Anyone have experience with Preston Green or Americap International Corp

Preston Green is with VacationHomesOnly.com (VHO).

Carl Stewart is listed as the Principal at the company via www.whois.com. Carl Stewart is also on the receipt from PayPal when you receive payment for your rentals from VHO.

I received an e-mail via Redweek.com from Ashley Richardson at VHO. After a few phone calls and follow-up e-mails I began reading this Forum, and must say, started to doubt my decision to go through with this transaction. That was on Tuesday of this week. Today, 2 Days Later, I received via PayPal, payment-in-full for my Week 23 at The Royal Sands along with the requested information on the "guest" who has rented our Villa (through the efforts of VHO).

Only caveat I can offer to the Forum here is that you may want to specifiy that if Payment is Through PayPal, then your Asking Price should be the "net" price, after fees from PayPal are deducted. Because of the short timeframe from the initial contact from VHO to the Occupancy Date of this Saturday, waiting for a check to come in via Overnight was pushing it a bit. This may not be a problem if you have more time to deal.

I don't know if I would have successfully rented out our Penthouse Suite in Phase II this year via our efforts on Redweek.com. Things seem to be slower and the Offers are Lower than in past years. In this connection, the folks at VHO really came through for us, and we are pleased to have this week rented.

david1930 wrote:

Preston Green is with VacationHomesOnly.com (VHO).

Carl Stewart is listed as the Principal at the company via www.whois.com. Carl Stewart is also on the receipt from PayPal when you receive payment for your rentals from VHO.

I received an e-mail via Redweek.com from Ashley Richardson at VHO. After a few phone calls and follow-up e-mails I began reading this Forum, and must say, started to doubt my decision to go through with this transaction. That was on Tuesday of this week. Today, 2 Days Later, I received via PayPal, payment-in-full for my Week 23 at The Royal Sands along with the requested information on the "guest" who has rented our Villa (through the efforts of VHO).

Only caveat I can offer to the Forum here is that you may want to specifiy that if Payment is Through PayPal, then your Asking Price should be the "net" price, after fees from PayPal are deducted. Because of the short timeframe from the initial contact from VHO to the Occupancy Date of this Saturday, waiting for a check to come in via Overnight was pushing it a bit. This may not be a problem if you have more time to deal.

I don't know if I would have successfully rented out our Penthouse Suite in Phase II this year via our efforts on Redweek.com. Things seem to be slower and the Offers are Lower than in past years. In this connection, the folks at VHO really came through for us, and we are pleased to have this week rented.

Once again, Redweek doesn't rent or sell anything .... they are merely a timeshare ad website for owners. Mr. Green gets many of his clients via Redweek ads when the renter could have done the same thing had he perused the rental ads here. In other words, Mr. Green makes himself a middle-man via Redweek (and I assume) other timeshare ad sites.

jayjay wrote:

david1930 wrote:

Preston Green is with VacationHomesOnly.com (VHO).

Carl Stewart is listed as the Principal at the company via www.whois.com. Carl Stewart is also on the receipt from PayPal when you receive payment for your rentals from VHO.

I received an e-mail via Redweek.com from Ashley Richardson at VHO. After a few phone calls and follow-up e-mails I began reading this Forum, and must say, started to doubt my decision to go through with this transaction. That was on Tuesday of this week. Today, 2 Days Later, I received via PayPal, payment-in-full for my Week 23 at The Royal Sands along with the requested information on the "guest" who has rented our Villa (through the efforts of VHO).

Only caveat I can offer to the Forum here is that you may want to specifiy that if Payment is Through PayPal, then your Asking Price should be the "net" price, after fees from PayPal are deducted. Because of the short timeframe from the initial contact from VHO to the Occupancy Date of this Saturday, waiting for a check to come in via Overnight was pushing it a bit. This may not be a problem if you have more time to deal.

I don't know if I would have successfully rented out our Penthouse Suite in Phase II this year via our efforts on Redweek.com. Things seem to be slower and the Offers are Lower than in past years. In this connection, the folks at VHO really came through for us, and we are pleased to have this week rented.

Once again, Redweek doesn't rent or sell anything .... they are merely a timeshare ad website for owners. Mr. Green gets many of his clients via Redweek ads when the renter could have done the same thing had he perused the rental ads here. In other words, Mr. Green makes himself a middle-man via Redweek (and I assume) other timeshare ad sites.

I rented a unit through Preston Green a few months ago. I spoke with him several times. I agree, he is a very smooth-talking salesman and I was worried I was being scammed. But his price was good and he was the only person who was able to fulfill my needs. I checked his company through Better Business Bureau and they had a fairly good rating. Everything went smoothly and I had no complaints.

I recently rented a property through Preston Green at Vacation Homes Only.

I had already given my deposit before I read all of these comments, and became extremely nervous that I was being scammed. Preston returned all of my calls promptly and reassured me multiple times that everything would be fine. While I agree that the policys of VHO are not set up in the best way to reassure renters that they will be protected, I can tell you that from my own experience, that this company (and Preston) are completely legitimate.

I had absolutely no problems with my reservation at the Westin Kaanapali in Maui and everything was set up to my expectations. Preston got me the best price on the market to rent this property (based on what I could find in RedBook and online). I was so nervous based on these comments, that I promised Preston (after he spent hours on the phone reassuring me) that if I was happy after my trip, I would write him a glowing review to help dispel the above negative comments.

I can defintely say that would rent from Preston again!

I have rented many timeshares to Preston Green and he has always come through with a check as promised. I would work with him anytime! I think he is an honest man trying to make a living.

Thanks for the advise. Is there any legit business regarding timeshares? Even escrow companies are not legit and reporting it to authorities is like giving the matter to a kindergardener to handle. Preston Green is supposedly renting a week for us, I did not give him $$$ but haven't seen his yet either.

terryk148 wrote:

Even escrow companies are not legit...

Accordingly, on what factual basis do you proclaim (boldly, but incorrectly) that "even escrow companies are not legit"???

On the other hand, NON-independent closing entities which are often just the lackeys of a reseller company (and often are actually the very same people as the reseller company itself) are often incompetent (as well as too expensive). In either case, they have the SELLER interests (i.e., NOT YOURS) as their primary loyalty and concern. Such entities and "arrangements" are often found with commercial resellers on eBay, where the reseller often unilaterally MANDATES the use of one particular closing entity (even though it's the BUYER who is actually paying). No thank you...

My advice to any buyer is to proceed with a purchase only if YOU can select (and yes, pay) an INDEPENDENT closing entity OF YOUR OWN CHOICE. To me, it makes absolutely NO sense to choose to "leave foxes responsible for taking care of details of the henhouse" --- when YOU (the buyer) are paying the closing costs in the first place!

It's important to be specific about WHICH type of "escrow company" you are referring to in your broad statement, before collectively condemning ALL of them. Some are independent and competent. Others are NOT independent, beholden to a reseller, and often outright inept!

Mr. Green called me a while back about a Daytona week I'd advertised on RedWeek. He had a customer who wanted my dates. Unfortunately, I also knew her and knew she wanted only a 2 bedroom deluxe when I had a 2BR lock-off. (Picky-picky.) Anyhow, I knew she was real! MD

As you can see from above notes, Preston Green has not been accused of wrongdoing. I think he makes his profit by getting more from the ultimate renter than he pays the owner, but where else could he get it? I'm sure he does not engineer these connections for the pure fun of it. MD

adahiscout wrote:

As you can see from above notes, Preston Green has not been accused of wrongdoing. I think he makes his profit by getting more from the ultimate renter than he pays the owner, but where else could he get it? I'm sure he does not engineer these connections for the pure fun of it. MD

Preston Green is merely a middle man that uses Redweek's ads when anyone can do that themselves and rent from an owner instead of a middle man who jacks up the rental cost = profit for him.

The difference is that he has a customer and we often don't. He will, of course, try to get you to lower your price to him. MD

I think Preston Greene is OK. He is a middle man.

But Redweek States:

Travelers come to RedWeek.com to rent or buy timeshare units directly from owners, often at tremendous savings compared with hotels or dealing with the resort itself. "No middleman", and no tours. Ever.

Timeshare owners post their units for rent or sale to an audience of over 1.5 million registered users. No commission, "no middlemen". ................. When you talk to Preston Green or Americap International Corp they may have dozens of timeshares(in the property) to choose from but only one add in each property type. Redweek is loosing there.

No offense but this is not correct .... there are middle men and they do take a cut.

I would like it if Redweek would post: brokers/middle men in one section and real owners in the other. Save me time in who I would call.

Unfortunately I signed a contract with Vacation Homes Only before doing my research and reading these forums. I admittedly was very naive and regret renting with them. They apply pressure when you call them and because I am busy at work and felt rushed I mistakenly signed a contract. Had I received what I paid for, I at least would have swallowed my pride. After researching things I called to get better assurances that my reservation would be honored since their rental process is not transparent at all. I spoke to Preston Green and to say he was condescending and rude is an understatement. Below is a further summary of my subsequent issues: I signed a contract 3/11 for an Ocean Front Rental for travel 3/12. I was quoted prices per week for Ocean Front, Ocean View ($500 less) and Island View ($750-800 less). I called VHO after I signed my contract to get confirmation that a reservation had been made with Westin and although they assured me one had been made they refused to allow me to confirm this with Westin. I called the Hotel a number of times the week before check in and they had no record of my reservation. When I checked in, I was shocked to find that my room was an Island View room and not an Ocean Front room. I told the front desk clerk that there must be a mistake since I had a contract for an Ocean Front room. Her exact words were “Ocean Front rooms book up 8-10 months in advance.” I told her that I booked the room 12 months in advance and she had a look of shock on her face when she told me “sir, your reservation with our hotel was first booked 2/8/12, not 12 months ago.” The next day I went and met with the reservations manager to get further clarification. He confirmed that the original reservation for my room was made 2/8/12 and showed me on his computer that there had not been any activity nor contact about my reservation prior to 2/8/12. I sent a letter to VHO in 3/12 via certified mail but they refused acceptance. I then resent the letter via UPS and although it was accepted, I never got a response from them.

trentp8 wrote:

Unfortunately I signed a contract with Vacation Homes Only before doing my research and reading these forums. I admittedly was very naive and regret renting with them. They apply pressure when you call them and because I am busy at work and felt rushed I mistakenly signed a contract. Had I received what I paid for, I at least would have swallowed my pride. After researching things I called to get better assurances that my reservation would be honored since their rental process is not transparent at all. I spoke to Preston Green and to say he was condescending and rude is an understatement. Below is a further summary of my subsequent issues: I signed a contract 3/11 for an Ocean Front Rental for travel 3/12. I was quoted prices per week for Ocean Front, Ocean View ($500 less) and Island View ($750-800 less). I called VHO after I signed my contract to get confirmation that a reservation had been made with Westin and although they assured me one had been made they refused to allow me to confirm this with Westin. I called the Hotel a number of times the week before check in and they had no record of my reservation. When I checked in, I was shocked to find that my room was an Island View room and not an Ocean Front room. I told the front desk clerk that there must be a mistake since I had a contract for an Ocean Front room. Her exact words were “Ocean Front rooms book up 8-10 months in advance.” I told her that I booked the room 12 months in advance and she had a look of shock on her face when she told me “sir, your reservation with our hotel was first booked 2/8/12, not 12 months ago.” The next day I went and met with the reservations manager to get further clarification. He confirmed that the original reservation for my room was made 2/8/12 and showed me on his computer that there had not been any activity nor contact about my reservation prior to 2/8/12. I sent a letter to VHO in 3/12 via certified mail but they refused acceptance. I then resent the letter via UPS and although it was accepted, I never got a response from them.

This is exactly why these forums are so important - thanks for your review concerning Vacation Homes Only, Preston Green's business .... he didn't deliver what was promised and what was in the contract you signed. The fact that VHO wouldn't accept your certified letter speaks volumes about their business model. Preston Green owes you an apology AND a refund.

Thanks Jay Jay. I was reluctant to post this at first both out of slight embarrassment that I got myself in to this situation and also after my prior unpleasant interaction with Preston last Fall where he denigrated me for requesting more transparency in the details of my reservation. I was never able to verify that a true reservation was made with Westin. I only had a verification number for Vacation Homes Only and when I told him that I would feel more comfortable with more concrete information he said that my contract with them did not allow for that and that I was not entitled to that. He berated me for worrying so much. In the end my intuition unfortunately was correct.

I think that people/organizations/travel agents are approached by parties looking for a certain type of rental and they assure them that it can be had. Then they troll the rent by owner sites to try and find it. An "agent" who did rent out one of my weeks to a third party asked me to make the Guest Reservation, as was proper. I did and also notified the renter that this had been done. He was startled because he assumed it was all set long before. What is more, it is not always possible for an owner to guarantee the exact location/view; we just know the size and type of unit which our points can get for a particular date. MD

I think that may be the case but Vacation Homes Only did not represent it that way. I called them in March 2011 for a rental at a Westin resort in Hawaii. When I talked with them they told me that they had the option to get either an Island View, an Ocean View and Ocean Front all at increasing prices. They said that they had owners they routinely used at each of the different levels. When I told them that I wanted to rent an Ocean Front villa they told me that they would contact the owner and once the contract was signed the reservation for that type of room would be made. This was finalized in March 2011 and the contract specified an Ocean Front room. They told me that the owner confirmed a reservation with Westin the day my contract was signed. They would not allow me to confirm this with Westin and they sited the fact that their contract did not stipulate this. When I travelled to the destination March 2012, Westin told me that no reservation or activity had been made on my reservation prior to February 2012. This was a full 11 months after they assured me that a reservation had been made. Westin showed me all the documentation proving this to be true. As Westin stated, Ocean Front villas book up 8-10 months in advance which is far earlier than the month ahead of time that Vacation Homes Only actually made my reservation. Unfortunately for me I signed a contract 12 months in advance but my contract was not honored.

I wanted to provide a follow up to my post. I received an e-mail tonight from Vacation Home Only and they have agreed to refund to me the difference in cost between an Ocean Front and an Island view rental.

trentp8 wrote:

I wanted to provide a follow up to my post. I received an e-mail tonight from Vacation Home Only and they have agreed to refund to me the difference in cost between an Ocean Front and an Island view rental.

Thanks for the update Trent .... that's one of the positive sides of these forums, however VHO should never promise someone in the future a type of unit (ocean front, ocean view, garden view, island view, etc) that they haven't secured via a contract .... in the business world that's called bait and switch.