Original Message:
Re: Learning how to investigate & prevent timeshare resale related fraud (by Lance C.):
jordanv6 wrote:Another big part of timeshare resale has been the PCCs (Post Card Companies). These are most often a part of another type of timeshare resale scam which is the property transfer scam.
The PCCs are not necessarily scams. They're just not a recommended approach to getting rid of a timeshare.
It's been pointed out many times on these boards what the PCCs' MO is. After they convince an owner to pay them thousands of dollars to get rid of his timeshare, the PCCs get the owner to sign a Power of Attorney which gives the PCC power to do what it wants with the timeshare.
The PCC will then list it on E-Bay for a starting bid of one dollar. They might even use some of the thousands of dollars the owner paid towards the next maintenance fee and then, in the E-bay ad, let buyers know that the next maintenance fee is paid. If someone buys it, then the previous owner is now free of his timeshare and the PCC did what the owner paid them to do. Hence, it is not necessarily a scam.
The obvious downside is that there might not be anyone who want to buy this timeshare. If nobody buys it, then the owner is still the owner. As well, what the owner is paying the PCC thousands of dollars to do, he can do himself for a fraction of the cost.
Therefore, what is usually recommended on boards like these is to try to give it away yourself rather than pay a PCC to possibly end your ownership.