# Timeshare Thieves Won't Give Up



## csxjohn (Dec 26, 2013)

Got a letter in the mail today.


```
"[B]OWNER SERVICES DEPARTMENT                    [/B]855-832-0532                
17761 I Street, NW, 9th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20006


My Name
My address
My city and state

December 2013

[B]Note: You must respond no later than January 2nd.[/B] 

Dear John


We are pleased to inform you that you now qualify to permanently eliminate all future Timeshare 
Maintenance Fees while still allowing you to travel to your resort.

This includes but is not limited to your 2015 Maintenance Fee Bill. Certain restrictions will apply.

We have attempted contacting you several times without success. This may be our last attempt.  Your 
reference number is #xxxxxxxx.

If we do not hear from you soon, we cannot guarantee qualification.

Please [B]call 855-832-0532 [/B]at your earliest convenience.

Regards,

Owner Services Department."
```

I wish it were the last attempt.   I don't know who these people are but they have my phone number if it them that's been calling me, and they have my address.

And what real company doesn't have a person's signature on letters looking for business?

I use an answering machine and don't pick up any of that nonsense except the one time I heard my resort name and accidentally picked up to hear that I had unused RCI bonus weeks.  I'm not a RCI member so that conversation didn't last long.

Whose "owner services dept." is this anyhow?  They must be huge, they take up the whole 9th floor of their building, no room number.

And they're in D.C., must be legit, NOT!:hysterical:

I just posted this in case others get this letter and are doing an internet search and find TUG.

DO NOT call these people, it can't end well.

Others here are good at tracking down these kinds of operations so it you get this letter and aren't sure start a thread and ask for help and they will give you some insight.

I wish they'd stop calling me, the letters are very easy to ignore.


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## dougp26364 (Dec 26, 2013)

I always love the line, "This is our last attempt." No it's not. It's just the first of many lies they're about to attempt to tell me.


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## DaveNV (Dec 26, 2013)

I don't think that's a real place. The addresses on I Street NW in DC end at the 1800 block.  I don't find a 17761 address on Google Maps.

Methinks you have a load of BS in your hand. 

Dave


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## FL Guy (Dec 26, 2013)

BMWguynw said:


> Methinks you have a load of BS in your hand.
> 
> Dave



Be sure to wash afterward.


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## dougp26364 (Dec 26, 2013)

BMWguynw said:


> I don't think that's a real place. The addresses on I Street NW in DC end at the 1800 block.  I don't find a 17761 address on Google Maps.
> 
> Methinks you have a load of BS in your hand.
> 
> Dave



Every time I attempt to call the listed number on our caller ID when a scammer calls us, the numbers been disconnected and is no longer in service. The closest I've come to a real working number was the last one where the recorded message said it was only a temporary disconnection. 

Fake addresses, fake phone numbers. I guess they really don't want to be found do they?


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## DaveNV (Dec 26, 2013)

dougp26364 said:


> Every time I attempt to call the listed number on our caller ID when a scammer calls us, the numbers been disconnected and is no longer in service. The closest I've come to a real working number was the last one where the recorded message said it was only a temporary disconnection.
> 
> Fake addresses, fake phone numbers. I guess they really don't want to be found do they?




I guess that's what I most don't understand. What's the point of the letter? If you call the number, even if it's a scammer, somebody should be answering, or at least have a machine asking for you to leave a message with all your pertinent (stealable) information. But a disconnect message?  If you send snail mail to a bogus address, it'll come back to you. So I'm missing the whole point of the thing. Why bother?  

Dave


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## x3 skier (Dec 26, 2013)

Haven't had any scammers call for over a year since I started just leaving the phone lying down next to the TV. 

Either that or lots of "No Sh$$, can you repeat that offer?" or "Let me get this down on my recorder so I can study it later."

I have been getting a number of emails both in my filter and getting through asking me to verify my Apple Account info. They go right to the Spam file. 

Cheers


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## csxjohn (Dec 27, 2013)

dougp26364 said:


> Every time I attempt to call the listed number on our caller ID when a scammer calls us, the numbers been disconnected and is no longer in service. The closest I've come to a real working number was the last one where the recorded message said it was only a temporary disconnection.
> 
> Fake addresses, fake phone numbers. I guess they really don't want to be found do they?





BMWguynw said:


> I guess that's what I most don't understand. What's the point of the letter? If you call the number, even if it's a scammer, somebody should be answering, or at least have a machine asking for you to leave a message with all your pertinent (stealable) information. But a disconnect message?  If you send snail mail to a bogus address, it'll come back to you. So I'm missing the whole point of the thing. Why bother?
> 
> Dave



Just for grins I called the number to see and a live person answered.  Of course I put a *67 before the number to block my number from them.  I hung up without saying a word, just thought that the number on the letter should be answered and it was.

So unlike the phone pests these people need to have a way for me to reach them so they can try to rob me.


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## dougp26364 (Dec 27, 2013)

BMWguynw said:


> I guess that's what I most don't understand. What's the point of the letter? If you call the number, even if it's a scammer, somebody should be answering, or at least have a machine asking for you to leave a message with all your pertinent (stealable) information. But a disconnect message?  If you send snail mail to a bogus address, it'll come back to you. So I'm missing the whole point of the thing. Why bother?
> 
> Dave



They use spoofed numbers to make it harder for legal authorities to trace them. Go ahead and turn that number into the DNC list cops. They can't fine what they can't find. They're not interested in call backs. They want a one call paycheck with maybe a few return visits under a different company name. 

Basically, if they're harder to trace they don't have to shut down, move and start over again as frequently.

Now why do I bother to call? Just for giggles and to satisfy my curiosity. If it's a real company maybe I'll hear them out. So far I haven't found any "real" companies. Just spoofed phone numbers from another scammer looking to separate me from my money while hiding from the DNC police.


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## dougp26364 (Dec 27, 2013)

csxjohn said:


> Just for grins I called the number to see and a live person answered.  Of course I put a *67 before the number to block my number from them.  I hung up without saying a word, just thought that the number on the letter should be answered and it was.
> 
> So unlike the phone pests these people need to have a way for me to reach them so they can try to rob me.



Letters are an entirely different scam. I wonder where the phone call was answered if the return address wasn't correct? It might have been fun to talk to them a bit before asking about that return address being in the middle of a river, cow pasture or maybe on an airport runway. You might as well make something good up since I'm sure they haven't got a clue what return address was on that envelope.


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## cotraveller (Dec 27, 2013)

csxjohn said:


> Just for grins I called the number to see and a live person answered.  *Of course I put a *67 before the number to block my number from them.*  I hung up without saying a word, just thought that the number on the letter should be answered and it was.
> 
> So unlike the phone pests these people need to have a way for me to reach them so they can try to rob me.



*67 does not block your number when you dial a toll-free number.  Apparently since the called party is paying for the call the call blocking feature is disabled.  This link says you can use Google Voice to block your number but I don't know anything about Google Voice.  http://www.ehow.com/how_8088596_block-number-calling-toll.html


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## csxjohn (Dec 27, 2013)

cotraveller said:


> *67 does not block your number when you dial a toll-free number.  Apparently since the called party is paying for the call the call blocking feature is disabled.  This link says you can use Google Voice to block your number but I don't know anything about Google Voice.  http://www.ehow.com/how_8088596_block-number-calling-toll.html



That's great to know, I'm surprised they didn't call me back but that may still happen.


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## easyrider (Jan 21, 2014)

Just received our letter today. I google the address and found your tug link John. 

Then I wondered how these guys got my name address and supposedly my phone number. 

My affiliations are Worldmark, Wyndham,Eagle Crest, Resortcom, RCI, II, SFX and recently DEA. All of these companies have my info. 

My best guess is that some one has access to the members mailing list of one of these companies.

Bill


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## ronparise (Jan 21, 2014)

easyrider said:


> Just received our letter today. I google the address and found your tug link John.
> 
> Then I wondered how these guys got my name address and supposedly my phone number.
> 
> ...



I bought a mailing list recently of 100000 Wyndham owners. cost me 200 dollars...Lots of people have access to members mailing lists

I got a mailing recently from Keys without Fees that I like a lot, Not that I want to be a customer, rather I want to copy their business model

My point is that not all junk mail is junk, and not all cold callers are crooks


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## ronparise (Jan 21, 2014)

BMWguynw said:


> I don't think that's a real place. The addresses on I Street NW in DC end at the 1800 block.  I don't find a 17761 address on Google Maps.
> 
> Methinks you have a load of BS in your hand.
> 
> Dave



Actually I st NW ends just beyond 27th st..Go much further and you are in the Potomac

Same point though.. no 17761


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## csxjohn (Jan 22, 2014)

easyrider said:


> Just received our letter today. I google the address and found your tug link John.
> Then I wondered how these guys got my name address and supposedly my phone number.
> 
> My affiliations are Worldmark, Wyndham,Eagle Crest, Resortcom, RCI, II, SFX and recently DEA. All of these companies have my info.
> ...



That's the exact reason I started this thread.  It brings info searchers here to TUG so they can be educated. 

I encourage others to start threads when they see something fishy.


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## ronparise (Jan 22, 2014)

Ok..so I just called the number. The gal that answered told me that she was in California, and couldnt explain the I st address

She asked for my reference number, Which John x'ed out in his post, but using my phone number she was able to find me in their system. 

What she is doing is setting up appointments in your area. and there is nothing they have scheduled near my home

But not to fret, they will do it over the phone... Im scheduled for tomorrow at noon


Ill report back after we finish


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## ronparise (Jan 23, 2014)

Ok so I dit the phone call meeting today

There were several people on the line all eager to be done with timesharing

The presentation is no different than the hotel presentations Ive done before.

This is a timeshare presentation in reverse. Instead of telling you how wonderful timeshares are they tell you how awful. 

Their points are:

1)Timeshares are forever, When you die your heirs are stuck with them...like it or not

2) maintenance fees go up

3) Special assessments happen

4)there is no secondary market

In answer to the question.."what do you do with them" the answer is we pay 3rd party companies to take them. These third party companies own thousands of timeshare and because of the numbers, they can negotiate lower maintenance fees."

They charge on a sliding scale depending on your maintenance fees. from $4000 for the under $500 stuff to almost $8500 for over $3000/year mf fee contracts

the website is [noparse]http://www.intervalrelief.com/[/noparse]

I work with a similar timeshare relief company as one of their mysterious 3rd parties  that take the timeshares off their hands, so I have no doubt that these folks will do what they say...its just an expensive choice


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## jlp879 (Jan 23, 2014)

Wow, all in the name of research!  How long did that call take?

Was there interest on the part of other callers?


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## ronparise (Jan 23, 2014)

jlp879 said:


> Wow, all in the name of research!  How long did that call take?
> 
> Was there interest on the part of other callers?



Oh yes plenty of interest.I expect that they will do very well. As I said Ive done similar meetings at local hotels. They always fill the room and people stand in line with their deeds and check books out.

What I didnt mention is that after the presentation call, one of their people calls to discuss your personal situation

My interest is purely selfish... I want to be one of the companies that they pay to get rid of the stuff..  And now I have a number to call


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## hugh6m (May 8, 2015)

*Another "last" offer*

Mine came from"Association Management Department" in Washington, DC. I checked the address, and it is legitimate, but....

The address is offered online as a "virtual office," i.e. an arrangement whereby one gets to use the address as if you were really there.

Continue your telecommuting or home working and impress your clients with a virtual address at D.C. Executive Suites, 1425 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20005. 

Anything too good to be true isn't (either good or true).


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