About Andreas Rossler Expertise I'm able to answer general questions on timeshares and specifically in regard to purchasing, renting or exchanging timeshares on the secondary or resale market and through the Internet. I have expert knowledge in sales, mechanics (how and why timeshares work), and timeshare exchanges.
I am also well versed in timeshare financing and may be able to guide you to better financing or refinancing options for your timeshare purchase.
If you ask questions of a legal nature, or those requiring tax advice - I may not be able to answer fully.
Experience I have 10 years of industry experience in sales, management and processing. I'm currently CEO of Timeshare Village, a resource for timeshare owners and industry professionals.
Organizations Mensa - Life Member
Publications I have been interviewed by Channel 7 News in the Bay Area of California regarding my opinions on Worldmark, the Club timeshares as developed by Trendwest-Wyndham Resorts.
Education/Credentials MBA - Master's in Business Administration
BS - Mathematics
BA - Economics
California Real Estate Broker
Question I bought a Florida timeshare 8 days ago in Las Vegas. I was under the impression that I would have 10 days to cancel. (That is what the salesman told us. I thought he said it was because we were residents of Tennessee, but I could be wrong.) Anyway, I found out this morning after calling the company that I only had five days to cancel and time has expired. What can I do? I WANT OUT!
Answer This is a tough situation. The news isn't good, but read on, there might be a chance. In reality, there is nothing you can do. It would be hard to prove misrepresentation, because the salesman could have honestly been mistaken (of course he lied, but that would be their angle). However, most companies would prefer to not deal with a potential trouble maker and bad publicity, so they might let you out.
Your only possible chance is to claim that the sales person lied to you and that there was misrepresentation involved. You need to write the company a letter (send it via registered mail, return receipt requested) stating that you feel the salesman lied to you, that you want to cancel the contract and that you expect a full refund of your monies. Now, in the letter you must state the actions you will take (I will provide a list) and a time frame (I would give them 5 business days). Everything on the list of actions I am providing may not be appropriate to your situation, so pick and chose accordingly.
Give them a chance to respond (if you can, send it to the sales office and the company headquarters - let both know you are sending it to both offices). Most likely they will pull the salesman aside and ask him what was said, did he lie, etc. The salesman will probably claim he did not. The company will then make a decision - most likely based on how serious a threat you are. So, it is important to follow through on these actions if they do not respond accordingly.
1. The Attorney General. You should file a complaint with the Attorney General where the company is headquartered, the state where you purchased, and your home state. Here is a good site where you can link to Attorney General complaint forms online: http://www.fair-debt-collection.com/attorneys.html
2. See if the company is listed with the Better Business Bureau; file a complaint with the BBB. Here is their online complaint form: http://www.bbb.org/complaint.asp
3. A good site is the Rip-off Report. Be careful when writing up a report on that site – state the truth and nothing but the truth. This site is caught by search engines, so be sure to use the company name. Here is their site: http://ripoffreport.com/
4. Complaints.com is similar to Rip-off Report. Here is their website: http://www.complaints.com/ (#3 and #4 have a simple purpose, to get the company’s name to show up on search engines. This is the worst possible publicity and can cause the loss of an untold amount of business).
5. The FTC (Federal Trade Commission). They are very much interested in hearing about shady timeshare developers or rip-offs. The reason being that most timeshares solicit individuals via the telephone. Here is their online complaint form: https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/wsolcq$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU01
6. For reference purposes, you may want to check out the National Association for Members - http://www.natlassoc.org/ - lots of good stuff.
7. If a lawyer or other professional (CPA) was involved in the transfer or escrow process, you may be able to file a complaint with the state bar or other professional organization they belong to – depending on the nature of your situation.
8. Report the company to the state agency that regulates real estate. It is best to do a Yahoo search like this: “Florida Department of Real Estate”. You could however start here and drill down to the right website: http://www.usa.gov/Agencies/State_and_Territories.shtml
9. If your situation involved a credit card purchase and you’re not getting your refund, definitely call the credit card company and find out their policy on filing a complaint.
10. File complaints with State, County and City Consumer Protection Offices. Here you’ll find a list of all of them: http://consumeraction.gov/state.shtml
11. File a complaint with the National Consumer’s League Fraud Center. Here’s the web site: http://www.fraud.org/
12. File a Complaint with the National Association of Consumer Advocates. Here is their website: http://www.naca.net/
13. Small Claims Court. What’s good about small claims is that it is easy and can cause huge head aches for the company.
