Phone Call from “PCE” [MERGED]

[Dean]

I call BS on this. Those local numbers usually belong to another person. I know I have received calls from people saying I called them. I didn't. The caller ID number being displayed isn't a callback number that goes to the person who called you. They use the local number in hopes to spoof you into thinking it is a real person calling you instead of some telemarketing scam. LOo distance charges are pretty much a relic of the past.

On one occasion I texted I couldn't talk right now and got a text back from another party asking why I texted them. The scammer had spoofed the other person's number. It is my understanding that all spoofing is illegal based on the intent to mislead.

 

[RX8]

It's not illegal to use local numbers even if they are in another state. It's done so you can call back without having long-distance charges. If the company is legit they won't ask for money over the phone, they won't try to give you dinners and gifts to show, and if you call the number back they will answer or call you back if it goes to voice mail.

There are A LOT of scams out there. But there are also many good companies that call and actually help with your issues.

I had to get out of one of my resorts a few years ago and after meeting with a few scammers I actually met with a company that helped me.

I don't have an opinion about the company you guys are talking about. But the amount of misinformation being spread in this discussion is crazy.

On another note Marriott was the resort I got out of and it was because non-owners were using the resort easier and cheaper than I was able to. And it's really not okay that I had to pay more and struggle to use it. It got to the point where I'd have to pretend to not be an owner just to find availability and after doing that a couple times when I said I was an owner I was told oh sorry it just booked.

There is a lot of misinformation in your post but that is your purpose.

A cold call ignoring DNC rules spoofing phone numbers is absolutely illegal. Despite what you say, spammers, or even legit companies, aren't using hundreds or thousands of legit local numbers so that their customers across the country "can call back without having long-distance charges". That is ridiculous. A legit company will have a toll-free number. I will agree with you on one thing and that is there are many good companies that call and help with issues. However, cold calling exit companies are not going to be on of those "good companies". It is odd that you searched TUG for a thread on Property Council Education, a “company” that doesn't have a website or a phone number. Nothing legit about them.

Your reason you got out saying "because non-owners were using the resort easier and cheaper than I was able to" is exactly the scare tactics the scammers use. Desperate people who are free from a timeshare want nothing to do with timeshares after that and they definitely do not go looking for forum threads to post glowing reviews about a company who just took thousands of dollars from them. People who do that are employees of the company creating fake profiles to try and fool future victims.

From the FTC website:

When is spoofing illegal? Under the Truth in Caller ID Act, FCC rules prohibit anyone from transmitting misleading or inaccurate caller ID information with the intent to defraud, cause harm or wrongly obtain anything of value. Anyone who is illegally spoofing can face penalties of up to $10,000 for each violation.

 

[davidvel]

There is a lot of misinformation in your post but that is your purpose.

A cold call ignoring DNC rules spoofing phone numbers is absolutely illegal. Despite what you say, spammers, or even legit companies, aren't using hundreds or thousands of legit local numbers so that their customers across the country "can call back without having long-distance charges". That is ridiculous. A legit company will have a toll-free number. I will agree with you on one thing and that is there are many good companies that call and help with issues. However, cold calling exit companies are not going to be on of those "good companies". It is odd that you searched TUG for a thread on Property Council Education, a company that doesn't even have a phone number, let alone a website. Nothing legit about them.

Your reason you got out saying "because non-owners were using the resort easier and cheaper than I was able to" is exactly the scare tactics the scammers use. Desperate people who are free from a timeshare want nothing to do with timeshares after that and they definitely do not go looking for forum threads to post glowing reviews about a company who just took thousands of dollars from them. People who do that are employees of the company creating fake profiles to try and fool future victims.

From the FTC website:

When is spoofing illegal? Under the Truth in Caller ID Act, FCC rules prohibit anyone from transmitting misleading or inaccurate caller ID information with the intent to defraud, cause harm or wrongly obtain anything of value. Anyone who is illegally spoofing can face penalties of up to $10,000 for each violation.

I agree with everything you say here, and add that people who pretend to be customers giving positive reviews who either work for or at the direction of said company are also breaking the law.

To clarify one thing, spoofing a number is certainly illegal. However, using a VOIP # in a different area than you are located is not, unless expressly being done to defraud. It seems there is some question about whether the number was spoofed or just a VOIP line. Either way, this does sound like a completely made up story, so who cares.

On that note, I can't even follow what is being claimed, and the contention that non-owners can reserve Marriott timeshare weeks, but owners cannot is absurd. What a load of manure this line is: "I'd have to pretend to not be an owner just to find availability and after doing that a couple times when I said I was an owner I was told oh sorry it just booked." If you told owner services you were not an owner, they would not talk to you.

 

[rthib]

There is a lot of misinformation in your post but that is your purpose.

A cold call ignoring DNC rules spoofing phone numbers is absolutely illegal. Despite what you say, spammers, or even legit companies, aren't using hundreds or thousands of legit local numbers so that their customers across the country "can call back without having long-distance charges". That is ridiculous. A legit company will have a toll-free number. I will agree with you on one thing and that is there are many good companies that call and help with issues. However, cold calling exit companies are not going to be on of those "good companies". It is odd that you searched TUG for a thread on Property Council Education, a company that doesn't even have a phone number, let alone a website. Nothing legit about them.

Your reason you got out saying "because non-owners were using the resort easier and cheaper than I was able to" is exactly the scare tactics the scammers use. Desperate people who are free from a timeshare want nothing to do with timeshares after that and they definitely do not go looking for forum threads to post glowing reviews about a company who just took thousands of dollars from them. People who do that are employees of the company creating fake profiles to try and fool future victims.

From the FTC website:

When is spoofing illegal? Under the Truth in Caller ID Act, FCC rules prohibit anyone from transmitting misleading or inaccurate caller ID information with the intent to defraud, cause harm or wrongly obtain anything of value. Anyone who is illegally spoofing can face penalties of up to $10,000 for each violation.

The other spam trick is a newbie posting “does anyone know any good exit companies they trust?”
Followed by a reply from another newbie “I used ‘definitely Not a scam company’, I heard their ads on the radio and was skeptical but they were able to save me thousands of dollars.”
See that one all the time for time shares but also about any other scammy service.

 

[LeslieDet]

It's not illegal to use local numbers even if they are in another state. It's done so you can call back without having long-distance charges. If the company is legit they won't ask for money over the phone, they won't try to give you dinners and gifts to show, and if you call the number back they will answer or call you back if it goes to voice mail.

There are A LOT of scams out there. But there are also many good companies that call and actually help with your issues.

I had to get out of one of my resorts a few years ago and after meeting with a few scammers I actually met with a company that helped me.

I don't have an opinion about the company you guys are talking about. But the amount of misinformation being spread in this discussion is crazy.

On another note Marriott was the resort I got out of and it was because non-owners were using the resort easier and cheaper than I was able to. And it's really not okay that I had to pay more and struggle to use it. It got to the point where I'd have to pretend to not be an owner just to find availability and after doing that a couple times when I said I was an owner I was told oh sorry it just booked.

Complete and utter BS. It sure sounds like you are from one of those scammer "exit" companies. It is not legally possible to "get out" of your ownership because "non-owners were using the resort". That is so false, the BS is still steaming as it sits on this page.

 

[dioxide45]

I think these posters just come along now and then to provide some comic relief.

 

[daviator]

I call BS on this. Those local numbers usually belong to another person. I know I have received calls from people saying I called them. I didn't. The caller ID number being displayed isn't a callback number that goes to the person who called you. They use the local number in hopes to spoof you into thinking it is a real person calling you instead of some telemarketing scam. LOo distance charges are pretty much a relic of the past.

It would appear that one of the scammy exit firms has infiltrated our group.

 

[davidvel]

I think these posters just come along now and then to provide some comic relief.

Probably just told to go "spread the gospel" and they are not aware of the defense systems set up at TUG. They rarely come back.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

But there are also many good companies that call and actually help with your issues.

Like who?

I had to get out of one of my resorts a few years ago and after meeting with a few scammers I actually met with a company that helped me

What company and how did they help you?

 

[spider_eater]

I call BS on this. Those local numbers usually belong to another person. I know I have received calls from people saying I called them. I didn't. The caller ID number being displayed isn't a callback number that goes to the person who called you. They use the local number in hopes to spoof you into thinking it is a real person calling you instead of some telemarketing scam. LOo distance charges are pretty much a relic of the past.

Your correct long distance charges are a thing of the past for most people, it also started long long ago.

As I stated a legitimate company will answer or call you back.
I know occasionally the system can glitch and use numbers it shouldn't, but it's set up to only use numbers that are not currently used, like those free texting apps.

If they are spoofing used numbers regularly then clearly it's a scam.

 

[spider_eater]

Like who?

What company and how did they help you?

I think the company was TCA (trade something) it's been a few years. They got me out of my time share and got me a reimbursement as well. It was a small reimbursement but I thought it was better then getting the run around from Marriott and hearing about how mine wasn't worth anything and I'd have to upgrade for them to take it.

 

[spider_eater]

Probably just told to go "spread the gospel" and they are not aware of the defense systems set up at TUG. They rarely come back.

Sorry I don't live online enough to satisfy you

 

[Dean]

I think the company was TCA (trade something) it's been a few years. They got me out of my time share and got me a reimbursement as well. It was a small reimbursement but I thought it was better then getting the run around from Marriott and hearing about how mine wasn't worth anything and I'd have to upgrade for them to take it.

Did you have to pay anything else or did you get out for basically free? What was the resort and season/week so we can judge it's underlying value and compare.

 

[dioxide45]

I think the company was TCA (trade something) it's been a few years. They got me out of my time share and got me a reimbursement as well. It was a small reimbursement but I thought it was better then getting the run around from Marriott and hearing about how mine wasn't worth anything and I'd have to upgrade for them to take it.

You realize you could have done this yourself for free by simply contacting Marriott? For a short period of time, MVC had an active buyback program. One where they actually paid people to buy the weeks.

 

[RX8]

I don’t believe any of it.

If I got rid of my sewing machine years ago I wouldn’t join a sewing machine forum today to search out a specific thread and to post how happy I was to have paid someone $2,000 for them to get rid of it for me.

 

[Dean]

I found this site interesting https://www.kontraktservice.com/tca/. TCA is UK based as I understand it, maybe Barry could chime in if he has any info on it.

 

[RX8]

I found this site interesting https://www.kontraktservice.com/tca/. TCA is UK based as I understand it, maybe Barry could chime in if he has any info on it.

This “TCA” popped up on TUG in 2022. At the time, I also couldn’t find anything on TCA except the reference to the European company.

There are similarities between Property Counsel Education and TCA:

First is that they both have no website or phone number that I can find.

Second, they are using names that are the same as other legit companies (PCE using the name of an Australian company and TCA a European company).

Third, they both cold call offering the same scammy hotel meetings to pressure timeshare owners with mountains of lies.

Fourth, in an effort to get people to attend they both are using the same lie about the resort renting units cheaper than owners are paying.

My guess is that these two scammers are the same people.

TCA [timeshare rescue Co.]

A law firm(they claimed) by the name of TCA called me to attend a meeting at a Hotel that is about two hours away. They claim the management of my timeshare have been renting out the timeshare for less than I pay in maintenance fees. Also, once I tried to make a reservation over a holiday and...

tugbbs.com

And this:

Unsolicited phone call followed by this email. Caller named "Angel" says they are filing to stop maintenance fees!

Here is the letter I was sent. The spiel was that they are doing a group filing against DVC since owners are complaining about high maintenance fees. Some of which can be attributed to non-members renting out their points for less than the maintenance fees which is a violation of the legal...

tugbbs.com

And TCA has used the same exact email as TFC/tradebloc Here is a thread on that scammer. Again, probably the same scam operation

[ 2021 ] Lawyer based exit company TFC/Tradebloc *WARNING*

WARNING. I recently attended a presentation by a lawyer-based exit company called TFC, a division of Tradebloc. Their schtick is that they claim a high "success rate" for exiting (for our group) Hilton timeshares of 96% by filing class action lawsuits -- for a price. The minimum cost is $3850 if...

tugbbs.com

 

[133CC]

Putting this here because 2 days ago I received a phone call from a "group" called PCE...... a very nice older sounding lady (Wendy) who immediately sounded different from all the other spam calls I get about my timeshare. I only recently purchased my Holiday Inn Vacation timeshare and bought in at the lowest points thinking I'd try this....... I haven't even booked a trip yet and she started telling me that it's such a good thing she reached me now because they have lawyers that are currently filing suites because of the "exclusivity" clauses that most states have. I am being asked to go to Charlotte, NC tomorrow to meet them and when I looked up the address, it's in a hotel dining room of some sort........ I immediately started searching "PCE" and couldn't find anything but this thread.

 

[LeslieDet]

Putting this here because 2 days ago I received a phone call from a "group" called PCE...... a very nice older sounding lady (Wendy) who immediately sounded different from all the other spam calls I get about my timeshare. I only recently purchased my Holiday Inn Vacation timeshare and bought in at the lowest points thinking I'd try this....... I haven't even booked a trip yet and she started telling me that it's such a good thing she reached me now because they have lawyers that are currently filing suites because of the "exclusivity" clauses that most states have. I am being asked to go to Charlotte, NC tomorrow to meet them and when I looked up the address, it's in a hotel dining room of some sort........ I immediately started searching "PCE" and couldn't find anything but this thread.

You are wasting your time going to any sort of presentation. You may as well ask if your wealthy Nigerian uncle will be joining the discussion. BTW - that is not how litigation works. She may sound nice, but she is a scammer reading a script, hoping to separate you from your money. That is her goal.

 

[theallens5]

We also received a call from "PCE" wanting us to listen to a presentation also at a hotel nearby. We decided to check out (purely out of curiosity) There were 2 men and 1 woman present. One guy gave the presentation and the others swooped in after to try to take your money. They presented paperwork with a company name of Tradebloc Inc. The stated the were BBB accredited (they were not) they wanted $5950 upfront.
I actually went as far as to let the intake dept. call me on Mon. and I asked who the folks that were at the hotel worked for and she was not able to anwer that, nor were there listed under "staff" at "Tradebloc Inc.
SCAM, SCAM, SCAM!

 

[Irishclan]

Has anyone received a phone call from a group called PCE(Property Council Education)? They were looking for unhappy Marriott Owners. It sounds like a class action lawsuit, but now I wonder if it is one of those timeshare exit scams.

I just received a call last night . Guy was polite , tried to get me to attend a meeting at hotel but I told home we couldn’t commit and just send the info and he did. He led with Marriott, aggressive sales practices to get us to buy (they do this ) rapidly increasing maintenance fees (true) , inability to book properties they say are available. I live in NJ . The message he sent me to attend is as follows:

Hello IrishClan


Radisson Hotel Freehold

50 Gibson Pl, Freehold, NJ 07728



Date: Thursday, April 18th, 2024

Time: 6:45 PM

We are contacting you to confirm the appointment we have you scheduled for.



We encourage all parties recorded on the deed, as well as your spouse, if married to attend; to get the legal information for all parties involved. Any documents you may have such as; deed, maintenance fee bills, or other documents may also be helpful to us (but not required to attend).



If you need to change your reservation, please call 469-283-8526 as seating is limited. We look forward to meeting with you.



*We are not affiliated with any timeshare companies.*



Heather Ludwin

Coordinator

PCE

Office Number: 469.283.8526

 

[Irishclan]

Call on Jan 29th from 561 210 4665 - they're having a meeting in Boca Raton for dissatisfied Marriott owners, price of maintenance and selling villas lower than owner's pricing.

I just posted the correspondence they sent me with 2 phone numbers and a couple names as well

 

[RX8]

I just posted the correspondence they sent me with 2 phone numbers and a couple names as well

Thanks for sharing. You do realize that this is just a scam that entails lies, half truths, scare tactics and large upfront fees, correct?

@STLBBB

 

[Huskerpaul]

I just posted the correspondence they sent me with 2 phone numbers and a couple names as well

I suspect this person is affiliated with the company and the "posting correspondence" is really just them trying to get their scammer info out to desperate owners.

 

[theo]

Has anyone received a phone call from a group called PCE (Property Council Education)? They were looking for unhappy Marriott Owners. It sounds like a class action lawsuit, but now I wonder if it is one of those timeshare exit scams.

PCE --- a.k.a. Potentially Conning Everyone.
But not you.....I hope.