Original Message:
Re: I received an offer on my timeshare from Optimistic Vacations in Sevierville, TN, Jim Reagan is his name (by Lisa B.):
I receive routine phone calls asking me if I want to sell my Pueblo Bonito Rose timeshare. As I've posted in older forums, I'm an idiot that didn't find Red Week until AFTER I paid the upfront fee to a one of those callers to sell my timeshare. Here we are a year later, I've lowered the price twice down to a fraction of what I paid for it, and I still own the timeshare. In addition to the company taking my money, the transaction also generated calls from a new group of vultures. For another up front fee, they can tell me how to get my money back. They can even furnish me with a couple of actual letters to send the robbers! Well today, I got a different phone call. Like the others, this company asked if I would be interested in selling my timeshare. They told me that they have people inquiring for the PBR. When I told them that I was, he asked what I wanted for it. I told him I would entertain offers, and didn't commit to a price. The man said he works for REPUBLIC PARTNERS PROPERTIES. What was different about this guys pitch was that I don't collect any money from me until they have a legitimate offer from a qualified buyer that has signed a letter of intent to purchase at the agreed upon price. At that point, I would have to pay them $1,850.00, and they would pay for all of the closing costs including title insurance. Since it didn't cost me anything up until that point, I told him that I would listen to an offer. Within a couple of hours, he called back with an offer of $7,200 offer. He said that it wasn't a guaranteed sell until they qualified the purchaser and did a property background to make sure I didn't owe money on the timeshare. They were simply seeking my acceptance of the price. I told him that I would take that price. He said that I would hear from them either later in the day or tomorrow. To me, this still sounds like an scam. But I've already been victimized once, so I'm not sure I would beleive any of them. Has anybody heard of them or this approach? It also sounds like its still an upfront fee?
Lisa