Centerstone Group vs. Timeshare Compliance: Which Is Best?

There are many companies offering timeshare exit services. These include law firms and timeshare exit transfer companies. Centerstone Group has features of both — and also uses proprietary strategies to put extra pressure on timeshare developers and get you the best, fastest result. Centerstone Group has received glowing customer reviews for its work in this area.

But Centerstone Group isn’t the only company in the timeshare exit industry. Another company with its own strategies is Pandora Marketing LLC, also known as Timeshare Compliance. Perhaps you’ve been researching timeshare exit companies. If so, you may be wondering about the differences between Timeshare Compliance and Centerstone Group.

Both companies have been around for a while, and both are able to get results for their clients. But Centerstone Group is the more dynamic, faster, more efficient company. You have a lot of options for timeshare exit companies, but some choices are superior to others. 

Timeshare Compliance’s strategy has historically consisted of simply referring clients to attorney partners. Centerstone Group, on the other hand, uses attorneys only as part of a larger strategy. In this way, Centerstone Group’s practices are faster, more efficient, and a much better value for far less money.

This article will take a look at Timeshare Compliance, its history, and the years of legal troubles it has experienced in the form of civil lawsuits in federal court. It will also highlight how Centerstone Group’s services are better. Finally, we’ll discuss how you should go about finding the right timeshare exit strategy for you.

What Is Timeshare Compliance?

Timeshare Compliance is a timeshare exit company based in Aliso Viejo, California. They have been in business since 2016 and are active in soliciting business on both Facebook and LinkedIn. According to their promotional material, they purport to contact timeshare companies on behalf of clients, though clients have indicated that they simply refer their clients to attorneys.

Timeshare Compliance Spends a Lot of Its Clients’ Money on Lawyers That They Might Not Need

A major strategy of Timeshare Compliance is connecting its clients with attorneys. Lawyers can be a necessary part of any timeshare exit plan, so this is an appropriate service. Centerstone Group also hires law firms to represent its clients in connection with their timeshare contracts, but only when other, less expensive methods are unsuccessful, thereby saving Centerstone Group clients money.

In the case of Timeshare Compliance, there has been customer dissatisfaction. For instance, there are complaints on Trustpilot, including one that talks about being “passed around” to five different lawyers. The customer complained that those lawyers were not communicating with Timeshare Compliance. Obviously, if you invest in the time and expense of a lawyer, you want to be sure that the lawyer is working closely with your timeshare exit company.

Timeshare Compliance’s reliance on attorneys can be expensive when this is used as the only option. This can be especially true if your attorney files civil litigation on your behalf, as lawsuits frequently take years to resolve.

Certainly, some situations call for an attorney’s expertise and services. Timeshare Compliance, though, uses attorneys as an expensive one-size-fits-all solution that not every case needs. 

It’s important for a timeshare exit company to effectively use a multipronged strategy to work as quickly and efficiently as possible. A company like Timeshare Compliance that offers legal referrals without transfer services is a one-trick pony that cannot help a large number of timeshare owners without incurring large and unnecessary costs.

Timeshare Compliance Advertises an Escrow Option That Its Clients Might Not Even Be Able to Use

Timeshare Compliance also advertises an escrow payment option. This appears to be a payment method that timeshare owners use as a security measure for their money. That said, there is reportedly a qualification process for the escrow service. Reports are that few, if any, of Timeshare Compliance’s clients qualify for the escrow payment option.

Timeshare Compliance Has Other Problems With Its Customers

Timeshare Compliance charges its clients fees upfront, and online reviews indicate that those upfront fees are quite expensive. Their fees appear to start at $4,500 and go up from there. Reviews on Reviewopedia indicate sky-high final fees. You can find reports of $10,000 fees from Timeshare Compliance as well as the stratospheric reported fee of nearly $75,000! Needless to say, incurring debt like that for a timeshare exit can have potential negative impacts on credit scores.

In a move that may remind clients of the expenses of timeshare ownership, Timeshare Compliance also charges incremental fees above and beyond the standard exit fees. These include credit repair fees, merchant fees, and administrative processing fees. Even savvy timeshare owners could be confused at the litany of charges and their various justifications.

Better Business Bureau (BBB) complaints against Timeshare Compliance also indicate erratic or nonexistent communication. Some people have received too many sales calls from the company, echoing the experience owners have had with pushy timeshare sales staff. Numerous paying customers, on the other hand, say they’ve had problems actually speaking to a person and thus have turned to the BBB for help.

Customer complaints are one thing. Lawsuits that cost tens or hundreds of thousands in legal fees (let alone potential million-dollar judgments) are something else. Timeshare Compliance has a few large lawsuits pending against it right now that should give pause to anyone considering working with them.

Lawsuits Against Timeshare Compliance

Perhaps most troubling about Timeshare Compliance are the lawsuits pending against them in federal court. Long, grueling lawsuits with the potential of huge judgments are among the biggest liabilities you can find when shopping for a timeshare exit company. Here we’ll take a look at the current status of three of those lawsuits. 

1. Wyndham Vacation Ownership, Inc. et al. v. Slattery, Sobel & Decamp, LLP et al. (Orlando, Florida)

This lawsuit was originally brought in 2019 by Wyndham Vacation Ownership and related entities regarding what Wyndham alleged were false advertising practices inducing timeshare owners to try and break their timeshare contracts with Wyndham. That case is still raging as of 2023. 

In January, the court stayed the civil case as to one of Timeshare Compliance’s associated entities, Pandora Servicing, LLC, due to that company declaring bankruptcy. (In civil lawsuits, a party that declares bankruptcy will virtually always stop the lawsuit in its tracks, at least as to that party.) 

While the parties and the court spent the next few months figuring out what the proper way forward was, the bankruptcy of Pandora Servicing was dismissed by the bankruptcy judge in May 2023. This means the federal lawsuit is now back on track.

As of June 2023, the case is moving forward, with well over 1,000 documents filed with the court. This case will still be pending for the foreseeable future, doubtless costing Timeshare Compliance tens of thousands of dollars, if not more, in legal fees and court costs.

2. Bluegreen Vacations Unlimited, Inc. et al. v. Timeshare Lawyers, P.A. et al. (Miami)

Like the Wyndham case, Bluegreen’s lawsuit alleges false advertising and attempts to interfere with timeshare contracts by a number of parties related to Timeshare Compliance. Though this lawsuit was filed later than Wyndham’s, in late 2020, it has had considerably fewer papers filed and appears to be on track to a trial starting on August 21, 2023.

The Bluegreen case is set for a bench trial, which means it will be heard and decided by just the judge, rather than a jury. While this means that the trial will likely be less expensive, it will probably also take days or weeks to complete, and even longer for a decision to be issued by the judge. 

And, no matter what the decision is, there will likely be an appeal to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which would take years, as well as even more legal costs from Timeshare Compliance’s attorneys. So, even though this case is moving a bit faster than the Wyndham case, it still has years of litigation left that will almost surely have a negative effect on anyone doing business with Timeshare Compliance.

3. Diamond Resorts U.S. Collection Development, LLC et al. v. Pandora Marketing, LLC et al. (Los Angeles)

This is yet another complex, years-long civil lawsuit against Timeshare Compliance and related entities for false advertising practices and interference with timeshare resort contracts. Unlike the other two cases, this one is pending in California federal court, and it appears to be going to trial within a year.

Like the Wyndham case, this lawsuit was also put on hold in January 2023 due to the bankruptcy of Pandora Servicing. Now that the bankruptcy proceedings have been dismissed, it appears that the case is set for trial starting on January 23, 2024. 

Though the court’s trial-setting order is not specific on the point, the case appears to be set for a jury trial, which means it will likely be longer and more expensive than the bench trial in Bluegreen’s case. But like that case, any result will almost certainly be contested on appeal before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. An appeal in this instance will most likely take years and tens of thousands of dollars to resolve.

How Is Centerstone Group Different?

Centerstone Group applauds the existence of legitimate companies acting as its competitors. Centerstone Group, though, offers superior services to its clients. Most notable is the three-pronged approach that Timeshare Compliance cannot claim.

Centerstone Group’s proprietary approach is three-pronged because of how it fights your battle on three fronts. This helps get your case resolved in the fastest and most inexpensive way possible. Though the exact strategies will differ according to the specific situations of each client, the three prongs are:

• Pressure campaigns against timeshare developers: Centerstone Group does far more than find a phone number and call a timeshare resort on your behalf. We engage in sustained, repeated campaigns consisting of correspondence and social media engagement. Regulatory complaints are also an important part of this strategy.
• Transferring your timeshare: Centerstone Group pairs you with a third party known as a receiver, or a person who takes over your timeshare obligations while we work on getting you out of your onerous timeshare contract. This takes the financial burdens of your timeshare, including excessive maintenance fees, off of your plate.
• Legal representation: Not every timeshare exit needs a lawyer to be successful. Unfortunately, we realize that it is sometimes necessary. In these cases, we work with our trusted legal partners. We make sure that you have the best attorneys or law firms working on your behalf at the best possible price.

Centerstone Group’s unmatched attention to detail and your individual circumstances make it the clear choice.

Picking the Best Timeshare Exit Company

Sorting through online information about timeshare exit companies can be intimidating and confusing. Your first goal should be to weed out the various timeshare scams and fraudulent companies that are out to steal your money. After that, only the legitimate companies like Centerstone Group will remain.

Once you’re looking at those companies, ask yourself what your priorities are. Most people want to get rid of their timeshare because they don’t want to bleed money anymore. Financial savings, then, should be your key consideration. Don’t let your old financial mistake of buying a timeshare dictate a future mistake of paying too much to a timeshare exit company.

Centerstone Group consists of experienced real estate professionals who understand the financial pain caused by your timeshare. We also understand that, in the complicated world of timeshare exits, one size does not fit all. We’ll work hard to find a cost-effective strategy that suits your unique situation.

Besides being mindful of the costs throughout the timeshare exit process, Centerstone Group is also aware that time is money. A company like Timeshare Compliance may ultimately be able to get you to the same result as Centerstone Group, but even their positive reviews will tell you that it can take a long time, 12 to 18 months or longer. You might not be able to afford that extra delay.

No one can promise you a specific time frame. Timeshare contract resolution time varies from case to case, and anyone who tells you differently should be regarded with suspicion. Centerstone Group’s proprietary processes, though, are faster and more efficient. And our fees often match or beat the competitors. The choice for your timeshare cancellation, then, should be clear.

The Best Value and the Best Result

Timeshare cancellation can be a complicated affair. Centerstone Group encourages anyone thinking of going through the process to do their homework. When looking for the right timeshare exit company, make sure you look at all the factors. A good Better Business Bureau rating (like Centerstone’s A+ rating), favorable testimonials, and a coherent strategy are all key considerations.

Timeshare exit strategies are often expensive and time-consuming. The company that you pick to help you should be able to answer tough questions about its service. What exactly is the company going to do for its fee? How does it differ from the competitors? If the company can’t or won’t answer, run the other way.

And of course, you should select a company that understands the enormous financial and personal pain you have suffered as a result of your timeshare. Centerstone Group would be honored to have the opportunity to prove that we’re the right company for you. Contact Centerstone Group today for a free consultation and case evaluation.