Gary
lewisburg,#2Author of original report
Wed, July 25, 2007
Steve, you're definitely well prepared for when the Advance Fee Timeshare Resellers call. It's also great you posted the questions to ask Timeshare Resellers too. As you found out, they most certainly will not be able to answer these questions to anyone's satisfaction. Plus the questions are a great tool for others to know to fight these resale scammers. These resale sales reps think they're smooth and they usually are when they are controlling the call but the questions you posted will help educate others and enable them to take control of the call and as "Legal" from timesharemls.org is fond of writing it will also "Discredit" their own sales people. Like you said Steve, if the FTC thinks it's important then it more than likely is.
Gary
lewisburg,#3Author of original report
Wed, July 25, 2007
To address the "Discredit" of me from the owner and General Manager of Timesharemls.org I submit the following: I freely admit I was a sales manager for Vacation Break USA and APEX Marketing which were both eventually purchased by Fairfield Resorts which is now owned by Wyndham. We did sell vacation packages to generate tours to timeshares. I have never had a problem per se with timeshares since there are very good ones out there and many timeshare owners are happy with their units. My problem is with the upfront fee resale companies of the world. At Vacation Break we sold packages mostly in the $399 range but if a customer wanted a carnival cruise it would be $899. At APEX and Fairfield we sold the 3 day 2 night get aways for a price of around $99 to $129. These packages were for the purpose of generating tours for mostly Fairfield Resorts. As for Caribe Marketing I never worked with that organization. The above "discredit also states: ""To this date my clients have refused to pay any money to Gary Manning and they have not posted a single reply to his posts."" This sounds as if they are claiming "extortion" on my part which isn't true. Once I closed my office I asked the General Manager of the company, Jon Warren, to be reimbursed for my expenses since I went into an association with their business in good faith but their misleading sales tactics didn't provide a good faith environment. He said no and that was the last time it was mentioned. Back in my younger days I also managed a Burger King Restaurant which he didn't mention. I'm sure my restaurant had a complaint during the 4 years I was there but when my customers paid their money for a whopper fries and coke, well, that's exactly what they got! Anything else anyone wants to know about me please ask and I'll be happy to answer. Howard, I guess you must be losing some sales to get a feed back from you or whatever lacky you had post this. Thanks for that feedback. It's nice to know I am making a difference. It's curious the company doesn't address how valuable their service is to the timeshare owner. This is because they have no way to remotely even claim, much less prove, this. Individuals still actively working in a known scam industry trying to "discredit" anyone is funny. If you really wanted to "Discredit" me Jon, all you had to do was mention I was once associated with your company. That's enough to discredit anyone. However, I'm doing my best to make up for that.
Steve
Tucson,#4Consumer Comment
Wed, July 25, 2007
And Legal in Orlando is probably blowing smoke. Let's be honest. If the timeshare resale industry is so honest and above board, why does the Federal Trade Commission recommend the following (taken from the FTC web site): "Selling a Timeshare If you want to sell your deeded timeshare, and a company approaches you offering to resell your timeshare, go into skeptic mode: * Don't agree to anything over the phone or online until you've had a chance to check out the reseller. Contact the Better Business Bureau, state Attorney General, and local consumer protection agencies in the state where the reseller is located. Ask if any complaints are on file. * Ask the salesperson for all information in writing. * Ask if the reseller's agents are licensed to sell real estate where your timeshare is located. If so, verify it with the Real Estate Commission. Deal only with licensed real estate brokers and agents, and ask for references from satisfied clients. * Ask how the reseller will advertise and promote the timeshare unit. Will you get progress reports? How often? * Ask about fees and timing. It's preferable to do business with a reseller that takes its fee after the timeshare is sold. If you must pay a fee in advance, ask about refunds. Get refund policies and promises in writing. * Don't assume you'll recoup your purchase price for your timeshare, especially if you've owned it for less than five years and the location is less than well-known. * If you want an idea of the value of a timeshare that you're interested in buying or selling, consider using a timeshare appraisal service. The appraiser should be licensed in the state where the service is located. Check with the state to see if the license is current." I was contacted recently by a person from Legal's own company recently seeking $1000 to re-sell my time share. The person claimed they had buyers waiting and lots of happy sellers. When I asked for some names so I could verify that, she refused, citing privacy reasons. My conclusion: There were none. The salesperson went on to state how good the company was and how reputable. I could find nothing in the BBB under the company name she gave. When I stated that she finally gave the correct legal name and the BB report was a lot less than glowing. Even the BBB advised against doing business with this company. I asked all the above questions and did not get a satisfactory answer to any of them. Most were brushed aside as too irrelevant to even ask. If the FTC believes it's important to ask, I tend to agree with them. Needless to say, no money changed hands and the salesperson went on to try to find the next sucker.
Legal
Orlando,#5REBUTTAL Owner of company
Tue, July 24, 2007
PLEASE BE ADVISED. Gary Manning is utilizing consumer reports and timeshare industry forums to share the slanted view of his experience with my clients. To this date my clients have refused to pay any money to Gary Manning and they have not posted a single reply to his posts. Unfortunately he has gone too far with his slander and libel. To discredit Gary Manning a history of his employment and career involvement is due. Gary Manning managed "Vacation Break USA" a vacation package company. He sold vacation packages up to $899 in up front fees. It was alleged that the "travel and timeshare marketer deceived consumers into thinking they won "free" vacations that ultimately cost them hundreds of dollars". A link to the report below. Gary also worked for "APEX Marketing" who had multiple investigations from multiple states Attorney Generals and an uproar of consumer complaints. Another link below shows the numerous consumer complaints. These are only some of Gary Manning's involvements and more recently he has been involved with Caribe Marketing, who is also under scrutiny. See below. Please be advised that Gary's comments are only a tactic of libel. He has only recently given the appearance of being generally concerned with the timeshare resale market. My clients are in preparation of filing suit against Gary Manning for his slander and libel. Continued publication of his existing or responding posts might involve a cease and desist order to your internet service or hosting provider. This discredit of Gary Manning is being submitted to all websites and forums that Gary Manning is utilizing. All information is deemed to be true and has been collected by public sources. PLEASE BE ADVISED. Gary Manning at Vacation Break USA http://www.ct.gov/ag/cwp/view.asp?A=1772&Q=282386 Gary Manning at APEX Marketing http://www.ripoffreport.com/results.asp?q1=ALL&q5=Apex+Marketing&submit2=Search%21&q4=&q6=&q3=&q2=&q7=&searchtype=0 Gary Manning and Caribe Marketing http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/179/ripoff0179345.htm