Redweek - DIY or Full Service?

[JudiZ]

We are trying to give away our timeshare - free, we pay closing costs. It is listed in Bargain Deals as well as in the Marketplace on TUG. Many nibbles but no bites. Not sure why but before I offer to pay maintenance fees for 2018, I was thinking of expanding to Redweek.

I am not terribly familiar with Redweek but in looking at the selling, they offer DIY or full service. Is there a really good reason to use full service? Since I really just want to give it away, the idea of paying $429+ (in addition to closing costs) seems a bit much. That being said, sometimes I miss the obvious and was wondering if I was missing something here. I know a lot of Tuggers use Redweek as well as Tug ads so was curious.

Thanks for any help.

Best,
Judi

 

[DeniseM]

I would not use full-service: basically all it does is put a Redweek Rep as a filter between you and the buyer, which slows down the process, and also costs money. Just do it yourself.

 

[JudiZ]

Thanks, Denise. Have used all of your previous wisdom for giving away our timeshare as well - just waiting for the right "match."

 

[TUGBrian]

Judi, id change the title and first few lines of your ad to include FREE CLOSING PAID BY SELLER and free 2018 usage etc etc or similar.

let that jump out as the first thing anyone would read when looking at your ad!

 

[theo]

I would not use full-service: basically all it does is put a Redweek Rep as a filter between you and the buyer, which slows down the process, and also costs money. Just do it yourself.

I agreed wholeheartedly. I have also noted from personal experience that when a RW listing in the hands of a "full service" rep at RedWeek, said rep becomes the "contact point" but may unfortunately be completely unable to answer simple and straightforward questions in a timely manner --- answers that any owner would know in a heartbeat (e.g., floor of unit, location of that unit within said floor, view from unit).

In one instance, I noted that the unit i.d. provided in the "full service listing" ad at a place where we already own a week was incomplete and, as a result, could have been in any one of three different buildings. When I asked "in which one of the three possible buildings is THIS unit actually located?", the initial reply from the "full service" rep was "that's what the owner provided". If I was that owner, I would not regard that lame response as being a "full service" reply.

I ultimately "passed" on the unit, feeling it was overpriced (in order to help cover the "full service" commission, no doubt). As Denise advised, do it yourself.
It will be easier, quicker, cleaner and cheaper without the "help" of a middleman.

 

[brianfox]

I am finishing up escrow as a buyer. Seller listed through Redweek using their full service.
Gotta say that the go-between people have been helpful, straightforward and prompt in their replies.
Early on, they sent me a timeline and things have held very close to that timeline.
Negotiation was handled through the go-betweens also. I had no issue with the asking price, but I had caveats: I wanted seller to reserve specific weeks for next year, and wanted them to agree to have first usage be 2018 rather than 2017. This meant seller would have to take the responsibility to rent their 2017 week that had already reserved. Seller agreed and I never had to deal directly with them. There was no back and forth on this.

I also have another full-service Redweek purchase waiting on ROFR right now. I had the exact same caveats on that purchase and seller agreed. Was all handled through the full service.

The only money I was asked to put up front was a refundable $500 good faith deposit upon both parties signing purchase agreement. Seller also disclosed confirmations of the reservations of they made (go-betweens called Marriott to verify them).

As a BUYER, I would do the full service in a heartbeat (as it was totally paid for by seller). In fact, as a BUYER, I see it as a perk at this point. If I saw two listings for same price through Redweek and one was full service and the other not, I'd pick the full service.
Not sure I would use it as a seller. This is costing the seller a pretty penny ($525 on a $5500 sale).

I would say that the only difficulty I faced is in the way the closing docs were drawn up. I live in California and escrow was out of Florida, and this was for a Hawaii Marriott. The closing documents were not "notary-friendly" for the state of California, and three notaries I went to balked about following the instructions as stated in the docs. Had to do with lack of precise wording on notary page (as of new wording required 1/1/2015), and a page where notary was expected to give proof of being a notary, which is evidently hunky-dory for Florida notaries, but not for California notaries. I would have expected this company's legal department to draw up closing docs based on the state in which they will be notarized. However, after an E-mail exchange they quickly provided me with instructions on handling the docs for California. This all happened on a Saturday when their office was closed. That's pretty good service.