Helping Timeshare Owners Ratings and Reviews: Check It Before You Exit Your Timeshare

The timeshare company tricked you into buying a property that’s been nothing but a headache and a hassle. Helping Timeshare Owners promises to get you out. But does it work or is it just another scam?

Who is Helping Timeshare Owners and What Do They Do?

Helping Timeshare Owners is a timeshare exit company owned by William Howell and based in Orlando, Fla. As of November 2021, the company’s website seems to have vanished and there are no social media pages for it. 

Helping Timeshare Owners might have also operated under the name “Help 4 Timeshare Owners,” which had a branch in Tennessee. William Howell also owned another timeshare transfer company called Orlando Ventures. 

It’s unclear whether Helping Timeshare Owners is still in business, but what remains of the company is a long list of complaints and lawsuits against the individuals behind it.

Helping Timeshare Owners’ Timeshare Exit Costs

There are two ways you can protect yourself when working with a timeshare exit company. One way is to look for a company that uses escrow, meaning they don’t actually get your money until they deliver on their promises. Another way is to work with a company that offers a money-back guarantee.

It’s hard to say whether Helping Timeshare Owners did either of the two, but a few of the people who have left reviews of it provide some insight into how much the company charged for its services. One reviewer mentioned paying the company more than $11,000. Others mentioned paying around $1,600 upfront.

Some of the complaints against the company make mention of wanting a refund, but Helping Timeshare Owners insists that it has stopped issuing refunds as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Can You Trust Helping Timeshare Owners?

Unfortunately, Helping Timeshare Owners doesn’t seem to be a trustworthy company. It’s difficult to pin the company down, as it seems to operate under several different names. Perhaps most interestingly, the company doesn’t have a working website, which suggests that it has either gone out of a business or gone into hiding.

The Better Business Bureau has given Helping Timeshare Owners an F rating and hasn’t accredited the company. An alert at the top of Helping Timeshare Owners’ BBB profile dates to 2018 and notes a long pattern of complaints, many of which the company hadn’t responded to.

Employees of the BBB met with representatives of Helping Timeshare Owners in October 2018 and received a statement from the company. In the statement, the Chief Operations Officer of Helping Timeshare Owners said that the company would be making more of an effort to respond to and keep track of client communications. 

Interestingly enough, at the end of the statement, the COO turned the tables back on their clients. They stated that the communication issues often stem from the clients themselves, who don’t pick up their phones.

As of November 2021, there are 51 complaints against Helping Timeshare Owners. The timeshare exit company has responded to several of the most recent complaints, but many remain open. In some cases, the clients have stated that they don’t accept the response of the company.

What’s Good About Helping Timeshare Owners?

• It’s possible that Helping Timeshare Owners has helped some people get rid of their unwanted timeshares. 

What’s Bad About Helping Timeshare Owners

• The company doesn’t have a working website and no social media presence, so it’s difficult to tell whether it’s still in business or not. It last responded to a complaint on the BBB profile in August 2021.
• The company seems to operate under several different names, including Help 4 Timeshare Owners and Orlando Ventures. None of its alias companies have working websites.
• There have been several lawsuits and legal actions taken against the owners of the company and individuals associated with it. 
• The company seems willing to point fingers and place blame on its clients for any issues or difficulties canceling a timeshare.
• The company has rescinded its refund policy as a result of the pandemic.

Lawsuits Against Helping Timeshare Owners

William Howell, the owner of Helping Timeshare Owners, Help 4 Timeshare Owners and Orlando Ventures, is no stranger to the courtroom. His company has been sued several times. An associate of Howell, Allan Campbell, is currently the subject of an ethics complaint filed by the Florida Bar. 

In 2017, Diamond Resorts filed a lawsuit against Howell and Campbell. The lawsuit alleged that Campbell made disparaging statements against Diamond, lured customers away from the resort and damaged the brand financially. 

The lawsuit also alleged that the timeshare exit companies used illegal tactics, such as charging large fees and “guaranteeing” that their service would get a client out of their timeshare. 

In 2019, Orange Lake County Club, Inc. filed a lawsuit against Howell and several other timeshare exit companies. The lawsuit claimed that the timeshare exit companies interfered with the country club’s business relationships and violated the Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act in Florida. 

The suit sought to prohibit Helping Timeshare Owners and other timeshare exit companies involved from making misleading and false representations on its website or in any other media.  The lawsuit also wanted the companies to stop sending the country club  form letters with “pre-fabricated allegations of wrong-doing and misconduct.”

According to the suit, Howell and Helping Timeshare Owners withheld crucial documents, in an attempt to thwart the discovery process. The court ruled in favor of the plaintiff in the suit.

In 2020, Diamond Resorts once again took Helping Timeshare Owners to court. The resort company sought and received a permanent injunction against the timeshare exit firm. Under the injunction, Helping Timeshare Owners isn’t able to target members of Diamond Resorts or use aggressive marketing tactics. 

Finally, in 2021, the Florida Bar issued an ethics complaint against Allan Campbell, an attorney who had connections to Helping Timeshare Owners and William Howell. The Bar’s complaint stated that Campbell allowed non-attorneys to manage his cases and that Campbell had “no control over” his firm. 

Online Reputation

Helping Timeshare Owners doesn’t have a stellar online reputation. In addition to having an “F” rating from the BBB, the company has several negative reviews on its BBB profile. The average rating is 2.3 out of five stars. 

Here’s a selection of some of the company’s reviews:

On its Google panel, Helping Timeshare Owners has 13 reviews and an average rating of 3.2 stars. Many of the reviewers complain of paying upfront and waiting years without seeing results. The five-star reviews that appear on Google are relatively vague in describing what the company did to warrant the excellent review.

Helping Timeshare Owners’ Website

As of November 2021, Helping Timeshare Owners doesn’t appear to have an active website. There’s no site listed on Google. The URL for its alias, Help 4 Timeshare Owners, leads to a 404 page. There is also no website for Orlando Ventures, another company owned by William Howell. 

The Bottom Line

If you want to get rid of your timeshare, the odds are likely that Helping Timeshare Owners won’t offer much help. The company has a track record of disappointing clients and a long history of legal trouble. It’s also unclear whether it’s still in business. Be sure to look elsewhere before you commit. Here is a good starting point: Check out our recommendations of the best timeshare exit companies.

FAQs