sELLING MY TIMESHARE

judyv15 [Where is your timeshare in PV? We love PV and were thinking of buying something at Buganvilias, just haven't yet found the right opportunity.[/Q]

Our timeshare is at the Playa Del Sol Grande, which is in Nuevo Vallarta (just North of Pv). Having this entitles us to stay at the Playa Del Sol, Costa Sur (south side of PV), the Playa Del Sol Centro (in PV), and Playa Del Sol, Los Cabos. We bought at Playa Del Sol Grande because it was the newest one at the time, but all are beautiful places. We have a floating week and two (2) bedroom lock off. We currently have a week reserved January 1, 2008 through January 8, 2008 if you are interested in checking it out first. You can check out there website at www.playadelsolpv.com, which shows all 4 resorts. Thanks

I recently attended a presentation that made me question whether I still want to own a timeshare. A company advertised they bought timeshares so I went to hear what they would offer me for mine. At the meeting, they went on for 45 minutes explaining that I can't get out of paying the annual maintenance fees. If I die, my kids inherit the required maintenance fee. If I quit paying, the developer can lien my house to get the maintenance fees. There is no way to stop them, ever. They also said the reason it is so hard to get a prime condo on exchange, at a prime time is because the developers keep all the best and rent them out themselves. This company then explained they would take over my timeshare if I PAID THEM !!; they would do it for just $2950. Is any of this true? We've had some wonderful vacations over the years. I own a red week and would like to convert to points for the flexibility. I don't want to commit my kids to ever increasing maintenance fees unless they want this. Any ideas?

No, its usually $3500 they want to take your worthless piece o' garbage off your hands.

They might even offer you a really worthless holiday club (?) for kinda free.

One company that takes does this is advertised in the TS Today Mag, called Timeshare Relief. They never are upfront about you paying them in any ads I have ever seen. I did see a great layout of how the owners live and play thanks to others misfortune ( They bought a worthless timeshare...) Wasn't worthless to the owners, either. The site from an article was remove quickly after being linked to from a timeshare site mostly manned by a group of volunteers.

They get the timeshares and they end up many time on e bay auctions. It's those that start at one dollar bid...and they hope they will go up. If someone is willing to pay one dollar and the superfantastic closing costs....I guess it wasn't so worthless???

It has been noted that this might be a last resort for people that have no idea of what to do to get rid of the timeshares.

For one thing, many ought to ask the HOA or management company if they will take the week or points back. Many will.....without giving you a dime...but thats still better than paying that much money..or an upfront fee to an advertising company.

If you can't figure e bay,, refuse to try Redweek or Myresortnetwork, then try a honest licensed Real Estate company. A few are mentioned here. They will at least tell you they may try, but after fees, you still may get nothing.

A few e bay sellers say they sell for charity donations. You can see if that might work.

If all else fails ( I forgot what the lawyers on the T/S site said about the kids having to pay the maintance if you die....but I think they said some people are ill informed.) Thats a kind of hogwash. Will it to the HOA...i guess...or will it to a company that is a charity.

If you learn how to use your T/S... and know all the tricks and ins & outs...it isn't worthless.

I wonder if anyone from a PPC will respond? Maybe they can shed some light on the worthless T/S that is worth $2999 or $3500 to them isn't to the owner.....

Is there an ethical or moral obligation to take these worthless timeshare and then re list them with high closing costs to 'sell' to someone else?

Would that be illegal if a licensed real estate broker told the client their property was worthless, and then went ahead and listed it for sale after the first client paid $3000 to the realtor to get rid of the property?

You company said THEY BOUGHT TIMESHARE, and then said they buy them if you pay??? I guess that ethical.

And you want to convert to points? did anyone tell you RCI charges the conversion fee at $199 to convert? How much did the management company say it would cost?

It appears most in T/Ss businesses don't seem to have any ethics.

Heyyyy ya gotta feed the wife & kids..

(Redweek staff excluded)

kimballw wrote:

I recently attended a presentation that made me question whether I still want to own a timeshare. A company advertised they bought timeshares so I went to hear what they would offer me for mine. At the meeting, they went on for 45 minutes explaining that I can't get out of paying the annual maintenance fees. If I die, my kids inherit the required maintenance fee. If I quit paying, the developer can lien my house to get the maintenance fees. There is no way to stop them, ever. They also said the reason it is so hard to get a prime condo on exchange, at a prime time is because the developers keep all the best and rent them out themselves. This company then explained they would take over my timeshare if I PAID THEM !!; they would do it for just $2950. Is any of this true? We've had some wonderful vacations over the years. I own a red week and would like to convert to points for the flexibility. I don't want to commit my kids to ever increasing maintenance fees unless they want this. Any ideas?

norin wrote:

Hi Ken1193,

That timeshare cpmpany and I came to a mutual understanding and I posted the retraction in exchange for a refund.

Hopefully the check didn't bounce;)

They (Haufman & Haufman - www.haufman-assoc.com), whom I would recommend to anyone who got burned by upfront fee timeshare companies, made sure everything was kosher first.

vlahos wrote:

BE CAREFUL. THERE ARE COMPANY THAT WILL CHARGE YOU $1000 AND MORE TO SELL YOUR TIMESHARE. ONCE THEY GET YOUR MONEY, YOU NEVER HEAR FROM THEM AGAIN.

OTHER COMPANIES LIKE Timeshare Adventures,inc.THAT ARE BAD! AS LONG AS THEY GET THEIR MONEY, THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT ANYTHING. (this what happen to me) be very very careful,with this company.

Timeshare Adventures,inc.

everthing when wrong with my transaction. was not a 2 bedroom, it was a one bedroom. was not floating, it was week 2. was charge, 2006 maintance fee, that should not have been charge. contacted this company. that it was my mistake, not theirs. stay away.

just got former owners tax bill in my name, for 2005 and 2006 with all the penalties. do these poeple know what they are doing?

again stay away for this company.

"Timeshare Adventures,inc."

Also stay away from LAND AHOY PROPERTIES. They do not respond to phone calls, emails, etc. I have tried repeatedly to contact them. They are awful. We have learned the hard way. Has anyone else had problems with them???

norin wrote:

To all concerned: My name is Nori Nadzri-Romero and I made a comment that was negative about Land Ahoy Properties. They are a good company and they are not a scam! I'm sorry that I made that comment, it was out of character and not true.

I made the mistake of using them and they refuse to answer my calls or respond to my emails. Mr. Twitty, was he the man you used because he is no where to be found!!!

No, my contact was Chris Baldwin.

Has anyone used Timeshares Only to sell their timeshare? I've spoken to 2 different people there and found them to be very pushy and I was uncomfortable with their sales tactics. I backed off.

Constance

constance94 wrote:

Has anyone used Timeshares Only to sell their timeshare? I've spoken to 2 different people there and found them to be very pushy and I was uncomfortable with their sales tactics. I backed off.

Constance

timesharejudi wrote:

constance94 wrote:

Has anyone used Timeshares Only to sell their timeshare? I've spoken to 2 different people there and found them to be very pushy and I was uncomfortable with their sales tactics. I backed off.

Constance

I am surprised that people don't just hang up the phone when these companies call. There is no difference in any of them. If the fees are paid upfront they are probably lying about the value of the timeshare to get your money.

Ditto! How many times do we have to tell people not to do business with upfront fee resale companies?

jayjay wrote:

timesharejudi wrote:

constance94 wrote:

Has anyone used Timeshares Only to sell their timeshare? I've spoken to 2 different people there and found them to be very pushy and I was uncomfortable with their sales tactics. I backed off.

Constance

I am surprised that people don't just hang up the phone when these companies call. There is no difference in any of them. If the fees are paid upfront they are probably lying about the value of the timeshare to get your money.

Ditto! How many times do we have to tell people not to do business with upfront fee resale companies?

I've found that most undesired callers hang up after 2 rings. Just wait for 2 or 3 and many of your troubles will go away on their own! MD

In response to the person having trouble with Resorts International, so have we!! We have had our weeks registered with them for years!! It is impossible to get anyone to call us back about it and we are our wits end! I have heard that the amount they are trying to rent the units for is extravagent. Does anyone know how we can sell these units on our own?

To the person who is having trouble with Resorts International -- so have we!! We have had our weeks with them for several years with no response. Every time we try and contact them, we can not get through or have to wait for a call back which never happens. We are at our wits end and would like to know how we can get a reputable service to help in selling these weeks.

sarahb137 wrote:

In response to the person having trouble with Resorts International, so have we!! We have had our weeks registered with them for years!! It is impossible to get anyone to call us back about it and we are our wits end! I have heard that the amount they are trying to rent the units for is extravagent. Does anyone know how we can sell these units on our own?

Sarah; In my opinion; First, list your unit with the Resort (most will take them for resale. You can find out the medium selling price for "like" listed units.) Price yours alittle below the medium price, depending on how bad you want to sell. Most Resort resale depts, will also handle the closings.

Second; List the Unit on Redweek.com and any of the other Timeshare Owners sites. Just be realistic on price and honest on other items.

Third; Understand that there are a million+ timeshares for sale and new ones being built everyday. So it is usually not a quick process.

Fourth; There are some reputable real estate companies that will list timeshares, some of which actually market them.

Fifth; Market it to your resort neighbors. They may be looking for an extra week or have friends who are looking.

Last, but not least, DO NOT, EVER, PAY A COMPANY A FRONT FEE "TO SELL YOUR UNIT". They will not sell it, regardless of what they tell you.

Understand that 90% of the time it is a slow process. You have to have the right resort, right unit, right season, etc.... Also, title has to be free and clear. In the meantime, why not put it up for rent, on Redweek and with the Resort. In fact just put it up for rent, permanently. That usually pays the bills and you may even clear some profit.

Good luck. (now go back and read "Last, but not least" again.

lorir94 wrote:

norin wrote:

To all concerned: My name is Nori Nadzri-Romero and I made a comment that was negative about Land Ahoy Properties. They are a good company and they are not a scam! I'm sorry that I made that comment, it was out of character and not true.

I made the mistake of using them and they refuse to answer my calls or respond to my emails. Mr. Twitty, was he the man you used because he is no where to be found!!!

It sounds like there are many who could benefit from consulting the folks at www.haufman-assoc.com! Posting an endorsement of this particular upfront fee company could result in a refund :-}

I was taken for a scam before, it wasn't so long ago maybe like 6months or so, the usual way, they called me and told me they had a buyer who'd pay $2400 for my week. Of course I didn't know anything about this and payed and needed the money to help pay for my timeshare so I paid them a little bit over $500. Never heard from them again, I called and called with no success. So I've been wanting/trying to sell my timeshare since then with no success and scared or paying someone else so they walk out again with my money. It's gotten to the point that I cannot paying for it anymore but still owe plenty on it....any suggestions? dont' know what to do because is already posted on this site with no bites, I've put so much money into it and the $2K I put for down payment that I hate to loose, but at this point I just really need to sell for the remaining balance. Today I heard of www.timesharedoctor.info and how they can help you recover your money and sell your property the right way. Have any of you heard of them before? I was also considering going with www.timesharesonly.com because I've seen their commercials on TV and they fully finance the new buyer...any suggestions on them?

joannac18 wrote:

I was taken for a scam before, it wasn't so long ago maybe like 6months or so, the usual way, they called me and told me they had a buyer who'd pay $2400 for my week. Of course I didn't know anything about this and payed and needed the money to help pay for my timeshare so I paid them a little bit over $500. Never heard from them again, I called and called with no success. So I've been wanting/trying to sell my timeshare since then with no success and scared or paying someone else so they walk out again with my money. It's gotten to the point that I cannot paying for it anymore but still owe plenty on it....any suggestions? dont' know what to do because is already posted on this site with no bites, I've put so much money into it and the $2K I put for down payment that I hate to loose, but at this point I just really need to sell for the remaining balance. Today I heard of www.timesharedoctor.info and how they can help you recover your money and sell your property the right way. Have any of you heard of them before? I was also considering going with www.timesharesonly.com because I've seen their commercials on TV and they fully finance the new buyer...any suggestions on them?

It is a sad story you share but unfortunately not uncommon in the timeshare industry. Too bad you were unaware of the frequent warnings posted here advising folks to never, never, ever pay an upfront fee. I am not good at shorthand but reading between the lines of your post gives me the impression that you owe more on the timeshare than it is worth. Whatever you paid for the property and whatever your down payment was have no bearing on the fair market value now. It is worth what a willing buyer will pay you no matter how much you invested.

Some timeshares are worthless for resale purposes and cannot be given away and no charity will accept them because of high maintenance and/or special assessment fees. Hopefully yours is not in that category. I suggest you lower your price until you start getting some response. You may have to accept less than you owe to sell the property.

The web site, timesharedoctor.com, you referenced is no longer active. The web site, timesharesonly.com, appears to have thousands of listings. They have an extensive list of properties they have sold but I would take this with a grain of salt. I checked some of the listing at resorts with which I am familiar and the timeshares listed tend to be over priced and the listings frequently misrepresent the maintenance fee based on my knowledge. For example, there is a listing for week 32, 2 bdrm, 3 bth, at Streamside at Vail, Aspen with a listing price of $9,000 and a stated maintenance fee of $674. The true maintenance fee/special assessment is >$1,400. The listings are probably based on the information provided by the seller but still it is very much a Caveat Emptor (let the buyer beware) situtation. Best of luck whatever you decide to do.

joannac18 wrote:

I was taken for a scam before, it wasn't so long ago maybe like 6months or so, the usual way, they called me and told me they had a buyer who'd pay $2400 for my week. Of course I didn't know anything about this and payed and needed the money to help pay for my timeshare so I paid them a little bit over $500. Never heard from them again, I called and called with no success. So I've been wanting/trying to sell my timeshare since then with no success and scared or paying someone else so they walk out again with my money. It's gotten to the point that I cannot paying for it anymore but still owe plenty on it....any suggestions? dont' know what to do because is already posted on this site with no bites, I've put so much money into it and the $2K I put for down payment that I hate to loose, but at this point I just really need to sell for the remaining balance. Today I heard of www.timesharedoctor.info and how they can help you recover your money and sell your property the right way. Have any of you heard of them before? I was also considering going with www.timesharesonly.com because I've seen their commercials on TV and they fully finance the new buyer...any suggestions on them?

ok, thanks for the good advice. Although i wish I would've known about this website two years ago before all the mistakes, there's nothing I can do about it but to try to find a solution and move on....however I'm thankful that this website is here to at least get advice on a subject that you all have more experience on than me.

Also the website is www.timesharedoctor.info not .com, I just checked them and they're still active. Rare thing was it was sent to me by a redweek.com member...odd?? Any bites on this website?