Where do postcard companies get mailing lists?

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

Where do the postcard companies get their mailing lists?

It is clearly not tax lists, as they mail to people who have RTU as well as deeded and those who own overseas as well as in the US. Also many states provide that timeshares are listed for taxes as the whole resort to the HOA rather than by individual owners.

I doubt that there are many if any HOA's or developers who would part with those lists.

That leaves exchange companies, who deny selling the lists. Any other sources or does anyone believe the exchange company denials?

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

Could be the exchange companies selling a list of those who are not using their timeshares. We all know RCI will sell anything for cash. Perhaps they may be getting them from upfront resale companies, who certainly would not have any ethical qualms about selling information.

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

Post card companies get their lists from direct marketing lead companies. Just do a google search and you will find several. These companies make money selling lead lists for everything. I called several up and I found one who admitted selling their list to Timeshare Relief.

The cost is about $500-$1000 for 10000 name, address and telephone numbers. The more info you get about the lead, the more it costs.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

OK- where are the lead companies getting their info from ?

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

Lead companies get their leads from lots of sources including survey companies and any place that you give out personal information about yourself and don't opt out for the relase of that info.

Did you know that Former President Bill Clinton gets paid about $3M per year for one of the biggest companies who provide these lists? That's right Info USA. Look it up.

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

Post card companies get their lists from direct marketing lead companies. Just do a google search and you will find several. These companies make money selling lead lists for everything. I called several up and I found one who admitted selling their list to Timeshare Relief.

The cost is about $500-$1000 for 10000 name, address and telephone numbers. The more info you get about the lead, the more it costs.

But the question, then, is where these companies get those lists. You end up with the same potential primary sources. Direct Marketing companies are a secondary source, not the original source.

They have names on their lists, like mine, who have never used an upfront-fee company, so that is obviously not it.

I cannot think of anyone outside the major exchange companies who COULD be the primary source. Can anyone else?

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

Lead companies get their leads from lots of sources including survey companies and any place that you give out personal information about yourself and don't opt out for the relase of that info.

Did you know that Former President Bill Clinton gets paid about $3M per year for one of the biggest companies who provide these lists? That's right Info USA. Look it up.

I am familiar with some of these companies which provide various political lists. I do know some will pay cash for lists. I know of a former top aid of an elected official who some years ago got fired for selling his boss' contributor list to one of those companies. Most reputable companies in this business, however, are brokers, who are authorized to sell (or technically, they call it ''renting'') various lists.

My information on timeshare ownership would be with the resort, which I know hasn't given it out, one of the major exchange companies, a couple of the independent exchange companies, and TST. There are certainly no surveys that would have my mailing address and fact of timeshare ownership.

They apparently mail a LOT of cards in each location they go to. To get that many names they must have access to a BIG list. Can anyone name anyone in the industry other than the two major exchange companies that possesses that big a list???

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

I'd say that the biggest direct source is probably employees providing it illegally to external companies for under the table bribes.

I rented 2 timeshare units to 2 different renters at the same resort at the same time. Timeshare by owners called my telephone number and asked for the renters. Both on the same day by different reps.

The only people who had that information was the resort itself. No exchange company was involved since I own the timeshares. It was obvious to me that someone at the resort had the guest manifest and sold it to a local company who gave it to Timeshare By owners.

They called my telephone number because I own the timeshare and my telephone number was on the account. But, my guest checked in.

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

Any inquiry you make on a timeshare, through various websites, I believe goes into a database. They make you fill out a form, so then I think that information is shared.

What about timeshare sales presentations? They flag you as owning, too. Those guys would sell their souls to the devil.........so why not your info?

Buy from a postcard or upfront fee company and you have given them the information directly. Advertise a timeshare, and they find you as well. I wonder about Redweek, but I am absolutely sure that My Resort Network information is too easy to obtain. My full name is listed on my postings, so they know what I own, too.

Our Twin Rivers website has hundreds of owners' listings, complete with name and personal information. Anyone can see it. They have your name and phone number, the rest is easy.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

I must be doing something right, because they haven't found me.

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

Any inquiry you make on a timeshare, through various websites, I believe goes into a database. They make you fill out a form, so then I think that information is shared.

What about timeshare sales presentations? They flag you as owning, too. Those guys would sell their souls to the devil.........so why not your info?

Buy from a postcard or upfront fee company and you have given them the information directly. Advertise a timeshare, and they find you as well. I wonder about Redweek, but I am absolutely sure that My Resort Network information is too easy to obtain. My full name is listed on my postings, so they know what I own, too.

Our Twin Rivers website has hundreds of owners' listings, complete with name and personal information. Anyone can see it. They have your name and phone number, the rest is easy.

The problerm, still, is that this is all too fragmented. The postcard companies seem to have extensive lists for people living in a close geographical area but owning very diverse timeshares. I know happy owners who have never listed a timeshare for sale and are offended by the message on the postcards about timeshare who still get the mailings. I just don't believe that it is likely that someone is taking the trouble to put together such diverse sources. The cost of doing so would not pay off for the rather limited universe of businesses renting such lists. It just about has to be someone who already has a huge database.

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

The problerm, still, is that this is all too fragmented. The postcard companies seem to have extensive lists for people living in a close geographical area but owning very diverse timeshares. I know happy owners who have never listed a timeshare for sale and are offended by the message on the postcards about timeshare who still get the mailings. I just don't believe that it is likely that someone is taking the trouble to put together such diverse sources. The cost of doing so would not pay off for the rather limited universe of businesses renting such lists. It just about has to be someone who already has a huge database.

Carolinian,

There is a sufficiently large base of owners of timeshares for these database list companies to focus on them. Anyone who has spent anytime working in the telemarketing industry knows. 3-4M households. They don't just focus on timeshares. They focus on collecting all types of information about these owners from lots of sources. I find it very easy to believe that these list companies can compile these lists in totally legitimate ways.

Stop trying to insinuate that the exchange companies are selling the data to post card companies.

It is FAR more likely that an employee from any of the timeshare companies are stealing the lists and selling them than the exchange company doing it against their own privacy policies.

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

Carolinian,

There is a sufficiently large base of owners of timeshares for these database list companies to focus on them. Anyone who has spent anytime working in the telemarketing industry knows. 3-4M households. They don't just focus on timeshares. They focus on collecting all types of information about these owners from lots of sources. I find it very easy to believe that these list companies can compile these lists in totally legitimate ways.

Stop trying to insinuate that the exchange companies are selling the data to post card companies.

It is FAR more likely that an employee from any of the timeshare companies are stealing the lists and selling them than the exchange company doing it against their own privacy policies.

Again, generalities. I have used list companies for targeted political mailings, and I am somewhat familiar with some of the ways they compile lists. You don't seem to think the major exchange companies are involved, obviously, but you have yet to suggest any plausible specifics of primary sources for such an extensive and diverse list.

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

Carolinian, but some don't get postcards, even though they belong to RCI and II.

I have no idea how they got my name, but there are weeks when I get two of them. I have a collection and I am keeping every one I get.

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

Again, generalities. I have used list companies for targeted political mailings, and I am somewhat familiar with some of the ways they compile lists. You don't seem to think the major exchange companies are involved, obviously, but you have yet to suggest any plausible specifics of primary sources for such an extensive and diverse list.

Yes I have, the owners themselves. They are providing their information to various sources and it gets collected and compiled, sold and resold until the database list companies deliver you leads. I have bought leads from these companies. There are literally thousands of ways they get information on you. Any time you give it out is a possible source.

Here's another that I have described twice, employees of timeshare companies doing it illegally. I know for absolute FACT that it happens and it probably happens in huge scale.

Just because I can't provide specifics, doesn't mean there aren't direct sources. Just because you can only think of one, doesn't mean that is it. I'm not in the database lead list business. If I were, I could describe it in detail. I'm not and neither are most on this board.

You, on the other hand, are trying by insinuation to suggest that because you and others can't describe large sources that the exchange companies must be it. Admit it, that is what you are suggesting.

I have worked in telemarketing. They have surveys that they call out on. They give you a gift to complete an online survey. I've done them many times. So, until you have specific evidence of exchange companies giving out data, you are wrong for implying it.