Timeshare Industry Veteran Tells All

Hello all,

I hope this message finds all those who may be interested.

I've worked at several resorts. I've been the sales rep, the marketing rep, worked the front desk, sold travel club memberships, owned timeshare myself, successfully exited my timeshare, and have figured out some tips, tricks, and secrets that may be useful to others trying to sell, rent, or generally get rid of a timeshare.

Firstly, if you are asking yourself if you did a good thing in buying a timeshare in the first place, the answer is unequivocally YES. You want to travel, see the world, show your family the world. Those are all excellent things to desire.

Second, if you feel like you were lied to during the sales presentation, you probably were. However, most all of us were. There is a reason I didn't make it long as a timeshare sales rep - I was too honest! My sales manager literally told me to 'lie more' and to 'heat it up'. That didn't sit well with me, so that spat in my life didn't last long.

I was, however, able to learn a lot about the industry and about how to better use it, how exchanging actually works, how to rent out weeks... I learned that selling typically isn't an option, that you rarely EVER have to buy more when they claim you MUST, and that exiting your timeshare contract does in fact cost money - but it does work - it just takes some time and a little more money to be completely removed from any obligation associated with the contract.

***Truth About Selling*** Weeks sell better than points. They are actual deeded weeks, with paperwork filed at the county courthouse where the property is deeded. This means you have a tangible 1/52 of a piece of property. Most timeshares will never, ever, sell for what you bought them for from the resort. When you purchase from the resort, you are essentially paying them to put in writing that, "yes, you bought this here, from us, and we'll give you all the benefits associated with giving us all that money".

The timeshare for sale market is chalk full of scams. 99% of the offers to sell your timeshare are scams. Please beware.

Selling will not work the majority of the time.

***Truth About Renting**** Renting out your week is a fairly viable option of recouping the cost of your maintenance fees for the year, but can be a bit of a hassle. You need to be sure your resort will allow it, and be sure that the person you are renting out to is required to place their credit card on file for the stay so that you don't get charged when they break something. THIS IS IMPORTANT. Additionally, be sure and do your home work.

As a guy who has 'been there, done that' with just about every aspect of timeshare, ask you a serious question....WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO RENT IT?

Are you sick of it? Trying to cover fees? Trying to make money? All of those answers mean you may want to consider getting out of the darn thing, but that is just my two cents. See, timeshare is a luxury item....by that I mean, it cost money to be able to travel easily, to pick up the phone and go. It will never be cheaper in the long run - it the difference in an economy car and a luxury vehicle - it is a matter of preference.

***Truth About Exiting Your Timeshare*** The ONLY tried and true way of actually, legally, really getting out of your timeshare contract is to hire a firm who specializes in timeshare exits to do all the paperwork, send legal documents to the resort, the county where you purchased, give them POA, and to, yes, pay them to do all of this... however, PLEASE UNDERSTAND, that as an industry insider, this is LITERALLY THE ONLY WAY TO RELIEVE YOUR OBLIGATIONS TO THE LEGALLY BINDING CONTRACT YOU SIGNED WAY BACK WHEN.

Let me repeat that - DO NOT get scammed and pay a company to list your timeshare for sale, or for rent, or to donate it. They DO NOT WORK.

You're only option, once you've traveled the world and had your fair share of the timeshare life, is to hire some real estate pros and a few attorneys to do the job the right way!

****Just my two cents**** Just thought I'd offer up some advice on this topic. I feel compelled to help anyone who may be confused by the industry in general.

Good luck out there - don't let them talk you into buying ANY more timeshare! They always will...

I have been monitoring this forum for years and I learned one thing : the more a person rants the better chance it's a SCAM !! If you are really honest then you would never have worked for a timeshare as a salesman in the first place. I find your post to be suspicious . I caution anyone to be suspicious of anyone trying to steer you to a website outside the forum. that's how a lot of these scams work. They want to isolate their victims.

I advise everyone to stay in the forum so that others can spot a scam and warn you to avoid them. This forum has been a great place for owners to share advice and concerns. Redweek provides us a safe and secure forum to discuss all aspects of timeshare ownership. The attorney scam is the new post card company scam. They steer you to a law firm that takes your upfront money and then the excuses come until the period to dispute the charge has expired. Read some of the threads and learn from others misfortunes.

Ask yourself why someone all of a sudden appears in the forum and then immediately steers you to another site. To me that's a huge RED FLAG . The general rule is that the more they rant the bigger the SCAM !! Stay in this forum where you are safe and can get feed back from other members.

I tend to think that Don has a pretty good "sniffer." Sometimes, I think he jumps a little fast with some people who are just trying to share information. But, in this case, I think Don is spot-on.

If I am going to subscribe to your news letter, I really don't think you need my complete name as well as my phone number. TUG doesn't require it and neither does Redweek. If you are just trying to share information, just put up a website and allow people to read it. No need to call me. I'll call you.

If you had mentioned the deed-back programs of Wyndham and Diamond, I might have given you more credit. But you didn't.

Glen, your obvious link to your website leaves me a little aghast. The simple little symbols that say "trusted brand" and "low price guarantee" are something that a fourth grader might put on a paper. And your ARDA symbol implies that you are a member in good standing with that organization. A check of the ARDA website makes no mention of your being a member.

Additionally, many of the complaint sites show dissatisfied customers who spent money and got nothing. You mentioned that "I don't make money from my newsletter." Could your newsletter be just a lead-in for you upfront fee scam? Just thinkin......

John you make some very good observations. Scammers come into the forums and act like they are going to save you and then they set the trap. They lure you to another site where they "phish " for information like your name phone number and address. Then like you stated there are misrepresentations and links. Be careful clicking onto a link . They can hack into your computer that way. Once they get enough information they can also steal your identity.

I spent over twenty five years in law enforcement and my mission now is to help prevent people from becoming crime victims . After a career of dealing with people after they have been victimized I decided to become an advocate to prevent the crime in the first place.

Scammers are very clever. They spend all their time developing ways to deceive their victims. They try to gain your confidence by posing as a concerned citizen when in fact they are setting their trap. Some basic rules to follow to avoid the scammers is:

NEVER pay anyone money that claims they can get you out of your contract.

NEVER use an attorney that you " heard about " from someone you don't know on the internet. If you feel you need an attorney use one where you live . There are plenty of competent attorneys in every community.

NEVER give your personal information to anyone you don't personally know.

NEVER go to a website that you are lured to on the internet.

NEVER click on a link especially on a site you are not familiar with.

If it sounds " too good to be true " then it is.

Follow your instincts if you feel something looks suspicious.

I have never asked anyone for personal information or money and I never will. I will continue to warn people to avoid scams. I would rather err on the side of caution and ruffle the feathers of someone who is not out to steal your money but that's better than letting the scammers have a free ride.

What firm would you recommend hiring to get out of a timeshare?

There isn't any law firm that can get you out of your timeshare unless you can prove fraud. You signed a legally binding contract. Try calling your home resort and tell them your circumstances and ask them to take it back . I got rid of two timeshares in 2011 that way. I explained to them that I was going to get rid of them with or without their assistance and that it was in their best interest to work with me. I made a few phone calls and made sure I was talking with someone that handles the titles. I made it clear to them that if they didn't work with me it would cost them a lot of money in lost maintenance fees and legal fees. They could tell that I was serious and they worked with me. It took only a few weeks and it was inexpensive. Some resorts will require you to pay the next years maintenance fees to give them time to find a new owner. You also have to up to date on all your fees and assessments.

NEVER pay anyone money upfront that claims they can get you out of your contract especially a bottom feeding attorney . No attorney can guarantee you results but they want their money upfront. Be your own advocate and save yourself from being ripped off by unfulfilled promises by anyone.

Hi donp196,

I am not at all surprised that you, along with many other timeshare owners, are highly suspicious of scams. The industry is full of them. It is true that I own and operate a firm that provides legal & legitimate exit solutions. We do things the right way. As beneficial as timeshare ownership can be, the need for the services that I provide are in need are a in fact a necessary aspect of the industry. I was messaged by a forum administrator informing me that the link to my website had been removed since it was seen as an advertisement. This is of course understandable.

Tell me, what is someone to do when they are done using their timeshare due to financial, health, or other reasons, when their resort is giving them the cold shoulder and dragging out the process? What are you going to do once you are finished with yours? I've simply 'been there, done that' and have become expert at navigating the legal landscape of title transfers, attorney cancellations, and what is called Mortgage Relief, which is an accepted legal process that the resorts cannot ignore.

I do not take lightly being called a scam or a liar. I am sure you've been scammed and lied to many-a-time about various aspects relating to your ownership, so I understand your concern. However, I am not in that group. I have figured out, along with a board of attorneys who are well versed in the timeshare industry, a set of legal avenues that DO IN FACT remove one's obligation to a timeshare contract. Period.

Additionally, yes, the service costs money. Yes, it costs money upfront. Once we accept a case, our entire team works to complete the exit process. We do not work for free, nor does any other firm who will perform this service for someone in need. We are the Robin Hoods of the industry, we do good for people who feel they have been wronged. I am sure you still believe I am some scammer, and that is OK. I just hope that once you are ready to depart from your legal obligations to your perpetual contact that you yourself are an expert. The resorts have deep pockets and expertise, something I hope you are prepared to tackle alone.

Hi Johni116,

The deedback programs of Wyndham and Diamond are acceptable programs and can be options. However, those resorts are mainstream and are pillars of the American Resort Developers Association, which has kept an eye on timeshare exit methods such as ones that I provide.

Unfortunately, these don't always work and ultimately there are lots of folks who own at smaller resort companies who do not offer such services. I apologize for not mentioning these services.

Have a great day.

Hi,

I am not present on ARDA as 'Timeshare Rescue' since I am the marketing face for a core group of companies that I work closely with - similar to how Progressive Insurance gathers your information and finds quotes from a handful of their marketing partners who actually underwrite the insurance plans.

Additionally, my website is about 1 month old and again, is not itself the legal entity. This information will become clear to anyone who wishes to explore their options. I am able to offer quote from 3 core companies who do perform these exits daily, and are in good standing with the BBB and with ARDA. See, the firms I represent have learned to work with the industry, not against it. Believe it or not, they are the ones who do perform the backend paperwork for many of the big resorts. They saw the need, and have hired me and my company to prospect, or market, their services.

Sorry for any confusion. Glen

Hi kayb38,

You should first attempt to contact your resort. That would be the easiest and least expensive method. Be courteous, but firm. They will not be happy to transfer the title out of your name, but they should comply.

Services that I represent are the last resort. Contrary to the last answer given here, attorneys can in fact get you out. However, that is the last, last resort.

The most viable option if your resort is not cooperating is to get some assistance transferring the title out of your name. They will comply with a reputable transfer company, which again, is who I represent.

I wish you the best of luck. Glen

gleng78 wrote:

.... The ONLY tried and true way of actually, legally, really getting out of your timeshare contract is to hire a firm who specializes in timeshare exits to do all the paperwork, send legal documents to the resort, the county where you purchased, give them POA, and to, yes, pay them to do all of this... however, PLEASE UNDERSTAND, that as an industry insider, this is LITERALLY THE ONLY WAY TO RELIEVE YOUR OBLIGATIONS TO THE LEGALLY BINDING CONTRACT YOU SIGNED WAY BACK WHEN.

Nonsense. SOME of what this intrepid fellow initially had to say actually made good sense, including his more recent suggestion to approach the resort to accept a "deedback". However, the specific paragraph that I've isolated and quoted above from his first post is just pure, unadulterated crap and nonsense. It is obviously just a pitch for one of the (far too many) upfront fee parasites that offer empty promises of an easy and magical "exit / relief / rescue / escape" (choose whichever word you prefer, each one can be used interchangeably) from the legal obligations of timeshare ownership. Nope, sorry --- there ain't any magic beans, no pixie dust --- and no Easter Bunny or Santa Claus either.

I have a strong legal and investigative background and have been a timeshare owner and user for nearly 30 years. It is certainly true that timeshare ownership is a legally binding contractual obligation. Whether the timeshare was purchased directly from a developer or in the secondary market makes no difference in terms of that legally binding obligation.

To claim to "specialize in timeshare exits" is just fuzzy hype. There are certainly numerous outfits (like the one this fellow is subtly advertising for free here) which will happily take thousands of dollars from you and then, using a Power of Attorney (PoA) on your behalf, TRY to dump the timeshare on eBay for a dollar, or somewhere else for dirt cheap. If they fail to find a legitimate new "grantee", you STILL own that timeshare (and all of the associated legal obligations) --- but you now unfortunately have a few thousand dollars less in your bank account. Other promised "magical exits" have come to be nicknamed "Viking Ships". These are just phony entities, usually in the form of a bogus LLC, which will (again, for a few thousand dollars upfront) willingly become the new owner of record for your timeshare, with no intentions of ever actually paying any fees at any time in the future. However, this is essentially fraud, by pre-planned, deliberate and willful design --- and any participation in such a fraudulent scheme potentially makes any and every participant criminally culpable. Not a very wise direction in which to knowingly travel.

A timeshare owner might very well have to give a low demand, low value timeshare away for FREE. They might even have to offer to pay all of the closing costs themselves just to find a new, willing "grantee". Yes, they might further even have to offer to pay the current years' maintenance fee bill themselves just to get rid of the ownership, but the transfer will at least then be clean --- and lawful. None of this is particularly good or welcome news, but paying ANY upfront fee parasite thousands of dollars for a non-existent "magical exit" is nothing but a fool's errand, plainly and simply stated. Don't fall for any such empty, meaningless (and ultimately very expensive) promises and fairy tales. Any timeshare owner willing to exert a little time and effort can accomplish the same thing entirely on their own --- WITHOUT paying any opportunistic parasites thousands of dollars.

The plain, simple and straightforward truth is that there is no pixie dust or "specialist" or magic potion, with OR without a PoA, to easily or quickly make a lawful exit from the legally binding contractual obligations of timeshare ownership. Anyone who claims otherwise is just lying to you --- but will still be quite happy to take your money if, in your frazzled and desperate state, you are somehow able and willing to just "suspend disbelief" and pony up a significant portion of your hard earned income to no productive end. Please don't fall for any such nonsense --- or you will do so at your peril (and at considerable expense) just to learn a hard, painful and expensive lesson. It's your money. Forewarned is forearmed.

ken1193,

Appreciate the input. I'll simply go about my business of my empty promises. We're conduct, legally and ethically, around 150 of these 'empty promises' every week. We're the last resort once all reasonable avenues have been explored, such as the first line options you have explained. Unfortunately, many folks are at wits end, which is where we are able to help.

Our core practice is to transfer the title to a new, willing grantee. This can be an individual or an organization who will add the ownership to their inventory for rental. We do not engage in the unethical practice that you have described, although I can understand your distrust. Our industry has a horrible reputation for such practice. In the last few years, many states' attorneys general have done a good job weeding out such operations.

We in fact do specialize in these magical 'timeshare exits', as do many other firms. This is literally all we do. We have a staff of 34 professionals, from attorneys to administrative and customer service folks, who do nothing more than conduct the business of timeshare liquidations, transfers, sales, and when necessary, pursue mortgage relief litigation due to deceptive sales practices.

What we do is not magical, nor do we claim that to be the case. We send letters, do paperwork, go to court when needed. We conduct business, we do not spread pixie dust.

What we do is not difficult once you understand it all. We do things you can do on your own. We are trained to do this, and we do it well. Therefore, we charge for our services. So do plumbers. You could learn, fairly quickly, how to sweat pipes and replace a ring on a toilet, but plumbers are damn good at it.

Glen

gleng78 wrote:

We do things you can do on your own.

Bingo! Which is why when people come on these boards asking "Have you heard of such-and-such Timeshare cancellation company who will charge us thousands of dollars to cancel our timeshare", most here try to tell them that they can "cancel" their timeshare for a lot less money if they put forth a little time and effort.

NEVER pay anyone money upfront that claims they can get you out of your contract. These snake oil salesman have been trolling the forums for years ripping people off for their hard earned money. Anyone dumb enough to fall for the " new twist " on this scam deserves to lose their money.

It appears that attempted self-promotion / free advertising links gratuitously provided by gleng78 previously have now been appropriately removed by RedWeek moderators.

Accordingly, it seems that Glen won't be using these discussion forums as a venue to (not very subtly) solicit victims into his company's exit / relief / rescue / escape "services".

Glen, if you want to advertise, do what LEGITIMATE businesses do --- BUY advertising somewhere and use it to accurately describe and spell out your alleged "services" in clear and specific detail, openly and clearly identifying the specific costs and fees involved --- but I doubt that you are in any hurry to openly disclose actual cost of your alleged "services".

Ok.....this probably falls under the dumb question category but I am going to fire away anyway. My unit is deeded and fully paid for......what if I do a quit claim deed back to the resort? My next question is do foreclosures on time shares effect your credit, or do creditors "get it".

thanks for indulging.

danielc496 wrote:

My unit is deeded and fully paid for......what if I do a quit claim deed back to the resort? My next question is do foreclosures on time shares effect your credit, or do creditors "get it".

First of all, a Quit Claim Deed is not quite what it might sound like. It does not mean that you just sign a form, hand it in to the resort, and then you are clear of the deed. The resort has to agree to take it back, whether willingly or reluctantly. You can ask the resort's Homeowners' Association if they will take the deed back. They might say Yes or might say No. Sometimes, if they say Yes, they will ask you to pay closing costs and maybe even the next maintenance fee.

As for if creditors "get it", I don't think it will mean anything to your current creditors if your unit goes into foreclosure. What you might be worried about is possible future creditors and if they will "get it". I guess that all depends on the creditor. Some might see your credit score or history being affected and raise interest rates. Some might see you as a risk. Others might take the opposite approach and see that you have shed yourself of this yearly maintenance fee obligation and now have more money to work with.

My suggestion is, before simply letting it go into foreclosure, try finding a buyer or taker for your unit.

danielc496 wrote:

My unit is deeded and fully paid for......what if I do a quit claim deed back to the resort? My next question is do foreclosures on time shares effect your credit, or do creditors "get it".

A requirement of any valid deed transfer is "acceptance". In other words, the resort HOA must overtly AGREE to accept a "deedback"; it's not a "one sided" deal. Whether by QC or Warranty Deed does not matter one bit; ACCEPTANCE is still a legal requirement.

Your foreclosure question / issue has a less clear answer. Some resorts won't report a foreclosure, some will. A loan default will ALWAYS be reported, but you indicate your ownership is paid in full. Short answer is "there is no way to really know for sure".

How a timeshare foreclosure is perceived by a lender also varies. None ever regard it favorably of course, but it might not be "fatal" if it's the ONE AND ONLY ding in a long credit history. If you're young, a foreclosure in early adulthood will not be regarded positively.

I looked on Redweek.com. It does not show very many sales. I own in Maui. I want to get out because my child is not interested and can't afford to pay for this timeshare since it is deeded. Have you heard of All Seasons Travel group? And if a group has an A plus rating on BBB does that mean anything? Thanks, I'll continue to look here for suggestions and tips. Mo