Fidelity Resales

[Jollyhols]

Hi, I've just had an email from Fidelity Resales, using mine and my partner's first names and asking if we still want to sell our timeshare. They say they have someone interested and who is asking several questions and they then go on to ask about type of week it is, whether the deed is clear, etc etc.

I am not sure where they got our details from. We did list it with Timeshares Only a few years ago but we haven't had any luck with them. I am wondering if they are selling details on.

 

[AwayWeGo]

I Predict It's An Up-Front Fee Hornswoggle.

Hi, I've just had an email from Fidelity Resales, using mine and my partner's first names and asking if we still want to sell our timeshare. They say they have someone interested and who is asking several questions and they then go on to ask about type of week it is, whether the deed is clear, etc etc.

I am not sure where they got our details from. We did list it with Timeshares Only a few years ago but we haven't had any luck with them. I am wondering if they are selling details on.

Using my semi-psychic powers, I predict that the nice folks from Fidelity Resales will need a substantial amount of money in order to go ahead with the sale of your timeshare to the person they say they have who they say is interested.

If you pony up the money in advance that the Fidelity Resales person asks for, I predict further that the person they had who was interested in your timeshare will have a change of mind & for reasons no one can explain will no longer be interested.

If you complain to Fidelity Resales that you've been bamboozled, I predict that they will point out that you agreed, upon sending them the money, that they would list your timeshare for sale for you at your price, & nothing more than that. Further, I predict that they will show you the web site where, sure enough, your timeshare is listed for sale.

Full Disclosure: I have never heard of Fidelity Resales & I have no direct or indirect knowledge of anything favorable or unfavorable about Fidelity Resales. My predictions are based only on my own personal semi-psychic powers, feeble as those may be, & on reading (right here on TUG-BBS), over & over, the sad stories of people who have been hornswoggled & bamboozled by up-front fee companies of various names but similar M.O.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[equitax]

Fidelity Resales is a legit outfit

I bought my MGV 3BDR through Lisa Roach at Fidelity Resales who was 100% reliable, and I have had my share of dealings with realtors in my day.

My unit was listed for 12K, I found the listing thorugh one of the listing sites (myuuuresortnetwork.com minus the uuu after my)

Fidelity did refer me to timesharetitle who did a ful closing for 695 which is a little pricy, but it was done quickly and accurately. They even picked up on some IRS witholding issues which coudl have been cause for concern.

Its quite possible that they have someone scoping out your particular week. It wont cost you anything to hear what tey have to say IMHO.

I didn't think that 7K "to escrow" for 3BDR PLAT with 2011 usage in was going to fly. turns out the seller at least 2 of 4 3BDR plat units - mine at 7 and another at 18400 per Official Records.

Hi, I've just had an email from Fidelity Resales, using mine and my partner's first names and asking if we still want to sell our timeshare. They say they have someone interested and who is asking several questions and they then go on to ask about type of week it is, whether the deed is clear, etc etc.

I am not sure where they got our details from. We did list it with Timeshares Only a few years ago but we haven't had any luck with them. I am wondering if they are selling details on.

 

[Talent312]

With all due respect, equitax, many PCC's (postcard companies) are legit and a pleasure to do business with... when you are a Buyer... just not so much when you are the Seller.

A Seller may pay thousands to have someone take a TS off their hands based on the totally bogus assertion that there's a buyer waiting in wings who is willing to pay full freight, when all they really get a listing on an obscure website.

That you found such a listing out of the blue exposes the fact that they never had such a Buyer, only that you managed to find them.

-------------------
On the flip side, Buyers who happen upon such listings are often treated quite well. They are more than happy to unload it, generally for any price, just so they can point to a successful sale when the state's Attorney General tries to put them out of business.

Generally, any outfit that contacts an owner out of the blue, unsolicited, is looking to pick the owner's pocket, using the owner's own desire for a quick buck to beguile them. As was said about the success of P.T. Barnum: "There's a sucker born every minute."

 

[equitax]

Not sure if they are PCC..

This may be true (hadn't thought about what SELLER footed bill for), however, based on public records, they did sell a second week for 18730.00 - which seems far from the seller being put to the gears. While I dont know for sure, if this co is looking for inventory, nothing wrong yet. It may be a rat indeed, so proceed with caution I suppose - but no need to string up the noose yet. I sold an industrial building 6 months a go for close to 900K - it wasn't listed for sale( nor rent), some agent called me out of the blue to ask me if interested in selling - I said for the right price yes. Deal done - agent did not end up splitting commission with another agent - saved me money made him more money). Nothing wrong with soliciting business either, we stil live in capitalism!

With all due respect, equitax, many PCC's (postcard companies) are legit and a pleasure to do business with... when you are a Buyer... just not so much when you are the Seller.

A Seller may pay thousands to have someone take a TS off their hands based on the totally bogus assertion that there's a buyer waiting in wings who is willing to pay full freight, when all they really get a listing on an obscure website.

That you found such a listing out of the blue exposes the fact that they never had such a Buyer, only that you managed to find them.

-------------------
On the flip side, Buyers who happen upon such listings are often treated quite well. They are more than happy to unload it, generally for any price, just so they can point to a successful sale when the state's Attorney General tries to put them out of business.

Generally, any outfit that contacts an owner out of the blue, unsolicited, is looking to pick the owner's pocket, using the owner's own desire for a quick buck to beguile them. As was said about the success of P.T. Barnum: "There's a sucker born every minute."

 

[rgong]

Not sure if it's the same outfit, but...

Fidelity Resales (fidelityresales.com), if it's the same outfit that I've come across in researching timeshares, primarily deals in DVC inventory. The seem to be one of the top 2 or 3 realtors of choice to deal with if buying a Disney property resale - at least they seem to have quite a presence on one of the big Disney forums (mouseowners.com). They do have some inventory for other TS brands, but nothing like what they have for DVC. Not sure this helps, but I don't get the impression that they're the typical "upfront money" operation.

 

[Harry]

I would pass on Fidelity

Based on the above you should beware. I have seen them market Disney and I suppose they would be ok to purchase from. But, beware of up front fees. By the by, they are a pc company.

 

[Jollyhols]

Thanks all. I might just ask them some questions first but will be careful.

 

[richardm]

Fidelity Real Estate is the brokerage owned by Timeshares Only.. The agents have direct access to the TSO database and handle any phone offers that come into that company (online offers are sent to the timeshare owners if the email address is correct for the ad).

They always earn a commission from the sale. Be sure to ask what the commission is before you proceed. Also, ask who the closing agent will be.. Normally- the buyer chooses as they pay the closing costs. The closing agent is probably the most important part of the transaction to ensure you are protected and everything is done properly.

It may seem frustrating to pay an upfront advertising fee and a commission to the same company, but in this market it may still be worthwhile to find out what offer was made.

The email should be from a single agent. There aren't many left (they've downsized the entire company to just a few remaining as ad sales and brokerage transactions have plummeted) but I do believe that Lisa Roach is one that is still there.

They also recently moved out of that big building on I-Drive to a small office in an industrial park off of John Young Pkwy so the address won't be the same as when you originally paid them.

 

[equitax]

Closing Agent

They refereed me to Timeshare Title Inc in Sharon PA - I went for a full closing with title insurance which was a little pricey, but I was dealing with a foreign trust as seller, and was fine -even though I know I could have probably saved a couple of bucks if I shopped around.

All of that to say, Timeshare Title did an excellent job, and prodded Marriott to waive ROFR and record the transfer quicker at my behest (ROFR waived in 3 days, resort transfer within 15 days of me fedex dox from Venezuela).

Fidelity Real Estate is the brokerage owned by Timeshares Only.. The agents have direct access to the TSO database and handle any phone offers that come into that company (online offers are sent to the timeshare owners if the email address is correct for the ad).

They always earn a commission from the sale. Be sure to ask what the commission is before you proceed. Also, ask who the closing agent will be.. Normally- the buyer chooses as they pay the closing costs. The closing agent is probably the most important part of the transaction to ensure you are protected and everything is done properly.

It may seem frustrating to pay an upfront advertising fee and a commission to the same company, but in this market it may still be worthwhile to find out what offer was made.

The email should be from a single agent. There aren't many left (they've downsized the entire company to just a few remaining as ad sales and brokerage transactions have plummeted) but I do believe that Lisa Roach is one that is still there.

They also recently moved out of that big building on I-Drive to a small office in an industrial park off of John Young Pkwy so the address won't be the same as when you originally paid them.

 

[Travelman1010]

Response to RichardM - comment

RichardM's comment is correct in that the sales have dropped, however it has more to do with the amount of agents the Fidelity company currently has and the industry as a whole. They have downsized their sales force as most companies have, in fact I believe that most of the agents that left the Fidelity company have moved over to the Progressive company where Richard M. is now the General Manager. As far as buyers asking what commission they are paying before they proceed, I do not remember that being recommended by him when Richard M. was the General Manager at "Fidelity Real Estate, the brokerage owned by Timeshares Only". I am sure most Fidelity agents will not not mind disclosing the commissions to the buyers up front.