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Friend got scammed by Mexican timeshare company - looking for advice

LindaK

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I have been a long time timeshare owner and was horrified to find that a friend of mine bought a timeshare in Mexico while she was on vacation. She already owns several timeshares and really can't afford another one. The timeshare sales people told her they would accept her current timeshares and sell them for her and give her a big credit off the purchase of their timeshare. I know of other friends who also had this kind of offer in Mexico. She has been in contact with them many times trying to figure out when they were going to take over her current timeshares. Well, of course, several months later, the timeshare company never took ownership of the timeshares my friend owned and is now telling her that they don't really want them and she can keep them! It is now too late for her to rescind her purchase and she is stuck with maintenance fees that she can't afford to pay. She is also a senior citizen. Has anyone successfully gotten out of a Mexican timeshare when they were scammed by this type of sales tactics? Can the credit card company she used to buy the new timeshare be any help? Looking for suggestions.
 

Passepartout

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It is now too late for her to rescind her purchase and she is stuck with maintenance fees that she can't afford to pay. She is also a senior citizen. Has anyone successfully gotten out of a Mexican timeshare when they were scammed by this type of sales tactics? Can the credit card company she used to buy the new timeshare be any help? Looking for suggestions.
She is probably out of luck. She can simply not pay, but that won't help getting her initial payment back. That's gone. The good news is that there really isn't much they can do if she just doesn't pay. Some nasty letters and stuff from 'collectors', but there's likely no deed, no foreclosure, and it's unlikely to affect her credit.

I'm going to guess that the 'promise' to take her other TSs as a 'trade-in' was entirely verbal, and there is nothing written to back that up. She is in no position to enforce that promise. She can certainly challenge the charge on the credit card, but all the seller does is show her signature on the charge slip, and say that she willingly and voluntarily- as an adult- made the purchase and signed the slip.

I'm sorry for her predicament, but in all candor, she had 5 days in which to read the contract and rescind it. There is a reason those Mexican resorts capture the unwary in the first few days of their vacation and keep them busy until the rescission window closes- and this is it.

It's a hard lesson, but that's the way it is.

Jim
 

pierrepierre

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We gave points/ one contract to upgrade in another adventure/time share. It took close to the time allotted for them to contact us, show clear ownership and do paperwork. About 6 months before they sold it.....however, it was all completed so we had NO new maintenance fees to be paid. The cost to do the deal was less than the maintenance fee for the coming year. It was all the paperwork that was a touch to much for me, however all was good in the end.
 

goaliedave

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Agree with Jim's post above. Same can happen in USA; past rescission period your deposit is gone.
 

LannyPC

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Has anyone successfully gotten out of a Mexican timeshare when they were scammed by this type of sales tactics? Can the credit card company she used to buy the new timeshare be any help? Looking for suggestions.

Unless you are still within your rescission period, the only way to "successfully [get] out of a Mexican timeshare" is to (as Passeport Jim suggested above) stop paying. Unfortunately, it does not matter what sales tactics were used, whether honest or dishonest.

Another important piece of advice that we here on TUG like to give to people who are in the same predicament as your friend is to not go seeking the "help" of these charities, firms, or law firms that claim they can get you (or in this case, your friend) out of a timeshare or contract. Those are usually scams.
 

bjones9942

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pierrepierre

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We did the above, but it took them almost 5-6 months to contact us, and there was a fee. That company out of Miami did list it and sold it. However, when we did all this and signed papers, we were given the name, address and phone number of firm taking over the contract....and there were dates and deadlines on the contract. Don't let the hot sun take over your brain or the drinks they serve during this period!!!!
 
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