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Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises consumers to use caution if doing business with Options Travel Group, a timeshare exit business claiming to be based in Affton, Missouri. Consumers reported to BBB that the company failed or honor contracts to release them from a timeshare within a promised timeframe, did not cancel vacation club memberships, would not provide refunds, did not respond to its customers, and had overall poor customer service.
Options Travel Group has an “F” rating, the lowest on BBB’s scale, due to recent unresolved complaints. The business also recently received negative customer reviews.
Customers from throughout the U.S. have reported to BBB that they attended seminars hosted by Options Travel Group. Consumers told BBB they were sold on timeshare exit services while also being signed up for travel club memberships. BBB received complaints about Options Travel Group from consumers in 28 states.
“Before attending any seminar, consumers should research the business that is hosting the event,” said Michelle L. Corey, BBB St. Louis president and CEO. “Consumers should read any contract carefully before signing it and not give in to any pressure to sign a contract at the event.”
A man from Salem, Utah, told BBB he and his wife attended a seminar hosted by Options Travel Group in August 2023. The couple had a timeshare in a foreign country that they wanted to exit. The man said he was told by Options Travel Group representatives that they could help him exit the timeshare.
The man said he paid $8,295 for the timeshare exit, which also included a travel club membership. The man said he didn’t hear from Options Travel Group or a law firm that Options Travel Group connected him with to exit his timeshare for several months.
The man said he attempted to contact Options Travel Group, leaving several telephone messages that he said were not returned. He said he finally heard from Options Travel Group when a representative called to ask him if he wanted to renew his travel club membership, which he said he never used.
“I’ve been burned here,” the man told BBB. “I know I’m out my $8,000.”
A Salem, Virginia, man told BBB he attended an Options Travel Group seminar in November 2022. He said he paid Options Travel Group $7,000 for a travel club membership and an additional $1,000 to a law firm for a timeshare exit.
“They fooled me with a bunch of stuff and said they could sell my timeshare real fast,” the man wrote in his complaint. He told BBB there was no real savings when he attempted to use the Options Travel Group travel club membership.
“It’s not worth it at all,” the man told BBB.
The man said he has yet to be exited from his timeshare.
A man from Westminster, Colorado, told BBB he attended an Options Travel Group seminar in December 2022. He said he paid $8,000 to Options Travel Group on the night of the seminar. The man said he paid for a timeshare exit, which included a travel club membership.
He said the only help Options Travel Group gave him for the timeshare exit was to refer him to a lawyer. He said he had little communication with Options Travel Group following the event. In response to the man’s complaint, Options Travel Group said his account was no longer active.
According to Missouri secretary of state records, Options Travel Group registered with the state in June 2020. Its parent company is DVD II Group, LLC. Options Travel Group lists an address in Affton as its headquarters. BBB spoke with the leasing agent for the building where the business is allegedly located. The leasing agent said he had “never heard of” Options Travel Group or DVD II Group.
The business did respond to a BBB letter regarding how it plans to address its pattern of customer complaints. Options Travel Group noted it has “over 7,000 happy and satisfied customers,” and the “32 [BBB] complaints and 43 negative customer reviews” are a small percentage of their clientele.
“We strive to make sure all clients are satisfied, and their concerns are heard,” the business wrote in response. “We will not be able to make all of them successful by giving a refund as not all files are eligible for a refund. … We believe our rating should be much higher than what the BBB is choosing to reflect based on minimal information provided and going off complaints unresolved only.”
BBB offers these tips on how to exit a timeshare holding:
- Research any business and its owners carefully before paying any money. Check the company’s BBB Business Profile at BBB.org or by calling 888-996-3887.
- Contact the resort that originally sold you the timeshare to see if it has a deed-back program.
- Before paying, make sure you have a signed contract outlining what is to be done, a timetable and an explanation of what happens if the business doesn’t get you out of your timeshare within the specified period of time.
- Be wary of anyone claiming that they have a buyer for your timeshare or who promised to rent your timeshare, especially if they ask for an upfront fee.
- If you attend a meeting where vacation club plans are sold, do not give into high-pressure sales tactics. Take your time to decide and research what you are buying.
- Make sure you get all the details in writing. If you purchsase a travel club membership and have second thoughts about the deal, you have a limited time to rescind the contract and get your money back. Refer to the Federal Trade Commission’s Cooling-Off Rule for more information.
- Pay by credit card whenever possible in case you need to challenge the payment.
- If you feel like you have been misled, file complaints with BBB and the state’s attorney general’s office.
For more information about the timeshare exit industry, refer to this 2023 BBB study.
BBB St. Louis contributed this warning.
