Aside

Mr. & Mrs.  Smith …We have a buyer for you!

It’s magic and we have never talked before and how do they possibly know you are even selling?

The scams are out there abundantly in the timeshare industry. However, the question states if they are all scams? The answer is a definitive NO. The hard part to avoiding being ripped-off, is finding a legitimate company that will do what they say and get you out of your timeshare without scamming you. Usually what happens to the person who falls for this scheme is paying a high up-front fee to get things going. Then the company disappears with your money or they don’t do anything except place some ads on your behalf.

You could easily do this yourself and not be taken for hundreds and even thousands of dollars.  It is critical your radar is up and not let your desperation cloud your better judgment about working with a resale company. Doing your part to research and verify the legitimacy of a company can be your way to really getting rid of your timeshare. There are companies in the industry that have had and continue to have success, because they do what they say and have the experience to get it sold.

Unfortunately, these companies are few and far between, so you really need to be sure that you are working with one that isn’t going to rip you off. A real timeshare debt relief company will have many methods to relieve you of your debt depending on your situation and personal preferences. ∞

About Timeshare

May 17, 2013 8:17 pm / Leave a comment

Timeshare is a business model whereby a company owning property, typically resort condominiums, sells small time slices of property to customers. Timeshare buyers can:

• Use their usage time.
• Rent out their owned usage.
• Give it as a gift.
• Exchange internally within the same resort or resort group.
• Exchange externally into thousands of other timeshare resorts.
• Sell it either through traditional advertising, Internet advertising or by using a company that simply duplicates the same process that the Timeshare Industry has used for last 30 years, Fair Market Services!
• Assign their usage time to the point system to be exchanged for airline tickets, hotels, travel packages, cruises, and amusement park tickets.
• Instead of renting all their actual usage time, rent part of their points without actually getting any usage time and use the rest of the points.
• Rent more points from either the internal exchange entity or another owner to get a larger unit or more vacation time or at a better location.
• Save or move points from one year to another.

Some developers, however, may limit which of these options are available at their properties. Timeshare owners can elect to stay at their resort during the prescribed period, which varies depending on the nature of their ownership. In many resorts, they can rent out their week or give it as a gift to friends and family. Timeshares offer owners the possibility of exchanging their week, either independently or through several exchange agencies, to stay at one of the thousands of other resorts worldwide.

There are many exchange agencies, of which the two largest are Resort Condominiums International and Interval International. They have resort affiliate programs and members can only exchange to affiliate resorts. It is most common for a resort to be affiliated with only one of the larger exchange agencies, but it isn’t rare to find a dual affiliate resort. Together they have over 7,000 resorts. The timeshare resort one purchases determines which of the major exchange companies can be used to make exchanges. RCI and II charge a yearly membership fee and fees for when they find an exchange. They also bar members from renting weeks for which they already have exchanged. Timeshare owners can also exchange their timeshare with the smaller independent timeshare exchange companies. Dial an Exchange, Trading Places, Hawaii Timeshare Exchange; Platinum Interchange, The San Francisco Exchange, Timex and Redweek.com are the main independent exchange companies. Owners can exchange with these independent exchange without needing the resort to have a formal affiliation agreement with the companies. Timeshare owners may also arrange a direct exchange. This requires locating a timeshare owner with the location and weeks both mutually desire. This form of exchange is rare but since it can save in exchange fees it is often sought after. Several bulletin boards have been created to help timeshare owners meet others and swap. Timeshares take different forms depending on the seller. The vast majority consist of one week of ownership, i.e. 1/52 year, but some developers sell point based systems that are a different form of vacation currency that allow hotel stays, car rentals, and stays at large networks of resorts.

Wyndham Orlando Resort

May 14, 2013 9:09 pm / Leave a comment

ORLANDO:Wyndham Vacation Ownership has gone all tech and modern on us. The company has revolutionized its sales practices by providing every member of its sales force a comprehensive sales tool center on an iPad platform.

By deploying more than 3,000 Apple iPads as dedicated sales tools, WVO can provide every sales associate from Hawaii to Vermont with the most up-to-date, consistent and accurate sales information and training, all while reducing the company’s environmental footprint. This is the latest addition to an already robust sales program, featuring the Specialist Presenter Program and hyperscreen technology.

Don’t ask me what a Specialist Presenter Program is, ’cause I don’t know. But the whole thing still seems like a pretty cool idea.

Las Vegas Grand View

May 14, 2013 9:05 pm / Leave a comment

Nobody has to work to play hard in the adult Disneyland. Bachelors, bachelorettes, newlyweds, conventioneers — they’re here for fun and experiences not found at home. Whether it’s getting past the velvet rope at a happening nightclub or a party pool, dancing on tables at a lively eatery or watering hole, firing up a Ferrari on track or sashaying through a stripper course taught by exotic dancers, visitors stay entertained past dawn. In a town where you can walk the main tourist drag swigging a three-foot Margarita 24/7, that’s not a tall order. So, let’s get the party started!Image

Timeshare First Right of Refusal

May 10, 2013 7:32 pm / Leave a comment

Right of First Refusal Can Be Waived

One of the more challenging aspects of timeshare deals is what’s known as right of first refusal. When this right is utilized, the resort that the timeshare is on has the first buying rights to the property. This could complicate trying to sell to an outside party. There’s good news, though. First, resorts don’t usually invoke this right when they still have weeks of their own that are selling. This decreases the demand for your weeks. Second, you can obtain a waiver from the resort in which they state that they will not use their first refusal rights. It’s very helpful to know that this can be negotiated, as this is a big hurdle to overcome.

Timeshare Cost and Concerns

April 30, 2013 8:45 pm / Leave a comment

There are many people that are always looking for a way to vacation and be able to afford it at the same time. The opportunity to buy timeshare intervals may be a great choice depending on your situation. Here are some factors that you should consider before you buy timeshare property.

Many people think that when they buy a timeshare, it’s going to always end up being a better deal than other ways of going on vacation. Before you make this decision, you need to calculate the costs of vacationing with a timeshare versus other options.
The total costs that you need to calculate before you buy a timeshare is the cost of a vacation including all the taxes, annual maintenance fees and other charges that you have to pay above and beyond what it is going to cost you for your vacation. For example, be aware that maintenance fees, when you buy timeshare units, can rise sometimes at rates that exceed inflation.
Make sure you do a good job of comparison shopping to make sure you’re getting a good deal and not overpaying when you buy timeshare units. That’s why you need to make sure you’re paying the current market value for the property and you’re not overpaying like a lot of companies try to get you to do.
Also, check the better business bureau and other protection agencies and determine the track record of the Management Company and developers. If there are too many complaints, then it’s probably wise to pass.

Check Out The Developer, Management And Resort Completely Before Making Any Decision
Also, when you buy timeshare vacations, you want to thoroughly research the company’s track record. You can do this by asking for a current copy of maintenance budgets for the property. Be certain that they are keeping up on all repair, replacement and management issues in a timely manner.
There really is an overabundance of opportunities on the market and with some research and patience, you can find a great deal and have great vacation memories for years to come.

Help Selling my Timeshare

April 30, 2013 4:32 pm / Leave a comment

If you’ve been thinking, “I need to sell my timeshare”, you’re not alone. It’s not an easy process, mainly because of all the misinformation that continues to confuse timeshare owners. So you put it off and the costs of payments and maintenance fees keep adding up.
There has been regulation for the timeshare industry in the last 30 years, but resale regulations are still not as concrete as they should be. And because of the huge demand for timeshare resales, it has confused many consumers, because of all the fraudulent companies in existence.
How do I really know how good the companies that seek me out or me find are legitimate?

Here are some tips to help you spot the good companies from the bad.

– Always be cautious when anybody contacts you wanting to help you sell your timeshare.

– Never pay up front for any appraisal, analysis or even for a title search. It’s not needed in this market and it’s just another way for companies to find ways to make money off of you.

– Never believe anyone that tells you your timeshare can go for a high price. Especially in this current market, they are flat out lying to you. And in a lot of cases, most owners save money not by the sale, but all the fees they don’t have to pay in association with their property.

– Also, if you’re working with a good company and they have a lot of experience, this still doesn’t mean that you’re Timeshare could be resold within any period of time for any fixed amount of money? Just understand, it’s not going to be an overnight process.

– Never pay anything to a company by money order or bank transfer. You don’t want to use any payment methods that could be gone and not recovered if the company was in fact not legitimate.