It puts a bad taste in my mouth, and I'm sure I'm far from alone, to hear all the bad press about timeshare scams. Sadder still that the "bad guys" make front page news which always seems to be the case right?
This morning, I myself, as a timeshare owner, received one of those calls. It in a sense amazed me because I live in Florida, was being called by a firm in Florida and it took the party on the other end a little while to realize I was on to them because they were talking so fast.
It was the same song and dance. This company had buyers and renters for my timeshare in the Orlando area. Since I own several, I asked which one, which of course the caller couldn't tell me which one. Really? What was even more amazing to me was that this call was placed to my cell phone. Somewhere and somehow, this company got my number and what is scarier in a sense is the cell phone number is on file with the resorts I own at. This company was coincidentally based in Orlando. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?
My post today is really twofold:
First, to share the good news that authorities have been working overtime to bust some timeshare resale scammers this week and have taken quite a few companies and culprits out of the picture. I will share some of the links below so you can check it all out and if you are like me, you can also breathe a sigh of relief that more of these companies are out of business.
Second, and I can't stress this enough, to remind my fellow timeshare owners out there NEVER to pay upfront fees to sell their timeshare. Legitimate companies don't ask for upfront fees (regardless of the "term" they use for them). When things sound too good to be true, they usually are. While I wear two hats here, as both a timeshare owner and real estate professional, it's important to know among other things that these companies are breaking the law here in Florida with respect to Florida timeshares. Heed the warning and keep the money in your wallet.
If you do need to sell, turn to a licensed Realtor to help you. While we, as real estate professionals, can not guarantee that we can sell anyone's timeshare, we can also help you keep your hard-earned money in your pocket until we conclude a sale as our pay is based on performance.
Anyone can tell you they have a buyer for your timeshare. History has proven that once they collect those upfront fees, usually the parties who fall prey to it wind up disappointed and still haven't achieved their objective, which is to sell their timeshare they no longer use or need.
If you want to sell, find a company that will get paid when they do the job for you. Since timeshare is a real estate product, hire a real estate professional who specializes in timeshares. I would be happy to help if you own a Florida timeshare you wish to put up for sale. Please feel free to fill out this no-obligation information HERE.
Here are the articles and more information for you to look at about recent timeshare scammers that have been taken off the streets. Kudos to the authorities for making that happen!
Florida Timeshare Fraud Case Shows Why You Must Stay Safe As A Seller
FTC Halts Timeshare Property Resale Scam; Telemarketers Falsely Claimed They Had Buyers Lined Up, Agency Alleges
Orlando Police raid timeshare, credit interest telemarketing firm
Stay safe and protect yourself and your timeshare interest!
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