How legitimate is Global Property Services for selling Diamond Resorts property?

I've been contacted BY (first flag) Michael Fowler of Global Property Services of Myrtle Beach SC with an offer from some buyer to purchase my even-year week (now points) with Diamond Resorts. Because I originally purchased the week from Premier Vacation Club at Los Abrigados in Sedona, he says the value of my deed has increased above the original price I paid because it is now a Diamond prooperty (next flag). When I refused to pay anythig up front, he's changed his tactic and now says he'll request the title search and other documents and let me know if I need to pay $700 into First American Title in escrow Supposedly, the buyer has already paid in a deposit to Global. I'm afraid this is a scam and the lawyer on Answer.com has advised me to run. Just wanted to know if anyone else has had any dealings with this company.

It's a SCAM !!!!!!! Don't send a penny unless you're willing to lose your money.

The value of your Los Abrigados property has not changed since Diamond took it over. It is exactly the same: NOTHING. Just go to the for sale listings on this site and see that there are several offered for ONE Dollar, and no takers.

After 18 years of timeshare ownership, I can say without reservation that anyone offering to sell your TS or "relieve" you of it is either a scammer of a thief.

I had the same experience with this person. I wanted to believe him. He sounded very informed and personable. But before I sent off $745 to a total stranger, I wanted references. When I asked for that, it was the end and I didn't hear from him again. Now the BBB in his area has a report against him and says he cannot be found. Scary that we have to be so suspicious . . but in this case it paid off.

pollys15 wrote:

I had the same experience with this person. I wanted to believe him. He sounded very informed and personable. But before I sent off $745 to a total stranger, I wanted references. When I asked for that, it was the end and I didn't hear from him again. Now the BBB in his area has a report against him and says he cannot be found. Scary that we have to be so suspicious . . but in this case it paid off.

Anytime any entity cold calls you out of the blue with their spiel and to send money upfront .... you should always be suspicious. Remember, if these guys were legit they'd take their fee at closing, not before.

Especially in this ecomomy you should ALWAYS be suspicious of offers that sound too good to be true ..... millions of scammers are out to get your hard earned money.

Fortunately, I didn't send him a dime as I suspected from the git-go that he was trying to pull something over on me. I just wanted to know if anyone else had had any knowledge of him so future contacts could be forewarned.

if we have sent money to this guy is there anyway of getting it back

No there is no way of getting your money back...

It depends on how you paid. Credit card companies have dispute periods.

Polly15's BBB reference above is not correct - the BBB reports only one complaint in the last three years, which was resolved satisfactorily, and they received an "A" rating from the BBB, rare for this industry. They have been in business since 2006, which is longer than most.

There are many timeshare resellers out there, so be careful to use the exact name and address (this one is in Myrtle Beach, SC).

In Myrtle Beach, the BBB listed 8 timeshare resellers; Global Property Services was the only A rated one, followed by Timeshare Mover's (A-) and Timeshare Transfer International (B-rated: They used the BBB logo to suggest that they were a member, but they're not, despite the BBB contacting them about it). The rest were likely to be scams (a D-, 2 F's and 2 "Not rated" (e.g., 27 complaints, no current phone or address listings; the second was having people wire a bank in Florida, the company was virtual (a mailbox), and names may have been false). In eight more ratings in South Carolina, I found one A-, two C's, 4 F's and one Not Rated (disappeared). So this group has 19% A's or B's, 12% C's. and 67% D-, F's or No Ratings that were likely scams.

What does this mean about Global Property Services? I don't know. The best of the worst industry? I spoke with them, and they indicated that I wouldn't pay anything until it had closed, which sounded good, but the amount of the offer sounded too good to be true. More investigation is needed. It would be helpful if someone had used them and either closed on the deal or been scammed out of their $ to know how to think about them.

My wife and I were just recently contacted by someone from Global and we were immediately suspicious because of the "too good to be true" factor. The caller has been methodical and a little relentless in continuing to call us. The info above in this blog has been helpful to validate our concerns. The contributor just above my entry who suggested it would be helpful to have someone with a positive experience is spot on. Where are those people? Of course, by stating that, he or she may have invited Global to fill this blog with "false" testimonials. As they say, "Buyer beware."

andersod2 wrote:

What does this mean about Global Property Services? I don't know. The best of the worst industry? I spoke with them, and they indicated that I wouldn't pay anything until it had closed, which sounded good, but the amount of the offer sounded too good to be true. More investigation is needed. It would be helpful if someone had used them and either closed on the deal or been scammed out of their $ to know how to think about them.

Somewhere along the line they'll ask for a fee before closing ..... also if what they offered sounded to good to be true, then it was ..... beware of timeshare scams.

With more research....I've been contacted by someone else in this company (BBB list 1 employee). BBB gives them an A rating, but most timeshare resale companies are rated very poorly (shockingly so - most appear to be scams). So despite the BBB rating, asking you to send $ upfront, and saying they have a buyer waiting in the wings who is willing to pay more than you paid for it (and way more than it's worth on RedWeek or TUG) just doesn't sound like a legitimate business. I've been told that I don't need to send any $ until after it closes, but it still doesn't add up (I suspect that they will ask for $ for the title search). I looked them up on the SC Secretary of State's website, and they're not listed, although a company with the same name in Hilton Head registered on 1/25/10; BBB gives the HH one a C because they can't get enough info about them. Given that the MO for scams is pretty similar to this, it looks like I should just use my timeshares to nudge me into taking more vacations.

andersod2 wrote:

I've been told that I don't need to send any $ until after it closes, but it still doesn't add up (I suspect that they will ask for $ for the title search). I looked them up on the SC Secretary of State's website, and they're not listed, although a company with the same name in Hilton Head registered on 1/25/10; BBB gives the HH one a C because they can't get enough info about them. Given that the MO for scams is pretty similar to this, it looks like I should just use my timeshares to nudge me into taking more vacations.

They may call it a title search, an estoppel letter, transfer fee or whatever fee, but all they want is your upfront money then they're history. You really can't go by a BBB rating for these scam companies.

I was contacted by a Marty Herning who said he could sell my Diamond Resort timeshare. He said I would get credit for the maintenance fee that I just paid plus any points I had left over from last year. He indicated that he would fax me the papers with all the info as he had stated and I should sign and return. He said he would do a title search and when everything was completed, I would receive the total check and would then send them the closing cost. I had planned to go through with it but after reading these postings, I am leary.

You have no chance of selling your property. Diamond Resorts is only looking for fresh money to feed the resort program, including the maintenance fees. There is no buy back or take back program. There are no buyers in the second market, even for $1 or free. We are all stuck with this timeshare business. Until the government steps in and regulates the selling and buying business and puts in the realestate laws as they apply to homes, we will have 100% scammers that take money up front labeling it what ever you will respond to, in other words, just give me the money.

donnab491 wrote:

I've been contacted BY (first flag) Michael Fowler of Global Property Services of Myrtle Beach SC with an offer from some buyer to purchase my even-year week (now points) with Diamond Resorts. Because I originally purchased the week from Premier Vacation Club at Los Abrigados in Sedona, he says the value of my deed has increased above the original price I paid because it is now a Diamond prooperty (next flag). When I refused to pay anythig up front, he's changed his tactic and now says he'll request the title search and other documents and let me know if I need to pay $700 into First American Title in escrow Supposedly, the buyer has already paid in a deposit to Global. I'm afraid this is a scam and the lawyer on Answer.com has advised me to run. Just wanted to know if anyone else has had any dealings with this company.

valeriac11 wrote:

He said he would do a title search and when everything was completed, I would receive the total check and would then send them the closing cost. I had planned to go through with it but after reading these postings, I am leary.

I would be more than just leery. I would run away...fast. Closing costs (or any other fees and taxes) would be paid out of the proceeds of the sale, not out of the pocket of the seller.

The people who run these scams should be strung up, sprayed with syrup, and put in a room full of angry bees. Period.

I was contacted by this same person Marty Herning yesterday, March 19th and today March 20, 2013 telling me the same thing...that he could sell my Diamond Resort timeshare and that I would also get credit for the maintenance fee I paid in 2012 and 2013. He told me the couple from Silver City, New Mexico already paid $4,275 (30% of the sale) and the money has been cleared at the bank. He sounded legitimate...he knew how much I paid on the property in 2005 under ILX for the Los Abrigados Property in Sedona...he also knew the maintenance fees I paid from 2006 to 2013. I told him from the beginning that I will never pay any upfront fees to anyone and that he has to deduct the $1,580 fees from the proceeds... from which $810 will be their commission and $35 for recording fee (I will send this money to him as soon as the cashier's check he's going to send me has been deposited and cleared). It looks like the $700+ he tried to collect is pretty standard...he told me I have to send him $735 personal check or cashier's check for the following...$114 for title fee, $270 Warranty Deed, $246 Assignment of Rent, $105 Reconveyance fee. I called the Better Business Bureau after I hang up the phone and found out the number Martin Herning gave me 800-571-1664 or the number he used when he called me from my caller ID 843-410-0592 were different from what is listed under Global Property Services in South Carolina. The address he gave me 4000 S. Faber Place, Charleston, SC 29405 was also different from the 1293 Professional Drive, Myrtle Beach, SC address listed for this company at Better Business Bureau. BBB informed me the 2 Global Property Services in Myrtle Beach, SC and Tilton Head, SC are not BBB accredited. When I googled this Global Property Services, they had 5 complaints and on the BBB complaint, there was a victim who did send $700 and never got their money back. I found out from BBB that Global Property Services principal was Michael Fowler and the company has 1 employee. I wonder if this Michael Fowler and Marty Herning are the same person or working together. How in the world could they get all the information? Is it public information to know the owners of the timeshare properties at Diamond Resort in Sedona? I was almost screaming at this Marty Herning when I hang up the phone telling him I will never pay any upfront money to sell our timeshare.

valeriac11 wrote:

I was contacted by a Marty Herning who said he could sell my Diamond Resort timeshare. He said I would get credit for the maintenance fee that I just paid plus any points I had left over from last year. He indicated that he would fax me the papers with all the info as he had stated and I should sign and return. He said he would do a title search and when everything was completed, I would receive the total check and would then send them the closing cost. I had planned to go through with it but after reading these postings, I am leary.

When will you people stop being so STUPID. Your timeshare is not worth anything. Anyone pitching any kind of scheme for you to get rid of it is a crook. Period. Don't waste your time investigating them. Don't feel betrayed or get your hopes up. If you do you are a FOOL. Every last creep in this business is a pathetic POS out to separate you from your money. Do not even talk to them. When you get junk mail from one of these scams, put it straight in the garbage. If anyone calls about anything relating to "your timeshare", get out a survival whistle and blow it as hard as you can into your phone.