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False advertising?

Venza2011

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I am new to this board and to timesharing, however by nature I always research before making any purchases. I am looking to buy a timeshare in Myrtle Beach for my family to use, we want summer due to kids school schedule. I have started looking on ebay and came across this listing, which seemed to fit what I am looking for. The ad is listed as weeks 8-44, 46-47, 50-52. However, when I called the resort to confirm, they told me they do not offer these weeks, none of their summer weeks are 8-44. They have 20-38 or 22-35. If the resort doesn't offer these weeks, isn't this considered false advertising?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemnext&item=390423240388.html#ht_2959wt_1139
 

TUGBrian

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its not uncommon at all for ebay advertisers to "get it wrong" in their ads.

some deliberate, some not.

verify everything before you purchase.
 

DaveNV

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False advertising can be considered in two ways: Deliberately misleading someone to get them to buy something that they know isn't accurate, and the other way, by advertising something for sale with information they don't know to be inaccurate.

A lot of Ebay sellers of timeshares are what is known as Postcard Companies. They solicit timeshare owners with enticing offers to get them out of their financial burden, for a fee, often several thousand dollars. The owner pays the PCC money to take the timeshare off their hands, which the PCC may do. But then the PCC turns around and dumps the timeshare on Ebay for a dollar, just to try and get rid of it. The PCC got their money from the owner of that timeshare, and most don't care whether they ever sell it.

So when PCCs post their ads on Ebay, they often cut and paste text in the ads from text in other ads. Sometimes it's right, and sometimes it's not. The buyer of such a timeshare needs to do their due diligence to confirm the advertised timeshare is what it's being represented to be.

If the timeshare is one you truly want, ask the seller for an estoppel letter. This is a document with specific information from the resort about the timeshare being sold. It'll tell you exactly what is and isn't the truth, and you can make an informed decision about whether you want to buy that item.

Misinformation in Ebay ads is rampant, so don't think the seller is being deliberately deceitful. Chances are good they have no clue what they're selling.

Hope this helps,
Dave
 
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Venza2011

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I would hate to think it would deliberate. Thank you for the suggestion about the estoppel letter, I was not familiar with it. This way I will be 100% sure of what I am getting, I would hate to buy a timeshare thinking I could use it in the summer and then find out I can't.
 

csxjohn

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