ARDA and its members are committed to the highest standards
and ethics in resort, vacation, recreational, residential and
community development for the benefit of the public. To demonstrate that
commitment, ARDA has adopted a Code of Standards & Ethics. All
members of ARDA and all those who use ARDA services agree to comply with
this Code.
 The Code of Standards & Ethics consists of general
requirements, solicitation requirements, and sales requirements, as well
as administrative procedures for interpretation and enforcement of the
Code. All activities subject to this Code shall be designed to be honest
and fair, and to be conducted with integrity, dignity and propriety.
Failure to cooperate with the ARDA Standards & Ethics Committee,
the Administrator, or the Appellate Board in an investigation or a
proceeding on a Challenge may be considered by the Committee according
to the same procedures and with the same sanctions as a Determination of
Failure to Comply with the Code.
Understanding the ARDA Code of Ethics
Question
How do I find out if a company is an ARDA member in good
standing?
Answer
Contact Mary Lou Paratore at (202) 207-1070
or MParatore@arda.org
Question
What can ARDA do if the company is not a member?
Answer
It is always a wise decision to choose to conduct
business with a company that belongs to its industry trade association.
However, if you find yourself in a situation with a company that is not
currently a member, you can still file a complaint with us. We will log
it in to our database and keep the information on file. If we have
contact information in our database for the non-member company, we will
send the non-member company a letter informing them of the complaint.
Outside of this correspondence, ARDA is limited in its actions against a
non-member company.
Question
How do I file a complaint against a member company?
Answer
You should contact our
office and ask to have the form emailed to you. This
form is completed and submitted electronically to our Consumer Database.
This form asks for contact information for both you and the accused
company and a detailed explanation of the issue. Once you submit this
form, our Ethics Administrator is alerted that a new consumer inquiry
has been received. The Administrator then reviews your complaint in
order to determine if there could potentially be a violation of the
Code. Letters are then sent to both you and the company regarding the
initial determination made by the Administrator.
Question
What constitutes a violation of the Code?
Answer
The Code consists of general requirements, solicitation
requirements, sales requirements and all types of development
requirements. Generally a violation exists when there is
a pattern of business practices to which the Code is applicable. However
one incendent may be a violation of the code. An isolated incident does
not necessarily mean there has been a violation of the Code. An
outline of the Code is listed below:
Section I – Preamble
Section II – Definitions
Section III – General Ethics Requirements
Section IV – Standards of Practice
1) Solicitation
2) Sales
3) Off Premise Contact Programs
4) Vacation Packages
5) Exchange Programs
6) Resale & Rental Value
7) Optional Timeshare Customer Bill of Rights
Program
Section V – Administrative Procedures
See the full text of the
Code 
Question
What does not constitute a violation of the Code?
Answer
For example, it is not a violation of the Code if you
have concerns about your HOA’s procedures relating to maintenance
fees or interior design. We are also unable to assist in issues relating
to currency conversion rates, point conversions or dissatisfaction with
the purchased product or with general customer service issues. ARDA
cannot provide legal advice relating to contracts or transactions. If
you have a specific legal question, ARDA recommends that you seek the
advice of a competent attorney familiar with timeshare
products.
Question
What if my question was not answered here or I cannot
understand the Code?
Answer
Contact Mary Lou Paratore at
(202) 207-1070 or MParatore@arda.org.
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