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Re: Timeshare Market Pro (by Beck):

SellMyTimeshareNow and VRBO charge hundreds of dollars and they are not a scam. I haven't been inclined to use VRBO due to their expense but that doesn't mean they are a scam.

I see repeated posts to never pay anyone up front to get your timeshare listed for rent or for sale. The fact of life is that in almost ANY case you will have to pay up front. Even on RedWeek you have to pay up front to get a listing.

It is my understanding that the only way you can get a timeshare FOR SALE listing established without an up front fee is when using a licensed real estate agent / broker. Maybe there's a loophole if the timeshare is not deeded property but state laws require agents/companies to represent owners of real property (deeded property as far as I understand) when the property is sold. There are a few exceptions, such as use of a power of attorney, for sale by owner (you must be the deeded owner already), and maybe timeshares which are not deeded.

Shouldn't the thing to say then be "Never Pay too much to list" or "Beware of paying an upfront fee when the representative is assuring you they have a buyer willing to pay more than the unit is worth" or some similar phrase? But it is incorrect to say "never pay an upfront fee".

I'm a little more inclined to agree about never paying an upfront fee when offering my unit to rent. But the fact of the matter is a number of companies are only in the business of providing For Rent By Owner services. RedWeek, VRBO and SellMytimeshareNow are three excelent examples. You have to pay up front. You receive specific services for your money. People/customers come to these sites to offer money to rent from owners.

After that, it's all about making certain the company who wants your money can provide realistic evidence they can attract customers to contact you. so whae we should be saying is "Never pay anyone up front if they can't provide concrete infomation about how they will attract customers for you".