How can I give away my timeshare on TUG for Free?

[SignoraEdie]

There is a Pueblo Bonito Owners Unofficial Facebook Page. We posted to give our timeshare away if someone would pay for and handle the transfer of ownership and someone responded who wanted the unit to convert to more points for themselves so they took it off our hands, handled the transfer and we were very happy! Your timeshare has to be fully paid for to do this.

 

[skimeup]

Not sure how to post on the bargain page

I seem to be able to post replies but not an original note. I am feeling a bit dense but there it is. I'd like to offer my Sedona Vacation Club free to good home but can't figure out how to post. I fear I ended up starting a new thread with my ad...

 

[DeniseM]

You are supposed to start a new thread, and you did - Your Ad has posted right here: http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=231866

You can add more info. by clicking "edit" for the first 48 hours.

After 48 hours, you can add more info. by adding a post to the same thread - click "post reply" in the same thread.

For future reference, an easy way to find your own posts is to click QUICK LINKS in the blue bar at the top of the forum, and then YOUR POSTS - it will show you links to all your posts.

 

[Passepartout]

I seem to be able to post replies but not an original note. I am feeling a bit dense but there it is. I'd like to offer my Sedona Vacation Club free to good home but can't figure out how to post. I fear I ended up starting a new thread with my ad...

At the top of page 1 of each forum is a "New Thread" button. Tap that and type away. It will start a new thread at the end of what exists already.

 

[stublack@frontier.com]

How To get rid of timeshar

I am new to this process. I put an add in your bargain basement (I am not sure if that's what you call it). I described my timeshare like what was suggested. Because this time share is westgate and has no points I being told that I'm gonna have a real tough time even giving it away. So why bother?

 

[stublack@frontier.com]

And if I cannot give it away are there any other alternatives?

 

[DeniseM]

I am new to this process. I put an add in your bargain basement (I am not sure if that's what you call it). I described my timeshare like what was suggested. Because this time share is westgate and has no points I being told that I'm gonna have a real tough time even giving it away. So why bother?

The Bargain Basement is the TUG Market Place (the classifieds.)

You also need to post it on the Bargain Deals Forum (where you are posting right now.)

More Info: http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132509

Giving away a timeshare takes some effort - it won't give itself away.

When a timeshare is difficult to give away, you may need to sweeten the pot:

-Pay all transfer fees.

-Pay the next year's maintenance fees.

-Offer a gift card to the new owner after the timeshare is completely transferred to them.

 

[DeniseM]

And if I cannot give it away are there any other alternatives?

Not really - Your best bet is giving it away yourself. Anyone who charges you a high upfront fee to "rescue" you, is likely to be a scammer.

There are no charities who will take it, because it has no value to them.

The biggest "so called" charity in the market who did take timeshares (after the owner paid them thousands of dollars) is currently in trouble with the Attorney General and the IRS.

Another option is to go into default by refusing to pay your fees, and Westgate will eventually foreclose, but you have to be willing to suffer the consequences:

-They will turn you over to collections - and all the misery that entails.

-They may turn you into the credit bureaus, and damage your credit rating.

-It can take 2 years to get through foreclosure.

 

[stublack@frontier.com]

Sorry for my ignorance!! how do i post in the bargain deals thing. I don't know how to navigate through any of this. I have to come through google and put in original message "How To Get Rid Of Timeshare" to get to this post. Then I use the link that you give at the top to get to the Bargain Basement post. If i enter www.tugbbs.com I am completely lost on what to do from there.
I guess the reason I'm frustrated is if I'm trying to get rid of my timeshare and someone comes out and posts a message like I received that anybody reading Tug members post is not going to find my offer very appealing.
Thanks, Stu

 

[DeniseM]

Here is a step-by-step walk through:

CLICK HERE: http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132509

I guess the reason I'm frustrated is if I'm trying to get rid of my timeshare and someone comes out and posts a message like I received that anybody reading Tug members post is not going to find my offer very appealing.

Stu - Unfortunately, this is already common knowledge whether someone posts it or not. You need to sweeten the pot to overcome this obstacle.

 

[stublack@frontier.com]

Hi I was saying Bargain Basement when the term should have been Bargain Deals. I have posted on bargain deals.
I have had ample opportunity to pay upfront fees to people who promised the world but I fell for that scam when I purchased the Time Share and never again. I am not desperate here, I just want to know how to do this thing right and try to avoid having others state things that decrease my chances. If someone can offer things that improve my chances then I'm all for that.
From my experience of owning this property for 7 years I guess I can't understand why anyone would ever want to own a timeshare whether they pay money or get it free.
From reading posts out here I guess they know something I don't know

 

[DeniseM]

Nearly all the regulars on TUG own and enjoy timeshares.

Financially, it's never a good deal to buy from the developer, and many of us have done it before we found TUG (ME!)

But the timeshare product itself can still be great for someone who likes to vacation.

Why don't you use your time share?

-----------

*I looked - you have posted an Ad on the Bargain Deals forum.

Have you posted it on other websites? - I really think that a timeshare at this resort in Las Vegas should be able to find a new home, but you may need a wider audience.

I'd post Ads on Craigslist and www.redweek.com too.

 

[stublack@frontier.com]

I do use my timeshare but with airfare and maintenance fees I do not find it a bargain. I can do better on Expedia

 

[DeniseM]

I do use my timeshare but with airfare and maintenance fees I do not find it a bargain. I can do better on Expedia

OK, but aren't you comparing a hotel room to a condo? Can you rent a condo at Elara for less?

Have you considered doing an exchange for a timeshare closer to your home?

When you originally bought it, how did you plan to use it?

 

[stublack@frontier.com]

I can see your sold on timeshares and that's okay with me. Paying more fees to companies like interval and pile on transfer fees does not sound appealing to me. My wife and I go on vacations every year, we did a transfer to Myrtle Beach one year that we truly hated. So we book our vacations ourselves.
You will laugh when you hear why I purchased the Time Share in the first place, We were told that we could book any flight from any location to any location and receive 30% to 60% off. That included booking flights for anybody. I was sold I could make this deal profitable. I like Las Vegas and it is true the condo is better than most hotel rooms, but the maid service is horrible and we don't spend much time in the room anyway.

 

[DeniseM]

Just so you know, for the most part, timeshares do not have maid service, except for cleaning between guests - it's more like renting a private condo.

It sounds like you were lied to by your sales person - unfortunately, this is the norm.

Even with a timeshare that you like, it takes advanced planning and some knowledge about how the system works, to get the most value out of it, and it sounds like maybe it just isn't your cup of tea.

 

[stublack@frontier.com]

Thank you for your help. I will post on Craigs List and redweek and see how it goes. I am not sure what to expect and I don't want to have to deal with scammers.
Thanks again, Stu

 

[DeniseM]

Thank you for your help. I will post on Craigs List and redweek and see how it goes. I am not sure what to expect and I don't want to have to deal with scammers.
Thanks again, Stu

Scammers will want you to pay them - as long as you don't do that, it will be just about impossible to get scammed.

Suggestion - you will want to use a timeshare transfer company to do the title work and deed transfer for you. Using a reputable company can give you a lot of protection, because they will spot anything that looks wrong, so don't agree to use the new owner's transfer company.

A common scam would be to have you pay the transfer funds to a bogus transfer company, and then steal the funds.

It's better to control the title transfer yourself, so you know it's being done right.

 

[GinaMarty]

Gone!

Hooray! Thanks Denise & the other helpful folks here at TUG. I got rid of Dad's timeshare by following your advice in this thread.

I had lots of offers from folks trying to list it...almost $300 to list it on a special "european" site. No thanks. The resort offered to list it for me for $15 a month on their special page. I'm not dumb enough to think they'd rather sell my bargain basement one and not make anything, over their own stuff and make a commission. Did list it on ebay, that was $50 wasted too. TUG bargain forum worked for me, eventually. Followed all of your advice and tried to be patient.

Thanks TUGGERS! :whoopie:

 

[CubaTravelExpert]

Transfer fees - ask your resort directly

Also check with the front desk of your resort. One of my resorts does all the paperwork/title etc., everything necessary for $75, in house.

They will fill everything in, overnight it to buyer and you for signatures. They make it nice and easy.... just a thought to look into

 

[megdaveewr]

Hooray! Thanks Denise & the other helpful folks here at TUG. I got rid of Dad's timeshare by following your advice in this thread.

I had lots of offers from folks trying to list it...almost $300 to list it on a special "european" site. No thanks. The resort offered to list it for me for $15 a month on their special page. I'm not dumb enough to think they'd rather sell my bargain basement one and not make anything, over their own stuff and make a commission. Did list it on ebay, that was $50 wasted too. TUG bargain forum worked for me, eventually. Followed all of your advice and tried to be patient.

Thanks TUGGERS! :whoopie:

GinaMarty...How long did it take for you to sell your timeshare? I am highly looking into posting my points on the Bargain Deals just to get rid of the fees. They have been great, but we are done!

 

[TUGBrian]

just a bump to this as I was frustrated at an email conversation earlier today.

A TUG member contacted us asking if we had heard of "xyz random company" that had offered to get him out of a timeshare for a $2000 upfront fee.

upon linking him to the appropriate article about said companies I asked the same thing I ask every owner (member or not) who contacts us inquiring about using an upfront fee company.

1. What efforts have you made to give the timeshare away sofar?
2. what did the resort HOA say when you contacted them to see if they had a surrender program.

the answer I got was similar to most of the others which ran along the lines of:

"ive tried everything to sell, TUG, craigslist, facebook, etc with no success"...

This got me wondering (as it always does when I get this reply) so I look at the ads posted by the member on TUG.

1. none have been active since 2015
2. none were offering the timeshare for free (many even asking up to 500 dollars)
3. none offered to pay closing costs
4. none offered to cover next years maintenance fees.


each of these options is significantly cheaper than paying a company thousands upfront...so I am at a loss for why so many people skip these steps and go immediately to paying a company that is just as likely than not to take your money and leave you in the exact same position you are in now?

We try our best here at TUG to steer owners away from terrible decisions, but we realize that everyone is an adult and we simply cannot argue with you if your mind is made up.

We sincerely hope that folks who are looking for a solution to get their timeshare sold will take the advice given on these forums and our advice articles to heart to not only give yourself the best chance of finding a buyer, but saving yourself thousands of wasted dollars!

 

[DeniseM]

It's hard to understand - some people seem to feel that someone should rescue them, with no effort on their part at all.

I think you can divide these people into 2 groups:

1) Sense of entitlement - they "deserve" to be released from their obligations.

2) Not good with finances - they don't handle anything related to personal finances well - it's not just timeshares.

It's bad enough that they are paying big bucks to "unload their timeshare," but even worse - many of these "rescue companies" are just scammers who won't even do what they say. So the owner will still be stuck with their timeshare AND lose their money!

 

[cayman01]

It's hard to understand - some people seem to feel that someone should rescue them, with no effort on their part at all.

I think you can divide these people into 2 groups:

1) Sense of entitlement - they "deserve" to be released from their obligations.

2) Not good with finances - they don't handle anything related to personal finances well - it's not just timeshares.

It's bad enough that they are paying big bucks to "unload their timeshare," but even worse - many of these "rescue companies" are just scammers who won't even do what they say. So the owner will still be stuck with their timeshare AND lose their money!

I think you can add a third group to your list.... people who are easily taken advantage of.

To begin with, most people are scammed into buying a timeshare at full boat. Their personality allows it to happen. So it follows that they will be susceptible to being scammed on the back end when trying to get out of the timeshare.

I have been to numerous timeshare offers over the years and I ALWAYS have to drag my wife out of there before she signs for something. I know the price is outrageous, she believes everything the sales weasel tells her. She just wants it so bad damn the consequences. Browsing eBay I like to kid her about Morritt's Tortuga Club. Here's another $26k Tortuga for a buck! She's learning now. Most people have to learn the hard way.

So for the uninitiated......... if you want to get rid of your timeshare, NEVER GIVE ANY MONEY TO ANYBODY UPFRONT. You might as well just flush that money down the toilet as you will never see it again and you will still own your timeshare.

One thing that is more common now is deed backs to the resort company. Wyndham has Ovation and I am pretty sure others have similar programs.
Ask your resort company if they will take the TS back. Many will and it will cost you the least amount of money.

Giving it away on TUG is another way to go. PAY the closing costs. Use a company like LT Transfers to do the transfer and the cost will be minimal to you. And when you list it, keep bumping it to the top of the page so more people view it. Give as much info about it as possible. This will make it more appealing to prospective buyers.

 

[DeniseM]

I think you can add a third group to your list.... people who are easily taken advantage of..

That is the same as #2 - Not good with finances.

But I wasn't just talking about people who want out of their timeshare - I was specifically talking about people who expect someone to rescue them with no effort on their part.