Scam Alert! As an existing timeshare member, do you want to know how you can protect yourself from timeshare scams? Don’t fear, there are easy ways that you can protect yourself from ever becoming a timeshare rental scam victim. Who is affected by rental scams? Both timeshare owners and renters who want to use timeshare for their vacation can be affected by a timeshare rental scam. Owners who rent out their unit and individuals who rent a unit for vacation time are potential victims. Read below so you can learn how to avoid a scam from happening to you.
Renters Beware
Are you a renter looking to book time at a timeshare for vacation? This is very common as you probably have seen great reviews about award winning resort so you want to rent a week there for your vacation to check it out? As a renter of a timeshare unit, tread with caution as a timeshare scam could happen to you. A common problem is renters believe they are dealing with the actual owner, but they have been duped by a scammer. A timeshare rental scam occurs when a renter books their vacation, and later arrives at the resort to find out that the booking was not valid. Prevent this type of timeshare scam from happening to you. How? If you book a vacation week on a secure rental website that is trusted you will be safe. Also, call the resort directly to ensure the owner’s name. Check that they have a valid membership before you pay for the reservation, and make sure that the owner has added your name as an authorized guest with a pending reservation.
Owner Advice
An additional type of scam happens when the owner tries to rent out their timeshare week and a rental agency dupes them. Some timeshare rental agencies scam legitimate owners by telling them that they have a renter for their unit, but in fact there is no renter and the fake agency charges a large upfront fee for their services and disappears. Don’t become another victim by never paying any fees upfront before you receive any services. Only work with reputable rental agencies or companies that will only charge you a commission when they rent out your unit. Any agency or company that charges an upfront fee sounds like a timeshare scam. Protect yourself from a timeshare scam and go directly to the resort and use their in-house services if you want to rent out your unit.
Identity Theft Alert
Another timeshare scam is related to credit card and identity theft scams. It is of the utmost importance to never give any of your personal information to anyone, especially over the phone! Personal information that could put you at risk would include credit card numbers, debit cards, banking account passwords, social security numbers, and all online account information. By giving out any this information you are opening yourself up to possibly getting scammed. If you are ever asked to wire money to the owner, or you must make a cash deposit to secure your booking, it sounds like a timeshare scam. Only use rental websites that are reputable and provide safe and secure online platforms for their transactions. This will keep you from becoming another timeshare scam victim.
The good news is that there have not been many timeshare scams lately. Knowing the warning signs helps protect individuals from being scammed. Always avoid rental agencies charge upfront fees, and never share personal and financial information. Stay up to date on the latest timeshare scam warnings, too. We hope this article was helpful.
