• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 31 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 31st Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $23,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $23 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Have I been duped by Universal Marketing Solutions?

calgarygary

TUG Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2007
Messages
1,025
Reaction score
0
The poster just couldn't leave it alone. Just when TMOwner1000000 had everyone, or at least himself, convinced that he wasn't bocabill, he is reincarnated as tmoWNER1000001 with bocabill style rants. Time to get back on the meds and find nirvana.
 

jdb0822

newbie
Joined
Nov 22, 2005
Messages
283
Reaction score
0
Location
Rhode Island
I nearly fell off my chair when one of his recent posts in this thread was titled "mature".

I am not an english major, but I can't think of a better example of irony than that. :)
 

spanky

newbie
Joined
Feb 16, 2009
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Location
londonderry NH
duped by universal marketing

I am embarrassed to admit that I have been taken for 3400.00 Promised that they had a buyer for my time share I gave them my credit card info. I have called my cc co,the attorney generals office,the BBB. I plan to file a complaint with the Delray Beach Police Dept and the Florida Dept of consumer services tomorrow. I cant afford to pay this credit card bill is there any other suggestions? Should I hire an attorney? nothing yet has seemed to get me my money back. :crash:
 

AwayWeGo

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
15,793
Reaction score
1,717
Location
McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.
Resorts Owned
Grandview At Las Vegas

[triennial - points]
Me Neither.

I am not an english major, but I can't think of a better example of irony than that.
And I am a (recovering) English major.

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

calgarygary

TUG Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2007
Messages
1,025
Reaction score
0
spanky, you can try disputing the charge with your credit card company but in reality, UMS has probably only straddled the line between legal and illegal. Do whatever you feel is necessary but do not spend any additional money trying to get satisfaction out of UMS as it will be throwing good after bad. Learn from this, never, ever pay upfront for a service, any service.
 

spanky

newbie
Joined
Feb 16, 2009
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Location
londonderry NH
spanky, you can try disputing the charge with your credit card company but in reality, UMS has probably only straddled the line between legal and illegal. Do whatever you feel is necessary but do not spend any additional money trying to get satisfaction out of UMS as it will be throwing good after bad. Learn from this, never, ever pay upfront for a service, any service.

straddled the line they lied about having a buyer and strung me along for three months and stuck me with 3400 in credit card debt. I am vacationing in Florida next week and I may have to take a tour of Delray Beach.:crash:
 

HankDouglas

newbie
Joined
Mar 4, 2009
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Location
Shelby Township, Michigan
Universal Marketing Solutions - SCAM ARTISTS

I too have a signed contract from Universal Marketing Solutions that was executed under the pretense I give them $1396 (which I charged to my cc) and they sell my RED timeshare week for approx. $22,000.

I was hesitant but the sales guy kept calling telling me he had a buyer. His persistance won me over and I charged the $1396. The agreement is if it didn't sell within 6 months and 1-day, I would get my $1396 refunded.

It did not sell and I've been calling their customer service (561) 278-6870 and leaving my name, AD# and phone#. The recorded message indicates they will call me back within 48 - 72 hours. I'm calling several times daily...NO CALL BACK from Universal Marketing Solutions........
 

spatenfloot

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2005
Messages
550
Reaction score
0
People should not be suckered in by a money back guarantee. Scammers will not return your money no matter what they promised.
 

calgarygary

TUG Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2007
Messages
1,025
Reaction score
0
I too have a signed contract from Universal Marketing Solutions that was executed under the pretense I give them $1396 (which I charged to my cc) and they sell my RED timeshare week for approx. $22,000.

I was hesitant but the sales guy kept calling telling me he had a buyer. His persistance won me over and I charged the $1396. The agreement is if it didn't sell within 6 months and 1-day, I would get my $1396 refunded.

It did not sell and I've been calling their customer service (561) 278-6870 and leaving my name, AD# and phone#. The recorded message indicates they will call me back within 48 - 72 hours. I'm calling several times daily...NO CALL BACK from Universal Marketing Solutions........

The agreement? Did you have the guarantee in writing or was it verbal. If verbal, was it recorded. If not, save your energy, lower your blood level and accept that you have lost the money and move on.

Spanky, I bet that when they told you they had a buyer that it was in a conversation and that you have nothing in writing. When it comes to contracts, what is in writing will rule the day. That is what I meant by straddling the line, just like the ts salesperson, these @#$@ers will tell you what they know you want to hear but the agreement you enter into is something totally different.
 

Jerry15415

newbie
Joined
Mar 5, 2009
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Location
Old Howard Beach, NY
Universal Marketing

I know for sure you did not get ripped off. I listed my timeshare at Surrey Grand Crowne Resort with Universal Marketing June of 08. They guarenteed to sell it within 120 days or my fee would be refunded, but in fact sold it within the 120 days. I have had nothing, but a good experience with this company. My only complaint would be I could never call and get a direct person, always left a voicemail for them to call back, but they always did. I paid an upfront fee of $1,396.24 and I am extremely happy that I made $10,000 profit on this sale. My wife and I don't visit Branson, MO very often anymore and the maintenance fees were piling up. I'm happy to have had Universal Marketing take these issues off my hands.

Jerry & Maria Ballard
Old Howard Beach, NY
 

SBK

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
502
Reaction score
0
Location
Alexandria, VA
Have they no shame????

I know for sure you did not get ripped off. I listed my timeshare at Surrey Grand Crowne Resort with Universal Marketing June of 08. They guarenteed to sell it within 120 days or my fee would be refunded, but in fact sold it within the 120 days. I have had nothing, but a good experience with this company. My only complaint would be I could never call and get a direct person, always left a voicemail for them to call back, but they always did. I paid an upfront fee of $1,396.24 and I am extremely happy that I made $10,000 profit on this sale. My wife and I don't visit Branson, MO very often anymore and the maintenance fees were piling up. I'm happy to have had Universal Marketing take these issues off my hands.

Jerry & Maria Ballard
Old Howard Beach, NY

And do they think we have no brains. :hysterical:
 

Talent312

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2007
Messages
17,795
Reaction score
7,640
Resorts Owned
HGVC & GTS
I am embarrassed to admit that I have been taken for 3400.00 Promised that they had a buyer for my time share I gave them my credit card info. I have called my cc co,the attorney generals office,the BBB. I plan to file a complaint with the Delray Beach Police Dept and the Florida Dept of consumer services tomorrow. I cant afford to pay this credit card bill is there any other suggestions? Should I hire an attorney? nothing yet has seemed to get me my money back.

"Sure, we told him we had a buyer. We have lots of buyers. But by the time we got back to the one we had in mind, he had moved on. Anyone with half a brain knows that's always a possibility. Besides, we did everything that we promised to do in the contract."

In most states, there's a "statute of frauds" requiring that contracts relating to the transfer of real property be in writing, expressly negating claims over what vebal promises were made or their meaning. So, if your CC won't do a charge-back, your only other recourse may be to hire a Bankruptcy attorney to discharge this debt.
 
Last edited:

T_R_Oglodyte

TUG Lifetime Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
16,557
Reaction score
8,538
Location
Belly-View, WA
And do they think we have no brains. :hysterical:

The post isn't intended for us. The post is intended for people who stumble into the thread after doing a Google search.

So what we have here is someone, first time poster, who sold his timeshare several months ago. Even though he no longer owns a timeshare he googles Universal Marketing and decides he has to post about his wonderful experience and assure us of how great they are.

Even if he's not a shill, one successful does not make it a worthwhile company. Extrapolating like that is like extrapolating David Eckstein as a power hitter because, after all, he did hit two home runs last season.
 

Talent312

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2007
Messages
17,795
Reaction score
7,640
Resorts Owned
HGVC & GTS
And do they think we have no brains. :hysterical:

Do we?
At the risk of offending the Ballards of Old Howard Beach... Howard Beach: "Heavily Italian-American, Howard Beach is well known for being home to many organized crime figures; notably, mafia bosses John Gotti and Joe Massino resided there." (Wikipedia)
 

calgarygary

TUG Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2007
Messages
1,025
Reaction score
0
I know for sure you did not get ripped off. I listed my timeshare at Surrey Grand Crowne Resort with Universal Marketing June of 08. They guarenteed to sell it within 120 days or my fee would be refunded, but in fact sold it within the 120 days. I have had nothing, but a good experience with this company. My only complaint would be I could never call and get a direct person, always left a voicemail for them to call back, but they always did. I paid an upfront fee of $1,396.24 and I am extremely happy that I made $10,000 profit on this sale. My wife and I don't visit Branson, MO very often anymore and the maintenance fees were piling up. I'm happy to have had Universal Marketing take these issues off my hands.

Jerry & Maria Ballard
Old Howard Beach, NY

Jerry & Maria know for sure!! Yeh right. Somehow, J&M, I am quite sure, that you are either directors or employees of said rip off company. How do I know - you claim to have sold a Branson on the resale market for a $10K profit. BS! That's right - BS! Please people, if you have stumbled onto this thread trying to research this company, don't fall for the complete lies that company shills are posting here. Branson last summer would have had a difficult time selling for 1/10th of what this shill is claiming, this year, you would be more likely to pay someone to take a Branson resale then you would to sell it for 1/2 of what this scammer claims.

The sad thing is that this company keeps their internet presence going by showing up in forums like this where an educated audience quickly dismisses them but also in forums such as yedda where an uniformed audience has 30 pages of posts, many of which are lies by the company leading to more marks for them.
 

spanky

newbie
Joined
Feb 16, 2009
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Location
londonderry NH
These people are parasites. I have filed complaints with the BBB, the dept of agriculture and consumer affairs and the AG's office. I have also hired an attorney and will not rest until my money is refunded. I think its time for a Class Action lawsuit against these thieves!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

spanky

newbie
Joined
Feb 16, 2009
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Location
londonderry NH
I too have a signed contract from Universal Marketing Solutions that was executed under the pretense I give them $1396 (which I charged to my cc) and they sell my RED timeshare week for approx. $22,000.

I was hesitant but the sales guy kept calling telling me he had a buyer. His persistance won me over and I charged the $1396. The agreement is if it didn't sell within 6 months and 1-day, I would get my $1396 refunded.

It did not sell and I've been calling their customer service (561) 278-6870 and leaving my name, AD# and phone#. The recorded message indicates they will call me back within 48 - 72 hours. I'm calling several times daily...NO CALL BACK from Universal Marketing Solutions........
if you call that number about 25 to 35 times in a row you will get through, you just have to be patient. Problem is when you get someone they will lie through their teeth and string you along. File complaints with the consumer affairs office and the Ag's office. This company already has 52 complaints filed against it with 22 positive outcomes. Keep fighting I am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Joined
Apr 1, 2009
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Location
florida
duplicate post - deleted

message deleted--duplicate posts are not allowed--already posted
same information in Florida forum
 
Last edited by a moderator:

spanky

newbie
Joined
Feb 16, 2009
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Location
londonderry NH
if you call that number about 25 to 35 times in a row you will get through, you just have to be patient. Problem is when you get someone they will lie through their teeth and string you along. File complaints with the consumer affairs office and the Ag's office. This company already has 52 complaints filed against it with 22 positive outcomes. Keep fighting I am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Credit Card Co did a charge back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got all my money back plus interest for the time being. UMS said they were going to file a rebuttal I dont see these slime balls winning though. They are being investigated by the AG's office at this time. So bottom line is DO A CHARGE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1:whoopie:
 

JonathanIT

TUG Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2007
Messages
410
Reaction score
2
Location
L.A.-But I'd rather be on Brokeback Mtn.
My Credit Card Co did a charge back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got all my money back plus interest for the time being. UMS said they were going to file a rebuttal I dont see these slime balls winning though. They are being investigated by the AG's office at this time. So bottom line is DO A CHARGE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1:whoopie:
Good for you congratulations! :cheer:
 

Makai Guy

Administrator
Joined
Jun 3, 2004
Messages
4,660
Reaction score
1,614
Location
Aiken, SC, USA
Resorts Owned
Spicebush (Hilton Head Island)
Florida’s attorney general has filed a lawsuit and requested an emergency injunction against two related South Florida timeshare resale marketing companies – Universal Marketing Solutions and Creative Vacation Solutions.

Link to article
 
Top