End of my rope with Timeshare Freedom

[tinkerbell2]

No unfortunatly, I don't have a phone number....

 

[Bluewater]

Tinkerbell, I too noticed that TFS had lost their accreditation in DEC. I filed my complaint on Wed 4-8-09 but haven't heard anything back yet. I got a credit back on my card and thought that might jolt them a bit also, so just waiting now to see if they try to resolve any issues or just let it go.
I don't have a number for Darren Gibson but I do have a number for Sarah Turner who is listed as President. I'm not sure if it is good bcausse I haven't tried to call but it is 706-348-1405. I sent a email to Darren Gibson at sltravel14@yahoo.com but did not receive any response. Lets keep each other posted.

 

[calgarygary]

I have located a cell phone number for Darren Gibson but I do not think it appropriate to post it on the web. I will however reply to pm's with the number. I do know that it was active when I needed it, March 2007, but do not know if it is still active.

I strongly suggest that rather than contacting the BBB with any issues, that you pursue matters with both the state that the company is registered in, Georgia, and the state where your purchase is located. When my deal went sour, I prepared a complaint with the State of Florida but first provided TF a copy of the complaint - they eventually provided me a better solution than I could have ever anticipated. I hope things could work out nearly as well for all those experiencing difficulties with them.

Tinkerbell2 & Bluewater, I have sent you pm's with the contact info. I have.

 

[doccee]

I too am trying to locate anyone at Timeshare Freedom. I purchased a timeshare in December from them, using EBay. I paid the maintenance fee in January and then was gone until recently. I called ISCO, the service provider for the Unit, and they has been no transfer to my name. In fact the 2009 fees have not yet been paid even tho I paid them. I have called the seller, Steve Nichols, who is not longer registered with Ebay.
If anyone has had success in reaching Darren or anyone else, please let me know how you did it.
I am now going to begin the task of either getting my deed or my money back. Suggestions are welcome!

 

[StaceyJ]

SLTravel and Timeshare Freedom

I purchased a timeshare in December from them, using EBay. the seller, Steve Nichols, who is not longer registered with Ebay.
QUOTE]

I too bought a timeshare from SLTravel in November 2008 from ebay and have had no luck with Timeshare Freedom. I called the County Clerk and they told me the deed was registered in my name on February 24th, but after constant attempts to find someone to answer the call or email, I get no response from Timeshare Freedom. Tanya Vonier at Timeshare Freedom is impossible to reach. She answered one email in Feb, and one call in March when she told me she was waiting for Accounting to release $50 to get the transfer of owernship. Massanutten hasn't heard anything from them yet in mid Apr. I guess I'll just get the deed from the County and fax it to the resort myself. I'm guessing there won'd be any 2009 availability by the time I'm an owner.

 

[doccee]

Stacey--I left messages for sltravel, steve nichols, 407 733-1973, and he called me back last night, Saturday, around 8PM. He assured me that he would look into it and get the deed transferred to my name. Said he had been out of town and that is why he hadn't answered my call and that I should not worry, he will get it straightened out. I will continue pursueing other methods, but do feel better.
When you state you called the county, which county? My purchase is for Cancun and I am not sure it gets registered anywhere else but ISCO.
I will post any progress I make

 

[StaceyJ]

Stacey--I left messages for sltravel, steve nichols, 407 733-1973, and he called me back last night, Saturday, around 8PM. He assured me that he would look into it and get the deed transferred to my name.

Thanks for the tip. I called Steve and he answered his cell phone. He told me that he was asked to set up the eBay sales site and that was his only involvement in selling for SLTravel. A man named Mr Dharmesh Patel, who worked for TimeNoMore (the timeshare seller) was embezzling money and now TimeNoMore is no more (It's out of business). Not sure what this means for Timeshare Freedom, but perhaps the reason no one is answering the phone there is because they are not in business are heading in that direction. I will try to get the deed from the county clerk where the resort is located and see if that makes me an owner. Don't have a suggestion for who to contact in Cancun.

Steve was taking names and phone numbers from anyone else who had problems...because now his name is on the sales paperwork and he fears the authorities are going to pursue him. So, if others had similar problems with SLTravel, you may want to call Steve and give him your name and phone number. Good luck to all...

 

[Carolinian]

I have posted my experiences with TIMESHARE freedom several times. I have five or six bad deeds that thye recorded for a timeshare share I bought several years ago. Just because you have a recorded deed does not mean it is a good one and that the resort will recognize it. Took almost two years before my purchase got straightened out. I had written my money off as lost but they finally did straigthen it out but I was stuck with late fees to pay and did not have use of the unit for one year. In order to be able to use my week this year, I had to pay almost two grand in MF and penalties, Call the Attorney General's office because these folks are not honest, very incompetent, and can be very nasty, especially Tammy.

You are quite right. I have seen way too many bad deeds recorded by these multi-state timeshare closing companies which use laymen rather than licensed professionals to prepare their deeds. And acceptance by a resort is also no assurance it is any good. I dont know of any resort which routinely has an attorney look at deeds. Some of them may be starting to pick up on common mistakes of these guys, but I suspect that is the exception rather than the rule.

 

[StaceyJ]

I still have not heard from Timeshare Freedom. I sent $1.50 to the County where Massanutten is located and received a copy of the deed on Friday...and ironically, received an owner letter in the mail on Saturday. So, it looks like I'm an owner...but I still haven't received any official paperwork at all from Timeshare Freedom. At least it appears I wasn't a victim of a fraud.

 

[KimberlyAnn]

Has anyone else tried to contact Timeshare Freedom lately? We are getting a phone disconnect notice when we call.
Does anyone have any advice of how to proceed? I bought a Wyndham timeshare on ebay for my parents in December and they have not received a deed yet.

 

[tonyzee25]

Problems with Timeshare Freedom

I am having the same problem contacting TF getting the same message. I purchased a unit in Orlando at The Sheraton Vistana back in Jan. The deed was recorded in April at the comptrollers office but I was informed by the resort that the deed has 2 errors on it and they will not complete the transfer without the deed being corrected. I can't get a hold of TF to find out if the problem has been resolved or what the status is. I am basically recognized as the owner with Orange Co. FL. for tax purposes, but not recognized as the owner by the resort therefore not having access to the unit. Does anyone out there know what I should do now. HELP!!!!!!!!!

 

[scavilandes]

Steve was taking names and phone numbers from anyone else who had problems...because now his name is on the sales paperwork and he fears the authorities are going to pursue him. So, if others had similar problems with SLTravel, you may want to call Steve and give him your name and phone number. Good luck to all...

The phone number listed for Steve does not work now. I bought a timeshare from SLTRAVEL in January, and have not heard from them since. Ebay said their account was inactive, but they did provide some contact info for the company. Sarah Brown, Cleveland GA 30528 - phone 706 348 1405 (which doesnt work either) and email sltravel14@yahoo.com. Timeshare Freedom processed the sale. If anyone has had any better luck tracking down these folks, please post it...

 

[UWSurfer]

From another thread here on TUG, a number which still rings: 800-465-8247.

It goes to an answering system and I've not heard if people are having calls returned.

Look at this thread for another set of experiences: http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=99567

 

[Carolinian]

Timeshare Freedom is just one more reason to always insist on using a professional licensed in the state where the timeshare is located to do the closing.

 

[calgarygary]

Do not do business with Timeshare Freedom. They are nothing but trouble. I am not surprised that they lost their BBB accredited rating. You are better off buying a timeshare on ebay or from timesharepartners.com.

Timeshare Freedom was the closing company for the eBay id's that Resorts Access Network used (ttimeshareman, svacationman, et al) so the people having issues likely did use eBay.

Hopefully jbercu will let the thread know if he has had any response from Darren. The contact info. I had is out of date but hopefully jbercu's information is current.

Just a thought for those whose purchases got caught up in this mess - I would try to do a search with county records for your week. Chances are very high that the previous owner paid Time No More to take the week off their hands but are still receiving maintenance fee invoices. Approaching them with a plan to split the costs of a reputable closing company would possibly satisfy all.

 

[Carolinian]

I am having the same problem contacting TF getting the same message. I purchased a unit in Orlando at The Sheraton Vistana back in Jan. The deed was recorded in April at the comptrollers office but I was informed by the resort that the deed has 2 errors on it and they will not complete the transfer without the deed being corrected. I can't get a hold of TF to find out if the problem has been resolved or what the status is. I am basically recognized as the owner with Orange Co. FL. for tax purposes, but not recognized as the owner by the resort therefore not having access to the unit. Does anyone out there know what I should do now. HELP!!!!!!!!!

Errors in deeds are rampant with the out of state closing companies which use laymen to prepare deeds. A few resorts look over the deeds for such mistakes, but many do not. You might not find out the bad news until you try to sell and someone catches it.

 

[gt899]

Another bites the dust...(well partially)

I too won an Ebay auction back in Janurary. All the same players and all the same headaches trying to close the purchase. Tried the phone numbers and emails found on TUG for Darren and Sarah to no availe. I finally sent an email to Tammy advising if no response is made within forty-eight hours I was contacting my credit card company and requesting a charge back. The following day I did a search with the State of Hawaii Convenyance Bureau and found a deed had been recorded in April. After purchasing and reviewing the deed I found the grantor to be Resort Access Network and myself the grantee. I contacted the timeshare's customer service rep and was advised by them to mail the deed to their offices. So now I wait but I think like tonyzee25, I'm on the hook for taxes but I do not have access to the resort because the resort doesn't see me as an owner. The only silver lining is I did get my funds back from the credit card company but I'm in limbo land with the property. Anyone with same and any suggestions on remedy?

 

[calgarygary]

What remedy? If I understand this correctly, the timeshare has been deeded into your name and your credit card company has issued you a refund. I would first complete the transfer at the resort and determine what outstanding fees are payable. Once this has been completed, and you are transferred by the HOA, advise your cc company of the situation so that they will not think you are perpetrating a fraud. Maybe they will let it slide or maybe they will request a return of your refund.

 

[Carolinian]

Since there appear to be possible financial improprieties involved with this outfit taking peoples money, which should have been escrowed and then vanishing, what about contacting the local prosecutors in the county where they had their office? Criminal investigations do often have a way of getting peoples attention.

 

[jbercu]

The Georgia Governor's office assigned an investigator for this case.

The Georgia Governor's office assigned an investigator for this case.
Contact Miriam R. Collins in the Governor's office of consumer affairs. She is the Civil Investigator on this case. You can send her all the information that you have on your case. An ex-employee of tnm is going to give testimony in the next few weeks against the individuals involved. You can contact Miriam at 404-651-5578 or write to her at Miriam Collins State of Georgia Governor's office of consumer affairs, 2 martin Luther king jr. drive, SE, Suite 356 Atlanta, Georgia, 30334-4600.

I also received an e-mail on July 21 from Paypal that they are investigating. I initially contacted them for a claim, and they closed the claim immediately for being outside the 45 day window, however, three months later, they reopened it, and are investigating.

Good Luck

 

[Bill4728]

There seems to be two things going on.
-T F has in many cases, filed a deed with the county but hasn't completed the transfer with the resort.
In this case, you're likely better off getting a copy of the deed from the county and contacting the resort with an appeal for help in getting the resort to recognize you as the owner.

-T F hasn't transfered the deed at all.
Then:

Just a thought for those whose purchases got caught up in this mess - I would try to do a search with county records for your week. Chances are very high that the previous owner paid Time No More to take the week off their hands but are still receiving maintenance fee invoices. Approaching them with a plan to split the costs of a reputable closing company would possibly satisfy all.

This might be a good idea. The problem maybe that finding out who the real owner is may not be easy.