# [Problem Resolved] Ripped Off By GREAT TIMESHARE BARGINS on Ebay



## wvacations (Nov 5, 2010)

Stay clear of GREAT TIMESHARE BARGINS on Ebay. They don't give you what they offer. See post about NO 2011 USAGE FOR SHADOW RIDGE.

Don't buy from GREAT TIMESHARE BARGINS. They don't return phone calls or emails.


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## yumdrey (Nov 5, 2010)

another thing you can do beside dispute the credit card for the payment.
You can go to feedback forum on ebay and can do "follow up" for your previous feedback which you already gave to this seller. It would be better to let others know how you got ripped off, so seller learns good lesson.

BTW, did you use escrow company which they offer at closing? I believe greattimesharebargains offer optional escrow and title search for their TS on ebay, they use Chicago Title or Stewart title. Of course it is extra cost for buyers.
If you paid for this optional escrow and title search, you have more chance to get your money back or make things right?

I bought one from this seller, still in closing process and paid for escrow and title search (it was around $230 extra fee), and paid to Stewart Title Agency.
After I read your posting, I am getting worried now...


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## saturn28 (Nov 5, 2010)

I used them for 2 Marriott purchases earlier this year. On one of the purchases I bought they charged me for the maintenance fee for 2010. After Marriott completed their internal transfer, I called them to book my 2010 usage, and they told me the 2010 week had already been used by the previous owner. I then contacted great timeshare bargins and they refunded my money right away. Call Great Timeshare Bargains and ask for Sarah Cullum. She is the one that helped me.


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## yumdrey (Nov 5, 2010)

saturn28 said:


> I used them for 2 Marriott purchases earlier this year. On one of the purchases I bought they charged me for the maintenance fee for 2010. After Marriott completed their internal transfer, I called them to book my 2010 usage, and they told me the 2010 week had already been used by the previous owner. I then contacted great timeshare bargins and they refunded my money right away.



This is GREAT to hear. Maybe OP can feel a little better. (myself too )


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## wvacations (Nov 5, 2010)

Did they refund full price or just MF's. I will never settle for just MF's I have damages from lose of use. If they don't refund the money by Wednesday I go to the Cc company with the breach contract and copy of my retail purchased weeks as damages. 

Never buy from GREAT TIMESHARE BARGINS.


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## saturn28 (Nov 5, 2010)

wvacations said:


> Did they refund full price or just MF's. I will never settle for just MF's I have damages from lose of use. If they don't refund the money by Wednesday I go to the Cc company with the breach contract and copy of my retail purchased weeks as damages.
> 
> Never buy from GREAT TIMESHARE BARGINS.



I don't know if the ad for your ebay purchase from them was the same as mine. In their ad that I bought from them it stated "Reservations cannot be guaranteed by seller or resort for any use year - all reservations are dependent on availability."


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## wvacations (Nov 5, 2010)

Also be aware that GREAT TIMESHARE BARGINS and PERFERED CLOSINGS is the same companies that falsified the ROFR to Marriott trying to see if they could get money out of Marriott. That are just plain dishonest.


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## saturn28 (Nov 5, 2010)

wvacations said:


> Also be aware that GREAT TIMESHARE BARGINS and PERFERED CLOSINGS is the same companies that falsified the ROFR to Marriott trying to see if they could get money out of Marriott. That are just plain dishonest.



Yes they did the same thing with me. They registered the ROFR waiver letter at the county and I found it when I was looking on the county website for my new deed. They had added several thousand dollars onto the actual price that I paid to ensure it passed the ROFR. However, I was happy just to get the week at a bargain basement price.


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## dioxide45 (Nov 5, 2010)

saturn28 said:


> Yes they did the same thing with me. They registered the ROFR waiver letter at the county and I found it when I was looking on the county website for my new deed. They had added several thousand dollars onto the actual price that I paid to ensure it passed the ROFR. However, I was happy just to get the week at a bargain basement price.



I for some reason have always doubted that they submit higher prices to Marriott for ROFR to make sure it passes to help buyers.

Why do they care if it passes? They would get the same fee.

However, they don't want Marriott to figure out their "game". If Marriott exercises ROFR, it would give Marriott an eye in to the fact that these people live in a legal gray area. Another possibility would be so if Marriott exercises they would get a higher price than the seller was willing to pay. However I am thinking it is more likely the former.


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## wvacations (Nov 5, 2010)

saturn28 said:


> I don't know if the ad for your ebay purchase from them was the same as mine. In their ad that I bought from them it stated "Reservations cannot be guaranteed by seller or resort for any use year - all reservations are dependent on availability."



The contract has priority over the ad. The contract was for 2011 usage a they did not provide that and therefore are liable for breach of contract. 

I think I will also write a note to Marriott about this dishonest practice with ROFR's. I would guess the state attorney general may be interested in what is nothing short of fraud in filing false documents. 

GTB, you messed with the wrong guy.


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## yumdrey (Nov 5, 2010)

OP, I am still wondering if you used their optional escrow & title search through either Chicago title or Stewart title?
If they searched the title and got estoppel letter, it must have said about 2011 use which was already taken by previous owner.
If you paid for extra escrow and title search, and have this problem, that means they didn't do title search even though you paid for it. It causes more serious problem, I believe.

I didn't know about ROFR tricks they do to pass it. However, even though it is unethical to developer, buyers can get great deal, isn't it?  
I am sorry, I don't know what I am talking about. Maybe it's too late, time to sleep...


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## yumdrey (Nov 5, 2010)

wvacations said:


> I think I will also write a note to Marriott about this dishonest practice with ROFR's. I would guess the state attorney general may be interested in what is nothing short of fraud in filing false documents.
> 
> GTB, you messed with the wrong guy.



I don't know how Marriott will react to this problem, but what if other Marriott owners would lose their ownership due to this? I purchased my shadow ridge from a reputable broker, not from ebay, but many Marriott owners here on TUG purchased their weeks from GTB. Will your report affect their ownership?


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## dioxide45 (Nov 5, 2010)

yumdrey said:


> OP, I am still wondering if you used their optional escrow & title search through either Chicago title or Stewart title?
> If they searched the title and got estoppel letter, it must have said about 2011 use which was already taken by previous owner.
> If you paid for extra escrow and title search, and have this problem, that means they didn't do title search even though you paid for it. It causes more serious problem, I believe.



There could very likely be a long lag time between when they obtain the estoppel and transfer the week to the buyer. They could get the estoppel a week or more before they list the auction, then there is the two to three month closing process. This gives the owner ample time to deposit the week to an exchange company.


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## wvacations (Nov 6, 2010)

yumdrey said:


> OP, I am still wondering if you used their optional escrow & title search through either Chicago title or Stewart title?
> If they searched the title and got estoppel letter, it must have said about 2011 use which was already taken by previous owner.
> If you paid for extra escrow and title search, and have this problem, that means they didn't do title search even though you paid for it. It causes more serious problem, I believe.
> 
> ...



No I did not pay the additional Title insurance as it was $650 per week. This represented 30% of the purchase price. May have been worth it, but I am just going to dispute the charge on my credit card as not getting what I paid for. If they want the deed back, they can pay MY processing fees (right around $5000).


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## BocaBoy (Nov 6, 2010)

wvacations said:


> No I did not pay the additional Title insurance as it was $650 per week. This represented 30% of the purchase price. May have been worth it, but I am just going to dispute the charge on my credit card as not getting what I paid for. If they want the deed back, they can pay MY processing fees (right around $5000).



*$650 per week for title insurance?  For insurance coverage equal to the low EBay purchase price?*  That alone would have raised a huge red flag for me, as the coverage amount is a big factor in how much one pays for title insurance.  That is more than the total closing costs on any of my several timeshare transactions, which were much more expensive.  I am also wondering how anyone can make a real estate purchase (especially from a stranger) and not get title insurance?  It is asking for trouble.  If there is something wrong with the title you might never get out from under it.


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## JanT (Nov 6, 2010)

Oh CRAP!!!  I just won a week from these guys on Ebay and already paid via Paypal.  They got high ratings on Ebay so I didn't really worry about title insurance or escrow since I used Ebay and paid via credit card.  I knowing I had recourse through those two avenues.  I think I seriously might have screwed up.  Now what the heck do I do?


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## lisae (Nov 6, 2010)

GTB is of course, a PCC..They charge a huge upfront fee to the sellers, put it on Ebay for a ridiclous low amount and do not even know what they are  selling half the time...Apparently they make money off of the closing costs too..A client of mine has complained a few times but nothing ever seems to happen to these low lifes...


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## ldanna (Nov 6, 2010)

Go to this link:

http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111395

And rate them.


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## lisae (Nov 6, 2010)

Thanks...I will


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## Fredm (Nov 6, 2010)

lisae said:


> GTB is of course, a PCC..They charge a huge upfront fee to the sellers, put it on Ebay for a ridiclous low amount



That's why they submit a bogus price to Marriott for ROFR review.
If Marriott exercises the ROFR the money goes directly to Marriott's  owner of record. Not the PCC who likely holds a power of attorney.

Buyer beware. IF Marriott were to discover the fraudulent sale price representations, they could negate the sale at any time. Title insurance would not protect a buyer in that instance.
The PCC has the money, and the buyer is holding the bag.


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## dioxide45 (Nov 6, 2010)

I don't think title insurance would have provided any protection in the OPs case. There is no problem with the title to the unit/week. The deed transferred properly and there is no claim by someone else against the title. I doubt first use year is a covered item in the title insurance policy. Use year has nothing to do with clear title.


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## wvacations (Nov 6, 2010)

dioxide45 said:


> I don't think title insurance would have provided any protection in the OPs case. There is no problem with the title to the unit/week. The deed transferred properly and there is no claim by someone else against the title. I doubt first use year is a covered item in the title insurance policy. Use year has nothing to do with clear title.



I agree. The title is clean, but the contract was breached. My damages are from breach of contract, not from a claim on the title. Nothing will happen over the weekend on this. I have put a dispute in with Pay Pal. At this point they just send an email to GREAT TIMESHARE BARGINS and tell them I want the money refunded. That of course will go nowhere. I gave them 3 days to refund all money paid as damages for loss of use in 2011. I picked 2 weeks at the resort and priced them. They come to more than the purchase price and that will be my damages. Pay Pal says after they respond, I can escalate to a formal review by Pay Pal and they will decide the outcome. I don't think I will let Pay Pal be the Judge, Jury and Executioner. I have rights with my credit card company that expire December 7th. If no resolution by that date I file a charge back.

As far as the fraudulent ROFR's. On my first purchase that has yet to transfer after 4 months), I made GREAT TIMESHARE BARGINS resubmit a corrected ROFR with the correct price. The fraudulent ROFR had the price $17,000 higher than actual purchase price. I would think since that I caught them cheating, they did not falsify the second purchase as I told them up front I would be checking on the ROFR. I have Marriott sending me a copy of all documents submitted.

To the poster that has just bought from GREAT TIMESHARE BARGINS, if you have not sent the contract in, DON'T!!! An Ebay auction for real estate is not binding until the contract is signed. GREAT TIMESHARE BARGINS would like you to think it is as they are dishonest, but read Ebay's policy on real estate.

More to follow on Monday!


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## EducatedConsumer (Nov 6, 2010)

Someone from Rob McKenna's office (Attorney General of the State of Washington) will follow-up on these claims on Monday.


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## fishingguy (Nov 6, 2010)

I think I'd also consider filing a complaint with the BBB where GTB is located, especially if you have a contract that was in force before this all started. Providing any links to the eBay auction # should also provide some clarity. You can also reference this with you PayPal/credit card dispute.


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## JanT (Nov 6, 2010)

EducatedConsumer said:


> Someone from Rob McKenna's office (Attorney General of the State of Washington) will follow-up on these claims on Monday.



Well, that will certainly be interesting.  I'm personally not going to panic about the situation.  I'm going to give this company the benefit of the doubt for now.  I will see how things progress with my own sale.  They haven't misrepresented anything to me personally so will see what happens.  And based on some other reports, I think they will probably try to make this right but I could be wrong.  I hope I'm not.


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## sjuhawk_jd (Nov 6, 2010)

wvacations said:


> I agree. The title is clean, but the contract was breached. My damages are from breach of contract, not from a claim on the title. Nothing will happen over the weekend on this. I have put a dispute in with Pay Pal. At this point they just send an email to GREAT TIMESHARE BARGINS and tell them I want the money refunded. That of course will go nowhere. I gave them 3 days to refund all money paid as damages for loss of use in 2011. I picked 2 weeks at the resort and priced them. They come to more than the purchase price and that will be my damages. Pay Pal says after they respond, I can escalate to a formal review by Pay Pal and they will decide the outcome. I don't think I will let Pay Pal be the Judge, Jury and Executioner. I have rights with my credit card company that expire December 7th. If no resolution by that date I file a charge back.
> 
> As far as the fraudulent ROFR's. On my first purchase that has yet to transfer after 4 months), I made GREAT TIMESHARE BARGINS resubmit a corrected ROFR with the correct price. The fraudulent ROFR had the price $17,000 higher than actual purchase price. I would think since that I caught them cheating, they did not falsify the second purchase as I told them up front I would be checking on the ROFR. I have Marriott sending me a copy of all documents submitted.
> 
> ...



I think you need to cool down and tone down a bit. I have done many transactions with Great Timeshare bargains without any problems. Their ebay listings clearly states that "seller does not guarantee any usage or reservations", and you still bidded on the item, so where is the breach of contract? Below is the exact language that they include in their listings:

"NOTE: Reservations cannot be guaranteed by seller or resort for any use year - all reservations are dependent on availability"

Try to work out a reasonable settlement with them. What you are asking for them to do (for them to pay for your two weeks direct marriott reservations) is not reasonable in my opinion.


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## ricki999 (Nov 6, 2010)

wvacations said:


> No I did not pay the additional Title insurance as it was $650 per week. This represented 30% of the purchase price. May have been worth it, but I am just going to dispute the charge on my credit card as not getting what I paid for. If they want the deed back, they can pay MY processing fees (right around $5000).



Out of curiosity, did you utilize an escrow account?


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## sjuhawk_jd (Nov 6, 2010)

ricki999 said:


> Out of curiosity, did you utilize an escrow account?



That does not matter, these sellers have their own in-house escrow and closings services and you are required to use them if you want to buy from them.


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## ricki999 (Nov 6, 2010)

sjuhawk_jd said:


> That does not matter, these sellers have their own in-house escrow and closings services and you are required to use them if you want to buy from them.



IMO it does matter because the escrow company is supposed to hold the money until all the details of the contract are met.


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## wvacations (Nov 6, 2010)

sjuhawk_jd said:


> "NOTE: Reservations cannot be guaranteed by seller or resort for any use year - all reservations are dependent on availability"



Of course GTB cannot guarante reservations or usage. But USING the weeks they have NOT ALLOWED usage let alone guaranteed usage.

Contract line 4F. "Next Use Year & USage : 2011."

Had GTB ALLOWED me to attempt to use 2011 weeks, by deed there must be two weeks available somewhere in the season purchased.

There is your breach!


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## Venter (Nov 6, 2010)

*My understanding*



sjuhawk_jd said:


> I think you need to cool down and tone down a bit. I have done many transactions with Great Timeshare bargains without any problems. Their ebay listings clearly states that "seller does not guarantee any usage or reservations", and you still bidded on the item, so where is the breach of contract? Below is the exact language that they include in their listings:
> 
> "NOTE: Reservations cannot be guaranteed by seller or resort for any use year - all reservations are dependent on availability"
> 
> Try to work out a reasonable settlement with them. What you are asking for them to do (for them to pay for your two weeks direct marriott reservations) is not reasonable in my opinion.



I think this can be interpreted differently by people.  I for instance understand from this that they cannot guarentee that you will get a reservation during your use year i.e. unable to book a week during a particular season that you bought.  I do not read this as not guarenteeing your use year.


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## yumdrey (Nov 6, 2010)

JanT said:


> Well, that will certainly be interesting.  I'm personally not going to panic about the situation.  I'm going to give this company the benefit of the doubt for now.  I will see how things progress with my own sale.  They haven't misrepresented anything to me personally so will see what happens.  And based on some other reports, I think they will probably try to make this right but I could be wrong.  I hope I'm not.



We are on the same boat. I purchased mine from GTB on 9/20, passed ROFR, a new deed was recorded on 11/1 (checked county recorder) and now am waiting until I can see my new week on online account. It will be the longest 2-3 weeks I have ever waited...
If there's no problem on my new account (GTB told me that previous owners used some of 2011 points and put this on the contract), it is one of the shortest closing process among my purchases.

I think GTB didn't know the previous owner stole 2010 week, if they knew they would put this on the ad. On my purchase ad, it clearly stated that new owner would get partial points on 2011, previous owner used some of 2011 points. Thus BIN price was very low.
I hope OP and GTB settle well and keep my fingers crossed for smoothe transfer of mine and other's.


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## yumdrey (Nov 6, 2010)

ricki999 said:


> Out of curiosity, did you utilize an escrow account?



I asked the same question, and OP said no.


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## yumdrey (Nov 6, 2010)

sjuhawk_jd said:


> That does not matter, these sellers have their own in-house escrow and closings services and you are required to use them if you want to buy from them.



However, GTB gives you an optional escrow and title search service through 3rd party closing co. with buyer's expense.
I purchased TS from them over a month ago, chose to spend more money for better protection because my purchase was over 5k including closing & escrow fees. I paid to Stewart Title.


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## sjuhawk_jd (Nov 6, 2010)

Venter said:


> I think this can be interpreted differently by people.  I for instance understand from this that they cannot guarentee that you will get a reservation during your use year i.e. unable to book a week during a particular season that you bought.  I do not read this as not guarenteeing your use year.



I agree with your interpretation. 

We all like the prices that these sellers sell us for, but do not like the restrictions and a bit of uncertainty (or inconvenience for 1 year usage) that comes with it. 

This situation has come up before on this board. In the end, Marriott is required to give you some weeks if you have deeded ownership. Maybe they will just give you some weeks to deposit with II.


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## wvacations (Nov 6, 2010)

sjuhawk_jd said:


> I agree with your interpretation.
> 
> We all like the prices that these sellers sell us for, but do not like the restrictions and a bit of uncertainty (or inconvenience for 1 year usage) that comes with it.
> 
> This situation has come up before on this board. In the end, Marriott is required to give you some weeks if you have deeded ownership. Maybe they will just give you some weeks to deposit with II.



The contract is the only governing document. The ad on Ebay has no power. The clause in the ad about not guaranteeing a reservations or availability is not a factor in this. The fact is there is availability, the problem is they have already booked, and traded the weeks. The Platinum season still has 3 weeks left to book and Marriott has confirmed to me that there are still Platinum weeks available, but not to me since they have been used already. 

Also line 17 of the contract says that any other agreements or commitments (ie Ebay Ad) are not in force and the contract is the only agreement.


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## classiclincoln (Nov 6, 2010)

I wonder if they are owned by the same guy who owns Holiday Timeshare in Seattle.  Maybe financial troubles are at the root of all the problems.  Bottom line, your credit card company should be able to help you if you're within the time limit.


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## BocaBoy (Nov 6, 2010)

sjuhawk_jd said:


> I think you need to cool down and tone down a bit. I have done many transactions with Great Timeshare bargains without any problems. Their ebay listings clearly states that "seller does not guarantee any usage or reservations", and you still bidded on the item, so *where is the breach of contract*? Below is the exact language that they include in their listings:
> 
> "NOTE: *Reservations cannot be guaranteed by seller or resort for any use year - all reservations are dependent on availability*"
> 
> Try to work out a reasonable settlement with them. What you are asking for them to do (for them to pay for your two weeks direct marriott reservations) is not reasonable in my opinion.



It is clearly a breach of contract.  This language refers to the fact that if you have a right of usage for a year, you are not guaranteed a reservation if you wait until nothing is left before you book, etc.  It does NOT mean that they do not guarantee eligibility for the year they are selling.  It speaks of availability, not of eligibility.


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## BocaBoy (Nov 6, 2010)

This whole mess is illustrative of why a large number of potential timeshare buyers who know about the private resale market still prefer to pay higher prices and buy from the developer.


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## FrostyKev (Nov 6, 2010)

Boca, I have to agree, one of the arguments my wife used when we bought our developer week, resale sometimes means more hassle and is more "work" on the buyer.  As for usage, they shouldn't guarantee thee dates, but the week or weeks in this case should be bookable based on the original ad.

OP, I have read both threads, and I understand your frustration on the time frame (4 months on the first purchase, and lied on ROFR) But on this transaction, it doesn't look like you've given them much of a chance to respond yet.  Let me see if I have the time frame correct:

11/4 (Thursday afternoon) you discover that there is no 2011 usage when you try to make a reservation.  The selling/closing company was closed when you found out. 
11/5 (assumed) multiple emails and phone calls with no responses.  Posted a second thread(this one) threatening lawsuits over fraud etc. 


So, you've given the selling company 8   business hours to respond.  Don't get me wrong, the selling company needs to make this right, don't know if I would go as far as they need to book you your two prime weeks.  In this case patience is probably required, and don't forget the old saying about honey, a bit of nice works wonders, of course aggression as needed helps too sometimes.  :ignore: 

My first resale was pure private party, and took a lot longer than I though it would.  From price agreement to final property in hand was roughly 5 months.  But some of that was the two of us figuring out the contract requirements etc.  My most recent one, the communication part has been a bit frustrating, but I think that is due to their volume, paperwork is filed in county and its only been 1 month.


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## elaine (Nov 6, 2010)

*ebay ads*

yes, I bought a cheap floating week on HHI once on ebay strictly as a trader---terrible closing experience--repeated phone calls, etc. for 4+ months-lots of excuses. When it was time to close, guess what i found out--it was RCI points, not weeks--how could they not know this? It worked out in our favor, as it was now 5 months prior to summer and there would have been no weeks left and we bought as a trader, so we got all points at 5 months out---but i had no idea I was getting points instead of a week! i closed b/c they told me a could opt out in 3 years back to floating week.  I'll see after the new RCI program what we do.


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## wvacations (Nov 6, 2010)

FrostyKev said:


> So, you've given the selling company 8   business hours to respond.  Don't get me wrong, the selling company needs to make this right, don't know if I would go as far as they need to book you your two prime weeks.



Yes it has been 2 days since the error has been detected by me. WHo knows how long GTB has known that weeks were already traded away. I agree I am frusted and mad as He$$, but this company could email on the weekend also, especially when they know how upset I am. My Problem is I don't have unlimited time. I lose the ability to take the matter to my CC company in about 4 weeks. With mail time, I have about 3 weeks to resolve.

As for as the "prime weeks", I picked a week in Febuary (not presidents day) and April (not Easter week), these are both PLATINUM season. Will I take Palm SPrings in July..NO. If they are "prime weeks" then the whole Platinum season is "prime."

Thanks for the comment however. Sometime frustration takes over. I will see what they have to say on Monday. I assume I will need to call them as they have never iniated a phone conversation or email.


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## FrostyKev (Nov 6, 2010)

wvacations said:


> Thanks for the comment however. Sometime frustration takes over. I will see what they have to say on Monday. I assume I will need to call them as they have never iniated a phone conversation or email.



Very, Very, Very easy to do, especially when it is hard earned cash on the line, add that to a planned vacation time and you are a powder keg!   A lot of those listing companies get ton's of emails/calls a day.  And when they check out on the weekend, I wouldn't expect an email.  My guess is they haven't read your email yet, and yes I would call them first thing Monday.  If your main contact isn't available, usually there is an admin you can finesse into helping you out.


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## kool_kat (Nov 6, 2010)

I also recently bought from great timeshare bargains.  Mine was just sent to the closing coming this week.  I received an e-mail from the closing coming (which is an in-house company) and I had a few questions.  I called them and a lady named Cameron answered the phone.  She was unable to answer my questions & said I should be dealing with GTB.  So, I called them & talked to Sarah.  She was wonderful & answered all my questions & said it was no problem to send me /update me on the things I requested.  She also wanted to know who I had talked to so she could better educate them.  I think they will make this right, but I am not sure they are going to pay the equivalent to 2 weeks rates.  To me, a refund of that year's maintenance fees is fair.

Also, on the GTB e-mails they request 3 business days to respond to all e-mails.  If you are real concerned, I would call them on Monday.  I had no trouble getting a live person who was knowledgeable.  Good luck, & keep us updated on what happens.


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## saturn28 (Nov 6, 2010)

kool_kat said:


> I also recently bought from great timeshare bargains.  Mine was just sent to the closing coming this week.  I received an e-mail from the closing coming (which is an in-house company) and I had a few questions.  I called them and a lady named Cameron answered the phone.  She was unable to answer my questions & said I should be dealing with GTB.  So, I called them & talked to Sarah.  She was wonderful & answered all my questions & said it was no problem to send me /update me on the things I requested.  She also wanted to know who I had talked to so she could better educate them.  I think they will make this right, but I am not sure they are going to pay the equivalent to 2 weeks rates.  To me, a refund of that year's maintenance fees is fair.
> 
> Also, on the GTB e-mails they request 3 business days to respond to all e-mails.  If you are real concerned, I would call them on Monday.  I had no trouble getting a live person who was knowledgeable.  Good luck, & keep us updated on what happens.



As I said in an earlier post, I had the same problem with this seller and they refunded the money back to my paypal account the same day I spoke to them. In fact, they did it within minutes of getting off the phone. In addition, they offered me another prime week to use at either another Marriott, Hyatt, or Hilton resort for the year instead of refunding my maintenance fee. However, I chose to have my maintenance fee refunded. I found them very reasonable.

I think the OP needs to give the company more than a few hours or days to respond before getting so combative. You always get people to treat you better in these situations when you are reasonable. If this was something that had been going on for weeks or months without being resolved, I could understand your approach. But to be so combative this soon without giving them enough time to respond is not reasonable.

I found the company very fair with me and their prices and timely closings were great.


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## dioxide45 (Nov 6, 2010)

Escrow would not have helped in this situation either. Escrow likely would have been paid out as soon as the recorded deed was sent off to Marriott to transfer the ownership. Long before the OP tried to make a reservation.

Really at this point of the year, 2011 usage would have been of little value unless one was trying to obtain a prime Christmas or New Years week. Of course the OP would have at least had usage. Early 2011 prime weeks have long been booked.


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## wvacations (Nov 6, 2010)

dioxide45 said:


> Escrow would not have helped in this situation either. Escrow likely would have been paid out as soon as the recorded deed was sent off to Marriott to transfer the ownership. Long before the OP tried to make a reservation.
> 
> Really at this point of the year, 2011 usage would have been of little value unless one was trying to obtain a prime Christmas or New Years week. Of course the OP would have at least had usage. Early 2011 prime weeks have long been booked.



I would have tried for Christmas week, with 4 Marriotts, I would have been trying 13 months in advance. Maybe I would have got it maybe not, but I don't have that option now. As far as other prime weeks, you are right they are long gone. I don;t go to Palm Springs when it is prime time and packed. I wanted Platinum becuase I do like to get some sun and golf during the cooler months . If I did get Christmas week I would have put it in for trade as I don;t care for the crowds on the holidays.

For the poster that thinks I should be happy to just get the MF paid for 2011, what about property taxes for 2011? They were due November 1 and I would bet they are not paid and are my responsibility. So I am out that money. I also am out on the use of the money for a year. I figure the money cost into my vacation cost. Now I am paying $488 dollars in money use (10%) and getting nothing.

If I were to settle for only MF, I would be out $280 in property tax, $488 money use. Maybe I should buy the previous owners a bottle of wine to enjoy while they use my vacation weeks!! (just kidding):hysterical: 

I'm starting to clam down (I drank the first bottle of wine I was going to give the previous owners). We will see what Monday brings. Maybe they will do the right thing. If they would deposit 2 Platinum weeks in II, I would think that might be fair. Then I just have to pay the exchange fees to get to Palm Springs during my season.


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## yumdrey (Nov 6, 2010)

That's why I don't bid on ebay auctions at this later time of the year. Most of the sales are from 2011 usage and I cannot reserve prime week in Nov/Dec unless it is a fixed (guaranteed) week each year or pure point system.


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## dioxide45 (Nov 6, 2010)

sjuhawk_jd said:


> I agree with your interpretation.
> 
> We all like the prices that these sellers sell us for, but do not like the restrictions and a bit of uncertainty (or inconvenience for 1 year usage) that comes with it.
> 
> This situation has come up before on this board. In the end, Marriott is required to give you some weeks if you have deeded ownership. Maybe they will just give you some weeks to deposit with II.



Marriott will only provide a replacement week if they show that you have use that year but no weeks are available to book. In the case of the OP, Marriott shows that their usage starts in 2012, so Marriott doesn't owe the OP a replacement week.

There are several things that could have happened here. The closing agent simply made an error on the transfer form and put 2012 instead of 2011, this is an easy fix. The owner could have deposited the week after the seller pulled estoppel. It is also possible that the ad was just plain wrong and listed the wrong week, thus resulting in the error on the contract.

If I were the OP I would want a full refund of purchase price, unless this was a high dollar purchase >$8K. That doesn't seem to be the case. Weeks for sale that have next years usage tend to sell a little higher than weeks that don't have usage for almost two years. So this week likely sold higher than something with 2012 first year usage.


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## wvacations (Nov 6, 2010)

The total price was under $5000. And this was for 2 weeks. Both Platinum. I agree with the value was higher with 2011 weeks. If I wanted 2012 I would wait until next year and not be out that money for a year with no benifit.

With the way Marriott prices are dropping, I could have pciked this up much cheaper next year.


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## BocaBoy (Nov 7, 2010)

dioxide45 said:


> ....at this point of the year, 2011 usage would have been of little value unless one was trying to obtain a prime Christmas or New Years week. * Early 2011 prime weeks have long been booked.*



Not necessarily.  Early 2011 Ko Olina weeks are still available for most check-in dates, and I just booked two Maui weeks for mid-January (probably a cancellation for that resort) less than a month ago.


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## scrapngen (Nov 7, 2010)

BocaBoy said:


> Not necessarily.  Early 2011 Ko Olina weeks are still available for most check-in dates, and I just booked two Maui weeks for mid-January (probably a cancellation for that resort) less than a month ago.



I am in the process of getting a Waiohai week w/2011 usage, and the seller was able to book Easter week for me! So sometimes prime weeks are still available...


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## ricki999 (Nov 7, 2010)

dioxide45 said:


> Escrow would not have helped in this situation either. Escrow likely would have been paid out as soon as the recorded deed was sent off to Marriott to transfer the ownership. Long before the OP tried to make a reservation.



Yes, very likely in this case.  Do you know if there is any language a buyer can negotiate in a contract to ensure usage weeks are in a buyers name prior to escrow closing and funds being transferred?


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## chuck1955 (Nov 7, 2010)

*Maybe GTB Unaware of 2011 Usage?*

Not to defend GTB, but isn't it possible that they did not know that the previous owners had deposited and used the 2011 weeks?  While this should have been caught at closing and transfer, for which GTB would be responsible, maybe it is the previous owners who are committing the fraud by depositing right after you won the bid.  I would give GTB a couple of days to make this determination and make it right.

Good luck,

Chuck


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## Fredm (Nov 7, 2010)

ricki999 said:


> dioxide45 said:
> 
> 
> > Escrow would not have helped in this situation either. Escrow likely would have been paid out as soon as the recorded deed was sent off to Marriott to transfer the ownership. Long before the OP tried to make a reservation.QUOTE]
> ...


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## ricki999 (Nov 7, 2010)

Thanks for the link and great info!


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## Fredm (Nov 7, 2010)

ricki999 said:


> Thanks for the link and great info!



You are welcome!


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## FrostyKev (Nov 9, 2010)

Any update from OP?


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## wvacations (Nov 10, 2010)

We are working now to resolve the situation. I do now believe that they honestly did not know the sellers took the weeks. I believe that GTB is trying hard to correct the situation. I don't want to give details until we finalize the settlement, but we are very close to an agreement. They have been responsive and are keeping me informed as they work with sellers and my requirements. I have asked the moderator to delete this thread or at least rename it as GTB is working hard to resolve the conflict. I will start a new thread when the negotiations are complete.


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## Future20 (Nov 10, 2010)

I am glad to hear that, thank you for restoring my confidence of ebay seller(s)...


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## wvacations (Nov 10, 2010)

*Great Timshare Bargins Did The Right Thing [merged]*

For those that read my thread this weekend regarding Great Timeshare Bargains (GTB) , I would like to post a retraction. I do not think that GTB knew that the weeks had been taken by the seller. Maybe they should have but I honestly believe they did not know.

They did contact me first thing Monday morning and we started  constructive negotiations. Give and take on both sides has resulted in a satisfactory resolution.

GTB is paying the 2011 MF directly to me, so that I don't have to worry about the previous owner defaulting on those fees. GTB has paid directly to the county the property taxes for 2011 and provided to me the confirmation of payment.

In exchange for loss of use for the 2011 season, they have deposited 2 free weeks in SFX Resorts for me to use. I have never used this exchange company, but hopefully will find something, even if it is just a few long weekends close by.

Due to the efforts of GTB to resolve the conflict, I would recommend them as a seller on Ebay.  I attempted to delete the previous thread, and apparently did that wrong. I then submitted a second request since I recieved no reply to the first request, and that was flatly denied, so the previous thread will stay. Hopefully this one will restore confidence in GTB.

It was a nerve racking week, but all is good now. I hope to enjoy my weeks in 2012.


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## SueDonJ (Nov 10, 2010)

Thanks for the follow-up, I'm glad you're satisfied with the resolution.  Maybe you can put a final post in that other thread with a link to this one, just in case folks who read that might not see this?


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## yumdrey (Nov 10, 2010)

That's great to hear.
After I have read your first post, I worried about my purchase, called Hilton and checked if they got all the paperwork correctly and confirmed that everything was good. I am waiting until my new purchase is added to my existing account together by Hilton.
Overall, my purchase experience with GTB was great.
I bought a Hilton TS on 9/20, passed ROFR on 10/28, new deed was recorded electronically on 10/29 and Hilton received papers on 11/4. Within 2 months, it's almost done.


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## saturn28 (Nov 11, 2010)

I just want to add again. I have had 2 purchases with GTB and I was very happy with them. They solved any issues that arose with the purchase and are the fastest closers on Ebay. In addition, they always get the sale through Marriott's ROFR.


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## Asia2000 (Nov 11, 2010)

wvacations said:


> For those that read my thread this weekend regarding Great Timeshare Bargains (GTB) , I would like to post a retraction. I do not think that GTB knew that the weeks had been taken by the seller. Maybe they should have but I honestly believe they did not know.
> 
> They did contact me first thing Monday morning and we started  constructive negotiations. Give and take on both sides has resulted in a satisfactory resolution.
> 
> ...



From what you said, it sounds like they really took care of you.  
1.  They paid your 2011 MFs (free usage)
2.  Gave you two weeks within SFX (from what I understand, they deal only with the better resorts and weeks)

So, no bill for 2011, but you still have two weeks to use.  Incredible.  Based on this story and the feedback of others, I would never hesitate to buy from this company.  I'm glad everything worked out for you.  Congratulations on a great e-bay purchase.


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## EducatedConsumer (Nov 11, 2010)

wvacations said:


> We are working now to resolve the situation. I do now believe that they honestly did not know the sellers took the weeks. I believe that GTB is trying hard to correct the situation. I don't want to give details until we finalize the settlement, but we are very close to an agreement. They have been responsive and are keeping me informed as they work with sellers and my requirements. I have asked the moderator to delete this thread or at least rename it as GTB is working hard to resolve the conflict. I will start a new thread when the negotiations are complete.



A lesson in behaviors that may be construed as libel and reasons to be very careful about what you publish.


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## BocaBoy (Nov 13, 2010)

Asia2000 said:


> From what you said, it sounds like *they really took care of you.  *
> 1.  They paid your 2011 MFs (free usage)
> 2.  Gave you two weeks within SFX (from what I understand, they deal only with the better resorts and weeks)
> 
> So, no bill for 2011, but you still have two weeks to use.  Incredible.  Based on this story and the feedback of others, *I would never hesitate to buy from this company*.  I'm glad everything worked out for you.  Congratulations on a great e-bay purchase.



As I recall, even the state attorney general's office was brought into this.  Do not be so quick to praise GTB.  Sounds like they are very questionable.  I expect others will have future problems.  Just because some have a good experience and another has a problem fixed to avoid a serious legal situation does not make a company honest and reputable.


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