Beware Mexican Timeshare Resale Scams

The Mexican timeshare industry has long been targeted by scammers and fraudsters, but these days it’s not fake Mexican timeshare providers you need to look out for. As the industry has become more tightly regulated, these types of scams have trickled away, and have been replaced by timeshare resale and cancellation fraud.

Mexican Timeshare Scam Identity Theft

It used to be the case that you could check on the legitimacy of any company or person who approached you with an internet search and a check through Better Business Bureau, but these days that’s becoming less reliable. You see, scammers these days are also indulging in identity theft; they very often take on the guise of a legitimate Mexican timeshare company, or the name of someone who works for a legitimate company, in order to fool people into trusting them. Not only does this help them to gain your trust quickly, but it will also enable them to make a clean getaway with their ill-gotten funds. As a result, it’s harder now than ever to recognize a Mexican timeshare scam when one comes your way.

But, what’s the scam?

Most of us are probably all well used to the concepts of timeshare and cancellation scams, but many people have never heard of Mexican timeshare resale scams! The premise, so to speak, is for scammers to convince a Mexican timeshare owner that they have someone interested in buying their timeshare. The money in this comes from the “finder’s fee” that the fraudsters levy.

Scammers tend to tailor their approach, but generally speaking this scam with start with a cold-call (1st warning sign) from someone claiming they have a buyer for your Mexican timeshare. They will generally be offering a lot more than you would expect (2nd warning sign!), and they’ll be in a big hurry (their buyers always are). They’ll then ask you to fill out some forms and wire them some money (danger, danger!) so that they can complete some checks.

Once they have your money these resale scammers will either disappear with your money entirely never to be heard from again, or they will call back a short while later saying that there have been issues. At this point, you may be shocked to hear, they will request more money. This can happen over and over, and for many there is a point at which they feel they are “in too deep” to back out, or worse they end up relying on a sale that never comes to clear mounting debt.

Don’t focus too much on the name they give you

As we have indicated previously, there is no real value in the name or business used by these people who call you now; they could be anyone wearing the skin of a genuine resale company rep to fool you.

This doesn’t mean that there’s no way for you find them out before you get scammed by a Mexican timeshare resale scam.

Note the language used

When you receive written (or verbal) communication from them, ask yourself if it sounds professional. Is the language, spelling, and/or grammar of the standard you would expect. While it is not unusual for communications from Mexican timeshare companies to have some grammar errors (most of the staff will speak Spanish as their first language), contracts and official websites should be flawless.

Wire transfers

If they ask you to wire money to them in advance be very, very wary.

Is it too good to be true?

Consider the price they’re offering you for your Mexican timeshare; is it reasonable for your membership? If it’s much higher than the market value you should question the validity of the interaction. If it seems too good to be true then it probably is!

Do you feel manipulated?

More often than not Mexican timeshare scammers will begin to use manipulation techniques in order to close the deal; they will become more aggressive, add pressure, or try to make you feel guilty if you attempt to back out of the proceedings.

Trust your Intuition

Listen to your gut; intuition may not be scientific, but it’s often the first inkling that  anyone has of something being not right.

If you watch out for all of this you can notice Mexican timeshare scammers at work before they get the better of you. Once you know how these people work you can beat them at their own game. These scams are not limited to Mexico, however, so keep all this in mind no matter where the offers and propositions come from.

Mexican Timeshare Solution Shills

Internet shills are as common these days as internet trolls. Both cause problems for genuine blogs and websites, but they seem to be here to stay for the foreseeable future. While sites like TripAdvisor are doing all they can to weed out these scammers from their pages, readers should keep in mind that the comments left on web articles are often sprinkled with comments from shills and trolls. One of the most common types of shills are those involved in promoting the services of timeshare cancellation companies.

What are Mexican timeshare solution shills?

Most of us are familiar with internet trolls who leave comments looking for a fight. Trolls will usually write something offensive or provocative to get a response. Often, internet trolls are working for their own sick pleasure, however, shills have a different motive. Shills are paid to leave comments on articles, forums and websites for a particular purpose. Mexican timeshare solution providers are particularly known for using shills to comment on their own websites as well as on a number of timeshare complaint forums.

How do Mexican timeshare solution shills operate?

The way that Mexican timeshare solutions shills operate is to leave damning comments about timeshare companies on a number of websites, including TripAdvisor, complaint forums and any kind of website where people might look for advice about timeshare issues. They will often target the most reputable and popular timeshare companies as they know they will have more chance of reaching more people.

Shills will often work in pairs. The first shill working for a Mexican timeshare solution scam will write a complaint about a vacation club and express displeasure about their membership on the premise that they are looking for timeshare advice. This already has a damaging effect on an otherwise reputable company. Then the comment will be responded to by another shill who will recommend they use XXX timeshare cancellation services in order to cancel membership that (in most cases) can no longer be cancelled.

An example of a timeshare cancellation shill scam:

Shill A

I want to cancel my membership with Big Life Timeshare. What can I do?

Shill B

You should contact Caribe Timeshare Solutions. I had the same problem but they were fantastic. A total godsend. Caribe Timeshare Solutions  were able to cancel my timeshare with no upfront fees. I was desperate, just like you. I am so happy I used their services. Follow this link …

You get the picture. Sometimes the first complaint is from a genuinely unhappy client, and the Mexican timeshare solution company takes advantage of their situation but replying with a shill. The reality is that the timeshare cancellation company cannot cancel your timeshare after the cooling off period has passed, and they are simply out to take your money, using all kinds of methods to convince you that they are genuine, including fake reviews and comments on websites and timeshare forums.

The moral of the story is to beware Mexican timeshare Solution shills. For more information about how to identify is someone is a shill, click here.

Have you been scammed? The Truth about Villa del Palmar Timeshare

Have you been scammed? Perhaps you are having second thoughts or someone is convincing you that you are being scammed. This website is dedicated to dispelling the myths about timeshare scams. In particular, today’s blog post is dedicated to the truth about Villa del Palmar timeshare. Read on to find out all you need to know about Villa del Palmar timeshare.

Is Villa del Palmar timeshare a scam?

Simple question; simple answer. No, Villa del Palmar timeshare is not a scam. The Villa del Palmar brand is part of the highly reputable Villa Group collection of timeshare resorts, which is a company that is majority owned by Tafer Hotels & Resort and boasts more than 30 years providing timeshare and vacation solutions.

Timeshare scams

The kinds of timeshare scams that you might be victim of when you purchase a Villa del Palmar timeshare have nothing to do with the membership per-se. In practice, the risk of a timeshare scam arises when you purchase timeshare resales or get involved in the fraudulent services of timeshare cancellation companies.

Timeshare Solutions

Many companies that claim to provide timeshare solutions are, in fact, timeshare scams. You might encounter companies offering to cancel your Villa del Palmar timeshare, convincing you that you have bought a bad deal. These kinds of companies are scams because they charge you high fees to cancel your timeshare when it is not lawful to cancel a timeshare contract after the rescission period has passed. Simply put, you pay a high fee, and your timeshare is not cancelled.

Timeshare services

Some timeshare services can make you at risk of a scam. For example, timeshare resale companies and timeshare rental companies are notorious for being less than honest with clients. Resale scams for Villa del Palmar timeshare range in impact. Some resale scams are limited to charging you a fee for services they never provide, while others are more costly, when you purchase a “fake” timeshare or one that cannot be used unless you pay hefty fees to get the maintenance dues up to date. On the other hand, timeshare rental scammers might charge upfront fees to rent your Villa del Palmar timeshare unit and never actually work on your behalf to do so.

It is important to note that the aforementioned scams are not by any means limited to Villa del Palmar timeshare but can affect all genuine timeshare memberships. It is therefore important to remain vigilant and take precautions.

Beware the Shills!

Do you know what a “shill” is? Perhaps this is a brand new word for you. The reality is that if you have spent anytime on the internet reading reviews, forums or the comments left on blog articles, you may well have been exposed to the comments of a shill. Confused? Read on.

The Internet has changed our lives in so many ways, many of which are extremely positive. However, the web is also a den of opportunity for scammers. One of the ways that you can fall foul to modern scams and false advertising is by believing the comments of “shills.”

What is a shill?

Shills, like internet trolls are people who comment on internet forums for a particular purpose. While trolls seek to provoke uproar and unrest within a forum, shills are usually paid to leave positive reviews of products, or indeed to slam their competitors in order to sell a solution. The problem with shills is that it is difficult to know if it is a genuine review or comment from a satisfied customer, or if their comments are fake. In most cases, shills are paid to spend time commenting in a positive way about certain products to spread a buzz by personally endorsing a service.

History of shills

The word shill comes from the word “shillaber,” which was originally a circus worker or circus trouper who would pretend to rush to buy tickets following the circus master’s speech advertising the show. Their reaction would create a sense of urgency for the “real” customers, who would then rush behind them to buy tickets. Shills are also common in open auctions to drive up the price of items.

How can you distinguish a shill from a genuine commenter?

Judging the sincerity of a shill is a fine art, especially if they are accomplished writers. One way you can tell a shill is to copy and past their comment in a Google search to see if the same comment has been left in various locations. Usually shills are too lazy to bother writing new comments for all websites. It is also a big warning sign if the same comment is repeated with a different company name; especially if they are complaining about a company in order to suggest a solution. You can also check out the commenter’s social networks. Have they used stock photographs? Do they have friends? All of this will point out if they are a shill.

TripAdvisor is hot on Shills

Luckily, websites such as TripAdvisor are very keen to weed out shills and trolls, and have heavy penalties for companies that use these techniques to drive up positive reviews. If you believe you have read a comment from a shill, you can report the post and help genuine companies receive the praise they deserve and fake scams to be penalized for their actions.