Timeshare resellers: Be careful!

Antonio Flores
23rd of August 2001

After surfing the web searching for Timeshare information I have come accross some interesting information published by the Timeshare Comsumers Association and the Organisation for Timeshare in Europe. These organisations provide any interested person in purchasing, and selling, Timeshare in Europe, with tips on how to approach a timeshare transaction, and make special reference to the risks of being defrauded in the course of the said purchase-sale.

I have read with some shock the comments made on the timeshare resellers in Spain: "It is safe to assume that almost every reseller based in Spain (including the Canaries and Balearics) is a crook" (http://www.timeshare.org.uk/tca_rescams.html). These comments, without being addressed to any particular reseller, could constitute grounds for proceeding for slander, as they certainly slanderous remarks and englobe the activity of a number of people who may be willing to make an honest living on the timeshare business.

The reading of it has coincided with the a tide of enquiries received by marbella-lawyers.com regarding a company who is reselling timeshare in Spain. The company appears to be operating as many others do: they call the timeshare owner and offer to sell the timeshare. They know exactly the resort, apartment and week number. Then they tell the seller-owner that they already have a buyer which is due to pay the full purchase price at any time. However, the seller is told that in order to cover for fees and costs, they request 700GBP (185.000 ptas.)to be transferred to them: It all seems fine, as the 185.000 Ptas. could be the introducer“s fee charged upfront, a pure business decision which you decide to accept or not. However, the seller is given assurances that the company“s solicitors will hold in escrow in their account these monies, and that the monies are not their fee for introducing the client, but to cover for costs of transaction.

Further assurances state that the 185.000 ptas. are to be refunded doubled if the buyer does not complete within six months, although the deal is close to be completed and the promised 6.500 GBP on their way to the sellers account.

Our firm intended to represent a seller in the transaction and we offered the company reselling timeshare that our account would be used as escrow: the deal never went ahead and no buyer was ever presented to my client. They were not interested in an independent advisor representing the seller, quite simply.

However, I decided to dig further, and after conducting some investigation I noted the following:

The Company, named Property Transfers S.L., is properly registered in Spain, in the Mįlaga Mercantile Registry (Company“s house). The information has been obtained from the Mercantile Registry on the 07-08-2001.
The sole administrator is Davies Matthew Wyn, and Mr. Wyn is the sole shareholder. The company started to operate on the 15-03-2001.
The registered address, according to the M.Registry, is 33A Calahonda Park, Calahonda 29649, Mijas Costa. However, the company claims in the draft contract that the registered address is Alta del Apartado Nśmero 946AP, Marbella 29600. (Funny address to anyone familiarised with the Spanish Postal service).
The company operates however not from Calahonda nor Marbella, but from some city in the UK, or at least the fax numbers on the only fax I received from the company points to that direction. (07092021478 and 07092021557, mobiles numbers both).
The company“s lawyers, Chesterton and Garcķa, don?t seem to be operating. Or rather, if they do, they must operate with difficulties from a mobile number (the number given to the sellers of timeshare) and from an inexistent address: Avda. Del Mar 23-24, Marbella. For anyone“s interest, Avda. Del Mar is a beatiful avenue with north-south direction in the centre of Marbella, with the Paseo Marķtimo ( beach promenade) ending it. The only problem is that Avda. Del Mar 23-24 does not exist, it runs up to 20 numbers, after which you can find a nice Chinese restaurant and a Travel Agency!!
I have been trying to phone my colleage Chesterton and/or Garcķa without success. Furthermore, I cannot locate him in the Mįlaga Lawyers Directory.
On a fax sent to me by Mr. Richard White, General Manager, I am told that “according to the time share consul legislation, the vendor of this transaction Mrs. ***, is charged a commission fee held to the selling of her resort facility in ***, which amount to an average fluctuating interest rate of 10%. They then go on telling me that “all necessary clearence leans on the property will be satisfied and secured by housing regulations.“ I confirm that I am not able to make any sense out of the statement.

All the information provided in this letter can be proved by documentary evidence: I trust timeshare sellers can use the above information to make the decision whether to use the services of Property Transfers S.L. or await a safer opportunity to sell.

Discuss this Article

Lawbird Lawyer Says:

Thu, Feb 5th 2009, 13:48
Six britons arrested for Costa del Sol timeshare scam By h.b. - Feb 2, 2009 - 12:28 AM The six, a manager and five telesales operators have not been named. National Police from Mįlaga have arrested six British people in Fuengirola for defrauding other Britons in the fraudulent resale of timeshare property in the province of Mįlaga. The manager and five telesales operators offered timeshares on the Costa del Sol for one or several weeks across many years, for large amounts of money. It seems the same timeshare rights were resold to different buyers several times, according to a statement from the main police station in Mįlaga. The case started after a complaint from a British person about a company based in Alhaurķn el Grande. The company used several different names and closed down, only to reopen in Fuengirola. The six arrested will appear in court shortly. Source: Typically Spanish
john smith Says:

Wed, Oct 7th 2009, 18:23
i have just had a fone call 4 actually from international global services a false name probably jessica hill .who after selling my tshare for an unbelievable price for me she say she wants a security deposit of 1300 euros returnable after the deal is done ha ha beware international global services another dodgy timeshare resale company .
Brenda Perth 27/10/09 Says:

Tue, Oct 27th 2009, 21:24
Received phone call from IGS offering to sell my timeshare. Within a few days buyer was found offering to pay well over my asking price, but I had to pay 1300 Euros surity before the transaction could be completed. Would be refunded on receipt of deeds. Told them to take cost from the payment for timeshare but " according to Spanish Law this was not possible". You can probably guess I told her NO Way. I'm a tightfisted scot, after all!
Lawbird Lawyer Says:

Wed, Oct 28th 2009, 09:22
Dear Madam, We wrote an article almost a decade ago on this scam: Timeshare resellers: Be careful - 23rd August 2001 It's impressive how this scam just goes on and on from one decade onto the next. Yours faithfully, Raymundo Larraķn Nesbitt
idiot Says:

Mon, Nov 9th 2009, 21:08
i too have been caught out and paid money to sell the timeshare and nothing has come about yet!! i now have contact with molina valero for tax that should have been paid in first year should i pay this or not? do advise me as it all seems genuine or is it i cant afford to loose £3500
Lawbird Lawyer Says:

Tue, Nov 10th 2009, 09:18
Dear Sir or Madam, Molina Valero is a scam, yes. You have a thread on them here: http://www.marbella-lawyers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=810
Unregistered Says:

Tue, Nov 10th 2009, 10:48
new resale scam office openning on the costa it has 80 lines and will have two shifts the company name is COMPANY LAW it has been set up Del and Tracey Rainbow how many more times are they going to get a way with it
cbs enquirer Says:

Thu, Dec 3rd 2009, 00:10
I have just had a very tempting offer of a very good price for my timeshare from International Global Services. Usual story of a buyer already interested. But this time they insist that there is no up front payment at all. I will receive the full payment before sending off the deeds by courier. Sounds too good to be true. Any advice or similar experience?
Unregistered Says:

Thu, Dec 3rd 2009, 16:54
Take it with a pinch of salt. ..There will be a catch somewere. Ask yourself were do they get these so called buyers from ?
Naive Mike Says:

Mon, Jan 4th 2010, 23:17
Hello, I got scammed by Property Transfers S.L. around 10 years ago and lost ca. £600. My anger still burns and I would love to get even with Mr. Richard White or whoever they are. Regards Mike
GKB Says:

Mon, Jan 11th 2010, 21:38
Beware, another company called Odyssey Group Consultants based in Majorca is claiming quick sales at V. High resale values, contact name of Jessica Hill, suggested that they found a buyer prepared to pay serious money (circa £20K), but needed £1250 up front which would be refunded following transfer of ownership documents. Very persistant, even said that the buyer was still on holiday and would come into the office, Mr Ward however was not very convincing. Treat as if the plague!
Peter Guntrip Says:

Tue, Jan 19th 2010, 21:02
oes anyone have information on the Odyssey Group who resale timeshare. if so I would appreciate hearing about them good or bad?
Gordon Caddy Says:

Wed, Jan 20th 2010, 00:31
I have been contacted by Daniel Thompson of Odyssey Consultants today offering to buy my timeshare.He is supposed to contact me on Friday with an offer.I know he will require a refundable deposit.
mary daisy Says:

Wed, Jan 20th 2010, 18:02
i, also had an offer from Odyssey consultants. presume it is a scam?
Raymond Scott Says:

Wed, Jan 20th 2010, 19:38
Odyssey contacted me this evening. Offered me an extremely high value for my Diamond Points and wanted a decision immediately and £1250 instantly. Said they had clients sat waiting. I said I was not prepared to make an instant decision. They then backtracked and said their client could come back into the office same time tomorrow before their flight home. Do not trust them. Facts are the same - based in spain, want money upfront, not offering me any proof they are genuine, resorting back to the old trick of protected by the consumer credit act. Do not trust. Will not be giving my details to them.
Carlos Says:

Thu, Jan 21st 2010, 12:56
We got a phone call from a company named "Viajeria y Turismo", allegedly being based in Marbella, Spain. They speak German, and their "representative" appears to be from Austria. They wanted us to sell our timeshare for an absolutely astronomic prize. However, they wanted a deposit of Euro 2300 to be paid if a potential buyer would be found at the time when the buyer has transferred the selling prize on a account in Marbella. The argued that this deposit would only cover any costs arising if the seller or buyer would withdraw during the selling process. After all, they sent us a first draft of a selling contract, already with a buyer who appeared to have signed the selling contract, together with a photocopy of a receipt of a bank in Marbella, suggesting that the selling prize would already have been payed by the client. At this point, they got nasty and wanted the deposit to be paid immediately. However, we then found out that the "client" (a person living in Aberdeen, Scotland) did not exist under the address depicted on the contract. Also, we could not find a company named "Viajeria y Turismo" on the internet. I decided to called this timeshare reseling company, and the representative was rather annoyed when I confronted her with what I had found out. They said everything would be ok, and, as a "proof", referred me to to their website shown on the contract. However, when contacting that company via the "contact" link on the site, it turned out that the website belonged to another company (a online Travel Agency (www.viajeria.com)) that does no timeshare reselling, nor does this company have anything to do with Marbella). This "reselling company" simply abused the website of a correctly operating travel agency to confuse possible victims.
Yvonne Fredriksson Says:

Fri, Jan 22nd 2010, 14:55
Tack.! Vi har också blivit kontaktade av Mi Viaje (www.viajeria.com). De hade en "köpare" som vill köpa våra semesterveckor i Travel Safe Holidays, för 22.500 euro, dock ville de ha en deposition på 3.708 euro!! Vi va nära att "gå på" detta, men då jag nu har läst på er sida om den stora bluffen så hoppar vi av Vänliga hälsningar från Yvonne
Unregistered Says:

Fri, Jan 22nd 2010, 22:57
My mother, who is 83, and in poor health has also been contacted by Odyssey Consultants. She does want to dispose of one of her weeks as she is no longer well enough to travel. She said to them "if you have a buyer for my apartment what number is it"?, and of course they didn't know. They wanted her to put about £1200 up front fortunately she's no fool and realised it was a con. I was conned by a company called club class holidays over 10 years ago, with a resale scam to the tune of £4,500. I did exactly as requested sending my certificate off on the due date. They even wrote and told me I was entitled to the money but I never received a penny. I then got conned by a company who promissed to get my money back. Key Properties Town advisory, They conned me out of £1200.They didn't get me a penny and kept asking for more for solicitors fee's, I didn't inherit my mother's brains. I let it happen to me twice.
John Pearce Says:

Fri, Jan 29th 2010, 16:40
Just had a call from amey potts of odyssey consultants majorca saying they have sold my 2 weeks timeshare for £7600-00 but yes you have guessed it they want debit or credit card details to hold and take £760-00 from the account immediately to secure the deal which will be refunded on completion. How gullable are these people that believe that people pass this information on after just receiving a telephone out of the blue. Someone outhere will get caught big time be aware.
Unregistered Says:

Tue, Feb 9th 2010, 19:59
Beware, another company called Odyssey Group Consultants based in Majorca is claiming quick sales at V. High resale values, contact name of Jessica Hill, suggested that they found a buyer prepared to pay serious money (circa £20K), but needed £1250 up front which would be refunded following transfer of ownership documents. Very persistant, even said that the buyer was still on holiday and would come into the office, Mr Ward however was not very convincing. Treat as if the plague I have just been contacted by Patrick (with an Irish accent) from Odyssey Consultants wanting to sell my timeshare. I told him that someone was at the door and if he gave me his telephone number then I would phone back. This number is 0808 1293889. I then told him that I was registered with the TPS and had no intention of selling my timeshare - I then hung up. Lo and behold two minutes later he was on the phone again saying that he hadn't given me a reference number and that the telephone number that he had supplied was wrong. He said "who's the fool now?". I hung up again. The given telephone has an automated (in English) response saying 'not available'. My barge pole protects me!
Rowing Says:

Tue, Feb 9th 2010, 21:21
It's IGS again now in Majorca, who say they have a customer for our t/share and what figure would we accept. They come back an hour later with an offer nearly twice our figure, customer with them, finance waiting, but please lodge refundable£1250 deposit against us not completing contract. Persistantly rang but told them no way, I wasn't born yesterday.
Unregistered Says:

Tue, Feb 9th 2010, 22:43
I sold my timeshare through Odyssey and found them great! Yes, I had to provide a provision but as soon as I'd sent them my deeds (after receiving the money for the t/s I might add!) it was put back on my card! I've already recommended them to friends of mine who are also looking to sell! Good business all around! Mrs E Harris Doncaster
ifv Says:

Tue, Feb 9th 2010, 22:53
Yeah, sure. "Mrs E Harris", have you not thought of getting yourself a legal job? What are you going to tell your grandchildren when you grow old, that you made a living out of ripping elderly people off out of their life savings? If there's a Hell below, it is surely meant for people like you.
Unregistered Says:

Tue, Feb 16th 2010, 02:09
Mrs Harris, how long have you worked for Odyssey or should it be International Global Services!!!!!!!!
Unregistered Says:

Tue, Feb 16th 2010, 02:35
I have just been contacted by Patrick (with an Irish accent) from Odyssey Consultants wanting to sell my timeshare. I told him that someone was at the door and if he gave me his telephone number then I would phone back. This number is 0808 1293889. I then told him that I was registered with the TPS and had no intention of selling my timeshare - I then hung up. Lo and behold two minutes later he was on the phone again saying that he hadn't given me a reference number and that the telephone number that he had supplied was wrong. He said "who's the fool now?". I hung up again. The given telephone has an automated (in English) response saying 'not available'. My barge pole protects me The number you want is 08081293879 and it is also the number given out for Avant. According to posts on other warning sites on some calls they are in Mallorca and others they give an address in Andorra bur miraculously with the same phone number. Also the same names seem to appear with International Global Services. DON'T TOUCH THEM WITH A BARGE POLE.
Unregistered Says:

Wed, Mar 3rd 2010, 21:13
The number you want is 08081293879 and it is also the number given out for Avant. According to posts on other warning sites on some calls they are in Mallorca and others they give an address in Andorra bur miraculously with the same phone number. Also the same names seem to appear with International Global Services. DON'T TOUCH THEM WITH A BARGE POLE. I was contacted by Patrick and then Julie and then Amey, they said they had a buyer for my timeshare and needed 1200 up front as a retainer. I consulted my credit card company and they told me it was okay retainers are asked for all the time. They now have my money, they sent me a contract and authorisation invoice I signed contract but did not sign authorisation invoice for 1200. They ring me regularly requesting written authorisation for credit card payment as they claim they have a buyer and cannot proceed until they receive it. The retail dispute dept of my credit card company told me whether I sign it or not they have my money and the contract is for 9 months so they cannot challenge them until after 9 months. What I don't understand is, they have my money so I don't know why they keep ringing to sign authorisation form. The contract is not worth an awful lot of money about the same as we paid for the timeshare 18years ago. If it is a scam why have they not just taken my money and run???
Lawbird Lawyer Says:

Thu, Mar 4th 2010, 09:46
I was contacted by Patrick and then Julie and then Amey, they said they had a buyer for my timeshare and needed 1200 up front as a retainer. I consulted my credit card company and they told me it was okay retainers are asked for all the time. They now have my money, they sent me a contract and authorisation invoice I signed contract but did not sign authorisation invoice for 1200. They ring me regularly requesting written authorisation for credit card payment as they claim they have a buyer and cannot proceed until they receive it. The retail dispute dept of my credit card company told me whether I sign it or not they have my money and the contract is for 9 months so they cannot challenge them until after 9 months. What I don't understand is, they have my money so I don't know why they keep ringing to sign authorisation form. The contract is not worth an awful lot of money about the same as we paid for the timeshare 18years ago. If it is a scam why have they not just taken my money and run??? You can be sure it's a scam. Legitimate timeshare resale companies DO NOT ask for retainer fees. They are paid off from the sales' proceeds. As a general rule anyone cold-calling you out-of-the-blue with a potential "buyer" for your timeshare is a scam if any or all the following apply: 1. They request money for "admin" fees 2. They request a "retainer" fee 3. They request money to "secure" the deal 4. They request money to "translate" the documents etc. Remember, these con artists are top salesman, they are smooth talkers and will woo you out of you money very convincingly; after all they make a living out of it. Excerpt from UK's Timeshare Consumers Association (TCA): http://www.timeshare.org.uk/rescon.html Timeshare Resale Scam Most scams start with the BIG LIE In the Resale Scam the BIG LIE is "Your timeshare is worth X thousand pounds" when in reality it is probably worth only a fraction of that. Most timeshare weeks/points are worthless in the open market and ALL Holiday Club memberships are totally worthless, This scam has already netted the crooks over £500M - don't be another of their victims . The TCA have an (unpublished) "blacklist" of over 1,690 of these crooks - you have been warned ! 1. It usually starts with a "cold call" by someone claiming to be able to sell your week - or even claiming to have already sold your week. The amount you will receive, they say, is usually a hundred times more than the true market value of your week (although you may not know this! - talk to any of our recommended resale brokers to find out the true market price ) 2. OR it may be an advertisement in a newspaper or magazine inviting timeshare owners to register their weeks for sale. 3. OR it they may be offering you a chance to buy RCI points cheaply. 4. OR they may invite you to their offices "to complete" the sale of your timeshare 5. They may claim to be resellers or real estate agents. They may claim that they are registered in the UK. In truth, they are fraudsters. 6. OR they may claim to be setting up a compensation claim in the courts, inviting you to join, for a fee. 7. To give themselves credibility they may say that they are a registered company and invite you to check with the Spanish Companies House. Or they may invite you to talk to their lawyers. Or they claim membership of a "trade" organisation - which is no guide to safe dealing with a resale broker. The telephone numbers they give you to check will be mobile numbers, answered by one of their colleagues in the sales office! 8. They may also send, by fax or post, a “contract” which appears to have the name and a signature of a “buyer”. This contract is a fabrication . But even good solicitors have been taken in by them. 9. Then they will say that they need you to pay them money – amounts ranging from £300 to £3,000. The reasons for this payment are all totally fictitious – advance legal fees; a Spanish legal requirement; a “security bond”; registration of the deeds etc. etc. None are true. OR, they may invite you to visit them, in the UK, Tenerife or Spain, to collect the money from the buyer. You go to their offices expecting to return with ££££££ in your pocket – but actually return ££££££ the poorer, perhaps with membership of some bogus holiday club and a piece of paper promising enormous sums to be paid to you in 3 or 5 years time. A "Cash Back" promise that is certainly worthless. OR, they may tell you that they are lawyers and that, as a victim of an earlier fraud, you will get back the money you paid (and even some of the money that the fraudsters had promised from the sale of your timeshare). All you have to do is pay £££££. The caller may well be the same person who defrauded you the first time. OR, they may claim to be a bank holding the purchasers money on your behalf. All you have to do is send the "bank" some money. Again, the caller is probably from the same gang as previously. OR, they may claim that you need to "upgrade" your ownership to achieve a sale. Pay £1,000 to the fraudsters for the upgrade and - nothing! (an Asian version of the the scam) OR they may persuade you to "trade in" your timeshare for membership of a holiday club. Not only are holiday clubs bad news but you find that your timeshare is NOT transferred out of your name leaving you with the annual fees to pay on two membership. This is the well known "buy/sell" scam. They may pretend to be calling from the UK or the US - even giving a relevant telephone number - but are mostly calling from Spain or the Canaries using a call transfer or an international mobile number. But some ARE calling from the UK and they are just as dangerous as those calling from Spain etc. These companies are acting fraudulently. They are VERY convincing and VERY persistent, TCA advice: NEVER send any money to any company on the promise of selling your timeshare - whatever reason they might give you for paying. and certainly do not give them your credit/debit card number. NEVER send an ownership certificate, or even a copy of one. Check the true market value by talking to any of our recommended resellers - then you will know if the price quoted by the fraudster is reasonable or not. If you have already given your credit card number: Do NOT sign any written agreement that you are sent. Write to the reseller (Recorded Delivery) confirming that you contracted on a date (of the ‘phone call) for them to sell your week at a given price in a given time period (both as per ‘phone call) and that you paid by credit card and you now look forward to receiving the payment of the proceeds of sale within the time period. Totally ignore any further correspondence or ‘phone calls from the fraudster. When the time period has expired write to the reseller demanding payment of the promised amount in not more than 10 days from the date of your letter. If they fail to pay, make a claim on your credit card company under S75 of the Consumer Credit Act on the basis that you have been defrauded out of £xxx (some resellers conveniently forget to tell you that there was VAT on top of the payment!) OR issue a claim in the County Court - if the fraudster is based in England or Wales - for all your money back on the grounds of breach of contract. See Details of how to make a claim. If you paid by means other than a credit card Then you have no chance of recovering any money. Finally Please report the matter to the Office of Fair Trading Details are here. Yours sincerely, Raymundo Larraķn Nesbitt
Unregistered Says:

Thu, Mar 4th 2010, 20:21
You can be sure it's a scam. Legitimate timeshare resale companies DO NOT ask for retainer fees. They are paid off from the sales' proceeds. As a general rule anyone cold-calling you out-of-the-blue with a potential "buyer" for your timeshare is a scam if any or all the following apply: 1. They request money for "admin" fees 2. They request a "retainer" fee 3. They request money to "secure" the deal 4. They request money to "translate" the documents etc. Remember, these con artists are top salesman, they are smooth talkers and will woo you out of you money very convincingly; after all they make a living out of it. Excerpt from the Timeshare Organisation (TCA): http://www.timeshare.org.uk/rescon.html Yours sincerely, Amey just rang to say she will go ahead and process sale of time share will let you know if it is a scam she said it will take approx 5 days to contact buyer and recieve the rest of the deposit.
Unregistered Says:

Tue, Mar 16th 2010, 03:07
Well it has been a lot more than 5 days and I'm very interested to know if they came up with the "goods" for you. For your sake I hope so, but I certainly won't hold my breath. I don't know how these people sleep at night!!!!!!
Unregistered Says:

Wed, Mar 31st 2010, 00:29
Has anyone out there had any luck with Odyssey? They are the biggest scammers going. They are the same people as Global reservation Services and Avant. I've been called by all of them, same caller twice but from a different company. Do they think we are all bloody stupid!!!!!!
Lawbird Lawyer Says:

Wed, Mar 31st 2010, 10:08
Has anyone out there had any luck with Odyssey? They are the biggest scammers going. They are the same people as Global reservation Services and Avant. I've been called by all of them, same caller twice but from a different company. Do they think we are all bloody stupid Dear Sir or Madam, There's already a thread on them: Odyssey Consultants William Yours sincerely,
Unregistered Says:

Fri, Apr 2nd 2010, 16:52
Yeah, sure. "Mrs E Harris", have you not thought of getting yourself a legal job? What are you going to tell your grandchildren when you grow old, that you made a living out of ripping elderly people off out of their life savings? If there's a Hell below, it is surely meant for people like you. I do think that people are very miss understood, 3 of my friends sold there time/share trough this company as well. no problems,, But all said, not every one is successful, Not every one can be happy Mr ifv Administrator! I think people also don't believe in heaven and hell. there is no such chuff. and no mater what you say .. at all..You just don't have to listen to admin staff who don't no what there talking about. they no nothing about time share at all. so they have no say at all what so ever. its more like a, Buss driver trying to explain a doctors operation him self. or a Admin staff pretending to know about time share I mean you are a JOKE MR AVF get a life and a REAL JOB!
ifv Says:

Fri, Apr 2nd 2010, 19:43
I do think that people are very miss understood, 3 of my friends sold there time/share trough this company as well. no problems,, But all said, not every one is successful, Not every one can be happy Mr ifv Administrator! I think people also don't believe in heaven and hell. there is no such chuff. and no mater what you say .. at all..You just don't have to listen to admin staff who don't no what there talking about. they no nothing about time share at all. so they have no say at all what so ever. its more like a, Buss driver trying to explain a doctors operation him self. or a Admin staff pretending to know about time share I mean you are a JOKE MR AVF get a life and a REAL JOB You are not going to sound too convincing in front of your victims if you don't polish a bit your English. Maybe it's you who should get a real job, and perhaps go back to school, see if you can learn how to write proper English, and hopefully acquire some ethics while doing so. Believe me, I've been in this business long enough to know who is a fraudster and who is legitimate. I'm afraid you fall in the first category, Mr Odyssey.
Unregistered Says:

Sat, Apr 10th 2010, 01:54
I can tell you absolutely first hand that Odyssey is a scam, as is Global Reservation Services, International Global Services, Avant, Prestige Marketing Solutions and Finally Sold. They are all the same company. I have done a lot of research and the names and phone numbers are all the same. I also have first hand experience with every company on the list. Look on the Timeshare Talk forum and see just how many people have been ripped off by them all. These b******s are living the good life by exploiting you good people. Please listen and whenever someone rings you with a "tempting" offer just hang up the phone. There is no such thing as a free lunch!!!!!!
Unregistered Says:

Mon, Apr 12th 2010, 13:21
Well it has been a lot more than 5 days and I'm very interested to know if they came up with the "goods" for you. For your sake I hope so, but I certainly won't hold my breath. I don't know how these people sleep at night I am one of those STUPID people, paid the retainer as they said a deposit had been paid for my timeshare which wasn't very much to start with. Despite numerous phone calls to Odyssey I have still no money, they now tell me when I rang them that the sale had fallen through and they have given the sale of my timeshare to another company. I will now have to write to them demanding my money back I am a working mum and cannot afford to lose £1350. How would they like a member of their family to be scammed in this way? I think I will get MUG tatooed on my forehead, can anyone assist me with the best way to go about retrieving my hard earned money which I now pay interest on to my credit card company. I feel so stupid I've lost a lot of sleep over this debt.
Unregistered Says:

Tue, Apr 13th 2010, 16:40
just to let you know they are still at it, my mum recieved a phone call yesterday from a irish or scottish accented lady (if i can call her that) by the name of faye, stating that they had a buyer lined up for her timeshare and they needed a retainer fee of 1350 to secure the transfer. My mum stated she didnt have that sort of money here and now and Faye kindly dropped the price to 950. My mum said she would see what she could do, Faye rang her back a hour later asking agian for the money, My mum once again said sorry not got any, Faye then asked Mum to get a credit card or miss out on the deal, My mum said she wasnt interested and Faye hung up.
Unregistered Says:

Thu, Apr 15th 2010, 01:28
Please don't call yourself stupid. These people are very good at what they do, deceiving people!!! Of course she would hang up on you, you didn't give her her commission for the day!!! Poor soul my heart bleeds. They want stringing up the lot of them!!! Have you contacted your Credit Card company? Tell them you have been a victim of fraud and want to do a charge back on your card. Report them to anyone who will listen and try to get these scum off the streets. Was it Odyssey in Mallorca you paid the money to? I have their address if it was, report them to the Spanish National Police, Paseo mallorca, Palma de Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. Odyssey Consultants, Calle Marques de la Senia 35 Palma de Mallorca 07015 Baleares Spain. Best of luck and keep posting. I'll do what I can on here to help.
HRB YORKS SAYS Says:

Fri, Apr 16th 2010, 00:05
Thank you one and all for the warning about Odessey. I received a telephone call from Amey tonight, wanting to buy my time share weeks that ran out seven years ago, for £3750. After a conversation about her grandmother, she then asked me for £1750, on my credit card, I said I would like to think about this, she then stepped up the pressure, which made alarm bells ring. I am seventy year old , but I still have life in me.How can they do this to people, but Amey you only get out of life what you put in remember that Amey. PS she is ringing me tomorrow night for my decision I cant wait. She gave me her direct no 08451085556 if I had any problems, is she kidding.
HRB YORKS SAYS Says:

Fri, Apr 16th 2010, 23:05
Guess what, received a call as promised from Kate this time, asking me if I had been in touch with my credit card co, when I said yes she asked me if I wanted to proceed. I said no way after reading all about the scam on the internet. She denied that this was a different company, I gave her a few choice words. Hence she said she was not going any further with the deal. I said she was lying, and she said I would be apologising to her. Later I got some legal advice and they warned me, not to ever give credit card details to anyone, unless I know them and this definately looked like a scam.
Unregistered Says:

Mon, Apr 19th 2010, 22:33
Well done HRB, glad to hear you sent them off with a flea in their ear. Don't ever part with card details to any of these lying scumbags.
Unregistered Says:

Fri, Apr 30th 2010, 08:14
Please don't call yourself stupid. These people are very good at what they do, deceiving people!!! Of course she would hang up on you, you didn't give her her commission for the day!!! Poor soul my heart bleeds. They want stringing up the lot of them!!! Have you contacted your Credit Card company? Tell them you have been a victim of fraud and want to do a charge back on your card. Report them to anyone who will listen and try to get these scum off the streets. Was it Odyssey in Mallorca you paid the money to? I have their address if it was, report them to the Spanish National Police, Paseo mallorca, Palma de Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. Odyssey Consultants, Calle Marques de la Senia 35 Palma de Mallorca 07015 Baleares Spain. Best of luck and keep posting. I'll do what I can on here to help. Yes it was ODYSSEY in Mallorca. Global rang on behalf of ODYSSEY to say they could sell my timeshare to a co. for additional weeks if I paid them a sum of money then it would be easier for them to sell the additional weeks and earn me more money, getting confused? I know I am, I told them I had no more money and that I did not consider asking me for more money was 'selling my apartment' it seems they have 9 months to sell my apartment my credit card co. can do nothing at the the moment I just have to wait and see what develops.
Unregistered Says:

Sat, May 1st 2010, 00:09
Unfortunately your credit card company won't do anything until your 12 month contract is up unless you cancel within 7 days. They have these things all wrapped up tight so people don't understand what is going on. These people are the scum of the earth. They know how desperate people are to sell and prey on them. Just keep at the credit card company till you get your money back.
AI99 Says:

Tue, May 4th 2010, 15:30
Most recent calls as of today - Stating company name - AVG Marketing (apparently, heh, they don't appear on the internet as they are a part of Mastercard, they stated - yes, a marketing company that doesn't like publicity?) - Caller name Jenny Harris - Number 08451085556 (same as Oddessy?) offering double the value of a timeshare with the buyers in the office ready to go. "Could you just pay this amount first and then we'll pay you the full sum" Don't be greedy - if they offer you double what they can pay anywhere else, ask yourself why. And yes, again targetting elderly timeshare owners. Someone with a legal mind could presumably track down the owners of that number from BT and take some sort of action if anyone has been defrauded through them?
jane l Says:

Wed, May 5th 2010, 22:55
Been stupid and got conned by Realescape in 2008 - stabbed for 1200 euros. Unable to claim back from my credit card company under Consumer Act -as I signed a contract - so MBNA tell me its my fault. Don't know how these people can sleep at night - be aware of anyone phoning you to purchase- they are all the same. Anyone know how I can legally get rid of my timeshare @ Dona Lola - Spain?
Ingo Denneborg,Düsseldorf Says:

Fri, May 7th 2010, 14:55
Unter dem Pseudonym:Doris Bergmann, c/o MiViaje S.A. Marbella/Spain wurde uns auch ein Rückkauf der TSH-Reisegut scheine angeboten.Der Kaufpreis von 14.250,-Euro wurden dann auf 22.620,-E beziffert.Fr.Bergmann hätte 5% Provis. Allerding müßten wir 2262,-E.Deposit hinterlegen.Natürlich war der "Käufer" Ian & Helen Masson,2 Ronaldsay Sqaure Aberdenn/Scottland, und ein "Notar" L. Azeddine,Marbella Depositas, Av.de la Fontanilla 15.Marbella. Alles prima gefäl- schte Dokumente.Nachdem diese Zahlg. erfolgt war,trat ein Hr.Manfred Böhm in Erscheinung und forderte 35%= 2754,-E.für eine Gewinnsteuer,da wir ja einen Überschuß hätten.Auch das wurde bez., da wir dies Internet-Seite ja nicht kann- ten.Nun haben wir 5000,-E.verloren.Aber Blödheit und Gutgläubigkeit MUSS bestr aft werden. Hr.Manfred BÖHM,c/o Marbella Depositos Confianza y Seguri- dad,Calle de Gloria 8, 29601 Marbella Hätte man auf den Stadtplan Marb.gese- hen,wäre die "Nähe" der beiden Betrüger-Institutionen aufgefallen.
Bryan H Says:

Fri, May 14th 2010, 22:05
Has anyone heard or had dealings with Blue ChipSL. I was cold called by them offering to sell my time share and that they already had a buyer. Are they a genuine company ar a scam as they are asking for upfront payment.
Unregistered Says:

Tue, May 18th 2010, 14:56
Most recent calls as of today - Stating company name - AVG Marketing (apparently, heh, they don't appear on the internet as they are a part of Mastercard, they stated - yes, a marketing company that doesn't like publicity?) - Caller name Jenny Harris - Number 08451085556 (same as Oddessy?) offering double the value of a timeshare with the buyers in the office ready to go. "Could you just pay this amount first and then we'll pay you the full sum" Don't be greedy - if they offer you double what they can pay anywhere else, ask yourself why. And yes, again targetting elderly timeshare owners. Someone with a legal mind could presumably track down the owners of that number from BT and take some sort of action if anyone has been defrauded through them? AVG Marketing are ODYSSEY, late of GLOBAL RESERVATIONS or INTERNATIONAL GLOBAL SERVICES or whatever the name of the day is. They are in Mallorca and are the biggest scammers going. Keep your money on your card and treat yourself not them!!!!!
Unregistered Says:

Tue, May 18th 2010, 15:03
Has anyone heard or had dealings with Blue ChipSL. I was cold called by them offering to sell my time share and that they already had a buyer. Are they a genuine company ar a scam as they are asking for upfront payment. Anyone asking for an upfront payment is a scam. Tell them you will only deal through your bank or solicitor, that will give you the only answer you need.
Timeshare Owner Says:

Fri, May 21st 2010, 17:43
I've just been approached by Oddesy again - first time was 4 months ago. They now have " a very interested client" for my timeshare. They are "about to take a deposit" but need to confirm that the client is happy with the price I said I was prepared to accept. I asked "Jamie" 3 times "Do I have to put any money up front?" - 3 times I was told "No". It will be interesting to see if he maintains that position when he gets back to me (if he does!). He also said that there is no cooling-off period for the prospective purchasers; I thought that it was EU law that there had to be. does anyone know?
Lawbird Lawyer Says:

Mon, May 24th 2010, 11:56
Dear Madam, Under Spanish law timeshare has a cooling-off period of 10 days. http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cons_int/safe_shop/timeshare/protection_en.htm Yours faithfully, Raymundo Larraķn Nesbitt
Unregistered Says:

Tue, May 25th 2010, 01:03
I've just been approached by Oddesy again - first time was 4 months ago. They now have " a very interested client" for my timeshare. They are "about to take a deposit" but need to confirm that the client is happy with the price I said I was prepared to accept. I asked "Jamie" 3 times "Do I have to put any money up front?" - 3 times I was told "No". It will be interesting to see if he maintains that position when he gets back to me (if he does!). He also said that there is no cooling-off period for the prospective purchasers; I thought that it was EU law that there had to be. does anyone know? There is no buyer I can assure you. They will ask you for a "provision" which will be refunded. The trouble is because they are in Mallorca it takes so long for you to get the contract your 7 days are already up so your card company won't do anything about it. Go on to Timesharetalk Forum. You'll find a copy of the contract they send out which verifies what I've just said. ODYSSEY ARE A SCAM. They are also calling themselves AVANT. They were previously called GLOBAL RESERVATIONS and INTERNATIONAL GLOBAL SERVICES. Don't take my word for it just read what other people have written after they've been ripped off by them.
Unregistered Says:

Thu, May 27th 2010, 14:49
I have been bombarded with calls from this company, the last one to say that they had a definite offer for my CLC weeks 32 & 33. Plus asking for a 1495 euro retainer. All confirmed in an emailed letter. I said I was not willing to devulge Credit card details or indeed pay any money up front. You will loose the sale then was the retort! Feephone No. 0800 619 0098
Unregistered Says:

Fri, May 28th 2010, 22:40
Wise decision as the so called buyer would of course back out and you would be minus 1495 euros. These people should be shot down and shut down. Just keep saying NO it's their phone bill not yours.
Sharon Says:

Mon, Jun 7th 2010, 13:18
Please help and advise me, I,ve just had a phone call from a resale company in Palma De Mallorca called AVG vacations wanting me to give them a retainer for the sale of our timeshare. Amounts weren,t given as yet, we,ve been scammed before so we are very cautious YS Sharon
Lawbird Lawyer Says:

Mon, Jun 7th 2010, 13:39
Dear Madam, My advice to you is that you read post 27 on this thread very carefully before parting away with your hard-earned money: http://belegal.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187&page=3#27 Yours faithfully, Raymundo Larraķn Nesbitt
Unregistered Says:

Thu, Jun 10th 2010, 09:38
Please help and advise me, I,ve just had a phone call from a resale company in Palma De Mallorca called AVG vacations wanting me to give them a retainer for the sale of our timeshare. Amounts weren,t given as yet, we,ve been scammed before so we are very cautious YS Sharon They are a scam company. They have changed their name more times than Liz Taylor changed husbands. They've been called Global Reservation Services, International Global Services, Avant, Odyssey, I could go on, and are associated with Prestige Marketing Solutions and Finally Sold. You don't have to believe me just look them up and check the names and phone numbers. The same people call you from all these so called different companies and give out the same phone numbers. Are they greedy.... absolutely, common sense....absolutely none!!!!!! Don't touch them with a barge pole.
stayvigil Says:

Tue, Jun 15th 2010, 11:49
Dear All, Just to let you know, NO COMPANY can resell your timeshare for you, you need to go directly to the resort or sell privately to someone who fits the required criteria - age, home owner etc etc. Any of these companies that contact you are scammers - Blue Chip, Sol y Mar etc ANY cold callers saying they have buyers are scammers. These companies will close down one day, open the next with a different name then recontact all their database telling them the same story & doubling up on the money the have defrauded. Another one to look out for now is European Advisory Service, claiming to be assisting those who have been ripped off already, the only up front money you pay is to a Lawyer for court costs, translations etc, NOTHING to the EAS, rubbish the Lawyer is no doubt on a back hander, the European Advisory Service know you have been ripped of because under another company name as a resale agent they have already ripped you off. Don't listen to their sympathies and words of disgust about what has happened to you, ALL LIES, they just want your money.
Adrian Mc Says:

Wed, Jun 23rd 2010, 17:15
I have had a email from European Advisory Service and a phone call today. Telling me about the service that they offer. I was to buy property at Fiimago Country club in Turkey it basically went tits up and I got riped off. I kind of tried to forget about MRI and when got phone call from European Advisory Service they seem to be middle man for some spanish lawyer. Any one have any contact with them know any thing about them.
Jean Hamer Says:

Thu, Jun 24th 2010, 21:57
M husband and I have been conned out of at least £1,200 by trying to sell our timeshare. We are both pensioners which its hard.
Unregistered Says:

Fri, Jun 25th 2010, 08:33
hi my phone has not stopped ringing about the sale of my time share and wow they sound so convincing!!!!!!!!!!!! but not me i may be a woman but they cant rip me off!!!!!!!!!!!!! i wont be parting with any money AND LET ME WARN ALL YOU PEOPLE I GET PHONE CALLS EVERY WEEK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Unregistered Says:

Fri, Jul 2nd 2010, 00:23
I was contacted over 2 weeks ago By Christopher Piggott a very convincing gentleman from Odyessy Sales, in regards to my ultra travel memebership and also my Travel Mouse club ownership. He advised me that they have a family from durham who have made an offer on both off my memberships which i am looking to sell i proceeded to leave a "retainer" with them on my credit card for £3000 gbp which i was informed by there legal team is returnable on completion of the sale after reading these pages im now wishing i hadnt, what is my best plan off action. Any advise is glady appreciated..
Unregistered Says:

Thu, Jul 22nd 2010, 14:46
I have been pestered by a timeshare company, AVG in Palma (over 300 calls to my telephone no over the last year) asking for a Mr Davies who I don't know asking me if I want to sell my apartment which I don't own. Despite repeated requests, they are continuing to pester me. How do I stop them!!!!!
tuppence Says:

Mon, Jul 26th 2010, 15:29
Below is an extract from a letter the police have sent out to a number of persons who have been defrauded by way of a resale timeshare scam. If the matter is a fraud and reported to police under credit card legislation one can make a claim on the credit card company to obtain a refund of the amount stolen by the scammers. "If you wish to report this matter it should be reported to your local Police under Home Office Counting rules Section 53D Fraud by false representation and other fraud classifications, this clearly states that if the money is transferred abroad and the suspects address is not known the offence should be recorded at the victims address. However you may experience difficulties. Alternative reporting procedures can be followed by reporting to Action Fraud via internet or telephone 0300 123 2040. This is a centrally run Fraud Reporting Service which is quite new. Also the City of London have a website called Operation Archway which looks at Advanced Fee Fraud and offers advice. They also have a Boiler room Questionnaire to report incidents, this is the term used for Advanced Fee Fraud."
Unregistered Says:

Tue, Jul 27th 2010, 23:04
I've been posting on here for quite a while now. I have been researching these companies and put on as much information as possible. Obviously people don't go back over the pages to read what others are saying. Odyssey, Global Reservations, AVG, all the companies in Palma are all the same one they just keep changing their name. The address is Marques de la Senia 35 1st Floor Palma de Mallorca 07015 Give this address to the police. There is another office in Portals Nous. 1st floor, Portals Plaza. They are next door to Knights Insurance. When I went on holiday I made it my mission to find them and I did. They won't need to look far to find them. PLEASE PEOPLE READ THE THREADS AND DON'T KEEP GETTING CAUGHT. NO ONE HAS BUYERS FOR YOUR TIMESHARE, THEY ONLY WANT YOUR MONEY.
Lawbird Lawyer Says:

Wed, Jul 28th 2010, 09:29
Following on the above helpful posts I post again the following excerpt from the Timeshare Consumers Association (TCA) regarding timeshare reselling: http://www.timeshare.org.uk/affils.html Recommended Resale Brokers Safe places to do business With 96% of the companies that claim to be "resellers" actively defrauding consumers, TCA have established a Code of Conduct for Resellers and the following comply with the Code. It is important NOT to make any up-front payment for any reason. If an up-front payment is requested then you should not do busines with that reseller. This is to ensure buyers and owners have safe places in which to do business. Contd.
andrew mcrobb Says:

Mon, Aug 30th 2010, 12:10
i know of one company that is being set up to use unwanted weeks of timeshare to use in the rental market. they are taking weeks from people who no longer wish to use their timeshare. it will suit those who dont want the liability of maintenance.. i will post their site if anyone wants it.

View Full Thread

Navigation

Newsletter

Related Questions

Timeshare resellers: Be careful!

Discuss this Article