Timeshare scams have become so common that most people now look at the concept of timesharing properties as flawed. However, if you know the markers, it is easy to avoid these scams from the very beginning. You need to play smart to move away from the dubious offers and rather choose the ones that are legitimate and secure. If you do not quite know how to do it, here is a list of how you can recognize and avoid such scams.
Timeshare selling scams concentrate mostly on stealing your money with hidden charges, weird schedules on the timeshare property that does not benefit you or just hiking the fees gradually throughout the tenure of your deal. If you need to avoid such scams, you have to start by recognizing the most common factors.
Contact Without Permission
Most of the time, any contact information that you post on public sets like eBay or even craigslist can be used to bait you into a timeshare scam. If a timeshare seller is contacting you without permission and trying to stage his property to get you to invest, do not engage. In fact, even if you are looking for a timeshare, you should always verify the credentials of the person who is offering the deal. Always ask how they got your contact information before you start any discussion on the topic of the property. It will be crucial to keep your guard up and verify the property and the ownership of the timeshare offer before you invest the money.
Advance Payment
Legitimate timeshare properties would not expect you to pay the entire amount in advance. However, asking for advance payments should always be one of the red alerts against such scams. If a property owner is trying to coerce you into paying the full amount upfront, stall the negotiations and invest in a proper background search before following through with the agreement.
Limited Time To Take Action
If a property owner pushes that the timeshare offer is available for only a limited time, you need to put on the brakes. This is one of the most common ways for scammers to bait people into timeshare selling scams. Remember that once you invest in a timeshare, unloading the property will be quite difficult if you are not happy with the final outcome.
So do not rush through the process. Take your time. Ask valid questions about the property and the offer. Only when you are completely convinced, you hold investments in a timeshare offer.