FlyerGoldII

A timeshare reseller (WHK Property Management) approached me and asked me if I was interested in selling one of my timeshares, through them.

I did a google search and found that they are one of the companies listed under www.crimeshare.net.

What is the implication of a timehare company being listed on this web site?

MapleLeaf

Well the crimeshare website says that the companies that are listed are fraudsters and scam artists. You do the math...

thebug622

A question I have is who is Crimeshare.net?Do they sell timeshares also under another non-listed name?

tmorse6570

delete

clacko

i have friends/family who have timeshares and have had good results using them/swapping for others.....they are retired and can easily go off season....or, like the location for a week each year.

OT...buyer beware! or caveat emptor.....perhaps crimeshare is like the bbb in our hometowns...

Loren Pechtel

An ad in today's paper here. They're offering foreclosed timeshars. I didn't look carefully at it but they were offering some at 20% of list.

That says about how good a deal a timeshare is.

Tenerife

An even better guide to timeshares is the fact that you can often buy them on eBay for little more than just the price of one year's maintenance fee plus closing costs. A lot of people are simply glad to be rid of them.

dba

You have to read websites with a nose for bias. The particular website you mention may or may not be the best source of information about problems with timeshare companies.

I don't think timeshares are INHERENTLY scams, although many attempts to resell them at inflated prices ARE scams, if only in the sense of misrepresenting the true value of the property.

If a timeshare has value to YOU, because you KNOW you will want to vacation in the same place every year and you are the sort who wants to know exactly what you will be getting, then it's up to you to find a good property at a price you will be happy to have paid. Then if you find out that the price was lower elsewhere, at least you haven't paid more than you felt it was worth at the time, so you won't kick yourself and will still be able to enjoy your vacations.

Rebelyell

I happen to have a Disney Vacation Club timeshare and think it is a good deal. It is one of the only "good" or even "average" deals out there.

Be aware that many of the less desireable timeshares have annual maintance fees that are more than the timeshare is worth. You may pick up a timeshare for little of nothing, but you are stuck forever with the maintance fee. You can't just stop paying or give it back, as they will come after you or at least ruin your credit rating.

Snoopy

My parents have Marriott timeshares and they really use them and enjoy them. I bought a couple of weeks and found I just didn't have the flexibility to make the most of them and was (luckily) able to get rid of them for a little less than I bought them for. So, different horses for different courses....

But if you really want more info, why not try the Timeshare Users Group. You can find them doing a Google search. Many knowledgeable people with a lot of information and advice to share.

MisterNice

Some timeshare outfit must of pissed off somebody sufficiently enough for him to startup the www.crimeshare.net site. I have rented many (mostly nice) timeshares for a fraction of what it costs the owners. I am certain some are good investments. The remaining 98% of the owners are getting screwed or are paying too much for what they receive. <ducking>

MisterNice

Loren Pechtel

Yeah--the maintainence fee isn't too much below what you would pay for a room--and they get the advantage of 100% occupancy & no chance of skipping on the bill.

I think the sales price is basically pure profit (after figuring marketing expenses.)

craz

I LOVE the Time Share presentations or should I say the $$$ or Hotel Pts I get for doing them. Since I have it down pat, I love cornering the presenter into a corner and watch as they try to get out of it.

for ex, When asked where I like to Vacation I answer Iowa and Oklahoma, for Intl St. Pettersburg Russia. basically places that dont have any type of a Time Share prop.

The killer is when I ask them how much would that 2 Bed-Room that you just showed me go per night if I simply booked it as a guest. It NEVER fails that it will cost me less to rent for 7 nights then it would to buy the place, Why I say (its true) I make 10% on my $$$ so that $24,500 = $2450 to me + the say $700 maintance = $3150 the rate for the 2B per night is usually $250 so thats $1750 leaving me $400 in my pocket. I also say that I can rent a 5 Bedroom house near Orlando for $900 a week during peak season. Even a Hotel room at $400 a night would be cheaper. Then they go NUTS and try to get me not to look at it from a Finacial Way but ,"The Dream Way". All I say is "It doesnt make Sense Financially".

Those which arent connected to a Hotel Chain will then try and sell me a 2nd hand unit for 1/2 the Cost. When I ask how Old is it, they say the previous owner couldnt keep up with the payments and its a few yrs old. I say if you want to sell me a Unit that is 3 yrs old for 1/2 of a new unit , then neither has any type of resale value, and I would have to be a Complete Idiot to buy either. Gift Please.

FWIW, Ive taken many a Tour and the Only Real prop that was Decent was Marriott.

Im sure that it more then pays for itself if these props are appealling to you, where you will get good usage out of it. Im afraid that most who buy do so out of how they feel emotionally the day they Tour and invision themselves being to live a rich Persons Lifestyle this way. Problem is the only ones

Forgot, the best part is that Housekeeping will come thru 1 Time during a Weeks stay to tidy up!! Yea just what I wanted to happen when on Vacation having to clean the BathRooms, mop the floor, clean the towels and sheets etc. or you can pay $50 a day to have them come around, Duh! I NEVER had my room at any Hotel Cleaned but 1 time during a weeks stay. Thats another $300 to add to the costs besides maintance.

Snoopy

It's actually $20 a day...but you got the gist of the system right anyway.

I went to a sleazy timeshare presentation in Phuket once (not Marriott). When asked where I liked to vacation I answered "Nunavut". That even had my wife (who is a Canadian) cracking up and sent the timeshare rep scurrying for an Atlas....and no, they had no timeshares there either.

Loren Pechtel

We make a habit of attending them when practical, although for $, not points.

We just point out it doesn't make sense financially. We also truthfully tell them that most of our travel is to Shanghai. They always trot out a place "in" Shanghai---it's not. It's a minimum of an hour out of the city, probably two hours. Never mind that we own (her parents live there) a condo a mile from the main street in town--we would stay way out???