# Couple Who Wanted Out of Timeshares Never Predicted Nightmare Ahead



## MULTIZ321 (Jun 13, 2019)

Couple Who Wanted Out of Timeshares Never Predicted Nightmare Ahead
By Susan Tompor/ USA Today/ Money/ MSN/ msn.com

"Robert Allison isn't one to sit back and just take it when it comes to being ripped off by someone who promised to fix his troubles with his timeshares.

Allison, 74, worked for years addressing fraud-related issues at car dealerships when he worked on the corporate audit staff for General Motors. He says "confrontation was part of my day business." 

So when he and his wife, Suzann, went on vacation to Branson, Missouri, last summer, he drove about an hour to the offices of Vacation Consulting Services in Missouri to get to the bottom of why the couple still wasn't able to unload two of three timeshares in different states after they paid thousands of dollars to do so a year earlier. 

"We stopped in and, boy, were they surprised," Suzann Allison said. 

"You just do what you've got to do," Robert Allison added. 

Robert Allison's story is one of hundreds of complaints filed in an ongoing saga involving several Missouri-based third-party companies that hold seminars, use high-pressure sales tactics and charge exorbitant upfront fees to help consumers get out of timeshares...."





© Provided by Gannett Co., Inc.


Richard


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## bogey21 (Jun 13, 2019)

This article helps the general public understand  what Tuggers already know...

George


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## RX8 (Jun 13, 2019)

Kudos to the St Louis BBB (TUG member STLBBS) who has been proactive in rooting out the scammers in their own backyard and putting out warnings to consumers. Other local BBB chapters where these scammers seem to proliferate should follow suit.


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## Arusso (Jun 15, 2019)

bogey21 said:


> This article helps the general public understand  what Tuggers already know...
> 
> George


Absolutely correct.  However, I suspect the majority of people bought, use and transact business with the TS industry daily without ever being aware that resources exist to educate and guide them in making informed transactions.   With the dissemination of information on social media and other platforms I find it difficult to believe people don't know what they should today.  This, of course was not the story back when the internet was a novelty and most information was still in print and you had to be an insider to know where to find information - and even then, it was difficult to obtain.  Most people at that time bought from developers and paid the market price.  Many of us were also prey to the tried and true marketing tactics of "churning" the customer.  We fell for "upgrades" and other promotions in an effort to get us to buy more.......on the same impulse that caused us to buy in the first place.  This, of course, still happens today with points......aren't more points better than less?

I live in the Philly broadcast market.  We are inundated with both "ambulance chasing" class action ads from law firms and TS exit companies.   They are soliciting "victims" to sign up.  Thanks to TUG and Tuggers and other valuable resources available to spread the word and keep the industry honest....


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## goldenwds (Jun 15, 2019)

MULTIZ321 said:


> Couple Who Wanted Out of Timeshares Never Predicted Nightmare Ahead
> By Susan Tompor/ USA Today/ Money/ MSN/ msn.com
> 
> "Robert Allison isn't one to sit back and just take it when it comes to being ripped off by someone who promised to fix his troubles with his timeshares.
> ...


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## goldenwds (Jun 15, 2019)

I have gone to seminars conducted by transfer company's charging from $1600 to $3500 that claims they can "transfer" your Timeshare out of your name!
These transfer companies have become a real problem for resorts, as many of them simply deed your unit into a fictional LLC or other entity, and abandon it making it impossible for the resort to collect any fees or otherwise contact the new "owner".
This has become such a problem for resorts (Westgate, Hilton, Marriott) that many resorts have taken steps in attempt to prevent these companies from taking ownership of their units.
While we (citizens of US)certainly do not condone (and it is illegal) the use of an organization to transfer your timeshare into a fake entity for the purposes of defaulting on the payments, the fact is the resort is better off taking the unit back from you (for applicable fees as mentioned above) than it is trying to get the unit from one of these entities.
Ask transfer company's to tell you why its possible for these transfer company's to take your unit from you, but not the resort that sold it to you!

I had a deeded time share CHRISTMAS Wk. - (Wk. 51) - an odd year at Westgate Lake Resort and Spa - 10,000 Turkey Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32819. The Timeshare BLD 500 - unit 556 contain A and B units which were purchase back in 2000. Just to clarify, I participated in Westgate Resort’s Voluntary Deed Back (VDB) Program - the cost was $750 included paper work and now the quick claim deed has been processed - the account at Westgate Resort’s system is closed.


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## OldGuy (Jun 15, 2019)

Here's a similar story, from the same source, that I posted recently, probably in the Exit Strategy thread, the one that does not seem to be of much concern.  

https://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?threads/exit-strategy.289299/page-4#post-2292608

https://www.news-leader.com/story/n...350-customers-2-2-million-branson/1340883001/


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## OldGuy (Jun 15, 2019)

goldenwds said:


> I had a deeded time share CHRISTMAS Wk. - (Wk. 51) - an odd year at Westgate Lake Resort and Spa - 10,000 Turkey Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32819. The Timeshare BLD 500 - unit 556 contain A and B units which were purchase back in 2000. Just to clarify, *I participated in Westgate Resort’s Voluntary Deed Back (VDB) Program - the cost was $750* included paper work and now the quick claim deed has been processed - the account at Westgate Resort’s system is closed.



I got rid of our original Wastegate weeks a long time ago, before they started charging an onerous transfer fee, and long before they started a deedback program.

A week or so ago, at a resort we have owned at since 1992, I got confirmation that they have finalized taking our last week back, but only after I lobbied them for about 10 years.

If Exit Strategy was not an issue, and if those stuck with unwanted timeshares did not speak up, resorts would not be addressing this problem.

When they all finally address it, it will no longer be a problem, and happy timeshare owners will not have to read about it any more.



But, then, _these people, _are all just deadbeats who don't want to honor their financial obligations.


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## bogey21 (Jun 15, 2019)

Arusso said:


> With the dissemination of information on social media and other platforms I find it difficult to believe people don't know what they should today.



Yes and no.  *About 4 or 5 years ago* the solicitations to get you out of your TS was via Post Card invitations to meetings.  For the heck of it I attended a couple just to see what their spiel was.  You won't be surprised that it was a bunch of lies and they wanted a bunch of money to take your Week.  What I saw was this - most of the attendees were older people who had used their Weeks for years but were no longer traveling and wanted out.  *Like I said it was 4 or 5 years ago* but I guarantee you none of these people knew the Internet existed.  The surprising thing to me was their receptivity to the presenter's spiel.  I'd say 75% of those there were sitting down one on one doing paperwork and writing checks....

George


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## OldGuy (Jun 17, 2019)

bogey21 said:


> most of the attendees were older people who had used their Weeks for years but were no longer traveling and wanted out.



Really!!!???

Not deadbeats who didn't want to honor their financial obligations?


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## bogey21 (Jun 17, 2019)

Yes really, but remember this was 4 or 5 years ago...

George


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## Louise Salami (Aug 8, 2019)

I’d had my time share in Florida for 30 years, whilst we had made the most of it by taking holidays wherever we could get availability, by the time we had paid the maintenance costs and interval international exchange costs it became costly even before you had even gone on holiday , twice over the year we had paid different scam agencies to sell the timeshare for us and just lost our money, in the end I contacted Legacy who own the resort and requested what’s called a deed back, which is basically they take the time share of your hands at a cost to you, the cost was just short of a years maintenance so I jumped at it. Now I am time share free


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## OldGuy (Aug 8, 2019)

Louise Salami said:


> I’d had my time share in Florida for 30 years, whilst we had made the most of it by taking holidays wherever we could get availability, by the time we had paid the maintenance costs and interval international exchange costs it became costly even before you had even gone on holiday , twice over the year we had paid different scam agencies to sell the timeshare for us and just lost our money, in the end* I contacted Legacy who own the resort and requested what’s called a deed back, which is basically they take the time share of your hands at a cost to you, the cost was just short of a years maintenance so I jumped at it. Now I am time share free*



As it should be.

It's not rocket surgery.


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## Beth B (Sep 23, 2019)

OldGuy said:


> As it should be.
> 
> It's not rocket surgery.


Who is Captain Obvious? Does he have a relationship with the TS folks?


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