Airbnb is far past the early adopter phase, but it is just now entering the phase where its hosts and guests may not be there just for the sharing and belonging.
2 years ago
Nothing in life is free. Especially a pitch by a skeevy timeshare salesman.
3 years ago
The article says YTB fielded 130,000 independent travel agents, but many of these people were merely buying discounted travel for themselves and family, and making money by signing up other new "agents." What the new owners do with the company will merit close scrutiny.
Whether it's Westgate or a more reputable company like Wyndham, the reality of a timeshare rarely matches the promise of a high-pressure sales pitch -- no matter which end of that pitch you're on.
4 years ago
This is a tourist’s worse nightmare, and likely happens more often than people realize. The problem is amplified abroad where language barriers and foreign laws make it more difficult to take action.
To outsiders, timeshare salesman exist to make used-car salesman look respectable. To multi-millionaire Siegel they exist to sell your properties, then not pay commissions to. It's hard to imagine a situation where someone could look scummier.
This incident and the recent case of the 11-year-old boy who flew without a ticket demonstrate that breaches of security don't require high-tech smarts or brute force, just a bit of confidence and the right set of circumstances.
It's a sign of success when scammers start trading on your successful name to trick users into opening emails from suspect sources and then click on an attachment.
From vacation clubs to timeshare sales, consumer travel advocates tell you what you need to know to avoid losing money.
