“In the wake of the biggest disaster in recent memory, the timeshare industry confronts challenges, but also affords timeshare resale opportunities,” says Jason Tremblay, who writes the Timeshare OwnersÂ? Blog. He also offers this practical advice to timeshare buyers in a post entitled Time Share Resales after Katrina, “If you think you can save money by buying damaged property at bargain prices, make sure you know exactly what you are getting into before you sign a contract!”
Tremblay says, “Four days after hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana, the situation along the Gulf Coast of the United States is particularly dire. The city of New Orleans may never recover fully from this disaster. The long-term economic implications are still being calculated, and widespread repercussions are already being felt. Most shocking of all is the loss of human life on such a massive scale, and the horrifying ordeals faced by those still trying to survive in this city. Anyone reading this is encouraged to help relief efforts by any means necessary.”
The Timeshare OwnerÂ?s Blog reported last week that Marriott International Inc. was arguably the first hotel company to respond to this tragedy. Marriott had temporarily shut down about 20 hotels in Louisiana and Alabama. Marriott properties in affected areas reported no serious structural damage.
Since last week, Marriott International Inc. has chartered a convoy of buses with armed guards to extricate 2,500 people who sought shelter in its New Orleans hotels. Marriott also recently announced that they are waiving all cancellation fees at affected hotels between now and October 1, and its 15 properties in New Orleans will remain closed until local authorities advise they may reopen. As of press time, Marriott will not accept reservations for those properties.
The Hyatt Regency, which sustained large-scale damages from KatrinaÂ?s winds, is closed until further notice. Though 500 guest units were damaged, the hotel experienced no flooding. Hyatt predicts that this hotel will reopen on April 1 of next year. Cancellation fees at affected Hyatt hotels have been waived until March 31, 2006.
Katrina has affected all aspects of the lodging and hospitality industry, and the timeshare sector is certainly no different. Says Tremblay, “Most feel that Katrina has been the latest installment in what is clearly an abnormally destructive hurricane season. Clearly, many people are having second thoughts about owning property in an area vulnerable to hurricanes, even if these areas are prime resort destinations.”
Immediately following a major hurricane, most affected areas will enter into a period of aggressive redevelopment. If this area is a proven resort location, like the Gulf Coast, this is especially true. In the days following a hurricane, resort properties are quick to assess the damage and almost inevitably plan dramatic renovations and upgrades. In effect, hurricane repairs can often mean upgraded amenities and renovations, but consequently, higher maintenance fees and special hurricane assessments.
Says Tremblay, “Immediately after a major hurricane strikes a high-demand resort area, the timeshare resale market typically sees a dramatic influx of timeshares for sale. If these units are located in a resort damaged by a large storm, the timeshares in question cannot be assumed to be structurally sound. Timeshare owners often advertise storm-damaged properties for as little as $ 50.00/week. Sometimes owners can be less than forthcoming about the condition that their properties are in, so due diligence is a must when purchasing a timeshare resale under these circumstances.
“Buying timeshare resales at a storm-damaged resort facility is largely contingent upon whether or not the resort plans on redeveloping the property. The idea is to buy a unit at a minimal cost while demand is still low; obtaining it before timeshare sale prices rise.”
Readers are invited to consider that some resorts are still undergoing extensive repairs after the record 2004 hurricane season, which caused widespread damages in many parts of Florida. Though timeshare buyers see opportunities in bargain-priced timeshares, many rush into a purchase without considering the long-term side effects.
Mr. Tremblay continues, “What many people don’t realize is that hidden costs can materialize out of thin air. Rising property taxes are a likely consequence of a natural disaster. The maintenance fees at the new resort will be higher than they were previously, and the resort company may even assess special fees to cover hurricane damages. Typically, a special hurricane assessment can cost owners $ 800.00 – $ 1200.00. Still, if a timeshare cost $ 50.00 initially, the average timeshare owner can absorb the rising costs and still save thousands of dollars off the original price asked by the resort for the unit in question, just by buying a timeshare resale at minimal cost.”
In conclusion, Mr. Tremblay suggests that potential timeshare buyers use caution. “In this manner, many timeshare buyers try to take advantage of the opportunities on the resale market. If you plan on buying damaged property at bargain prices, make sure you know exactly what you are getting into before you sign a contract!”
When heÂ?s not writing the Timeshare OwnersÂ? Blog, Jason Tremblay is the CEO of Sell My Timeshare Now, which is the global leader in timeshare resales.
Sell My Timeshare – Selling Timeshare When You Are Tired of Paying For an Empty Property
Timeshare resales are reaching an all time high due to our poor economy and the fact that many timeshare owners who used to vacation all the time are being forced to cut back on their travel expenses in order to cut costs. But your timeshare resort doesn’t care about your financial strain. They only care about getting their payments on time and without fail. Are you among the thousands of timeshare owners paying ridiculously high maintenance fees for a property that is sitting empty year after year? If you are, you need to stop and focus on getting top dollar for your investment. Either by selling or renting it for cash. After all, what is the point of paying for something that you never get to enjoy? It would be like paying for a car that you can’t drive, isn’t it?
Listen, if you have already made up your mind about selling your timeshare, let me tell you how to avoid the rookie mistakes that all timeshare owners make:
1. Trying to sell for too much ? 2. Paying high upfront fees to third parties who promise quick sales.
Let me brake it to you: if you don’t get the correct market value for your timeshare you risk of selling it for too low or not selling at all. Since not all timeshares are created equal, you need to find out whether your resort is in high demand or not. You do this by filling out a quick form online with some basic details about you and the resort where your timeshare is located. This is 100% free and it’ll give you a starting point to get rid of your timeshare.
Also, never, ever pay anyone any upfront fee over 0 and only for advertising costs. Avoid timeshare scams that promise to help you sell your timeshare in record time in exchange for fees over 00.
Look, you might hear people tell you that selling your timeshare is going to be very hard. The reality is that it will be a lot easier if you get a great selling point for your timeshare and if you advertise extensively like on eBay and craigslist as well as listing it on the bulletin board at your own resort. You’d be surprised how many people there are already interested in purchasing another unit.
If you want to sell your timeshare fast, click the links!<br /><br /><a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link']);” href=”http://ezinearticles.com/?Sell-Timeshare-For-Free—Trade-in-Your-Timeshare-For-Cash!&id=3848603″>How To Sell A Timeshare Fast With No Fee</a><br /><a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link']);” href=”http://ezinearticles.com/?Best-Way-to-Sell-Timeshare—How-to-Sell-a-Timeshare-Fast-With-No-Fees&id=3899873″>Best Way to Sell Timeshare</a><br />
Timeshare Companies Still Breaking The Law In Spain
Timeshare Companies Still Breaking the Law in Europe
In copies of timeshare contracts shown to Claims Directive a vast number of timeshare developers are still taking illegal deposits from prospective buyers, even though this was outlawed under the 1994 European timeshare directive.
The banning of taking timeshare deposits was implemented in Europe under the 1994 timeshare directive, however most European countries did not adopt this directive until after 1996.
The timeshare developers were based in Spain, the Canaries and Mallorca, with some not returning illegal deposits even though the clients had cancelled within their cooling off period. Prospective buyers were advised by the sales agents on site, that in Spain the taking of deposits was totally legal, which of course is totally inaccurate.
Timeshare developers have been using different approaches to circumvent the timeshare directive inclusive of applying two contracts to one sale, one with a package holiday deposit and the other with a timeshare purchase, taking a deposit via a credit card facility out of Europe, taking the deposit in the Resorts restaurant whilst getting the clients to sign for a hotel bill, and even changing the dates on a contract to a time after the cooling off period.
In the last 3 months Claims Directive have processed timeshare mis-selling claims from timeshare purchases made in Spain, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza all where illegal deposits have been taken during the cooling off period, these have been from small timeshare developers to well known brands.
Claims Directive and its sponsor are now representing timeshare owners who have been mis-sold a timeshare under the 1994 European timeshare directive.
Holiday Resales, a division of Holiday Group, has just concluded its sixth webinar, featuring Timeshare User’s Group (TUG) founder, Bill Rogers, and TUG Webmaster, Brian Rogers. TUG, an online community of vacation owners, has been a highly respected resource for timeshare consumers since 1993.
Gail Bennett, Holiday’s Director of Sales, hosted the live Internet seminar. “This was our biggest attendance ever,” Bennett said. “It was wonderful to host Bill Rogers, founder of TUG, and cover a lot of ground about buying, selling, and exchanging timeshares. He certainly is a wealth of information.”
The purpose of the webinar was to introduce the audience to the valuable information available at the TUG Web site (www.tug2.net), and share secrets for getting the maximum benefit from vacation ownership. Since its founding, in 1993, TUG has become the premier timeshare Web site for the individual consumer. The site is run by the members themselves, so offers an opportunity to “tell it like it really is,” without being biased.
“The single greatest factor that makes these webinars such a pleasure to host is the audience,” Bennett said. “We had very experienced owners and those who have just started thinking about buying. We are even getting a following. It’s nice to see some of the same names listening to our programs and supporting our webinars.”
“I think most of the audience wanted to know about how to sell and exchange their timeshares,” Rogers said. “With the selling, the important point was warning them about up-front fee scams and not paying companies to take their timeshare off their hands. For the exchanging tips, we talked about being aware that the quality your timeshare determines the quality of your trading opportunities. Supply and demand for your resort will also determine trading power.”
Holiday’s webinars are part of its ongoing efforts to offer timely, unbiased educational information to vacation owners. As the popularity of timeshare continues to increase, so does the need to keep consumers informed about its many benefits, and how to navigate the sometimes confusing world of vacation ownership.
“The most important thing timeshare owners can do is educate themselves regarding their options, especially prior to purchasing,” Rogers cautioned. “They need to learn about all the types of ownership options and then determine which one is best for their lifestyle. Then, after the purchase, they need to make sure they understand completely how their individual timeshare resort processes its reservations and handles exchanges.”
Rogers noted some of the changes that have taken place in timesharing in recent years. “The entrance of brand name companies like Marriott and Disney and the increasing use of the Internet are probably the two biggest changes, and these have helped to greatly improve the industry,” he said. “The brand name companies helped legitimize and upgrade timeshare’s reputation, while the Internet provides a means for owners to communicate with one another and find help groups such as TUG for timeshare understanding and guidance.”
Bennett expressed an interest in allowing timeshare owners more opportunities to network with one another as well. “I would love to feature timeshare owners as guests in a webinar so we could have a forum discussion on their experiences,” she said. “It’s nice to have a place where owners can come to get information on something that’s very important to them–their vacation experience.”
Previous Holiday timeshare webinars have addressed basics such as exchanging and saving money on purchases. “Based on the feedback we’ve recieved,” Bennett said, “we’ll be dedicating future webinars to specific topics such as points versus weeks, branded versus unbranded, and resale versus developer.”
Please visit www.holidaygroup.com/webinar for information on upcoming Holiday timeshare webinars, or email to webinars@holidaygroup.com.
About Timeshare User’s Group (TUG)
The Timeshare User’s Group ( http://www.tug2.net ), founded in 1993, is a self-help organization composed of timeshare owners and anyone else interested in timeshares and timesharing. TUG provides timeshare owners with an unbiased source of consumer-oriented information on Timeshare resorts and the timeshare concept. TUG collects reviews and ratings for over 4000 timeshare resorts from TUG Members and volunteers who have actually been to these Timeshare resorts and provide this data, along with area activities, sites to see, and places to eat. Additionally, TUG provides a variety of services which enhance the Timeshare users’ awareness of the current timeshare industry.
About Holiday Group
Holiday’s online timeshare business connects thousands of vacation buyers with discount timeshares every year. Founded in 1992, Holiday was one of the first timeshare companies to host a comprehensive Web site. Holiday is headquartered in sunny Seattle. Please visit http://www.holidaygroup.com for more information.
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Having a timeshare is a fantastic way to go on holiday whenever you have to escape and surely selling a timeshare is not something you have considered. Timeshares have evolved over time but everybody still uses it for vacationing.When you made the decision to buy a timeshare, I’m certain it was an thrilling feeling and you could not wait to accept the benefits of having a timeshare. Once the joy is gone or life happens and you can no longer fulfill your obligations for having a timeshare, what alternatives are readily available to you if you want to sell timeshare for cash?A lot of people for one reason or another have to dispose of their timeshare. Reasons can vary greatly, from you no more wishing to be an owner for personal reasons or you may have found something that works better for you. What ever your rationale is, you should not be stuck with it if you don’t want it. In the event similar to this most people start looking to put up for sale their timeshare. It might sound overpowering but it will be more than worth it once it is out of your hands.
You can find a few methods of selling timeshare. One of many ways is to submit advertisements yourself in local papers, or even on-line. You can use on-line companies for instance Craigslist to list your timeshare. Additionally, there are discussion boards for timeshare users who are looking to sell timeshare. You can register for your free account and follow the recommendations on how you can post your timeshare. There are individuals looking to purchase a timeshare exclusively from an owner just like yourself. You have to ensure you are obtaining what you think the timeshare is valued at, as well as the person buying has to make certain they are getting a good deal. Some individuals may not want to deal with all the logistics of selling a timeshare independently, which takes me to my next option.
The next alternative for selling a timeshare, is to use a reputable broker that is skilled in selling timeshares. To avoid any possibility of a timeshare scam, it’s best to use a broker that was recommended by someone you trust. When using a broker, you ease all the excess work that is endured when you are attempting to sell a timeshare yourself. A broker will be aware of what your timeshare is worth in the present market and will make certain that each side is satisfied with the final result. A service charge may apply in most instances but it will be worthwhile for you to just relax and not have to worry about having your timeshare sold. A lot of people may choose to use a broker since the process can turn out to be as mind-numbing as acquiring your first residence. Why not let a professional deal with the tough work for you?
A professional timeshare broker, Donna has helped numerous timeshare owners to sell their timeshares in every market.
There are a lot of people who find themselves the victims of fraud when buying a timeshare, usually for the very simple reason that they don’t know what their legal rights are in this situation or how to protect themselves from scammers. Like any other situation which requires signing a legally binding contract, it’s vital to know your rights and what recourse you have under the law. There are plenty of scams going around in the timeshare industry and you’ve no doubt heard about some of these yourself. There are fraudulent operators who will try to sell properties which are nothing like promised or in some cases, not even an actual property. Before you make any decisions about purchasing a timeshare, here’s a few things to think about.
Your rights vary depending on what kind of timeshare you purchase – there are timeshares which involve a deed to the property as well as those which do not, often known as right to use or license to use timeshares. When you purchase a deeded timeshare, you’ll have a deed to your timeshare property which gives you the rights of any other title to a piece of real estate they can even be passed down to your heirs. By contrast, a license to use timeshare is essentially a long term rental of the property in question with a predetermined expiration date.
Due to scams and some questionable sales practices used by timeshare companies, the entire industry has acquired an unsavory reputation. One common occurrence in the industry is a promise of a free trip or another gift which the customer sees as being worthwhile. Upon arrival, the potential buyer is then forced to sit through a lengthy sales pitch full of high pressure sales tactics, only to receive a gift which is not at all what they had been led to believe.
The law dictates that timeshare companies must disclose the length of the presentation ahead of time, that the company must give prospective buyers truthful information on the condition of the timeshare property and that they may not misrepresent either the resale or market value of the timeshare.
Buyers are also protected by provisions in the law which mandate that any oral promises made to a buyer must be included in the sales contract and that any fees associated with the timeshare purchase or ownership be disclosed both orally and in writing. Depending on the state, buyers may also be able to avail themselves of a period in which they may cancel the contract, typically for up to two weeks after signing the contract.
It’s important to know your legal rights before purchasing a timeshare, you also need to ask yourself a few other questions such as whether or not you really need to purchase a timeshare or whether you’ve seen the property for yourself. You should also inquire about the timeshare company with the Better Business Bureau, speak with current owners of the timeshare for sale. Before you make your decision, you need to be fully informed and have decided if you plan to rent the property or if you’d rather have a deeded timeshare, whether or not you’re interested in reselling the timeshare later and whether the property is in a location where you actually want to vacation in frequently.
If you are thinking about timeshare ownership and want to learn more Timeshare Information, you should check out We Own Timeshares. Meet and connect with timeshare owners on this Timeshare Ownership social network. It is free to join and you can create your own profile in minutes. Share information and reviews of different timeshare locations and begin asking questions in the forum. Visit today.
We love a great family vacation but we can’t afford vacation ownership or purchasing a timeshare. As a family we enoy two good vacations annually but as our family continued to grow in size it became increasingly difficult to find places that could comfortably accommodate our family. When our family grew to 6, we found ourselves resorting to listening to timeshare sales pitches in order to be able to stay at the really nice resorts for an affordable price. We didn’t have any idea that there was a timeshare-alternative available.
After doing this a few times we started to actually think that maybe a timeshare was something we should purchase. Who wouldn’t want to stay at a really nice family resort in Orlando, Gatlinburg, Hawaii or any other luxurious destination around the world. For example, the typical 2 bedroom resort is spacious enough for my family of six to really relax and really enjoy the living space. I am willing to bet that these resort timeshares are nicer than how the average family currently lives. The last place we stayed in had real wood kitchen cabinets, granite kitchen counters, genuine leather furniture, plasma televisions in every room, real burning fireplace and an indoor Jacuzzi that could fit 4 adults comfortably. It is truly a luxurious experience that has created some incredible memories for my family. It is an under statement to say, you will not want to vacation any other way! Find the link to my video so that you can see first hand the type of place we recently stayed in.
Belive it or not, I truly felt guilty that we were staying at such a great resort. After all, we were really getting to enjoy how the people with a lot of money get to vacation without having to pay the high cost. However, my guilt only lasted up until the that we had to listen to the vacation ownership sales presentation. Then everything drastically changed.. You see there is an actually price you pay that costs more than money and that we had to pay that made me wish we had the money to buy a timeshare so that I could avoid what I called the timeshare torture chamber.
I know what you might be saying, how bad could’ve been but in my opinion it completely stunk. There is no other way to phrase it. We had to listen to a very skilled timeshare salesman pressure us into buying their “cheap” vacation pacakge. The conversation often went something like this, “Consider this sir, for only 28,000 dollars you are buying a lifetime of vacations for you and your family. Oh, and don’t let the 28,000 dollars scare you, we offer financing that will reduce that price to only a few hundred dollars a month for seven years.” The barrage continued throughout my courteous “I’m sorry but it is still too expensive” and after the 9th time of me telling them that we really weren’t interested but still having to hear about other specials and one time only manager “get away packages”, me and my wife made a promise to ourselves that we would never subject our family to another “relentless timeshare sales tatic” again. I am not kidding when I tell you that it was rude experience! When we finally said no to every timeshare package the nice tone discontinued and we were asked to leave.
We thought our only option would be to take purchase multiple no frill hotel rooms and try to get adjoining rooms. We are glad that we didn’t give up on our dream to luxurious vacations without having to spend a fortune.
So, I started searching for a timeshare alternatives. I immediately discovered that that a lot of people who purchased these types of vacation packages for 20-30K were trying to sell their timeshares for a fraction of the cost. We almost purchased a timeshare through this method. The deal sounded really good and then I noticed that there were many people trying to sell their vacation ownership package on the internet. This made me question why so many people were dumping their timeshares for 50% or more of what they paid for them or upwards of 80% of what a new timeshare purchase was being sold for. So, I decided to continue to investigate for a better timeshare-alternative.
I am glad that I did my “timeshare scams” research. My research exposed legitimate options when looking for a lifetime vacation option.
Here are my findings and your current options:
You can either purchase a new timeshare at a very inflated price and a really expensive annual maintenance fee. You will then have to become familiar with vacation ownership terms like points, RCI, red week, interval international, exchange rates. I wasn’t interested in learning this new language.
You can purchase a vacation ownership from someone who is trying to dump their timeshare and hope that the company that owns the timeshare “allows” the sale to go through because they often have the right of first refusal. Plus, if you get pass that hurdle you will have to still pay a high maintenance fee and make sure that the timeshare “points” mean the same today as they did when the person who is trying to sell actually purchased the timeshare.
You can just forget about timeshares or other types of vacation ownership all together and simply pay premium prices for these resorts which can cost several hundred dollars a night. Just go to Orbitz, travelocity, expedia or other agencies and see for yourself what a 2 bedroom suite cost in a exclusive resort destination. This wasn’t an option for us either.
You can bargain shop on the popular online travel outlets and hope the you negotiate a good deal that works with your travel/vacation plans and only pay a few hundred dollars a night instead of several hundred. I found that all I did was search and search and was simply settling for less.
You can use the same timeshare solution that we found. We paid a one time fee and now have access to thousands of the same timeshare destinations and can stay in those resorts for less than the cost of the timeshare maintenance fee we were quoted. No worries about learning a new language in the vacation club society.
I don’t want this article to seem like a sales pitch, so make sure to do your own research about the best timeshare-alternative option. If you are looking for a vacation ownership realize that there is an alternative to the traditional timeshare. Don’t get pressured into buying a timeshare. If you do, realize that you have a rescission grace period that will give you an option to cancel the purchase without penalties.
We were certainly happy and excited about our decision and I am extremely confident that you will feel the same way.
All the best.
Ray
Ray is a timeshare alternative expert who has developed an unique method of vacationing that he would like to share with you. Visit Ray’s http://www.timeshare-alternative.com webpage for more information. For more information about Ray, visit http://www.raybriant.com
You can get rid of your timeshare Today with Zero fees upfront with our Guaranteed timeshare cancellation program. Start and your timeshare today, Free! 877.350.7899 or www.Timeshareaide.com Video Rating: 5 / 5
Timeshares cost money. Despite the wonderful and enticing sales pitches that claim you will save thousands of dollars, the truth is that over the course of your ownership, you are going to spend thousands of dollars. Initial purchases of timeshares are an investment in and of themselves, costing in the thousands to tens of thousands. A majority of banks are going to be unwilling to mortgage a timeshare purchase. If a buyer doesn’t have the cash on hand to complete the purchase, there will be an additional interest rate posted on the purchase. Factor this in with the yearly maintenance fee, and you’re looking at all the money, and more, that you were supposed to be saving.
Before you buy, you should be aware of the myriad of shams on the market. There are companies that advertise their services and offer timeshare properties available for purchase. However, once the transaction occurs, the buyer soon realizes they are left only with a massive hole in their pocketbook and no timeshare. All contracts you enter into should be read with a fine tooth comb. These companies exist because of their fine print trickery; don’t be conned into giving away your valuable income. Always remember that as a buyer, the ball is in your court. Ask for more supporting documentation or information regarding your purchase. Take the time to do research.
If you’re already an owner looking to sell your timeshare, you are aware of the difficulty of unloading your property. Resale of your timeshare is an option, although it is likely to cost you more money before you do sell it, and even then, you are not guaranteed a sell even after all that investment. During this time, you will still be paying the fees and any associated costs. Don’t pay a listing service a fee to sell your timeshare. Several companies engaging in this market have been hit with lawsuits over the last decade. There are free sites that offer listing services. But remember, it’s hard even to give your timeshare away, let alone sell it.
Timeshares have benefits, but there are a large number of problems with them. Don’t be caught in the timeshare scams.
Tracie Newcastle is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles. She is also a timeshare consultant for the timeshare industry helping timeshare consumers understand the nature of the industry as well as their timeshare relief options. Whether you are trying to buy, sell, rent, donate, or straight up get rid of your timeshare, Tracie Newcastle is here to help. If your timeshare is costing you a fortune and you need a way out, please visit her website at http://www.timesharereliefinfo.com for a guaranteed solution.
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