October 2003: Trendwest ordered to pay $795,000 in civil penalites

While cruising Google, I found another instance where Trendwest was found guilty of less-than-honest practices.

The complaint alleged Trendwest engaged in deceptive marketing and sales practices, violated cancellation notice requirements and failed to accept cancellation requests. Trendwest, based in Redmond, Wash., also violated the law in its telemarketing practices by using automatic dialers and ignoring "do not call" requests, Lockyer's office said.

"This settlement will help make victims whole, and ensure Trendwest operates lawfully in the future," Lockyer said.

Under the settlement, Trendwest will pay restitution to consumers who purchased timeshare contracts since March 31, 2001, and who requested cancellation within 45 days of executing the contract. The company could pay more than $2 million, officials said.

Trendwest issued a short statement Wednesday, saying it had revised some of its internal policies and increased accountability among its employees and outside vendors.

"Our commitment in this settlement reflects our determination to maintain the highest standards in business and marketing practices," Trendwest said in the statement.

"Maintain" the highest standards?

Tags: trendwest worldmark