Shopgirl assailed by Timeshare Relief in the newest TST magazine

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

The scumbags at Timeshare Relief wrote a response to Shopgirl's article in the previous magazine issue. Notable comments included that they never sell timeshares and have to pay someone to take them off their hands. They never mention that it will cost you 3 to 4k for them to take your timeshare off your hands.

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

The scumbags at Timeshare Relief wrote a response to Shopgirl's article in the previous magazine issue. Notable comments included that they never sell timeshares and have to pay someone to take them off their hands. They never mention that it will cost you 3 to 4k for them to take your timeshare off your hands.

Yikes!

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

Unbelievable!!!

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

The scumbags at Timeshare Relief wrote a response to Shopgirl's article in the previous magazine issue. Notable comments included that they never sell timeshares and have to pay someone to take them off their hands. They never mention that it will cost you 3 to 4k for them to take your timeshare off your hands.

They don't sell timeshares, they have an agreement with VINinc or whoever to take every one of the TS they take in, the good and the bad. They tell you at their presentation that they go to some fictitious Event Planner.

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

All I can say is

Spence is right, VINinc sells the weeks. The relationship between the two is quite cozy. I would bet that Chad Newbold is related to the MacMillans.

I wasn't just talking about Timeshare Relief. We Collect Timeshares just went under investigation and both the closing company, and the people who conduct these presentations, are one in the same. Janie666 on TUG was an employee that answered many calls from elderly people who thought the timeshare was over and done with the $3,495, but they were still getting maintenance fee bills and late charges. She felt very sorry for them and was fired for being compassionate.

I just wonder how many people are going to contact Timeshare Relief that subscribe to the magazine? Not many. Why bother to pay for a half-page ad in a magazine written for timeshare owners that are happy?

I don't get it. Oh, well, I am just going to continue informing people, no matter what people here or on TUG say to me about it.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

They don't sell timeshares, they have an agreement with VINinc or whoever to take every one of the TS they take in, the good and the bad. They tell you at their presentation that they go to some fictitious Event Planner.

We went to one of these presentations too some time ago now. They wouldn't take all the properties from everyone on the spot as there were already some exceptions then. They would let you know later, they told us at that meeting. They didn't tell you either that you were still responsible for any fees that became due while you had paid them already. They did mention that you would belong to a club and could travel through them.

Nobody signed up that afternoon and that was strange according to the guy who gave the meeting. They had a second meeting later that evening. I haven't received a postcard now for quite a while but we do get some strange calls lately. I asked this person last week how he got our number because it is unlisted but he said that he got it from RCI. I don't believe that RCI would give that information out so I still wonder how he got it?

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

RCI has already shown they will sell whatever they can to put money in their pocket. When they rent out exchange deposits, is it really so strange that they would also sell your phone number?

We went to one of these presentations too some time ago now. They wouldn't take all the properties from everyone on the spot as there were already some exceptions then. They would let you know later, they told us at that meeting. They didn't tell you either that you were still responsible for any fees that became due while you had paid them already. They did mention that you would belong to a club and could travel through them.

Nobody signed up that afternoon and that was strange according to the guy who gave the meeting. They had a second meeting later that evening. I haven't received a postcard now for quite a while but we do get some strange calls lately. I asked this person last week how he got our number because it is unlisted but he said that he got it from RCI. I don't believe that RCI would give that information out so I still wonder how he got it?

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

good for you, shopgirl!
Connie

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I have been assailed myself, a time or two, and be assailed is not fun, especially when you are the assailee.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

I have been assailed myself, a time or two, and be assailed is not fun, especially when you are the assailee.

If only you could just add a "w", so you would get wassailed instead.

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

Why can't these people just tell the truth?? Why is their presentation so filled with lies?

They could tell the truth and some ( maybe many) people would still be so disparate to get rid of their TS, that they would still pay them to "take the TS off their hands"

These guys are scum-bags!

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

If only you could just add a "w", so you would get wassailed instead.

Pretty good, oglodyte!
Connie

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

For those of you that don't take the magazine:

Crazy suggestion
In the July/August 2007 Issue #94 of
TimeSharing Today, Cindy from Colorado,
(also known as shopgirl on Timeshare
Forums and rickandcindy on TUG) submitted
a letter filled with nonsense and lies.
Its one thing for someone to come up with
a bright idea that would help out people in
any given industry, but that’s definitely
not an accurate description of the “crazy
suggestion” mumbo jumbo she wrote.
Cindy buys and sells timeshares,
which she mentions in her letter. Naturally,
like most people who make money in
the timeshare industry, she’s unhappy
when anyone comes along that might deter
people from buying into her timeshare
scheme, thereby reducing her potential
profits.
Timeshare Relief, Inc. is a great company
and we help out people who aren’t
happy with their timeshares, and they’re
extremely happy we exist. She states
outright that two weeks after one of our
presentations, we list the timeshares on
eBay. This is blatantly untrue. Timeshare
Relief, Inc. does not and has not ever sold
or bought timeshares. The truth is that
we have to pay to get rid of these
timeshares.
She finally gets to her “crazy suggestion”
that the resorts should take back the
deeds from the owners who don’t want
the timeshares anymore. What a novel
idea! Why didn’t anyone else think of
that? Oh, wait, we did try that, and they
told us, “We’re in the business of selling
timeshares, sorry!” Cindy also suggested
that the owners pay a year or two of maintenance
fees in advance as an incentive.
I’m sorry; I thought you were trying to
save them money, Cindy. Wait, that’s right,
she says if the resorts take them back, they
can shut down companies like us.
Finally, she talks about helping the
underdogs, the smaller resorts. How sad.
Those poor small resorts that need Cindy’s
help. Gosh, I thought she was looking
out for the consumers against big bad
companies like Timeshare Relief, Inc.
At Timeshare Relief, Inc. our goal is
to help people get out of timeshares they
do not want and do not use. The people
who decide to work with us have tried
every manner of escape from their contracts,
including such things as renting,
listing, giving back their deeds or points,
donating to charity and they’ve found that
nothing has worked for them. We never
buy or sell these timeshares and, so far,
our business has helped thousands of
people rid themselves of a lifetime financial
burden.
David MacMillan and Cindy Martin,
Owners and Founders,
Timeshare Relief, Inc., Torrance, CA

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

Why Timeshare Relief is wrong and dishonest:

1. They posted on TUG under assumed names several times, arguing with many of us about the value of Timeshare Relief, speaking as customers of TR.

2. I don't sell timeshares for anyone, only for our own personal use, so they are once again accusing me of being in the business of timeshare resales.

3. Paying two months of maintenance fees at any resort is much less than $3,495, which is what they charge, so I was talking about money savings for the invidividual.

4. They do sell the timeshares through VINinc., yet they left that out, though who knows the relationship between the two. We know they sell exclusively through VINinc.

5. Small resorts are owned by people, not by developers, and helping small resorts also helps the people who own there. So my crazy suggestion was not all that crazy.

Something you all need to know is that my letter was edited by Ray Jacobs.

Here it is:

Cindy,

Thanks for your thoughtful letter. We do not recommend Timeshare Relief and, in fact, either in the original article or subsequently, I pointed out ways to "get out from under," including conveying the week to a dummy corporation.

I will be published your letter, probably with some slight editing, in the upcoming issue or in the Sep/Oct issue.

Ray Jacobs, Editor
----- Original Message -----

To: staff@tstoday.com
Sent: Monday, June 04, 2007 8:38 AM
Subject: Timeshare Relief


Dear Timesharing Today Staff,

I guess your company is recommending Timeshare Relief to people who want to be rid of a timeshare. I thought your magazine, along with Timeshare Users Group - Timeshare Owners Helping Each other, Unbiased Timeshare Information for All Owners, Buy Sell Rent Timeshare and www.timeshareforums.com, were in the business of helping timeshare owners, but Timeshare Relief used Ray Jacobs' article as a testament for the company on their website. I think they are just as guilty as any upfront fee company because they take advantage of those who are uneducated and uninformed.

We have been subscribers of your magazine for many years, and have even contributed reviews and articles to your publication. We own 19 timeshares at the present time and are constantly assessing and evaluating our timeshare portfolio. We do not feel "stuck" with any of our ownerships and know we can easily sell any of our weeks, with a well-written ad, posted on many different resale sites, like Redweek and My Resort Network.

It amazes me that Ray could come out of a presentation by these guys with any kind of positive impression. I read that article over and over again in disbelief. Timeshare Relief representatives started pulling the paperwork away from Ray, the moment he identified himself. That is cause enough for a bad review of their company. If they are afraid to show their paperwork, they have something to hide.

Personally, I have a big problem with Timeshare Relief, Time No More, Vacation Solutions, Timeshare Acquisitions, etc., all of whom charge $3,495 to owners who want out of their timeshare ownerships. My first problem is the dishonesty. Some timeshares are not worth much, that is true enough, but many that these companies acquire are very valuable. They sell large numbers of Hawaii weeks on eBay. I have purchased from their companies, though unknowingly. They do not disclose the amounts they expect to sell the timeshares for. They talk about various uses for the timeshares, like conferences or vacation clubs. None of that is even remotely true. Within two weeks of one of their presentations, Timeshare Relief lists them on eBay.

It really bothers me that the number of postcard companies is growing. I have a collection of postcards from eight different companies. More and more people are finding themselves with these timeshares still in their names, as the postcard companies have not done anything with the deeds, and the maintenance fee bills still coming. The reason for this is the way the postcard companies transfer the weeks. They actually don't get the week out of the name of the seller until they have a buyer, so weeks that don't sell easily are going to be in the original owner's name for a good long time. The fees become due and the resort sends the next bill to the owner.

Timeshare Relief has a long list of resorts they will not even take, so they don't even help with the "dog" weeks. Shouldn't they take anything, if the nature of their business is in helping people rid themselves of unwanted timeshares? I think so. But they only want weeks that are sellable. Their entire sales spiel is negative and downgrades the value of timeshares. After all, they are charging owners to take the weeks back, and telling them that timeshares can't even sell for $1.00 on eBay, so they are saying all timeshares are a waste of money. Really? Are Hawaii weeks worth nothing? Then why do these same companies set reserve prices of thousands of dollars for those weeks, when they sell them on eBay?

It pains me to see weeks at our own resorts selling on eBay for $1.00. One of our resorts is 26 years old and has been kept up nicely, with all new kitchens and constant updates, so our weeks are worth a lot more than postcard companies are claiming.

I have a somewhat limited understanding of how these companies work. But I do know there are two closings that take place simultaneously, at the expense of the new buyer. The timeshare is transferred to the name of the representative of the postcard company, then it is transferred to the new buyer in a second transaction. There are two separate recordings of the deed. The postcard companies get power of attorney of the week, that way they are sure to make the cash in a ROFR situation, too. The glitch is that someone must purchase the week first, and some companies seem to be in no hurry to find a buyer. Some resorts take deeds back and the postcard companies know it and take advantage of that as well. Resorts need to educate owners, especially when they have a policy in place that allows deed backs.

Now for a crazy suggestion: If all resorts would just allow owners to give their deeds back, with one or two years of maintenance fees in advance to give the resorts time to resell and giveaway weeks, we could cut down on the need for these companies. I see a movement toward that direction, where resorts are able to offer this as an alternative to owners who feel so desperate that they would pay these companies to rid themselves of a timeshare. Along with that, I am hoping Timesharing Today would consider donating a page in the classified ads for HOA's to advertise these weeks for FREE, with the only cost being the closing. If we get the names of resorts out there, we can help all timeshare owners by getting these unwanted weeks into new owners' hands. TUG and Timeshareforums are already doing this, but the more resources we can provide for HOA's, the more effectve we can be at helping these owners. Of course, valuable weeks would rarely, if ever, be listed for free. It would be older resorts with HOA boards that would take advantage of the free ad space. This would help your publication, when newsletters go out, explaining the plan for marketing weeks. Plus, your magazine would be providing a great alternative.

I know we can make this plan work. For resorts that are currently in developers' hands, there should be no issue with taking weeks back from unhappy owners. I expect more of the bigger companies and resorts that are still in the business of sales to realize that it is in their best interests to take weeks back that are fully paid for. Why wouldn't they? They can always resell them. We only need to help the smaller resorts, the underdogs. I see no reason for resorts to hire lawyers and take weeks back by force, at such a great expense. This would help resorts and owners alike. Plus, readership for your magazine will go up, as more and more opportunities for FREE weeks start appearing in your magazine. People really do buy those eBay $1.00 weeks.

That is my suggestion. I hope to hear from you.

Cindy in Colorado

Please do not sign my full name, if you choose to publish this letter, as I have purchased from at least one of these postcard companies, and they know who I am.

[M. Henley Class President Find all posts View Profile Close M. Henley]

Kinda...

Usually I find fun in being assailed, as that gives me a reason to do a little assailing of my own. To date no one has come back for a second helping of either assail or wassail.

I have been assailed myself, a time or two, and be assailed is not fun, especially when you are the assailee.