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WHJTBFREE P¶IESS, WEDNESDAY, MARCII 20,1l91, PAGE 15 Timesharingl. Knoww what yu'r ettingit Times3hairn -- the buying of long-term leasing of a few weeks ofvacation accommodation every year at the saute. time in the sanie unit -- ha. been offered in more and more major holiday locations over the past decade. But experts at the Ministry 0f Consumer and- Commercial Relations (MCCR),-warn holidaying consumers who are tempted, to buy a timeshare prpetytomak sure they know eatly what they'e getting into. "nthe worst-case scenarlo, a buyor may pay thousands of dollars for a timeshare condo that doesnt even exist," -says Gordon Randal, Registrar of Real Estate with -Ontaio's consumer ministry. "And our- ministry cannot assist the consumer, because the contractural agreement was made outsideour jurisclction," lhe adds. Some consumers have lost money to fraud artists who preent glossy brochures decrbng beautiful resorts in a vacation area other than the one they're currontly visiting. When they show- up ta, stay at their timeshare unit, they discover theres no such addres. Randall says the consumer's onfly real protection against this scani is ta nover buy a timeshare unit without having seen it. "Even if- the developer je legitimate, wo caution consumers abut sigming contracte for many thousands o? dollars in a place where. they know, nothing about the legal 'systemï" ho, advises. "Those who dont have the contract carefully checked by an independent lawyer could flnd that, if the resort's roof caved in, they'd ho responsible for replacing it. They might also find they could ho liable for any accidents on the property, or any number of other -legal nighýtmnares." Some timeshare-unit sales- people,. have been known ta discourago buyers fromi looking for legs] help hofore they sign, or ta, suggest using the timeshare comp ae awyrBut experts at MCCR say the bst choice is an indepondent local 1ayr "etnding the contrat back home -- which is much easier than it used ta ho now that moot offices have facimie machines -- for your own lawyer ta eee it, isn't a bad idea. either," says Randall. "But it's usually best ta consult FamÎiy s'upport'group PROM PAGER 14 talk about the art -of listenin and understanding. * n Tlhe group ha. 48 mnembers and an eight-person executive.. "But eometimee attendance isi poor,» says Spratt. But attendanco, increasod when grouqp membors called rosi- dents' . lymembors ta lot. thom knowabot the group. Meetings are well advertised throughout the Lodge. Posters are on walls around the Lodge and there are advert- isements la local media. "Our posters are hard ta mniss,» says Spratt. Members are often at after- noon and evening programe, and have helped raised funids for the L.odge. At last summer'e Lodge festi- val, the family support group's "junk table» raised over $600. The group created a cookbook that contains over 200 recipes and ie available at the Lodge for $10. Anyone who has a family member living atý Lod le je we- come ta join the faxnily support group. someone who knowe the local legal system.", One. of the most. common complaints aM~ong those who've had a beid experience with timeshares je that they got in over their heads flnancially, without ever having planned ta bu?? the unit in the firet place. Promoters know that people on holidays.'may ho losu likely ta, ho on their guard, are willing ta spend money and are thinldng about* future vacations," says Randail. Saes representatives will cominonly offer a gift or fretrip if potential buyers wiil watch a sales presentation. WMIle this may sound like a good des] at the Mime, two, hours later. many consumera flnd themeelves bombarded 'by a. high-pressure sales pitch. The, agents, are well-rehiearsd-. and know their best chance of making a sale je ta persuade the consumer ta buy quickly. Many who own timeshare units are happy *with them, saying the syetem provides convenient accommodation in a place they like. They prefer timesharing ta buying a condo, which requires a much larger financial investment. But some ,less-satisfied consumera say prices are too-high for what they get. The avorag timesharo apartment je sold for 50 weoks a year,' with the rest 0f the time used for repaire and Service. At an average price of $8,000 per week, the funished apartment ie hoing sold for $400,000, plus maintenance fees. RandaIl says anyone interested in flnding out more about tumeshares should consider the foilowing points. *No matter now- beautful the reeort may look in the rooterl's brochure,-,noverign a contraot unti1O've seen the properViy *Are you likely ta er joy coming tathe amne place every yoarý for your- holidays? Promoters 'may say it'soasy tatrade your tume ip one unit for others all around the world, but its often difficult ta arrange a swap for> a popular area. e Will the unit continue ta ho the right size for your family? It may not bo easy to upçrade o downscale accommodation, once you've bought. eSoine people say timeshaïing is a good investmoent. Bute say the majority of timehr condos do not go up - ivalue *enàough to ho coniidered 'a. wise inveéément. 'Reale May, o difficuit 'or impossible.' *_ Take agood look at'the quality of the facilities, furnisahinga and maintenance. If the salesperson says 'There's a pool going in there next'year," the appearance of the resort should give you confidence they re serious about, .making inmprovements. a*Read the contract or purchase agreement carefully. le there a cooling-off period, <if you want to changeU your mând? ls it 'Tee simple," meaning you really own the property, or '!right-to>-use," which gives you only the -holiday time for the individual unit?' a Make sure you won't ho held liable for financial problems of the resort compan BOASoyou shoudhave- title insurance,. to guarante. you k7 .ppossession Of your unit, even ffthe company goos under.ý 0 End out how much maitnnefees will ho during your. annual vmste. If they increas periodically' how is the n prce calculate? SOnce you're sure you understand ail11the termes and conditions of the agreement,. flnd independent legal assistance to makesur you havent missed anythiîng. An acutn xperienced wi'th lmsara o warn you«0f posiieble fnnca pitfalk Consumers wishing to receive the brochure 'S'hop,. smart. It pays,'ý which liste the .,tities 0f miistry booldets on a varî'ety of cosmrissues, are invited to write to, the, Consumer Information Centre, 5W5 Yong St. first f loor, Toronto,-Ont. M7A Getting- involved -The' Oshawa and District- Association' for Community Living provides support ta children and adulte who have a developmenta] handicap. Caring, posiie people are wanted as vlunteers ta: *spend turne with a gentleman who enjoys swimming, skating, hockey games and going out, on occasion, for supper, e share a couple_ of hours per aws week with: a temale, in her early thirties,ý who enjciys painting, drawing, bowling or going out for, dinner (an individuel who lives in Whitby would ho preferred);. 0 help a 16-yoar-old learn basic cooking skills at 'hie homne on Thursday evenings ta prepare him for life on hie own. Many more opportunitues. aro available. 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