As reported by the UAE Consumer Protection Association, they received complaints from residents and visitors of various nationalities regarding the proposed "scam" by companies promoting certain tourist offers and services using the "timed-sharing system" or "time-sharing". Consumers found themselves victims of financial fraud for services that were not provided.
General Secretary of the UAE Consumer Protection Association Mohamad Abdallah al-Naour stated that consumers were proposed to pay a certain amount, around 50,000 dirhams, and advance up to 5,000 dirhams for free reservations in luxury hotels outside the country. Some offered discounts on unlimited flight tickets, as well as permanent hotel bookings from one of the Arab countries with the possibility of renting it out and receiving monthly income.
According to al-Naour, consumers who submitted complaints noted that the procedures with the companies were without problems from the very beginning, and their representatives insisted on signing contracts for rights protection. He also added that consumers discovered that these proposals are fraudulent, and some of them were directed to other countries, claiming that there was a reservation number for the hotel, which, as they stated, is located in the leasing system "time-sharing", but they only found old and non-luxury hotels.
Problems also arose with photos of luxury hotels worldwide, shown by sales managers who actually had no dealings with such hotels. After thoroughly studying the signed contracts, it became clear that they bore responsibility only for the hotel booking, without indicating any characteristics or conditions for these bookings.
After the discovery of the falsification of the proposals, the companies refused to return the payment, citing the impossibility of refunding money even in case of non-utilization of services. Consumers encountered maneuvering by companies to evade the 45-day deadline, after which they lost the right to refund funds according to the signed contract.
Al-Naour called on consumers not to sign any documents until fully understanding the content and confirming the accuracy of the information, and also not incurable and unjustified conditions that may arise in the event of non-compliance with agreements. He reminded that the Association and the UAE authorities take serious measures to protect consumer rights and adhere to strict norms for indicating violations.
It is necessary to differentiate between honest companies that offer real proposals from those that try to deceive consumers. Al-Naour concluded that in the case of fraud, consumers should refer to judicial authorities for the resolution of conflicts and the return of funds, following it should refer to official sources or legal experts for verification of the legality of contracts.
The "time-sharing" program, which proposes joint use of time for vacations and trips to various hotels worldwide, puts its participants in unregulated deals. Some companies exploited their unlicensed activities for scamming clients, leading to a loss of trust and money for innocent people.
