It is easy to avoid a Villa del Palmar timeshare scam with some simple advice.
The most important thing to remember is that when you deal directly with Villa del Palmar (The Villa Group) or Universal Vacation Club International (UVCI – the company that officially administers the maintenance fees and exchanges for Villa del Palmar Timeshare resorts in Mexico) you are very unlikely to be involved in a scam. Villa del Palmar timeshare membership is genuine and regulated by the Mexican government and so there is no reason why you should fall foul of a scam if you deal directly with the company.
However, there have been reports of scams involving Villa del Palmar timeshares with regard to third party agents such as resale scams, class action scams and sellers pretending to be Villa del Palmar agents. While the latter scam, which sees fake sellers pretending to sell Villa del Palmar timeshare, is pretty rare since regulations were put in place by the Mexican government, resale scams and class action suit scams continue to menace the timeshare industry.
How to protect yourself from a resale scam
Most resale scams target owners by telephone or email, claiming that there is an interested buyer for your unit. Usually these buyers will offer above the usual asking price so that Villa del Palmar timeshare owners consider the offer. Once you are hooked on the idea of selling, the resale agent will ask you to pay an introduction fee or perhaps even ask that you use their services to perform a surveyor’s report. In both case, you are not likely to see your money again or sell your timeshare. The key to protecting yourself against a resale scam is to only trust agents who charge by commission when they sell your timeshare and never pay upfront.
What is a class action suit scam?
These scams appear very legitimate and may even involve a fully qualified lawyer or attorney. The scam occurs when you are invited to join a class action suit in order to cancel a legally binding timeshare contract and receive a refund. Because a class action suit involves more than one client, the charges are usually relatively low and therefore appealing if you think you may get a refund on a timeshare you have been using for years. The truth is that unless you have grounds for canceling your timeshare contract you will not be able to cancel your timeshare or receive a refund. Only cases of deliberate fraud will entitle you to cancel your contract or if you do so within the cooling off period, in which case, no timeshare lawyer is needed.
If in doubt, do not hesitate to contact Villa del Palmar or UVCI members’ services if you think you are vulnerable to a timeshare scam.
