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Timeshare purchases - eBay and other such services

DRH90277

TUG Member
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Messages
937
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Location
So Cal to N Carolina
Resorts Owned
Marriott: Ocean Watch, Newport Coast, Grand Chateau, Custom House, Timber Lodge, VCP's.
I have bought resale timeshares from listings on Red Week, and I have had no problems. Of course, the Right of First Refusal (ROFR) comes into play and Marriott has taken some. In some cases, I have even paid more than the listing price to avoid the ROFR exercise.

I saw a few eBay timeshare listings yesterday and have some interest in one property. However, my concern is with eBay's auction approach as well as the chance of success considering the ROFR. If someone told me the auction process results in a high probability of an ROFR loss because of uninformed bidders, I wouldn't be too surprised. I guess I wouldn't be surprised at someone overpaying for a bad season timeshare either.

Please share any particular risks or problems in buying a timeshare on eBay. I suspect the ROFR is a big threat in that one wins the auction and then the ROFR process kills the deal - a lot of messing around. Any insights or experience you could offer?
 
Last edited:

ahdah

TUG Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2010
Messages
304
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107
Points
254
Location
Lafayette, CA
Resorts Owned
Marriott's SurfWatch Brewster Green Marriott's SurfWatch
I have a friend who bought a Marriott on HHI for over $8000 (garden unit) and it took over 5 years and a law suit before she was able to get her money back. The seller was a crook and the money in escrow was also the seller using another name, but the same address. Finally enough people had complained that the state of TN with a law suit was able to get the money back. He kept using excuses until it was too late for her to give him a bad review on eBay, and he was still selling on eBay.
They did nothing for her, so I would say buyer beware! She just feels very lucky to have her money back.
 

chris5

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I won an Ebay auction for a silver season week at Marco Island. I thought I could fly under ROFR. Two weeks after I won, I received a call from Marriott informing me that it had excercised ROFR, and asking me if I was interested in pursuing a sale with them. I said NOPE. I never heard from the Ebay seller, someone who sold a lot on Ebay and had good reviews.

I suspect that Marriott, when evaluating to exercise ROFR, pays close attention to whether the buyer is a Marriott owner. In my case, the Marriott representative mentioned that he could offer me a great bundle of points and the silver season week at Marco Island.

I recently made put in a contract to buy points from one of the reputable brokers mentioned occasionally on this forum. I'm a week into the ROFR period but I have my doubts it will pass. I'm curious about buying from Redweek Brokerage Services -- resale price listings there appear to be very low in some cases.
 

SteelerGal

TUG Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2019
Messages
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Resorts Owned
WKV, SDO, HPP, Bay Club
I have purchased all of my MVC resales via EBay. And have not had any issues. We have been informed in a week or so if ROFR passed or failed.
 

jme

TUG Member
Joined
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Messages
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Location
Southeast,TUG since '98
Resorts Owned
Marriotts:
Grande Ocean x 6
Barony x 2
OceanWatch x 1
Manor Club x 1
.
Waterside by Spin x 2
Sheraton Bdw Pln x2
ChurchSt/Charleston x2
I've had only good experiences altogether on Ebay; that is, I've had complete success with timeshare purchases and no "situations".
In the past dozen years I've purchased 5-6 timeshares resale, and never once was there any issue of impropriety or deliberate delay, and no hitches.
The possibility of Marriott's ROFR will ALWAYS be present, as everyone should already know before going in.
Any potential bidder/buyer should have a general knowledge of the price range beforehand which might precipitate a take-back or instead lead to a sale.
Of course those prices can and do change on a whim, so there can be surprises, but I've been lucky enough to slip by each time.
One day Marriott allows a week to pass, and the next week they don't, many times without an obvious reason. It's sometimes a mystery.

At no time was I ever anxious about it, though, and I didn't allow any possibility of rejection via ROFR to discourage or dissuade me in the least.
If it happened, it happened, and I had no control over that, and furthermore I felt like the only way to get a good deal
was to see it through and take my chances. I knew that if a ROFR was exercised, I would simply try again later.
Fortunately for me none of the sales was cancelled by Marriott exercising their ROFR, and if they did, I knew fully that there would be
no loss to me anyway except time invested, as Marriott would compensate me appropriately.

Therefore I believe buying a timeshare on Ebay is NOT overly risky, imho, with a caveat (as most situations in life have)-----if you take the proper steps
before going in, and absolutely check out the seller thoroughly, you'll have every chance for clear sailing.
Call the seller, email the seller, and "trust but verify"----I've always loved that sage advice by former president Ronald Reagan.
You must vet the individual seller, the agency, or the company selling the product, and do your due diligence by taking on the burden
of finding out if they are legit or not.

Always ask the seller for the UNIT # and the WEEK # of the week being sold (if it's not already listed in the ad), and then call the appropriate office,
"Owner Modifications" for Marriott (800) 443-4391
and see what the season and view are for those numbers (whether the listing is accurate).
You want to be buying the correct season and view type that is being advertised for sale.
And double check the maintenance fee listed---sometimes they put a lower number on it.


All sellers have a track record and ratings that can be evaluated for trustworthiness, and a potential buyer should take those extra steps to verify
anything and everything. Ratings mean something, and they are there for a reason. One serious Red Flag is raised if the seller has 0-10 transactions.
Not necessarily suspicious in and of itself, as every seller must start somewhere, but you must TREAT it as suspicious until you get more information.
Numbers can tell you something, so if you have reason to be concerned, leave it alone and move on.
A trustworthy seller with a great deal will inevitably come along with your dream week at some point. Be patient.
It's usually the impulsive buyer who makes the mistake and pursues a dubious product.
 
Last edited:

AlmostRetired

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2005
Messages
1,319
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525
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474
Location
Long Island, NY
Resorts Owned
Grande Ocean Platinum, 2 x Grand Chateau 3 Bedroom (annual, EOY Odd)
I suspect that Marriott, when evaluating to exercise ROFR, pays close attention to whether the buyer is a Marriott owner. In my case, the Marriott representative mentioned that he could offer me a great bundle of points and the silver season week at Marco Island.

My response was wrong. Marriott does have the buyer and seller information.
 
Last edited:

The Colorado Kid

TUG Member
Joined
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Messages
1,382
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873
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Resorts Owned
Westin Riverfront
Christie Lodge
Apollo Park
Grand Timber Lodge
Indian Palms
Massanutten
Park Regency
Valdoro Mountain Lodge
Marriott Surfwatch
I've had only good experiences altogether on Ebay; that is, I've had complete success with timeshare purchases and no "situations".
In the past dozen years I've purchased 5-6 timeshares resale, and never once was there any issue of impropriety or deliberate delay, and no hitches.
The possibility of Marriott's ROFR will ALWAYS be present, as everyone should already know before going in.
Any potential bidder/buyer should have a general knowledge of the price range beforehand which might precipitate a take-back or instead lead to a sale.
Of course those prices can and do change on a whim, so there can be surprises, but I've been lucky enough to slip by each time.
One day Marriott allows a week to pass, and the next week they don't, many times without an obvious reason. It's sometimes a mystery.

At no time was I ever anxious about it, though, and I didn't allow any possibility of rejection via ROFR to discourage or dissuade me in the least.
If it happened, it happened, and I had no control over that, and furthermore I felt like the only way to get a good deal
was to see it through and take my chances. I knew that if a ROFR was exercised, I would simply try again later.
Fortunately for me none of the sales was cancelled by Marriott exercising their ROFR, and if they did, I knew fully that there would be
no loss to me anyway except time invested, as Marriott would compensate me appropriately.

Therefore I believe buying a timeshare on Ebay is NOT overly risky, imho, with a caveat (as most situations in life have)-----if you take the proper steps
before going in, and absolutely check out the seller thoroughly, you'll have every chance for clear sailing.
Call the seller, email the seller, and "trust but verify"----I've always loved that sage advice by former president Ronald Reagan.
You must vet the individual seller, the agency, or the company selling the product, and do your due diligence by taking on the burden
of finding out if they are legit or not.

Always ask the seller for the UNIT # and the WEEK # of the week being sold (if it's not already listed in the ad), and then call the appropriate office,
"Owner Modifications" for Marriott (800) 443-4391
and see what the season and view are for those numbers (whether the listing is accurate).
You want to be buying the correct season and view type that is being advertised for sale.
And double check the maintenance fee listed---sometimes they put a lower number on it.


All sellers have a track record and ratings that can be evaluated for trustworthiness, and a potential buyer should take those extra steps to verify
anything and everything. Ratings mean something, and they are there for a reason. One serious Red Flag is raised if the seller has 0-10 transactions.
Not necessarily suspicious in and of itself, as every seller must start somewhere, but you must TREAT it as suspicious until you get more information.
Numbers can tell you something, so if you have reason to be concerned, leave it alone and move on.
A trustworthy seller with a great deal will inevitably come along with your dream week at some point. Be patient.
It's usually the impulsive buyer who makes the mistake and pursues a dubious product.
Great points but curious how Marriott compensated you in this instance? "Marriott exercising their ROFR, and if they did, I knew fully that there would be
no loss to me anyway except time invested, as Marriott would compensate me appropriately."
 

jme

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2005
Messages
4,818
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Location
Southeast,TUG since '98
Resorts Owned
Marriotts:
Grande Ocean x 6
Barony x 2
OceanWatch x 1
Manor Club x 1
.
Waterside by Spin x 2
Sheraton Bdw Pln x2
ChurchSt/Charleston x2
Great points but curious how Marriott compensated you in this instance? "Marriott exercising their ROFR, and if they did, I knew fully that there would be
no loss to me anyway except time invested, as Marriott would compensate me appropriately."

I've never had it happen (sorry if it appeared that I said something that sounded different)---here's my quote:
"Fortunately for me none of the sales was cancelled by Marriott exercising their ROFR, and if they did, I knew fully that there would be
no loss to me anyway except time invested, as Marriott would compensate me appropriately."

I have always known, and heard, that a ROFR that is exercised by Marriott results in a full refund to the buyer whose resale week was bought out
by Marriott, because they match the week's price paid in that transaction.
 

Hobee

TUG Member
Joined
May 30, 2011
Messages
109
Reaction score
17
Points
228
Location
Ohio
Resorts Owned
Marriott’s Barony Beach, OceanWatch, SurfWatchx2 MountainSide, Aruba Ocean Club; MVC Trust Points
I had three successful bids on eBay for Marriott weeks over the years. Two were taken by Marriott via ROFR. One completed through to closing. JME offered great advice. Due your due diligence on the seller and details of the unit. Over the years have have found errors and discrepancies in listings.
 

rickandcindy23

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
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Messages
31,901
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Location
The Centennial State
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
I just lost one that I was hoping to get. It went for just $50 over my highest bid. Tried to bid again but too late.
 

Al Savage

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I just lost one that I was hoping to get. It went for just $50 over my highest bid. Tried to bid again but too late.
If you practice snipe bidding like that -- as opposed to just bidding the most you're willing to pay, in advance -- consider using automation: https://www.esnipe.com/ . Costs 1%, which is nearly nothing for the small stuff I normally buy via eBay. Your "most I'm willing to pay" is hidden from other bidders, and is submitted a few seconds before the auction ends.

I gave them $50 around a decade ago, and I'm still using it up, I've never put more money in my account. I suppose I should go see what's left . . . yup, time to feed them again, it's been a long time.

I tend to use mostly BIN, using eBay more like a store than an auction site, but for actual auctions, I always use esnipe.
 

The Colorado Kid

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2020
Messages
1,382
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873
Points
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Resorts Owned
Westin Riverfront
Christie Lodge
Apollo Park
Grand Timber Lodge
Indian Palms
Massanutten
Park Regency
Valdoro Mountain Lodge
Marriott Surfwatch
If you practice snipe bidding like that -- as opposed to just bidding the most you're willing to pay, in advance -- consider using automation: https://www.esnipe.com/ . Costs 1%, which is nearly nothing for the small stuff I normally buy via eBay. Your "most I'm willing to pay" is hidden from other bidders, and is submitted a few seconds before the auction ends.

I gave them $50 around a decade ago, and I'm still using it up, I've never put more money in my account. I suppose I should go see what's left . . . yup, time to feed them again, it's been a long time.

I tend to use mostly BIN, using eBay more like a store than an auction site, but for actual auctions, I always use esnipe.
@Al Savage Thanks for this! I used a sniping service 20 years ago on eBay with great success but had forgotten about it.
 

rickandcindy23

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
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Messages
31,901
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Location
The Centennial State
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
I use ezsniper.com but I didn't set the bid high enough. Too bad, but oh well! I will keep watching for another Grand Dunes.
 

bzzelady

newbie
Joined
Nov 28, 2021
Messages
2
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0
Points
1
Resorts Owned
DVC Boulder Ridge and Wyndham Bonnet Creek
I've had only good experiences altogether on Ebay; that is, I've had complete success with timeshare purchases and no "situations".
In the past dozen years I've purchased 5-6 timeshares resale, and never once was there any issue of impropriety or deliberate delay, and no hitches.
The possibility of Marriott's ROFR will ALWAYS be present, as everyone should already know before going in.
Any potential bidder/buyer should have a general knowledge of the price range beforehand which might precipitate a take-back or instead lead to a sale.
Of course those prices can and do change on a whim, so there can be surprises, but I've been lucky enough to slip by each time.
One day Marriott allows a week to pass, and the next week they don't, many times without an obvious reason. It's sometimes a mystery.

At no time was I ever anxious about it, though, and I didn't allow any possibility of rejection via ROFR to discourage or dissuade me in the least.
If it happened, it happened, and I had no control over that, and furthermore I felt like the only way to get a good deal
was to see it through and take my chances. I knew that if a ROFR was exercised, I would simply try again later.
Fortunately for me none of the sales was cancelled by Marriott exercising their ROFR, and if they did, I knew fully that there would be
no loss to me anyway except time invested, as Marriott would compensate me appropriately.

Therefore I believe buying a timeshare on Ebay is NOT overly risky, imho, with a caveat (as most situations in life have)-----if you take the proper steps
before going in, and absolutely check out the seller thoroughly, you'll have every chance for clear sailing.
Call the seller, email the seller, and "trust but verify"----I've always loved that sage advice by former president Ronald Reagan.
You must vet the individual seller, the agency, or the company selling the product, and do your due diligence by taking on the burden
of finding out if they are legit or not.

Always ask the seller for the UNIT # and the WEEK # of the week being sold (if it's not already listed in the ad), and then call the appropriate office,
"Owner Modifications" for Marriott (800) 443-4391
and see what the season and view are for those numbers (whether the listing is accurate).
You want to be buying the correct season and view type that is being advertised for sale.
And double check the maintenance fee listed---sometimes they put a lower number on it.


All sellers have a track record and ratings that can be evaluated for trustworthiness, and a potential buyer should take those extra steps to verify
anything and everything. Ratings mean something, and they are there for a reason. One serious Red Flag is raised if the seller has 0-10 transactions.
Not necessarily suspicious in and of itself, as every seller must start somewhere, but you must TREAT it as suspicious until you get more information.
Numbers can tell you something, so if you have reason to be concerned, leave it alone and move on.
A trustworthy seller with a great deal will inevitably come along with your dream week at some point. Be patient.
It's usually the impulsive buyer who makes the mistake and pursues a dubious product.


I currently have a bid on an eBay resale. I am questioning the estoppel for accuracy of the view listed and tried to call Marriot to confirm. The person who answered my call absolutely stonewalled me and would not provide me with any information.
Any advice?
 

TheTimeTraveler

TUG Member
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I currently have a bid on an eBay resale. I am questioning the estoppel for accuracy of the view listed and tried to call Marriot to confirm. The person who answered my call absolutely stonewalled me and would not provide me with any information.
Any advice?



Best advice may be to not bid on it.

Having troubles now? Just imagine how they'll be once they have your hard earned money!




.
 

BJRSanDiego

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
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San Diego
Resorts Owned
Sands of Kahana, Desert Springs I, DSV2, Shadow Ridge Enclaves Dlx
I currently have a bid on an eBay resale. I am questioning the estoppel for accuracy of the view listed and tried to call Marriot to confirm. The person who answered my call absolutely stonewalled me and would not provide me with any information.
Any advice?
I'd recommend posting the resort name and the unit number showing on the ebay ad. Perhaps there are other tuggers here that can decipher the unit number.
 

bzzelady

newbie
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DVC Boulder Ridge and Wyndham Bonnet Creek
Okay....here's the estoppel information that was provided by Marriot to the entity handling the sale. I think the designation of "Ocean Side" is wrong because I think this unit is in the Pine building at Ocean Watch. My belief is that this deeded unit was originally sold at Ocean Watch as Ultimate Occupancy, which granted either Ocean Side or Ocean Front accommodations prior to the completion of the back three buildings.

1661042297754.png
 

Lakeshore

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Okay....here's the estoppel information that was provided by Marriot to the entity handling the sale. I think the designation of "Ocean Side" is wrong because I think this unit is in the Pine building at Ocean Watch. My belief is that this deeded unit was originally sold at Ocean Watch as Ultimate Occupancy, which granted either Ocean Side or Ocean Front accommodations prior to the completion of the back three buildings.

View attachment 63046
What ever happened…did your sale go through? Did Marriott also give you a financial estoppel? Was the view listed correct for you?
 

TheTimeTraveler

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What ever happened…did your sale go through? Did Marriott also give you a financial estoppel? Was the view listed correct for you?


Last time @bzzelady was seen was over 5 months ago back on 19 October, 2022. With that said I doubt your question will ever be answered.



.
 

Lakeshore

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Well, you never know. If people helped them they might still be around. And no worries if not.
 

The Colorado Kid

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2020
Messages
1,382
Reaction score
873
Points
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Resorts Owned
Westin Riverfront
Christie Lodge
Apollo Park
Grand Timber Lodge
Indian Palms
Massanutten
Park Regency
Valdoro Mountain Lodge
Marriott Surfwatch
I won an Ebay auction for a silver season week at Marco Island. I thought I could fly under ROFR. Two weeks after I won, I received a call from Marriott informing me that it had excercised ROFR, and asking me if I was interested in pursuing a sale with them. I said NOPE. I never heard from the Ebay seller, someone who sold a lot on Ebay and had good reviews.

I suspect that Marriott, when evaluating to exercise ROFR, pays close attention to whether the buyer is a Marriott owner. In my case, the Marriott representative mentioned that he could offer me a great bundle of points and the silver season week at Marco Island.

I recently made put in a contract to buy points from one of the reputable brokers mentioned occasionally on this forum. I'm a week into the ROFR period but I have my doubts it will pass. I'm curious about buying from Redweek Brokerage Services -- resale price listings there appear to be very low in some cases.
@chris5 On the Ebay sale...did you get your money back?
 

BreakingAway

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Marriott Monarch at Sea Pines (1)
Marriott Grande Ocean (4)
Money was never transferred. The seller took my credit card information to initiate the transaction, but I guess the seller received word from Marriott that Marriott was going to exercise ROFR. My credit card was never charged.
An alternative possibility is that the seller wanted a higher price for the unit and never submitted it to Marriott for ROFR.
 

Dean

TUG Review Crew
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An alternative possibility is that the seller wanted a higher price for the unit and never submitted it to Marriott for ROFR.
I have had this happen on Ebay, they even created a fake ROFR letter.
 
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