PerryKing
TUG Member
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2011
- Messages
- 411
- Reaction score
- 180
- Location
- Colorado
- Resorts Owned
- HYATT: Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Bonita Springs, and 2X Dorado Puerto Rico.
-##-
MEXICO: Crown Paradise, Royal Holiday Club, Vidanta Mayan Palace, and Vidanta "Kingdom of the Sun-Nuevo Vallarta at Vidanta World.
I Just received a phone call from the "EXPEDITION TRAVEL GROUP" claiming to be in Atlanta (Fulton) Georgia USA.
Ask for me by name. Then he asked if I still owned a time Share at the Mayan Palace - Riviera Maya, and also he wanted to know if I wanted to sell or rent my Time Share interest.
I asked him how he got my name and phone number. (I've attempted to be scammed many times before so I'm on alert to these type of calls)
He said he knew my information because they are "Travel Agents, and the use SABER so the have access to the time share owner records. I said I am a real Travel agent , that I use SABER and other Travel Computer Reservation systems (CRS or GRS) and I know that's not possible.
He insisted that's how he got my number. I said "NO! it's more likely that you or some insider at the Mayan Place group stole my and other members information, and I'm sure the he is just another con man."
That's was then basically the end of the conversation.
I called his number back and go a "Secretary". (at least they answered the phone - that's not normal for most scam companies). She said she was just a secretary but the company had a "Buyer" that wanted to buy Mayan Palace inventory. I ask her why? and she said again that she was just a secretary and she did not know. When I said the Ok, but probably then someday you will learn that the company your working for is not truly looking to buy my Time Share interest. That is when she hung up on me.
I then did a web Google search for " Expedition Travel Group" and found only the below info I have pasted in from the hit and information from the justanswer.com/fraud-examiner web site that seemed relevant. It details the same MO ( approach) used when they call, except that The "Expedition Travel Group" claims they are "Real Estate Agents" thus they have access to timeshare information and deeds.
SO BEWARE OF CALLS FROM THIS SCAM FROM anyone using the name Expedition Travel Group.
======================= Transcript of a post on the justanswers.com / fraud examiner web site: (it is at least over 4 months old from the date I'm making this post on the TUG forum 10-26-2016).
Question From a poster on the justanswers.com forum web site:
I have been contacted by Expeditions Travel Group, www.expeditionsgroup.com, on wanting to purchase my timeshare or rent my time share weeks. I own a timeshare, Grand Mayan resort, in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. I get calls from people out of the blue once every six months that want to buy my timeshare. A few I've checked out were not legit but this is the first that asked about renting. However, I'm skeptical. Every time these people call, I always ask, "How did you get my information?" The same pat answer I get is, they are licensed real estate agents and timeshare info is listed on a real estate database that only licensed agents have access to. I find that hard to believe but I wanted to know if you know anything about this company. Their address and phone #'s are - *****Northeast # *****
RE : Expidition Travel Group:
Fulton, Atlanta Georgia 30309 (###) ###-####or(###) ###-####
Share this conversation
Customer: replied*3 months ago.
The agent that contacted me is Allan Morris (but sounds Spanish with less than clear English speaking ability). Also, it is indicated that a Judith Nelson is the CEO, Expeditions Group, Inc.
==============================
Expert:* Zoey_JD replied*3 months ago.
Hello,
The rule of thumb is to avoid any unsolicted out of the blue call which promises to sell or rent your time share for a too good to be true price. The timeshare resale industry is overrun with fraudsters.
As you've indicated, the Better Business Bureau knows nothing about this group. The Georgia Secretary of State, however, does indicate that there is a Business in Georgia called Expedition Travel Group, which was incorporated in Georgia on December 21, 2000. It is registered at the address that you have listed and a Judith Nelson is indeed the CEO. I will attach a screenshot from the Secretary of State's page here. So this business may have simply not made the BBB's radar screen.
Of course, scammers can find the Secretary of State's website, just the way I can and they are fond of "borrowing" the name of actual companies to bolster their credibility.
Here, what bothers me is that the website's whois tells me that this site was only registered on June 16, 2016. It's only a month old. And if you read it -- look, for example, at the "about us" page, you will see that it's absolutely riddled with grammatical errors. This would be uncharacteristic of a real business that had 16 years to get its advertising right. I can't guarantee that this website is a clone designed to scam people into thinking they are dealing with a reputable company, but it surely looks that way.
The Georgia Real Estate board has no registered agent named Allan Morris. Nor does Expeditions Travel Group have a realtor's license in the state.
I'd avoid them.
Ask for me by name. Then he asked if I still owned a time Share at the Mayan Palace - Riviera Maya, and also he wanted to know if I wanted to sell or rent my Time Share interest.
I asked him how he got my name and phone number. (I've attempted to be scammed many times before so I'm on alert to these type of calls)
He said he knew my information because they are "Travel Agents, and the use SABER so the have access to the time share owner records. I said I am a real Travel agent , that I use SABER and other Travel Computer Reservation systems (CRS or GRS) and I know that's not possible.
He insisted that's how he got my number. I said "NO! it's more likely that you or some insider at the Mayan Place group stole my and other members information, and I'm sure the he is just another con man."
That's was then basically the end of the conversation.
I called his number back and go a "Secretary". (at least they answered the phone - that's not normal for most scam companies). She said she was just a secretary but the company had a "Buyer" that wanted to buy Mayan Palace inventory. I ask her why? and she said again that she was just a secretary and she did not know. When I said the Ok, but probably then someday you will learn that the company your working for is not truly looking to buy my Time Share interest. That is when she hung up on me.
I then did a web Google search for " Expedition Travel Group" and found only the below info I have pasted in from the hit and information from the justanswer.com/fraud-examiner web site that seemed relevant. It details the same MO ( approach) used when they call, except that The "Expedition Travel Group" claims they are "Real Estate Agents" thus they have access to timeshare information and deeds.
SO BEWARE OF CALLS FROM THIS SCAM FROM anyone using the name Expedition Travel Group.
======================= Transcript of a post on the justanswers.com / fraud examiner web site: (it is at least over 4 months old from the date I'm making this post on the TUG forum 10-26-2016).
Question From a poster on the justanswers.com forum web site:
I have been contacted by Expeditions Travel Group, www.expeditionsgroup.com, on wanting to purchase my timeshare or rent my time share weeks. I own a timeshare, Grand Mayan resort, in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. I get calls from people out of the blue once every six months that want to buy my timeshare. A few I've checked out were not legit but this is the first that asked about renting. However, I'm skeptical. Every time these people call, I always ask, "How did you get my information?" The same pat answer I get is, they are licensed real estate agents and timeshare info is listed on a real estate database that only licensed agents have access to. I find that hard to believe but I wanted to know if you know anything about this company. Their address and phone #'s are - *****Northeast # *****
RE : Expidition Travel Group:
Fulton, Atlanta Georgia 30309 (###) ###-####or(###) ###-####
Share this conversation
Customer: replied*3 months ago.
The agent that contacted me is Allan Morris (but sounds Spanish with less than clear English speaking ability). Also, it is indicated that a Judith Nelson is the CEO, Expeditions Group, Inc.
==============================
Expert:* Zoey_JD replied*3 months ago.
Hello,
The rule of thumb is to avoid any unsolicted out of the blue call which promises to sell or rent your time share for a too good to be true price. The timeshare resale industry is overrun with fraudsters.
As you've indicated, the Better Business Bureau knows nothing about this group. The Georgia Secretary of State, however, does indicate that there is a Business in Georgia called Expedition Travel Group, which was incorporated in Georgia on December 21, 2000. It is registered at the address that you have listed and a Judith Nelson is indeed the CEO. I will attach a screenshot from the Secretary of State's page here. So this business may have simply not made the BBB's radar screen.
Of course, scammers can find the Secretary of State's website, just the way I can and they are fond of "borrowing" the name of actual companies to bolster their credibility.
Here, what bothers me is that the website's whois tells me that this site was only registered on June 16, 2016. It's only a month old. And if you read it -- look, for example, at the "about us" page, you will see that it's absolutely riddled with grammatical errors. This would be uncharacteristic of a real business that had 16 years to get its advertising right. I can't guarantee that this website is a clone designed to scam people into thinking they are dealing with a reputable company, but it surely looks that way.
The Georgia Real Estate board has no registered agent named Allan Morris. Nor does Expeditions Travel Group have a realtor's license in the state.
I'd avoid them.
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