Right Resort, Right Week, Wrong Price

[JudiZ]

So last year, I bought a resort from a fellow Tugger that was the right resort, the right week and the right price. Win-win-win. I think I paid $800 and had a wonderful buying experience from a lovely woman. Not the resort everyone wants but the one we wanted. We used it this past summer and loved it - the location was perfect for us and it was a great vacation.

I found another week at the same resort for the week before, which is in the same summer season with no huge value shift and we would love to have it. It is on Sell My Timeshare for $11,500. Yeah...no. It is only worth something to someone looking for that very specific resort/week and I can't imagine anyone in their right mind would pay that amount for it (unless they were in a high-pressure sales situation, I guess, which might be when they bought it).

My question - do I actually submit an offer for what I am willing to pay? Like $800. It seems so outrageous but I keep thinking there is nothing to lose. Am I wrong? Is there something I am missing by making a low, low, low ball offer? I have to give them my name and phone number which makes me uncomfortable but isn't a deal breaker. Sometimes, I don't see all the implications.

Thanks for your input.

Best,
JudiZ

 

[wackymother]

Sure, submit it. The prices on Sell My Timeshare are crazy unrealistic. You are making a genuine offer.

Just one question--you've hunted around everywhere and you're sure this particular week is not for sale anywhere else? Because it would be better if you could communicate directly with the seller, rather than going through whatever happens at Sell My Timeshare.

 

[Panina]

So last year, I bought a resort from a fellow Tugger that was the right resort, the right week and the right price. Win-win-win. I think I paid $800 and had a wonderful buying experience from a lovely woman. Not the resort everyone wants but the one we wanted. We used it this past summer and loved it - the location was perfect for us and it was a great vacation.

I found another week at the same resort for the week before, which is in the same summer season with no huge value shift and we would love to have it. It is on Sell My Timeshare for $11,500. Yeah...no. It is only worth something to someone looking for that very specific resort/week and I can't imagine anyone in their right mind would pay that amount for it (unless they were in a high-pressure sales situation, I guess, which might be when they bought it).

My question - do I actually submit an offer for what I am willing to pay? Like $800. It seems so outrageous but I keep thinking there is nothing to lose. Am I wrong? Is there something I am missing by making a low, low, low ball offer? I have to give them my name and phone number which makes me uncomfortable but isn't a deal breaker. Sometimes, I don't see all the implications.

Thanks for your input.

Best,
JudiZ

I would put the offer in, you never know. Sell My Timeshare will present any offer on price. Be aware they will not negotiate on fees or closing costs or present to seller that you want them to pay for them or help pay for them. When I was interested in a week these fees and closing costs were over $1700.

 

[swditz]

So last year, I bought a resort from a fellow Tugger that was the right resort, the right week and the right price. Win-win-win. I think I paid $800 and had a wonderful buying experience from a lovely woman. Not the resort everyone wants but the one we wanted. We used it this past summer and loved it - the location was perfect for us and it was a great vacation.

I found another week at the same resort for the week before, which is in the same summer season with no huge value shift and we would love to have it. It is on Sell My Timeshare for $11,500. Yeah...no. It is only worth something to someone looking for that very specific resort/week and I can't imagine anyone in their right mind would pay that amount for it (unless they were in a high-pressure sales situation, I guess, which might be when they bought it).

My question - do I actually submit an offer for what I am willing to pay? Like $800. It seems so outrageous but I keep thinking there is nothing to lose. Am I wrong? Is there something I am missing by making a low, low, low ball offer? I have to give them my name and phone number which makes me uncomfortable but isn't a deal breaker. Sometimes, I don't see all the implications.

Thanks for your input.

Best,
JudiZ

I have the same situation for a resort in Maine we own at. We actually were given the week totally free with out any fees at all. We would love to pick up an adjoining week and would pay a realistic amount for it. We have found a few on Sell my time share and have made offers. The problem is the sellers usually still believe their weeks are worth thousands and rarely reply back to any low offer.
That being said I have also found weeks on similar sites for weeks on the beach that we made low but realistic offers. The weeks had been for sale for a long while and the owners realized it was now or never to get it sold. These were also owner direct and the only other costs were closing and transfer fees. The fees associated with smtsn are high. usually running @$1200 to $1800 so the owners would have to get next to nothing to make a decent week worth while financially!

 

[theo]

It is no secret that listed prices on SMTN are usually just outright absurd.

I see no reason not to submit an honest offer for exactly what you are willing to pay, taking into account SMTN's mandatory (and larcenous) closing costs, expecting (and requesting) a simple "yes or no" answer in response.

That being said, I find myself wondering if SMTN always relays to the actual interval owner all offers, including any that SMTN might subjectively consider to be too low. Afaik, offers on SMTN listings have to go through SMTN instead of being submitted directly to the selling owner, so SMTN could be "screening" offers and the sellers might never even know that those "screened" lowball offers were ever submitted in the first place. Not an accusation, just speculating...

 

[Passepartout]

If they are going to accept a low, low ball offer, this is the time of year to submit it, before the annual MF bills have to be paid.... Another angle, sometimes resorts themselves maintain a list of owners who are willing to sell. It might be worth a phone call to see if an adjacent week to yours is on offer. It's always better to negotiate directly with the owner than a 3rd party.

Jim

 

[klpca]

I would mention to the seller that you just bought one for $800 to give them a little dose of perspective. Let them know that you are not trying to insult them but that your offer is what you are willing to pay and that they can contact you if and when they are ready to sell at that price.

 

[TUGBrian]

and the best part is that guy paid 1500 bucks or so to have his timeshare listed "forever" at 11,000 bucks!

 

[JudiZ]

Thank you! I had no idea that SMTN had those outrageous fees. I am not willing to pay those fees much less even a penny more for the timeshare. I wasn't considering that they would handle closing and transfer. Highway robbery.

I never considered getting in touch with the resort . So obvious. Like I said, I too often miss the details.

I appreciate your input and will steer clear of SMTN.

 

[Panina]

and the best part is that guy paid 1500 bucks or so to have his timeshare listed "forever" at 11,000 bucks!

Their marketing to seller must be very good. If only they would be honest and use that energy to market to buyers. I can't remember where, but I remember it was an article in a well known publication that I read SellMyTimeshareNow is the leading provider of timeshare resales. Articles like that give sellers false security.

 

[swditz]

Jim has a good point about contacting the resort. We talked to the manager of our Maine resort and she put a note on her calender for the week we are interested in. She periodically has owners ask if there is a way to sell their week and will put them in touch if that week comes available.

 

[klpca]

Thank you! I had no idea that SMTN had those outrageous fees. I am not willing to pay those fees much less even a penny more for the timeshare. I wasn't considering that they would handle closing and transfer. Highway robbery.

I never considered getting in touch with the resort . So obvious. Like I said, I too often miss the details.

I appreciate your input and will steer clear of SMTN.

You could also put a "wish ad" in the Tug Marketplace. That's how I found my Coronado unit.

 

[swditz]

The tug marketplace is a great resource. The Maine week we were given had been listed on tug. A company contacted the owner and talked them into paying a large amount to have it listed with them. They then contacted me because of my wish add and offered me that unit for FREE. I had it within a month. two other companies I have used are Buyatimeshare and Sellatimeshare. The difference to smtsn is they put you in contact with the owners directly, and you can negotiate with out the fees and high closings. We bough through both of these and found owners willing to take a much lower figure. If you search these look for outdated maintenance fees. These are usually weeks that have been listed for a long time and the owners are much more motivated to sell. Good luck! Keep searching, you will find what you want.

 

[TUGBrian]

Their marketing to seller must be very good. If only they would be honest and use that energy to market to buyers. I can't remember where, but I remember it was an article in a well known publication that I read SellMyTimeshareNow is the leading provider of timeshare resales. Articles like that give sellers false security.

they are certainly at the top of every search engine for those keywords for sure...and they likely spend more in advertising than most companies even make in a decade.

they also tout "tens of thousands" of listings, but that is because the never remove ads...they are on there forever. it'd be neat to have 100+ thousand ads in the TUG marketplace for advertising purposes, but itd be absolutely useless for buyers as most would be long out of date and no longer valid.

 

[RX8]

I think SMTN would love it if you submitted an offer as they can proudly say that their website "works" because it generated an offer.

They tell the seller that it is worth $11K because it makes the $1,500 upfront fee easier to accept. If the seller knew it was worth less than $1,000 why pay $1,500 to advertise it? Their advise of inflated "selling" prices is where SMTN crosses over to being a scam, IMO.

 

[dioxide45]

Afaik, offers on SMTN listings have to go through SMTN instead of being submitted directly to the selling owner, so SMTN could be "screening" offers and the sellers might never even know that "lowball" offers were ever submitted in the first place.

If SMTN is acting as a broker or agent, not submitting the offer to the seller would be illegal, no?

Thank you! I had no idea that SMTN had those outrageous fees. I am not willing to pay those fees much less even a penny more for the timeshare. I wasn't considering that they would handle closing and transfer. Highway robbery.

I never considered getting in touch with the resort . So obvious. Like I said, I too often miss the details.

I appreciate your input and will steer clear of SMTN.

SMTN isn't even on my radar as a site to follow for resales. It is a waste of time.

 

[Egret1986]

I got a call from them last week (left a voice message) regarding follow-up on the service that I received from them on the sale of one of my timeshares. Strange, but thought no more of it. No way that I would utilize their services to sell any of my timeshares.

Today, I answered the telephone (number from New Hampshire). It was Peggy again, from SMTN, following up on the service that I received from SMTN on the sale of my timeshare.

I explained to her that I never used her company to sell a timeshare since I have always personally handled the sales of my timeshares. We went back and forth a couple of times. "No, I never used your company to sell any of my timeshares. I always handle my own timeshare resales."

She apologized for the bad information that she had and we said our good-byes. Hmm, I slightly wondered what that was about. Fishing, perhaps?

 

[TUGBrian]

I think SMTN would love it if you submitted an offer as they can proudly say that their website "works" because it generated an offer.

They tell the seller that it is worth $11K because it makes the $1,500 upfront fee easier to accept. If the seller knew it was worth less than $1,000 why pay $1,500 to advertise it? Their advise of inflated "selling" prices is where SMTN crosses over to being a scam, IMO.

well yea, they regularly have press releases and such that tout how much they have had in "offers" thru their site....

ive not seen anything that relates to sold properties though.

 

[candygirl]

So last year, I bought a resort from a fellow Tugger that was the right resort, the right week and the right price. Win-win-win. I think I paid $800 and had a wonderful buying experience from a lovely woman. Not the resort everyone wants but the one we wanted. We used it this past summer and loved it - the location was perfect for us and it was a great vacation.

I found another week at the same resort for the week before, which is in the same summer season with no huge value shift and we would love to have it. It is on Sell My Timeshare for $11,500. Yeah...no. It is only worth something to someone looking for that very specific resort/week and I can't imagine anyone in their right mind would pay that amount for it (unless they were in a high-pressure sales situation, I guess, which might be when they bought it).

My question - do I actually submit an offer for what I am willing to pay? Like $800. It seems so outrageous but I keep thinking there is nothing to lose. Am I wrong? Is there something I am missing by making a low, low, low ball offer? I have to give them my name and phone number which makes me uncomfortable but isn't a deal breaker. Sometimes, I don't see all the implications.

Thanks for your input.

Best,
JudiZ

Hi Judi! It's Linda Saw your post this AM and pulling for you to get more time at Attitash. Obviously, that situation with SMT isn't it but I'm sure something will come along.

 

[JudiZ]

Hi Linda - the lovely woman herself! All buyers and sellers should be so happy, right? That's what makes TUG such a great place.

I emailed the owner services manager at the resort this morning and will post a "wish ad" on TUG as well. I am hoping that the timing is in my favor but I am willing to wait it out - we have our one perfect week (two bedrooms, first floor, near the pool and playground) and now will try to get another.

Thanks for all of your help!

Judi

 

[thebondguy]

Just spent 20 minutes on the phone with SMTN. SMOOOOOOOOOOTH operator, and liked what I heard. Then I asked the big question "what are the fees". Of course he tried to sell me on the "Platinum" membership, OUCH, because I own weeks 51 & 52 in a penthouse villa, and he has none offered on his website for those fixed weeks. Could not get him to accept "I need to do some due diligence".

Really thankful for TUG, and the comments I have read. It absolutely confirmed my suspicions!