More Shady Timeshare Characters

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

In an industry that already has more than its share of shady characters, now there seems to be a new round of them, operating behind untraceable call phone numbers and with businesses addresses.

For me it started not long ago, with cold calls to our home phone, which is on both the State and National No Call Lists. Now it is an average of a couple of calls a week.

Things in common are

***the callers all have a thick foreign accent and if you attempt to engage them in conversation they seem to have a problem with basic English.

***they avoid giving you any truthful information. company name, location, address, etc.

***for me, Westgate comes up a lot, as in, "Would you be interested in selling for Westgate timeshares?"

After each call, I *69 and get the actual phone number the call came from (some have blocked that). Then I google the number. In every case, many others have reported the same number as a problem number, with it being either a timeshare or credit problem call. All have been from Florida, although the one today, one I could not *69, said she was in California. (Yeah, you bet).

I report the calls to our State AG's No Call Office.

I am 99% certain that someone is selling customer lists. These calls just started in the last few months and we have not owned anything with Westgate for several years.

[rikkis_playpen Diamond Club Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close rikkis_playpen]

Resort employees selling lists...

Sounds like you've done a great job gathering info on this. I'd recommend you contact the developer and be persistent to speak with someone who actually cares about this issue. Every upper-level manager I've ever spoken with takes this issue very seriously, and each resort will normally have a liaison in local law enforcement that can assist with the investigation.

You've got enough information to give them a good running start. It won't stop your calls- but could lead to prosecution somewhere down the line.

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

I have no idea what you are talking about, unless you believe it is Wastegate calling, which I don't.

You cannot call any of these people back.

Sounds like you've done a great job gathering info on this. I'd recommend you contact the developer and be persistent to speak with someone who actually cares about this issue. Every upper-level manager I've ever spoken with takes this issue very seriously, and each resort will normally have a liaison in local law enforcement that can assist with the investigation.

You've got enough information to give them a good running start. It won't stop your calls- but could lead to prosecution somewhere down the line.

[rikkis_playpen Diamond Club Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close rikkis_playpen]

Sorry if I wasn't clear...

You stated you are receiving calls targeting you as a Westgate owner, which you have not been for some time. This leads me to the assumption that the call generation was not caused by you responding to a well-concealed lead generation campaign (as you would not have listed Westgate as your resort)..

Most likely, what has occurred is that a current or former employee of the developer has sold an outdated owner list to several of these companies. Since you have managed to track some phone numbers from where these calls originated- it is viable for law enforcement to follow those.

While local police may not be responsive to your individual discomfort, and the FCC would take forever if you simply tried to file the calls as a violation of the DNC lists. If you provide your information to the developer (again- you'll need to get to a mid- or upper-level manager) - the developer will then push the issue. You aren't the only person who has been recently affected in this manner. There have been similar reports from both Westgate and Wyndham owners over the last few months.

Developers have a consistent relationship with law enforcement as it relates to company theft, and every developer considers the unauthorized distribution of owner lists to be a serious issue.

You won't be able to do much to the company calling you- but there is a good chance police can track who was paid for that list- and prosecute that individual. You won't clean up the entire industry- but every little bit helps.

Good luck!

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

One certainly has to admire your optimism, or question your knowledge of this particular developer, probably the least owner/customer-friendly one in the industry.

It is just as likely that the company itself sold lists in order to pay for the head sleazebag's sleaziness.

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

I own a Westgate property and have not received any unsolicited calls.

Kathleen

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

I don't and I have.

You have my sympathy.

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

The calls continue. From 610-624-1164, 214-586-0333, and 786-347-6129, all obtained by *69.

The most recent said she was calling about my Westgate timeshare. Thick Latino accent. Hung up when I asked where she got my name and number.

Another recent one also asked about our Westgate timeshare. She said she was calling from California, the city of California!!! Thick foreign accent. That one blocked *69.

Almost all are cell phones. Some don't speak and there is normally a delay before they talk back, suggesting auto-dialing.

Someone's selling lists.

[Ann-Marie Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ann-Marie]

I am constantly getting a 1-800 call from various telephone numbers. The recording says" hurry, act now. This is your last chance to lower your interest rate". It them wants you to press a number to be connected to an agent. I have never connected, and continue to receive several of these calls a week. What annoys me, is that not one of my credit cards has an outstanding balance from month to month.
I also received MANY annoying telephone calls from Spinnaker Resorts asking me to take a timeshare tour. I have repeatedly asked them to put me on their do not call list, but I continue to recieve calls. The last time, I threatened to report them. That is now 2 weeks ago. I'll see if that works.

[1950bing Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 1950bing]

I push whatever number they want me to to speak with a rep. and when I hear the click that connects me with them BEFORE they get a chance to speak I say, " Hello, you car warranty is about to expire " and then hear a soft, what ? then I hang up !!!!!!!! Cut 'em OFF !
You can also get call intercept.

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

I sent a complaint form to the AG today and got 2 letters from them.

The first read:

Thank you blah blah blah for reporting Timeshare Travel.

Blah Blah Blah Timeshare Travel seems to have stopped making calls to Missouri

blah blah blah.

The second read the same, only Unknown was in the place of Timeshare Travel.

Yes, it says Unknown has stopped making calls to Missouri.

Of course blah blah blah thanks to people like me blah blah blah