Alert to Timeshare Scam

I received a postcard from Apex Professionals LLC from Reno. They were setting up appointments in my city this weekend to make an immediate 'offer' on timeshares that were on their list. I own 4 and was contemplating getting rid of 2, if the price was right. I was told it would be 30-40 minutes. 5 of us were ushered into a meeting room (all except me were VERY senior citizens). The presenter went on for over an hour on what a terrible mistake we made in buying a timeshare and how we owned it for life and can't get rid of it, even by filing bankruptcy and there's no market, there's special assessments, fast rising MFs, etc. It was an hour of scare tactics and hysteria on what a terrible burden we were stuck with and our children and grandchildren. He basically called us stupid and uninformed and said if we take their 'offer' we will immediately be free of our burden and can deduct any loss we take and even showed the IRS form on the screen. I was so mad at the insulting presentation that I almost left but wanted to hear their 'offer'. After the hour, we broke off into one-on-one meetings with another person. Bottom line: They will 'take' your timeshare to save you the MFs and you pay them $3495 for all closing documents to be free of this terrible purchase!!! I PAY them to take my timeshare - all Red Weeks, Gold Crowns in tropical areas???!! My concern was that seniors were the target and with the economy and the hour of scare tactics, that they would be scared into paying these scam artists to take their timeshare, which they then rent out. It was an immediate transaction with no time to think about it. We were told to bring our documents. I spoke to one senior in the parking lot afterwards and she also was insulted and said she'd never do it. Please be forewarned and don't waste your time unless you just want to go and hassle them or be entertained with the performance. I've reported them to Reno's BBB - I hope the word gets out.

These are called postcard companies and they've been around a while.

My husband and I went to the same "seminar" by APEX. At the time they didn't even have their website up and within 5 minutes of that man talking (same talk I am sure), I started to question him. Their address was wrong and basically saw right thru them right away. This guy was so desperate he even showed us his driver's license to show he lived in Houston, TX. Unreal! And, yep, I walked out. Insulting and a waste of anyone's time. Spread the word on APEX...scammers.

Preferred Transfers and APEX Consultants are the same people as Timeshare Freedom, We Collect Timeshares and what other name they were using....there have been so many I have lost track....but their service remains the same....see proof certain

those that ask about Apex - this is Jonathan & Christine Gibbs...they are back at it! Check out this

Apex Professionals LLC 38 / female RENO www.myspace.com/apexprofessionalsllc

Look at "her friends"

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APEX PROFESSIONALS OR PREFERRED TRANSFERS -- IF YOU HAVE MY SPACE SEARCH APEX PROFESSIONALS YOU WILL SEE PROOF POSITIVE THEY ARE ALL IN BED TOGETHER - SAME EXACT SALES PEOPLE....

Here is proof:

Go to this website: http://www.apexprofessionalsllc.com/

check closing company tab:

License Information: Entity Name: PREFERRED TRANSFERS, LLC Firm Name: PREFERRED TRANSFERS, LLC License Type: Washington State Business Entity Type: Limited Liability Company UBI: 602872461 Business ID:001 Location ID:0001 Status To check the status of this company, go to Secretary of State..

Location Address: 1000 CHERRY ST SE STE A OLYMPIA, WA, 98501-1433 Mailing Address: PO BOX 13199 OLYMPIA, WA, 98508-3199

Governing People: CHRISTINE GIBBS

Back to top Business Contact and Profile

Name: Apex Professionals, LLC Phone: (866) 950-5713 Fax: (877) 483-9915 Address: 200 S Virginia St STE 800

Reno, NV 89501-2409 Website: www.apexprofessionalsllc.com Original Business Start Date: March 2008 Principal: Mr. Nicholas Morrison, Manager Customer Contact: Mr. H. Benjamin, Vice President Customer Service - (866) 950-5713 Entity: Limited Liability Corporation Incorporated: February 2009, NV TOB Classification: Vacation Time Share BBB Accreditation: This company is not a BBB Accredited business.

According to information in BBB files, this business is not located in northern Nevada. The 200 S Virginia St STE 800, Reno, NV 89501 address and the 1135 Terminal Way STE 106, Reno, NV 89502 address are not actual locations for the business but rather virtual offices. The business' actual location is unknown.

Back to top Products and Services This business offers to receive title to timeshare properties for a fee.

Back to top Business Management Additional company management personnel include: Mr. Mike Davidson - Vice President Marketing

Back to top Additional Locations and Phone Numbers Additional Addresses 1135 Terminal Way STE 106 Reno, NV 89502-2143

Wow, guess I dodged a bullet! We still owe on our timeshare so we were not a "qualified" seller. Thanks for posting such a detailed warning. Sometimes you don't know it's a scam until you've "stepped" into the pile.

If you have to pay $ to let go of ur timeshare...and a lot of $ at that...you knowwww it is a scam....sell cheap and write off if u can...or rent if u can too. We are trying both. And may succeed soon, I hope!

We also went to meet with the Apex people. I felt the scare tactic. I knew with in 5 minutes of how worthless times shares are that we would be asked to pay them to take it off our hands. I was insulted yet I see there point. We tried to have an open mind. I can't help but feel that Ah oooo feeling. So, we decided to sleep on it. In the paper work they sent home with us. In several places they have. "These documents must reach us within 5 DAYS the contract will go into default and the owner (that's me) would be responsible to pay all additional fees. I just wonder how many people are stuck with these extra fees on top of giving these people $3000.00. I guess time will tell if this group is the Wolf in Sheeps clothing. By the way. We don't have $3000.00 to give to these people. We're not signing.

susanm838 wrote:

We also went to meet with the Apex people. I felt the scare tactic. I knew with in 5 minutes of how worthless times shares are that we would be asked to pay them to take it off our hands. I was insulted yet I see there point. We tried to have an open mind. I can't help but feel that Ah oooo feeling. So, we decided to sleep on it. In the paper work they sent home with us. In several places they have. "These documents must reach us within 5 DAYS the contract will go into default and the owner (that's me) would be responsible to pay all additional fees. I just wonder how many people are stuck with these extra fees on top of giving these people $3000.00. I guess time will tell if this group is the Wolf in Sheeps clothing. By the way. We don't have $3000.00 to give to these people. We're not signing.

Please see my other post below before you go any further regarding rescission.

So, it looks like you had 5 days to rescind. Are you within the 5 day period? If so, get off a rescission letter ASAP (you don't have to go into detail, just state that you wish to rescind their offer to buy your timeshare), then both you and your husband sign the rescission letter and go to the post office and send it certified mail, return receipt. If it's after the rescission period, I don't know that there's much you can do.

susanm838 wrote:

In several places they have. "These documents must reach us within 5 DAYS the contract will go into default and the owner (that's me) would be responsible to pay all additional fees.

On another note, if you didn't sign the contract and turn over the $3000 to them, then you're not legally responsible for doing anything. They can't come after you for a contract that was not signed by you. They have no further recourse. Try selling your timeshare yourself on the many internet listing sites.

I checked all those names and the address was also the same! Thanks for posting the info and saving me the hour trip. What nerve!!! When I cancelled my appointment, I tried to tell the off-site answering service that they were working for a scam company, but the girl was brainwashed!! No matter what I said about the costs that they charged the sellers, she had a stupid answer. There was no getting through to that girl. I told her that the office adresses were not real, and she knew, and said it was because the people travelled all the time. Then I asked where she was, what state, "Washington!!!" I just laughed and said good luck (she must have been a relative.......)

Yes, they are a major scam! I reported them to the Better Business Bureau and they didn't do anything. There was an article in a Florida newspaper about their scam operation. I feel sorry for those that are taken by these scammers. The only reason I sat through their insulting presentation was to see the bottom line. After hearing how horribly they portrayed the timeshare busienss, I knew they weren't going to pay me but I never thought they'd charge so much to get rid of a Red Week Gold Crown property. I wish they could be stopped. All we can do is spread the word.

Guees What, there is another company doing the same thing. You can have a meeting in person or have a conference call over the phone, but the bottom line is the same, they want $3000 - $4000 from the seller to take the timeshare off your hands. They make it sound as if they are doing you a big favor, so that you will never have to pay another maintenance fee again. I even had an argument with the lecture guy when I told him that I could close and transfer ownership for $450. He told me that I was wrong. I told him (and the other owner/listeners on the conference call) to get on redweek.com or myresortnetwork.com and check out the closing companies (which I have used when I sold a timeshare a few years ago and just checked out a few weeks ago). He did not like that and told me that he was going to hang up on me, I did so first. Then the big sales person called me and tried to argue the cost ( she also said that it was the going rate) and told me that 35,000 people (many of them OLDER people) were very happy to have paid that fee to let go of their timeshare. I told her that I felt sorry for them, they were robbed. Or, if they had $4,000 to spend (or throw away), they were in much better a financial situation than I was in. I rather use the money to keep the timeshare, not GIVE it to THEM. They are in a win/win situation, they get your timeshare and make thousands. The seller loses his vacation property AND thousands of dollars. And they said that the advertising companies, where you paid hundreds for up front ad costs were ripoffs? This company was "Timeshare Relief". So, beware!!!!! There must be many more..............

Also, be aware that if you have done business with a postcard company and they don't sell your week on Ebay then the week could still be in your name and you may be billed for future maintenance fees and/or special assessments. As long as the week is still in your name you are responsible.

I just cancelled an appointment with Apex Professionals. I saw no reason to waste my time. How did you go about selling your timeshares you mentioned. I have yet to figure out the combination to being successful at selling this thing.

Thanks for you time.

APEX LLC - for you that say they are honest..please read on!

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2009 4:14:00 PM Time share repurchaser settles with Vt. BY NICK REES

Sorrell MONTPELIER, Vt. (Legal Newsline) - A Nevada-based time share repurchaser has agreed to pay more than $120,000 in restitution and penalties to settle claims it violated Vermont law.

Apex Professionals, LLC, will pay more than $64,000 to 15 Vermont consumers and $65,000 in penalties and costs to the state over the alleged violations.

"If out-of-state companies offering an economic benefit to consumers in Vermont violate the state's consumer laws, they can expect strong enforcement and serious consequences," state Attorney General William Sorrell said.

Apex representatives began soliciting Vermont consumers in the spring of 2009 to transfer ownership of their unused timeshares to allow the original owners to be relieved of timeshare maintenance fees, taxes and other costs.

The Apex representatives met with consumers in March at the Courtyard Burlington Harbor in Burlington and in March and May at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Montpelier. The meetings were advertised in postcards mailed by Apex that stated, "Don't play the waiting game in this economy! If you accept our offer we will put your timeshare into closing immediately."

Consumers who went to the meetings with Apex went with the understanding that Apex would offer them money in exchange for their timeshares. Apex instead charged them a fee of several thousand dollars to transfer ownership of their timeshares, Sorrell said.

Apex representatives then told consumers that the several thousand dollar payment could be offset by filing for a federal income tax deduction for investment losses on their timeshare, the value of which was claimed to be equal to or greater than their payment to Apex. Sorrell says this claim was not true as consumers had purchased the timeshares for personal, not investment, purposes, which made them ineligible for a tax deduction.

Filed Under: State AGs

Technorati Links

Good, another state is taking action against timeshare upfront fee scammers ... hope the domino affect prevails.

Christine and Jonathan change names again... is it December.....

PREFERRED TRANSFERS, LLC UBI Number 602872461 Category LLC Profit/Nonprofit Profit Active/Inactive Active State Of Incorporation DE Date of Incorporation 10/21/2008 Expiration Date 10/31/2010 Dissolution Date Registered Agent Information Agent Name MARK R PATTERSON Address 1201 PACIFIC AVE #1900

City TACOMA State WA ZIP 984011315 Special Address Information Address PO BOX 1315 City TACOMA State WA Zip 984011315

Governing Persons Title Name Address Manager EVENSON , JULIE 1000 CHERRY STREET OLYMPIA , WA

kareng275,

my neighbor paid $3,495 to timeshare relief last october to get out of her Wyndham timeshare. they did transfer her name off the deed to another company but it took over 90 days to do so. i told her i have tried selling my timeshare (that i inherited from my dad) for the last three years. i have listed with a couple of different companies including Remax but not one offer. i tried to donate to the Northview Christian Church but their attorney wrote me back and said they could not accept this unless i was willing to pay the annual maintenance fees (keep the contract in my name). my father paid $17,500 in 1996 for this timeshare and the maintenance fees are now over $900 per year. do you have an option that i can consider. my attorney is convinced that paying someone to take this off my hands is the only remedy but i thought from reading your post you may have a different solution.

kylee19 wrote:

kareng275,

my neighbor paid $3,495 to timeshare relief last october to get out of her Wyndham timeshare. they did transfer her name off the deed to another company but it took over 90 days to do so. i told her i have tried selling my timeshare (that i inherited from my dad) for the last three years. i have listed with a couple of different companies including Remax but not one offer. i tried to donate to the Northview Christian Church but their attorney wrote me back and said they could not accept this unless i was willing to pay the annual maintenance fees (keep the contract in my name). my father paid $17,500 in 1996 for this timeshare and the maintenance fees are now over $900 per year. do you have an option that i can consider. my attorney is convinced that paying someone to take this off my hands is the only remedy but i thought from reading your post you may have a different solution.

Some people that are desperate to rid themselves of a timeshare will turn to postcard companies and pay them big bucks to take it as your neighbor did, however you have to follow the entire process to make sure the timeshare gets out of your name at the resort.

There have been some reports that a postcard company didn't complete the transaction and the timeshare remained in the owner's name and they were billed for maintenance fees.

my question remains ... do you know of a solution for me getting rid of my timeshare contract? my attorney has done all the homework on several transfer companies and his recommendation is much like Pam's (my neighbors) that Timeshare Relief will transfer my name to a third party for a fee and they are the most reputable. my concern is that after finally understanding the nature of this Wyndham timeshare contract that the least amount of money i or my family will ever pay is a fee to get out of it. my dad never intended for this timeshare to end up with me (i was the executor of the estate and had to take responsibility before the estate could move out of probate) and i don't like over paying for something i can't use when and where i want. i have dozens of internet responses from various blogs and boards but no one has given me an real alternative yet.