Royal Sun Resort Resale - legit or not ?

So - had a call from a guy who says he represents a resale company that was handed the details of our Grand Mayan timeshare which is "supposed" to be sold as party of the deal involved in our current timeshare purchase. He said there was a buyer - heard that before - and that he'd email me a copy of a contract to sign and email back. First thing I looked for is mention of a fee, but it states there is no upfront fee - just a commission after we have rec'd payment from the escrow company ( Millinium Escrow) . He had all the dollar figures etc correct, so obviously has seen our original contract.

Guess first off - has anyone heard of or dealt with this Royal Sun Resort Resale ; 2 principle names are Tim Steven and Robert Schmidt. The address on their email and website is in Dallas.

Secondly, my gut tells me to say "take a hike"; especially after reading so much info on scams out there ; , but is there a chance they are for real and I could shoot myself in the foot by doing that ?

Life seemed so simple until the word "timeshare" entered our vocabulary !!!

Cheers
Dave

Many times these companies don't mention a fee upfront, but there will be one: appraisal, taxes, closing costs, commission, etc.

Rule of thumb: If they charge a large upfront fee, they are scamming you - period.

Royal Sun Resale Legit????

We too are in communication with Royal Sun, sounds like a similar situation: the resale of some of our timeshare properties as part of a purchase deal we made in Mexico. Like you, the contract looks legit, the numbers are what were discussed, and no upfront fee is requested. They do mention already having a buyer, and in the contract they "guarantee to reimburse 100% of all taxes and fees incurred during the transaction of this agreement". This may be the 'catch'. Upfront title search, closing and appraisal fees...?
It would be such a relief if they are legit.. Have you progressed any further with this company?

There is a simple rule of thumb here:

Any company that charges you a large upfront fee of any kind to sell or rent your timeshare, is going to scam you - period.

They make their money with the upfront fee and then they make no attempt to sell/rent your timeshare.

Legitimate resellers charge a commission after the sale, but the scammers all ask for a large upfront payment.

Here are some warnings signs with these kinds of companies:


If you answer yes to any of these questions, then this is the usual scenario:


This is a bitter pill to swallow, but right now, most timeshares are selling for 0-20% of the original retail price. It's not a good time to sell a timeshare.

To see what your timeshare is really worth on the current resale market:


(Be sure you look at the completed listings - those are actually SELLING prices - you will find asking prices all over the place, but what really counts is what they actually sold for.)

pigletpotters said:

It would be such a relief if they are legit..

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The scammers know how badly you want to rent/sell your timeshare(s) and this is how they get so many people to act against their own good judgment.

At some point they will ask for taxes (very common scam with timeshares located in Mexico) and other fees. They may tell you that you are protected because you are paying by credit card, but this is just another part of the scam. They will not rent or sell you timeshare and you will not get your money back. They will drag out the process beyond the point where you can dispute the charges and/or simply go out of business when the complaints start piling up.

A tidbit which may or may not be relevant here...

kbb007 said:

So - had a call from a guy who says he represents a resale company that was handed the details of our Grand Mayan timeshare which is "supposed" to be sold as party of the deal involved in our current timeshare purchase. He said there was a buyer - heard that before - and that he'd email me a copy of a contract to sign and email back. First thing I looked for is mention of a fee, but it states there is no upfront fee - just a commission after we have rec'd payment from the escrow company ( Millinium Escrow) . He had all the dollar figures etc correct, so obviously has seen our original contract.

Guess first off - has anyone heard of or dealt with this Royal Sun Resort Resale ; 2 principle names are Tim Steven and Robert Schmidt. The address on their email and website is in Dallas.

Secondly, my gut tells me to say "take a hike"; especially after reading so much info on scams out there ; , but is there a chance they are for real and I could shoot myself in the foot by doing that ?

Life seemed so simple until the word "timeshare" entered our vocabulary !!!

Cheers
Dave

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I don't know if this is applicable or useful info to you or not, but do be aware that there is a long established and well documented history of assorted differently named entities operating at Grupo Mayan (most often at Cancun, it seems) taking timeshare weeks (non-Mexican facility weeks included) "in trade" toward new GM purchases. In so doing, they give a very high and unrealistic "trade in value" toward an equally very high and unrealistic new GM purchase.

The "wrinkle" arises only later when the "trade in" entity involved ("Travel Around the World, Inc." is one such specific entity) subsequently fails to bother to get the "traded in" week deed into their name (...or into any other name, for that matter), therby leaving the original owner "on the hook" for future surprise maintenance fees from a resort whose weeks they thought they previously "traded in". The week may or may not show up being offered for sale on eBay (and / or elsewhere) by the "trade-in" entity, but all the while the underlying deed is still in the name of the person who "traded it in".

I stay far away from Mexican timeshares and maybe this is just irrelevant and useless info --- but maybe it's a piece of a scam puzzle in which you're now being solicited (without invitation) to unknowingly participate. If this info is of any help or concern to you, take it and apply it. If not, just ignore it...

pigletpotters said:

We too are in communication with Royal Sun, sounds like a similar situation: the resale of some of our timeshare properties as part of a purchase deal we made in Mexico. Like you, the contract looks legit, the numbers are what were discussed, and no upfront fee is requested. They do mention already having a buyer, and in the contract they "guarantee to reimburse 100% of all taxes and fees incurred during the transaction of this agreement". This may be the 'catch'. Upfront title search, closing and appraisal fees...?
It would be such a relief if they are legit.. Have you progressed any further with this company?

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As you note, there's the tipoff. If they haven't alrady done so already, they will be asking you to pay something up front. Otherwise there wouldn't be anything to reimburse.

Well Theo - I don't know...........it's kinda a rock and a hard place situation with us. I've spent literally hours researching out these resale companies - and some of them, like this Royal Sun , have just enough info in their contact and verbally talking to them that is almost believable. There is also so much that smells afoul that for the average Joe it's mind boggling. I'm tempted to "play the game" with them until the mention of Fees enters the conversation then shut-er-down. On one hand, if a person quits now, theres no chance of getting anything. On the other hand, one doesn't want to getting into the mire any deeper -
So anyway Pigletpotters, we haven't progressed any further - kinda stuck in limbo reading through their contract front to back and sideways !!
Steve - I don't see any mention of reimbursement of fees / taxes in our contact, but then haven't paid any, so..........
I'll keep diggin' and reading and see what happens - maybe if I wait long enough they will fold and then my questions will have been answered !!
Cheers
Dave

Working with Royal Sun too

We were contacted a couple of weeks ago by Tim at Royal Sun. He had been given our name from Grand Miramar where we traded in a few timeshares to be sold. We read and signed his contract after asking many mnay questions (the reimbursement of fees he said did not apply to us as we were not paying up front either). Now the escrow company, Millenium, contacted us. They will close the deal but they want their fees paid up front ($1996). We advised them that in the US, escrow fees are paid AFTER the deal closes to guarantee it actually closes. We are at a stand still with them now. Has anyone else gotten to this point yet. We went from feeling scammed to fine with it now backed to scammed. We just want the money Miramar guaranteed us in writing. Miramar actually seem to be helping but still nothing is getting done and is starting to smell fishy again. Anyone else?

werewescammed said:

We were contacted a couple of weeks ago by Tim at Royal Sun. He had been given our name from Grand Miramar where we traded in a few timeshares to be sold. We read and signed his contract after asking many mnay questions (the reimbursement of fees he said did not apply to us as we were not paying up front either). Now the escrow company, Millenium, contacted us. They will close the deal but they want their fees paid up front ($1996). We advised them that in the US, escrow fees are paid AFTER the deal closes to guarantee it actually closes. We are at a stand still with them now. Has anyone else gotten to this point yet. We went from feeling scammed to fine with it now backed to scammed. We just want the money Miramar guaranteed us in writing. Miramar actually seem to be helping but still nothing is getting done and is starting to smell fishy again. Anyone else?

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A lot of scam companies have begun using so-called "escrow" as a means to sound more legit. This escrow scam seems especially common with timeshares located in Mexico. The so-called escrow company is affiliated with Royal Sun Resorts. The fact that they are requiring you to use this overpriced "service" is a dead giveaway. $2000 is waaaay excessive for escrow and there is no reason why you should be the one to pay an escrow fee.

Please understand that when you agree to pay a fee for a service (in this case escrow) you have no legal recourse when the deal falls through. Chances are they will ask you to wire funds to a bank in Mexico. You will have no chance of getting it back.

werewescammed said:

We were contacted a couple of weeks ago by Tim at Royal Sun. He had been given our name from Grand Miramar where we traded in a few timeshares to be sold. We read and signed his contract after asking many mnay questions (the reimbursement of fees he said did not apply to us as we were not paying up front either). Now the escrow company, Millenium, contacted us. They will close the deal but they want their fees paid up front ($1996). We advised them that in the US, escrow fees are paid AFTER the deal closes to guarantee it actually closes. We are at a stand still with them now. Has anyone else gotten to this point yet. We went from feeling scammed to fine with it now backed to scammed. We just want the money Miramar guaranteed us in writing. Miramar actually seem to be helping but still nothing is getting done and is starting to smell fishy again. Anyone else?

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As you already realized no legitimate company selling timeshares asks for transfer fees upfront they simply take it from the resulting proceeds of the sale. Those that ask for money are scams, plain & simple with no exceptions, and they will take all they can from you until you wise up and cut the spigot. Then you can add up just how much you got taken for and decide what to do with the timeshare you still own going forward.

DO NOT give them another cent and then watch how they disappear and you never get a nickle from any so called "sale".

Yes we were scammed!

Hey all, and Dave I believe who asked the initial question about Royal Sun.

After just not feeling right about Royal Sun and Millenium Escrow, I searched for the addresses both companies have listed on their websites and both are bad addresses. The addresses don't even exist. I then called the police departments in both Detroit and Dallas (where the companies were located allegedly) and both Detectives had no dealings with the businesses and the data bases they have access to also came back negative for the businesses being legit. I finally called their respective State Department of Revenues and were again told that Royal Sun Resort Resale and Millenium TS Escrow are not listed as valid companies in Michigan nor Texas.

Friday, armed with this information, I spoke with Millenium. He said the website must have a typo on it. When I asked for his business license, he said his boss doesn't allow him to scan and email it but that he could mail it. When I asked him what their UBI # is (business license #) he sputtered then said it was in his secretaries office which was locked up at the time. He said he would get back with me.

Today Tuesday, having not heard from either company, I emailed both and asked where we were at. A few hours later we received and email from Royal Sun that said he was sorry to inform us that the buyer they had for our timeshare pulled out of the deal because we took too long to make the decision to go through with the sale. He said he would probably have another buyer in a couple of weeks.

I guess they decided we wouldn't bite. Thank God we didn't send them any money. Be careful out there. We are now going to go after Miramar to get our money back for their breach of contract.

Thanks all for your info.
Take care and God Bless!

WOW - interesrting stuff.....thanks for taking the time to post that !
Looks like you aren't giving up without a fight, eh? That's the way I am as well......I've scoured the internet for clues as to who all these people are. First off, I received a memo from Grand Miramar that Luxury Vallarta sales wasn't doing their job, so G.M severed ties with them and now recommend High End Rentals to handle the resales. 2 of the main principles at LVR were Joe Garcia and Eric Lopez. Well - guess who is at High End Rentals ? Talked to Eric, and he passed our "sale" on to Royal Sun. In my research on Royal Sun - I found that another outfit - Premium Resort Services,- has the same address and website setup - as well as a guys name - William Regal - who the rep we're dealing with at Royal Sun has never heard of !!! AND - another outfit - Diamond Regal Resorts Resale - has the same address and phone/fax numbers as Royal Sun. Royal Suns website says they are a very successful events planner for corporations in the US, but for being very successful, I could find no mention of them anywhere......
Anyway, We've learned a very expensive and lifelong lesson about timeshare contracts - we trusted the people at the resort and altho we didn't see their "promises" in the contract, we skimmed over the details and signed it. Kinda neat how they cover their butts by inserting certain clauses in the contract where you least expect them to be.......! I'm determined to find some "loop-hole" that can be used as "breach of contract", and I have a couple things I'm looking into at this time. Their lawyers are good, but no-one is perfect......
So - thanks again for your post, and if I come upon anything worth reporting, I for sure will do that
i hope anyone reading this takes all the info contained in this forum and remembers it if they find themselves confronted by a "deal too good to pass up" !!!!!!!!
Cheers for now,
Dave

Hi Dave...we have to talk!!!! I know exactly what you are saying! I own AviaWest Pacific Shores and when I bought a Timeshare at the Grand Miramar last February, I was told that they would sell it through Luxury Vallarta Rentals for a fee of $699.99 USD! Well they went bankrupt and then it was taken over by High-End Rentals and apparently Eric Lopez is in the hospital and he has all my records. So I am passed onto Pedro! Apparently Mellenium Escrow has a sub company RoyalSun Resort Resale and Tim Stevens phoned me and said that he works for Escrow, finding buyers for Timeshares!!!! Then he tells me that he has a buyer and that I will need to pay him a 3% commission and a commission to Escrow as well!!! I am so hot under the collar that I am steaming!!!
The Grand Miramar Director Luis Tello, no longer works there now!!!! My timeshare was supposed to sell within 180 days as said in my GM agreement of sale! That would have been August !!! Where do we go from here????? Thanks for letting me vent...smockinkate

I sent you a message - give me a shout.... you must have talked to GM in the last couple of days as well. I asked for Claudia Ramirez , whom I'd talked to before - and was told that she didn't work there anymore either....!
Anyway - all I got from her was that she'd look up my contract and get back to me Monday - we'll see.........
I wonder if you get a full pension if you work for a year or more there ????
Cheers

GM and Royal Sun

This is so like our situation that it is definitely scary to think these folks can get away with this. They have our money at GM and now the sale as promised is looking like a scam.

we were scammed to

Hi Dave and all others dealing with GM, Royal Sun Resorts,etc..

We also purchased at GM and were told our other timeshares would be sold.
Tim contacted me in November and said they had buyers. Then Millennium Escrow said we had to pay escrow fees up front, and wire money to Mexico.
If both Royal Sun and Millennium are in the US why would we send money to Mexico? I found a post on the internet that neither address for them was valid, and asked Mike at Millennium to send a copy of the escrow license. HE said he would mail it, and never has. Then a week or so later Tim says the deal fell through. Same exact thing I read on the internet.
I am still pursuing this and have another person I met at GM and we are in contact. Can we get a class action suit going?

I am surprised that GM being as small as it is would scam all their owners!
We will be going there unless we get out of this whole mess somehow, so they will be getting allot of feed back from me and all the guests will be hearing about it also!

Deb in distress!

Hi Sophia, Dave and anyone else in this mess:
Oh it gets worse with each day!!! I have gone from Luxury Vallarta Rentals to High-End Rentals and now to Royal Sun! I am getting NO where.
I have asked for a new contract from High End rentals, like the LVR contract but slightly different. Well they sent me one and I sent it back for corrections. Royal Sun(Tim Stevens) wants me to sign a contract and they take there cut, but he assures me that I will have the money in my bank account before I pay them their 3%!!! Yeah right!!!!! Haha!!! I had a date (180 days) to have my AviaWest Timeshare (Canadian) sold by August 2010...yeah, like that happened!!!
We are just all being pushed aside. It sickens me and I don't know what we can do about it!!!! Do you own at the Grand Miramar??? or the Grand Mayan????
Hang in there...this is a good place for questions and we are all in the same sinking boat.
Katharine

Similar Situation

Hi everyone,
Looks like I am in a similar situation. After signing up with Grand Miramar who contracted the resale of my tiemshare to High End Rentals, I was contacted by Royal Sun Resort Resale and Millenium TS Escrow (Tim Stevens et al.) and surely enough they seem to have now "disappeared" and their e-mails no longer works: info@milleniumtsescrow.com; info@royalsunresortresale.com)
If you have more info about them or join a group to go against them, let me know.
Cheers,
Luis

We were scammed too. Getting ready for class action

LJ68 said:

Hi everyone,
Looks like I am in a similar situation. After signing up with Grand Miramar who contracted the resale of my tiemshare to High End Rentals, I was contacted by Royal Sun Resort Resale and Millenium TS Escrow (Tim Stevens et al.) and surely enough they seem to have now "disappeared" and their e-mails no longer works: info@milleniumtsescrow.com; info@royalsunresortresale.com)
If you have more info about them or join a group to go against them, let me know.
Cheers,
Luis

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My wife and I have done everything we know possible. Profeco is handling our mediation in August. We have consulted our attorney. We will most likely hire a Mexican attorney and would like to start class action against Grand Miramar. They have perpetuated this fraud and cannot excape liability.
Please contact me at MarkInsures@aol.com

Scammed in PV

Yall,

Bank of America is refunding our entire downpayment on the GM purchase. That is over $27K!!
Anybody that used B of A should apply for credit.
You will have to complain loudly, indicate potential fraud and write to the Better Business Bureau.
Happy to get over that horrible hangover.

Mark T. Wilgus