Wyndham on the Warpath?

Larry M · Apr 25, 2016

Wyndham (who never have figured out that I gave my Wyndham timeshare back to the HOA four years ago and still emails me), is starting their own campaign against scammers. It appears they have created an organization, Scambusters, to actively "bring...to justice" the "unscrupulous companies and individuals."

The text of their email to me follows. I've also attached a PDF so you can see the fancy email colors, layout, fonts, and graphics.

Don't fall victim to deceitful scamming activities.
Can’t see this email? View it on the web.

SCAMBUSTERS ALERT!
Beware of Timeshare Scammers

Protecting your ability to fully enjoy your ownership and create everlasting memories is our top priority. That's why we created Scambusters — to inform and educate you about the latest scams targeting timeshare owners.

We've seen a significant increase in unscrupulous companies and individuals contacting our owners, deceitfully claiming they have guaranteed methods to help them exit their ownership. While their claims may sound appealing, they can be misleading. Timeshare scammers may make promises they can't fulfill, costing countless owners their time, trust and money.

Caution: Lookout for These Tactics

Over the years, your Scambusters team has identified the most common tactics scammers use to deceive timeshare owners. If you encounter the following tactics, remain extremely cautious:
• You are guaranteed a way to exit your ownership.
• You are asked to pay money or fees upfront for any service.
• You receive an unsolicited phone call from an unknown company or law firm.
• You are told by the company or individual contacting you that they can work directly with Wyndham on your behalf to facilitate your exit.
• You are asked to share your account or login information.
• You are discouraged from seeking information about the company or individual contacting you. You may also be told to not communicate with Wyndham about your ownership.

As a reminder, Wyndham does not sell or provide owner information to non-Wyndham companies. We strongly recommend that you always confirm that you are speaking with a Wyndham representative before engaging in any dialogue about your ownership.

Report a Scam

We need your help to track down these scammers and bring them to justice. If you think you've been a victim of fraud or you know of a company that offers services that seem too good to be true, please contact a Scambusters representative at 855-312-9040 or scambusters@wyn.com.

TUGBrian · Apr 25, 2016

you cant throw a stick in this industry without hitting a scammer...if wyndham actually wanted to make a dent they could easily go after some of the more notorious and high profile ones.

I predict this is all hat and no cattle.

ronparise · Apr 25, 2016

this is nothing new, and these warning letters are nonsense. I confronted some of the Wyndham executives at an annual meeting a few years ago saying that if they really wanted to put the scammers out of business they would make it easy to sell. If they would take back their product when someone wanted out they would put the scammers and relief companies out of business

Im not going to take the credit but now thats exactly what they do with their Ovation program.

NTHC · Apr 25, 2016

If they really wanted to put scammers out of business, they would close their own doors. As that is where the scam begins.....

They, after all are the ones who:

Sell a product for thousands more than it is worth.

Pitch rental to uneducated customers and then close as many doors as possible to make it impossible for the owner to do it.

Charge higher interest rates than I have seen on any product in my life. Other than perhaps a payday loan company.

And the list could go on and on regarding unethical sales practices. I actually find it laughable that after THEY have scammed me they become concerned that someone else might!

JMHO,

Cindy

rhonda · Apr 25, 2016

Call my cynical or skeptical -- but I feel this is simply a tactic to scare Wyndham customers from buying or selling outside of Wyndham. It is, in my personal opinion, a way of casting doubt on the resale market and keeping their customers "faithful" to the straight & narrow paths of truth from the church of Wyndham.

I agree with Brian, "... all hat and no cattle."

LannyPC · Apr 28, 2016

Interesting Omission

There were some good pointers in that letter for how to watch out for a scam but there is one (IMHO) very pertinent and interesting omission. One major component of a resale scam is the scammer claiming that he can sell or rent out the property for well above market value.

I find it rather interesting (but not at all surprising) that the letter didn't remind Wyndham owners that the property they bought from the developer is probably worth a fraction of that price on the resale market. And that it is very difficult to rent out your property for well above the MFs. So if you receive an offer that is seems too good to be true, then it probably is.

Maple_Leaf · Apr 28, 2016

NTHC said:
If they really wanted to put scammers out of business, they would close their own doors. As that is where the scam begins.....

This should be preserved as a sticky for the benefit of posterity.

Seadawg · Apr 28, 2016

ronparise said:
this is nothing new, and these warning letters are nonsense. I confronted some of the Wyndham executives at an annual meeting a few years ago saying that if they really wanted to put the scammers out of business they would make it easy to sell. If they would take back their product when someone wanted out they would put the scammers and relief companies out of business

Im not going to take the credit but now thats exactly what they do with their Ovation program.

With no controls and an organized secondary market, chaos rules, and with the chaos comes the scammers...

Ron P is on point here...

dioxide45 · Apr 28, 2016

rhonda said:
Call my cynical or skeptical -- but I feel this is simply a tactic to scare Wyndham customers from buying or selling outside of Wyndham. It is, in my personal opinion, a way of casting doubt on the resale market and keeping their customers "faithful" to the straight & narrow paths of truth from the church of Wyndham.

I agree with Brian, "... all hat and no cattle."

I would have to agree. A way to keep people within the system and unloading their unwanted weeks back to Wyndham. Though I would rather see that if they can do it for a minimal fee instead of paying someone big bucks.

ronparise · Apr 28, 2016

dioxide45 said:
I would have to agree. A way to keep people within the system and unloading their unwanted weeks back to Wyndham. Though I would rather see that if they can do it for a minimal fee instead of paying someone big bucks.

thats exactly what they have done, but its without a fee. or did you mean Wyndham should pay the fee to buy back?

Wyndham on the Warpath?

Larry M

Attachments

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