Post reply

Re: escrow vs contract (by Resort Rentals International):

Replying to the freelance broker comment, it's OK to work with a rental company but I wouldn't recommend working with an individual with no license, insurance, or financial backing. Just perform an internet search to ensure the company is legitimate and reputable. There's nothing's wrong with having a brokerage company renting out a timeshare as long as the offer is close to your asking price. Just make sure they don't ask for any money upfront, that would be a scam.

My advice to renters... Never ever send a wire transfer, cash, a check made to cash, money order, certified check, cashier's check, or any other payment method that is impossible to recover if there is a problem. There are some scams out there but not too many. Be weary if it's too good to be true. Most owners accept paypal which means that you can pay with a credit card too (but only if the owner sends you an invoice or payment request). Renting directly from owners on RedWeek is a great way for renters to save money. One thing that I always do is check the owner's deed online. Most of the time, you can search the "official records" within the county that the resort is located. Make sure you get the correct county. Go to google and type {the name of the county} and "deed seach" or "Official records". Then you can search for a deed by the person's name. If this person owns a timeshare at this resort, their deed should be online. If not, then you'll need to ask the owner if they are the actual owner and ask them for a copy of the confirmation or ask if you can have their permission to call the resort to verify their reservation. Not all counties in the US provide a way for search for deeds online but most counties do. All of the counties in Florida have an online deed search.

My advice to owners... Always have a rental agreement and never accept a cashier's check, certified check, or international check. This is a common way that scammers make money. These checks take too long to clear and the renter may over pay you (with a fake check) and ask for you to send them the difference. By the time your bank tells you it's a fake check (4 - 8 weeks later), you would have already sent the scammer money that you'll never recover. Accepting paypal or credit card (through paypal) or Zelle is a great way to get paid. Just make sure you have a clear cancellation and refund policy written within a rental agreement and verify the person's identity by either asking for their ID, or using a research tool such as 411.com or "zaba search" or "free people search". You can usually verify their name, address, phone number, and sometimes even their email address for free or for less than $5. Call them at the phone number that you find online (if it's different than the one they provided). Some renters are not honest and will try to cancel at the last minute and demand a refund and some file a chargeback after staying at your timeshare claiming that they don't recognize the charge on their account. It's happened to me a few times. You need to protect yourself from bad people. You'll always lose a chargeback unless you have a signed rental agreement and a verified identity.