The "Too Good Too Be True Pitch" of Orlando Time-shares

Time-shares are a big business in Florida. Despite having a shady past, most Orlando time-shares are on the up and up, with 87 to 97 percent buyer satisfaction, according to Howard Nusbaum, head of the American Resort Development Association.

However, there has been some customer dissatisfaction when it comes to the free gifts Orlando time-share companies offer in exchange for listening to their pitch.

One Orlando time-share company known for its questionable dealings is Fairfield Resorts, which is listed by the Better Business Bureau of Central Florida as having an unsatisfactory record.

Apopka native, Diane Schaad has also recently had trouble with another Orlando time-share business, Club Navigo. Diane agreed to tour the company’s Grand Seas Resort and listen to their pitch in exchange for a “two-night stay at a Daytona Beach Motel for $59, plus some other gifts.” The $59 was immediately charged to her credit card, and when Diane and her husband arrived at the sub-par motel, they were charged another $100, which they were told was “a refundable deposit intended to ensure the couple would comply with their part of the bargain and tour the Grand Seas.”

When the couple did follow through, they were told that they did not qualify as potential buyers because “they didn’t have a combined annual income of $40,000.” The Grand Seas then refused to refund their $100.

A spokesperson for Club Navigo denied that what happened to the Schaads was standard policy and said that it shouldn’t have happened. All the same, it´s probably best to ignore the fancy gifts, save your time and remember that old cliché: nothing in life is free.