BBB consumer warning on Springfield, Missouri timeshare companies

[STLBBB]

The St. Louis Better Business Bureau is warning consumers about two F-rated, Springfield, Missouri-based timeshare exit companies - Vacation Consulting Services and The Transfer Group.

BBB STL spoke with business owner Brian Scroggs, who confirmed he has opened a new business called Real Travel LLC, which is headquartered in Bentonville, Ark., and has a regional office in Springfield at the same location where Vacation Consulting Services and The Transfer Group are located.

All three businesses - as well as Scroggs - have been named as defendants in a federal lawsuit filed by Wyndham Resorts against nearly 2 dozen defendants, all of whom are Springfield-based timeshare exit companies and their owners.

Here is the link to the BBB's latest warning - https://www.bbb.org/article/news-re...cation-consulting-services-the-transfer-group

 

[RX8]

Here is another recent thread on Real Travel, LLC and Scroggs.

https://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?threads/real-travel-llc-assist-in-getting-out-of-a-ts.280199/

 

[RX8]

The St. Louis Better Business Bureau is warning consumers about two F-rated, Springfield, Missouri-based timeshare exit companies - Vacation Consulting Services and The Transfer Group.

BBB STL spoke with business owner Brian Scroggs, who confirmed he has opened a new business called Real Travel LLC, which is headquartered in Bentonville, Ark., and has a regional office in Springfield at the same location where Vacation Consulting Services and The Transfer Group are located.

All three businesses - as well as Scroggs - have been named as defendants in a federal lawsuit filed by Wyndham Resorts against nearly 2 dozen defendants, all of whom are Springfield-based timeshare exit companies and their owners.

Here is the link to the BBB's latest warning - https://www.bbb.org/article/news-re...cation-consulting-services-the-transfer-group

Thank you!

It is great that STL BBB is being proactive in helping consumers avoid falling victim. More chapters of the BBB should follow suit, IMHO.

 

[TUGBrian]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/timesh...inds-companies-scamming-customers-2019-06-05/

The Janssons said they were offered a one time payment of $18,000 to get out of her timeshare contract.

 

[STLBBB]

Thank you Brian for sharing the link to the CBS Evening News story.

This morning, BBB St. Louis is releasing our latest timeshare study. This one has to deal with timeshare exit companies. Our focus was on companies in our service area. We have more than 80 of these companies in our region, mainly in the Branson-Springfield, Missouri area. Consumers reported more than $2.2 million in losses to the 10 most complained about businesses in our area. The losses nationwide to this industry are higher than that.

Here is a link to our study: https://www.bbb.org/article/warning...ors-victimized-timeshare-owners-across-the-us

Hopefully, the TUG community can help spread the word.

 

[TUGBrian]

as if we needed more proof that upfront fee exit companies are to be avoided!

never pay a large upfront fee, this simple rule will protect you fro 99.999% of scams that target timeshare owners.

 

[PamMo]

A good article on these scumbags from our local newspaper the Springfield News Leader:

https://www.news-leader.com/story/n...ail&utm_campaign=daily_briefing&utm_term=hero

 

[terrygee]

JUST STOP P A Y I N G!
I have, and NOTHING happened.
I haven't even heard of anyone suffering a significant negativity yet!

 

[Suzy Q]

6/9/2019
I called all 3 of my Timeshare companies the other day to see if I could get out of them. Wyndham and Marriott said yes. I do believe they have to be fully paid for. They would take them back, no money would be exchanged. We bought a deeded fixed week Fairfield in 1989 for $12,000. It later changed to points and changed the name to Wyndham. We never bought into the points program. In 1999 we bought a deeded fixed week Marriott resale for $7,500. They later changed to points as well, but we didn’t go for that either. We get at least 6 weeks a year due to one being a lockout and the other 2 giving us Accommodation Certificate Weeks. So we have traveled like crazy all these years and would not feel bad just turning the Wyndham and Marriott back over to them.
Vacation Village at Bonaventure is another story. We paid $10,000 around 1993 , for a deed fixed week, 3 bedroom. We also get an AC week for it. To get out of it they require a hardship letter that their Board has to approve and there are some fees, one is at least $1,500.
We are not yet ready to get rid of them, but at least 2 would be easy. We traveled 13 times last year, 2 were weddings and one was an Alaska land and sea cruise for our 45th Anniversary.
My daughter will probably get the Vacation Village one, if she wants it. It is a 3 bedroom and trades well.
Our situation may be different than most of you who paid lots of money for your Timeshare’s in more recent years, but for us, just giving them back, would work fine, when we’re ready to do it.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

6/9/2019
I called all 3 of my Timeshare companies the other day to see if I could get out of them. Wyndham and Marriott said yes. I do believe they have to be fully paid for. They would take them back, no money would be exchanged. We bought a deeded fixed week Fairfield in 1989 for $12,000. It later changed to points and changed the name to Wyndham. We never bought into the points program. In 1999 we bought a deeded fixed week Marriott resale for $7,500. They later changed to points as well, but we didn’t go for that either. We get at least 6 weeks a year due to one being a lockout and the other 2 giving us Accommodation Certificate Weeks. So we have traveled like crazy all these years and would not feel bad just turning the Wyndham and Marriott back over to them.
Vacation Village at Bonaventure is another story. We paid $10,000 around 1993 , for a deed fixed week, 3 bedroom. We also get an AC week for it. To get out of it they require a hardship letter that their Board has to approve and there are some fees, one is at least $1,500.
We are not yet ready to get rid of them, but at least 2 would be easy. We traveled 13 times last year, 2 were weddings and one was an Alaska land and sea cruise for our 45th Anniversary.
My daughter will probably get the Vacation Village one, if she wants it. It is a 3 bedroom and trades well.
Our situation may be different than most of you who paid lots of money for your Timeshare’s in more recent years, but for us, just giving them back, would work fine, when we’re ready to do it.

Sounds like you really utilized the systems very well over the years!




.

 

[TUGBrian]

and now 6 years later....

Springfield Man Indicted for Timeshare Fraud Scheme

A Springfield, Mo., business owner has been indicted by a federal grand jury for a timeshare fraud scheme as well as for failing to pay more than $333,000 in federal taxes withheld from his employees’ paychecks.

www.justice.gov