[Sep 27, 2008]

FROM THE FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE
CONCERNING TIMESHARE COMPLAINTS

(Very Important)

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum received an email regarding concerns with
Royal Marketing Group. Attorney General McCollum asked that I respond. I apologize for the delay in our response, due to our activation of the Attorney General's Price-Gouging Hotline following Hurricane Ike.

Attorney General McCollum is concerned with all potentially unfair and deceptive trade practices that mislead consumers. By law, this office exercises statutory authority to address consumer fraud under Chapter 501, Part II, Florida Statutes, known as Florida's Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Our office focuses its enforcement efforts on business practices by companies which harm numerous consumers in more than one judicial circuit. We use complaints to develop information about patterns of business activity which may indicate the need for formal investigation or action by our office to protect the broad public interest.

The Division of Florida Land Sales, Condominiums, and Mobile Homes, which is part of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), regulates the creation, sale, and operation of timeshare plans in the State of Florida pursuant to Chapter 721, Florida Statutes, the 'Florida Vacation Plan and Timesharing Act.

For complaints or inquiries relating to timeshares, please contact DBPR. Contact information as well as frequently asked questions about timeshare plans, is available on DBPR's website at: http://www.myflorida.com/dbpr/lsc/timeshare/LSCMHTimeshareForms.html Also, Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Consumer Services (DACS), is the state clearinghouse for consumer complaints and has a voluntary mediation program to assist individual consumers. You may contact DACS online at: http://www.800helpfla.com/ Or by mail at: 2005 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee, Florida 32399. The telephone number is (850)488-2221 or toll-free from within Florida (800)435-7352.

You may contact the Mexico Consumer Protection Agency, Profeco, which assist consumers with complaints regarding purchases based in that country. You may contact Profeco at Av. José Vasconcelos No. 208, 6º Piso, Col. Condesa, México D. F. C.P. 06140, phone numbers: 55-68-87-22; 01-800-468-87-22, or file a complaint via email to: extranjeros@profeco.gob.mx

To view information in English on Profeco's website, below, click on Atencion al Extranjero 'and scroll down the page to the English text' http://www.profeco.gob.mx/

This information about foreign timeshare and real estate transactions may also be of interest to you [ Click Here ]

In addition, you may contact the following consumer agencies as you seek to resolve your individual complaint:

Federal Trade Commission
Toll-free: (877) 382-4357
Internet: http://www.ftc.gov

Better Business Bureau of Southeast Florida (serving Miami, Ft.
Lauderdale, West Palm Beach areas)
Phone: (561) 842-1918
Internet: http://www.bbbsoutheastflorida.org

Broward County Consumer Protection
Phone: (954) 357-5350
Internet: www.broward.org/consumer/

Finally, Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act provides individuals with a private remedy to bring an action for damages, attorney's fees and court costs. If you need legal advice, The Florida Bar offers a Lawyer Referral Service which you may contact toll-free at (800) 342-8060. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for low cost or pro bono assistance through a local legal aid office. The Florida Bar can assist you with this process. The Bar's website provides more information about legal aid: http://www.floridabar.org

Thank you for contacting Attorney General McCollum's Office. I hope this issue can be resolved to your satisfaction.

Sincerely,
Samantha Santana
Office of Citizen Services

To contact this office please visit the Attorney General's website at www.myfloridalegal.com and fill out the on-line contact form.
Again, thank you for contacting the Office of the Florida Attorney General.