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| Timeshare Professionals: Introduce Your Owners or Members To NTOA! |
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by Sharon B. Drechsler, RRP
owner/operator
Drechsler Communications
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Ed Hastry is an unlikely-looking knight in shining armor. He won’t be wielding a broadside and it’s for sure, he won’t ride in on a trusty steed. But he is our champion, nonetheless! After founding a non-profit association for timeshare owners and members in 1997 in Maryland and broadening the scope to the national level in 2008 – the National Timeshare Owners Association (NTOA), he is now getting the recognition he deserves. The timeshare industry – led by the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) – has officially recognized Ed as the ally to the industry’s business leaders that he is. Now, make no mistake: Hastry is not on the payroll of any developer. He is not out to line his own pockets, other than to make an honest living by filling a need while doing something he loves.
As Hastry explained to us, “The NTOA is a consumer resource. Lately, more than ever before, developers and management companies are listening as some of these elicit resale marketers are damaging the reputation of the entire industry. We provide our members with education and a resource for information about the timeshare industry: how to use their usage privileges wisely, how to exchange and the difference between using a licensed, qualified resale provider versus one of these fly-by-night companies.”
Both ARDA and the NTOA are taking the resale scammer issue very seriously. They recently sent out a joint announcement:
The American Resort Development Association (ARDA) and the National Timeshare Owners Association (NTOA), have announced a year-long campaign to help educate consumers about timeshare vacations. The first initiative answers ten of the most frequently asked questions.
As a first step, ARDA and NTOA contacted consumers to gauge the level of understanding of timeshare vacations, and the data unveiled a need for clarification and education about the industry. As a result, a Top Ten Questions list is available on both associations’ web sites, along with detailed answers.
Questions ranged from ‘what is a timeshare?’ and ‘what are the costs involved?’ to the more complex topics, such as ‘is a timeshare a good investment?’
“We are always looking for feedback from consumers,” said Howard Nusbaum, ARDA president and CEO. “It’s a great way to hear firsthand the questions people may have about vacationing with timeshare.”
The two associations recently agreed to a joint effort to educate consumers about vacation ownership. Other activities this year will include profile stories and social media outreach.
“Collaborating with ARDA on this initiative helps us bring a broader perspective to the consumer,” said Ed Hastry, president, National Timeshare Owners Association. “We are excited about working with existing and potential owners to enhance their understanding and appreciation of timeshare.”
At the present, Hastry’s biggest concern is the proliferation of illegitimate resellers. “These scammers are continually coming up with new ideas. They’ll call an owner saying they have an interested buyer, but require a $1500 appraisal fee to consummate the transaction,” says Hastry. “They get hold of a resort’s owner list from the public records and flood it with postcards saying they should bring their deed and a check for $4,000 to unload their week. The state of Florida is closing them down regularly. But they crop up again with a different name and a different phony address. Their Web sites look credible with a bunch of made-up testimonials. But we looked up one of their addresses and found it was a Burger King! It’s a shame, because they particularly prey on senior citizens.”
Protecting the consumer is where the NTOA kicks into high gear. Hastry is a strong advocate of the benefits of vacation ownership. “The value of taking an annual retreat is inestimable when you look at the way these opportunities to withdraw from everyday stressors and routines help strengthen family ties, promote better health and improve the quality of life,” says Hastry. His goal is to provide owners with a “wonderful resource.”
“We have members throughout the United States and Canada,” says Hastry. “As soon as they join, we call them up on the phone and review all of NTOA’s services that they’ll have available. If they can’t find an answer to their question on the Web site, I let them know they can call me. I talk to owners just about every day.”
Another important activity Hastry has undertaken is the presentation of regional seminars across the country to discuss issues such as maintenance fees, “surprise” expenses and, of course, the latest resale scams. An afternoon-long affair, Hastry is joined in these sessions by a panel of experts drawn from a variety of disciplines in the business, including Howard Nussbaum, president and CEO of ARDA; Woody Cary, president of Platinum Interchange timeshare exchange company and Tricom Management Company; Lisa Anne Schreier, author of Timeshare Vacations for Dummies and Surviving a Timeshare Presentation; Shep Altshuler, publisher of TimeSharing Today, The Independent Voice of Vacation Ownership; Peter Emery of CashOutATimeshare.com; Karen Donohue Operation Manager, Trading Places, International and Dale Goodman, president, Goodmanagement Company. The panel addresses predetermined topics, plus provides a Q&A session. Topics include advice on buying a timeshare, finding an exchange company, recognizing and avoiding scams and how to resell your own timeshare. The conferences are open only to members of the National Timeshare Owners’ Association. While there are chapters in Florida, California, New Jersey and Maryland as well, the Michigan Chapter of NTOA will hold the next conference in Madison, Wisconsin, on September 19.
While Hastry admits that most of his members are aged 50 , he expresses an interest in getting his message to a younger crowd, too. He anticipates that 30-year-olds need this information, too, if they are to become future timeshare owners. Developers and management companies need to engage these future buyers now, in order to survive and excel.
Through his ardent campaigning to win over alliance partners in the industry, Hastry has gained some loyal support. Not only did he score a major bonus with the ARDA alliance this year, but the publishers of consumer-oriented periodical, TimesharingToday, have joined in the effort to spread the word. Management companies, such as Tricom Management, promote NTOA membership in their weekly owners’ get-togethers and resort newsletters.
And most recently, The Trades Publishing Company, publishers of Resort Trades and Management & Operations magazine and creators of the social media site www.AskMandO.com, has indicated an interest in supporting NTOA’s efforts. We are proud to uphold the banner in a pledge of fealty to Ed, even if he’s not mounted on a dashing white steed!
Ed Hastry can be reached by calling 410-536-0064 or visiting www.NationalTimeshareOwnersAssoc.com.
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