In this "social media plugged in network" we all live in, I thought I should let everyone know Timeshare Insights has a Facebook page.
Until we run out, we're giving away a complimentary ICE membership and 10,000 Platinium Reward points to everyone who becomes one of our "fans" on Facebook.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
More Information On Selling Your Timeshare
If you've been contacted by a company offering to sell or rent your timeshare, the Better Business Bureau advises using caution, especially if an "advance fee" is involved. While these companies claim to have ready buyers or renters, imply that they are representing foreign investores, or that corporations are interested; most are just offering to advertise your timeshare for sale.
Do NOT confuse the service of an advertising or marketing company with those of a real estate company. In most real estate transactions, it is the buyer who puts up a deposit and the real estate company gets its commission from the seller only after the deal closes.
Ask if the company's salespeople are licensed to sell real estate or whether they are selling an advertising program. If you are contacted by a marketing service, don't allow the caller into pressuring you into making a hurried decision. Request detailed written information about the company's services, find out where they currently advertise and visit other Internet listings the company may have.
Most company can not tel you whether a timeshare has rented or sod because these are generally "For Sale (or Rent) By Owner" advertisements. Fees for timeshare listing services can range from $295 to $600 or more with little guarantee that your timeshare will be sold or rented. Be sure to get all promises in writing, but remember that even then, those promises are only as good as the company that stands behind them.
For additional infomation on how to get out from a timeshare that you no longer need or want, e-mail me at lisa@timeshareinsights.com and request MODULE 3. Remember, Timeshare Insights does NOT sell, rent, buy, broker or represent any timeshare or any type of timeshare. What you'll get is clear, concise, useful and above all, unbiased information on what to do.
Do NOT confuse the service of an advertising or marketing company with those of a real estate company. In most real estate transactions, it is the buyer who puts up a deposit and the real estate company gets its commission from the seller only after the deal closes.
Ask if the company's salespeople are licensed to sell real estate or whether they are selling an advertising program. If you are contacted by a marketing service, don't allow the caller into pressuring you into making a hurried decision. Request detailed written information about the company's services, find out where they currently advertise and visit other Internet listings the company may have.
Most company can not tel you whether a timeshare has rented or sod because these are generally "For Sale (or Rent) By Owner" advertisements. Fees for timeshare listing services can range from $295 to $600 or more with little guarantee that your timeshare will be sold or rented. Be sure to get all promises in writing, but remember that even then, those promises are only as good as the company that stands behind them.
For additional infomation on how to get out from a timeshare that you no longer need or want, e-mail me at lisa@timeshareinsights.com and request MODULE 3. Remember, Timeshare Insights does NOT sell, rent, buy, broker or represent any timeshare or any type of timeshare. What you'll get is clear, concise, useful and above all, unbiased information on what to do.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
And The Scams Continue
There seems to be a never-ending supply of greedy, shady companies out there. And with the difficult economic times that some timeshare owners find themselves in, these companies are raking in a fortune.
Recently, a timeshare owner contacted me wanting to know if they should pay a company $2,000 to list their timeshare for sale.
This presented a few “problems”:
· the owner in question lived in Florida---new Florida DBPR regulations expressly forbid the
collection of a “listing fee” for any timeshare owner residing in the state of Florida
· the timeshare in question was located in Florida---ditto on the Florida DPBP regulations
· how did the company in question obtain this owner’s information
I did some checking into the listings that this company had and was astonished…a rare thing for me!
The site had thirty-three (33) timeshares listed from this particular timeshare property, ranging in price from $5,500 for a 1-bedroom to $32,000 (!) for a 2-bedroom. What was even stranger was that the same listing had a 3-bedroom timeshare for “only” $26,000…a steal compared to the 2-bedroom at $32,000!
So why my astonishment? As my regular readers know, I used to be a timeshare salesperson and I used to work for this particular timeshare resort. They are currently selling 2-bedroom timeshare (or the points equivalent) for $17,900. And this resale company had one listed at $32,000!
There is one of two scenarios that happened here…neither was particularly appealing:
1) the company in question got their hands on some owners’ listing and convinced some poor
unsuspecting owner that for “only” $2,000, they would be able to sell their timeshare for
them and get $32,000.
2) the company in question is in fact making up their listings as they go…there is no timeshare
“for sale”, much less one for $32,000
Why is the timeshare resale world even less regulated than the primary timeshare market? There is nothing at all to stop these companies from “listing” fictitious timeshare properties. And nothing to stop them from listing them under various “umbrella” companies. Oftentimes one company will be doing business under various aliases, all listing the same properties.
It is more important than ever for consumers to be wary of these companies which prey on tough times and ignorance. There are legitimate places that consumers can turn to if they are looking to sell their timeshare. And if consumers are in the market to purchase a timeshare on the resale market, don’t make a costly error. Work with a company that has full transparency, that offers a recession period, that has competitive prices, that has a good rating with the Better Business Bureau and that offers a guarantee of a clean title.
Recently, a timeshare owner contacted me wanting to know if they should pay a company $2,000 to list their timeshare for sale.
This presented a few “problems”:
· the owner in question lived in Florida---new Florida DBPR regulations expressly forbid the
collection of a “listing fee” for any timeshare owner residing in the state of Florida
· the timeshare in question was located in Florida---ditto on the Florida DPBP regulations
· how did the company in question obtain this owner’s information
I did some checking into the listings that this company had and was astonished…a rare thing for me!
The site had thirty-three (33) timeshares listed from this particular timeshare property, ranging in price from $5,500 for a 1-bedroom to $32,000 (!) for a 2-bedroom. What was even stranger was that the same listing had a 3-bedroom timeshare for “only” $26,000…a steal compared to the 2-bedroom at $32,000!
So why my astonishment? As my regular readers know, I used to be a timeshare salesperson and I used to work for this particular timeshare resort. They are currently selling 2-bedroom timeshare (or the points equivalent) for $17,900. And this resale company had one listed at $32,000!
There is one of two scenarios that happened here…neither was particularly appealing:
1) the company in question got their hands on some owners’ listing and convinced some poor
unsuspecting owner that for “only” $2,000, they would be able to sell their timeshare for
them and get $32,000.
2) the company in question is in fact making up their listings as they go…there is no timeshare
“for sale”, much less one for $32,000
Why is the timeshare resale world even less regulated than the primary timeshare market? There is nothing at all to stop these companies from “listing” fictitious timeshare properties. And nothing to stop them from listing them under various “umbrella” companies. Oftentimes one company will be doing business under various aliases, all listing the same properties.
It is more important than ever for consumers to be wary of these companies which prey on tough times and ignorance. There are legitimate places that consumers can turn to if they are looking to sell their timeshare. And if consumers are in the market to purchase a timeshare on the resale market, don’t make a costly error. Work with a company that has full transparency, that offers a recession period, that has competitive prices, that has a good rating with the Better Business Bureau and that offers a guarantee of a clean title.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Cable News Thinking and Traditional Timeshare Thinking
I subscribe to Seth Godin's blog...and highly encourage you to. Today's blog concerned "The Problem With Cable News Thinking" and by way of illustrating, listed these 12 elements:
* Focus on the urgent instead of the important
* Vivid emotions and the visuals that go with them as a selector for what's important
* Emphasis on noise over thoughtful analysis
* Unwillingness to reverse course and change one's mind
* Xenophobic and jingoistic recations
* Defense of the status quo encouraged by an audience self-selected to be uniform
* Things become important merely because others have decided that they are important
* Top down messaging encourages and echo chamber (agree or change the channel)
* Ill-informed about history and a particular issue
* Confusing opinions with the truth
* Revising facts to fit a point
* Unwillingness to review past mistakes in light of history and use those to do better next time
Seth concludes by stating, "If I wanted to hobble an organization or even a country, I'd wish these twelve traits on them..."
"Hobble" is an interesting choice of words...for I believe that these 12 traits are evident in the way the traditional timeshare sales and marketing machine operates. Re-read the list with your mindset on a timeshare sales presentation, regardless if you are a consumer or a timeshare salesperson.
Scary, isn't it?
* Focus on the urgent instead of the important
* Vivid emotions and the visuals that go with them as a selector for what's important
* Emphasis on noise over thoughtful analysis
* Unwillingness to reverse course and change one's mind
* Xenophobic and jingoistic recations
* Defense of the status quo encouraged by an audience self-selected to be uniform
* Things become important merely because others have decided that they are important
* Top down messaging encourages and echo chamber (agree or change the channel)
* Ill-informed about history and a particular issue
* Confusing opinions with the truth
* Revising facts to fit a point
* Unwillingness to review past mistakes in light of history and use those to do better next time
Seth concludes by stating, "If I wanted to hobble an organization or even a country, I'd wish these twelve traits on them..."
"Hobble" is an interesting choice of words...for I believe that these 12 traits are evident in the way the traditional timeshare sales and marketing machine operates. Re-read the list with your mindset on a timeshare sales presentation, regardless if you are a consumer or a timeshare salesperson.
Scary, isn't it?
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Did You Know We're Also On Facebook?
In this ever expanding social-networking frenzy that everyone finds themselves in lately, Timeshare Insights has a Facebook page. If you become a "Fan" you will receive a free ICE Gallery Membership.
A Self-Serving Blog Entry
It just dawned on me that some of my readers aren't all that familiar with me...so just to let them (or you) know, I am the author of three (3) books..."Surviving A Timeshare Presentation...Confessions From The Sales Table," "Timeshare Vacations For Dummies" and "Timeshare Management-The Key Issues For Hospitality Managers."
If you'd like to order any of these books, just e-mail me at lisa@timeshareinsights.com.
Commercial over!
If you'd like to order any of these books, just e-mail me at lisa@timeshareinsights.com.
Commercial over!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Marriott Halts Timeshare and Luxury Project Developments
In a sign of the difficult economic times that have hit the timeshare industry, Marriott International recently reported that they will stop developing new timeshare as well as luxury residential projects.
They site "weakening demand, falling prices and difficultly securitizing loans for consumers" for the change in plans.
Stay tuned to hear developments from Wyndham and Starwood.
They site "weakening demand, falling prices and difficultly securitizing loans for consumers" for the change in plans.
Stay tuned to hear developments from Wyndham and Starwood.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)