• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

I think I may have been scammed.

brigala

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2014
Messages
32
Reaction score
20
Points
118
Location
Pacific Northwest
I contacted the resort where I wanted to buy a Timeshare through FB messenger, as I've done periodically every few months or so for the last several years, to see whether anything was available for a summer week.

I got a response right away saying that they had an owner selling a week that met our date range and he was facilitating the sale and we went through all the process. Paid $5k through PayPal invoiced from the person saying he was the manager of the resort (actually his wife). Got a notarized Quit Claim Deed in the mail a couple days later.

I sent a message last week to let them know we would be coming during our fixed week this summer. Got a reply from someone totally other than the guy I had contacted through the resort's FB page saying they had no idea who I was, didn't have any record of me, and would I please send a copy of the canceled check, front and back.

I sent a copy of my PayPal transaction yesterday as well as a copy of the lengthy conversation I had with their Facebook page which affirmed receipt of the payment and told me my husband and I were recorded as sole owners, and all that kind of stuff.

Haven't heard back yet. Maybe they just don't work on the weekends? But man it's making me nervous. What are the chances this is just a clerical error and we didn't get scammed by some disgruntled former employee who had access to the FB page? I found the owner of the PayPal account I sent the money to on Facebook (the wife of the person I was transacting with), and her employer is listed as the resort in question; but that doesn't mean it's true or up to date.

Fortunately PayPal should have us covered; the transaction says we have until September to file a grievance. I think I'll get my money back if I don't actually own the week. But if I've been scammed I'll also want to file a police report. Would that be done in my city or the city where the resort is located?
 

rickandcindy23

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
31,901
Reaction score
9,003
Points
1,049
Location
The Centennial State
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
What resort is this, and such a crazy process for buying something deeded. Quitclaim deeds are just as legit as a regular deed, so if you truly have a quitclaim deed, you might have a good week. I don't know of many timeshares worth $5K, so you will have to tell us what you bought to get a good answer from us here.
 

brigala

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2014
Messages
32
Reaction score
20
Points
118
Location
Pacific Northwest
Glacier Wilderness Resort in West Glacier, MT.

I've been watching this resort for years, ever since we stayed there through a rare RCI exchange on my parents' membership 9 years ago. $5k was a fair resale price. We socked away the money we expected to have to pay and have been actively looking for a week to buy there since about 2014. Availability for purchase or exchange in the summer is extremely rare there.
 

klpca

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2006
Messages
8,273
Reaction score
7,280
Points
749
Location
CA
Resorts Owned
SDO, Quarter House, Seapointe, Coronado Beach, Carlsbad Inn, Worldmark
Have you tried calling the resort? Did you use a contract? Did it address use year?
 

brigala

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2014
Messages
32
Reaction score
20
Points
118
Location
Pacific Northwest
I haven't called. It's a weekend so I'm giving them some time. I will call Monday if I haven't heard back by mid-day.

Yes, we had a basic sales contract. Yes, I was told usage began this year; I would have to check the sales contract to see whether that was included as I haven't looked at it in a few months.

Everything was discussed via Facebook Messenger, mainly because I like to have everything in writing, although there was also a phone call in the sales process too. Nothing different was discussed in the phone conversation except that he mentioned he was burnt out on running the resort and was looking at a career change shortly so expect different management when we arrive...
 

chapjim

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2010
Messages
6,161
Reaction score
3,804
Points
499
Location
Fairfax County, Virginia
Resorts Owned
Wyndham VIPF & PresRes, HVC/DRI (Gold), Quarter House (4), Resort on Cocoa Beach (2), HGVC Tuscany Village, HGVC South Beach-McAlpin, HGVC Parc Soleil
What resort is this, and such a crazy process for buying something deeded. Quitclaim deeds are just as legit as a regular deed, so if you truly have a quitclaim deed, you might have a good week. I don't know of many timeshares worth $5K, so you will have to tell us what you bought to get a good answer from us here.

A quitclaim conveys whatever interest the grantor had in the property. If the grantor had no interest in the property, the grantee gets nothing.
 

brigala

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2014
Messages
32
Reaction score
20
Points
118
Location
Pacific Northwest
Yeah, that is what worries me. That he may have been "selling" a week that wasn't actually his to sell. Man I'm glad I used PayPal.
 

RX8

TUG Member
Joined
May 5, 2011
Messages
4,107
Reaction score
4,454
Points
449
Resorts Owned
HGVC and DVC
i am sorry to say that PayPal does not allow timeshare transactions. You might not get their help in this if it turns out truly a scam.
 

TheTimeTraveler

TUG Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
5,952
Reaction score
2,858
Points
648
Location
Florida
i am sorry to say that PayPal does not allow timeshare transactions. You might not get their help in this if it turns out truly a scam.


This is true, but at least PayPal should be able to provide law enforcement with the Payee's true name and address should they have to go down that path.

Now, if the Payee's account has been compromised (scammed) then that is a totally different story.




.
 

sjsharkie

TUG Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2012
Messages
2,321
Reaction score
441
Points
293
I haven't called. It's a weekend so I'm giving them some time. I will call Monday if I haven't heard back by mid-day.
If you can't get a response from the resort, one sure way is to call the county recorder's office on Monday. If it is a quitclaim deed, it would have to have been recorded at the county office to be a valid transfer. Most counties have a search online, but I checked Glacier County for you, and I couldn't find an online search on their website. You may need to call/email to access the records -- I'd suggest that if you can't get a quick answer from the resort.

If you received the notarized quitclaim deed, there usually is a sticker or stamp on it to indicate that it was recorded by the county with some reference (i.e. doc#) to reference the actual recorded deed.

i am sorry to say that PayPal does not allow timeshare transactions. You might not get their help in this if it turns out truly a scam.
The first part is true, but this is actually good news. Because they do not allow any real property transactions, I believe you can dispute the charge and get your money back because it is an invalid transaction. Of course, YMMV.

Good luck.

-ryan
 

rickandcindy23

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
31,901
Reaction score
9,003
Points
1,049
Location
The Centennial State
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
This may just be a matter where you have to send the quitclaim to the resort with a payment to the resort for transfer into your name. This is very fishy.
 

presley

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2011
Messages
6,313
Reaction score
1,121
Points
448
You can google search the county's recorder website and find out if you are recorded as the owner. If you are, most likely the resort was never notified to transfer it to you, which is an easy fix with a deed and all the other stuff that you sent to them.

I wouldn't expect them to work on the weekend. If you don't hear back by Tuesday, give them a call.
 

rickandcindy23

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
31,901
Reaction score
9,003
Points
1,049
Location
The Centennial State
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
https://www.glaciercountygov.com/ Check to see if the owner on the QC is the owner of record for that week. You should be able to do that through the website I posted here.
 

dioxide45

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
May 20, 2006
Messages
47,374
Reaction score
18,932
Points
1,299
Location
NE Florida
Resorts Owned
Marriott Grande Vista
Marriott Harbour Lake
Sheraton Vistana Villages
Club Wyndham CWA
You can google search the county's recorder website and find out if you are recorded as the owner. If you are, most likely the resort was never notified to transfer it to you, which is an easy fix with a deed and all the other stuff that you sent to them.

I wouldn't expect them to work on the weekend. If you don't hear back by Tuesday, give them a call.
It doesn't look like Flathead County has online recordings, except by paying a subscription. I would suggest, as @sjsharkie mentioned, to call them on Monday. One may also be able to email them. http://flathead.mt.gov/clerk_recorder/
 

dioxide45

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
May 20, 2006
Messages
47,374
Reaction score
18,932
Points
1,299
Location
NE Florida
Resorts Owned
Marriott Grande Vista
Marriott Harbour Lake
Sheraton Vistana Villages
Club Wyndham CWA
https://www.glaciercountygov.com/ Check to see if the owner on the QC is the owner of record for that week. You should be able to do that through the website I posted here.
Not sure if it Glacier County though, it doesn't matter so much though since neither Glacier or Flathead County have recording records available online.
 

brigala

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2014
Messages
32
Reaction score
20
Points
118
Location
Pacific Northwest
Well, I was just checking the number I called him at and it's the phone number of the resort. So he had to be acting as a manager of the resort at the time that I made the transaction, not a former employee who still had access to the FB account.

I would think the Resort would be responsible for getting my money back if their agent scammed me and PP won't help. But right now I'm just sitting on my hands for the weekend to see what they say.
 

bogey21

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2005
Messages
9,455
Reaction score
4,662
Points
649
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
My guess is that it is nothing more than administrative incompetence. Hope I'm right...

Question...who sent you the notarized quit claim deed. If it was the seller, you may have to send it to the Resort before they change their records...

George
 

RX8

TUG Member
Joined
May 5, 2011
Messages
4,107
Reaction score
4,454
Points
449
Resorts Owned
HGVC and DVC
This may very well be legit but what makes this strange is the following:
  • If the sale was facilitated by a representative of the resort then why use PayPal and why wasn’t the deed properly transferred within the resort? This just seems so informal. I purchased from a resort resale department and I had to pay via cashiers check and the money was held in escrow. Maybe it is because yours is a small resort?
  • The PayPal payment was made to a party other than the person you were dealing with. This is a major red flag with scams.
How long ago did you make this purchase? Did a maintenance fee come due since then and if so, who paid it?

You are much more patient than I would be. I would call the resort today to try to get to the bottom of it. You should have the property description on your signed contract. The resort should be able to pull it up to see if it is in your name or if even it had been listed for sale with them.

Wish you luck!
 

brigala

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2014
Messages
32
Reaction score
20
Points
118
Location
Pacific Northwest
I dug out the QCD and it was recorded in Flathead County. Our plan was to exchange it for a regular deed when we went out there this summer. Man, I hope this is just a clerical error on the part of the resort.
 

Panina

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2015
Messages
6,781
Reaction score
9,968
Points
499
Location
Florida
Resorts Owned
Hgvc Anderson, Blue Ride Village Resort
Many times management works on weekends and are off during the week. I would call today and see if there is someone to talk to. It just might be A doesn’t know what B did and the system wasn’t updated.

If this ends up not being legit and the person who sold to you was an employee and had access to their site, the resort should compensate you for what you spent.
 

brigala

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2014
Messages
32
Reaction score
20
Points
118
Location
Pacific Northwest
My guess is that it is nothing more than administrative incompetence. Hope I'm right...

Question...who sent you the notarized quit claim deed. If it was the seller, you may have to send it to the Resort before they change their records...

George

The resort manager, with whom I was messaging on FB and with whom I spoke on the phone.

He told me via FB messenger that he had recorded us as the sole owners of that unit for that week.

This may very well be legit but what makes this strange is the following:
  • If the sale was facilitated by a representative of the resort then why use PayPal and why wasn’t the deed properly transferred within the resort? This just seems so informal. I purchased from a resort resale department and I had to pay via cashiers check and the money was held in escrow. Maybe it is because yours is a small resort?
  • The PayPal payment was made to a party other than the person you were dealing with. This is a major red flag with scams.
How long ago did you make this purchase? Did a maintenance fee come due since then and if so, who paid it?

You are much more patient than I would be. I would call the resort today to try to get to the bottom of it. You should have the property description on your signed contract. The resort should be able to pull it up to see if it is in your name or if even it had been listed for sale with them.

Wish you luck!

PayPal was my suggestion. He had first said a cashier's check or money order, but he wanted it sent overnight because it was Friday and for whatever reason he wanted it recorded at the county no later than the following Wednesday. PP was more convenient for me. I did not realize PP does not allow for real estate transactions. At first he said he didn't have a PP account, and then he said oh wait, my wife has an account and he said it was attached to their joint bank account. The surname on the PP account was the same as the surname of the person who I was talking to and whose signature is on the QCD. He confirmed each step, that he had received the money in PP, and when they got it transferred from PP to his own account.

It is a VERY small resort; only a dozen units. They don't have a separate resale department.
 

RX8

TUG Member
Joined
May 5, 2011
Messages
4,107
Reaction score
4,454
Points
449
Resorts Owned
HGVC and DVC
Sounding more like a misunderstanding. Hoping it all works out for you.
 

Panina

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2015
Messages
6,781
Reaction score
9,968
Points
499
Location
Florida
Resorts Owned
Hgvc Anderson, Blue Ride Village Resort
@brigala This might all be he was trying to be helpful but no person working for a timeshare, or any other company, should put funds in their own personal Paypal or other account. This would be a red flag to me.
 

silentg

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2005
Messages
6,185
Reaction score
3,260
Points
649
Location
Central Florida
Resorts Owned
Fitzpatrick's Castle Holiday Homes,
Enchanted Isle.
Hope it isn’t a scam, sounds like a nice place.
Good Luck!
 

brigala

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2014
Messages
32
Reaction score
20
Points
118
Location
Pacific Northwest
@brigala This might all be he was trying to be helpful but no person working for a timeshare, or any other company, should put funds in their own personal Paypal or other account. This would be a red flag to me.

It was not a resort-owned share, which was why I didn't question it.

I called but got voicemail; I didn't leave a message but I just got an email from the resort saying they were still investigating but couldn't research further today because of the weekend. I have a sinking feeling that what they mean is they can't contact their lawyer for advice until tomorrow...
 
Top