Timeshare Exit - Any experience with Clyde Masten and/or Timeshare Travis?

[ssemel]

I want to get rid of my timeshare in Las Vegas and I've occasionally called timeshare cancellation services for help. I've just spoken with Clyde Masten who claims to have a 100% success rate getting owners out of their timeshares by having those owners send various letters that Clyde has written, to the timeshare management companies and that he says work. He is associated with a man who calls himself Timeshare Travis and who puts out various videos aimed at unhappy timeshare owners like me, and who refers owners to Clyde when you respond to Travis's video come-on. Does anyone have any experience with either person? Clyde claims his fee for getting you out of your timeshare is $1495, payable after you receive all the letters and instructions he will provide you. He says he's not a lawyer, but a consumer advocate. (He also is an Elvis impersonator, which seems to be confirmed by his Facebook page.) I'm tired of paying ever-increasing annual maintenance fees when nothing improves at the timeshare site. And we don't even use it anymore. Please help. Thanks.

 

[JanT]

Run!!! As fast as you can! Anyone charging an upfront fee is almost certainly scamming you. Sell it yourself on Ebay, Redweek.com, and you can list it here on TUG. Give it away for free but do not pay anyone money upfront to sell your timeshare.

 

[silentg]

I agree with Jan, give it away on TUG.

 

[DaveNV]

The general consensus is that any company that charges you an upfront fee to get rid of your timeshare is a scam, in one form or another. In your scenario above, he provides you with his pre-written letters, which you pay him for. But what proof is there that the letters work, and the HOA actually takes back the timeshare? What happens if you pay that fee and things don't work? Not only are you still the owner, but now you're also $1500 poorer.

How hard have you tried to get rid of what you own? I'd think selling or giving it away on eBay or Redweek.com would find a buyer pretty quickly. This page is Completed Sales on eBay for your resort: A number of these have sold in the last few months. Yours could be one of them. https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=Club+de+Soleil&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&rt=nc&_odkw=timeshares+for+sale&_osacat=0&State%2FProvince=Nevada&_dcat=15897&LH_Complete=1

If your contract is paid in full, have you tried to sell or give away your timeshare right here on Tug? There are a lot of people who would be happy to accept a free timeshare. You could even agree to pay the transfer fees, which sweetens the pot for the new owner, and actually saves you money, since you're out from under the maintenance fees. I'd also wager the transfer fees would be less than the $1500 being quoted by the outfit you're dealing with now. Use LT Transfers to handle the paperwork on the sale - it'll cost you about $250 or so. Much cheaper than the company you're talking to now. https://www.lttransfers.com

Some resorts have a deedback program, where they will take it back from you, for a fee. Have you asked them?

If your contract is not paid in full, and the resort won't take it back, about the only way out that I know of is to declare a bankruptcy. That should be a last resort. But if you owe money on the contract, if bankruptcy isn't an option, you may be stuck with it until it's paid off.

Lots of ideas in the replies you've received so far. If you have questions, ask. This is what Tuggers do for each other.

Good luck!

Dave

 

[TUGBrian]

what efforts have you made thusfar to try to give it away that has you considering forking out 1500 bucks to some random shyster?

 

[SteveinHNL]

First things first. What is it you are trying to be rid of?

 

[RX8]

Are you thinking of using an exit company?

Don't do it! New exit companies keep popping up all the time. There is no regulation so anyone, even criminals, can call themselves an exit company and begin soliciting for money. They all start off the same - glitzy website, no complaints on the web, big promises, some companies with glowing...

tugbbs.com

Timeshare Travis is no consumer advocate. He is charging a $1495 upfront fee. While his fee is less than other exit companies he is going to be no different than the others.

 

[DaveNV]

First things first. What is it you are trying to be rid of?

OP's signature mentioned Club de Soleil in Las Vegas. I'm presuming that's the one.

Dave

 

[dioxide45]

I wonder if Timeshare Travis is related to Timeshare Tracy? I see their ads on YouTube fairly often.

 

[RX8]

As suspected, this is just the same scam run under a different name. Clyde Masten is the co-owner of “no more timeshare fees” (other owner is Lindsay Rae Haas who shares a home address with Clyde). That company’s BBB rating is an F with a consumer alert about a pattern of complaints. Clyde is no consumer advocate but rather a scammer who is changing names to keep ahead of the victims he leaves in his wake.

No More Timeshare Fees LLC | Better Business Bureau® Profile

This organization is not BBB accredited. Timeshare Transfer in Portage, WI. See BBB rating, reviews, complaints, & more.

www.bbb.org

Edited: And Clyde, a former used car salesman and Elvis impersonator, is also a convicted criminal.

The Strontium Scheme

Wisconsin investigators have discovered a new forensics method for catching criminals. And they owe it all to two sneaky deer hunters. It was back in November 1996 that Clyde Masten III…

www.milwaukeemag.com

 

[RX8]

I wonder if Timeshare Travis is related to Timeshare Tracy? I see their ads on YouTube fairly often.

I see Timeshare Travis popping up on my Facebook feed. Both Travis and Tracy are all about exit services. I believe they are indeed related. Their websites are too similar to be a coincidence. Both Travis and Tracy claim to connect owners to exit companies. In other words, they gather your personal info and feed it to the exit company sharks.

Timeshare Cancellation | Timeshare Tracy

Read More

timesharetracy.com

“Timeshare Tracy is the loving aunt that is always there for you. She always has great advice and knows how to get you out of a pickle. She doesn’t like when her loved ones are taken advantage of by timeshare companies, so she is on a mission to bring justice to those affected.”

Note: The address in Blaine, WA is a mail drop. Also, the state of Washington’s Revenue department has no business licenses issued under the name of Timeshare Tracy.

Home

Find Your Legal Escape! Travis can help. Take our quick 30-second assessment,and discover your path to proven cancellationsthat fit your situation… in minutes. Take Timeshare Assessment Finally! Legal Timeshare Cancellation Made Simple. If you’ve been hit with a crazy contract, it can be hard to...

timesharetravis.com

“Travis doesn’t like it when owners are taken advantage of and harassed by calls from debt collectors. Travis is on a mission to bring justice to owners who have been deceived, misrepresented, and flat-out lied to. Travis is ready to fight for you with a vengeance.”

Note - Timeshare Travis has a New York City address that is actually a UPS store. Their terms references Timeshare Travis LLC and that entity doesn’t exist in the state of NY or anywhere else that I can find.

So it appears that Timeshare Travis, who wants to help owners who were “deceived, misrepresented, and flat-out lied to”, thought it would be best to connect the OP to a former used car salesman who happens to be a convicted criminal and whose past includes the BBB and previously scammed victims looking for him. Nice. For all we know Clyde Masten might possibly be the person behind Travis and Tracy.

Elvis is probably turning over in his grave knowing this Elvis impersonator is scamming people.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Note: The address in Blaine, WA is a mail drop.

Blaine abuts the Canadian border on I-5 in WA. It is a convenient place for Canadian operations to conduct business using a US address. Maybe legitimate; maybe not.

 

[LannyPC]

I noticed you came on this site about this time last year asking how to get rid of your TS:

https://tugbbs.com/forums/threads/s...nfirm-i-no-longer-own-it.323165/#post-2644756

Did you apply any of the suggestions in the 11 months since then?

 

[DaveNV]

I'm beginning to wonder if OP is a shill for the exit company? The username seems kind of odd, too...

Dave

 

[rickandcindy23]

I'm beginning to wonder if OP is a shill for the exit company? The username seems kind of odd, too...

Dave

My thoughts exactly.

 

[ssemel]

First things first. What is it you are trying to be rid of?

I own a one-week timeshare at Club de Soleil in Las Vegas, and it's completely paid off. I want to dump it because we haven't used it in years and don't expect to. Each year the maintenance fees increase and I don't want to pay them anymore. While I'd love to sell it, my main concern is to just get rid of it and have no further payments and no further legal obligations nor connection to it. I'd be happy to do a deedback, if the management company would accept it. And if someone actually wants to buy it (or just take it for free), would be fine as long as I and my family have no further obligations to it.

I've heard of deedbacks but don't know how that works or what I need to do to make it happen. What if the resort company refuses to take it back? And if someone were to buy it (or accept it for free), how do I transact it so that I no further financial or legal obligations ever again?

By the way, thanks for everyone's comments on Clyde Masten. For what it's worth, he says payment isn't due until I receive the letters. I agree that there's no way to know if they'll be effective, but the primary appeal for me of his proposition is that I have no idea what to write and to whom I would write them if, in fact, I choose to write these kinds of letters myself. The whole process of getting out of my timeshare is a mystery and it's not clear who to trust and how to gauge whether what I would be doing on my mine would be effective. I am willing to pay someone's fee if they are in fact honest and effective, but I have no expertise with this. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[dioxide45]

I own a one-week timeshare at Club de Soleil in Las Vegas, and it's completely paid off. I want to dump it because we haven't used it in years and don't expect to. Each year the maintenance fees increase and I don't want to pay them anymore. While I'd love to sell it, my main concern is to just get rid of it and have no further payments and no further legal obligations nor connection to it. I'd be happy to do a deedback, if the management company would accept it. And if someone actually wants to buy it (or just take it for free), would be fine as long as I and my family have no further obligations to it.

I've heard of deedbacks but don't know how that works or what I need to do to make it happen. What if the resort company refuses to take it back? And if someone were to buy it (or accept it for free), how do I transact it so that I no further financial or legal obligations ever again?

By the way, thanks for everyone's comments on Clyde Masten. For what it's worth, he says payment isn't due until I receive the letters. I agree that there's no way to know if they'll be effective, but the primary appeal for me of his proposition is that I have no idea what to write and to whom I would write them if, in fact, I choose to write these kinds of letters myself. The whole process of getting out of my timeshare is a mystery and it's not clear who to trust and how to gauge whether what I would be doing on my mine would be effective. I am willing to pay someone's fee if they are in fact honest and effective, but I have no expertise with this. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Have you called the resort or management company to discuss options regarding deedback?

 

[ssemel]

The general consensus is that any company that charges you an upfront fee to get rid of your timeshare is a scam, in one form or another. In your scenario above, he provides you with his pre-written letters, which you pay him for. But what proof is there that the letters work, and the HOA actually takes back the timeshare? What happens if you pay that fee and things don't work? Not only are you still the owner, but now you're also $1500 poorer.

How hard have you tried to get rid of what you own? I'd think selling or giving it away on eBay or Redweek.com would find a buyer pretty quickly. This page is Completed Sales on eBay for your resort: A number of these have sold in the last few months. Yours could be one of them. https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=Club+de+Soleil&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&rt=nc&_odkw=timeshares+for+sale&_osacat=0&State%2FProvince=Nevada&_dcat=15897&LH_Complete=1

If your contract is paid in full, have you tried to sell or give away your timeshare right here on Tug? There are a lot of people who would be happy to accept a free timeshare. You could even agree to pay the transfer fees, which sweetens the pot for the new owner, and actually saves you money, since you're out from under the maintenance fees. I'd also wager the transfer fees would be less than the $1500 being quoted by the outfit you're dealing with now. Use LT Transfers to handle the paperwork on the sale - it'll cost you about $250 or so. Much cheaper than the company you're talking to now. https://www.lttransfers.com

Some resorts have a deedback program, where they will take it back from you, for a fee. Have you asked them?

If your contract is not paid in full, and the resort won't take it back, about the only way out that I know of is to declare a bankruptcy. That should be a last resort. But if you owe money on the contract, if bankruptcy isn't an option, you may be stuck with it until it's paid off.

Lots of ideas in the replies you've received so far. If you have questions, ask. This is what Tuggers do for each other.

Good luck!

Dave

Thanks, Dave. Your strategy makes a lot of sense and would certainly be less costly (and less risky) than paying Clyde. I looked at the ebay listing you noted in the link and it looks like the ones that actually sell go for $1, which is fine with me. Any tips on how to make mine sufficiently desirable to stand out from all the other $1 listings? I'd be happy to pay the closing costs, so I'll include that. Thanks again!

 

[ssemel]

Have you called the resort or management company to discuss options regarding deedback?

I've called and left so many messages, that I finally gave up. Not that I want to quit, it's just that it seemed pretty clear that they had no interest in returning my calls. I asked to speak with the resort manager and/or general manager, but always I was told that the person was "in a meeting", or "off site", or "on vacation", etc. Can you suggest a different approach I should try to get past the gatekeeper? Thanks!

 

[ssemel]

I agree with Jan, give it away on TUG.

I'd be happy to give it away on TUG. I assume I would need to become a member of TUG, which I am more than happy to do. Besides that, what else would I need to do to give it away through the site? (I am very new to this whole process and conducting commerce on the web.) Thanks!

 

[dioxide45]

I've called and left so many messages, that I finally gave up. Not that I want to quit, it's just that it seemed pretty clear that they had no interest in returning my calls. I asked to speak with the resort manager and/or general manager, but always I was told that the person was "in a meeting", or "off site", or "on vacation", etc. Can you suggest a different approach I should try to get past the gatekeeper? Thanks!

I think you need to look at one of your maintenance fee bills and call the number on there. They probably have a separate division that handles these types of inquiries and the general property manager wouldn't be in a position to help anyway.

 

[dioxide45]

I'd be happy to give it away on TUG. I assume I would need to become a member of TUG, which I am more than happy to do. Besides that, what else would I need to do to give it away through the site? (I am very new to this whole process and conducting commerce on the web.) Thanks!

No need to be a member. You can post it for free here. Don't be lazy about it though, provide as much detail about it as possible including the last year maintenance fees;

Free Timeshares

Timeshare ownerships offered completely free by owners! Rehome an unwanted timeshare at no cost! Timeshares listed here must be offered completely free!

tugbbs.com

Also look at this;

How can I give away my timeshare on TUG for Free?

Before you pay an upfront fee to someone to "take your timeshare off your hands," please consider giving your timeshare away to a private individual who would like to own it. Why? -You can give it away yourself for nearly no cost. -You can control the transfer process to make sure it is truly...

tugbbs.com

 

[dioxide45]

I think you need to look at one of your maintenance fee bills and call the number on there. They probably have a separate division that handles these types of inquiries and the general property manager wouldn't be in a position to help anyway.

Are you using the contact information from here to contact them.

Soleil Management - Contact

www.soleilmanagement.com

 

[rickandcindy23]

I own a one-week timeshare at Club de Soleil in Las Vegas, and it's completely paid off. I want to dump it because we haven't used it in years and don't expect to. Each year the maintenance fees increase and I don't want to pay them anymore. While I'd love to sell it, my main concern is to just get rid of it and have no further payments and no further legal obligations nor connection to it. I'd be happy to do a deedback, if the management company would accept it. And if someone actually wants to buy it (or just take it for free), would be fine as long as I and my family have no further obligations to it.

I've heard of deedbacks but don't know how that works or what I need to do to make it happen. What if the resort company refuses to take it back? And if someone were to buy it (or accept it for free), how do I transact it so that I no further financial or legal obligations ever again?

By the way, thanks for everyone's comments on Clyde Masten. For what it's worth, he says payment isn't due until I receive the letters. I agree that there's no way to know if they'll be effective, but the primary appeal for me of his proposition is that I have no idea what to write and to whom I would write them if, in fact, I choose to write these kinds of letters myself. The whole process of getting out of my timeshare is a mystery and it's not clear who to trust and how to gauge whether what I would be doing on my mine would be effective. I am willing to pay someone's fee if they are in fact honest and effective, but I have no expertise with this. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Soleil Management is the worst for increasing fees.

You should use it. Deposit it into II and get a good vacation out of it. Why buy something and not use it?

 

[ssemel]

I see Timeshare Travis popping up on my Facebook feed. Both Travis and Tracy are all about exit services. I believe they are indeed related. Their websites are too similar to be a coincidence. Both Travis and Tracy claim to connect owners to exit companies. In other words, they gather your personal info and feed it to the exit company sharks.

Timeshare Cancellation | Timeshare Tracy

Read More

timesharetracy.com

“Timeshare Tracy is the loving aunt that is always there for you. She always has great advice and knows how to get you out of a pickle. She doesn’t like when her loved ones are taken advantage of by timeshare companies, so she is on a mission to bring justice to those affected.”

Note: The address in Blaine, WA is a mail drop. Also, the state of Washington’s Revenue department has no business licenses issued under the name of Timeshare Tracy.

Home

Find Your Legal Escape! Travis can help. Take our quick 30-second assessment,and discover your path to proven cancellationsthat fit your situation… in minutes. Take Timeshare Assessment Finally! Legal Timeshare Cancellation Made Simple. If you’ve been hit with a crazy contract, it can be hard to...

timesharetravis.com

“Travis doesn’t like it when owners are taken advantage of and harassed by calls from debt collectors. Travis is on a mission to bring justice to owners who have been deceived, misrepresented, and flat-out lied to. Travis is ready to fight for you with a vengeance.”

Note - Timeshare Travis has a New York City address that is actually a UPS store. Their terms references Timeshare Travis LLC and that entity doesn’t exist in the state of NY or anywhere else that I can find.

So it appears that Timeshare Travis, who wants to help owners who were “deceived, misrepresented, and flat-out lied to”, thought it would be best to connect the OP to a former used car salesman who happens to be a convicted criminal and whose past includes the BBB and previously scammed victims looking for him. Nice. For all we know Clyde Masten might possibly be the person behind Travis and Tracy.

Elvis is probably turning over in his grave knowing this Elvis impersonator is scamming people.

Thank you for all this detailed information. Clyde comes across very slick on the phone, which made me suspicious from the beginning, but he had reasonable-sounding answers to all my questions and concerns when he and I spoke. He projects confidence and enthusiasm as well as seemingly comprehensive knowledge of the timeshare sales and cancellation processes, which makes it challenging to separate facts from hype. Your posting has enlightened me, and I am grateful.