Anyone ever rented from Timeshare Adventures?

[wendymiller78]

I made am offer on a rental ad through timeshare adventures and was notified by them that owner accepted my offer. Next step is sending a check to an escrow agent and then upon receipt of my check and a signed lease agreement they have the owner make the reservation and send me a confirmation. I did some research and the company does have BBB complaints however everything I read has to do with a selling issue not a rental per say. Just wondering if anyone has any feedback in regards to them. I originally had hoped to secure a deal through Tug but this is a sweet deal I doubt anyone can beat at this point.


Thanks
Wendy







.

 

[theo]

The devil is always in the details --- numerous "unknowns" here...

I made an offer on a rental ad through timeshare adventures and was notified by them that owner accepted my offer. Next step is sending a check to an escrow agent and then upon receipt of my check and a signed lease agreement they have the owner make the reservation and send me a confirmation. I did some research and the company does have BBB complaints however everything I read has to do with a selling issue not a rental per say. Just wondering if anyone has any feedback in regards to them. I originally had hoped to secure a deal through Tug but this is a sweet deal I doubt anyone can beat at this point.

1. With the "third party landlord" process described, you apparently don't yet know who the actual "owner" is. In view of that fact, how do you know that this entity even has the legal standing or the authority to rent out the week in the first place? And related to that question, how do you know that this "sweet deal" rental opportunity isn't the attempted (and overtly prohibited by II and RCI) rental of a week which was obtained via "exchange" by someone who doesn't even own the underlying week at all in the first place?

2. The sequence of "send payment now and a reservation will be made later" seems strange (and backwards) to me. In other words, where is there any assurance that a reservation can be made for the specific dates and place in which you are interested, if no reservation even exists at all yet?

3. Who is the "escrow agent"? Is it a known, established entity or is it an unknown potential scammer who is perhaps (...ahem) "directly associated" with the non-owner rental entity? Maybe it's even the very same people as the rental entity, just wearing a different hat for the sting "transaction")?

I've never heard of "Timeshare Adventures" myself, but then again I personally choose never to rent from any third party, non-owner "middlemen".
Maybe it's legit, but color me dubious. From the very few specific facts and details presented so far, this fuzzy process sounds like far too much "adventure", unless considerably more clear and specific facts are presented regarding the identity of the unit / week owner, the strange and backwards "reservation after payment" sequence, and the legitimacy / reliability of the (alleged) "escrow agent" involved.

Just my own personal observations and opinion --- and some very serious doubts. YMMV.

 

[wendymiller78]

Thanks for your upfront honesty. I think I will keep looking!

 

[DeniseM]

Next step is sending a check to an escrow agent and then upon receipt of my check and a signed lease agreement they have the owner make the reservation and send me a confirmation.

Clarification - Doesn't the owner already HAVE a reservation in place that they are advertising for rent?

Perhaps you mean that after you make the payment they will put the EXISTING reservation in your name?

How to verify that a rental is Legit: http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109479

 

[richardm]

To protect yourself on any vacation rental, use a well known third party rental escrow service. DepositGuard.com is the most reasonably priced in my experience. If the landlord or listing agency won't accept an escrow service- just move on. While there are certainly legitimate owners who refuse, in my opinion it is worth losing those opportunities to ensure the con artists are weeded out! Your funds are held until after check in- and then released to the landlord. Because of this, the con artists realize there is no chance they'll ever get paid.

Even with escrow, you will still always want to go though the normal process of verifying the reservation details with the front desk. Most resorts will answer general questions. This type of service can't protect you from incompetence, but does ensure you are protected from scams.

 

[DeniseM]

Richard - You use escrow for all your rentals? That surprises me.

 

[richardm]

Yes.. Makes the rental process safer for the renter and also "usually" makes it easier for me as the broker.

There are a few times when I'll purchase reservations directly from a wholesaler- but my tenant's will still use an escrow service so their funds are protected until after check in when their funds are finally released to me. In those few cases I take a risk personally, but the tenant does not!

 

[sparty]

Yes.. Makes the rental process safer for the renter and also "usually" makes it easier for me as the broker.

There are a few times when I'll purchase reservations directly from a wholesaler- but my tenant's will still use an escrow service so their funds are protected until after check in when their funds are finally released to me. In those few cases I take a risk personally, but the tenant does not!

Define renter - the lessee or lessor? I don't think Deposit Guard is so great for the lessor.

There are a few T&C's which are Pro-Lessor but in most part they cover the escrow company quite well and lessee quite well.

I just rented from Timeshare Adventures (AKA ebay timesharefriend) and did it via points rental. I should know tomorrow if everything is ok but I'm certainly not losing sleep over it.

 

[sparty]

Define renter - the lessee or lessor? I don't think Deposit Guard is so great for the lessor.

There are a few T&C's which are Pro-Lessor but in most part they cover the escrow company quite well and lessee quite well.

I just rented from Timeshare Adventures (AKA ebay timesharefriend) and did it via points rental. I should know tomorrow if everything is ok but I'm certainly not losing sleep over it.

BTW - I will share one lessee lesson I had with regards to escrow.. It was a relatively short term rental but not a vacation rental. I trusted the Lessor because he is world famous and he's a Yale alumn. What concerned me was he took a similar approach, this is all professional, protected with a very documented agreement and backed up in escrow. I read the FULL agreement and was aware when I signed he was really pushing it, but hey it's an "Escrow" professionally done, and this person is very famous, he won't pull anything.

Well he did pull something - wouldn't return money from escrow as he agreed and what's worse the agreement I knew was written ridiculously in his favor.

So I took him to task - filed suit in Circuit Court - I am an Engineer not a Lawyer but studied business law in college with a State Judge.

Since lessor felt I had no chance he would not arbitrate - took it all the way to trial. The Circuit Judge I felt even expected it to be a 10 min trial. Well it went all day, I was well prepared and grounded in the law. The judge complained that I gave her a headache and she had to cancel all the other cases on the docket that day.

I prevailed but the Judge scolded me profusely and said I knew what I was getting into and never should signed the agreement.. I agreed with her and vow'd never to repeat this mistake. So read carefully all the T&C's - understand who is favored in the agreement and always walk away when the T&C's are so slanted.