By Karen in Virginia - Vacation Village - Massanutten Unfortunate Owners Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1309724916165817
We wrote to Vacation Village Patriots Inn in 2021 to request a release. We received an email back saying they do not take back a timeshare unless there is serious medical hardship. Timeshares were routinely sold as being a real estate product, easy to sell. They are not. Alarmed at being held hostage, we retained an exit company and signed an agreement on February 25, 2021 to pay the firm $38,653 to be released from two Wyndham contracts and our Patriots Inn contract. We had no loans outstanding.
We didn’t know where to turn when we had second thoughts. Fortunately, I found Timeshare and Resort Developer Accountability, Inc., (TARDA). Thanks to help from a TARDA volunteer, we were able to get a refund for the $9,000 we had already paid and were able to get the agreement we signed with the exit company canceled. An agent from the exit company representative had been calling us asking for the $29,653 balance due.
We attempted to sell the timeshare. A licensed timeshare resale broker I spoke with did not want to list our Patriots Inn timeshare. Another broker said they would list it, but explained that there were about 12,000 unwanted timeshares - just in Florida. I was advised to list our unit for sale with Timeshare Users Group (TUG). I will do that, but if there are no takers, we have no choice but to default or keep an unwanted timeshare.
The timeshare industry lobby, American Resort Development Association, (ARDA), has a Responsible Exit program, but thousands of Vacation Village owners are not eligible as Vacation Village offers no responsible exit unless you are severely ill and unable to travel.
Wyndham Vacation Ownership, Inc.
Wyndham, on the other hand, was there for us. We purchased a Wyndham timeshare at National Harbor timeshare a long time ago. In 2021 we purchased Club Wyndham Access points. My TARDA volunteer told me about Wyndham Cares. I learned that both our contracts were eligible for Wyndham’s Certified Exit, Limited Edition program. The first part of the program involves deeding the points back to Wyndham, which takes six to nine months. After the deed-back is complete, we would have three years to use our remaining points, with no maintenance fees. At the end of three years, the agreement expires and we are Wyndham free. It’s good to know some resorts really do have a responsible exit.
The exit company we signed up with said they were affiliated with ARDA. They explained that ARDA supports their efforts because there is so much money being made that their lobbyist wants us to be happy. The agent specifically said, "That is why they let us do it.” He said they have contract liaisons with every developer that have to be available 24 hours a day; and that they have the authority to negotiate exit agreement fees. Their offer was only available for the day of the presentation, which was held at a hotel convention center. This all turned out to be nonsense.
My TARDA volunteer provided me with contact information for the person in charge of ARDA, and the email for ARDA-ROC (Resort Owners Coalition). I copied them on the email that I sent to the exit company when I asked for our $9,000 back. It was a nail-biting wait, but the exit company agreed to refund the $9,000 and end the agreement, with a snarky comment, “You seem to think we cannot help you. If and when the volunteer can’t help you, we will be here.”
Our Vacation Village Timeshare Trap
I spoke with Sheri in Minnesota after learning about her The Colonies at Williamsburg, Vacation Village experience. Sheri was promised the ability to easily sell her Westgate timeshare to be able to afford to buy at The Colonies. Like Sheri, I was told I could easily rent out our Vacation Village timeshare if I couldn’t use it to pay our maintenance fees. According to Sheri, if you complain about being told of this unfeasible strategy, Vacation Village will only remind you that you signed a contract.
Around 2018, we attended an owner's update at Vacation Village’s Williamsburg Plantation resort. Our main objective was to get out of a tri-annual contract that we had purchased in 2010. We wanted points rather than a fixed-week contract. A sales agent convinced us to turn in our tri-annual 2 BR unit for an every-year property at the Patriot’s Inn. The cost was $15,000.
This was when our sales agent told us that we could rent out the week or trade it. He did a whole spiel about going on RedWeek to list our week for rent, saying we would get top dollar if there was a conference or a big event going on, and that if we researched what was going on in the area, we could make a lot of money during high demand periods. Not true.
We thought we were exchanging our fixed-week for points, but that was not the case. It turned out we would need to bank the week with Interval International to get credited points – for a fee. We made it clear that we did not want to go to Williamsburg in August. It’s too hot. We ended up with a Patriot Inn every-year week (week 34), in August.
Vacation Village has a BBB rating of F
Our email to ARDA
I need to talk to someone asap about an exit presentation. Timeshare Help Source from Colorado Springs said they were affiliated with you (ARDA). We have put down a lot of money for them to get us out of 2 Wyndham contracts and one small Vacation Village. In searching Facebook, I am concerned we are making a mistake. They told us not to contact Wyndham or we would lose our money, but I have seen other posts where people got money back through their exit program. Please call. No one called.
Peter at Timeshare Help Source told me, “Wyndham won’t do anything.” He should have advised me to reach out to both resorts before entering into an agreement with them, but instructed us not to call either developer.
A TUG post about Timeshare Help Source
Maureen, look up Resort Release to see where they ended up. (Bankrupt last year.) They had an A + rating with the BBB and dozens of glowing reviews. They offered a Money-back guarantee. Their owners, Shyla Cline and her husband, bought a $9 million mansion in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. At first, they looked SO good. Then, not so much. That is how the exit industry operates. Here today, gone tomorrow. AND... one of the complaints about the company was that the person did not receive the promised $500 gift card. Food for thought.
https://tugbbs.com/forums/threads/timeshare-help-source.323436/
The Bottom Line
I’m sure there are circumstances when it might be necessary to pay a law firm, but anyone seeking an exit should contract their resort before paying anyone. TARDA volunteers answer questions about regulatory filings if you feel you experienced unfair and deceptive marketing, sales and lending practices and are not able to resolve a dispute by working with your resort.
Just don’t be fooled twice.
Related Articles
Missouri A.G. files suit against St. Louis area timeshare exit businesses, June 27, 2022
Earlier this month, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt charged the owners and operators of Square One Development Group, Inc., Consumer Law Protection, LLC, Consumer Rights Council, Resort Transfer Group, LLC, Premier Reservations Group, LLC, Square One Group, LLC, and Timeshare Help Source with violating the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act.
Senior Defaults
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/senior-timeshare-defaults-irene-parker/