Deregulation Fever in Florida Could Affect the Timeshare Industry March 22, 2011
Posted by John Stephens in : Disney, News & Events , trackbackFollowing the election of Florida Republican Rick Scott to the Governor’s office last November, state regulation has been targeted as enemy number one by the new administration.
Under the assumption that too much regulation strangles business growth, Gov. Scott is making good on his campaign promise to reduce the size of government in the Sunshine State with a series of bills now making their way through the state legislature.
One bill in particular is calling for the removal of state oversight of the timeshare industry and the measure is drawing the expected public outcry – but from an unexpected source.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Disney has come out in public opposition to the proposal, with Disney lobbyist Brian Bibeau quoted as saying “Florida has what some people would call a colorful history of land fraud that goes back 100 years. Others would call it a lurid history of land fraud. The division (of condominiums, time shares and mobile homes) was put together to force the bad actors out of these areas of activity. We think it’d be a terrible mistake for (the state) to deregulate those areas of the division. We strongly oppose it.”
If the bill becomes law, the Sentinel reports that government regulators would no longer be able to provide oversight, such as review offering documents by timeshare builders to ensure they include adequate disclosures for consumers or in advertising materials to ensure they aren’t misleading.
No wonder there is no mention of this bill in the legislative affairs section of the ARDA website. I’m sure many developers would love for this bill to quietly slither its way through the legislature and be enacted by the Governor with as little amount of publicity as possible.
But there is a reason that some regulations are in place, and Florida’s dubious history with the timeshare industry is the reason that regulations have been enacted in the first place. To be fair, it’s not just the timeshare industry, but land ownership in general, that has led to the laws on the books.
There is a reason people laugh at jokes about slick salesmen selling unsuspecting people swamp land in Florida. Because those jokes are rooted in truth.
The industry has spent years and big bucks to change the perception of timeshare from a questionable, Wild West mentality to the legitimate vacation option that it is today.
Disney is well aware of the power of perception, as no one has a better brand in the travel and entertainment industries. They spend enormous amounts of time and money to build and maintain that brand, including the Disney Vacation Club product that is one of the most successful options in the timeshare business. They don’t want anything to threaten this, especially the unintended consequences of removing industry regulations that have stood the test of time and resulted in a terrific product enjoyed by people from around the world.
This is just one more reason to buy timeshare on the resale market. Dealing directly with an owner not only saves you money but allows you to know exactly what you’re getting for your money. It’s a straight forward transaction and the best values can be seen on the BuyaTimeshare.com website.
Comments»
I’m all for government de-regulation and I think that Gov. Scott is doing a good job fighting for businesses in Florida. However, the timeshare industry needs some sort of oversight from developers to resellers. There are many people out there looking to make a quick buck and it would be a shame for the State of Florida to be known as a safe haven for these people.