Stay Safe - Protect Yourself from Fraud
The best way to stay safe when buying or renting a timeshare is to use an escrow service or payment processor that will hold your funds until after you successfully check-in (for rentals), or the delivery of the deed (for resales). This is the only sure way to protect your funds from fraud. Rentals that use RedWeek's online booking system have built-in payment protections.
If going it on your own, we encourage you to do some research before beginning with any transaction, and take steps to ensure your protection.
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Verify the person you are dealing with either owns, or has legitimate control of the week. Postings marked "Verified" have been verified by our team, but it doesn't hurt to re-confirm. Request a copy of the owner's rental confirmation (when renting)* or current assessment bill (when buying), and check the following:
- Is this person clearly in control of the timeshare?
- Do the week and unit details match what's being advertised?
- If buying: are there any unpaid maintenance fees/assessments that would prevent the transfer to a new owner?
- Both parties should sign a rental agreement or purchase agreement. Note that we have seen phishing scams related to rental agreements, so make sure you never give log in credentials that would compromise your RedWeek or e-mail account.
- NEVER pay via cash or wire transfer (Western Union, MoneyGram). Please view our Payment Method Comparison for better, secure options.
- Do a final verification. For rentals: request confirmation that the reservation has been placed in your name, and get the confirmation number. The resort may not send the name change to you directly, but the owner should be able to forward an e-mail with the name change and confirmation number, which can be confirmed with the resort.
* Note: owners may need to redact a portion of the confirmation number for privacy and security purposes.
Also, there are a number of timeshare brokers that use RedWeek.com. When dealing with a broker, ask for their name, company name, license number, and state where licensed, and run a check to make sure their license is active. Arello is a helpful resource for doing this, or contact the broker's state regulatory agency.
Trust your instincts. Ask questions. Stay safe.