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EBay Seller--Timeshare Connections--any comments?

loosefeet

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I bid on a HGVC 4800 point, which I "won" from Timeshare Connections. Just got the contract, asking me to wire money directly to them. They are quite pushy on getting this done over the holiday week-end. Red flags for me. I did a google search, don't trust EBay feedback. Anyone have any experience/comments about this seller?
 

got4boys

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If you do not feel comfortable with the transaction then don't do it.
 

dioxide45

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A Google search for them on TUG turned up nothing. I would be leery of wiring money. Do they take PayPal or credit card as payment?

I can't find this seller on EBay. Do you have a link to their profile? One important thing to look at is the source of their feedback. Does most of it come from sales of timeshares or is much of it come from being a buyer?
 

theo

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Personally, I choose to never conduct timeshare business of any sort on eBay --- period. If I did, I would be very concerned about "new" timeshare reseller names with no apparent or retrievable history. More specifically, I would always be very wary that a "new" name with no history is merely the reincarnation of previously established and proven bad actors now trying to "reinvent" themselves and create a clean slate.
In the spirit of Oscars season, in the "previous bad actors" category nominees include redweeks4less, IA Vacations, BCS rentals, et al.
 
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dioxide45

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Less than 25 feedback items as a seller. Most are as a buyer. Unless you have Amex, I would walk away. All their sales are private listings, so you can't even see what it was that they were selling.
 

Robert D

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I won an Ebay auction from a seller called timeshareconnection_0. The contract they sent me was from Timeshare Connections in Tennessee and I think the closing company is VP Title. The price was only $1.00 but my usage doesn't start until 2019 and the seller said that the 2018 maintenance fees have been paid but I've learned that fees have only been paid through 12/31/2017. Has anyone had any experience with Timeshare Connections or VP Title? The BBB gives VP Title an F rating with lots of complaints.
 

breezez

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I won an Ebay auction from a seller called timeshareconnection_0. The contract they sent me was from Timeshare Connections in Tennessee and I think the closing company is VP Title. The price was only $1.00 but my usage doesn't start until 2019 and the seller said that the 2018 maintenance fees have been paid but I've learned that fees have only been paid through 12/31/2017. Has anyone had any experience with Timeshare Connections or VP Title? The BBB gives VP Title an F rating with lots of complaints.

I would file complaints with Attorney Generals Office in States the title company and seller are located and again in state property is deeded in. These have far more weight than BBB complaints.
 

theo

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I won an Ebay auction from a seller called timeshareconnection_0. The contract they sent me was from Timeshare Connections in Tennessee and I think the closing company is VP Title. The price was only $1.00 but my usage doesn't start until 2019 and the seller said that the 2018 maintenance fees have been paid but I've learned that fees have only been paid through 12/31/2017. Has anyone had any experience with Timeshare Connections or VP Title? The BBB gives VP Title an F rating with lots of complaints.

I believe that VP Title is the closing entity which was / is utilized by PostCard Company (PCC) GroupWise, among others. Family member had a low cost Groupwise transaction 6-7 years ago in which VP Title handled the closing (without any problems, iirc). However, this single observation about VP Title admittedly provides no useful info regarding "Timeshare Connections" --- I've never even heard of them.

Is this maybe a EOY (odd years) interval? If so, seller could be playing word games by claiming that "2018 maintenance fees have been paid", when it might actually be (in a EOY odd years ownership) that no 2018 maintenance fees are due or collected at all in the first place. Otherwise, it's unclear to me how the 2018 maintenence fees could already be paid, since most 2018 mf bills have not even been issued yet --- mine haven't, several different resorts.

I would demand an estoppel of recent issuance, prepared and signed and dated by the resort (i.e., not something "manufactured in house" by the seller).
Estoppel should verify ownership details and current owner account status (although seller may understandably redact owner name and details).
Without estoppel documentation, I'd personally be inclined to just walk (or run) away, since the account status facts seem to be in question here. YMMV.
 
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theo

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Couldn't see (ended) listing via that link, but regardless of ad content the question remains --- did you obtain a resort issued, dated, signed estoppel?
If so, what does it indicate regarding account status? If not, it may be time to lace up the running shoes and start jogging --- away from this transaction.
 
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Robert D

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The estoppel they sent me shows the first fees due are in Jan 2019 but it was not signed by the resort management who told me the 2018 fees have not been paid. I think the reseller just filled out the estoppel form. I've left messages with them saying I didn't want them to transfer it into my name until the 2018 fees had been paid but they have called or emailed me back. I was hoping someone on TUG had a contact name for this firm. Here's another link to the auction, maybe this one will work: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sandstone-...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m2748.l2649 The resort is Sandstone Creek Club. The seller is:
timesharconnection_0 (161 )
 

Robert D

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Update: They refused to pay the 2018 maintenance fee until the transfer was done and ended up canceling the sale after I told them I would give them negative feedback on Ebay. The estoppel they sent to me was fraudulent and was not issued by the resort and inaccurately said that the 2018 fees had been paid when they had not while usage begins in 2019. I've seen some other TUG threads that said this seller is the reincarnation of several other unscrupulous Ebay sellers who have scammed people for a long time. They said that the 2018 fees were paid in escrow to VP Title. I looked up this title company and it has an F rating by the BBB with over 50 complaints. I'm guessing that VP Title is owned by this seller but don't know for sure. My advice is to stay clear of this seller.
 

1st Class

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Here are the results of a quick check on this seller's feedback ratings. Most of the positive feedback during the past month from the seller "timesharconnection_0" is from buyers with very little feedback, same buyers with fewer than 10 feedbacks, posting multiple times. Within the last month a single buyer posted positives 8x! One negative is posted by a buyer with over 600. IMO, the seller's feedback raises red flags. YMMV.

Edited to add: To the OP & Robert D -- note the missing "E" in the seller's name. Can you confirm if this is the correct seller?
 
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theo

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The estoppel they sent to me was fraudulent and was not issued by the resort and inaccurately said that the 2018 fees had been paid when they had not while usage begins in 2019.

'Nuff said. Their cancelling this transaction and your running fast and far in the opposite direction is an appropriate conclusion to this matter.

Unfortunately, they will surely "relist", either under their current or some other new name. Some poor fool will likely accept and believe that bogus "estoppel", make the deal and likely discover (too late) that these parasites actually have no intentions of parting with any money already in hand to pay someone else's maintenance fee bill after the fact.

Good on 'ya for your wise and astute due diligence. :thumbup:
 
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Kevin Fun

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I won an Ebay auction from a seller called timeshareconnection_0. The contract they sent me was from Timeshare Connections in Tennessee and I think the closing company is VP Title. The price was only $1.00 but my usage doesn't start until 2019 and the seller said that the 2018 maintenance fees have been paid but I've learned that fees have only been paid through 12/31/2017. Has anyone had any experience with Timeshare Connections or VP Title? The BBB gives VP Title an F rating with lots of complaints.
Yes, I now have a experience with them. Sold me a Newport Coast and said no maintenance fees due until 2019 and no use in 2018. My maintenance fees were due tomorrow, so I had to pay them. The VP Title called me and said they would have the seller take care of it, but they didn't!! I will keep you posted if they come out from under their rock. I did get the title transferred with this being the only outstanding issue. Ouch!!
 

Lttedeschi

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I sent them over $9000 for a Marriott Aruba Ocean Club timeshare and got my money back by calling the local police. You can read about my experience and others on the Redweek forum.

https://www.redweek.com/forums/mess...age_id=86616&query=timesharconnection#fm86616

Here's the contact info for those who are not Redweek members.

I emailed VP Title, demanded refund and told them I was going to the police. They did not respond. I then called Detective Ray Brown Sevierville Police Department Office 865-868-1749 Fax 865-868-1734 rbrown@seviervilletn.org. He called back and I gave him all the evidence he ask for. After about a month, Ray and a couple of Federal agents went and saw Stacy and the next day VP Title sent me an email with a USPS tracking number. I rushed the check to the bank and it cleared.
 
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Cropman

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Mine is a long story also, but the moral of it is this: AMERICAN Express will protect you but you need to dispute within 60 days of the charge. AmEx can extend that to 90 days. Otherwise, the timeshare sellers mentioned in this thread, will delay until after the 90 days if they can. And then you will be SOL.
 
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