National Timeshare Owners Association

[Theo Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Theo]

Subscribers to Timesharing Today have been sent email messages within the past few days soliciting "membership" to this new (...previously unknown to me, anyhow) organization, apparently at a cost of $75 per year. Just what information and/or benefits might actually be gained from that annual $75 cost which is not readily and routinely available either on TUG and / or TS4MS at little or no cost is frankly completely unclear to me. The contact person is someone named Ed Hastry and "Shep" Altschuler (sp?), the publisher of Timesharing Today, is also somehow involved as well. I don't know any more about it and am ceratinly not endorsing it or advertising for it in any way. On the contrary, the chances of my paying $75 per year to read in print that which I already know anyhow is somehwere squarely between slim and none, but membership junkies might be interested enough to follow up further on their own....

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

I received the email yesterday as well. Shep I have dealt with and he has posted here, I did not read the fine print but thought that the meetings in certain states is good but they should have added some of the bigger area's like NY and I would not go if costs you $75 to attend. BTW I would bet some of those book authors got there info from US. We have helped a few write books but we have never been acknowledged.

[rikkis_playpen Diamond Club Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close rikkis_playpen]

I received that as well and just sent a "shame on you" email to Shep for failing to disclose the employer for one of the panel members. Steve Luba is the Public Relations Director for Sellmytimesharenow and his wife, Rosanne is their Director of Sales..

It will be interesting to see who gets the most "ad" time in the seminars- smtn or "timesharing for dummies".

I know Shep has been hoping to get a national group set up for some time now, but it will be interesting to see how they pitch this to their subscriber base with the evident about face from the "don't pay an upfront fee" mantra.

I'm also interested in seeing if Brian jumps on this bandwagon before doing his own due diligence.

2/17- I invited Shep with Timesharing Today to respond to this discussion.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

I have opted out of receiving e-mails from TST because it was getting close to 100% spam.

[Larry Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Larry]

I received the email yesterday as well. Shep I have dealt with and he has posted here, I did not read the fine print but thought that the meetings in certain states is good but they should have added some of the bigger area's like NY and I would not go if costs you $75 to attend. BTW I would bet some of those book authors got there info from US. We have helped a few write books but we have never been acknowledged.

Same here can't see why this would be worth $75 per year just to join.

[Spence Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Spence]

Ntoa

An expansion of the Maryland Timeshare Owners Association.... which hosts a very nice annual luncheon with RCI reps, II reps, Timeshare for Dummies author, etc. etc. but when I tried to voice my honest opinions and experiences in the breakout session for RCI a couple years ago, I was told to shut up. So, you get what they want you to hear. Other than the luncheon (which was extra) I never figured out what you got for the membership, there was never anything online and the Hastrys didn't answer many of my emails.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Just what timesharing needs . . . another group putting money in their pocket.

What is their agenda . . . what do they intend to do for me?

[rikkis_playpen Diamond Club Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close rikkis_playpen]

I received a response from Shep today and I invited him to please respond to this thread.

[TSToday Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close TSToday]

National Time Share Owners Association

[QUOTE=rikkis_playpen;302842]I received that as well and just sent a "shame on you" email to Shep for failing to disclose the employer for one of the panel members. Steve Luba is the Public Relations Director for Sellmytimesharenow and his wife, Rosanne is their Director of Sales..

It will be interesting to see who gets the most "ad" time in the seminars- smtn or "timesharing for dummies".

I know Shep has been hoping to get a national group set up for some time now, but it will be interesting to see how they pitch this to their subscriber base with the evident about face from the "don't pay an upfront fee" mantra.

I'm also interested in seeing if Brian jumps on this bandwagon before doing his own due diligence.

2/17- I invited Shep with Timesharing Today to respond to this discussion.

Although I didn't see an invitation to respond to htis forum, I did reply by email as follows.
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. We were busy getting the next issue ready for publication. I appreciate your contacting me directly with your concerns. I know you have been to other meetings of owners groups that we have helped to organize. You have seen how attendees appreciate the ability to interact with one another and raise issues to the invited speakers. Although we support the groups, we do not dictate to the organizers who they should invite or not invite, and we don't set the agenda. In the past, representatives of RCI have attended. We have seen how they come prepared to follow the company line and may not answer specific questions the owners ask. We find it very troublesome that RCI has had to become the plaintiff in a class action suit and are bothered by certain aspects of the proposed settlement; those aspects will be covered in the upcoming Mar/Apr issue. We have concerns about RCI's marketing practices, but would not look to block them from attending a local meeting. TimeSharing Today has maintained its position that owners should avoid paying high upfront fees to list their timeshares. You have a connection to Timeshares Only. While we may not specifically endorse them, we would not look to prevent an organizer from having them as a speaker. The same holds true for Sell My Timeshare Now. The fact is, there may be owners attending the meeting who have paid the fees and want to discuss the results of doing so - good or bad. If, at some point in the future, one of the infamous "postcard companies" are invited, it may be very enlightening to hear consumer reaction and we would not try to prevent them from coming. Many of the members of these groups are already our subscribers and are familiar with our point-of-view. I'll be going to the Baltimore meeting in April, and will be looking forward to hearing what is discussed and offered. When we were in Sarasota, at the meeting you attended, I found the owners to be very knowledgeable and certainly not naïve. I don't think they are going to be suckered in by anybody. I'll also be speaking at the Baltimore meeting and will not hesitate to share our perspective.
Regards,
Shep Altshuler
Publisher

[TSToday Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close TSToday]

National Timeshare Owners Association

Here was my response to the email I received re: The National Timeshare Owners Association.
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. We were busy getting the next issue ready for publication. I appreciate your contacting me directly with your concerns. I know you have been to other meetings of owners groups that we have helped to organize. You have seen how attendees appreciate the ability to interact with one another and raise issues to the invited speakers. Although we support the groups, we do not dictate to the organizers who they should invite or not invite, and we don't set the agenda. In the past, representatives of RCI have attended. We have seen how they come prepared to follow the company line and may not answer specific questions the owners ask. We find it very troublesome that RCI has had to become the plaintiff in a class action suit and are bothered by certain aspects of the proposed settlement; those aspects will be covered in the upcoming Mar/Apr issue. We have concerns about RCI's marketing practices, but would not look to block them from attending a local meeting. TimeSharing Today has maintained its position that owners should avoid paying high upfront fees to list their timeshares. You have a connection to Timeshares Only. While we may not specifically endorse them, we would not look to prevent an organizer from having them as a speaker. The same holds true for Sell My Timeshare Now. The fact is, there may be owners attending the meeting who have paid the fees and want to discuss the results of doing so - good or bad. If, at some point in the future, one of the infamous "postcard companies" are invited, it may be very enlightening to hear consumer reaction and we would not try to prevent them from coming. Many of the members of these groups are already our subscribers and are familiar with our point-of-view. I'll be going to the Baltimore meeting in April, and will be looking forward to hearing what is discussed and offered. When we were in Sarasota, at the meeting you attended, I found the owners to be very knowledgeable and certainly not naïve. I don't think they are going to be suckered in by anybody. I'll also be speaking at the Baltimore meeting and will not hesitate to share our perspective.
-------------------------------------------------------

If any participants in this forum have concerns or questions about our support of local owners groups, please feel free to contact us directly at staff@tstoday.com.


Regards,
Shep Altshuler
Publisher

[1950bing Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 1950bing]

People are always watching what timeshare owners buy and figure if they are into timeshares they just might part with more of their money for more things that only put money into someone's elses pocket and delivers nothing.

[TSToday Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close TSToday]

Tony: I know you have have opted out of our email, which included our monthly eNewsletter TimeSharing Today Express. Express has timeley news alerts and reminders and is provided without charge to our subscribers. We send out 2-3 other email per month from our advertisers with special offers or other items that can be very worthwhile. Opting out permanently cancels Express as well as the other email. Since reinstating an op-out can be a little tricky, I suggest anyone who is thinking about that, might want to consider just deleting those email or letting us know by contacting us directly, without slecting the Opt-Out function.

We have valued your support over the years.
Shep Altshuler
Publisher
staff@tstoday.com

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

FWIW, I started my timeshare sharing with TST a long time ago. I contributed several articles and referred lots of folks, so much so that my subscription was paid up for many issues.

Then I found OY and preferred the spontaneity.

Not long ago I heard TST also had a forum, and emailed to get more info, cuz I could not seem to access it.

The response I got from TST was more than disappointing, so I gave up trying to find a way to contribute there.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

The computer advent has made the printed word a bit dated. Too bad, Jim, you missed the forum age at TST tho I think they found the "Hula" years a bit troubling. Not sure if there is still anything in the way of an on line forum at TST. Things got cut back so much and became so inactive that I lost interest- and last I looked your "buddy" Dave was omnipresent.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

As you know, I have pretty much decided that if folks want to be turds with their little obsessions, then I won't waste my time, effort, experience, knowledge and resources on them.