Original Message:
Did you ever wonder what these timeshare liquidators do with the properties that they collect? (by Jim H.):
There are dozens of companies that claim to have successfully transferred thousands of timeshares by offering to “Get Rid of Your Timeshare Obligation”. Did you ever wonder what all these companies do with the properties that they collect? I owned a 2 bedroom lock-off at the WKORV in Maui since April 2004. After the recent (Nov 2009) 25% increase in maintenance fees, I reached my breaking point and decided to try to sell my property. At the same time, I began receiving unsolicited ads in the mail to dispose of my timeshare. Was this a coincidence or are these companies working together with the resort to co-ordinate their activities? I found a company called “Time Share Closing Services” http://timeshareclosingservices.com/ through another company called “Timeshare Luxury” http://timeshareluxury.com/ that connected with a third one called “Vacation Innovations” http://vininc.com/ and they offered to purchase my timeshare for $6000 and also pay the maintenance fees ($2351) that were due in January. I agreed, and after signing a contract and waiting 6 weeks, I received and cashed the check. This company is in business to obtain properties from disgruntled individuals or from those who can no longer afford to own them. They provide a medium for resort developers to re-sell the same property OVER and OVER. Their website http://vininc.com/ provides a description of their programs. After thinking about this 5 year episode in my life, I was motivated to document my experience (more for therapeutic reasons than any other) and came to the conclusion that Starwood has perpetrated a deliberate and methodical scam. It’s a very long and detailed story, probably similar to that of most timeshare owners, which shows from start to finish how Starwood has been able to propagate this scheme on the unsuspecting public. I’m providing it here and welcome your comments. http://timesharebuyer-beware.blogspot.com/