Donate Your Timeshare and Avoid Timeshare Fraud

Why donate your timeshare? It may be the best way to avoid timeshare fraud. Timeshare fraud is becoming as popular in Florida as palm trees. Since 2009, over 19,000 formal complaints have been made to the Attorney General's office in regard to timeshare complaints. As timeshare fraud continues to destroy the timeshare market in Florida and other states, legislators are starting to fight back. Recently, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and two Republican lawmakers teamed up to sponsor the Timeshare Resale Accountability Act. The bill is a response to the latest actions of timeshares telemarketers.

In early October, Federal prosecutors charged thirteen Florida telemarketing companies for unscrupulous business practices. They were essentially running a timeshare fraud scheme. They would call potential sellers with news that they had a potential buyer for their timeshare. Once the seller would agree to pay a finder's fee of two thousand dollars, the sale would magically not go through. Of course, the telemarketer running the scheme would not be able to refund the money, and the seller would be out two thousand dollars. 

If the bill is signed into law, timeshare telemarketers would not be allowed to lie about having a potential buyer and they would need to draft a written agreement before payment. The seller would have the option of canceling the payment within seven days of the transaction. This is just another case of how companies are trying to take advantage of timeshare owners looking for timeshare relief. If you want to avoid the hassle and fear of being hoodwinked, donate your timeshare instead. You will never be asked to pay a fee upfront and will only be charged a transfer fee once the donation is complete.