How low can they go? Ebay sellers are really selling cheaper than ever.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Sorry to intrude but what's a Post Card company?

Carol, click on 'search' at the top of the page...there are more than a few threads regarding these companies ///////////////////////////

[CarolF Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close CarolF]

Carol, click on 'search' at the top of the page...there are more than a few threads regarding these companies ///////////////////////////

Woops, I didn't think to do that.

Now I know why they are called Post Card.

Thanks Pat

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Woops, I didn't think to do that.

Now I know why they are called Post Card.

Thanks Pat

Carol, I hope that isn't an 'embarassed smilie because i just wanted to point you in the right direction - sorry if it sounded 'short'.

But it looks like they make it up on the closing costs + advance collection of maintenance fees (months before due).

Very Short version - The people selling the $1 or 100 TS aren't the 'true' owners - they get them from people who pay them $3500 to TAKE these TS and then they sell them to you for a low price PLUS inflated closing fees + MFs for current year paid to them or their own closing company.

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

There is more than one resale market. The biggest difference is the offline market vs. the online market. Offline commands the highest resale prices. Online commands the lowest.

Typically, the highest resale price is achieved at a timeshare resale outlet right next to a resort where the developer is still selling timeshares. Or, in the resale office of the resort itself.

Then, there is the online resale market. Sometimes, finding the right resort is like finding a needle in a haystack. People bid or make offers on timeshares only after they know they want one. When they start looking, they inevitably run into various websites where those timeshares are being sold. When they see the offering price, they either decide to make an offer or they bid on an auction.

There is a third type buyer who wants help from a broker rather doing the searching themselves. These people want a good deal, but don't want to spend the time and effort finding one and validating that it is real. Those brokers get a premium over the eBay or the private sale price. Their value is hassle free timeshare purchases.

The problem is that there is no single marketplace on the internet to find ALL of the available inventory for what you are seeking. You tend to go where your searches have taken you.

[janapur Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close janapur]

Hi Cindy. I follow a lot of your threads on another forum, so I feel that I know you somewhat.

My husband and I dicuss this topic frequently, and ponder different developer strategies that may be implemented some day to prevent the firesales on ebay. I just assume that something has to change . . . doesn't everyone know about ebay. And then I am dumbfounded by the people I meet who apparently do not.

Case in point are my parents in law. They own a weak trader in MN and have always complained about it being the worst "investment" they ever made. They traveled (not by timeshare) to Hawaii and bought a week at Sands of Kahanna, which they use every year. This was before I joined the family. I helped them trade into Lawrence Welk resort and they came home as OWNERS. Of course I didn't learn this until after the recission period. I just about flipped, but what could I say that wouldn't depress them? I should mention that my FIL is a retired accountant and treasurer for the city of Minneapolis.

All of their weeks were purchased from developers. Since they complain about not enough time in Hawaii, I bid on an auction on ebay for a Sands of Kahanna 1BR and got it for $2036. I offered the week to them and was willing to keep the week if they declined . . . kind of forcing them to trust me about resale. They gleefully accepted and still don't believe that I got it for so cheap. I'll have to get another week and hope they don't accept this time!

Keep writing Cindy. I enjoy the read.

Jana

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

Boca is right about resale venues. On the OBX, resales through the local storefront broker, which has been around almost as long as there has been t/s on the OBX, go far, far higher than eBay resales.

The last time I sold a t/s myself on the OBX, I used a classified ad in a local newspaper, and had several people accept my asking price. Too bad I only had the one week I wanted to sell.

Ebay is the last place I would suggest anyone try to sell a week these days, but is a great place to buy.

It almost makes you wonder if the postcard companies are deliberately depressing eBay in order to decrease alternatives for their patsies.

[Spence Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Spence]

It almost makes you wonder if the postcard companies are deliberately depressing eBay in order to decrease alternatives for their patsies.

Now that's a thought.

[Bill4728 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Bill4728]

It almost makes you wonder if the postcard companies are deliberately depressing eBay in order to decrease alternatives for their patsies.

Wow, Sometime you just don't know were these threads will go.

" the postcard company deliberately depressing prices to make their business look like a better idea." That an idea we should spread around. LOL

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Ebay is the last place I would suggest anyone try to sell a week these days, but is a great place to buy.

It almost makes you wonder if the postcard companies are deliberately depressing eBay in order to decrease alternatives for their patsies.

It certainly appears that way - but do the people who pay the companies the $3500 to take their 'worthless' TSs KNOW they end up on ebay?
For people who have attended these presentations, do they use ebay as a marketing tool to show the 'marks' what their supposedly worthless TSs are worth?

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Hi Cindy. I follow a lot of your threads on another forum, so I feel that I know you somewhat.

My husband and I dicuss this topic frequently, and ponder different developer strategies that may be implemented some day to prevent the firesales on ebay. I just assume that something has to change . . . doesn't everyone know about ebay. And then I am dumbfounded by the people I meet who apparently do not.

Case in point are my parents in law. They own a weak trader in MN and have always complained about it being the worst "investment" they ever made. They traveled (not by timeshare) to Hawaii and bought a week at Sands of Kahanna, which they use every year. This was before I joined the family. I helped them trade into Lawrence Welk resort and they came home as OWNERS. Of course I didn't learn this until after the recission period. I just about flipped, but what could I say that wouldn't depress them? I should mention that my FIL is a retired accountant and treasurer for the city of Minneapolis.

All of their weeks were purchased from developers. Since they complain about not enough time in Hawaii, I bid on an auction on ebay for a Sands of Kahanna 1BR and got it for $2036. I offered the week to them and was willing to keep the week if they declined . . . kind of forcing them to trust me about resale. They gleefully accepted and still don't believe that I got it for so cheap. I'll have to get another week and hope they don't accept this time!

Keep writing Cindy. I enjoy the read.

Jana

You are a good and patient D-I-L

[Carol C Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Carol C]

Boca is right about resale venues. On the OBX, resales through the local storefront broker, which has been around almost as long as there has been t/s on the OBX, go far, far higher than eBay resales.

The last time I sold a t/s myself on the OBX, I used a classified ad in a local newspaper, and had several people accept my asking price. Too bad I only had the one week I wanted to sell.

Ebay is the last place I would suggest anyone try to sell a week these days, but is a great place to buy.

It almost makes you wonder if the postcard companies are deliberately depressing eBay in order to decrease alternatives for their patsies.

Ahhh...but what came first, the chicken or the egg?

[shopgirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close shopgirl]

Ahhh...but what came first, the chicken or the egg?

The greatest philosopical question of all time!

Jana, you are very kind.

Your frustration with your parents-in-law remind me of my own situation, as I provide advice to many posts via private messages when they are thinking of buying an expensive timeshare somewhere. I ask them what their goals are for the week. Many of them only want to go to Orlando, so I ask, "why buy Orlando?" I give them my experiences with my low MF timeshare weeks that I bought for less than $1K for the weeks. I have even allowed a few to use my Interval International log-in to search with my weeks. They see all the availability for themselves, but then they say, "I don't see any Florida or South Carolina beach summer weeks." Well, this last person was searching early April. Of course that inventory is gone, which I explained, but that lack of inventory prompted him to go with the Platinum Marriott.

I do the math for them, then some just go out and buy a Marriott Platinum week anyway. I am always glad when they buy resale, but I feel like I am talking to a wall sometimes. If it ain't there, you can't pull it with anything! Now perhaps Marriott's priority will help, but I saw him post recently on TUG and his week is going to waste for this year, if the closing takes a while.

[falmouth3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close falmouth3]

My in-laws owned 2 TS, both bought from the developers. After they got the first one that they didn't use, they bought the second.

Then they wanted to get rid of both of them. I suggested giving them to a charity or selling them on ebay. Of course they ignored all the infomation I gave them and gave someone an upfront fee to sell it for them. Guess what. It didn't sell. So they gave one to a travel club - and paid an extra fee.

Finally, they gave (or sold?) the second one to their other son. I guess they didn't want to hear the good advice that I gleaned from this and other resources. It's their money. Last weekend they were telling us that their new travel club may be going belly up. At least I think they're done buying TS retail.

Sue

[RedMan Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RedMan]

I watch Hawaii, North Carolina, Colorado, Bluegreen, Fairshare/Fairfield, Marriott, and Hiltons regularly and have seen some amazing deals.

The recent and current Bluegreen auctions seem to be selling higher than normal to me. I think I will stay away from those bidding wars.

[Joestein Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Joestein]

I have noticed that the prices for FF/Wyndham seem to be going down. When I bought my first timeshare in 2005, I paid around 2 cents a point, but in the purchase I made a few weeks ago, I paid a little less than 1 cent a point.

Joe