SALT LAKE CITY — Last month, FOX 13 News brought you a story about the ins and outs of navigating timeshares.
WATCH: Everything you need to know about protecting yourself from timeshare scams
Leigh Veillette, the director of the Division of Real Estate for the Department of Commerce, says folks who have a timeshare interest may often be looking to exit that interest or otherwise sell it.
Because scammers know this, they may make unsolicited contact to a timeshare owner, and in many cases, guarantee to help them offload that interest.
“The first step for someone who owns a timeshare who is interested in potentially selling that timeshare or exiting that interest, is to reach out to the actual company that they purchased the timeshare from,” said Veillette. “That is a great first step because then you can find out if they have any programs in-house that might be able to assist you, and then you can also potentially get a copy of your contract and see what it says about how you can exit that interest.”
And that’s where ARDA comes in, the trade association that represents the timeshare and vacation home industry. They are also the legislative advocacy group for timeshare developers and owners.
“We want to inform people of the scams that are out there. We also want to make sure that they understand where all the resources are for them to be able to do it themselves if they’re looking to exit their timeshares and what other resources that the developer of the resort might have,” said Jason Gamel, the president and CEO of ARDA. “If they’re evaluating a third-party, if they want to hire someone else to do it for them, here are some of the questions I need to ask and some of the warning signs of something that might be too good to be true.”
Their website, the Timeshare Consumer Protection Center, gives timeshare owners the resources they need to examine things like their exit options.
It’s a quick way to stay up to date on how best to manage your property.
“If they’re looking for, for instance, the desire to sell it, then we have companies that are members of our trade association that specialize in resale and rental,” said Gamel. “I think it’s important to understand if you’re looking for a permanent exit, you may want to give it back to your developer or sell it. If you just need a quick break, a year, say for instance that you’re just not going to be using your timeshare, rental is a very viable option for consumers.”
A reminder from the Department of Commerce: if you believe you’ve been the victim of a timeshare scam, make sure to report it to the Federal Trade Commission and file a complaint with the Utah Division of Real Estate.
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