The "vacation ownership" trap

Despite repeated warnings from authorities, the "vacation ownership" scam continues to be openly perpetrated in many sophisticated forms. During the peak of the 2026 summer travel season, many people are still receiving calls offering free vacation vouchers, thank-you gifts, or special travel deals.

"Timeshare" is a model that allows customers to pay a large upfront fee to use accommodation services at resorts for a specific period each year, usually ranging from 10 to 30 years. In Vietnam, this model has been distorted by unsubstantiated profit guarantees, excessive advertising, or pressure to force customers to sign contracts. Scammers often exploit the desire for gifts and affordable vacations. Victims are invited to product presentations held at luxury hotels or resorts to receive free gifts. There, under the constant persuasion of the sales team, many are drawn in by attractive promises of high-class vacations, profitability, or easy resale. Many customers have signed contracts worth tens of millions to hundreds of millions, or even billions of dong. Upon carefully reviewing the signed terms, they were shocked to discover complex legal clauses that made canceling the contract or requesting a refund nearly impossible.

Alarmingly, these schemes are increasingly taking on various forms under different names such as travel membership cards, resort clubs, travel points programs, or VIP membership packages to evade public scrutiny. According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, in the first quarter of 2026 alone, the agency received dozens of complaints related to the activities of tourism businesses, mainly revolving around the buying and selling of vacation packages and contract disputes. After reviewing the cases, the department forwarded 7 files to relevant authorities, including 6 files showing signs of fraud and lack of cooperation, which were transferred to the Ho Chi Minh City Police for further investigation. This shows that these are no longer simple civil disputes but have emerged as signs of exploiting legal loopholes to seize assets, causing harm to citizens and affecting the image of the tourism industry.

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Given this situation, the tourism industry needs to strengthen warnings and coordinate with relevant authorities to raise awareness and prevent fraudulent activities. However, the most effective "shield" remains the vigilance of consumers.

THI HONG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/chiec-bay-so-huu-ky-nghi-post857409.html

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