Kevin Riley and Elizabeth Baker
A no-scam alternative
In recent years the American Resort Development Association has become increasingly sensitive to the concerns of timeshare owners who want or need to relinquish their timeshares, offering “responsible exit” alternatives to the disruptive and predatory activities of most third-party exit companies.
Several years ago ARDA and its affiliate, ARDA-ROC (the ARDA-Resort Owners Coalition), created the Coalition for Responsible Exit and its website – https:/responsibleexit.com – to help owners sort through their options. Elizabeth Baker, vice president, state legislative/regulatory official outreach & ARDA-ROC, reported that through the end of July 2022, the website attracted 1,500 inquiries from owners. Of those, 58 percent related to resale and exit, seeking the proper ways to get out of or resell their timeshare without being scammed by third-party providers.
“We have recently allowed associations or smaller resorts with valid exit programs to get on the site,” she said. She invited resorts with a verified exit program to apply for this service.
New ARDA-ROC website
Baker also described the new ARDA-ROC website, https://www.arda-roc.org/.
“On that website,” she said, “we have an interactive map under current legislative issues, so at any time you can click on a state and see any of the issues that we are tracking or working on in that state.”
Also in the website are an update on federal issues, a section for “owner advocates” who can help ARDA support state and local issues, and a way to notify ARDA of issues that ARDA should be raising with elected officials.
Participating companies
Kevin Riley, RRP, director, federal legislation & ARDA-ROC, encouraged resorts to join ARDA-ROC and participate in its programs.
“It costs your association nothing,” he said. “All we ask is that you would consider allowing your owners to opt in, and it’s usually a $3 or $5 contribution that they would make along with their maintenance-fee billings. That’s what goes to fund our legislative models and to do the lobbying and represent timeshare owners in capitols and in Washington, and their interests.”
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