• 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 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th 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 $21,000,000 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 $21 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!

New eBay scam

ondeadlin

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
1,642
Reaction score
7
Points
398
Location
Dexter, MI
So, I've got a Streamside Birch ski studio that I'm selling on eBay. I paid a little over closing costs for it two years ago, used it for two very good trades (including a 2BR Maui in flex), and will be happy to move it for $1.

Today I get this message via eBay:

Hi

I will give you $1.00 for your unit.

How ever I will do the closing at a charge of $300.00.

I help people that are trying to get rid of their timeshares.

I buy them for $1.00 and put them into specially made trust where no one ever has to pay the maintnance fees again. I charge $300.00 to do so (closing Fees). You will never pay another dime to list your unit, or pay any special fees or Maintance fees to the resort again. Once again, for the $300.00 I execute a purchase and sale agreement to buy your unit for $1.00. You will need to pay me for closing. This transaction will be done through ebay, with the usage of paypal.

It's bad enough we have to deal with the postcards, now they're soliciting via the eBay messages.

I'd keep it before I'd give this guy a nickel.
 

gorevs9

TUG Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2008
Messages
760
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Rhode Island
This scheme has been discussed ad nauseam on Redweek (and probably in the past on TUG as well). Here's the link to one post; while it may be legal, IMO it's cetainly unethical. I'll let you decide.
 
Last edited:

Bill4728

Moderator
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
11,038
Reaction score
598
Points
899
Location
Lake Tapps, WA
Here is a bit from the post on Redweek

on Redweek said:
johnd1052 states:
>> I got rid of one by paying $300.00 to a trust listed on ebay. It is listed under get rid of your timeshare. He bought mine, while I owed $1200.00 in back fees. He sent me a copy of the recorded deed proven that he finished his comitment to me. I also have not recieved any more letters from the resort. So I would suggest if you can not sell your unit to go to ebay and try him before paying a fortune to these other rip of companies.<<
==================================================

Uh-oh..... I don't want to burst your bubble here John, but you may not really have "gotten rid of" anything yet.

If this "trust" fellow was someone located in Salem, New Hampshire, then I believe that this might be the very same guy who was "booted" from timeshare sites (including this one) and also previously disappeared rather quickly from eBay --- maybe now "he's BAAACK..."

What this fellow was proposing to do seemed to be, in effect, outright fraud (which, by the way, potentially has criminal consequences).

If it's the same fellow, the "trust" he set up, according to his own open proclamations, is evidently just a "shell" --- a non-existent entity comprised of non-existent people. He seemed at the time to be bragging that "the resorts wouldn't be able to touch him". I remember openly stating in response, in various forums at that time, that *IF* he was correct that the resorts couldn't touch him, then the judicial system most certainly could --- and very likely would do so at some point if he was deliberately and knowingly engaged in fraud.

I seem to vaguely further recall that his scheme was to ultimately approach the resort with the newly recorded deed, now in the name of this shell / "trust" (... a deed which may ultimately be determined to be legally invalid anyhow, if it was actually created and recorded under willfully fraudulent circumstances in the first place). He went on to further announce that he would at some point approach the resort and basically announce that his "shell" / trust) was the new owner --- and ask them "would you NOW like to take this timeshare back, since the shell / trust is (at least in his own mind, anyhow) is allegedly "untouchable" and that further, will not be accepting or paying any past, present or future maintenance fees?"

So the deal is "Pay someone $300 to buy your TS and put it in the name of a company/trust. Then have the trust disband and now the HOA has no one to go after."
Without question it is unethical and likely illegal.
 
Top