Original Message:
Apples and oranges... (by KC):
adahiscout wrote:I believe that jons29 was making an analogy between timeshare sellers/resellers and auto sellers/resellers. It is indeed hard to credit that the original sellers have no clue about the secondary market. This does not mean that they are in collusion, but the original sellers may well NOT want you to think much about the problems you may encounter when you want to resell. MD
Your last sentence is certainly true and it is a point well taken, at least in specific regard to "developer--direct" sales.
That said, the nature of the "secondary market" warrants much more specific clarification. I maintain and firmly believe that most resorts, including in particular ALL "sold out" resorts, know (and/or care) little or nothing at all about the existence, identities, practices or locations of the independent "upfront fee" advertising entities, which for years have routinely come and gone with periodic name changes (but without alteration of their deceptive practices). On the other hand, the HONEST resellers, in my opinion, observation and experience, are generally either private individual owners or state licensed real estate agents, NOT obscure upfront fee "advertising" entities.
Licensed agents are still found on site at various facilities for resort resales. In all instances with which I am personally familiar, such real estate agents are NOT "employees" of the resort and have no affiliation with (nor any compensation from) the resort beyond being a part-time physical presence on site during limited hours. I've certainly seen NO evidence to the contrary in nearly three decades of ownership and/or during my times as a HOA/BOD member. The presence of these commission only, licensed folks on site is beneficial to a resort financially, since NO ONE is paying maintenance fees on HOA owned (usually via foreclosure) weeks until those weeks get resold again.