Here’s a brief summary if you don’t want the details: Timeshare Network Solutions is not a legitimate company and will screw you out of your money & NOT sell your timeshare! If you want the details see below. I’ve listed the names of everyone I was dealing with in this fraudulent “company”, as well as described the tactics they used to reel me in, so that others can be aware of this, and other scam operations!
In late November of 2008 I was contacted by a Mr. Nick Wilson, from Timeshare Network Solutions (hereafter referred to as TNS), claiming that he had a buyer for my timeshare, at Sedona Pines Resort in Sedona, AZ This was not a company that I had previously signed up with to sell my timeshare, but Mr. Wilson claimed that they had access to other company’s listings and that he had a buyer interested in mine. I had been trying to sell this timeshare for several years and was very eager.
He claimed his buyer was willing to pay around $8800.00. He managed to sufficiently convince me that his activity was legitimate (I am pretty trusting, or was…) and I sent $699.00 online to cover the initial sales cost. At this point he claimed the closing date would be in early January, 2009.
January rolled around and my “closing date” was pushed to February 20th, for reasons I can’t recall. Something to do with a delay in receiving documents for the resort, I think.
About a week before the new closing date I stopped hearing from Mr. Wilson and TNS. My calls and emails were not answered. Then in August of 2009 I got a surprise call from Nick Wilson’s assistant, Jacqueline Lowe, who goes by Jackie, saying that the previous buyer had fallen through and they had a new buyer, and the asking price was now around $16,000.00. I was asked to pay $495.00, which I did.
The I asked about if my banked weeks could be added to the sale and they looked into it and sais they could, bringing the asking price up to $21,000.00. I was paid some amount to have the banked weeks added, I think it was around $300.00. The reason I can’t keep track of all these numbers is because over the next few weeks I was asked to pay several more fees, covering various aspects of the sale, so I was told. And I did. This included a fee to ad some additional weeks or points or something, onto the sale, bringing the final price up to $25,000.00.
Finally, after paying what I was promised was the last of the fees, I was told that they would be sending a new contract via FedEx the next day, and I would then receive a wire transfer into my account. (The account information I gave them was for a 2nd checking account I happened to have that I don’t use, and thus it contains no money. At least I had the foresight not to give them access to my main account!!!). But the promised FedEx never came, the promised money was never wired to me, and I have not heard back from anyone at Timeshare Network Solutions ever since.
I have left over a dozen phone messages, most of which were very polite. It’s been 2 weeks and I have given up. In total they scammed me out of around $2500.00. Most of this I can get back by disputing the charges through the various accounts & credit cards I used. However, some of it was sent via Western Union, and I may not be able to dispute this. (Another lesson learned). I was told to send the money to “Nicolo Galante” in Pompano Beach, FL.
I have a contract, indicating the closing date as August 25th, 2009, initialed & signed by myself and the “buyer”, a man named Alfred Tucci. I have no other information on this supposed buyer.
During this whole process there were several long periods of time, averaging a few weeks, when I could not get a hold of anyone from TNS. Eventually, when they resumed contact, I was given excuses such as “my kids were sick” or “I was out of town due to a death in the family”, or “we’ve been very busy” and “I’ve been in a meeting / seminar / workshop etc”. Looking back on all of these reasons, I doubt any of them were true, but they’re good examples of what you DON’T want to hear if you’re looking to deal with a legit company.
If my experience can help anyone avoid being taken advantage of the way I was then it will have been worth it to post this information. Buyer beware!!