Original Message:
How can I be sure the unit I rent will be there for me? (by KC):
anneb33 asks, quoted in pertinent part: >> I am sure most people selling are honest but how can we be protected from those that aren't? <<
Ask to see a copy of the current deed and/or a copy of a current maintenance fee bill. If the advertiser can't (or won't) provide this info, they probably don't even own the week in the first place. If that's the case, move on ---quickly.
Once you have the owners' name and address, you can (and you should) call the resort directly yourself to confirm that "Joe Schmoe" is indeed the owner in their records for that particular unit / week. Don't reverse the order of the above recommended steps, as a competent resort will NOT actually RELEASE or provide you with ANY owner information (in the interest of privacy protection). However, if you already have the owner information in hand yourself and are just calling the resort to CONFIRM the info which you ALREADY have, the resort will likely cooperate fully.
P.S. Never rent without executing a formal rental agreement. You can also use an escrow service as "middleman" (it will cost about $100), ensuring that the owner does not even get paid until / unless the rental is executed as agreed and advertised. However, even a completely honest owner could (justifiably and understandably) balk at not getting paid until weeks after the rental has actually been completed.