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Advice from CASE   http://202.157.142.91/caseweb/downloads/buffet/packagetour.doc

• Do not attend a timeshare presentation only for the "free" gift – very often, there are so many restrictions, the free gift is seldom worth the time you spend. Go only if you are interested in a timeshare holiday.
• Buy only from a member of Timeshare Association (Singapore) – they have promised that you may cancel the contract within 5 days if you decide that you have been misled or if you think the timeshare package is not something you really need or can afford.
• Pay only by cheque, and not by credit card – cheques can be stopped, but credit card payment cannot be cancelled.
• Do not buy a timeshare scheme for investment purposes – you often have difficulty in re-selling them.
• Do not buy timeshare solely for the right to travel to other resorts. There are sometimes tiresome conditions to fulfill before you are allowed to exchange your resort for another.
• Do not buy a timeshare out of pity for the salesperson having to talk to you for so many hours or for fear that he or she will lose his/her job. Remember that you are paying out a large sum of your hard-earned money.

Public Forums

Free Seminar on Consumer Protection Fair Trading Act (CPFTA)    http://202.157.142.91/caseweb/central2.htm
Purchased goods from the store with the never ending ‘Closing Down Sale’? Pressured into making a purchase from aggressive salesman?Know more on how the CPFTA can protect YOUR rights as a consumer in this public education seminar jointly organised by the Retail Promotion Centre and the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), supported by SPRING Singapore.Free and limited seats to all CASE members only available on a first come first serve basis.To register please call CASE at 6461 1814 or email zhaoli@case.org.sg.

Forums on Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act
Date:      3 October 2003
Time:     2.00 pm
Venue:  OTC Institute Synergy Room, NTUC Trade Union House Level 4, 

              75 Bras Basah Road, Singapore.

Co-organiser: NTUC LINK & CaseTrust
(Besides the association members, these CPFTA forums would be open to observers. Priority would be given to CASE members as there would be limited number of vacancies)

http://www.case.org.sg/cgi-bin/e-site/cgi-bin/type_list.pl?1034669925

This Saturday 19 July 2003, Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) will be organizing a Forum at Punggol Room, Basement 1, HDB Hub Toa Payoh from 2.30 pm to 5.30pm, especially for CASE members.

This forum will see Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) giving a talk on the 2nd Proposal on the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Bill, which they hope to have it passed by the end of this year. This is a follow-up of the Forum on the 1st Proposal, which was organized by CASE in November 2002. In this 2nd Forum, MTI will explain proposed amendments to the 1st proposal and thereafter there will be a tea break followed by comments from participants on the proposed amendments and whether further amendments need to be made. As MTI has indicated that they will be taking feedback until 31 July 2003, this forum gives you the opportunity to air your views and persuade MTI to further improve on the Bill. 
Main Speaker: Ms Yio Su San, Senior Assistant Director, Market Analysis Division, Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI)

Question and Answer Session panel members
Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, President of CASE
Mr Ng Yuen
Associate Professor Ang Peng Hwa
Mrs Joyce Chao, Attorney General Chambers
Ms Ng Cher Keng, Director, Market Analysis Division, Ministry of Trade and Industry. 

18/1/03   PRESS RELEASE ON TIME SHARE COMPANIES AT THE TRAVEL SEMINAR HELD IN COLLABORATION WITH NE CDC AT TAMPINES CC.

The Consumers Association of Singapore has received and is continuing to receive numerous complaints from consumers with regard to time-share companies and other companies, which are also involved in time-share business. It is important for consumers to be wary when entering into contracts in relation to time-share business.

Time-share contracts are contracts entered into by customers whereby the customer is entitled to have the right to use property as accommodation over a period of time. The property is usually situated overseas. Consumers complain of onerous terms in the contract including the difficulty in using the facilities promised in the contract. Furthermore not many time-share companies allow consumers the right to cancel a time- share contract during a cooling off period.

Under the proposed Consumer Protection (Fair Trading Act) which is expected to be passed as law this year, consumers will be given the right to cancel time-share contracts within 3 days of the signing of the contract with no questions asked. This right is given only to timeshare contracts and door-to-door sales contract.

For the information of the public CASE would like to highlight that it has handled the following number of complaints against time-share companies and companies which are involved in business similar to time-share companies. 

In view of the frequency of complaints receive against time-share business CASE will double its effort to educate the consumers on the issues. As regard time-share contracts CASE has been able to recover the sum of more than two million dollars for customers in the past 2 years. We would like to urge consumers to note the following when approached by time-share Company.

      (a)    Bear in mind that you need not sign the contract on the spot.

(b)   If you are keen to purchase a time-share service always shop around for the best deal.

(c)    Read the contract carefully and look for termination clauses and cooling off period in case you change your mind subsequently.

(d)   You have the right to insist on having a cooling of period written into the contract. For your information the Time-share Association recommends at least 5 days cooling off period to be put in the contract.

(e)    If in doubt please always call CASE at 64631811 and we will be glad to advice you.

Yeo Guat Kwang

President CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE

18/1/03

19 June 2002 - Request for inclusion of cooling-off period and exit clause in timeshare contract

From the year 2000 to May 2002, Consumer Association of Singapore (CASE) has received over 3,400 complaints about timeshare companies. As for the cases handled by CASE, about 30% of them have been resolved and this year alone we assisted our consumers to recover about $430,000. The rest of the cases are still pending resolution with the respective timeshare companies. 

Most complaints received are about the high-pressure tactics used by these timeshare companies in order to compel consumers to purchase vacation packages. Many complainants have stated that they were not given enough time to consider the implications of purchasing such packages. Others have complained that they are unable to terminate the agreements even though they are no longer interested in the packages. 

We have contacted timeshare companies to propose the inclusion of two conditions in the agreements which consumers sign when they purchase vacation packages from travel companies. 

The two conditions are first, a cooling off period, which gives the consumer several days to reconsider the vacation package. If he is no longer interested in the package, he can then approach the company to rescind the agreement and get a refund of the deposit. As these vacation packages cost a considerable amount of money, a cooling off period is essential as it allows the consumer to reconsider his decision carefully. It also gives the consumer time to assess his financial situation to ensure that he is able to afford such a package. CASE is pleased to note that there are two timeshare companies that do have cooling off periods. These companies are LGM Limited (Singapore Branch) and Interval Resorts Network Pte Ltd. 

Second, a clause allowing consumers who have signed the agreement to terminate the agreement. The absence of such a termination clause is unfair to the consumer as he is then forced to continue paying for a vacation package which he is not interested in, or which he cannot afford. 

CASE urges these companies to consider this suggestion seriously as the inclusion of these terms would aid greatly in the protection of consumer interests. CASE looks forward to receiving their responses shortly. Meanwhile, consumers who are approached by any timeshare company must insist on the inclusion of these two clauses before they sign any contract. Consumers have the right to insist that the two clauses are in the contract before they sign on the dotted line. 

Mr. Seah Seng Choon,

Executive Director, Consumers Association of Singapore Contact Tel: 6463-6678.

  This page was last updated on  10-4-2004