Timeshare
Advice
Your Rights Under UK Law
The Timeshare Act 1992 already gives buyers protection. The Timeshare Directive gives additional rights, and the Act has been amended to include these rights. If your contract is made under the law of the United Kingdom, the amended Act applies. If you borrow money to pay for the timeshare, and you tell the lender that it is for a timeshare, or if you use a credit card, this agreement is also covered by the amended Act.
If in doubt whether a timeshare contract is governed by UK law, you should ask a solicitor or at a Citizens Advice Bureau, Consumer Advice Centre or Trading Standards Department. A contract you sign in the UK is likely to be covered by UK law.
Under UK law:
You have a right to a 14 day cooling off period, counted from the day you sign the timeshare contract. During the cooling off period, you have the right to cancel the contract at no cost and to have any associated credit agreement or credit card payment cancelled automatically.
The seller must not seek or accept any money from you during the cooling off period, for himself or anyone else.
If you ask for a brochure, the seller must give it to you. The brochure must contain the information about the timeshare property specified in Section 2. This information must be included in the contract if you buy.
The seller must give you a cancellation form if you sign a contract, with a note setting out your right to cancel the contract. Use of the cancellation form must also automatically cancel any associated credit agreement.
The seller must give you the brochure and contract in your own language, if you ask for it, providing that this is an official European Union language.
The seller must give you a translation of the contract in the language of the country where the timeshare is located, providing that this is an official European Union language. This will be needed if you have to go to a foreign court.
These rights apply to timeshare in apartments and houses etc. Some rights also apply to caravans.
It is a criminal offence for the seller to try to sell you a timeshare without giving you the brochure containing the information set out in Section 2, if you ask for it. It is also a criminal offence for the seller to ask for or take any money from you during the cooling off period. Local authority trading standards departments are responsible for enforcement.
© Crown copyright 2004