuted. We demanded they tell us the price. A laminated sheet of paper was produced from under the table on which a table of costs for a two-bed apartment was detailed. It said: "List - £12,660. Charter - £9,125." I asked what "Charter" meant. Nigel was berated for not having "done" Charter, but it was simple enough: this was the price we would pay today. "List" was the price we would pay tomorrow. Both bought 65 years' membership. Salesman No2 assured us that "most people just get out their credit cards now and pay". I noted down the prices, saying we would have to think about it but that, ideally, we would like a shorter membership period and that we would like to talk to existing members. The first price sheet was whisked away. In its place was another offer: "Discovery Plus", a trial membership for holidays totalling six weeks over 34 months with no maintenance fees, for £2,495. This stipulated that the first holiday must be to a specified Club La Costa resort in Spain; the five remaining weeks would cost £100 each. We said we found this expensive but would think about it at home. I folded my sheet of notes and moved to put it in my bag, but salesman No2 leant forward and snatched them from me. An unseemly tussle ensued - which I won - across the little café table. The big boss remained impassive in his chair by the door. We were taken to reception, issued with our holiday awards, and shown out. We have decided not to take up the award. ---------------- What the experts say: We got off lightly, according to Sandy Grey, chairman of the watchdog Timeshare Consumers Association (TCA). Had we succumbed to the not-very-enticing offer of a 65-year membership and the obligation to pay management fees, which in themselves equal the cost of the average family package holiday, we could have found those fees increasing each year at a rate far in excess of inflation. Some timeshare companies, he says, levy additional charges - say, £300 - on the pretext of carrying out extraordinary repairs. Almost half of all couples who are sold timeshare holidays in the way I experienced try to cancel during the statutory "cooling off" period of 10-14 days, but many companies simply refuse to acknowledge this right, challenging the couple to sue them in court. The Consumers Association (CA) advises the public never to sign any contract without first showing it to a solicitor. And if you do buy? In general, disenchanted owners who attempt to sell their timeshare may realise between £500-£1,000 on the second-hand market. This market is beset by fraudulent dealings: Sandy Grey reported to the European Parliament in 2001 an estimated 120 million euros (about £78 million) stolen from owners by bogus timeshare resellers who promise unrealistic resale values, charge a fee upfront and then never achieve a sale. This is not to damn all timeshare deals out of hand - timeshare can be a viable option for frequent holidaymakers. In fact, 35-50 per cent of all timeshare owners are reasonably happy with the use they make of their timeshare; such use usually only lasts between 10 and 25 years, after which lifestyles tend to change. The best deal of all is to buy timeshare secondhand from a reputable broker. TCA has a list of just five recommended in this country among 200 operators, where the ultimate cost will be the same as package holidays, but with a better standard of accommodation (that is, in an apartment rather than a hotel room). As for the "free" holiday award, be careful. For all I know, the Club La Costa offer may have been just what it said it was. However, in researching this article I have come across several cases where "winners" enticed by other timeshare companies have sent off the administration fee specifying several dates when they would like to go, plus most convenient departure airport and time, only to see the airports and times on offer change just a few days before departure. Sometimes holidays fail to materialise at all, as in the case of Holidays Direct Travel Ltd and Incentive Marketing Ltd, who garnered £3.45 million last year after 65,000 people sent in an administration fee of £29.50. Only 25 received holidays. The companies were subsequently closed down by the Department of Trade and Industry. Both the TCA and the CA are sanguine about advising people whether to attend sales presentations such as those offered by Club La Costa. Sandy Grey even has a sneaking admiration for the best timeshare salesmen, who are "brilliant" at what they do. But you should be much more circumspect about attending a second meeting abroad where sales methods are rather less polite and where presentations may last three, four or even five hours without respite. Oh, and you probably won't get lunch, either. For further information or advice on buying a timeshare, contact Timeshare Consumers Association (01909 591100; www.timeshare.org.uk). Consumers Association (020 7830 6000; www.which.net). |
#5
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Hi... Having won the same "prize" as yourselves, I did a search on the
internet and found this 'talkabout' site here, plus the info that I have included for your info. Whether this is 'Leisure Network Ltd' or not I don't know, but it certainly is 'Club La Costa'!!! I had forgotten that I also went to one of these presentations a couple of years ago (I forget who the company was) but it was exactly the same as this lady's experience below! Hence, I won't be going this time! Good Luck! ------------------ 'You've won a free holiday!' The voice on the phone has an offer that sounds too good to be true. All Sue Webster has to do is come and claim it . . . (Filed: 03/12/2002) ---------------------------- A man phoned out of the blue, informing me that I was the lucky winner of a free holiday. "Seven nights of luxury," he said. "In self-catering accommodation." He wondered why I didn't sound more thrilled. The words "no such thing as a free lunch" were on the tip of my tongue, but I admit I was curious - if a little irritated by his asking me to confirm that I was a) married; b) a homeowner; c) between the ages of 28-65; and d) in receipt of a joint income of more than £18,000. Grudgingly, I noted down a freephone number, which I had to call to hear the details of my holiday. When I did so, the operative assured me that the holiday, in either the Costa del Sol, Ibiza, Menorca or the Algarve, was merely a marketing exercise to publicise the launch of a new holiday company, Express Travel. Fifty couples only were sought to take the holidays, have a good time, and tell their friends about it. I should hurry to make up my mind whether I could attend a presentation ceremony the following week, or lose the holiday award. There would also be a free UK mini-break for couples attending. I said I would go. A few days later, I received a letter with directions to the company's head office in Maidenhead - a two-hour journey for me - and a list of conditions under which my holiday would be awarded. These included the criteria stipulated over the phone, plus attending the two-hour "Exhibition" with my spouse or cohabiting partner, complete with ID, at midday in Maidenhead. This was tricky. My husband refused to take half a day out of his office to participate in what he instantly suspected was going to be a timeshare sales push. Fortunately, my friend Nick was more obliging and together we took the train to Maidenhead. Once we had (reluctantly) relinquished the holiday award letter in reception, we were shown up to a large room in which a dozen or so cafe-style tables were already occupied by other couples. There was no exhibition, unless you count a few travel posters on the walls. Each table had a salesman, a felt tip pen and a pad of lined paper. Our salesman was called Nigel, but we were to be processed by several employees at higher levels who each appeared to have sharply delineated areas of responsibility. A hard-faced young woman with elaborately painted nails introduced herself as the sales manager. She went on to explain that we had to sit through a sales presentation lasting two hours in order to qualify for the free holiday, which, she admitted, was "just a little carrot to get you here". Then she went to sit against the wall with the other supervisors, including a tall, rotund man with a great deal of heavy gold jewellery. This, Nigel whispered, was the "big boss". Who were these people? They were not from Express Travel - apparently that was merely a marketing company that brought them leads. They were from Club La Costa, "the most successful company in Europe" [sic] and their first aim we were told was to save us money on travel. First we had to fill in yet another form detailing our status, income, usual holiday expenditure, and so on, as well as our dream holidays. The strict age limits and homeowner status were intended to guarantee no "lager louts" ever joined. Nigel's presentation was maddeningly slow, but each time we tried to get to the point - such as what Club La Costa might actually offer - he would beg us to let him follow his script, otherwise he would get into trouble with the listening bosses. So we waited politely while he wrote such illuminating keywords as "LIKE", "USE" and "WANT" in big black letters on the pad between us. His colleagues came at intervals and wrote the same words in the same oversized scrawl. They all said they wanted to know whether we "liked", could "use" or "wanted" the product. But we still didn't know what the product was. After an hour or so spent establishing the sort of holidays we might like, a ringbinder appeared on the table and we were allowed to flip through 20 or so pages of third-rate UK country clubs - "This is Gleneagles, have you heard of it?" asked Nigel. "Yes, but this isn't Gleneagles," I replied. "Well it overlooks Gleneagles golf course" - and large, plastic-looking resort complexes on Spanish hillsides. This was the product. We were being invited to buy a timeshare property that would be ours for one week a year. I didn't "like" it and I knew I would never "use" it - but I "wanted" to hear the sting and so remained non-committal. Nigel explained that an annual "maintenance charge" of £282 would be levied to keep the timeshare resorts in the excellent condition we could see they were obviously in. My friend Nick remarked that if one apartment had 52 owners, each staying one week in the year, the maintenance charge alone would produce a yield of almost £15,000 annually. For a small resort of 100 units that was £1.5 million - pretty good business. Panicked by this daring multiplication, Nigel immediately called over salesman No2 - the one with the black shirt and gold tie - to insist that the maintenance charge was "absolutely non-profit-making". The ringbinder disappeared and was replaced by an ancient holiday brochure, offering many more destinations worldwide on the exchange network. These were "bonus holidays" we could take and pay for in addition to the week we would buy as part of what was now being referred to on the pad as a "flotting" (sic) timeshare. If we wished to go on one of the bonus holidays, it would cost between £90-£374 per week. By this time I was feeling bored, tired and hungry. All the other couples in the room had left, probably without buying anything, despite the assertion that one in four "holiday awardees" do join. Our two hours were nearly up so I began to press for the cost of joining Club La Costa. Nigel and his colleague prevaricated, reverting to the pad to note down benefits they had already pointed out. We suggested that the reason for their reticence was due to the price being predicated on what they felt we could afford. This was strongly refuted. We demanded they tell us the price. A laminated sheet of paper was produced from under the table on which a table of costs for a two-bed apartment was detailed. It said: "List - £12,660. Charter - £9,125." I asked what "Charter" meant. Nigel was berated for not having "done" Charter, but it was simple enough: this was the price we would pay today. "List" was the price we would pay tomorrow. Both bought 65 years' membership. Salesman No2 assured us that "most people just get out their credit cards now and pay". I noted down the prices, saying we would have to think about it but that, ideally, we would like a shorter membership period and that we would like to talk to existing members. The first price sheet was whisked away. In its place was another offer: "Discovery Plus", a trial membership for holidays totalling six weeks over 34 months with no maintenance fees, for £2,495. This stipulated that the first holiday must be to a specified Club La Costa resort in Spain; the five remaining weeks would cost £100 each. We said we found this expensive but would think about it at home. I folded my sheet of notes and moved to put it in my bag, but salesman No2 leant forward and snatched them from me. An unseemly tussle ensued - which I won - across the little café table. The big boss remained impassive in his chair by the door. We were taken to reception, issued with our holiday awards, and shown out. We have decided not to take up the award. ---------------- What the experts say: We got off lightly, according to Sandy Grey, chairman of the watchdog Timeshare Consumers Association (TCA). Had we succumbed to the not-very-enticing offer of a 65-year membership and the obligation to pay management fees, which in themselves equal the cost of the average family package holiday, we could have found those fees increasing each year at a rate far in excess of inflation. Some timeshare companies, he says, levy additional charges - say, £300 - on the pretext of carrying out extraordinary repairs. Almost half of all couples who are sold timeshare holidays in the way I experienced try to cancel during the statutory "cooling off" period of 10-14 days, but many companies simply refuse to acknowledge this right, challenging the couple to sue them in court. The Consumers Association (CA) advises the public never to sign any contract without first showing it to a solicitor. And if you do buy? In general, disenchanted owners who attempt to sell their timeshare may realise between £500-£1,000 on the second-hand market. This market is beset by fraudulent dealings: Sandy Grey reported to the European Parliament in 2001 an estimated 120 million euros (about £78 million) stolen from owners by bogus timeshare resellers who promise unrealistic resale values, charge a fee upfront and then never achieve a sale. This is not to damn all timeshare deals out of hand - timeshare can be a viable option for frequent holidaymakers. In fact, 35-50 per cent of all timeshare owners are reasonably happy with the use they make of their timeshare; such use usually only lasts between 10 and 25 years, after which lifestyles tend to change. The best deal of all is to buy timeshare secondhand from a reputable broker. TCA has a list of just five recommended in this country among 200 operators, where the ultimate cost will be the same as package holidays, but with a better standard of accommodation (that is, in an apartment rather than a hotel room). As for the "free" holiday award, be careful. For all I know, the Club La Costa offer may have been just what it said it was. However, in researching this article I have come across several cases where "winners" enticed by other timeshare companies have sent off the administration fee specifying several dates when they would like to go, plus most convenient departure airport and time, only to see the airports and times on offer change just a few days before departure. Sometimes holidays fail to materialise at all, as in the case of Holidays Direct Travel Ltd and Incentive Marketing Ltd, who garnered £3.45 million last year after 65,000 people sent in an administration fee of £29.50. Only 25 received holidays. The companies were subsequently closed down by the Department of Trade and Industry. Both the TCA and the CA are sanguine about advising people whether to attend sales presentations such as those offered by Club La Costa. Sandy Grey even has a sneaking admiration for the best timeshare salesmen, who are "brilliant" at what they do. But you should be much more circumspect about attending a second meeting abroad where sales methods are rather less polite and where presentations may last three, four or even five hours without respite. Oh, and you probably won't get lunch, either. For further information or advice on buying a timeshare, contact Timeshare Consumers Association (01909 591100; www.timeshare.org.uk). Consumers Association (020 7830 6000; www.which.net). |
#6
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Well I received the same call but was assured that they weren't selling
anything and I wouldn't need any money or credit cards!!! The only requisite was that after the 'free holiday' we were to recommend it to all our friends and relatives and we would probably want to book with them ourselves in future! I am glad I searched the net and found your story - I Maidenhead to 'collect the brochures and choose our free holiday'. |
#7
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I was supposed to be going to 1 in Burton tonight. Came on
here by chance. So glad I did. Hubby and myself have read what has been written on here. We will NOT be going now. |
#8
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Many thanks to costawinner for taking the time to describe her experience.
We were due to go tomorrow & they had said 3 times on the phone that this was nothing to do with timeshare! We experienced a similar thing about 8 years ago and I vowed never to be taken in again - it took us 3 hours that time to escape with nothing given(and nothing signed for!) Thanks again for saving our time & sanity |
#9
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Many thanks to costawinner for taking the time to describe her experience.
We were due to go tomorrow & they had said 3 times on the phone that this was nothing to do with timeshare! We experienced a similar thing about 8 years ago and I vowed never to be taken in again - it took us 3 hours that time to escape with nothing given(and nothing signed for!) Thanks again for saving our time & sanity |
#10
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Hi. I today was scheduled to visit a presentation in Lakeside, Kent. My
invitation was through Sunshine Travel and having read through the replies will now not be attending..... |
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