You own timeshare weeks. You get a call, out of the blue, from a timeshare sales company that tells you they have someone interested in buying your timeshare real estate. Maybe you were thinking about selling…maybe the idea to sell timeshare you own had not crossed your mind before. Either way, if there really is an interested buyer, you think…perhaps this is a good time to sell my timeshare.

So you send the timeshare sales company a refundable deposit, typically between £ 400 and £ 1000 (approximately 750 to 1900 US dollars). The timeshare company calls the fee a “guarantee”. Once they have the deposit, they explain to you that they will hold your deposit for up to twelve months, awaiting the timeshare sale they had implied was imminent.

So you wait…and wait…and finally called the timeshare sales company, who tells you either that there has been a paperwork slowdown or perhaps, does not even take your call at all.

You are the victim of a timeshare scam.

Your timeshare real estate won’t be sold and you probably won’t see your “guarantee” money again, or at best not more than a small percentage of what you paid, should the legal system be able to intervene on your behalf. While this and other timeshare scams have happened before, this particular scenario describes Yacht Trading UK, a timeshare sales company that now faces charges in British High Court, following an investigation by the UK governmental Companies Investigation Branch.

In reality, Yacht Trading UK was never more than a post office box in Manchester, England, from which mail was then forwarded to Spain. Checks were cashed, some “company executives” (and I use the phrase loosely) were living the good life, and not one single timeshare resale was ever sold, nor did any of the timeshare owners receive their money back.

The petition to wind up the company in the public interest was presented in December 2007 and the company went into compulsory liquidation earlier this month. Good that they have been shut down, but the people behind this company have been part of other timeshare scams in the past, and are likely to surface again.

If you have had problems with Yacht Trading UK Timeshare company, and would like additional information about the investigation, contact: The Official Receiver, Public Interest Unit, PO Box 326, 17-21 Chorlton Street, Manchester, England M60 3ZZ. Telephone: 0161 934 4182 Email: [email protected]

Also, here is an interesting link to HolidayWatchdog.com where you can read about the problems others have had with this timeshare sales company. You are also welcome to post your comments here on the Timeshare Owners Blog.

In the face of rising hotel room rates in Hawaii, great deals in timeshare resales have never looked better and ironically, the vacation value of Hawaii timeshare resorts contributes to driving the cost of hotel rooms higher.

According to Joseph Toy, president and CEO of Hospitality Advisors, (as quoted by the Star Bulletin) part of the reason for the island’s gains in hotel room rates is the increase in timeshare and resort condominium conversions, which has decreased the number of traditional hotel rooms. “The traditional hotel product is less, so you therefore have hotel demand compressed into a smaller inventory base,” says Toy. “And timeshare does extremely well, so it forms a very strong base for the island.”

In December, Hawaii’s hotel room rates jumped 7.5 percent year-over-year, reaching an average of $224.70 per night, a new record high. Hotel room rates in Kauai increased by 5.1 percent; in Oahu by 7.4 percent; and on the Big Island by 9.8 percent, bring them to $249.97 per night. In other words, despite declining occupancy, as availability went down, Hawaii hotel rates rose. If Hawaii timeshare resales looked good before, they are now an excellent value when viewed from this perspective.

Here’s what to take away from this information:

• These statistics give evidence to the demand for Hawaii timeshare, which is good news if you plan to sell your Hawaii timeshare resale.
• They are also encouraging for people who own Hawaii timeshare or plan to buy Hawaii timeshare because they show that you are purchasing a product that is in demand and is valued by consumers.
• If you are planning a Hawaiian vacation, your most affordable and available accommodations are likely to be Hawaii timeshare resales and Hawaii timeshare rentals.

If you are interested in Hawaii timeshare resales and timeshare rentals, here are some good places to start looking, with many more available on the Sell My Timeshare NOW website:

• Alii Kai Resales
• Celebrity Resorts Waikiki Resales
• Gardens at West Maui Resales
• Imperial Hawaii Worldwide Vacations Club – Imperial Hawaii Resort Waikiki Resales
• Lea Casa Resales
• Maui Schooner Resales

A weakened US dollar may be creating a tighter economy here at home, but international travelers are enjoying the benefits.

According to a recent article in Hotels Magazine, titled, “Weak Dollar Becomes US Welcome Mat,” not long after Saks Fifth Avenue opened its all-shoe floor last summer, one hundred European women chartered a plane to New York for the sole purpose of shopping – shoe shopping!

International consumers spent almost $3 billion in New York City stores in 2007, insulating many NYC merchants against the economic slump felt by other retailers across the US. Recognizing the value of the foreign shopper, many New York merchants are directing their advertising dollars toward an international clientele.

Historically, New York City is the number one destination for foreign travelers to the US but other cities, such as Miami and Los Angeles, also benefit from international tourist dollars. “According to NYC & Co.,” 46 million people visited the city in 2007, an increase of 5 percent over the previous year. And of those visitors, 8.5 million were non-American, a whopping 20 percent increase for the same time period.” (source: Hotels Magazine ©2008 international herald tribune, February 6, 2008, Special Report; pg. 11. Katie Weisman, The New York Times Media Group, New York)

Saks has partnered with The Daily Telegraph in London, offering four day excursions to New York City this spring. Bloomingdale’s has long maintained an international marketing department in addition to their marketing and sales promotion division, because they recognize the importance of the foreign dollar in their New York stores. Bloomingdale’s also cultivates their foreign consumer at their stores in Miami, Chicago, and San Francisco. At their New York City store, where the employees collectively speak more than 40 different languages, Bloomingdales saw an increase of 35 percent in the number of foreign shoppers for 2007.

As the Hotel Magazine article points out, “No one expects revenues from international shoppers to totally compensate potentially flat or declining sales due to continued economic woes of the American economy.” Yet the reality for timeshare owners is that you do not have to depend on the US economy alone if you are looking to sell timeshare or rent timeshare; but you do have to advertise and market your timeshare resales and timeshare rentals in a place that provides vast global exposure. Look for a timeshare advertising and marketing website with a strong and leading presence on the World Wide Web; look for Sell My Timeshare NOW.

Last September the Timeshare Owners Blog gave you an update on expansion by Wyndham Vacation Ownership (Wyndham timeshare) in Panama City Beach that had just made an acquisition of 100 timeshare condos at the Emerald Beach Resort.

That must have proven to be a good move for Wyndham timeshare as late last month, they finalized the addition of another 100 timeshare condos at the Emerald Beach Resort. Wyndham timeshare has also entered into a contractual agreement to purchase more timeshare condos at this location in the future, although terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Franz Hanning, president and CEO of Wyndham timeshare said, “Last fall, we initiated a deal that would expand our presence in the Florida Panhandle through the incremental acquisition of existing vacation ownership units in Panama City Beach…Our continued investment in this popular beach destination ensures that even more of our owners will have the opportunity to experience it.”

Wyndham Vacation Resorts Panama City Beach are part of the Wyndham FairShare Plus program and include one, two, and three-bedroom timeshare condos with views of the Gulf of Mexico. All of the timeshare condos offer a private balcony, a full kitchen with washer and dryer, and living and dining areas.

Wyndham timeshares in the Florida Panhandle also are available at:

• Wyndham Beach Street Cottages
• Wyndham Bay Club II timeshare
• Wyndham FairShare Plus Timeshares
• Wyndham Majestic Sun timeshare