Original Message:
Apologies (and some regret) for even trying to help... (by KC):
Kelley14: As a former prosecutor, now retired, I may have actually learned at least a little bit about criminal law somewhere along the way. 25+ years of timeshare ownership has also provided me with numerous opportunities to observe many unsavory practices associated with the timeshare industry. Like it or not (...and I don't) what these upfront fee parasites do is NOT illegal. As clearly stated previously, their practices are most certainly deceptive, unethical and despicable. Unfortunately, NONE of those descriptive adjectives make the sleazy operations illegal in the absence of controlling statutes. Simply stated, it is NOT unlawful under ANY state law for a company to collect a VOLUNTARILY paid "advertising and marketing" fee from a willing party (regardless of how ineffectual those "marketing services" might actually be) when an unwary customer willingly CHOOSES to pay that fee. You have now apparently opted to "shoot the messenger", but doing so does not alter for one moment the truth or validity of the underlying facts of the matter here.
In voluntarily offering my input to these forums, my goal is to warn and to help educate inexperienced and /or unwary people, in hopes of helping them avoid some of the many deceptive practices and schemes associated with the timeshare world. However, with your extensive wealth of statutory knowledge and profound legal insights, you obviously do not need or welcome my input. Accordingly, I certainly won't bore or burden you further with accurate and relevant facts or with my own first hand knowledge and decades of legal experience.
Adieu. I wish you (and Mr. Cuomo, for whom I have genuine respect) good luck and Happy Holidays.