Please Help - What's your recent experience with Marc Thomas/The Timeshare Guy?

[wendyss1]

We were ready to sign with Marc Thomas today and have him sell our TS when we stumbled upon a bunch of mixed reviews about him. So far he's been responsive to our emails and his fee is more reasonable compared to other companies. But those bad reviews (which were more recent than the good ones) made us think if we should go to a different direction. Any insights?

 

[DeniseM]

Are you paying an upfront fee?

 

[wendyss1]

He asks for $99 for listing, then $500 commission once it sells.

 

[John Cummings]

Sell it yourself. You don't need a Realtor. You can list it on TUG, MyResortNetwork.com, Redweek.com, etc.

Don't expect to get very much. Many timeshares are available for $1 and some can't even be given away.

 

[ronparise]

I cant speak to the honesty or responsibility of Marc Thomas...I have no personal experience with him nor have I heard anyone discussing their experiences with him

But I will say , contrary to some of the advice here: Dont be afraid of paying someone to do a job for you, especially if you dont have the time or expertise or interest to do it yourself. I pay lots of folks to do work for me that I am quite capable of doing myself for a whole lot less money; oil changes for my car, cleaning the gutters on my house for example. Generally its "dirty work" that I contract out. And you should know, timeshare is a dirty business

And also, contrary to the advice here I wouldnt be afraid to pay an upfront fee to put someone to work on your behalf. The fee should be reasonable. and you should trust that you will actually get what you are paying for. but once you do your homework (which you are doing here) and trust is established I wouldnt be afraid of it

By the way the fees you are being quoted seem very reasonable to me. even if this guy is a crook, you havent lost a lot

 

[rickandcindy23]

I cant speak to the honesty or responsibility of Marc Thomas...I have no personal experience with him nor have I heard anyone discussing their experiences with him

But I will say , contrary to some of the advice here: Dont be afraid of paying someone to do a job for you, especially if you dont have the time or expertise or interest to do it yourself. I pay lots of folks to do work for me that I am quite capable of doing myself for a whole lot less money; oil changes for my car, cleaning the gutters on my house for example. Generally its "dirty work" that I contract out. And you should know, timeshare is a dirty business

And also, contrary to the advice here I wouldnt be afraid to pay an upfront fee to put someone to work on your behalf. The fee should be reasonable. and you should trust that you will actually get what you are paying for. but once you do your homework (which you are doing here) and trust is established I wouldnt be afraid of it

By the way the fees you are being quoted seem very reasonable to me. even if this guy is a crook, you havent lost a lot

The TUG mantra has always been not to pay an upfront fee, and that still stands. $99 is an upfront fee to list a timeshare, which will probably go on some obscure site on the net. Unless you have sold a timeshare with Timeshare Guy, or whatever he calls himself, we have to assume this is another scammer.

Never heard of this guy. Maybe someone on TUG has, but there is not much of a market for many timeshares, unless you own Marriott, Hilton, DVC, or one of the other big name brands. So don't pay this guy anything. The next call you get may be, "I found a buyer, but he has asked for you to pay closing costs, so please send another $699 for closing costs immediately, so we can start the transfer process." Once they have found a sucker, you are indeed going to continue paying, and they know it.

 

[vacationhopeful]

I too pay realtors for work that I don't have the time or interest to do myself. While I am speaking of non-timeshare real estate, I think many here would say - you can do all that yourself.

Yes, I can do it myself! And have for years. Times change. And therefore, business models must change. For me, it is a factor of MY TIME and ACCESS to professional websites. I manage a realtor now - but their offices and websites establish my item for sale as ligit and not a scam. The real estate salespersons have immediate phone contact info, run to show time & gas expenses, and eliminate the unqualified persons (to a small degree).

Do what is right for you, but you must do the background work to KNOW what is reasonable and to not get scammed.

 

[vacationhopeful]

The next call you get may be, "I found a buyer, but he has asked for you to pay closing costs, so please send another $699 for closing costs immediately, so we can start the transfer process." Once they have found a sucker, you are indeed going to continue paying, and they know it.

This is what does happen almost all the time. That $99 fee will be put on your check card? Tell them that you use Paypal only.

And, they will use excuses for more money via a Title Search is required, escrow fees, deed prep & recording fees ....

I did pay a Tugger for processing a private transfer last year - total costs were around $115.

 

[rickandcindy23]

New info, and very interesting. Perhaps he is legit. His listings start at almost $0 and go up, up, up... but he has a testimonial from Alan Cole on his website on Lowveld Lodge. Alan bought from them, but I doubt he sold anything.

I wouldn't pay him to list, only to sell, and I would pay the $600 after selling, once I have the cash in my hands. If he gave you some indication that your timeshare is worth more than you can get it on eBay, he's blowing smoke.

Rick and I bought Shearwater from Timeshares Only five years ago, and we paid a lot more than we paid for our second Shearwater we found on eBay. I wouldn't pay a fee to list with Timeshares Only, that's for sure.

 

[ran-ran]

My personal experience with Marc Thomas

I have had some personal experience with Marc and I am pleased to share it with you.

I found Marc Thomas back in 2002 when I was looking for a timeshare to purchase. Marc was very helpful in assisting me in my first timeshare purchase of two weeks in South Africa. The timeshares were great for exchanging until the Seapointer decided to end the timeshare scheme.

Marc would occasionally send out emails from time to time and it was always good to here from him in regards to what timeshares he was selling, either as a broker for the timeshare company and/or individuals.

The transaction for the purchase went very smoothly and I have actually kept in touch with him. When the Seapointer decided to close the timeshare, I contacted Marc because I knew he was also an owner there and discussed options. He was straightforward and insightful.

I actually look at Marc's portfolio prior to looking elsewhere but since he did not have what I wanted to replace my two weeks in South Africa I looked elsewhere.

Regarding his fee to assist you in selling your timeshare, I am not familiar with that side of his portfolio as I was a buyer. However, I do not think that $99.00 is unreasonable if you want a licensed realtor to handle the entire transaction for you. However, I would encourage you to attempt to sell you timeshare on TUG, eBay, myresortnetork and others before paying a fee, especially if you are willing to give it away.

 

[DeniseM]

There are mixed reviews for Marc Thomas on TUG - http://www.google.com/search?client=gmail&rls=gm&q="marc thomas"site:tugbbs.com&safe=active

 

[wendyss1]

We just feel we're over our heads now, especially with the way the current market is right now and we need to liquidate the TS as soon as possible. I've been going to tons of sites, trying to get a feel of how much we can get for our 2Bed Marriott Grand Chateau in Vegas, and the prices are just all over the place.

I was pleasantly surprised about his fees, which I think even with the $99 upfront is still very reasonable and we don't mind paying (I could probably ask if we can pay $600 after selling instead). And there are people who're satisfied with his service in the past. However, the more recent postings (couple years ago) indicated he had a personal (drinking) problem that was affecting the way he did business.

If you know anybody reputable that can match his fee (or no more than $1K), please let me know.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Wendy, just because the fee is only $99, that is no reason to list with him. MGV is a great resort and will command more than the $1.00 price most Orlando timeshares on eBay get (if that), but it doesn't mean you will sell for a price you are happy getting.

I would contact Seth Nock or Judi Kozlowski (sp?), instead of this guy, simply because they have a clientele, and neither one of those companies have upfront fees. I see no reason to pay anything upfront, and if he says he incurs some expenses listing your timeshare on his site, he is full of baloney.

 

[DeniseM]

Wendy - I recommend that you look at the TUG Business reviews (listed right under the title of this forum) for reputable brokers.

There is no reason to pay an upfront fee - reputable brokers charge commission out of the proceeds of your sale.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I assume you have not paid off the timeshare, and you are over your head because you owe money and the fees every year as well.

If you owe much at all on the timeshare, you are never going to sell it for enough to pay off the "mortgage." Let's face it, your timeshare sells for a few thousand on eBay. If you are just tired of maintenance fees, you can sell it yourself on eBay.

Most TUG longtimers are probably thinking the same thing, so I will dare to say it here. You could be a shill for Marc Thomas, trying to drum up business.

 

[wendyss1]

The TS is paid for. We still need to pay the 2011 maintenance and tax though.

Besides, I was under the impression that a licensed broker/Realtor is required to sell a TS (Marc didn't tell me this; I was reading some threads/posts that said so). Am I mistaken?

 

[DeniseM]

These laws vary from state to state. But you can sell your timeshare yourself if you want to. For a timeshare with little or no resale value, that's the way to go. Then you use a reputable closing company to do the transfer.

Have you checked ebay to see what your timeshare is selling for?

 

[wendyss1]

Do I follow the State of Nevada's law then?

 

[rickandcindy23]

I believe it's Nevada laws, and I wonder if Marc is even licensed.

You might want to list your timeshare here on TUG in the classified ads, and then list it on My Resort Network, perhaps. I would never sell a MGC week, I would rent it out each year, until I could afford to use it again.

MGC is too valuable to sell for much less than you paid for it. Everyone goes on vacation, and in the Marriott system, you have a lot of options.

Reserve a great week and rent it.

 

[wendyss1]

I looked into Redweek.com, MyResortNetwork.com, eBay, and several brokers' website. They start from "Best Offer" to tens of thousands of dollars. When I emailed some brokers, they all came back with different numbers (one said it's very reasonable to expect $5-6K after his comission, another said these units have been selling for $3000-3500, and the last one said she sold one for $7500 last year).

 

[wendyss1]

Marc is a Realtor (not a licensed broker) based in Texas.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Marc is a Realtor (not a licensed broker) based in Texas.

I am a broker in Colorado, and you cannot be a Realtor without being a licensed broker. The two go together. You can be a broker and not a Realtor, but you cannot be a Realtor and not a broker. If he is claiming to be a Realtor and not a licensed broker, he is blowing smoke.

 

[DeniseM]

I looked into Redweek.com, MyResortNetwork.com, eBay, and several brokers' website. They start from "Best Offer" to tens of thousands of dollars. When I emailed some brokers, they all came back with different numbers (one said it's very reasonable to expect $5-6K after his comission, another said these units have been selling for $3000-3500, and the last one said she sold one for $7500 last year).

Anyone who tells you that your timeshare will sell for thousands of dollars is completely out of touch with the market, or a scammer who is just after your upfront fee.

The sad truth is that there are over 30 timeshares in Las Vegas, and there is far more supply than demand. The reputable brokers (please see the TUG Business ratings) charge a commission of $1,000 and up AFTER the sale. However, there is a good chance that your timeshare won't even sell for $1,000. That is why several people have recommended that you sell it yourself.

Again - reputable brokers do not charge an upfront fee.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Seth Nock's website: www.sellingtimeshares.net

I would use him, if I was desperate to get rid of a timeshare. But I would never be desperate to get rid of MGC, because I could rent it. Is it platinum? I wasn't sure if you had that info here.

 

[wendyss1]

Thanks a lot for the important tip. That's exactly what he told me on his email. I didn't even know the difference between the two, but at least now I know to steer clear of this person.