Title: Escaping the Timeshare Scam
Subtitle: Information That Timeshare Would Hate For You To Know
Author: Bernie Tocholke
Publisher: Rustik Haws LLC
ISBN: 978-1-951147-32-7
Genre: Non-Fiction, Business
Pages: 74
Reviewed by: Beth Adams

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With the lure of gift items, such as a 50% discount to a theme park or water park, many people agree to a short, 90-minute sales presentation on the benefits of buying into a timeshare. Yes, that quid pro quo has been a widely and successful way for timeshare companies to sell their contracts. Author Bernie Tocholke has written a narrative about his experiences in being lured into, what he calls, the biggest scam in America. Buying air.

In his book, Escaping the Timeshare Scam, Tocholke humbles himself as being a willing victim of the unscrupulous and illegal sales presentation of the classical timeshare presentation; one which draws a line down a sheet of paper and lists on one side the cost for hotels while on the other side the charges associated with “ownership” of a timeshare. The quotation marks on the word “ownership” are there because, as the author points out, you never get to own any real estate, nor a title or deed to any real property. All you own is a commitment to pay the timeshare company a variable fee for 50 years without any ability to default on your promise. In other words, they sucked you into their web of lies and deceit.

Caveat emptor is Latin for “Let the buyer beware,” a common legal disclaimer for sellers having substantially more knowledge of a legal contract than the buyer, and not disclosing the intricacies to the buyer. Therefore, it is at the risk of the buyer to educate him or herself on the facts prior to signing these highly tilted contracts which amount in far less (or no) value to the consumer and a windfall for the timeshare company. Escaping the Timeshare Scam is exactly the educational book one needs to read prior to making any investment into this blossoming industry of luxury vacation property rentals.

Lies, misrepresentations, non-disclosed facts and “fine print” in the contract as to the fees and availability of rooms makes for the purchase of a timeshare to be a totally emotional decision, preyed upon buyers by sales people with no moral fabric. They use a tried-and-proven sales presentation technique which catches prey into their web of deceit. “Venomous snakes” was another name given to the timeshare sales agents. As the chapters progress, readers get the point that this author has paid the price for his education and is sending out a beacon of a warning-sign to all those who may be thinking of saving money on their next vacation. They will not save money. In fact, paying twice the price for the theme park ticket and retail hotel room charges would prove to be significantly less than any timeshare agreement. Keep away!

Filled with details as to the fees associated to gaining access to a timeshare, along with a chapter on the author himself, Escaping the Timeshare Scam is a resource which forewarns anyone about the ongoing predatory business which unfortunately has mushroomed into a major scam – most likely the largest ongoing scam in America. It is a call to action for petitioning the government to curtail such business practices. This book will not prevent the scams, but it does advise and educate potential buyers who might otherwise be too hopeful to realize that if it sounds too good to be true, it isn’t true. This is an eye-opening book that’s refreshingly honest and straightforward. Anyone considering buying a timeshare would greatly benefit from the tips shared and personal story from the author Bernie Tocholke.