Sellmytimesharenow

I recently looked into what I might get for my Marriott Lakeshore reserve on the resale market out of interest as I think I might have not made the right purchase from what I am reading on TUG. (I do not plan to go every year/it is not near me/and it is in Orlando so not a great trader etc.)

I filled in a form for more info at sellmytimesharenow as it is unclear what their methods are and they were the only group when searching google that I could find that was selling Lakeshore Reserve - hopelessly inflated of course and even dearer for what I bought for.

Got a call and it turns out they whant $785 or so upfront. Said no thank you from advice I found on TUG previously. Guy just would not let me go and was basically saying that they came highly recommended - Times Magazine, Jay Leno Show etc. and that because they are the first ones to come up when searching for timeshare resale they will definately sell it with no probs.......mmmmmmm.

Anyway, what does everybody else think or know about this company? Have you had any experience with them?

I do not think I am really going to sell but thought if I could get near to what I paid I might, but obviously not by putting money upfront and on empty promises.

Let them sell it. Just don't give them any money upfront.

They have an "F" rating on TUG - don't do it!

It will be money thrown away. Not a good choice.

Venter said:

Got a call and it turns out they whant $785 or so upfront. Said no thank you from advice I found on TUG previously. Guy just would not let me go and was basically saying that they came highly recommended - Times Magazine, Jay Leno Show etc. and that because they are the first ones to come up when searching for timeshare resale they will definately sell it with no probs.......mmmmmmm.
.

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You know what the answer is. Why do they have to convince you how "good" they are? Why would you even consider paying hundreds of dollars for absolutely nothing that you can't do for yourself (advertise) for maybe $100 or far less?

They are very convincing but it is all talk. Until they get what they want - your money. Then the talk will end, the contacts will become spotty at best and you will start to wonder how you will get your money back (you won't).

Don't fall for it. If you really want to sell then do the listings and hope for some offers. There won't be many as the market, even for the best units and best prices (LOW!) is extremely limited. It is an incredible buyers market. Throwing away $795 isn't going to get you anything except $795 more you'll feel you lost in the whole ownership process. Heed the advice of TUG - no upfront fees. You won't regret following that rule. You are 99.9% certain to regret any choice that involves giving money to someone to sell your timeshare for what you already know is an unrealistic price. Don't do it.

They will be able to sell your timeshare, if it is priced right. The problem with these places is they offer no pricing assistance to their customers. In fact they try to tell you your timeshare is worth much more than it really is. Why would someone want to list a week that they say they could only sell for $1 and charge them $800 to do so. So instead they have to tell you it is worth $10,000 in order to get one to fork over the upfront fee.

Just say no. You can do a better job on your own. And just so you know, since you contacted them and they now have your number, they will call and call and call and......... You may have to get snippy with them to get them to stop. Don't be afraid to get snippy. It's the only way to get them to go away.

Cheers!

It's a sham. Many years ago I tried the same 'easy' approach and paid $300 to some company to advertise my TS for sale ... and I never heard from them again. When I called, they always said they were working on it but the market was 'off' ... after a few calls I realized I was had. don't do it....the tip off is asking for money up front!

Brian

btw ... Lakeshore Reserve looks like a real winner to me, without knowing what unit type you bought. It has everything I wanted in a TS except for the Orlandon location -- but no other TS I can think of offers you tha association of a Ritz Carlton AND JW Marriott within easy walking distance - and a great golf course to boot. There's no doubt in my mind you'll get anywhere near what you paid for it, not even from Marriott, but I'd bet it would rent well (depending on season) and that you'd enjoy holidays there...even if you're not a mouse friend. Plus, you probably got a ton of Marriott Reward points on which to take a great trip somewhere. I almost bought 2 units there until reality came into the picture due to the fact I already owned 6 Marriotts. But you can bet, if I go to Orlando for a week or so, I'll stay there for sure!

pwrshift said:

I almost bought 2 units there until reality came into the picture due to the fact I already owned 6 Marriotts. But you can bet, if I go to Orlando for a week or so, I'll stay there for sure!

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If I recall correctly, the OP has a Deluxe unit (Platinum season). I'll bet you and Venter can work out a trade.

Cheers!

I echo almost everything that has been said above.

There has always been a negative stigma on this board towards Marriott ownership in Orlando, often coming from non-Marriott owners in Orlando, Marriott owners in Orlando who own during the non-platinum season, and/or Marriott owners who do not know how to maximize their ownership.

Before you abandon owning in Orlando (this is a very bad time/economy to do that), I'd get into the habit of reserving a highly sought after week in Orlando and using it, exchanging it, or renting it. The rental thing maybe a bit of a challenge and a different game than the other Marriott's in Orlando, as LakeShore is further away from the Disney parks than the other MVC resorts, and has some of its own unique qualities. For example, at Royal Palms (where we have owned for years), we knew that there were certain conventions at the Marriott Orlando World Center that produced viable renters (who wanted to stay in a villa rather than a hotel room). The challenge has always been finding those prospective renters through some means other than Marriott Reservations (where they naturally go). One thought comes to mind, if there is a major golf event at Grand Lakes that may attract families who would like a villa over a hotel room, where you could competitively price your villa at par with or ? above/below a ridiculously high hotel room rate (created by the event), that may be one way to go.

But my gut tells me that you should use and enjoy your new ownership. Marriott Vacation Club Owner Services offers a great webinar on usage; I'd suggest that you attend it a few times. Get to know your VOA, build a relationship with them, and learn the system from them. If you appreciate what they have done for you, write them and Marriott and tell them that.

We own winter season at Royal Palms and we have had consistently terrific exchanges by reserving the right week at our home resort, and creating a reasonable exchange request (e.g. NOT the Westin St. John). We've been to most Marriott Vacation Club resorts during their peak seasons, and had our confirmations early enough that we could obtain decent airfares.

One other nice benefit of owning at a Marriott Vacation Club resort connected to a hotel, if you are a Marriott Rewards point junky, is that you can charge all of your charges back to your villa (golf, spa, food, beverage, gift shop) and earn a boat load of points while you are on vacation.

Would Lakeshore have been my first choice knowing what I do now, no, but we too have a few weeks that would not be our first choice today, and many people on this board have begun their timesharing careers owning something that they later learn was probably not their best choice.

Enjoy what you have. Marriott is a great organization, and Marriott Vacation Club ownership will bring years of enjoyment to your family.

Oh, one final comment: stay far away from unscupulous resellers.

Thanks to all who have posted so far. It is very encouraging and insightfull to see all of your comments.

Thanks EducatedConsumer for your positive reply. Good to hear about positive outlook on Orlando.

The main reason I probably feel that I will not be able to utilise this as effectively is that I might be moving to Australia in the near future(at the time of buying this was not even a thought). I love Marriott and the quality of the resorts but fear that it will be very difficult to find anything similar to trade into over there. I will probably not be able to travel to most of the Marriott resorts with the exception of Phuket as long haul fares x 4 will probably be a bit difficult to achieve.

Anyway I think EducatedConsumer has probably made me think about making lemonade from lemons and will look at how to best utilise this even if it is banking for a couple of years and then taking a long extended holiday somewhere using points for plane tickets and exchanging banked weeks etc.

Thanks again everybody.

Allow me to add positive comments.

In my opinion, Marriott's Lakeshore Reserve at Grande Lakes is the finest timeshare resort in Orlando. The quality of the interiors, the spectacular grounds, the proximity to Grande Lakes' luxury hotels, and the other amenities of Grande Lakes make Lakeshore Reserve a great place to spend vacation time.

It's not as close to Walt Disney World as many other Central Florida timeshares, but the drive is only a few minutes more than from Grande Vista or Cypress Harbour. Also, there are a lot of things to do in Orlando in addition to Walt Disney World. And that includes enjoying Grande Lakes itself.

With Disney's DVC resorts now in RCI instead of II, Lakeshore Reserve is likely to become the most eagerly sought II trade into Orlando.

II's "secret formula" for trading power includes quality and includes demand. Lakeshore Reserve is likely to be way up there in both.

Just because they paid for commercials and advertisements on television and in news media, that doesn't mean those places RECOMMEND them to anyone.

Now that you have talked to them, they can call you whenever they want, with no recourse whatsoever, even if you are on the no-call list, because they now have a relationship with you. I should know all about that.

DeniseM said:

They have an "F" rating on TUG - don't do it!

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Denise, thanks for the link where I could find some other closing companies information. I love TUG, I discover something new everyday here.

Venter, TUG has a Marketplace where you can list your timeshare:

http://tug2.com/timesharemarketplace/

But I think Lakeshore Reserve will be the best TS in Orlando area, with great units that add new features you won't find anywhere else. And as being desired like that, it should be a great trader if you want. Maybe now it's not the time to sell it. Tell tuggers what you want to do and people around here will help you maximize your wonderful week.

Run, Don't Walk

Never, ever, ever pay any upfront fees for someone to sell anything.

Legitimate real estate gets there money from the buyer when the deal closes (sometimes the buyer will ask the seller to cover fees, but that is different).

This was just in the Sun-Times in Chicago:
http://www.suntimes.com/business/currency/2026066,CST-NWS-MTimeshare03.article

about another agency claiming to have a buyer.

They have same advice:

Be aware that in a typical real estate transaction, the fee is paid from the proceeds of the sale at the same time of the sale, not upfront.

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I tried to purchase an ownership that was listed on seemytimesharenow.com as they had hundreds of listings for the ownership I wanted (HGVC in Las Vegas) and I was offering very close to asking price. I received a call from someone 'confirming' what I wanted and that I was serious. He said I would hear back from him within two weeks (two weeks in today's market? you would think with all the listings I would have heard back in 30 minutes). Never heard another word from them and I sent a follow up email an got no response.

I certainly would not want them trying to sell my timeshare when they are not responding to legitimate buyers who have cash in hand and are offering only a couple hundred less than you're asking on a several thousand dollar timeshare ownership.

And here is another Never Ever:

Never Ever send money to a prospective buyer.

The scammers are active in the resale market, and you may get those "Nigerian" type offers -- they send you a check for maybe even more than you ask, and want you to send them part of the amount to someone for "closing costs" or whatever.

The check they sent you that was deposited into your account will bounce later, and the bank will retract the deposit. Any money you sent them will be lost.

Pay special attention to this if you are selling "on your own". Oh, in case you missed it:

Never Ever send money to a prospective buyer.

Tell tuggers what you want to do and people around here will help you maximize your wonderful week.

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Thanks, I think I will hold on to it for the time being. I also own at Club Son Antem. I intend to alternate between Orlando and Club Son Antem. When I am not going to Lakeshore Reseve I intend to try and trade for something else. What would my best options be for getting strong trades? Should I lock off(I have 2bdrm Deluxe so will have two 1bdrms if I lock of) or should I keep it a 2bdrm? Which week should I be looking at trying to book?(Keeping in mind I have a gold at Son Antem and according to interval index and UK holidays the best two weeks I will be able to book is week 15 and 35 2010. Not sure about next year but it seems to be 14-16 depending on where Easter falls and 35 mostly) Is there a good Lake Shore Reserve week worth linking with any of the aforementioned ones to be able to make use of 13 month rule? If I do book the week in Orlando can I then later decide to lock of? Whe do tend to travel to conferences etc. once or twice a year and mostly use MR points for the hotels. If I have booked a week can I cancel and trade for reward points if need be?

I hope I will get a lot of response and advice to teach me as much as possible to be able to use my timeshare as best I can. Remember that I might be moving to Australia and there are not many Marriotts around there. What do I do then, except renting, to still be able to use my timeshare for holiday as it has worked quite well with the limited knowledge I have when using just the one resort.

Venter said:

If I do book the week in Orlando can I then later decide to lock of?

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Yes. $75 lock-off fee when you do. You will have a reservation for each side for the same dates. Not sure if you would pay the $29 reservation change fee, though. I think you might.

If I have booked a week can I cancel and trade for reward points if need be?

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You have to trade your unit in for points by December 31 of the year prior to your reservation. Example: your 2011 reservation needs to be traded by 12/31/2010. It's too late to trade in your 2010 reservation. Also, you cannot cancel a reservation 60 days or less before your week begins.

Remember that I might be moving to Australia and there are not many Marriotts around there. What do I do then, except renting, to still be able to use my timeshare for holiday as it has worked quite well with the limited knowledge I have when using just the one resort.

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Your Lakeshore Reserve unit can still help you take holidays. You could exchange your unit with other exchange companies. I believe DAE has many properties for exchange in Australia and New Zealand. They may not be Marriott properties, but I'm sure you can find accommodations that suit your style of travel. I understand DAE agents are very helpful. You might find this to be better than trying to rent your unit from so far away.

Cheers!

Don't do it!

Venter said:

I recently looked into what I might get for my Marriott Lakeshore reserve on the resale market out of interest as I think I might have not made the right purchase from what I am reading on TUG. (I do not plan to go every year/it is not near me/and it is in Orlando so not a great trader etc.)

I filled in a form for more info at sellmytimesharenow as it is unclear what their methods are and they were the only group when searching google that I could find that was selling Lakeshore Reserve - hopelessly inflated of course and even dearer for what I bought for.

Got a call and it turns out they whant $785 or so upfront. Said no thank you from advice I found on TUG previously. Guy just would not let me go and was basically saying that they came highly recommended - Times Magazine, Jay Leno Show etc. and that because they are the first ones to come up when searching for timeshare resale they will definately sell it with no probs.......mmmmmmm.

Anyway, what does everybody else think or know about this company? Have you had any experience with them?

I do not think I am really going to sell but thought if I could get near to what I paid I might, but obviously not by putting money upfront and on empty promises.

Click to expand...

I did spend my money on that company that was on the Jay Leno Show...spent my money with no results. I also paid Time Share Property Management in New Port Richey, Florida and Super Timeshare Resale Inc. (who only used my points, no money involved). Yes I was a sucker and am ashamed. Now I just need to know HOW to REALLY sell my timeshare. I have joined TUG to hopefully "do it right"

tlccrit said:

I did spend my money on that company that was on the Jay Leno Show...spent my money with no results. I also paid Time Share Property Management in New Port Richey, Florida and Super Timeshare Resale Inc. (who only used my points, no money involved). Yes I was a sucker and am ashamed. Now I just need to know HOW to REALLY sell my timeshare. I have joined TUG to hopefully "do it right"

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Welcome to TUG!

Never ever pay an upfront fee to list your timeshare. Go elsewhere.

Due diligence: Check the firm on BBB. Ask for the name of the licensed broker, then do a license check with state. If they will not tell you the broker's name or if either comes back with issues go someplace else.

There are plenty of reputable brokers.

tlccrit said:

Sorry I posted twice. You can tell I have no idea what I am doing. I am trying to figure out how to price my timeshare.

Hi! And thanks! tlc

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start by reading this completely...and welcome to TUG!

HTTP://SELL.TUG2.NET

I just completed a rental deal with this company. They contacted me through my Redweek ad. They said they had a offer for my July NCV unit. They tried to get me also to pay a fee, $250, and also tried to low ball me. It went excellent after I told them I won't pay a fee and what my best anf final offer was. They paid through paypal so I already the funds.

I've rented my properties through a number of these brokers. If you have something they know they can make money off of, they won't ask for upfront fees, or in my case, a rental fee. If you just have a weak or average unit to sell or rent, they try to scam you with the upfront costs.

[Buying/selling/renting/trading is not permitted in the discussion forums. - DeniseM Moderator]