Jennie
TUG Member
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2005
- Messages
- 1,808
- Reaction score
- 3
- Points
- 398
In the past, some TUG members have expressed the opinion that "postcard companies" such as Timeshare Relief, Timeshare Solutions, Time No More, etc. may be worth patronizing IF one has a low value or worthless week that they would not be able to unload for even $1.00 on Ebay, and that they could not donate to charity because it is on the list of weeks the charity would not accept. In the past, Timesharing Today Magazine also wrote an article expressing much the same thinking. (Many of us were quite annoyed at Ray Jacobs, magazine owner, for doing this. He should know better).
Recently Timeshare Relief held sessions at a hotel near me. I decided to attend to see what their current "pitch" is. They began the session by bragging about the favorable article Timesharing Today had written about them, and showing the Better Business Bureau logo that is prominently displayed on their web site. It's also mentioned in their solicitation letter. By the way, we may have to change the name "postcard companies" we have bestowed upon them. They now send their "offers" in letter form in a sealed envelope.
The letter no longer gives the time, date, or location when they will be in town. One must call and answer questions before being invited. Well guess what--they now have a rather long list of weeks they will not accept. So there goes the one reason that might have made them an acceptable option for the truly desparate.
Their presentation is as slick and as full of half truths as always. While they stated several times that they are not attorneys or accountants, and can therefore not give financial advice, they insinuated that most people can receive a substantial tax write-off if they use Timeshare Relief to gat rid of their unwanted timeshare. When one attendee kept pumping for more explixit information, the speaker said that if they had bought the timeshare with the the intent to use it as an investment, that should be enough to make the deduction legal. When the attendee asked what proof they would have to submit if the IRS audited them on it, the speaker said that he would just have to insist that he had bought it with the thought of making a profit, that it was his thinking that counted. So they are still giving the type of advice that should have put them out of business (and into court or prison) a long time ago. They're just being less blatant than before.
The $25. gas card I received for listening to this garbage was nice. But the two couples I saved from signing on for their overpriced "sevices" was priceless. Both had weeks with excellent resale value. Hopefully they followed through on my advice to advertise on TUG and Redweek. At any rate, they left without falling for the Timeshare Relief scheme. And I believe both of them were about to become victims if I hadn't been there to educate them. Score 2 for the good guys.
Recently Timeshare Relief held sessions at a hotel near me. I decided to attend to see what their current "pitch" is. They began the session by bragging about the favorable article Timesharing Today had written about them, and showing the Better Business Bureau logo that is prominently displayed on their web site. It's also mentioned in their solicitation letter. By the way, we may have to change the name "postcard companies" we have bestowed upon them. They now send their "offers" in letter form in a sealed envelope.
The letter no longer gives the time, date, or location when they will be in town. One must call and answer questions before being invited. Well guess what--they now have a rather long list of weeks they will not accept. So there goes the one reason that might have made them an acceptable option for the truly desparate.
Their presentation is as slick and as full of half truths as always. While they stated several times that they are not attorneys or accountants, and can therefore not give financial advice, they insinuated that most people can receive a substantial tax write-off if they use Timeshare Relief to gat rid of their unwanted timeshare. When one attendee kept pumping for more explixit information, the speaker said that if they had bought the timeshare with the the intent to use it as an investment, that should be enough to make the deduction legal. When the attendee asked what proof they would have to submit if the IRS audited them on it, the speaker said that he would just have to insist that he had bought it with the thought of making a profit, that it was his thinking that counted. So they are still giving the type of advice that should have put them out of business (and into court or prison) a long time ago. They're just being less blatant than before.
The $25. gas card I received for listening to this garbage was nice. But the two couples I saved from signing on for their overpriced "sevices" was priceless. Both had weeks with excellent resale value. Hopefully they followed through on my advice to advertise on TUG and Redweek. At any rate, they left without falling for the Timeshare Relief scheme. And I believe both of them were about to become victims if I hadn't been there to educate them. Score 2 for the good guys.
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