SellMyTimeshareNow

[M&M in Arizona]

Has anyone any info about this company? They pop up in all searches.

 

[WorldT]

Did you read the messages in the searches in which you say they popped up?

 

[VacationForever]

It's a listing company. They don't sell anything other than take your money to list the timeshare for sale. If you are buying, they will hit you with high closing costs.

 

[RX8]

There are only two kinds of listing companies. One would be the true scammers who do absolutely nothing for the hundreds or thousands of upfront fees. They don’t even have individualized ads. They pretend to market your timeshare through events or directly to corporate entities. All of that would be lies. The second kind would be Sell My Timeshare Now. They have been around for many years and they do provide individualized ads. However, that doesn’t make them worth the upfront fee. There are many, many over priced timeshares for sale or rent at their website. They don’t care that they collect their upfront fee for someone to advertise their Westgate timeshare for sale at $50,000.

 

[dioxide45]

There are only two kinds of listing companies. One would be the true scammers who do absolutely nothing for the hundreds or thousands of upfront fees. They don’t even have individualized ads. They pretend to market your timeshare through events or directly to corporate entities. All of that would be lies. The second kind would be Sell My Timeshare Now. They have been around for many years and they do provide individualized ads. However, that doesn’t make them worth the upfront fee. There are many, many over priced timeshares for sale or rent at their website. They don’t care that they collect their upfront fee for someone to advertise their Westgate timeshare for sale at $50,000.

They claim they are not brokers or licensed real estate agents and thus can not provide advise on pricing. Which they legally can't. They use this to their advantage. Timeshares Only is another such outfit. They however feed resales that actually have value through a related broker company.

 

[RX8]

They claim they are not brokers or licensed real estate agents and thus can not provide advise on pricing. Which they legally can't. They use this to their advantage. Timeshares Only is another such outfit. They however feed resales that actually have value through a related broker company.

I am not sure of the legality, but SMTN is in fact providing advice on pricing. SMTN's website includes a section called "What's my timeshare worth?". You fill in your resort information and on the last step you are required to enter your name, email and phone number. When you submit, you get this:

"Your ownership information was received and has been assigned to one of our Timeshare Resale Specialists for immediate review. We are analyzing current asking prices in our marketplace for similar properties, as well as other market data, in order to compile your market value survey.

We will contact you shortly to review the Market Value Survey for your specific property."

As they are using existing asking prices in their market value "analysis", I wonder how much the SMTN ad shown below is going to impact their analysis. SMTN, and all other listing companies for that matter, know that if timeshare owners think that their timeshare is worth thousands of dollars it makes it easier for them to close the deal on the upfront fee.

Edited: Just for fun, I looked at all the timeshares for sale on SMTN's website.

2,767 total for sale
777 are < $1,000 (28%)
1,291 are $25,000+ (47%)
849 are $30,000+ (31%)
112 are $150,000+ (4%)

I was surprised to see 28% below $1,000. I suspect that many of these may be desperate owners who have dropped their listing prices after getting no inquiries. I am not really surprised to see that almost 1/2 of all ads are listed for over $25,000 or that there are more listed for over $30,000 than there are below $1,000.

 

[VanX]

I’ve bought timeshares through SMTN and found that they didn’t know the true value of what they were selling and often didn’t know what the membership contract wording actually meant - in terms of value it had.

Example is one I bought was a 2018 Mexican 25 year resort membership with 2066 nights or 295 weeks in it. Fixed rate in a specific room category of a specific hotel plus 30% and 35% discounts in other room categories at the same hotel. Also includes 25% off in a room category at their other 5 hotels. Cancun, Riviera Maya, and Dominican Republic.

I had bought from them previously for the same resort and had told them what I was looking for more of these memberships. They contacted me with this membership for sale but didn’t have a copy of the actual membership contract for sale but they had some info to provide highlights I was very familiar with.

I use it for RCI exchanges and as well at the resort chain hotels and got it for $2500USD. There are no annual maintenance fees

I have made money with it. I added 4 beneficiaries onto my membership selling 50 nights to each person for $50 per night so they can book at fixed rates in the resort.

So that’s $10K USD I’ve made by adding beneficiaries to my resort membership on the first round and each new beneficiary can purchase up to 150 nights each still leaving me a bunch of weeks for RCI exchanges as well as booking the resorts at fixed rates. I can make another 20k USD through beneficiaries with it by selling the 4 beneficiaries the other 100 nights I committed to let them buy. One couple has used their first 50 nights and have purchased another $2500USD worth (50 nights)

The membership also came with 6 resort referrals a year and I ensure I each is used which earns me $250USD in resort credit that I can use for booking. SMTN saw the 6 referrals and understood that as being allowed to go 6 times a year to the resorts. Not even close to what the membership referrals meant.

That’s $1500 USD a year earned and it can be as high as 3K per year since I can earn another $250USD per referral if the referral guests decides to join the membership during their stay. So it’s $250USD when they attend the presentation and another $250USD if they join. The referral guests do have to attend as I help them book and save them 25% when booking by using the referral since the resort charges them the full resort price if they don’t attend the presentation during their stay so they are motivated to attend.

SMTN hadn’t even listed the membership for sale and asked me to help them put a blue on it since I had bought similar ones from them before. This one didn’t match the normal criteria I look for which includes RCI points membership with over 200k points per year deposited for free each year. Newer memberships are now weeks RCI memberships (TPU’s) and not Points.

I told them to me it was worth $2500USD to me and the lawyer selling the membership for his divorcing client was very happy to get that amount thinking it was worthless - as most are.

You can find diamonds in SMTN but you do need to be the expert to know what it is as the sales people aren’t often knowledgeable and I’ve found they can’t get you details needed.

Other than the one above all others I bought through SMTN they were able to get me a copy of the membership contract for sale and they often misunderstood what was in the contract. I did have to know what the membership contract included and by passing on many of them for sale I have been lucky to always make money with each purchased membership.

People here in TUG are super helpful and very knowledgeable. Joining resort FB groups can also help you learn some inside member info about what I call value centers in resort membership contracts.

Good luck!

 

[Volkyro]

Did you read the messages in the searches in which you say they popped up?

If I could like this 1000 times, I would.

 

[rickandcindy23]

If you inquire on an ad, you aren't likely to get an answer, which means the poor suckers who paid to advertise are getting NOTHING for the money they paid to advertise on the site. It's a ridiculous site.

 

[e.bram]

I got a good deal buying with them.
You have to know what you are doing!
You can get a good deal.

 

[HudsHut]

A recent thread where someone states a parent signed up with SMTN to offload a Marriott property (which actually has some resale value). Of course, they listed it at way too high a price, and it has not sold.

Options for unloading parents' timeshares?

My parents own two timeshares, Marriott's Canyon Villas at Desert Ridge (floating 2 bedroom 2 bath) and Marriott Vacation Club Destinations (points property, varying bed & bath), which they no longer use and would like to sell. My mother was sucked into signing a contract with Sell My...

tugbbs.com

 

[TUGBrian]

I was surprised to see 28% below $1,000. I suspect that many of these may be desperate owners who have dropped their listing prices after getting no inquiries. I am not really surprised to see that almost 1/2 of all ads are listed for over $25,000 or that there are more listed for over $30,000 than there are below $1,000.

also have to factor in that listings there NEVER expire once they are posted. can check out some of the listing numbers and guestimate how long some of those have been posted knowing they wont ever sell.

 

[TUGBrian]

not the most flattering of reviews when the only positives come on the buying side and seem to rely on the seller not knowing what they are listing.

 

[ScoopKona]

not the most flattering of reviews when the only positives come on the buying side and seem to rely on the seller not knowing what they are listing.

All of these companies rely on the timeshare owner who has thrown up their hands and cursed, "I am [censored] DONE with this timeshare. I want it excised from my life like a tumor."

They don't want to listen if people tell them, "The only easy thing about owning a timeshare is buying it from a developer. Everything else is made purposefully difficult. This industry was designed to be complicated and confusing. Because an informed buyer isn't going to put up with the song-and-dance.

And it doesn't matter how much negative attention these companies receive. 60 Minutes could run a feature about them every week in perpetuity. And still people would rush to them, because they are "[censored] DONE with this timeshare."

 

[TUGBrian]

its always easier to sell someone by telling them what they want to hear than to tell them the truth thats for sure!

 

[ScoopKona]

its always easier to sell someone by telling them what they want to hear than to tell them the truth thats for sure!

I agree -- but it goes even further than that. These companies are tapping into frustration. If I created a company which promised to make computers do what people want in exchange for a shocking monthly fee, I'd have to beat customers away with a stick. I have a relative who has absolutely no patience for anything computer related. Either it works first-try, no learning curve, or he's ready to frisbee his laptop into the ocean.

Windows update just broke my trusty home theater PC. Took the better part of yesterday afternoon to reinstall the operating system -- because none of the usual fixes worked. (This computer is old enough to start taking driving lessons.) Most of the people I know don't have the patience to fix this sort of problem.

"I just want it to work!"

Pretty much the same thing as timeshares -- minus the maintenance fees and the difficulty of disposal.

 

[TUGBrian]

That doesnt address that the owner is still being misled as to the actual resale value of their timeshare as part of the "pitch"

Id have no disagreement at all with upfront fee resale companies if their pitch was "you will be lucky to give this away for free, even if you offer to pay closing costs".... vs implying the owner can pay for their premium services and get that or even more money back when it sells knowing full well it wont.

 

[Sugarcubesea]

It's a listing company. They don't sell anything other than take your money to list the timeshare for sale. If you are buying, they will hit you with high closing costs.

I so agree with both of your points above and I have reached out to purchase weeks they have had on their site for over 2+ years, I make an offer they tell me they will get back to me and never do, I tried twice to purchase units that they have for sale and a few months back when yet another agent from their company called me, I told him he has had this ad up for 2+ years and I do not believe that he actually has the ability to sell this unit, as when I make an offer your company ghosts me, or try and call me 6 months later with a resort I did not place an offer on... I personally think they are a horrible company with zero customer service.

 

[ScoopKona]

That doesnt address that the owner is still being misled as to the actual resale value of their timeshare as part of the "pitch"

Id have no disagreement at all with upfront fee resale companies if their pitch was "you will be lucky to give this away for free, even if you offer to pay closing costs".... vs implying the owner can pay for their premium services and get that or even more money back when it sells knowing full well it wont.

We're in PT Barnum territory with these companies. Or even "Nigerian Prince scam" territory.

During the real estate crash, there were FSBO sellers who listed their houses for precisely what they paid for the house just before the crash. "I paid $500,000 so by god that's what I'm going to sell it for."

There was no reasoning with those people, either. They weren't just unrealistic, they were hostile to the very idea of reality.

 

[brent2000]

I'm going to sell a couple deeds from Westin Ka'anapali Villas North (KORN). Of course, I intend to list on TUG. But I want to list on other sites too. I looked on SMTN, and they have over 150 units listed from KORN. I can't believe that these are all current. Most are WAY over priced, but a few look like bargains. Any insight on whether all these SMTN listings are legit or are they just listing a few units at a variety of price points? Has anyone bought a Westin Villas deed through SMTN?

 

[dioxide45]

I'm going to sell a couple deeds from Westin Ka'anapali Villas North (KORN). Of course, I intend to list on TUG. But I want to list on other sites too. I looked on SMTN, and they have over 150 units listed from KORN. I can't believe that these are all current. Most are WAY over priced, but a few look like bargains. Any insight on whether all these SMTN listings are legit or are they just listing a few units at a variety of price points? Has anyone bought a Westin Villas deed through SMTN?

SMTN is just a timeshare listing website that collects a high upfront fee from an owner to slap a listing on their website. They do no vetting of the list price and don't care because they get their fee at time of listing. They aren't as concerned if it sells. They charge high closing costs to the buyer which also drives away potential purchasers. Many of those weeks have been on the site for years. Look at listing on Redweek or the TUG Marketplace.

 

[HudsHut]

Look at Redweek for comps and to list.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Call or email Syed Sarmad at advantagevacation.com to list Westin North for sale.

 

[VicB]

I am not sure of the legality, but SMTN is in fact providing advice on pricing. SMTN's website includes a section called "What's my timeshare worth?". You fill in your resort information and on the last step you are required to enter your name, email and phone number. When you submit, you get this:

"Your ownership information was received and has been assigned to one of our Timeshare Resale Specialists for immediate review. We are analyzing current asking prices in our marketplace for similar properties, as well as other market data, in order to compile your market value survey.

We will contact you shortly to review the Market Value Survey for your specific property."

As they are using existing asking prices in their market value "analysis", I wonder how much the SMTN ad shown below is going to impact their analysis. SMTN, and all other listing companies for that matter, know that if timeshare owners think that their timeshare is worth thousands of dollars it makes it easier for them to close the deal on the upfront fee.


View attachment 91354

Edited: Just for fun, I looked at all the timeshares for sale on SMTN's website.

2,767 total for sale
777 are < $1,000 (28%)
1,291 are $25,000+ (47%)
849 are $30,000+ (31%)
112 are $150,000+ (4%)

I was surprised to see 28% below $1,000. I suspect that many of these may be desperate owners who have dropped their listing prices after getting no inquiries. I am not really surprised to see that almost 1/2 of all ads are listed for over $25,000 or that there are more listed for over $30,000 than there are below $1,000.

I spoke to them as we are looking to retire and for health reasons, I may not be able to travel. They said "The average price range for Marriott Vacation Club Destinations points is $7 to $10 per annual point and the Ko Olina biennial odd year float week mountain view range is $14,900 to $18,000. Attached is the info they provide. Anyme with specific complaints about them?

 

[vacationtime1]

Check out the asking prices for your week and points at www.Redweek.com and you will see that the estimates you received from SMTN are somewhere between wildly optimistic and completely irrational. You will not sell your timeshares for those estimated prices on SMTN or anywhere else because those estimates are a multiple of FMV in each case. SMTN gave you those estimates to induce you to sign up with them. Don't.

STMN makes money on listings; listings languish because of the absurd pricing.