How To Avoid Timeshare Resale Company Scams
There are literally hundreds of timeshare scams circulating
today. Here are a few of the main scams associated with timeshare
resale companies and the tricks used to snare potential owners looking
to sell or rent. Read through this list and make yourself aware before
you fall victim to one of these timeshare scams.
- The Infamous Buyer Waiting - Do not,
under any circumstances, ever let a sales representative tell you
they have a buyer waiting for your timeshare. Unless you have the
ONLY timeshare for sale at a given resort, why would your unit be
the one this buyer is looking for.
- The Crystal Ball - No one can tell
you when a timeshare is going to sell! Unless they are in possession
of the proverbial "crystal ball" how in the world
can they tell you approximately, or even with any degree of certainty,
when a piece of vacation property will sell for sure?
- Sales Representatives Don't Sell Timeshare
- They sit in a boiler room type environment soliciting other owners
to sell or rent their unit. They are not brokers or agents. Don't
let them fool you. By law they cannot show your timeshare to anyone
or charge a commission on the sale. All they are able to do is put
your advertisement online and wait for an interested party to find
it. You can do that by yourself and save hundreds of dollars.
- Inventory Manager Close - This is where
the sales representative hands the phone off to an "inventory
manager" who then proceeds to tell you how much they need your
property in their inventory and offer you a deal if you get this
property listed today. The point is to hurry you into a sale with
pressure. Do Not Bite!
- Over Valued Scam -
With this scam, a sales representative will tell you your timeshare
is worth thousands more than you paid for it in hopes of getting you
to sign up to sell your property with them. Timeshare is not real
estate. If you paid 10K for it 15 years ago, it is still not worth
more now and chances are it's worth less. Don't get caught being greedy!
- Unregulated Fee Scam - Make sure you're
not paying too much for your advertisement. Chances are the sales
person is the one setting your price based on whatever it is they
think they can get away with charging you. This type of unregulated
pricing allows two people with the same advertising to pay different
fees. If they ask you what you do for a living tell them your poor
and you need a discount even if your not.
- The Open House Scam - Some sales people
use this tactic to invoke urgency in the minds of sellers. A rep will
tell an owner that "they will feature their property at an open
house this weekend" and that "there are plenty of vacationing
snowbirds walking in off the streets to inquire about timeshare just
like theirs". This could not be any further from the truth. Unless
the business is located in the "timeshare capital of the world"
this just does not happen. Folks do not just happen into boiler rooms.
- The Deferred Payment - With this scam,
the rep will pass the phone off or put you on hold while they see
if they can get you "a discount" if you promise to sign
up today. They will then return to the phone and tell you that they
could not get a discount but the manager said you can pay half now
and defer the other half until after the sale. Once again this is
a tactic to hurry you into the sale. This scam works well since the
rep has quoted your advertising fee higher than usual to allow for
the discount.
Keep checking back for new and completely different
timeshare scams uncovered by our staff. We post
these scams here to inform and make no reference either
written or implied as to the perpetrator of these scams.
Keeping on top of the game is how to stay protected.