"The Villa Trader" is a timeshare related scam company and not affiliated in any way with Villa Trader - http://villatrader.com

We have a timeshare in Mexico on a point based system that can be transferred to RCI points as well. I received a phone call from a company known as The Villa Trader ( I looked up the website www.thevillatrader.com ).

The lady already knew that I hadn't used my timeshare and she said she had a buyer who wanted it if I was willing to sell it. She knew all the information on the timeshare, location, usage, how many points... I asked her where she got the information and she simply said it was in the system (I'm going to call her tomorrow and dig more on how she got my info). I told her how much I would sell it for and she said her buyer would be willing to pay that price.

She said I did not have to pay for anything, that the buyer would pay for the fees. I asked how the transaction would be made, and she said it would be done online on their website.

If this is a trick or scam, what am I missing? I'm trying to find out how they might scam me but don't know. It seems legit and I would like to sell for the price we discussed. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Before starting this post you could have just drop down fourteen spots on here and there is a posting on Villa Trader!

Bottom line is to ask first moment on the phone if they charge a upfront fee. If answer is yes RUN!

Many of these companies call with this bull of having a buyer just standing by to purchase your timeshare for a ridiculous amount of money.

These companies have no buyer but will take your money upfront and you will spend months just trying to talk to them if you ever do.

Now drop down to other posting and read the postings on this!

Good Luck! PHILL12

Thanks Phill. I read the post you mentioned and thought it might be different since they said I don't have to pay for anything. That post said they wanted an upfront fee.

I will call tomorrow and will post what happens. I searched everywhere on info about this company and could not find anything on Google, Yahoo, or anywhere else. I'm sure someone else will deal with these guys later, so I will post what's the outcome.

Sounds too good to be true! Have you checked what others are selling their timeshares for on this and other websites? Anyone can set up a nice looking website.

One scam I've heard of is that the "buyer" sends you a check for more than your agreed price and asks you to write them a check for the difference. Their check bounces and they've got your money! It happens even with supposed cashiers' checks.

If you do decide to proceed, perhaps you should ask for the escrow to be conducted through a closing company of YOUR choice. (and then wait to see if the buyer is still interested..........)

rosemaryw8 stated in part: >> If you do decide to proceed, perhaps you should ask for the escrow to be conducted through a closing company of YOUR choice. (and then wait to see if the buyer is still interested..........)<< =========================================

Sound enough advice, but remember that while it's negotiable, the customary and standard practice in timeshare transactions is "he/she who selects the closing company PAYS that closing company" (as it should be). eBay mega sellers are an obvious exception to this rule, since they require use of THEIR closing company, either for "contractual" (kickback) reasons or because the "closing company" is often just people within their own operation anyhow, merely using a different business name and making extra bucks on the transaction by doing the closing themselves, usually at rates about $100 higher than the rates charged by an actual professional closing company.

I agree that this whole "interested buyer" story is likely nonsense and the beginning stages of a scam, so this is probably an academic discussion. I'd simply advise the contact that you are completely willing to sell at that price and that you are also willing to pay the closing costs and that YOU will select and pay a closing company of YOUR choice for all of the assoociated deed and escrow services. Doing so will cost you about $300 out of pocket (if the story is legitimate, which is highly unlikely). If it's a scam, the "contact" with an alleged "buyer" will promptly see no way to pull off a scam of any kind with a third party professional closing company being involved. Reaching that conclusion, lo and behold, the "deal" AND the alleged "interested buyer" will suddenly just disappear entirely...

I just got the same story as mentioned with the "I have a buyer for you" line. The sales person also seemed to make me feel at ease by telling me to check www.bbb.org If you feel you have been scammed please contact The Better Business Bereau and file a complaint....at least that way they cant use it as an excuse to make people feel at ease

About 3 months ago, i recieved a call from The Villa Trader. I had never tried selling my timeshare befor. They gave me the lines. Everything sounded authentic. So went out on a limb, and to my surprise, i did recieve my check for selling my timeshare. Everyone can listen to the hype, but i am 100% satisfied. I am glad there is a website that lets the smart consumer get opinions. I will be using this website for any other information i need. Thanks everyone.

kc165 wrote:

About 3 months ago, i recieved a call from The Villa Trader. I had never tried selling my timeshare befor. They gave me the lines. Everything sounded authentic. So went out on a limb, and to my surprise, i did recieve my check for selling my timeshare. Everyone can listen to the hype, but i am 100% satisfied. I am glad there is a website that lets the smart consumer get opinions. I will be using this website for any other information i need. Thanks everyone.

That is great news that this worked for you!

What resort did you sell and for how much? Also how much did you pay upfront and was there also a commission after sale. Reason I ask is if they take money upfront there normally just a listing company and can't sell deeded timeshares.

Reason I ask is we get names that pop up on a post couple times telling these great stories but no facts to help others.

The whole point of these forums is to help other timeshare owners and no facts just no help.

This is why many are called shills because of no facts but just getting these company names out there for new people. It is like a fisherman trolling,he just throws his line in the water and moves slow to see what bites!

Again it is great you sold and do have your money!

PHILL12

Well I had a timeshare at the Westgate Resort. There was an upfront fee, according to the company this fee was to ensure that the sale would go through. It was $1000. I had a 2bdrm 2bth. foget what i payed for the property. I recieved a check for $24000. This took around 3 months for me to receive. Like i said this is the first time i have ever tried to sell my timeshare. I dont know what to say about all these scams going around except Im glad there is indeed honest people out there looking out for my best interest.

kc165 wrote:

Well I had a timeshare at the Westgate Resort. There was an upfront fee, according to the company this fee was to ensure that the sale would go through. It was $1000. I had a 2bdrm 2bth. foget what i payed for the property. I recieved a check for $24000.

Receiving $24,000 for your Westgate TS is simply amazing (and unbelievable). There are many Westgate TS available through eBay for $1.00 (and those do not have any bids). Please tell us where the deed was recorded (town or county, book, number, page, etc) for further verification.

If you indeed received $24,000 on a Westgate TS resale, I pity the poor buyer.

mike1536 wrote:

kc165 wrote:

Well I had a timeshare at the Westgate Resort. There was an upfront fee, according to the company this fee was to ensure that the sale would go through. It was $1000. I had a 2bdrm 2bth. foget what i payed for the property. I recieved a check for $24000.

As Phil stated previously many shills post of their "great experiences" with timeshare resale companies.

Receiving $24,000 for your Westgate TS is simply amazing (and unbelievable). There are many Westgate TS available through eBay for $1.00 (and those do not have any bids). Please tell us where the deed was recorded (town or county, book, number, page, etc) for further verification.

If you indeed received $24,000 on a Westgate TS resale, I pity the poor buyer.

I echo this well stated skepticism. There isn't a Westgate property anywhere on Planet Earth worth ONE FOURTH of $24,000, even in flush economic times (and these are NOT flush economic times). Currently, many Westgate listings don't even get any bids when listed for just $1.00 on eBay, as Mike has already mentioned. Furthermore, I am personally unaware of the existence of any timeshare facility called "Westgate Resort" in the first place. Westgate is a corporate chain entity called Westgate Resorts (David Siegel, President), all of whose properties each have specific individual names (NONE of of those names are "Westgate Resort", just for the record).

I too will certainly look forward to reading (and very easily confirming) the book, page, county and state of recording for this alleged (but likely fabricated and non-existent) "transaction". I don't believe for one moment that any such transaction ever occurred, quite frankly. More bluntly, I believe this is just another shill posting to enable having "Villa Trader" get some free exposure, also getting its name to pop up in a Google search. So, here's MY contribution to also pop up with others in any such Google search on The Villa Trader. :-)

Let's be real here. If Westgate doesn't (...and they don't) sell ANY of their timeshares for anywhere near $24k using "professional" sales weasels working on site at their various facilities for hefty commissions, why on earth would anyone believe that some fool just somehow appeared out of the blue and paid an unknown upfront fee company $24k for a Westgate (aka "Wastegate" to some TUG members) property in the resale market?? I'm sorry, but that scenario is simply not even remotely credible. It's just a fantasy.

I don't believe this tall tale for one moment, but I will humbly stand to be corrected upon review of deed information, as recorded in a specified state and county, with book and page numbers provided for verification. Go ahead --- prove me wrong. Meanwhile, I won't hold my breath waiting to see any such verifying facts for a transaction which I'm quite certain never actually occurred in the first place...

I received a Call from Villa Trader today and they said they had a buyer for my El Cid property. His name was James but I asked him if I could be the paperwork and review it as that is what I did with Holiday Group. He said he would check and I also asked him to send me an e-mail with all of this information documented just in case I needed to produce it for the authorities etc.

kelleyl4 wrote:

I received a Call from Villa Trader today and they said they had a buyer for my El Cid property. His name was James but I asked him if I could be the paperwork and review it as that is what I did with Holiday Group. He said he would check and I also asked him to send me an e-mail with all of this information documented just in case I needed to produce it for the authorities etc.

The bottom line is this: 1. There is no "buyer" lined up. 2. They will want an upfront fee from you in order to "do business", likely somewhere between $600 to $1,000. 3. If you pay them, the mythical "buyer" will suddenly just disappear, there will be no "sale", and you will never hear from them again.

Comparing unknown "Villa Trader" to Holiday Group (the latter is a legitimate, established timeshare resale company) is essentially comparing (rotten) apples to oranges. Holiday Group does indeed re-sell timeshares at (roughly) current resale market prices (although their closing costs can be a bit steep). The unknown "Villa Trader", whoever / whatever / wherever they may be, doesn't sell anything. They merely collect upfront fees from gullible owners by appealing directly to their greed; putting stars in an owners' eyes by citing astronomical and totally unrealistic "selling prices" which non-existent buyers are allegedly just chomping at the bit to pay. It's all BS, plain and simple, so please save your money. If you DO choose to pay them, you are not a victim --- you are instead a VOLUNTEER!

Thank you Ken:

I actually did pay them then immediately canceled my credit card as I thought it was a scam. They called me back today and I told them no paperwork up front, no money. I have dealt with Holiday Group Resales and they send you all of the paperwork up front and you look it over, sign and send back. I have not sold my timeshare and was not looking too. I checked the better business bureau and they have had 12 complaints but I must agree with the majority, if it seems too good to be true it most likely is not. As for KC post I am not sure who that is and anyone can have a guest registration to post to throw you off.

Update______

I just wanted to inform you that Frances who is the supposed Verficiation Expert from Villa Traders supposed licenese number is KC3123.

Is this the KC165 posting--just ironic how they sort of match....

I hope you are reading this Frances Uy, as you have screwed with the wrong person!! I hope you like to talk to Andrew Cuomo, NY Attorney General as this is a Federal Offense as it crosses state lines and let me tell you--- beware he will be after you, they took down Governor Spitzer--- your next!!

Merry Christmas--you filfy slimes who prey on others for your benefit--sew nasty seeds and reap them back- I researched the BBB of florida and this is what I came up with.. They are not accredited by the BBB of Florida and here is the contact information from the site. Primary Contact: M/M Carmen A. Carballo (President) Complaint Contact: Frances Uy (Customer Service Rep)

Scam but not for long

kelley14: While your above description of these upfront fee parasites as "slime" may very well be completely accurate and entirely appropriate, I regret to inform you that this matter is neither a criminal matter nor a federal offense. Accordingly, you will unfortunately receive no meaningful assistance or involvement of any kind from any state or federal authority. The practices of these upfront fee parasites are deceptive, unethical and despicable --- but unfortunately NOT illegal.

Upfront fee parasites like these have been around for many years, although the names change as they go back into their little holes in the ground only to emerge again later with a new name (Villa Trader, at least to my knowledge, is a relatively new name on the upfront fee parasite landscape). Outfits like this will continue to exist, appealing to the greed of owners by citing (never in writing) grossly inflated "selling" prices and mythical, non-existent "buyers", until such time as protective legislation (which currently does not exist) is adopted at the federal level to control or curtail their deceptive practices.

Remember, these parasites simply identify their fee as being for ill defined (...rarely in writing) "marketing and advertising services". If you VOLUNTARILY CHOOSE to pay them an exorbitant fee for these alleged "services" (it's usually just a lame web site ad), with nothing at all in writing, VOLUNTARILY CHOOSING to give them your credit card number and authorization over the phone, you are not a victim; you are instead, unfortunately, a willing VOLUNTEER.

The time to scrutinize and question the practices (and non-existent "sales" results) of these upfront fee parasites, by seeking information on Internet timeshare sites, is BEFORE voluntarily choosing to give these parasites your authorization to take your money via a direct credit card charge. Once you make the CHOICE to pay them, the consequences (i.e., no results whatsoever) will inevitably follow. It's almost like making a voluntary "contribution" --- except that it's certainly not for a charitable purpose and is not tax deductible...

We'll see what Andrew Cuomo has to say tomorrow as NY fights crime. I am not sure where you are from but they have taken down many criminal and the fact that they are trying scam me and the rest of NYers will make our Attorney General work

Maybe you should try the same action in your state as solicitiation of money and scams across state lines is a federal offense. PERIOD.

It seems that maybe you work for these people and I am to inform you I am correct! Stealing is a crime and if you cross state lines you make it a federal crime--Plane and simple

PS-- I did not voluntarily give them any money and my credit cards have all been canceled so before you give me any more of your lecture you need to check your state laws as I live In NY

Kelley14: As a former prosecutor, now retired, I may have actually learned at least a little bit about criminal law somewhere along the way. 25+ years of timeshare ownership has also provided me with numerous opportunities to observe many unsavory practices associated with the timeshare industry. Like it or not (...and I don't) what these upfront fee parasites do is NOT illegal. As clearly stated previously, their practices are most certainly deceptive, unethical and despicable. Unfortunately, NONE of those descriptive adjectives make the sleazy operations illegal in the absence of controlling statutes. Simply stated, it is NOT unlawful under ANY state law for a company to collect a VOLUNTARILY paid "advertising and marketing" fee from a willing party (regardless of how ineffectual those "marketing services" might actually be) when an unwary customer willingly CHOOSES to pay that fee. You have now apparently opted to "shoot the messenger", but doing so does not alter for one moment the truth or validity of the underlying facts of the matter here.

In voluntarily offering my input to these forums, my goal is to warn and to help educate inexperienced and /or unwary people, in hopes of helping them avoid some of the many deceptive practices and schemes associated with the timeshare world. However, with your extensive wealth of statutory knowledge and profound legal insights, you obviously do not need or welcome my input. Accordingly, I certainly won't bore or burden you further with accurate and relevant facts or with my own first hand knowledge and decades of legal experience.

Adieu. I wish you (and Mr. Cuomo, for whom I have genuine respect) good luck and Happy Holidays.

I agree with kelly14, I believe kc165 works for Villa Trader or knows someone there. If you try to Google "The Villa Trader" and try to find information about it, there isn't almost anything. Except for what's here in the redweek forums. That's why I think kc165 is trying to put in a good review for them because people that want to research the company online will see this information.

Anyway, I started this thread and I'll add the feedback. The guy on the phone that almost always answers is named "Francis" (or at least that's what he calls himself). He's there from early in the morning to sometimes really late at night. One time I called early around 7am their time, and again at 11pm their time, and he was still there. That same night after I hung up with him I called back a few minutes later and dialed a random extension and he answered again (obviously same guy, same voice and tone), but called himself "George" and again told me in an agitated voice to call back tomorrow to speak to the person I wanted.

It's very difficult to get a hold of someone during the day. The machine says that everyone is busy "with other clients" and to leave a message so they'll call you back. They probably do this so they don't have to deal with angry customers calling them and yelling at them for stealing their money. So they cherry pick the voicemails and only call back the potential customers.

So here's a summary of my last conversation with the guy who called me. He'll probably read this and remember me. haha:

I called and told "Francis" to tell my rep (forgot his name unfortunately, if I find it I'll edit this message and post his name) to call me when he had time. He asked why I wanted to talk to him and I said that it was none of his business, that I'll tell him myself. He said that in order to 'expedite' calls he needed to know why I was calling. So I told him that I was trying to sell my timeshare. His tone of voice changed all of a sudden and now seemed helpful.

When the rep called me back he had all my info ready. I asked him the questions I had. How did he get my number and know that I had not used my timeshare? He said he had direct connections with El Cid (my timeshare, I think El Cid sold my information along with other's to them). How will I get paid and do I have to pay some sort of fee in the sale? He said I would get a check after the sale and all i needed was a $2000 fee for them to REPRESENT me in the sale. I asked why he told me in his first call that there was no fee and that I did not have to pay for anything? Again he said the $2000 was to "legally" represent me in the sale. Is the $2000 refundable? He answered in a cocky voice: "We're not trying to steal your money Mr ****, if the sale does not go through we don't want to keep your money." So I asked again if they would return my money if the sale did not go through. Again he said they did not want to keep my money if the sale did not go through. I said great. Let's get this process started, and I will do so as soon as you give me something in writing that you will give me my money back if the sale does not go through. He said he could not do that. I asked why and he said that I could trust them. I said no, I won't pay anything unless I get something in writing. Then he said he can't because their policy states the $2000 is NON-REFUNDABLE, but that I could trust him that they would give it back anyway. That's where I got very suspicious. So I asked, are you sure you're client wants to buy my timeshare? Yes he said, they're a wealthy couple and have been looking for what you have, they'll pay the $37000 you asked for (I bought it for $34000). Really? I said, then tell me something, what exactly are they buying from me? How many points are in my timeshare? He said, we don't sell by points but by weeks. I asked, Well then how many weeks is my timeshare? His voice was very nervous, he knew the trap I had laid for him. He said it was for two weeks. WRONG. So I asked, How can you tell me you have a client that wants to buy my timeshare for $37000, and you don't even know what you're buying? He didn't know what to say. I said, My timeshare is for three weeks, tell me why you did not know that. Unless you give me something in writing that the money I pay you is refundable I won't have any business with you... (that's where he hung up on me).

This business is obviously a scam. If anyone is reading this information and The Villa Trader has called you, tell them not to call you back. They'll take your money and put some tiny add in their website to make it LEGAL. Go to their website and try to find a timeshare from their listings (www.thevillatrader.com). They have hundreds just for one place. Each add you see there is one person they have scammed. Don't be one of them.

Congratulations! It's always truly gratifying to learn of someone NOT being "taken in" by such parasites.

You are undoubtedly correct that kc165 was an (entirely unconvincing) shill for The Villa Trader. You are equally correct that placement of a dinky little ad on an obscure web site, however lame or ineffectual that particular advertising may be, is still legally sufficient to fulfill the parasites' end of the "advertising and marketing" contract. On the subject of contracts, contrary to popular (but entirely incorrect) belief, there does NOT need to be anything in writing for there to be a valid contract. Verbal contracts are executed all the time.

I am delighted for you. I can only hope that others in the future will exercise similar good judgement and "just say NO" to these types of upfront fee parasites. Hopefully, the day will come when federal legislation curtails their deceptive practices and drives them all out of business. Until that day comes (and it's not here yet), it will take informed and wary consumers making wise decisions on an individual basis to just stop volunteering to line the pockets of these assorted "upfront fee" parasites.