Thursday, 16 February 2017 12:23

5 Things You Need To Know About Gran Canaria Timeshare In 2017

2017 update: Gran Canaria timeshare law and gossip 2017 update: Gran Canaria timeshare law and gossip photosgrancanaria.com

Here's the latest gossip and news from the Gran Canaria timeshare world so far in 2017, including the latest Supreme Court rulings, the battle for Anfi del Mar and the growing flood of court cases against Gran canaria timeshare companies. 

The battle for Anfi takes a pause

The Lyng family sold up and left Gran Canaria forever in 2016. Now Gran Canaria's biggest timeshare company is half owned by local firm Santana Cazorla (which also owns the Paradise Hotels) and Lopesan, Gran Canaria's biggest hotel company.

Is this a long-term alliance or just a pause in Lopesan's total takeover of Anfi del Mar and Anfi Tauro? 

Well, the smart money is on Lopesan ending up in complete control, but the Cazorla brothers haven't shown any sign of giving up and they still hold that all-important golden share (and growing links with a Moroccan hotel chain with deep pockets). 

Watch this space!

And what about Tauro beach? 

Unfortunately, it's still in legal limbo and fenced off. So far, the sea hasn't swallowed all the sand.

One other bit of good news: The legendary Pio Pio bar is back!

Timeshare as an investment = void contract

The Spanish Supreme Court has now established than consumers who were sold timeshare or points systems as an investment have the right to get their contract declared void and claim back all their money. 

A series of rulings against Silverpoint of Tenerife in late 2016 established beyond doubt that timeshare sold as an investment was illegal.

The judges declared that despite what the timeshare lawyers said, consumers on holiday were normal people and not sophisticated investors.

The courts will get faster in 2017

Spanish and Canarian timeshare contracts signed in perpetuity, floating week contracts, and deposits taken befoe the end of the legally mandated cooling off period are null and void. 

Now we can add timeshare sold as an investment to the list of things that invalidate a contract. 

Because Supreme Court rulings are unappealable, the lower courts will start to apply them without kicking cases upstairs. This will reduce the length of time and the money you need to take your case to court and get your timeshare money back. 

The question isn't whether your timeshare contract is illegal and void. Instead, it's whether any timeshare contract signed in the years after 1998 is actually valid!

The trickle of cases is becoming a flood

The first Spanish Supreme Court ruling against a timeshare company happened in 2015. Since then over 30 rulings have defined exactly what was illegal about timeshare contracts signed in Spain after 1998.

Dozens of timeshare owners recovered millions of euros during 2016 and these figures are set to multiply in 2017.

Why?

Because the courts are getting faster, the timeshare companies are becoming resigned to paying up, and the range of things that are illegal is widening.

If you have a timeshare contract that you believe is illegal, now is the time to get yourself a lawyer and go to court.

There's still only one company winning timeshare cases!

We've said this before and we'll say it again. There's STILL only one legal firm consistently winning its cases against timeshare in Gran Canaria and the Canary Islands. 

The Arguineguín-based Canarian Legal Alliance (CLA) was the first to beat timeshare in the Supreme Court and has now racked up over 30 judgements in Spain's highest court.

So far it has recovered millions of euros for dozens of clients. If you want your timeshare money back, talk to the CLA.

If you have an illegal timeshare contract signed in Gran Canaria or Tenerife after 1998, get in touch with CLA right now and find out how to get your money back. 

Published in Timeshare Law

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  • How To Choose A Legal Gran Canaria Airport Transfer
    How To Choose A Legal Gran Canaria Airport Transfer

    Gran Canaria's hotels have to be licensed and offer a quality level of service as well as having insurance and complying with fire regulations. The same goes for the boats that take people out to watch dolphins, the companies offering jeep safaris, and even the holiday let apartments. 

    However, not everybody in Gran Canaria follows the rules. For example, there is a significant industry running illegal and uninsured transfers between Gran Canaria airport and the island's resorts. These cars, driven by locals and foreign-residents, are just private vehicles and the drivers are unregulated and uninsured. They don't pay tax and there is no way to hold them responsible if something goes wrong. 

     At Gran Canaria Info we believe that all people and all companies offering services to tourists should legal and above board.

    So, how do you know that your airport transfer service is legal and registered with the Gran Canaria authorities?

     Using legal Gran Canaria airport transfers

    It is quite easy to know if your airport transfer service is operating in a legal way because all registered transfers have the following...

     A blue license plate: Taxis and other public service vehicles in Gran Canaria all have blue plates.

    A VTC sticker in the window: This stands for Vehículo de Transporte con Conductor, the official designation for licensed transfer drivers ans chauffeurs.

    An SP sticker on the car: This indicates that the car offer a Servicio Publico or public service and is therefore allowed to pick up and transfer members of the public. 

    Parked in the transport zone: Official airport transfer vehicles don't park in the public car park of the airport. Instead they have their own parking zone right by the arrivals gates at the airport (next to the taxis and package tour buses). Your transfer driver therefore should not have to pay a parking fee before leaving the aiport. 

    How to spot an unlicensed transfer service

    Unlicensed drivers get away with offerring their service because they claim that they are just members of the public picking up a friend. They are allowed to stand at arrivals with a sign (just like any member of the public can).

    However, they also have to park their car in the public car park and will walk you there with your luggage, stopping to pay the parking fee at the meter. A licensed transfer driver does not need to do this because they have their own parking zone right by arrivals.

    Some unlicensed drivers don't even wait at the arrival gate because the official drivers recognise them and get annoyed. Instead they have to stand further away (often by the Spar supermarket or the car rental desks). 

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    Some people use unlicensed cars because they are the cheapest option and don't realise that they are unlicensed. 

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    Another problem is that unlicensed transfers undermine the legitimate transfer drivers and businesses in Gran Canaria. Local drivers make a living from transfers and offer a legal, regulated service with minimum standards. Every time an unlicensed service undercuts them, it is effectively stealing from local people and the island economy.

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    Alex Says: Using our service also helps the Gran Canaria Info team to keep providing quality local information here and in our Facebook Group

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