Wisconsin native Darren Kittleson has been a leading figure in the US real estate industry for 33 years. He is the Operating Principal at Keller Williams Realty Madison, a brokerage with more than 160 real estate agents. He has sold property and trained others around the world, including in the USA, Canada, Dubai, Serbia and South Africa.
Now 53, Darren has won multiple industry awards and, by any measure, is a sharp operator. He also understands the need for proper due diligence when dealing with anything property-related.
Darren says he was first approached about buying a high-end timeshare in 2011, while out with his family at a restaurant in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. A representative from the sales operation offered the Kittlesons discounts on events and activities in exchange for attending a presentation the next day.
"It was promised we would be done by 11:00am, but they weren't letting us go. In the end I finally gave in and said, 'OK, I'll buy one'."
Darren barely used the timeshare. "In the time we've owned it from 2011 until now we've used it one time."
So he was pleased to receive what looked like a genuine timeshare resale scam email offer late last year, proposing to buy his timeshare at a healthy profit. The sender claimed to be a real estate broker from Phoenix, Arizona. "They knew everything about the week I had, the amount of points it was, what we paid for it, all of that." That insider knowledge helped convince Darren the “broker” must be connected to his resort.
The way Darren was defrauded of $24,000 is thoroughly documented in US national media. The fake timeshare resale company had every angle covered, including phone numbers answered by co-conspirators. The fraudsters even used an address in the same building as the legitimate brokerage whose identity they were stealing.
Then came a series of demands for ever-larger payments, supposedly for taxes, currency conversion and other invented “requirements” before the sale could complete — a classic timeshare resale upfront fee scam. Each time, Darren verified the details as best he could: Googling the broker and brokerage, calling the number shown on bank statements, and even setting a Google alert for the Phoenix firm. Despite his concerns, it all appeared to check out.
"This pattern of asking for more money to be wired kept going on and on... It was almost $25,000 where I finally said: 'this is it'."
"Then they disappeared, and so did all my money."
With hindsight, how does Darren advise other timeshare owners to protect themselves from a timeshare resale wire transfer scam?
"If you get any documentation from anybody, don't respond to that documentation (including emails or phone calls). Instead, go and find that company's information (on the internet) and approach them (via their website)."
Follow that approach and you should quickly find out whether you’re dealing with the genuine firm or, as in Darren’s case, imposters posing as them.
In his warning video, Darren also notes there are organisations that can help with advice when an offer seems too good to be true — particularly in cases resembling a timeshare resale broker scam.
"I want to say a big thank you to Timeshare Advice Centre for putting the word out about this. If (I had known about them) when I bought into that scam, I know that I would have saved my money."
Darren points out that, in scams like these, the names and properties may change — whether it’s a mexican timeshare resale scam or a puerto vallarta timeshare resale scam — but the basic method is the same. They exploit an owner’s desire to get rid of a burdensome timeshare. They often have enough personal detail (commonly from stolen data) to sound convincing, then keep asking for more money until the victim stops paying.
Darren ends the video by thanking the TAC team again for helping share his message, in the hope others won’t be caught out.
"Again a big thank you to Timeshare Advice Centre on this because I just don't want anyone else to lose money at all to these scammers. Once the money is wired, it's gone."
Second-hand timeshares generally have little to no resale value, largely because of the ongoing commitment to annual fees and the difficulty of securing preferred accommodation.
If someone offers you a profit on what you paid for your timeshare — or, in many cases, offers you any money at all — there’s a strong chance you’re being targeted. Knowing how to spot timeshare resale scams and the most common timeshare resale scam warning signs can help you avoid costly mistakes.
If you’re unsure, get in touch with our team for free, confidential advice.
