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vacation international
****Attention**** I have contacted Grand Rapids Michigan DA's department and they referred me to the FBI. The escrow company working with Vacation International Inc. is Alliance Title Service 497 Oakway Rd. Eugene. OR 97401 541-393-2066 or 888-296-6414 we insisted they send us proof our $$$ is waiting in the escrow account, they failed to be able to provide us any documentation.
I HAVE OPENED A FORMAL COMPLAINT WITH THE FBI BUT THEY WILL NOT INVESTIGATE UNLESS THEY HAVE 4-5 PEOPLE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. THEY MADE IT CLEAR MY $1690 IS NOT WORTH IT. THEY DID SAY IF IT WAS A FRAUD OF LARGER SCOPE, THEY WOULD INVESTIGATE IMMEDIATELY. PLEASE GO TO www.IC3.gov AND DOCUMENT YOUR COMPLAINT ASAP. IN A FEW DAYS OR WEEKS, THEY WILL BE LONG GONE OPERATING UNDER A DIFFERENT NAME IN DIFFERENT STATES. WE HAVE NO TIME TO LOSE.
Please contact me if you need assistance-
eagle7enterprises@yahoo.com
Ilona K.
One thing I see no one has mentioned. I got a copy of their contract and after reading it realized their scam (or at least one of their scams). They say the money is in an escrow account and that is probably true. But in the contract it says that you as the owner gets paid after closing escrow and the agent gets their 8% commission and you the owner get the rest. Sounds great, however the contract goes on to further say "that the owner agrees to pay 8% commission to the agent at the time of closing for the service of selling the property, IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER SAID SALE IS EFFECTED BY THE AGENT, ANY COOPERATIVE AGENT, ANY THIRD PARTY, OR THE OWNER." The way I read this is if the deal does not close you still owe them 8% for their services. So, my guess is there is no buyer (of course) and at some point the agent will say the buyer backed out or any other excuse and we cannot close escrow. You are on the hook to pay them the 8% while they try to find another buyer...which of course they never will. Pretty clever I think, because there is no money upfront from you the owner. I may try to re-write the contract to assure that there is no money out of my packet until, and only until, the deal closes escrow. I am sure they will go away if I re-write it. So, what can be done to go after these people for messing with so many of us and possibly scamming a few of the unlucky ones? Is there any recourse? I don’t know how these people sleep at night, really!!!
Joe P.
I got the same phone call today for my property at Playa Del Carmen. I was told they needed only 5 more timeshares to seal the deal and that I needed to send them a copy of my contract within the hour of receiving my proposal. They were going to close on the escrow tomorrow and I needed to hurry to make sure that my property would be bought out. The lady's name was "Leslie Williams" and she would not give me a number to call her back. When I asked for more information about the company she said it would all be in the proposal that she would only send by email. I never received the email. This is the second scam we have received regarding our time share, but luckily I researched both companies. If there is any money asked for up front or to be put in escrow DO NOT DO IT!
Gwen K.
joep293 wrote:One thing I see no one has mentioned. I got a copy of their contract and after reading it realized their scam (or at least one of their scams). They say the money is in an escrow account and that is probably true. But in the contract it says that you as the owner gets paid after closing escrow and the agent gets their 8% commission and you the owner get the rest. Sounds great, however the contract goes on to further say "that the owner agrees to pay 8% commission to the agent at the time of closing for the service of selling the property, IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER SAID SALE IS EFFECTED BY THE AGENT, ANY COOPERATIVE AGENT, ANY THIRD PARTY, OR THE OWNER." The way I read this is if the deal does not close you still owe them 8% for their services. So, my guess is there is no buyer (of course) and at some point the agent will say the buyer backed out or any other excuse and we cannot close escrow. You are on the hook to pay them the 8% while they try to find another buyer...which of course they never will. Pretty clever I think, because there is no money upfront from you the owner. I may try to re-write the contract to assure that there is no money out of my packet until, and only until, the deal closes escrow. I am sure they will go away if I re-write it. So, what can be done to go after these people for messing with so many of us and possibly scamming a few of the unlucky ones? Is there any recourse? I don’t know how these people sleep at night, really!!!
There is no buyer.
R P.
I think the best thing for everyone to do, is just accept that you will have your timeshare for life. Don't think that you're going to sell it, because you're not, unless you just outright sell it to someone you know. I'm sure you would take a loss, but that's the only way you're going to sell it. I was told by Mayan Properties to not buy a timeshare for an investment to sell it to someone, but an investment to reach the ultimate point of the company, which is to own a full-time condo.
I've tried to rent my weeks out over the years, and even hired 2 companies to try to do so, and they never have done one thing. They get my money, and that's it. At least the last company (GMAC) took a $1K, and they stayed in touch with me for a while like they were had someone that wanted to rent, and asked if I would come down on my price, and that they were going to tradeshows introducing my property. After about a year, I never hear from them again. Anything that has to do with your timeshare, other than using it, is just all a scam. Everyone needs to just quit worrying about selling it, and use it. That's the only way you're going to be safe, and not have anything bad happen to you.
I made a $28K mistake last year, and I'm never believing anyone else again. If they call me, I'm just going to hang up. I'm getting my home phone shut off tomorrow, so hopefully I won't hear from any of them ever again.
You can listen to me or not. I just think it's the way to live your life for now on, and how to protect yourself.
Tiana H.
I didn't get taken by Vacations International, but I did by other places that had to do with condos or timeshares. I figure, if the places you pay to sell your weeks or to sell your timeshare don't work for you, then why would anyone else's company do it for you??? Timeshare rental and sales is all a scam. If you buy one when you're staying at an actual place is the only time you're going to buy one (Not always though, sometimes that's a scam too), and then you'll never be able to sell it. They will just keep trying to get you to upgrade each time you go there on vacation, and taking more money. That's how they keep going. They make you think you're going to be so much better off too. I'm tired of upgrading period. Now I'm in a place that's very nice, but very, very expensive even paying the maintenance fee to go for a week. I've put about $80K into it all, and I've been doing it and trying to sell or rent since 2001. Haven't had any luck whatsoever.
I'm just telling everyone out there, since I'm experienced at this. You can listen or not. Just words of wisdom and advice is all I have to give.
I do have to admit though, I get treated royally at the resort I own at. I'm not going to listen to sales everytime I go to visit though, making me think I need to upgrade. I spent an entire day last time with them trying to get me to upgrade, and I just upgraded in 2009. They're always trying to come up with some kind of scheme to reel you in again.
Tiana H.
Not only did the company earn an "F" rating, but apparently they are not even located at the address they have listed on their emails and website. Check out Western Michigan's BBB page for Vacation International, Inc. under "Additional Information". found at the bottom of the web page. We too have received a "proposal" from "Robert Jones" offering an unrealistic return on our original (stupid) "investment" - does any one know how these people are getting our contact info?
Marcia M.
I just filed a complaint too. ours is for 3,090.00. lets hope they follow thru.
ilonak5 wrote:****Attention**** I have contacted Grand Rapids Michigan DA's department and they referred me to the FBI. The escrow company working with Vacation International Inc. is Alliance Title Service 497 Oakway Rd. Eugene. OR 97401 541-393-2066 or 888-296-6414 we insisted they send us proof our $$$ is waiting in the escrow account, they failed to be able to provide us any documentation.I HAVE OPENED A FORMAL COMPLAINT WITH THE FBI BUT THEY WILL NOT INVESTIGATE UNLESS THEY HAVE 4-5 PEOPLE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. THEY MADE IT CLEAR MY $1690 IS NOT WORTH IT. THEY DID SAY IF IT WAS A FRAUD OF LARGER SCOPE, THEY WOULD INVESTIGATE IMMEDIATELY. PLEASE GO TO www.IC3.gov AND DOCUMENT YOUR COMPLAINT ASAP. IN A FEW DAYS OR WEEKS, THEY WILL BE LONG GONE OPERATING UNDER A DIFFERENT NAME IN DIFFERENT STATES. WE HAVE NO TIME TO LOSE.
Please contact me if you need assistance-
eagle7enterprises@yahoo.com
Kathleen D.
***No Good News*** I used google earth and saw a satellite picture of the address Vacation International gave us. It is a vacant space next to a bar on a ghost town looking street! Additionally, I pulled up the location for Alliance Title Eugene, OR it was actually an office building. I got a hold of the owner yesterday. Guess what? she's never heard of them and doesn't have a suite#360 in the building. This company is using bogus addresses, cell phone numbers that forward to other numbers (you can't find them on 411) and are probably operating out of Mexico so the authorities cannot get them. Alliance took their web-site down yesterday, sorry everyone. The best we can do is go to the FBI www.IC3.gov and make a report. If there are enough complaints, they will investigate.
Ilona K.
I sure do wish I could go to the FBI on what happened to me in Mexico. At least I have Profeco looking at my cases with 2 different resorts (Grand Bay Resorts and Residence Club La Jolla). Profeco is the Attorney General for Mexico. It took them 6 months before they even responded back, they're that backed-up. All they can promise you is cancellation of your contract, but they can't guarantee your money back, which is a bummer.
Tiana H.
I was contacted by a Ron Bower from this company 2 days ago. He forwarded me the sheet that says: By signing this Proposal - Owners do not relinquish the right to their property. You still own it. (Then why would you have to sign) I forwarded him an email back asking for a copy of his Business License and Certificate of Incorporation. Plus I added a paragraph to their letter stating that no money would be owed for lien searches or any other misc. charges and the past due balances, etc. would be disclosed to the seller prior to any agreement coming to terms. If the seller decided this was not acceptable, that no money would be owing for commissions or anything else. Ron phoned me back saying I was obviously not serious about selling. I said yes I am but I am serious also about not getting screwed again. He hung up. Stay away from this company obviously.
Bernadine S.
Last edited by bernadines7 on Jun 24, 2011 08:41 AM
michellek224 wrote:How do we (timeshares owners and victims of timeshare scammers) bring this issue to the main stream. There are scam companies that gross 4 million a year by SCAMMING. The credit card companies,BBB complaints etc.. DO NOT WORK or protect us.
Report the scammers to the attorney general in the state the scammers are located .... in most cases you can do this online.
R P.
michellek224 wrote:just reached out to these attorneys that"specializes" in scam timeshare and credit issues due to scam timeshares. at this point it doesn't hurt.http://www.finnlawgroup.com/TakeAction/
I've never heard of this legal group .... the website was set up in 2011 .... be forewarned that if they charge an upfront fee that it could very well be another scam. Have you contacted them?
R P.