Timeshare Scam!! Anyone of you in it too?

[vince123123]

In general, you smell a scam when it involves you having to pay any sum of money for something uncertain.

Please be very careful about such people offering to help in recovering your lost money or getting you out of a situation but demandin up front payment. Please read the following articles on "recovery scams", or sometimes referred to as "reloading".

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/tmarkg/recovery.htm
http://www.scambusters.org/recovery.html

 

[Astin]

What I dont understand is why anyone let themselves be kept or prevented from leaving, especially in time share cases. Just walk out - you mean someone will physically prevent you by force from leaving? I seriously doubt anything like that will happen.

I have the same doubt as u, do they really lock ppl up in a room until they get the money? Sound a bit...

 

[rafiano]

hmm....okay....seems everybody in here keep saying that timesharing is a scam...just wonder..has anybody tried timesharing facilities that have benefitted them...maybe from other companies? I do know of a a freind whose family loves to travel. They bought the timesharing and it seems they do save a lot on the accomodations overseas...especially when they stay there for a week. I do not know which company they are with though..

I think the govt would have cracked down on these timesharing companies if all of them are scams....maybe...other companies do conduct a legitimate business...though..i have yet to know them..

anyway....i think the way they market is totally distasteful...especially when it is fuelled with deceit.

 

[sfhuang]

Did anyone catch the feature documentary on timeshare scams in Singapore that showed on Channel U last nite?

I really sympathize with those people who got conned.

 

[vince123123]

I think most of the time its just people who paiseh to be firm about it and just leave and somehow end up having to stay.

Maybe one day we both go down orchard road and test test the system to see HEHEH

I have the same doubt as u, do they really lock ppl up in a room until they get the money? Sound a bit...

 

[vince123123]

Well, other than the substantive content of the timesharing arrangement, the sales tactics are also a bone of contention.

hmm....okay....seems everybody in here keep saying that timesharing is a scam...just wonder..has anybody tried timesharing facilities that have benefitted them...maybe from other companies? I do know of a a freind whose family loves to travel. They bought the timesharing and it seems they do save a lot on the accomodations overseas...especially when they stay there for a week. I do not know which company they are with though..

I think the govt would have cracked down on these timesharing companies if all of them are scams....maybe...other companies do conduct a legitimate business...though..i have yet to know them..

anyway....i think the way they market is totally distasteful...especially when it is fuelled with deceit.

 

[philliptan]

hmm....okay....seems everybody in here keep saying that timesharing is a scam...just wonder..has anybody tried timesharing facilities that have benefitted them...maybe from other companies? I do know of a a freind whose family loves to travel. They bought the timesharing and it seems they do save a lot on the accomodations overseas...especially when they stay there for a week. I do not know which company they are with though..

I think the govt would have cracked down on these timesharing companies if all of them are scams....maybe...other companies do conduct a legitimate business...though..i have yet to know them..

anyway....i think the way they market is totally distasteful...especially when it is fuelled with deceit.

I have a timeshare and it's expensive but I'd say a pretty good deal. I too got the same pressure tactics that many experienced and I wasn't too happy with it too.

Recently, because of the bad press, the timeshare company that I belong to has come up with a package that does not come with annual maintenance fees. Rather, you only pay the fee when you go... so it's kinda like a hotel fee. I'm going for my holiday at the end of the month and it's a 5-star resort near Melbourne. The room I'm getting has two bedrooms and it's a two-storied bungalow for 6 persons and I'm only paying $400 for 7 days. Ya, granted, I've essentially paid for it with the fee I paid for my timeshare, but I plan to travel yearly and will thus make the whole thing more worthwhile. Not point selling my timeshare now with the bad publicity.

Maybe they should have marketed it as a high-class lifestyle resort membership instead of all the shady tactics like winning a lucky draw in a survey.

 

[rafiano]

I have a timeshare and it's expensive but I'd say a pretty good deal. I too got the same pressure tactics that many experienced and I wasn't too happy with it too.

Recently, because of the bad press, the timeshare company that I belong to has come up with a package that does not come with annual maintenance fees. Rather, you only pay the fee when you go... so it's kinda like a hotel fee. I'm going for my holiday at the end of the month and it's a 5-star resort near Melbourne. The room I'm getting has two bedrooms and it's a two-storied bungalow for 6 persons and I'm only paying $400 for 7 days. Ya, granted, I've essentially paid for it with the fee I paid for my timeshare, but I plan to travel yearly and will thus make the whole thing more worthwhile. Not point selling my timeshare now with the bad publicity.

Maybe they should have marketed it as a high-class lifestyle resort membership instead of all the shady tactics like winning a lucky draw in a survey.

yeah..that was what I was trying to fnd out.... some people do benefit from timeshare thingy...if its totally a scam...the govt would come down hard on them. anyway, i saw in one of the websites that a guy is meeting his MP to discuss this issue. If all this is really bothering us, why dont we start an online petition and do something about it, rather than just being negative. It would also help the members here who have taken up the membership if frequent travellers who uses their timeshare have something good to say. again..i dont condone their sales tactics...

 

[centuryegg]

Just recently every member of my family got a call within a week saying that "Mr XXX CONGRATULATIONS!!! You are a lucky winner of a lucky draw.....," the dumb thing was the guy got the surname wrong when he called me. I was like Im Mr Lee not Mr Lim, BYE!

 

[Astin]

For the same amount u pay to timeshare, u could have stayed in a 5 star serviced hotel in centralized location, with security, housekeeping, etc.

 

[Astin]

I think most of the time its just people who paiseh to be firm about it and just leave and somehow end up having to stay.

Maybe one day we both go down orchard road and test test the system to see HEHEH

Ok, 1 day we go walk along Orchard Road and wait for ppl to call us for lucky draw, then we purposely draw the no-prize lose one, see what happen first.

 

[Errz]

I have a timeshare and it's expensive but I'd say a pretty good deal. I too got the same pressure tactics that many experienced and I wasn't too happy with it too.

Recently, because of the bad press, the timeshare company that I belong to has come up with a package that does not come with annual maintenance fees. Rather, you only pay the fee when you go... so it's kinda like a hotel fee. I'm going for my holiday at the end of the month and it's a 5-star resort near Melbourne. The room I'm getting has two bedrooms and it's a two-storied bungalow for 6 persons and I'm only paying $400 for 7 days. Ya, granted, I've essentially paid for it with the fee I paid for my timeshare, but I plan to travel yearly and will thus make the whole thing more worthwhile. Not point selling my timeshare now with the bad publicity.

Maybe they should have marketed it as a high-class lifestyle resort membership instead of all the shady tactics like winning a lucky draw in a survey.

as far as i know, u wont be able/allow to sell ur timeshare at all. check ur contract. And those who offer u no annual thingy, its actually another New Contract. I guess if u r those who travel often, u might benefit from it.

 

[Lenscapes]

Ok, 1 day we go walk along Orchard Road and wait for ppl to call us for lucky draw, then we purposely draw the no-prize lose one, see what happen first.

i think all the prize are 'grand prize' one lah.. just sit around orchard and watch the surveyers act..better then those in MCorp.

 

[Errz]

i think all the prize are 'grand prize' one lah.. just sit around orchard and watch the surveyers act..better then those in MCorp.

I think they more or less target couples.
1) cause if 1 out of job, the other can still pay
2) married couples will have house, assets. so if u wanna run away, would be hard

Those who sign up, like less than 1,2 months, can try to cancel the contract. go to CASE to help. they might be able to help.

If its like few years aready. CASE might not be able to help u. but there is still some way that might be able to resolve it. pm pm ...

 

[rafiano]

hmm....it boils down to whtehr u a frequent traveller....if u r not..then definitely u lose money. its the same like gym membership....if u dont go to the gym often, definitely its not worth it. btw...i just emailed the guy who wants to see his MP abt it....will keep u guys updated..

 

[Astin]

i think all the prize are 'grand prize' one lah.. just sit around orchard and watch the surveyers act..better then those in MCorp.

Wanna go down Orchard Road and take some photos of the surveyers and victims?