Looking to interview New England-based owners who have unloaded their timeshare (or tried to)

[Jon Gorey]

Hi everyone, I'm writing a story for the Boston Globe on how to get rid of unwanted timeshare while avoiding scams, and I'd love to speak to some local owners who've gone through the process -- whether it was successful or not. Doesn't matter where your timeshare is/was, but I'm looking for people who live in the Boston area or at least in New England. If you wouldn't mind a brief interview to share your experience, good or bad, please get in touch!


ADMIN EDIT FOR LINK TO THE ARTICLE PUBLISHED 1/21:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyl...ing-scammed/sVnQYHUqWoSIdTNjARKrXL/story.html

 

[TUGBrian]

sorry, this gentleman already contacted me and i gave him permission to post his request here for his article in the boston globe.

there have always been some TUGGERS in the past willing to speak to the media about their resale experience, and hopefully this article will reach the eyes of other owners who dont yet know about TUG but before they get scammed!

 

[AwayWeGo]

Some years ago I was quoted in an Orlando newspaper about giving away my outstanding 3BR-3BA lock-off prime-season floating-week Orlando timeshare. The reporter found out about my timeshare giveaway via TUG-BBS, I think. The newspaper story caught the attention of a network TV producer who arranged to do an on-camera interview, which took place in my own living room right here at home, side by side with The Chief Of Staff, for the NBC Today television show. I'm sure it irked them that I kept holding up a computer-printed placard that said . . .

Timeshare Users Group
www.tug2.net​

When the story aired, my segment was 15 seconds or less. The TUG placard never made it on screen.

Back then giving away a timeshare was novel enough to make news in a daily paper & on network TV. Based on the Boston Globe guy's outreach, maybe it still is.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[theo]

Hi everyone, I'm writing a story for the Boston Globe on how to get rid of unwanted timeshare while avoiding scams, and I'd love to speak to some local owners who've gone through the process -- whether it was successful or not. Doesn't matter where your timeshare is/was, but I'm looking for people who live in the Boston area or at least in New England. If you wouldn't mind a brief interview to share your experience, good or bad, please get in touch!

"Get in touch" by what means, exactly?

No phone number or email address or any other contact (or legitimacy verification) mechanism of any kind seems to have been provided or identified here and (at least as far as I know), private messages, now called "conversations" in TUG's new Xenforo bbs software, cannot be sent to non-member TUG Guests.

 

[TUGBrian]

sorry, perhaps his email was in the original edited post by a moderator?

there should be no limitation on who can send/start conversations...guest or member...all can participate.

do you not have the ability to click "start a conversation" within his profile?

 

[TUGBrian]

alternatively if you read this and dont want to post on the forums, you can send me an email directly to tug@tug2.net and ill put you in touch.

 

[theo]

<snip> ...you can send me an email directly to tug@tug2.net and ill put you in touch.

Brian:
My first and obvious question is whether this individual has already been "vetted" for legitimacy as a writer for the Boston Globe?

As Denise M. astutely observed previously (before her reply post to the OP was apparently deleted), alleged "researchers" can be "data phishers" in disguise.
I for one want to know exactly who I am talking to before having any "on the record" conversations with someone I do not know and have neither met nor personally verified for legitimacy --- particularly since actual discussion of scams is an integral and important part of the whole mix on this subject!

I respectfully suggest posting this individual's contact information right out in the open, right here in these discussion forums.
Since this individual is apparently looking to obtain volunteered personal information from others for print media publication, publicly extending an invitation to "get in touch" with him, then identifying a specific means by which to "get in touch" would seem to be just simple common courtesy on his part, no?

 

[TUGBrian]

I feel pretty comfortable given the large number of questions asked in our initial interview, that if this person was indeed a scammer....they would be the greatest one of all time =)

that said, its all about comfort level...and if someone doesnt feel comfortable talking about their personal experience, i am perfectly ok with that.

I would also expect said reporter to respect personal information (if any is even provided). I dont think he is looking for a large selection of people, but instead just one or two to quote in the story. I doubt anyone would need or even be asked to provide anything beyond their name, and perhaps the name of the timeshare they tried to resell etc.

things like details about the ownership, membership numbers, addresses etc would have no valid use in the story, and should not be asked for or provided.

 

[Jon Gorey]

Brian:
My first and obvious question is whether this individual has already been "vetted" for legitimacy as a writer for the Boston Globe?

As Denise M. astutely observed previously (before her reply post was apparently deleted), alleged "researchers" can actually be "data phishers" in disguise.
I for one want to know exactly who I am talking to before having conversations "on the record" with someone I do not know and have neither met nor verified if the conversation includes personal and / or financial matters --- particularly since discussion of scams is an integral part of the whole mix on this matter!

I respectfully suggest posting this individual's contact information right out in the open, right here in these forums. Since he, after all, is the one looking for information from others, with an open invitation to "get in touch", providing a specific means by which to establish said contact seems to me to be little more than just common courtesy on his part, no?

Yoinks, sorry! I'm not a member and have never posted to this forum before, I figured there was a way to contact people through their profile or something. I'm at jongorey at gmail. You can find a couple dozen articles I've written for the Globe with a quick google search if you like. Brian is correct I'm just looking for people who might want to share their difficulties (or success) in selling or unloading a timeshare, on the record (ie name required) since it's a common issue (and one my parents faced which is why I pitched this article in the first place). Didn't mean to raise your hackles!

 

[theo]

Yoinks, sorry! I'm not a member and have never posted to this forum before, I figured there was a way to contact people through their profile or something. I'm at jongorey at gmail. You can find a couple dozen articles I've written for the Globe with a quick google search if you like. Brian is correct I'm just looking for people who might want to share their difficulties (or success) in selling or unloading a timeshare, on the record (ie name required) since it's a common issue (and one my parents faced which is why I pitched this article in the first place). Didn't mean to raise your hackles!

No "raised hackles", merely expressing a legitimate and well founded concern for security. I don't know how much (...if any) personal experience you may have ever had with the timeshare industry, but it is (...unfortunately) an arena replete with far too many scammers, opportunists, thieves and parasites of similar ilk.
Accordingly, caution is prudent when dealing with anyone suddenly "appearing out of the blue" here, seeking personal info from inhabitants of Planet Timeshare.

Provide a phone number and I'd be willing to call you and relay some detailed, factual history and information on this topic, acquired from personal experience.

 

[Centurion]

[QUOTE="Jon Gorey, [/QUOTE]
Can we get on a mailing list to see the story when you release it? It sounds like a good piece and I would hate to miss it when it comes out.

 

[Jon Gorey]

I don't know about a mailing list but I'll certainly post the link here once it's live! Should be late January. Thank you all for your help, I spoke with two owners as well as Brian so I've got plenty to go on. Thanks!

 

[TUGBrian]

fantastic! glad you could find some TUGGERS to help with the story! looking forward to reading it next month.

 

[Jon Gorey]

Hi everyone, thanks again for all your help with this! Looks like the article went live today:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyl...ing-scammed/sVnQYHUqWoSIdTNjARKrXL/story.html

 

[Roger830]

The best piece that I have read from non-timeshare media.

A nice reference to TUG and Brian.

 

[NiteMaire]

Hi everyone, thanks again for all your help with this! Looks like the article went live today:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyl...ing-scammed/sVnQYHUqWoSIdTNjARKrXL/story.html

Nice article. Check out the marketplace while you're here

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

 

[falmouth3]

Good article. Please share the response to the article with us.
Sue

 

[theo]

Hi everyone, thanks again for all your help with this! Looks like the article went live today:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyl...ing-scammed/sVnQYHUqWoSIdTNjARKrXL/story.html

Kudos on the quality reporting. Factual, accurate, interesting and entertaining --- no one could reasonably ask for more.
Most mainstream media reporting on timeshare-related issues is quite lame, since the writers usually don't bother to acquire enough background knowledge or information before hitting their keyboards. Congratulations to Jon Gorey for being a noteworthy exception.

In regard to the article's reference to Donate for a Cause, perhaps not entirely clear is the fact that Donate for a Cause also requires an accompanying payment of several thousand dollars before DFAC will agree to accept the (...ahem) "donation" of a timeshare in the first place. The writer does refer to the relevant and important point that there is no valid tax deduction for a worthless timeshare.

As has been discussed many times in these TUG forums, the IRS uses "fair market value" for valuation and the "fair market value" of something that one has to pay a few thousand dollars just to get rid of is obviously and precisely zero (...or less). The writer (to his credit) has also apparently learned of the well-deserved attention that DFAC is currently "enjoying" from the U.S. Department of Justice for DFAC-facilitated bogus and grossly inflated "appraisals". I believe that an order or injunction putting a stop to that particular practice was finally (albeit belatedly) issued against James Tarpey and DFAC.

A fellow I know (a good friend and former work colleague) who I had referred to Mr. Gorey is cited within the article. I was previously unaware that he had actually paid out $1,200 to the upfront fee "listing service" thieves in Florida who are identified in the article (with the completely predictable results of no results at all).

In any event, an excellent piece of reporting and a job well done.

 

[TUGBrian]

this might be one of the best and most informative articles ive seen written in quite some time!

I only wish I had seen it published yesterday and I would have put it in todays newsletter! Ill be sure to include it next week however!

Thanks again for the awesome job Jon! (and everyone be sure to like/share the article on social media)

 

[dundey]

Very nice job Jon. The only thing missing specifically is the one timeshare that can actually be a decent investment if you know how to use it - Disney. But I do realize that was not the point of the article. However it is probably the only example of a timeshare that is easy to resell and even at a profit.

 

[R.J.C.]

Hi everyone, thanks again for all your help with this! Looks like the article went live today:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyl...ing-scammed/sVnQYHUqWoSIdTNjARKrXL/story.html

Excellent article.

 

[Beaglemom3]

https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifesty...ing-scammed/sVnQYHUqWoSIdTNjARKrXL/story.html

 

[cboutin]

Thanks Jon, interesting article. For my case, I was wondering if you spoke with any owners who are on a point system vs week system?
CBB

 

[JMTug]

Thank you for the article. I could not get the link to work but was able to get to the article by entering the Boston Globe site and searching for Timeshare. The article was then readily available to me.

 

[TUGBrian]

interesting, is anyone else getting errors getting the link to work?