Timeshare Scams

• Sell Your Timeshare
• Timeshare Relief
• Timeshare Resales
• Timeshare Scams

The current chaos in the timeshare industry has opened the door for timeshare scam companies to prey on unsuspecting owners. These timeshare scam companies may advertise themselves as marketing companies, legal companies, and even timeshare re-sale companies, but in the end, they are all the same. Below, you will find the most prevalent timeshare scams, and what you can do to avoid them.

Scam #1

A representative from a timeshare scam company will contact you about a timeshare that you have recently listed for sale. The conversation will unfold as follows:

Caller: Hello, this is John Smith from XYZ Timeshare Sales, and I have a buyer who is very interested in your timeshare. Are you still interested in selling your timeshare?

Timeshare Owner: I am still interested in selling it. I have listed it for sale with a listing company, but I would like to hear your offer.

Caller: Perfect! We have a very motivated buyer who is willing to pay $24,999 for your property. All we need is 10% down to get the process started, and you will receive the rest of the money after your timeshare is sold. What credit card would you like to charge the $2,499 to today?

Keep in mind, no reputable company will ever ask you to pay for a buyer and/or a sale. Once these companies have your credit card information, you are essentially out of luck. The company has your money, you still have your timeshare, and there is nothing that you can do about it. Timeshare scam companies like these have been operating in Florida for decades, and have recently come under fire from the state’s Attorney General’s office.
Click here for a list of companies currently under investigation

Scam #2

Another popular timeshare scam occurs when a timeshare donation company charges a donor to donate a timeshare, and the donation is not legitimate. There are many timeshare donation companies that operate in this manner. There is only one question a timeshare owner must ask a timeshare donation company to determine if they are operating above board and in a legitimate manner; “What is the name of the charity that will be taking ownership of the property?� For a timeshare donation to be completely legitimate, the company that issues the donation receipt must take ownership of the property.

Scam #3

The most prevalent timeshare scam involves unscrupulous timeshare listing companies promising unsuspecting timeshare owners that they will “guarantee� the sale of their timeshare or that they already have a buyer secured. This company will tell the unsuspecting owner that they need to sign the listing agreement in order to complete the sale, and sign up for a small fee (usually $100-$1,000). Once the owner signs the agreement and pays the membership/listing fee, there is no incentive to actually sell the property. In fact, there is an incentive to not sell the property, as many customers will renew their membership with the timeshare listing company at least one additional time. Simply put, trusting a listing company that makes guarantees about the sale of the property is never a good idea. Also, there are many honest, reliable companies with which to list your timeshare. www.myresortnetwork.com, www.thetimeshareworld.com, www.redweek.com, and tug2.com/timesharemarketplace are the best of the best. While some of these listing sites do charge a small upfront fee, they are accepted industry wide as the leaders of the timeshare listing movement.

Related Links