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Re: IA Vacations/ American Timeshare Closings (by Tacoma Rick):

So this story may take some time, but basically they stole the $468 they said was the maintenance fee for the resort.

The actual fees that year (2011) went up to $538. They never paid the resort and due to a sale at the resort they actually let me stay my week but billed me at the end of my stay. After 2 years of emails (which I have saved as evidence) I sent two letters certified with signature and advised them of my plans to sue as well as file complaints with everyone I can think of and their mothers. ƒº As a side note I got signatures on both at the PO BOX address as well as the Wagner Rd address(which isn¡¦t current office)

They said they would pay me the $468 and then a check never came and more excuses about holidays, accounting dept? (I am pretty sure they are all in same office after visiting) etc.

I told them I would come out there and I am sure they didn¡¦t believe me.

So I booked a flight to Atlanta (was cheaper) and then rented a car for $98 and drove about 4 hours up there. The first address (The Wagner Rd) was a false address; well I guess actually an old address. They share the building with an auction company and have some labeling on the windows but it was empty. I took pictures of this and put my investigative background to work.

I was able to trace them to a new address (3786 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863 suite 102 ) next to a restaurant. I walked in and this is what a saw:

2 long tables set up with about 5 employees at each one. It looked like a telethon set up and all these young people (most in 20¡¦s) working phones, some on two lines at a time. Scam central in progress. There were two small offices within in this room as well. Someone finally acknowledged me and I asked for Hope. They directed me to an office and I observed two females in there. Hope asked what she could do for me.

I explained I was Rick from Seattle (wearing my Seahawks sweatshirt) and she looked both stunned and perplexed all at the same time. She said who? I said you know, Rick from Seattle the one that said I would come sue you. I¡¦m stopping here on my way to the courthouse. She was still played dumb saying she deals with a lot of people and will have to look. They directed me through a door (by a front desk with two other females) and into a fancy looking room. They do timeshare presentations at this location as well. I sat and waited. Amazingly she never asked how to spell my name, because as I already knew, she knew exactly who I was.

She walked out within 5 minutes with a check written out to me and some of my paperwork. Amazing. I informed them I wanted travel fees too as that¡¦s what I would be suing for as well, but they declined. I wanted to at least get something for now so I made off to the bank, where the check was promptly denied for insufficient funds. I returned to the office where I slapped the check on the front desk and explained it was bad. This time I did demand whoever she was talking to that she kept saying her boss. I had seen 2 young guys (cocky looking) walking around sipping on energy drinks earlier. One of those came out named Brad. He claimed Hope wrote the check from the ¡§wrong account¡¨. Yeah right I said. I want my money! He stated they transferred funds. One more trip to the bank and I had my $468 in cash. I¡¦m pretty sure these idiots thought I would go back to Seattle with that check.

As fyi, the two ladies at the front were sorting through hundreds of envelopes. Looks like a lot of financial stuff. My guess is even more people being ripped off. Next up? Well, I returned home but plan to return for a small claims suit. As a fyi the court buildings are right by the bank. I want to help others get their money back as well. I also plan to get a website up and running with a lot of the info I have shared plus gathering personnel info form all the employees so you know you are dealing with.

My guess is these punks work for someone much larger, but that is yet to be proven. I am on a mission now so let me know if I can help out at all! I would love to see a group of us meet up there to get funds and file court paperwork together, etc.