Timeshare Operators To Pay FTC $1.2 Million For Do Not Call Violations

Two groups of defendants that offer vacation and timeshare companies will pay the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) a total of nearly $1.2 million, stemming from their violations of the Do Not Call Rule.

According to separate settlement agreements, Central Florida Investments, Inc., Westgate Resorts, Ltd., and CFI Sales & Marketing, LLC (collectively, the Westgate defendants) will pay $900,000, and All In One Vacation Club, LLC, Accumen Management Services, Inc., and their principals (collectively, the All In One Vacation Club defendants) will pay $275,000.

Both sets of defendants are barred from violating the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) and its Do-Not-Call registry provisions.

In its initial allegations against the Westgate defendants, the FTC claimed the companies used outbound telemarketing to sell timeshares and vacations at timeshare resorts to consumers nationwide.

According to the FTC, the Westgate defendants bought phone numbers from an Internet-based lead generator that collected contact information in connection with offering an array of free and discounted products to consumers on its Brandarama.com Web site.

The FTC further alleged the Westgate defendants purchased the telephone numbers of consumers who answered travel-related survey questions, such as