Once upon a time, being classified as a "timeshare
developer" was regarded by many as the moral equivalent to stealing candy
from a baby. During the infancy of the timeshare industry, both in the United
States and worldwide, widespread marketing abuses and, in some instances,
outright fraud, beguiled unsuspecting consumers into dreaming of spectacular
vacations at exotic locales that never quite materialized in the manner
promised.
Times have certainly changed, particularly over the course of the past ten
years, a period that has seen amazing progress in the areas of product
innovation, consumer protection, customer satisfaction, and, of course, enhanced
profitability for timeshare developers. The villainous timeshare developers of
the late 1970s and early 1980s have been replaced by the likes of Marriott,
Hilton, Hyatt, Disney, Ramada, Four Seasons, and Westin--names in which most
consumers have the utmost confidence--as well as numerous highly successful
independent
