Any one heard of Seabreeze Advertising Corp.

[Jya-Ning]

I don't think she is a shill.

Same here. Sounds like she supposed to have 6 day to cancel the payment when she first post it and she just want to believe these people will sell for her.

Who knows, even if they only sell 1 in 10000, she may still get lucky, wish that is the case.

Jya-Ning

 

[jenerusgirl]

Reading all of the posts of people calling me a shill just makes me feel better about my descision to stick it out. I mean if all of you just call everyone on here who may have something positive to say about this type of thing a shill, then who is ever going to believe it might work out for them? You all seem like very angry bitter people who have been scammed but do you really think that the people who have actually sold there timeshares would need to be looking around on this website wasting time trying to prove all of you wrong? No probably not, so the chances of bitter people making posts are much higher than those that have had a good experience and moved on. With that being said, I know that there are a lot of scams out there and you guys are probably right. As I said before, I was scammed too! I do take full responsibility for that though because I was younger and more nieve and did not investigate the company at all. The methods used by this company were basically a joke, so that was my bad. I was/am skeptical of using any other company that requires an upfront fee too but the way I look at it is this:
I can list my timeshare with numerous free or low cost websites and hope that one morning some one who happens to have cash on hand wakes up and thinks "I am going to buy a timeshare today." On top of this they are going to happen to do this through one of the websites I listed on, they are going to also happen to want my resort, my week, and my price with out hearing any type of sales pitch on it.
Now to me this just seems VERY UNLIKELY!
Even more unlikely than giving some money to a company who actually gives away gifts to people to lure them into one of their weekly showcases in which they hit them up with a similar sales pitch to the one I got when I bought it. Not to mention a company who offers help with financing and debt consolidation. Also this was the only company of many that I spoke with that only collected a portion of the fee upfront and the rest at closing. This does give them something to work for.
Ok so now that I completely sound like I work for the company (lol) I will just say that to me this pitch sounded more convincing than the others. I am in no way saying that this company is legit or that they will sell for me because obviously I don't know yet.
I just thought I'd give some insight to my reasoning since after all I am the one who orignally started this post.

Oh and by the way, I have listed my timeshare on 3 different free sites, and haven't had any luck there yet either.

All I can do at this point is keep my fingers crossed. Whether or not you all believe my situation, I can't help you there. I don't really feel the need to have to prove anything to any of you strangers anyways, I mean COME ON!

 

[Dave M]

I'm glad you came back.

Reading all of the posts of people calling me a shill just makes me feel better about my decision to stick it out. I mean if all of you just call everyone on here who may have something positive to say about this type of thing a shill, then who is ever going to believe it might work out for them?

Unfortunately, there have been a fair number of shills who have posted here. Their comments often start out with a "please help me", then turn to a "wow, I was successful" and, somewhere along the way, we have been able to out them as being an employee or owner of the business being discussed. That's why there has been some "shill" discussion here - to make those who read this thread alert to the thought that they shouldn't counter the time and experience-tested mantra that one should never pay an upfront fee in an effort to sell a timeshare.

You all seem like very angry bitter people who have been scammed but do you really think that the people who have actually sold there timeshares would need to be looking around on this website wasting time trying to prove all of you wrong?

No, we aren't angry, bitter people. Almost all of us are consumers just like you. Most of us have owned timeshares for many years, have sold some and have been victimized or approached by various timeshare-related scams and overpriced deals and have purchased overpriced timeshares at one time from developers. We are trying to help people like you who haven't seen the hundreds of complaints posted here about upfront-fee companies. Thus, we get discouraged when we see someone taking a path that we know positively - from years of experience - is the wrong economic decision.

I can list my timeshare with numerous free or low cost websites and hope that one morning some one who happens to have cash on hand wakes up and thinks "I am going to buy a timeshare today." On top of this they are going to happen to do this through one of the websites I listed on, they are going to also happen to want my resort, my week, and my price with out hearing any type of sales pitch on it.
Now to me this just seems VERY UNLIKELY!

Actually, there is a decent resale market for timeshares. TUGgers get good success on sites such as Redweek and MyResortNetwork. However, unless you have a high-end timeshare in prime season, like a Marriott summer beach week, it's almost certain that you'll never be able to sell your timeshare for anything more than 30% to 50% of what you paid for it. And unless you price it realistically - based on the resale market, not what you paid for it, you'll own that timeshare for many years, no matter how you try to sell it. Potential buyers will never contact you.

Oh and by the way, I have listed my timeshare on 3 different free sites, and haven't had any luck there yet either.

One of the best sites, Redweek, does charge a nominal fee to join and list your week. So not all of the best sites are completely free.

I hope you have read the "how to sell" article we have pointed you to. That contains just about everything you need to generate a successful sale, including guidance on how to determine an appropriate asking price and where to list your timeshare for sale. The article was written based on the cumulative experience of many TUGgers over many years.

All I can do at this point is keep my fingers crossed.

What's done is done with respect to having paid Seabreeze. Even if you demanded a refund, they won't give you one - guaranteed. However, there is still a lot you can do to get out from under this unwanted timeshare. Please read that article, if you haven't already done so.

And please come back and post questions as they come up. We want to help. Really!

 

[somerville]

Oh and by the way, I have listed my timeshare on 3 different free sites, and haven't had any luck there yet either.

Possibly an indication that it is priced too high.

Per the Better Business Bureau website, Seabreeze Advertising has had 7 complaints in the past year and has an unsatisfactory record with the BBB.

 

[Dave M]

If one does a Google search for Seabreeze and scammed, this thread now comes up as the #1 listing. Thus, it wouldn't surprise me if a shill comes here to praise Seabreeze. It will almost certainly be from someone making their very first post here.

On the other hand, if one of the 20,000 TUG BBS existing registrants posted a positive post here about the company.... Well, that's not likely to happen.

 

[Jya-Ning]

All I can do at this point is keep my fingers crossed.

Just did a quick search.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/330691/timeshare_scams_and_seabreeze_advertising.html

Sounds like the money you pay is only for 1 month advertisement. And it will be too late when you get all the paper work to even cancel it.

go to www.bbb.org and search and see what kind of complain they get.

Jya-Ning

 

[Dave M]

Sounds like the money you pay is only for 1 month advertisement.

That's not accurate. If you read further, the next sentence states: "If my timeshare has not sold or rented within one month, Seabreeze Advertising co. will continue to advertise, market, and show my property until sold or rented at no further expense...."

However, the advertising is a joke. I challenge anyone to pretend they are in the market for a timeshare and Google any reasonable terms (pretending you have never heard of Seabreeze), including seeking resales for a specfic resort, and come up with a hit for Seabreeze or one of its listings.

Also, as with a typical upfront fee company, it's almost certainly already too late to cancel it - no matter what the OP was told.

 

[brucecz]

Quote "Oh and by the way, I have listed my timeshare on 3 different free sites, and haven't had any luck there yet either." Unqoute.

I did not call you or remotely suggest that you were a scammer in my post, but did suggest you try the free timeshare sites.

Was the sentence above I quoted you on directed at me if so I will ask you a simple question. Not what resort you own but what price are you asking for it?

Is your listed pricing that you were talked into paying the two upfront listing fees 3 years apart listed with in about 25% of what you paid for it?

If you bought directly from a developer you will in 95% of the cases will lose 60% to 95% of what you paid the developer for that ownership when reselling it. If you do not belive that fact go to the ebay completed auctions and prove it to yourself.

Have you checked ebay completed auction sales to see were the real life selling prices are at anytime during the last 3 years since you first paid someone to list your timeshare to try to find out that your timeshare is really selling for, and not just asking prices ?

I will check ebay foe a few months to see what the currentreal-time market conditions are for any timeshare I am thinking of selling or buying.

I am far from bitter as on the resale 20 timeshares I had bought resale the profit from when I sold those would more than pay the price of your timeshare that you bought from the developer.

As a matter of fact I own 7 ownerships that was reported on this site ijust n the past week that one long time legitamate resaler has listed one similar unit for $32,000.

I know that they are really worth only sell for about 1/3 that price Iand only IF Properly marketed and sold by the owner Most owners from experiance can in most cases better explain to a buyer things about their timeshare that a sales marketing out fit do not even know about.

Oh, by the way I have around 100 weeks a year that I play around with and have to declare on our income taxes.

Quote "Possibly an indication that it is priced too high.

Per the Better Business Bureau website, Seabreeze Advertising has had 7 complaints in the past year and has an unsatisfactory record with the BBB." Unquote

But seeing you seemingly are rejecting almost all of the good advice offered to you, I wish you good luck because I think you will need it.

Bruce

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I can list my timeshare with numerous free or low cost websites and hope that one morning some one who happens to have cash on hand wakes up and thinks "I am going to buy a timeshare today." On top of this they are going to happen to do this through one of the websites I listed on, they are going to also happen to want my resort, my week, and my price with out hearing any type of sales pitch on it.

Actually, that is precisely the way that timeshare resales occur. There are people around who actively look for resale timeshares to buy, and when they find one they want at a price they are willing to pay they buy it. There are sites these people visit, to which you have already been directed.

What does not happen is that a timeshare listing company convinces someone who isn't interested in buying a timeshare to change their mind and buy one.

There are many of us here who have bought and sold timeshares. You will not find anywhere a larger group of people who have experience in doing exactly what you are trying to. You are also not getting charged for our advice; unlike the listing sites we do not have a vested interest in getting you believe something so we can get your money.

*****

There is an active market for timeshare resales. If you have your unit listed at a site that generates visibility in the resale market, if you have a good and accurate description of what you are selling, and if you have it priced appropriately it will sell. It might not happen right away - it's taken me up to six months to get connected with a buyer - and I was at the point of concluding that I might have overpriced it (though I was pretty sure I hadn't).

 

[DaveNV]

I'd be curious to know whether OP has listed her TS for sale on TUG. With 20,000+ members, and untold numbers of unregistered visitors, virtually ALL of whom are interested in owning timeshares, (many of whom buy and sell timeshares on a regular basis), a more captive audience isn't likely to be found anywhere.

If OP is waiting for that magical day when someone wakes up and thinks they'd like to buy a timeshare today, well guess what? Here's your chance. If you're serious about selling, and sincerely believe you've got your TS advertised correctly, for the right price, and want the right market, then TUG would be perfect.

Whether or not Seabreeze is legitimate isn't the question - it's whether the OP wants to get the sale accomplished.

Dave

 

[KenK]

Dave:
A lot of people even think the TUG classifieds are priced too high to sell fast..or maybe to sell at all...... I think the tuugers look at e bay too much and see pricing quite low.


"... I'd be curious to know whether OP has listed her TS for sale on TUG. With 20,000+ members, and untold numbers of unregistered visitors, virtually ALL of whom are interested in owning timeshares, (many of whom buy and sell timeshares on a regular basis), a more captive audience isn't likely to be found anywhere..."

 

[timeos2]

Why ask for help and then ignore it?

Oh and by the way, I have listed my timeshare on 3 different free sites, and haven't had any luck there yet either.

All I can do at this point is keep my fingers crossed. Whether or not you all believe my situation, I can't help you there. I don't really feel the need to have to prove anything to any of you strangers anyways, I mean COME ON!

It is hard to believe that you took the time to post, read the answers, choose to ignore the advice and then get antagonistic toward the very people who did nothing but try to help you avoid another loss.

It obvious that you are pricing your week far too high and thus there is no interest from any buyers. I hope you didn't need that listing fee and have the money for the 2008 fees as you'll be paying it. Sorry you refused to listen and good luck with your ownership.

 

[Dave M]

I wouldn't jump to those conclusions, John.

First, it's pretty clear that some of us did attack her - implying that she might be a shill and criticizing her (as you are doing) when all she did was come here for help. That she didn't follow our advice isn't necessarily a valid reason for us to attack someone if we truly hope to help that person. All we do is make the person angry - as it would have if I had been her - and tend to scare them away - just as FlyerTalk tends to do with its rude treatment of Newbies who ask valid questions that seem dumb to the old-timers. Bottom line: What seems simple and straightforward to us isn’t necessarily so for someone with relatively little knowledge about the timeshare resale world.

Second, there is no evidence that she has overpriced her timeshare. We don't know the resort and don't know her asking price, but it's entirely possible - perhaps even likely - that she has taken some of our advice, has read the "how to sell" article and has followed up by listing her timeshare at some of the recommended sites. If so, it's logical that she hasn't had a response in the day or two that those listings have been online.

 

[CatLovers]

You all seem like very angry bitter people who have been scammed

Can't speak for any of the others j-girl, but I for one have not been scammed in this timeshare market, and so have nothing to be bitter about. We own the equivalent of seven weeks in timeshares, and probably paid less for ALL SEVEN than you likely did for the single one you bought from the developer. You know why though? Because we sought out advice from the folks on this board and actually LISTENED to the advice we were given. What a novel concept!

Quite honestly, I don't care how much money you hand over to scam artists -- it's not my money, so it makes no difference to me! It's your $$ so you have a right to spend it exactly how you see fit. You asked for advice, and the people here offered it to you. Methinks perhaps you weren't looking for advice though; you just wanted an affirmation that what you did was the right course of action, and now of course that you've been told otherwise, you don't want to believe it. Ah well! I wish you the best. Like I said earlier, all the information in the world is useless unless you are willing to act on it.

 

[brucecz]

IMHO when something is listed according the OP for 3 years by a resaler and does not sell or get one offer IMO that would strongly suggest that it is over priced.

I think my assumming that it is "over priced" was a lot fairer to the OP who maybe very inexperianced compared to the posters who posted that she may be a shill.

Bruce

 

[Dave M]

All we know is that it was listed with one of the upfront-fee scamming companies for three years.

We don't know it has been listed on a legitimate site for any particular time. If it has been listed on those sites for three years (or even six months), then I would agree. It's most likely overpriced.

 

[TUGBrian]

Dave:
A lot of people even think the TUG classifieds are priced too high to sell fast..or maybe to sell at all...... I think the tuugers look at e bay too much and see pricing quite low.

One cause of this is the fact that almost EXACTLY 50% of the people that join tug, do so to post the free ad and sell their timeshare.

Many of that % dont bother to read the how to sell article, or read info in the advice section, and put their timeshare up for sale at a price that many of us would consider "high".

Its really a double edged sword for TUG too.

Either the member does the research...and posts an acceptable ad here and in the other recommended places at an appropriate price and it sells. Well now they have no use for TUG and go away.

Or they dont, put the timeshare up at a rather unreasonable price and it doesnt sell, they develop the idea that TUG is a waste of time as they didnt even get a single call/email etc regarding their timeshare...and go seek out these other venues that claim they can sell their timeshare for the unreasonable amount they expect.

 

[timeos2]

Dave - A LOT of what the OP writes - even the last post - leans toward saying a $500+ listing fee "can be a good way to go". That may not be a shill but sure writes like one. I'll give the benefit of the doubt and just assume they swallowed the sales pitch hook line and sinker and actually believe they could sell her week.

As for price the fact that it hasn't been mentioned and looking at the outrageous prices listed on that hard to find (now there's a good way to market things) site - example 128,000 Wyndham Points for "only" $18,000! - that sells for $2800 or less every day on eBay - they most likely also still think they can get close to developer price for whatever they own.

I just wonder why the OP would argue with those answering as well as ignore the advice. If all they wanted to do was to give the process a chance with their money then they didn't need to ask. Pay the money and wait. And wait. And wait. Because an upfront fee operation isn't going to sell that week. But obviously they feel something isn't right and went looking for support. When they didn't get it they want to act like those answering had an agenda against them. We do have an agenda - help people avoid rip off fees - not pick on someone who asks if it's a good deal or not. They could have said "thanks" and done what they want to do anyway but choose to blame us and call us bitter. Again something doesn't make sense.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Methinks perhaps you weren't looking for advice though; you just wanted an affirmation that what you did was the right course of action, and now of course that you've been told otherwise, you don't want to believe it. Ah well! I wish you the best.

Bingo. I think you hit it.

 

[dabtpa]

Listing Companies Can Work

I know none of you want to hear this, but I sold my HGVC week and bought two others from a company that does nothing but list weeks and charges $500 to do it. I have specifically avoided eBay because of all the games that are played there and I can never win because I do not continually buy the most updated auction snipeing software. As long as you realize that your listing fee will do no good if your property is a "dog", the week is bad or the site is not marketed well, then I might give it a try. My opinion is that all listing sites are not scams and the developer is not Darth Vader.

 

[DaveNV]

Moderators: Can we put up a poll to ask TUGgers how many have listed and sold a week through companies like this? I'd be curious to know just who is selling and who isn't. And then who has been scammed and who hasn't. It'd be nice to know the names of companies that work, and who to avoid.

Dave

 

[calgarygary]

Sorry if you took offence at my earlier post but it wasn't so much directed at you but at others, new to timesharing, that might come across this thread. It is quite obvious that you really were not seeking advice but at best, as Catlovers indicated, looking for affirmation for a decision already made. However, your post about Seabreeze having a completely different approach from other upfront companies needed to be outed to protect others if not yourself.

I do hope that Seabreeze is legit. because they received a small business loan from the U.S. gov't. If they're not, just another example of how close Canadians and Americans are - our federal governments funding scam artists.

 

[Phill12]

jenerusgirl; I have read numerous bad posts about the different companies that charge upfront fees but the reason I went with Seabreeze is because they were the only place that told me that they actually give away free stuff to vacationers and pressure them with their own timeshare schpeel...I don't know but it sounded more convincing than just having an add on a website that no one ever looks at. Not to mention, do people actually even buy timeshares without a schpeel? Crap, [/QUOTE]




{SOFTBALLDAD3}
Good luck! I really hope this works out for you even though I am one of the people on here warning you against ever using up front companies!

I went on-line and looked and have not found the site yet! Hope it is easier for buyers to find it!

The part of your post that I did get a laugh at was the reason you went with Seabreeze.

They give away stuff and pressure with their own type of schpeel!

This is the game plan from developers that many new owners come on these sites and whine about being scammed into buying from a resort for three times the amount of resales.

From your statement this is treatment you now want used to sell your unit to someone else! I guess this is alright when you are selling but dishonest when buying!

This to me would have been the second red flag to run and not look back!

When you come on these sites and ask questions you need to be ready for answers you don't agree with. Most people are trying to answer and help you and its your money and your choice as what to do about it.

Like I said, Good Luck! PHIL :whoopie:

 

[Dave M]

Moderators: Can we put up a poll to ask TUGgers how many have listed and sold a week through companies like this?

No need to. We have asked the question off and on and made the representation in probably 75-100 posts per year that there have been no verified sales reported here. Not a single TUGger has come forward in the 10 years I have been involved with TUG to contradict that statement or to otherwise report such a sale of their timeshare.

 

[timeos2]

No need to. We have asked the question off and on and made the representation in probably 75-100 posts per year that there have been no verified sales reported here. Not a single TUGger has come forward in the 10 years I have been involved with TUG to contradict that statement or to otherwise report such a sale of their timeshare.

What about REPLY #15 above?