Timeshare Relief, INC

See the attached response message from REDWEEK.com and my original message below. Does anyone have any experience with TIMESHARE RELIEF, INC? Please respond ASAP. My wife and I are scheduled to meet with one of their representatives this Saturday. Thanks Tom McKenzie, 281-678-8223 ================================================= From: Alisa via RT (support@redweek.com) You may not know this sender.Mark as safe|Mark as unsafe Sent: Wed 4/09/08 3:00 PM Reply-to: support@redweek.com To: Mackclan1@hotmail.com

Hi Thomas,

Thank you for using RedWeek.com. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with this company and don't have any information to share with you. However, a number of our members have posted information about this company on our Forums pages at:

http://www.redweek.com/forums/messages? thread_id=10605&message_id=11651&query=timesharerelief#11651

Best regards, Alisa

[Mackclan1@hotmail.com - Wed Apr 9 11:53:59 2008]:

> 4/9/2008 > Dear RedWeek.com, > > We recently received a flyer from > Timeshare Relief, INC. suggesting a way (without any details yet) to be rid of our timeshare(s). What can RedWeek. Com tell us? > their website is www.timesharerelief.com . Please advise > Sincerely, > > Thomas F. McKenzie

Be forewarned that Timeshare Relief is a company that will charge YOU (a timeshare owner) in the neighborhood of $3500 to take YOUR unwanted timeshare off your hands. They then turn around and list it on Ebay for $1.

They will tell you that your timeshare is worthless.

You can find out more about Timeshare Relief if you go to 'search forums', right hand side of this page and enter Timeshare Relief and click ALL forums.

I just had my phone conference with them today and told the lecture guy off when I announced to the other owner/listeners that you can close and transfer ownership for $450. So why are they asking $3000-$4000? He said that I was wrong. I told him and everyone else to log onto redweek or myresortnetwork and check out the closing companies. I used one when I sold a timeshare a few years ago and they did everything just fine. He got mad and told me that he was going to hang up on me, I did so first (I guess I let the cat out of the bag). What a scam (I had just found out about Apex Professionals the day before, but I thought I would see if Timeshare Relief was any different. They weren't.) The big sales person then called me and said that 35,000 people have used their services, mostly OLDER people (she actually admitted that!!) I told her that I felt sorry for those people, or else, they had a lot more money than I did to give it to her to TAKE their timeshares (does that even make sense? Paying thousands AND giving away their timeshares!! it's worse than paying a few hundred for up front ad costs, that was bad enough, now we have these scam artists in the timeshare world!) Why can't we post these notices where EVERYONE can see them, like on the evening news or on major website home pages. This must stop!!

kareng275:

There are people who believe that outfits like Timeshare Relief, We Collect Timeshares LLC, Time No More, Timeshare Freedom, etc., etc, (ad nauseum) actually perform a "service". While I am NOT one of the people sharing that particular viewpoint, I will still nonetheless at least acknowledge that for a timeshare that cannot otherwise even be GIVEN away FOR FREE, this is indeed (at least potentially) a way "out" for a truly desperate owner --- one who doesn't mind ponying up $3k -- $4k just to "get out" of their ownership.

In your alternative scenario, merely citing closing costs for a sale, you apparently presume that there is a willing buyer available. Truth to tell however, that is simply NOT always the case. Some timeshares, like it or not, are very literally financially WORTHLESS today. In such a scenario, the PostCard Companies mentioned above (and others of that very same ilk) offer an alternative (albeit expensive) way for someone to get OUT of their ownership.

I am NOT defending these parasites. I am merely pointing out that there is, in fact, an alternative viewpoint and perspective on the matter, whether I (or you) personally subscribe to it or not....

ken1193 wrote:

kareng275:

There are people who believe that outfits like Timeshare Relief, We Collect Timeshares LLC, Time No More, Timeshare Freedom, etc., etc, (ad nauseum) actually perform a "service". While I am NOT one of the people sharing that particular viewpoint, I will still nonetheless at least acknowledge that for a timeshare that cannot otherwise even be GIVEN away FOR FREE, this is indeed (at least potentially) a way "out" for a truly desperate owner --- one who doesn't mind ponying up $3k -- $4k just to "get out" of their ownership.

In your alternative scenario, merely citing closing costs for a sale, you apparently presume that there is a willing buyer available. Truth to tell however, that is simply NOT always the case. Some timeshares, like it or not, are very literally financially WORTHLESS today. In such a scenario, the PostCard Companies mentioned above (and others of that very same ilk) offer an alternative (albeit expensive) way for someone to get OUT of their ownership.

I am NOT defending these parasites. I am merely pointing out that there is, in fact, an alternative viewpoint and perspective on the matter, whether I (or you) personally subscribe to it or not....

mike1536 wrote:

Ken, I agree. However, I have read horror stories where people pay these companies thousands of dollars, but ownership is not transferred until the PCC actually sells the TS. Meanwhile the owner is still on the hook for MFs. If I pay a PCC to take the TS, the least they can do is actually TAKE the TS.

Hi Mike:

You are absolutely right. SOME (fortunately, not ALL) of these PCC's operate utilizing a Power of Attorney (PoA) signed by the owner. In such cases, the deed remains in the owner's name until sold by the PCC. Obviously, this is unacceptable --- if the PCC decides to just close down and go out of business, then the deed simply remains in the original owner's name, while that unfortunate owner is STILL permanently "out" the entire amount of money paid to the (now disappeared) PCC --- while continuing to STILL be legally, completely responsible for any and current or future unpaid maintenance fees and /or special assessments on the ownership. Ouch....

In short, it certainly behooves any owner contemplating using (and actually paying) ANY PCC or ANY other entity (or, for that matter, even donating a timeshare to a charity) to NOT sign a mere Power of Attorney. Instead, deal ONLY with an entity which will put the timeshare ownership directly into the PCC's (or other entity's) OWN NAME, with a new deed properly recorded, as a written, signed, contractual obligation to do so as an integral part of the "transaction". That's the one and only way to ensure quickly and legally becoming the FORMER owner...

ken1193 wrote:

You are absolutely right. SOME (fortunately, not ALL) of these PCC's operate utilizing a Power of Attorney (PoA) signed by the owner. In such cases, the deed remains in the owner's name until sold by the PCC. Obviously, this is unacceptable --- if the PCC decides to just close down and go out of business (as actually happened very recently with one of the very PCC's I specifically identified earlier), then the deed remains in the original owner's name, while that owner is STILL permanently "out" the $3-4K paid to the (now disappeared) PCC.

In short, it certainly behooves any owner contemplating using (and actually paying) ANY PCC to NOT sign (or ever even consider signing) a mere Power of Attorney --- and deal with ONLY an entity which will put the timeshare ownership directly into the PCC's OWN NAME, with a new deed properly recorded, as a written, signed, contractual obligation to do so as an integral part of the "transaction".

A PCC did actually completely close shop in a town in Georgia. A lady who had done business with that particular PCC actually went to the physical address to find the office locked and empty. I don't know what action she took after that, but I suggested that she report this to the Georgia Attorney General. These types of people need to be hunted down and arrested for defrauding innocent people. They are no better than thieves in prisons.

MY WIFE AND I MET WITH A REP FROM THIS COMPANY AND ALL I GOT WAS MAD.THEY WANTED THOUSANDS PER DEED FOR THE TRANSFER. I HAVE SEVERAL AND IT WOULD HAVE COST ME AROUND $25,000. SAD AND MAD.

Is an LPOA (limited power of atty) different than the POA you mention above?

billl220 wrote:

Is an LPOA (limited power of atty) different than the POA you mention above?

We had a meeting with TSR yesterday, they say they guarantee the transfer of title and will be solely responsible for any future timeshare charges. They do not sell timeshares, they rent them to corporations and use them them in their travel club. Our cost to them for 2 timeshares would be $7290 and they expect you to pay this up front then and there!!?? Oh, yeah and we will be "given , with no obligation, a Carefree Journeys, LLC membership." Which we supposedly can "cancel at any time at no cost and without penalty." Your should see those membership fees!!!! As bad as we want to get out of this timeshare nightmare, who in there right mind would shell out that amount of $$$$$ without checking into it. We would be paying them to take our timeshare and they in turn make big bucks renting them to corporations or for travel club memberships.

Along with that, these exchange companies RCI, II and others, are all owned by Wyndham and if you have found in the last several years that you are not able to get into the resort you want, it's because they are renting them out to non members for less than your timeshare fees which also makes it almost impossible for you to rent your week(s) to help cover the fees. So much for paying for "exclusive use". If anyone has used a company that has truly freed you of your timeshare by removing your name off the title and transferred the ownership to someone else PLEASE SHARE.

karlb31 wrote:

If anyone has used a company that has truly freed you of your timeshare by removing your name off the title and transferred the ownership to someone else PLEASE SHARE.

Kudos to you for not falling for the PCC scam. There are a few companies that charge a flat fee of $1500 or a percentage of the selling price .... you can google 'no upfront fee timeshare resellers' ... or you can try to sell it yourself but in this bad economy it not a seller's market, it's a buyer's market and depending on the supply and demand of your week and resort you may not even be able to give it away on Ebay, which is how the PCC's get rid of their inventory.

You might consider, until the timeshare market gets better (if it ever does recover) to use, rent or exchange your timeshares .... to at least get some benefit from your ownership and payment of maintenance fees ... the worst thing you can do is not use your timeshare(s) in some fashion.

karlb31 wrote:

We had a meeting with TSR yesterday, they say they guarantee the transfer of title and will be solely responsible for any future timeshare charges. They do not sell timeshares, they rent them to corporations and use them them in their travel club.

They may offer some type of travel club ownership but the main way they get rid of their inventory is putting them on Ebay for $1, so they DO SELL timeshares.

Did anyone actually get rid of their timeshare using TimeShare Relief? We want OUT but don't want to lose more $$$ Willing to give away our timeshare in Manhattan club as long as we don't have to shell out any $$$

robertak29 wrote:

Did anyone actually get rid of their timeshare using TimeShare Relief? We want OUT but don't want to lose more $$$ Willing to give away our timeshare in Manhattan club as long as we don't have to shell out any $$$

The fees at Manhattan Club have gone right through the roof (and have continued on upward from there) in recent years. While I regret having to be the bearer of bad news, there are already numerous people on various timeshare sites now looking to give away their MC ownerships for free. Some even offer to pay all of the closing costs themseleves too. However, the extremely high MC fees often just scare the recipients away, even when the MC ownership is offered to them for free. Nonetheless, I wish you luck.

robertak29 wrote:

Did anyone actually get rid of their timeshare using TimeShare Relief? We want OUT but don't want to lose more $$$ Willing to give away our timeshare in Manhattan club as long as we don't have to shell out any $$$

I would think there would be many people that would take the Manhattan Club off your hands if it's free, although MC maintenance fees are exorbitant .... all accomodations in Manhattan are exorbitant.

Have you tried giving it away on Redweek's Bargain Basement or Tug's Bargain Basement.

I am aware of one legimate firm in Branson, MO. that will ONLY do transfers (NO selling) of timeshares and will also for about $150 do title insurance. I have been attempting to find younger couples that have $475 and are able to utulize a timeshare and send this amount to the transfer agent for payment of the transer transaction. I do not have the info at my desk right now. the transfer firm indicates that when a transfer price indicates around the $500, mark, the tiemshare has right of `1st refusal and may offer to pay $550 and take the timeshare back with this method.

i 44 t

roberts1192 wrote:

I am aware of one legimate firm in Branson, MO. that will ONLY do transfers (NO selling) of timeshares and will also for about $150 do title insurance. I have been attempting to find younger couples that have $475 and are able to utulize a timeshare and send this amount to the transfer agent for payment of the transer transaction. I do not have the info at my desk right now. the transfer firm indicates that when a transfer price indicates around the $500, mark, the tiemshare has right of `1st refusal and may offer to pay $550 and take the timeshare back with this method.

i 44 t

I always used www.timesharetransfer.com .... they are reliable and have a very good reputation among timeshare owners and sellers.

I'm not aware of any resorts or affiliations using 'right of first refusal' in this economy.

jayjay wrote:

...www.timesharetransfer.com .... they are reliable and have a very good reputation among timeshare owners and sellers.

I'm not aware of any resorts or affiliations using 'right of first refusal' in this economy.

Fyi, Hyatt is exercising ROFR lately in some resales, economy notwithstanding.