Timeshare Broker Beat

Last week, the Better Business Bureau began an investigation into the legitimacy of an Iowa-based “vacation ownership closing company” going by the name of Wade Capital Management.

According to iowa.bbb.org, "the company purports to be located at 668 19th Street in Des Moines, Iowa; however, mail sent to this address has been returned as undeliverable. The address is a 7 unit apartment building. The owner of the building states that there is no business known as Wade Capital Management operating from such location."

Selling a timeshare can be a tricky business; and there is all sorts of conflicting advice about how to sell a timeshare on the internet. So we thought we’d help. We put together our top three tips for selling your timeshare:

Selling your timeshare can be a tricky business. Unfortunately, unprepared sellers too often fall victim to timeshare scams or ineffective marketing schemes. Many sellers find themselves in difficult financial situations and, out of desperation, make rash decisions without proper research. Others simply don’t know the warning-signs. So, what’s the number one mistake timeshare sellers make, and how can you protect yourself?

Paying an upfront fee is the number one mistake timeshare sellers make. Whether a company is selling you ad-space on their “highly visible” website, or promising to close the sale for a “ready and waiting” buyer – it’s rarely worth taking the risk to pay upfront for services.

This morning, the Tampa Bay Times ran an extensive story on timeshare fraud in the Florida timeshare resale industry. The article told the story of dozens of vulnerable, and often elderly, victims of timeshare scams, and the inability (or unwillingness) of law-enforcement officials to investigate.

How Timeshare Resale Scams Operate

Last year we reported on Jennifer Kirk’s massive timeshare resale scam. We’re happy to report that last week Kirk was sentenced by a federal judge to a prison sentence of more than 15 years.

Kirk, a Florida-based telemarketer bilked more than 20,000 victims out of more than $30-million dollars in her nationwide timeshare resale scam. Additionally, according to an article published on businessweek.com, "three of Kirk's former employees spun off a similar timeshare scam as Real Timeshare Marketing, which federal prosecutors say made $1.3 million using the same tactics that Kirk employed."