How do I rent someone's timeshare week???

[RLDurn]

I am interested in renting a timeshare this summer for vacation. We like [resort name removed] and want to take a crowd, so we thought we should rent one of the [resort name removed.] The last time we tried to rent one thru the resort, it was outrageous in price.

But I have seen very reasonable offers for weeks on sites like RedWeek and TUG marketplace.

Can someone tell me how it works? Is there danger of being scammed?

How can I be sure that when we get there, we actually have a place to stay? Does the resort confirm our reservation?

If we can't find the specific week we want, can a "Float" week work?

Questions, questions. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Since we have a strict no advertising rule, including rentals, I removed the name of the resort from your post. - DeniseM Moderator]

 

[TUGBrian]

Welcome to TUG...most times you can read the "how to rent your timeshare" article and see how the process SHOULD work.

the article was written for the rentee, not the renter...but it will still give you the same info

the link is located at the top of this forum in a sticky!

 

[theo]

An answer to just one of many questions...

If we can't find the specific week we want, can a "Float" week work?

Any "floating" week ownership still requires the owner to reserve and confirm a specific week before that owner actually has something specific and confirmed to rent to you in the first place.

A "float" week owner may (or may not) actually be able to reserve (and then subsequently rent to you) the particular, specific week(s) in which you are apparently interested.

 

[RLDurn]

I did read it.....that is why I am scared about being scammed. It isn't very comforting. It is written from the landlord's perspective, and the tone is kind of hostile to renters who dare ask questions and want assurance that their money isn't wasted.

Personally, I am leery of getting to Atlantis with 8 people, finding out I've been scammed, and having nowhere to stay.

Maybe this is why it is so difficult to rent out timeshares. If I rent from the resort, I have a guarantee. Or at the least, I can recover my money thru my credit card.

Rats. I thought this would be a good way to maximize vacation dollars.

 

[TUGBrian]

far more people are scammed as renters (ie the person who wants to rent the room backs out for whatever reason, leaving the owner holding the bag with no payment) than the other way around.

Ive not heard of someone contacting the resort after renting from a private party and confirming their name is on the reservation...then being told upon arrival they cant stay.

The only instance where this could happen is if the renter is renting out an RCI or II banked week, which is against the policy of both exchange companies and if discovered...could indeed result in the cancellation of said week.

You are on a site full of people who both rent their timeshares, and rent from others. While there is always room to have doubt and skepticism to protect yourself, completely throwing away the idea of renting is going a bit overboard.

That said, noone here is going to force you to do anything...there is nothing wrong with renting directly from the resort...you are just going to pay alot more for it.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Maybe this is why it is so difficult to rent out timeshares. If I rent from the resort, I have a guarantee. Or at the least, I can recover my money thru my credit card.

Rats. I thought this would be a good way to maximize vacation dollars.

And that is precisely why it costs more money to rent from the resort than from an owner.

Think for a moment. Let's say that you had the opportunity to rent the identical unit - same price and all - from an established venue (the resort, Expedia, Travelocity, …) using a credit card and with the security of doing business with a known entity or from a timeshare owner you found over the internet of on Craigslist.

If the price were the same, wouldn't you take the established venue without even thinking twice???

The only way the owner can attract business is to offer that unit for less than it rents for through those established venues. It's up to you as the renter to decide if that reduced price is sufficient to offset the added uncertainty in the transaction.

There are things that you can do to minimize those risks. I think the most important element is verifying with the resort that there is a reservation at the resort in your name. After that you can see if the person has any kind of reputation or track record here at TUG.

But if you want the same transaction security that you would have renting directly from the resort, then the only way you will get that is by paying the resort rates.

If you want to stretch your dollar you need to shoulder some risk in exchange.

 

[RLDurn]

far more people are scammed as renters (ie the person who wants to rent the room backs out for whatever reason, leaving the owner holding the bag with no payment) than the other way around..

Probably true. But don't assume that intend to scam someone. I have money, and want to rent. No problem with making an earnest deposit. But the sticky indicates that it is unreasonable for me to want to put the remainder in escrow in order to protect myself.

Ive not heard of someone contacting the resort after renting from a private party and confirming their name is on the reservation...then being told upon arrival they cant stay..

I am quite sure I would be the first!

You are on a site full of people who both rent their timeshares, and rent from others. While there is always room to have doubt and skepticism to protect yourself, completely throwing away the idea of renting is going a bit overboard..

That is why I thought this would be a the place to get some good advice. I answered a couple of ads on the TUG marketplace, but haven't heard back from anyone.

 

[RLDurn]

Wow.

As a newbie, I expected that someone would give me a step by step process on how to make this happen. Instead I got lectures on how I am a potential scammer or that I am unreasonable to not "shoulder the risk" for the transaction.

Never mind.

I will take my money elsewhere.

 

[TUGBrian]

pardon?

all you got was sound advice on renting. If you go back and re-read...it was YOU who were claiming the ads in the marketplace (all by tuggers) were potential scams.

Im going to go out on a limb and say that renting from another owner probably isnt your cup of tea and I wish you luck in whatever you choose to do.

 

[TUGBrian]

Probably true. But don't assume that intend to scam someone. I have money, and want to rent. No problem with making an earnest deposit. But the sticky indicates that it is unreasonable for me to want to put the remainder in escrow in order to protect myself.

but its ok for you to assume all the ads posted in the marketplace by the same people you are here asking for advice from...are scams?

I truly dont understand your logic. Everyone here has provided help to you...and you are now angry and lashing back. Why bother asking for help in the first place?

 

[DeniseM]

Please see this post for several specific ways that you can confirm that a rental is legit.

And just so you know, it's extremely rare to hear of a renter getting scammed - especially if you rent from a Tugger.

As far at the cost - this is a very expensive resort and the owner's maintenance fees for a 2 bdm. unit are over $2,000 a year. You are not going to find cheap rentals for this resort.

 

[DebBrown]

Im going to go out on a limb and say that renting from another owner probably isnt your cup of tea and I wish you luck in whatever you choose to do.

I'd have to agree. I wouldn't blink an eye at renting a timeshare from any of the members here. I have been a members for YEARS and feel like I know most of these people.

Still, I understand the OP's concern. Occasionally I will buy tickets on craigslist and there is always that bit of wariness about getting scammed. Certainly, if its not something you can be comfortable with, you shouldn't do it.

Deb

 

[djs]

I don't think people are saying that it's unreasonable not to sholder some risk, but with anything you buy from some source other than the actual provider there has to be risk. If you buy an item on eBay, you are probably more likely to buy the same item from someone with a 100% feedback rating with multiple transactions than someone with less than perfect feedback or only a few transactions.

Now we don't have a rating system here on TUG, but you can still make some of the same inferences. Take two members renting out the same resort if one has been registered on the board for several years and has lots of posts you probably can get a better comfort level renting from them than someone who's been here 3 weeks. This isn't to say that the newer person shouldn't be trusted, only that you can likely trust the person here a few years.

As far as putting money in escrow, if someone wanted to go that route they probably would ask that you pay all fees for doing so, though I'm not sure what the process would be for finding an escrow company.

I think the most important piece of advice you got here would have been where Brian mentioned that exchanges can not be rented out. This means you want to have some assurance that the person you are renting from actually owns at the resort you are renting (I believe this can be confirmed easily enough). Do people successfully rent out units they've obtained through an exchange? Absolutely. Do the exchange companies seek out ads from people they suspect are renting out exchanges? Again, the answer would be absolutely.

 

[DeniseM]

There are escrow companies available, but since they only protect the renter, and the owner has to wait for their money, often until after the week is used, many owners will not accept escrow - I won't.

 

[RLDurn]

but its ok for you to assume all the ads posted in the marketplace by the same people you are here asking for advice from...are scams?

I truly dont understand your logic. Everyone here has provided help to you...and you are now angry and lashing back. Why bother asking for help in the first place?

I beg to differ, Brian. NO ONE answered my original question. I asked how the process works. Go back and READ the post. I never accused TUGGERs of anything. I came to you- and other TUGGERs (whom I thought I could trust) -for reliable advice on how to avoid the scammers.

No one offered useful advice at all. No one told me how it works. You merely referred me to a sticky that tells owners how to rent their units. Go READ your sticky. The quoted post states that renters who are concerned about the safety of the transaction "are a pain" who landlords don't want to deal with anyway.


Right there, TUG insulted me. As though I have no right to an assurance that my $3000-$5000 are safe with an anonymous poster on a website. Your site is so righteous that there can't possibly be a scammer here?????

Are you willing to vouch that every single poster here, on RedWeek, and other sites are legit? I think not.

Then you told me that it is more likely, that as a renter, that I was the scammer who would cheat the landlord. Not particularly polite, Brian.

If you had truly wanted me to rent from a TUGGER, or anyone else, you would have given me some useful info:

Step 1: Do this.
Step 2: Do this.
Step 3: Do this.

That is HELP.

All you and Mr. Caveman had for me was "What, you expect something for nothing???"

 

[RLDurn]

Please see this post for several specific ways that you can confirm that a rental is legit.

And just so you know, it's extremely rare to hear of a renter getting scammed - especially if you rent from a Tugger.

As far at the cost - this is a very expensive resort and the owner's maintenance fees for a 2 bdm. unit are over $2,000 a year. You are not going to find cheap rentals for this resort.

Thanks Denise. Finally, some useful advice.

[This resort] is VERY expensive. We have been many times. It isn't unusual for us to drop $8000-$10,000 on a vacation like that because we usually take a bunch of our kid's friends along. We thought it would be nice to have a condo instead of separate rooms this time.

[Please don't post the name of the resort you want to rent - we have a strict no advertising rule. - DeniseM Moderator]

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I

All you and Mr. Caveman had for me was "What, you expect something for nothing???"

You said, and I quote (again):

Maybe this is why it is so difficult to rent out timeshares. If I rent from the resort, I have a guarantee. Or at the least, I can recover my money thru my credit card.

Rats. I thought this would be a good way to maximize vacation dollars.

Well, excuse me for thinking that what you wanted was the same security as renting from the resort, but at a greatly reduced rental rate.

How in the world did I ever reach that conclusion?? I guess it's true that I'm just a stupid caveman, aren't I??

*****

But I'll go ahead and tell you how it works in the transactions I've done:

1. I post ad listing rental and terms.

2. Renter contacts me letting me know of interest.

3. In correspondence we clarify any questions regarding terms.

4. Whenever the renter is ready to commit they provide payment in accordance with the terms and conditions we've negotiated.

5. Once payment from the renter has been received and checks have cleared, I will put the reservation in the renters name and document that the reservation has been made in the renters name.

6. If the renter wants to cancel, then the cancellation provisions included in ther terms and conditions would be invoked. (I've never had a renter elect to cancel.)

 

[DeniseM]

Here is another sample of rentals terms - these are the ones I use:

Rental Terms
Rent - $999 for 7 nights

Maximum occupancy – 4 total

All guests must be at least 25 years old, except for children accompanied by their parent(s).

It is not necessary to use all 7 nights of the rental period, but the resort must be notified in advance if you are going to check-in after the arrival date, and unused nights are not refundable.

Payment -
1) All payments are to be made with *Paypal
2) A $99 deposit is required to put the reservation in guest's name.
3) As soon as the guest receives the confirmation from the resort in their name, the balance of $900 is due in full within 24 hours.
4) Payments are nonrefundable and the reservation is noncancelable for any reason.
5) Guest is responsible for all charges to the room, incidental expenses, and any damages.
6) Guest must present a credit card at check-in at the resort.

I am Paypal Verified with a 100% rating on ebay

*Travel Insurance - This reservation is not cancelable, and not refundable, for any
reason, so travel insurance is recommended. If you want/need Travel Insurance,
this is the company the AAA recommends- www.accessamerica.com.
I have no connection with this company, but I have used them and been happy with them.

 

[TUGBrian]

I beg to differ, Brian. NO ONE answered my original question. I asked how the process works.

and that was answered, perhaps not to your liking because you didnt hear what you wanted to hear, but you were given an answer.

Go back and READ the post. I never accused TUGGERs of anything. I came to you- and other TUGGERs (whom I thought I could trust) -for reliable advice on how to avoid the scammers.

yes you did, you claimed you were looking on the marketplace (every ad there is by a tugger)..and you were afraid they were scams. you said it TWICE even (youve now edited your first post)

No one offered useful advice at all. No one told me how it works. You merely referred me to a sticky that tells owners how to rent their units. Go READ your sticky. The quoted post states that renters who are concerned about the safety of the transaction "are a pain" who landlords don't want to deal with anyway.

the sticky is titled "how to rent your timeshare" it describes how one would rent their timeshare.

your question was "how do I rent a timeshare"..and is answered by that sticky.

I am sorry that the answer didnt provide what you were looking for, but that same article answers that question for the tens of thousands of people who have read it to date.

Right there, TUG insulted me. As though I have no right to an assurance that my $3000-$5000 are safe with an anonymous poster on a website. Your site is so righteous that there can't possibly be a scammer here?????

again, how does that insult you...yet your numerous comments about being wary of TUGGERS ads being scams not an insult?

Are you willing to vouch that every single poster here, on RedWeek, and other sites are legit? I think not.

I also wont vouch for every single resort rental desk in the world either, so you probably shouldnt use those if that is the logic you are using.

Then you told me that it is more likely, that as a renter, that I was the scammer who would cheat the landlord. Not particularly polite, Brian.

no I didnt. You said you were afraid of being scammed by someone renting their timeshare. I said that in terms of scams, its far more likely that the person renting THEIR timeshare to get scammed or left holding the bag...than the person renting from them.

How you implied that "i think you personally are going to rip people off" is beyond me. and quite frankly...downright ridiculous. However I apologize if you took it that way. Hopefully you will do the same regarding the labeling of tug ads "potential scams" as well.

If you had truly wanted me to rent from a TUGGER, or anyone else, you would have given me some useful info:

Step 1: Do this.
Step 2: Do this.
Step 3: Do this.

That is HELP.

All you and Mr. Caveman had for me was "What, you expect something for nothing???"

This is a self-help website for timeshare owners. You will get out of it what you put into it.

All you have done sofar is ask for help, then complain when it was given that said help wasnt good enough for you.

I sincerely apologize that my reply to you was not acceptable, Ill go back to work now.

 

[TUGBrian]

This has inspired me, I think its time to add a "how to rent someone elses timeshare" advice article to TUG.

 

[AwayWeGo]

How We Do It. (I.e., How Our Renters Rent Our Timeshare From Us.)

Can someone tell me how it works?

We advertise our floating week timeshare for rent at Internet sites like TUG & Craig's List & the free section of Vacation Timeshare Rentals Dot Com.

People interested in renting our timeshare from us contact us by phone or E-Mail (usually by E-Mail).

The renters tell us what week they want.

We reserve that week if it's still available. (If the desired week is unavailable, we tell the renters we can't get them the week they want.)

We ask the renters for a substantial deposit. When we get it & the check clears, we sent the renters a photocopy of the reservation slip.

We ask the renters for the balance of the rent money before the deadline for canceling the reservation. When we get that, we notify the resort & the reservation office that our renters will be checking in instead of us, & we send our original reservation slip to the renters, signed over to them.

We also ask the reservation office to send a new reservation slip directly to our renters, made out in their name.

We've done this maybe a half-dozen times since 2002, with no problems at either end (renter or rentee) -- including rentals to the same family in 2008 & 2009. (They're at our timeshare right now, in fact.)

Is this a great country or what ?

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

 

[Egret1986]

Wow, TUG Brian and fellow TUGGERS

I believe all of you were very helpful to this newbie and went beyond the call of TUG duty in trying to assist and explain and answer this person's questions when there was quite a bit of hostility for no apparent reason coming your way. Way to go!!!!!!

I wouldn't want this newbie attempting to rent my unit. I think they are better off and would be much more comfortable spending the extra cash by renting through the resort.

 

[RLDurn]

So, in summary, Tuggers are proud of this:

1) A newbie, who is taking several Marines fresh from the Sandbox on a vacation, asks for advice on how to go about renting a time share. Since they are returning from hell, and I am promising them a week in paradise, I want some level of security in the transaction so that I don't disappoint.

2) The owner of TUG refers me to a post that speaks with contempt about renters, calling us "flaky", "a pain", and implies that we are stupid and unable to correctly handle payment procedures.

3) Another long-term Tugger posts a condescending message exhorting the newbie to "THINK" about why rentals are so cheap. (Gee, I dunno....I THINK it may be because there are way more units available than renters????)

I am sad for you all. I will probably figure it out on my own. But don't worry, I will make sure that I don't rent from a Tugger. Wouldn't want to insult one of your virtuous members with my $5000.

On a parting note:

1) If you set up a sticky with advice to renters, try to not be as contemptuous and condescending toward us as you are in the sticky for owners wishing to rent. We aren't timeshare owners...we don't know the procedure. That is why we came to you. Maybe you should be nice to us? Your members are the ones with units to rent - we are the ones with the MONEY.

2) Steve - if you don't like the Caveman association, you should change your screen name and avatar. You picked them, not I.

 

[RLDurn]

And I forgot to thank Mr. Cole. His reply was very helpful.

 

[TUGBrian]

This has to be some sort of a joke.