Despite compelling evidence that Seasons Holidays owners have a genuine cause for concern, Seasons Holidays directors have alleged that the cause of dissatisfaction and the reputational decline of the business is the ‘spread of misinformation’.
Several individuals and businesses, including KwikChex, have been the subject of such allegations and have received threats. In some cases, owners have been punished by Seasons for airing their concerns publicly, or for understandably remonstrating with Seasons or for seeking clarity and reassurance – for example, by recording or seeking to record meetings with Seasons representatives.
As the CEO of KwikChex, I wish to publish salient facts about these circumstances.
Last year, KwikChex was asked by the owners of several Seasons Holidays to evaluate the fractional products that had been sold to them by Seasons. The reason for these requests was concern over what the owners were being told in meetings with Seasons, as the end of the 16-year contracts drew closer.
Having examined the contracts and received statements and other documents from a growing number of Seasons’ customers, KwikChex noted and provided the following information.
- The fractional products sold are timeshare products and clearly fall within timeshare-specific legislation. Multiple versions of the sales presentations that were used by Seasons in the sales process used phraseology and comparisons with timeshares and other products, which risked (and actually led to) purchasers of these products believing that these products were a) not timeshares, b) granted freehold property rights to the purchasers, and c) might be a viable financial investment. KwikChex currently has over 50 examples of these presentations.
- While KwikChex was continuing to evaluate the situation, including within the context of whether Seasons and their products had complied with the relevant laws, a growing number of Seasons Holidays customers were being pressured into attending meetings with Seasons to discuss their end-of-term options. The stated contractual time for the decision to be made by the owners of the fractional products between what had been described as ‘Option 1’ – taking a share of the proceeds of sale of the properties within the fractional schemes, and ‘Option 2’ – taking a further 16 years of ‘charge-free’, ‘luxury holidays’ is in the fifteenth year of the contract – but many being pressed to attend the meetings had two years or more before the fifteenth year was reached. Despite many pointing this out to Seasons, and stating that they wished to wait until that point, and also that they felt a face-to-face meeting was unnecessary and was inconvenient, Seasons continued to apply pressure for people to attend these meetings.
- At these meetings, the majority of those KwikChex has been in contact with have testified that they were advised that a) the amount they would receive as their share of the proceeds of the sale was considerably lower than purchasers had been expecting, b) that the properties were likely to be difficult to sell, and while the sales process was ongoing, charges would be applied, and c) that the 16-year ‘rollover’ (option 2) now had fundamentally changed so much, it had little value.
- The majority of the Seasons’ customers who attended these meetings were advised that a new option had been introduced, which involved handing back (in a ‘part-exchange’ arrangement) the fractional products (which had been sold as a product that ‘all timeshare owners would want to have’, and which included the potential to make a profit, but now were being portrayed as an ongoing liability), and then paying Seasons another large sum for a new product.
- Seasons confirmed that Option 2 – the 16-year, free of charges rollover, is a) now restricted to only three resorts, b) substantial surcharges would apply at other resorts, c) some resorts would not be available at all, d) availability would be a significant issue, e) accommodation would be restricted to the smallest capacity, and the lowest grade of accommodation, and f) that charges could be applied by Seasons for the ongoing costs of unsold properties associated with the original fractional contract. This is significantly and materially different from what was indicated at the time of sale.
- Under pressure, Seasons subsequently retracted their statements concerning ongoing charges during the sales period – but there remains no reasonable doubt that this aspect was used as a pressure point in the meetings. Some attendees did succumb to the pressure, giving up their fractional contracts and paying thousands more for a new product. Refund requests and reinstatement of the original contracts have been refused by Seasons.
- Brunston Castle Keys contracts started reaching the end of their 16-year term at the end of 2023. Very few of the units within the Keys scheme have been sold. Seasons and Hutchinson, the trustees, have advised that the market has been extremely challenging and that they have been (and are) attempting to sell the entire resort. However, it has been discovered that – a) in one case, a lodge that was within the Keys scheme had been sold in October 2024, but the Keys owners who had this lodge specified on their contracts were not notified of the sale until a year later, and only then, after they had queried it with the trustees, In addition, one of the Keys owners concerned here, has been pressured in March 2025 into handing back their Keys contract, and accepting they should pay for the new product – five months after the unit specified in their contract was sold. No explanation has been provided for these circumstances by either Seasons or Hutchinson. b) Seasons has been marketing and selling Brunston lodges they own, which are not within the Keys scheme, apparently giving priority to such sales over the many Keys purchasers who have been waiting since the end of 2023 and the end of 2024 for sales to take place of the properties associated with their contracts.
- Knocktopher Abbey was placed on the market as a whole resort sale in November 2024, and was said to have quickly attracted offers. This has been a protracted process, and Seasons confirmed that a sale had been agreed in January of this year. Hutchinson, the trustee, has confirmed the sale agreement but has stated that, contrary to Seasons’ statement, it can’t confirm the proceeds of sale at present, as the sale hasn’t concluded. Seasons previously removed Knocktopher Abbey as a choice for Seasons owners, saying it had been closed and that there were concerns about the property’s deterioration, hence the early sale of the whole resort. However, KwikChex has had contact with American timeshare owners who used the Interval International Exchange system to book accommodation and stayed at Knocktopher up until December last year.
- Forest Hills apartments have been confirmed as sold, and the share of the proceeds of sale has been paid to some Keys contract holders. Many others are still waiting. In the interim, other Keys owners haven’t been able to book at Forest Hills, and some have had their booked holidays at the resort cancelled. Others who were staying at the resort have complained of disruption to their holidays caused by no-notice ‘show-arounds’ to potential buyers. Those who have accepted their share of the proceeds of the sale have noted that the cost deductions are significantly higher than was indicated at the time Seasons sold them the Keys product – exceeding 13% of the sale price.
- Several Seasons customers have been subjected to punitive, retaliatory actions by Seasons and have been banned from taking the holidays they have paid for. Seasons has cited breaches of the conduct rules contained in the contract documents and has claimed harassment of its employees. The accounts by Seasons have been disputed. In two cases reported to KwikChex, Seasons customers were evicted from their holiday accommodation. In the first, it was after they had politely advised that they had recorded the meeting with the Seasons representatives for the purpose of going over what was said later; in the second, the couple had merely requested to record and had accepted that the representative didn’t wish to be recorded. In addition, when threatening suspensions and contract cancellations, Seasons has included in its demands for ‘remedy’ that customers not only refrain from commenting in a private Facebook group but also exit the group. These demands are far in excess of the contractual content and represent a restriction of civil liberties.
- All Seasons customers (not just the fractional products purchasers) who have contacted KwikChex have complained about a constant decline in the choice of resorts and accommodation available, and a drop in accommodation quality. Seasons has arbitrarily advised customers that they can no longer use what Seasons describes as ‘luxury standard’ accommodation. This is despite hard evidence that, when products were sold to customers, Seasons guaranteed ‘luxury standards’ for the duration of the contracts. It should also be noted that Seasons is contractually obliged to maintain the standards of all its accommodation, and that Seasons customers must pay for such maintenance.
- Many Seasons customers have complained about changes and problems with the ‘subletting’ agreement processes, which enable customers to recoup some of their ownership costs by agreeing that Seasons rents out unused weeks. Notably, many of those affected have stated that they were persuaded to purchase additional products to receive these annual payments. Complaints include declining sums paid, delayed payments, and increased deductions. Pertinently, many refused to sign the latest annual agreement after Season introduced a condition requiring them to agree that the product isn’t a financial investment.
- Seasons doesn’t disclose or explain how the rental calculations of the rental system work. While Seasons states in its agreements that it isn’t obliged to provide this information, given the increasingly contentious nature of its relationship with customers, transparency on this matter would be welcome.
- Seasons has also refused to provide details of the calculations used in charging for utilities, including electricity. Several Seasons customers have felt that these charges have been excessive. The regulator, Ofgem, has advised that Seasons is legally obliged to provide a breakdown of electricity charges, and that Seasons isn’t permitted to impose any mark-ups on the amount charged to Seasons by the electricity provider.
- During KwikChex’s involvement in Seasons matters, some affected in other ways have come forward and asked for assistance. These include people who owned timeshares at the Slaley Hall and Belton Woods resorts, which Seasons took over, and has since ended all timeshare ownership, instead focusing on selling properties and renting them out to non-timeshare owners. The method Seasons has used to dispossess timeshare owners at these resorts has been controversial and the subject of ongoing strong complaints. Although in the case of Slaley Hall, a lengthy arbitration concluded that Seasons had acted within its contractual rights, the affected owners at these resorts are requesting an investigation into the circumstances.
- In the case of the sales of lodges within its ‘Luxury’ portfolio, Seasons has been the subject of upheld complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) of misleading marketing – see this link for details of the ruling – https://www.asa.org.uk/rulings/luxury-lodge-estates-company-ltd-a24-1256125-luxury-lodge-estates-company-ltd.html
- It has also been reported that it is the same company, Luxury Lodge Estates Company Ltd, that is managing the sales of ‘standard’ properties, for example, at the Brunston Castle resort (now named Brunston Retreat by Seasons). The reports state that deposits secured by the properties are asked to be paid to ‘Luxury Lodges’. Luxury Lodges Estates Company Ltd. is a registered company which has been dormant since its incorporation in 2015. Its sole director is Barry Hurley, chairman and director of Seasons Holidays.
- Seasons Holidays has entered into significant commercial agreements with Landal, a major provider of holiday park rental accommodation. Several of the Seasons resorts now operate under the Landal brand, although the Luxury Lodges company and Seasons still exercise control over the properties. Landal has been given significant accommodation allocations at the Seasons resorts, which Seasons timeshare customers feel may be affecting the availability of accommodation they can book.
- Seasons timeshare owners have recently experienced increased difficulties in contacting Season staff, with Seasons citing the cause as a fire that occurred at its Dylan Coastal resort, located in Carmarthen in January this year, which started in the laundry there, and has been said by Seasons to have affected its ability to respond to requests regarding payment of subletting money, data protection requests, holiday reservations, and general operations. The Seasons head office is in Bristol.
This information has been provided to clarify the facts that KwikChex has made public, which are believed to affect several thousand Seasons timeshare customers.
Given the circumstances surrounding this information and the clear evidence supporting it, KwikChex stands by the facts and confirms it will continue to assist Seasons Holidays customers. Further, KwikChex recommends that any Seasons customers with concerns about this information who haven’t yet sought advice do so without delay. Such advice may be sought from several sources, in addition to KwikChex, including Citizens Advice and legal services providers.
Transparency disclosure
KwikChex provides free case evaluation services to consumers and businesses concerned about potential harm, and provides information intended to help make informed choices. Where people wish to receive direct assistance in collating evidence, liaising with authorities and legal representatives, KwikChex usually asks for a contribution towards the associated costs.
In the case of Seasons Holidays, KwikChex has provided free information and evaluations to over 1,000 Seasons customers through direct contact and social media, including a private Facebook group. KwikChex is currently providing a paid-for, Direct Assistance service to over 100 Seasons Holidays customers, which includes in-depth evaluations, collation of documentation and evidence, and liaisons and reporting to multiple authorities. KwikChex is requesting that the authorities conduct formal appraisals of the situation at Seasons. KwikChex is also helping with briefings for multiple legal representatives, journalists, and MPs who have expressed interest in this case or are actively supporting Seasons customers.
A major cause of concern regarding these issues is that many of the affected Seasons owners have said they are very distressed, and a significant number would be considered as having a vulnerable status, as they are experiencing severe health issues, financial stress, and bereavement difficulties.
KwikChex is vetted & approved by UK Trading Standards and has assisted law enforcement authorities in the investigation and prosecution processes in multiple cases. For more information on KwikChex, click on this link – https://kwikchex.com/aboutus-2/
For information on timeshare-specific KwikChex assistance, visit the Timeshare Assistance website – https://timeshareassistance.com/
Contact details are available on the sites.
