Claims Advice Line

The original deal between Clydesdale Financial Services (Barclays Partner Finance) started in 2005 when Ron Howell of HMC Funding arranged to provide funding to Resort Properties (Silverpoint) in Tenerife.

Click here to read the full article published in mortatgestratergy.co.uk in 2005

The article , as you can read below , represented the beginning of a multi million pound scandal.

Unsecured loans solution for timeshare industry
By System Administrator 7th November 2005 12:00 am

HMC Funding has launched an unsecured personal loans facility for the timeshare industry.

Ron Howell, director of HMC Funding, says: "For many years, the industry has been constrained by lack of choice and innovation in its finance business. Customers are becoming disillusioned with current offerings.

"They are more educated on finance than ever before and are easily discouraged from purchasing products where interest rates are high. Clients also want choice and flexibility from a finance programme."

HMC Funding has joined forces with Clydesdale Financial Services to offer the facility, which includes traditional timeshare finance whereby the developer is paid through the trustee.

Instant underwriting decisions are available, as well as documentation production through electronic processing.

There is a buy now pay later option and HMC Funding is offering a charge card facility that can be branded to resorts as well as consolidation loan services for unsecured and secured loans, plus remortgages.

Howell adds: "After years of limited choice, the timeshare industry has a new lender in the market for its unsecured personal loans business. With Clydesdale, we have developed products designed to boost income through higher sales volumes and at the same time increase customer choice, flexibility and loyalty.
"From the salesperson's perspective we have removed the objections to finance and made products that are easier to sell."

Craig Murray, managing director of Clydesdale Financial Services, says: "With HMC Funding we have found the right partner and believe that with our products, electronic processing systems and keen pricing, we can help the timeshare industry grow its sales significantly."


This led to companies such as Shawbrook and Hitachi beginning their lending arrangement with Club La Costa and Diamond Resorts.

Barclays Partner Finance charged the Timeshare Resort 10% of the gross timeshare cost at the front end, which means that within a £20,000 Timeshare deal, there was a hidden commission of £2,000. This fee originated when Barclays provided the 'Buy Now Pay Later ' (BNPL) finance package to fund Timeshare purchases. Clients were given a six-month interest-free period to pay off the Finance or carry it past this point at a rate of 19.9%. Unfortunately, clients didn't realise that this finance package was actually a high-interest rate charge card! Moreover, many of these loans were provided to consumers without due diligence, relevant credit checks or FCA approval.


The timeshare industry and Barclays partner finance have inflicted tremendous financial misery on the British population for over fifteen years. This tide of mis-selling has finally turned. After years of fighting on behalf of our clients, the Financial Ombudsman Service has finally seen sense. Despite ongoing pushback from the timeshare propaganda machine, the same as the banks during the PPI scandal, the decisions the timeshare public have been waiting for, have finally arrived.

If you have been taken out a timeshare or solar panel loan with Barclays Partner Finance, get in touch.