The perpetuity of timeshare contracts that cannot be cancelled was the dominant complaint at public hearings held yesterday in Cape Town. A Business Day report says the hearings were conducted by the National Consumer Commission (NCC) inquiry into the timeshare or holiday club industry. People complained that their timeshare contracts could potentially last forever and they could not get rid of them long after they stopped enjoying the benefits of timeshare.

Hearings have been held in Gauteng and will take place in all the other provinces as well over the next few months. Despite the desperation of complainants to get rid of their contracts whatever the cost, it appears that no immediate solution is in the offing. Diane Terblanche, chair of the panel conducting the inquiry, said that the public hearings would end only in about September.

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