We have received several calls recently from cautious and concerned timeshare owners who wanted to “confirm” information they had received from some unknown individual who claimed to be a representative of Advantage Vacation.
Before getting into the details of the call and the timeshare scam, we would like to clarify how Advantage Vacation conducts its timeshare business:
Advantage Vacation is a licensed real estate company located on Maui, Hawaii.:
We do not and never have requested or required an upfront fee in order to sell your timeshare.
We do not and never have contacted clients directly to solicit the listing of their timeshare for resale or to buy their timeshare interest.
If you are contacted by anyone identifying themselves as an Advantage Vacation representative, please do not send them any money and contact us immediately with the details of the call.
Advantage Vacation is a member of the BBB with an A+ rating. Advantage Vacation is a member of the Licensed Timeshare Resale Brokers Association of which Cheri Becker, co-owner of Advantage Vacation, is currently serving as Vice President. Advantage Vacation is a member of ARDA.
Advantage Vacation has never had a complaint from any of the many customers we have assisted in buying a timeshare resale or selling their timeshare. We are proud of the thousands of satisfied customers we have who have referred their friends and family members to Advantage Vacation.
Now to the details of the timeshare scam which is impersonating Advantage Vacation. Thanks to several cautious and diligent timeshare owners, we were contacted regarding the sale of their timeshare. As a result we have contacted the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and the Florida State Attorney General’s office (the scam is operating out of Orlando, FL) to report the names, address and telephone numbers of the impersonators. The Florida State Attorney’s office has notified us that they have started their investigation.
These people were contacted directly via a telephone call and told there was a buyer interested in buying their timeshare interest (at a greatly inflated price, much more than the actual market price). The paperwork looks official enough, with the promise of “No commissions, No closing costs and No hidden costs” that’s because they get all their money up front!
The impersonators paperwork states “The fee for our resale program is a one-time secured payment of $1,498 by Reload Green Dot Money pak which is for your Legal Documentations and Title Transfer only after offer being approved by Title Company”. The fee is broken down as follows: Transfer of Deed $398.00, Title Search $300.00 and Lawyer Fees $800.00 which totals $1498.00.
I have written numerous articles addressing what to look for, and what to avoid, with regard to buying a timeshare resale or selling your timeshare so that you don’t become a victim of a timeshare scam.
I think now is a good time to review what you should do as a timeshare owner when approached by someone wanting to buy your timeshare or who offers assistance in selling your timeshare:
- Start with trust – visit bbb.org to check out the BBB Business Review for any company you are considering doing business with
- Beware of upfront fees – any related costs to the purchase of a timeshare will be handled at the closing
- Read the fine print of any contract – whether buying or selling
- Never wire cash to anyone – for any reason and do not send them a check, money order or a Reload Green Dot Money pak. Never give your credit card number over the phone or through email.
- Get all the information regarding the buying or selling of a timeshare in writing prior to sending any funds
- Check the license of the business you are in contact with for the purchasing of, or selling of a timeshare interval
And most importantly: Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it is!
One last reminder, legitimate timeshare resale companies do NOT solicit listings or contact timeshare owners directly. If you did not initiate the call chances are the company calling is not a legitimate timeshare resale company and you are the target of a timeshare scam.
