ARCX Group International LLC Missouri

[Hello4]

Anyone have experience with this company?
They called me unsolicited to buy my ttimeshare.They are not asking for any money, at least not right now. But I have asked and they have said that there are no Mexican taxes, there are no fees blah blah blah....except a commission payable after I receive my proceeds. The company is registered as an LLC in Missouri as a real estate broker. I can find them on the Real Estate Commission of Missouri's website along with the name of the real estate agent Ivan Zeffer, and his license number. the Attorney General office in Missouri has no information either positive or negative. They have sent me an offer letter that claims not to be a legal document but they want my signature on it either accepting the amount or counter offering to present it to the buyer who is buying a large amount of timeshares in Mexico. Claiming to use an insurance company called American Third Century also located in Missouri. The insurance company will provide me, the seller, with a $20, 000 insurance policy. I know title policies normally work in reverse where where the seller would provide the buyer with a policy. it obviously seems too good to be true but everything I do on the research checks out. Of course I would never give them any money, for anything, at any stage of the transaction if I chose to go forward. Does anyone have any experience with any of these entities or people? Thanks

 

[LannyPC]

[QUOTE="Hello4, post: 2173291, member: 109040"...there are no fees blah blah blah....except a commission payable after I receive my proceeds.[/QUOTE]

There's the scam right there. The proceeds from the alleged sale would pay their commission. You don't pay it out of your pocket.

And yes, many have had experience with these people and they all got scammed.

 

[Hello4]

[QUOTE="Hello4, post: 2173291, member: 109040"...there are no fees blah blah blah....except a commission payable after I receive my proceeds.

There's the scam right there. The proceeds from the alleged sale would pay their commission. You don't pay it out of your pocket.

And yes, many have had experience with these people and they all got scammed.

In a traditional sale the seller does pay a commission. They're not asking for this up front. They're saying they have an option to either have the Escrow Company pay the commission out of the proceeds
Or you can pay the commission after you receive the money. The document they want you to sign basically is saying that they are working on your behalf, although it is not a contract. So I can see why they would ask for a commission. Once again nothing up front. I appreciate your response but what personal experience have you had in regards to a timeshare resale or real estate in general.

 

[LannyPC]

I used to own one and I received many scam calls just like the one you received. It follows the typical pattern of the infamous resale scam. It starts with an unsolicited telemarketing call and then includes a too-good-to-be-true offer.

You can try with these people if you want but the ending is always the same. They will tell you that the sale is ready (even though no sale has happened) but then tell you that you need to pay some sort of fee or tax in order to complete the sale and receive your cheque.

 

[Hello4]

I used to own one and I received many scam calls just like the one you received. It follows the typical pattern of the infamous resale scam. It starts with an unsolicited telemarketing call and then includes a too-good-to-be-true offer.

You can try with these people if you want but the ending is always the same. They will tell you that the sale is ready (even though no sale has happened) but then tell you that you need to pay some sort of fee or tax in order to complete the sale and receive your cheque.

Yes that is my general feeling about this from the beginning. If it's too good to be true it usually is. I'm assuming that they will at some point ask for money at which point I would obviously not do any type of deal with them. It's just amazing the length that these scam artists will go to. It's hard to believe that they are actually registered with the state of Missouri.gov site and have a license to sell real estate. Unless of course it's stolen but as of yet I have not been able to find any negative information about this company anywhere including this forum. So maybe they are a relatively new scam entity. My timeshare company has had reports of members being contacted by this particular company but that's it. I highly doubt that it's legitimate. but what better place to ask if people have had dealings with any of these entities then this forum. Hopefully I will come across someone that has had dealings with them specifically. It would certainly be nice to add to the community awareness of these type of scam artists.

 

[TUGBrian]

glad you found us in time before being ripped off!

these folks change their names quite regularly for the sole reason to avoid people being able to search for bad reviews on them.

 

[LannyPC]

Unless of course it's stolen but as of yet I have not been able to find any negative information about this company anywhere including this forum. So maybe they are a relatively new scam entity. My timeshare company has had reports of members being contacted by this particular company but that's it. I highly doubt that it's legitimate. but what better place to ask if people have had dealings with any of these entities then this forum. Hopefully I will come across someone that has had dealings with them specifically. It would certainly be nice to add to the community awareness of these type of scam artists.

The reason why you have not heard of them before is because they are now operating under this new name. They have likely been around a long time but under a few different names.

And yes, TUG does indeed make many people aware of this particular scam. We have been warning people of this for years, yet the scam still flourishes.

It does not matter what the company's name is. An unsolicited telemarketing call coupled with a too-good-to-be-true offer 99.99% + of the time turns out to be a scam.

 

[Hello4]

The reason why you have not heard of them before is because they are now operating under this new name. They have likely been around a long time but under a few different names.

And yes, TUG does indeed make many people aware of this particular scam. We have been warning people of this for years, yet the scam still flourishes.

It does not matter what the company's name is. An unsolicited telemarketing call coupled with a too-good-to-be-true offer 99.99% + of the time turns out to be a scam.

Do they normally have a legitimate real estate broker's license for their company and individual sales people registered with a particular state? The real estate license is registered since 2014 under the same name and the domain name and website has been around longer. I can't remember the exact year. Of course I'm sure all of these things can be altered somehow? I am not very tech-savvy. I guess a lot of research is necessary when entering into any type of transaction. I have done a lot of due diligence and it still seems legitimate even though I know it probably is not.

 

[LannyPC]

Do they normally have a legitimate real estate broker's license for their company and individual sales people registered with a particular state? The real estate license is registered since 2014 under the same name and the domain name and website has been around longer. I can't remember the exact year. Of course I'm sure all of these things can be altered somehow? I am not very tech-savvy. I guess a lot of research is necessary when entering into any type of transaction. I have done a lot of due diligence and it still seems legitimate even though I know it probably is not.

What they usually do is find the name of a real estate broker or brokerage firm that has been dormant or out of business for a while then use that name. If you are tech-savvy, you will find out that many of these scam companies' web sites were created within just a few months before staring their scam.

Yes, they do indeed go to great lengths to scam people but obviously there is great money in doing so. That's why they continue to do it despite the threat of getting caught and, in some cases, imprisoned.

 

[Hello4]

What they usually do is find the name of a real estate broker or brokerage firm that has been dormant or out of business for a while then use that name. If you are tech-savvy, you will find out that many of these scam companies' web sites were created within just a few months before staring their scam.

Yes, they do indeed go to great lengths to scam people but obviously there is great money in doing so. That's why they continue to do it despite the threat of getting caught and, in some cases, imprisoned.

I am definitely NOT knowledgeable about technology but I do my research... Hopefully my time and energy doing research benefits someone besides myself.

 

[TUGBrian]

its very easy to avoid the scams out there with little to no research required, all the scams follow the exact same pattern of red flags that are easy to spot. sadly many owners just get lured in and feel they "trust" the company and ignore the red flags presented to them...and thus end up being scammed.

we see it every single day, and its why these scams are still so very common...they are effective.

http://tug2.net/timeshare_advice/timeshare_company_legitimate.html

 

[Hello4]

its very easy to avoid the scams out there with little to no research required, all the scams follow the exact same pattern of red flags that are easy to spot. sadly many owners just get lured in and feel they "trust" the company and ignore the red flags presented to them...and thus end up being scammed.

we see it every single day, and its why these scams are still so very 9common...they are effective.

http://tug2.net/timeshare_advice/timeshare_company_legitimate.html

So in your opinion or experience, are ALL timeshare resale offers a scam? I wasn't looking to sell my timeshare nor am I a dissatisfied timeshare owner. I own two. One with a reputable resort/hotel since early 1990's with very low maintenance fees that I use yearly along with extra vacations from the Vacation Club that I do not pay a membership fee for..the other one I boughy at an extremely low price with no maintenance fees unless I use it. The second is the one they are offering to buy. I don't care if I sell it or don't, so I would never pay anything up front. But I am not opposed to selling it. I do feel like it probably is a scam. But are all resale offers a scam? I don't know. I don't have any experience in the timeshare resale business.

 

[RX8]

I am definitely NOT knowledgeable about technology but I do my research... Hopefully my time and energy doing research benefits someone besides myself.

Your instincts are correct as this is 100% scam.

The website was created June 2018. Scammers love to deceive and confuse and this scammer is no different. The company uses both ARCX Group and ARCX Group International at their website. There is a legal entity by the name of ARCX Group, LLC and that is who they want you to think they are.

The BBB is already on to them. They have created a profile for them with an alert that states they are not at the address they claim to be.

https://www.bbb.org/stlouis/busines...up-international-in-saint-louis-mo-1000007321

Checkout the reply that the BBB posted about ARCX at the consumer.ftc.gov website. Probably their easiest investigation ever, LOL.

STLouis BBB | August 2, 2018
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• reply

I work for St. Louis BBB. We have received several calls about ARCX. We do know that they are not operating that the location listed on their website, a location which is basically next door to our office.

 

[Hello4]

Just for the record...I don't trust anyone.. LOL

 

[Hello4]

Your instincts are correct as this is 100% scam.

The website was created June 2018. Scammers love to deceive and confuse and this scammer is no different. The company uses both ARCX Group and ARCX Group International at their website. There is a legal entity by the name of ARCX Group, LLC and that is who they want you to think they are.

The BBB is already on to them. They have created a profile for them with an alert that states they are not at the address they claim to be.

https://www.bbb.org/stlouis/busines...up-international-in-saint-louis-mo-1000007321

Checkout the reply that the BBB posted about ARCX at the consumer.ftc.gov website. Probably their easiest investigation ever, LOL.

STLouis BBB | August 2, 2018
|

• reply

I work for St. Louis BBB. We have received several calls about ARCX. We do know that they are not operating that the location listed on their website, a location which is basically next door to our office.

 

[Hello4]

I did try to look up the physical address and it was seemingly bogus. But when I looked earlier today there was nothing posted on the BBB. I will definitely check out your link. If you need any information I have a lot. I did contact the lawyer listed on the legal documents for ARCX LLC but have not heard back from him. I am in a different time zone. Thanks for the info

 

[LannyPC]

So in your opinion or experience, are ALL timeshare resale offers a scam?

Not necessarily all. I am just saying that the offer you mentioned in the OP fits the profile of a scam to a T. It was an unexpected telemarketing call coupled with an offer that's too good to be true.

For instance, you said that you were not intent on selling it. Then how did the caller know your phone number and what you owned? And why doesn't this caller (scammer) just buy up the many that are being listed for $1 and then flip them for tens of thousands of dollars if he has so many buyers lined up to pay out the ying-yang?

The only legitimate resale offers are usually in response to ads that the owner posted. Also, such responses would come through your e-mail, not the phone. As well, the buyer, if legit, would offer to pay you what you listed it for, not for tens of thousands dollars more.

 

[Hello4]

So apparently I've got a 2 bedroom ocean front property in Mexico if anyone is interested. It's a little overpriced at $1.05 but I'm willing to negotiate.. LOL..just kidding. I will hang on to it and continue to use it. Thanks for all the help everyone!

 

[STLBBB]

I am with St. Louis BBB. I went to the address where this "business" is allegedly located, a building we can see from our office windows. Arcx is not located at that address. When I asked to meet with them at their office, I was told I would have to send a photo ID and wait two weeks for a meeting. We plan to issue a consumer warning about the group. If anyone would like to share their experience of dealing with the company with me, feel free to email me at dobrien@stlouisbbb.org.

UPDATE: I posted this before reading through the thread. You guys here are good! Thanks to user RX8 for mentioning our link.

 

[HudsHut]

100% of the cold calls offering to buy your timeshare are scams. No legitimate company cold calls owners to buy a timeshare or to offer to "market" the timeshare.

This scam most frequently targets owners of Mexico timeshares. The (fictitious) buyer is "buying a lot of timeshares in Mexico" and of the hundreds of thousands of timeshare owners of properties in Mexico, the buyer found you, an owner who had not even placed a for sale ad.

I'm glad you found TUG in time.

 

[RX8]

I am with St. Louis BBB. I went to the address where this "business" is allegedly located, a building we can see from our office windows. Arcx is not located at that address. When I asked to meet with them at their office, I was told I would have to send a photo ID and wait two weeks for a meeting. We plan to issue a consumer warning about the group. If anyone would like to share their experience of dealing with the company with me, feel free to email me at dobrien@stlouisbbb.org.

UPDATE: I posted this before reading through the thread. You guys here are good! Thanks to user RX8 for mentioning our link.

Thank you for taking the time to research the internet to identify discussions to prevent people falling for the scams.

If you are interested I wanted to share the second part of this scam, the so called “escrow” company which is actually going to be the same scammers. The website, which was created July 2018, is http://www.americanthirdcentury.com/

The address is also in St Louis and is guaranteed to be bogus as well.

2025 Washington Avenue, St. Louis, MO

 

[Hello4]

Thank you for taking the time to research the internet to identify discussions to prevent people falling for the scams.

If you are interested I wanted to share the second part of this scam, the so called “escrow” company which is actually going to be the same scammers. The website, which was created July 2018, is http://www.americanthirdcentury.com/

The address is also in St Louis and is guaranteed to be bogus as well.

2025 Washington Avenue, St. Louis, MO

Yes I already had researched that as well, thank you. I talked to the owner of the actual company that has that name filed with the real license. He was quite interested to know that they have been using the name American Third Century. They are not and have never been an escrow company but they are an Insurance Company operating in Missouri. They do not operate under the name American third-century, although it does appear on the Missouri Board of Professional Registration and is a legitimate part of their business. Which is how I got this gentleman's number. When I explained why I was calling to his secretary he called me right back. Interestingly enough the scammer did not tell me that it was a Title or Escrow Company he told me that I would be provided an insurance policy. I have a real estate background so what he was telling me didn't make sense to me but for someone not familiar with how real estate transactions work it sounded legitimate. And since I am not familiar with how International or resale timeshare transactions work I was uncertain, which is why I did some research. I talked to a very nice lady in Florida who actually works for a title company and of course she reassured me what I already knew that the title company holds the money in escrow. I had been told that it would be held at a bank in an account opened in my name (what??) And that sounded off to me. Then I found out that American third-century is not a title company it is an insurance company. I might talk to the scammer again on Monday just to see if he follows through, he said they would provide me with their license numbers. I'm curious to know if they're the same license numbers that are on file for the legitimate companies. I'm so glad the BBB has picked up on this one early. That is actually the first website I checked and when I checked the alert wasn't there yet. Most people are familiar with the Better Business Bureau so I'm really glad this alert is on there. I also had called my timeshare company and they put me on hold and did a little research and they had had other reports from Members recently being contacted by this ARCX company as well and one report of this company asking for money and their opinion was that it was fraudulent.

 

[LannyPC]

I also had called my timeshare company and they put me on hold and did a little research and they had had other reports from Members recently being contacted by this ARCX company as well and one report of this company asking for money and their opinion was that it was fraudulent.

They know full well that any company that phones a TS owner (especially worthless ones in Mexico) with an offer that's too good to be true is a scam. Most of these resorts are just too [I'll spare you what I really think of them since this is a public forum that kids can read] to warn owners of these scam companies and the tell-tale signs of a scam because it would expose the real resale value of what the resorts are trying to sell at full-freight.

It might also force the people at the resort to answer the question that would be on the minds of every owner who gets these scam phone calls: How did these people get my phone number and know that I own at said resort?

 

[ellar]

I was called this morning by the "owner" of ARCX trying to reassure me that they are legitimate. I am happy to find this forum. Thanks for all the information.
I am interested in selling my timeshare as being a teacher I find it hard to book on off peak times. It stresses me out every time I have to pay the maintenance fees for something I barely use.

 

[TUGBrian]

start here ellar: https://sell.tug2.net


we are glad you found us before being scammed too!