Scare Tactics

[slnyc11 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close slnyc11]

Thank you for your thoughts. I do appreciate having a civil debate without being accused or made to feel worse than what these people have made us feel already. I do understand people be sceptical as I am myself. But it is important for those who have been scammed to stick together so if anyone on here has been scammed by Orange Lake Resorts please chime in. Share your thoughts. You don't have to message me personally just share your thoughts.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

Thank you for your thoughts. I do appreciate having a civil debate without being accused or made to feel worse than what these people have made us feel already. I do understand people be sceptical as I am myself. But it is important for those who have been scammed to stick together so if anyone on here has been scammed by Orange Lake Resorts please chime in. Share your thoughts. You don't have to message me personally just share your thoughts.

Anyone who has purchased from a developer while on vacation can probably be placed in this catagory. Essentially, most of us on this site and TUG have made at least one purchase from a developer, then found sites like this with better information than you ever receive from a salesman.

So in a sense, we are sticking together. It's just that we've been through the emotions you're going through now only to come to the conclusion that the best thing to do is learn how to use what we own and not get fooled again.

Rather than put all our energy into trying to reverse a bad decision, we've learned how to work the system to get the maximum value out of what we own. So much so that many of us here own multiple timeshare weeks. I actually own 7 weeks at present.

Once you get over the fact that timeshare salesmen lie you can move onto learning what you can and can not do with a timeshare. If you learn about what you now own and learn how to use it, you may find that staying in a hotel room is considerably better than staying in a hotel room. We're at the point that we'll only spend a couple of nights in a hotel room. Otherwise our vacations are in timeshares.

As has been mentioned, if a class action law suit would work, it would have been done and done many times. Timeshares are nothing new and have been around a very long time. You'll likely find that the contract you signed has you pinned. You can give it a shot but, I think you'll find what so many before you have found. You're tossing good money after bad.

All is not lost. Once you've exhausted all legal remedies stick around and learn how to use your timeshare. Get the most out of it you can. In our case, we went from never taking vacations to going on vacation 6 times per year plus a few weekend trips. Once you learn how to use what you now own, you might find yourself actually wanting additional weeks. Only by then you'll have learned how to buy resale and pay $1 to $1,000 for the same product and still get the same benefits out of it.

BEWARE OF SCAM ARTISTS WHO TELL YOU THEY CAN GET YOU OUT OF YOUR CONTRACT! They exist and will feed off you anger, scamming you out of even more money. They're everywhere and feed off ignorance. It's one of the reasons you've been met with skeptism here. We're accustomed to someone looking for a sucker who's already spent thousands of dollars and is willing to spend thousands more to try to reverse the original bad decision. They'll take you money, promise you the world and leave you hanging.

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

If someone that you cared about was scammed would you tell them to just lie down and take it?

There is a difference between being scammed and being led into bad decisions. Many timeshare purchases from the developer fall into the latter category. There is much to be learned from them about reading what you sign, trusting only what is in writing, researching before you let your emotions take over your pocketbook.

I council my friends and family about buying cars in much the same way I would suggest they buy a timeshare. Thoughtfully and carefully.

Sheila

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

Wow! Stories like these make me refuse to purchase time shares.

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

Wow! Stories like these make me refuse to purchase time shares.

TS aren't for everyone. Most people who purchase from the developer are caught off-guard. They typically put you in the nicest units and work very hard to appeal to our emotions. It's amazing how sincere they can appear to be. And the push doesn't end with the signed contract. Every time you go back, they want you to attend an "owner update." It's under the guise of explaining to you all the changes and new resorts that have been acquired over the past year or so. In reality, it's just a push to get you to buy even more into the system.
Most of us here love TSing. We've come to learn how to use what we have to get the most out of our vacations. For me, and I'm sure for others, it hasn't been an easy road. Developers don't give you any follow-up or advice on how to use what you own. Thank goodness there are sites such as this one to help people learn how to use what they have.
There are pros and cons to having a TS. Sometimes it's cheaper to rent from another owner than to buy. If you have any desire at all to become a TS owner, do homework first. Look around at the various kinds of systems and the locations of their resorts. Buy resale if you can. But consider the overall cost of ownership too. There are maintenance fees, occassional special assessments and sometimes other dues as well. (There are postings on this site that will give you an idea of the cost of MFs associated with ownership for many of the TS systems.) All-inclusive resorts typically come with a hefty daily fee as well. And, believe it or not, some places charge for parking. You also have to consider how you will get to your destination and the added cost of transportation.
There is a lot of information on this site and I have found that it can sometimes be difficult to find exactly what you are looking for. So if you need help or want some questions answered - or just a general opinion - don't be afraid to post a question. There are many people here who will gladly help you out.
Follow your instincts. Be informed before you go to any TS presentation and don't sign then and there. They tell you the deal is only good then, but you can go back at any time and they will generally give you the same deal (still way too much IMHO, considering resales are often for pennies on the dollar).

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

America recovery task force

has anyone heard of them they say they are lawyers and paralegals who can get your money back from resale companys

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

has anyone heard of them they say they are lawyers and paralegals who can get your money back from resale companys

Probably disbarred lawyers and con artists. The Federal and State agencies can't even manage that.

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

Thank you very much for your words of wisdom. I have been to 3 TS meetings and was not impressed by any of them. At this point it seems best to rent off an individual until we decide on a destination.

Thanks again.

Jordan.

TS aren't for everyone. Most people who purchase from the developer are caught off-guard. They typically put you in the nicest units and work very hard to appeal to our emotions. It's amazing how sincere they can appear to be. And the push doesn't end with the signed contract. Every time you go back, they want you to attend an "owner update." It's under the guise of explaining to you all the changes and new resorts that have been acquired over the past year or so. In reality, it's just a push to get you to buy even more into the system.
Most of us here love TSing. We've come to learn how to use what we have to get the most out of our vacations. For me, and I'm sure for others, it hasn't been an easy road. Developers don't give you any follow-up or advice on how to use what you own. Thank goodness there are sites such as this one to help people learn how to use what they have.
There are pros and cons to having a TS. Sometimes it's cheaper to rent from another owner than to buy. If you have any desire at all to become a TS owner, do homework first. Look around at the various kinds of systems and the locations of their resorts. Buy resale if you can. But consider the overall cost of ownership too. There are maintenance fees, occassional special assessments and sometimes other dues as well. (There are postings on this site that will give you an idea of the cost of MFs associated with ownership for many of the TS systems.) All-inclusive resorts typically come with a hefty daily fee as well. And, believe it or not, some places charge for parking. You also have to consider how you will get to your destination and the added cost of transportation.
There is a lot of information on this site and I have found that it can sometimes be difficult to find exactly what you are looking for. So if you need help or want some questions answered - or just a general opinion - don't be afraid to post a question. There are many people here who will gladly help you out.
Follow your instincts. Be informed before you go to any TS presentation and don't sign then and there. They tell you the deal is only good then, but you can go back at any time and they will generally give you the same deal (still way too much IMHO, considering resales are often for pennies on the dollar).