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VLM - Vacation Liquidation Management

Franziska

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In connection with our timeshare purchase at Las Palmas, Playas del Coco, Costa Rica at the end of 2013 we have signed a contract with VLM, Salt Lake City, for the marketing of Las Palmas weeks and the sale of our Mexican timeshare which should all have taken place in 2014. Nothing has happened so far and Las Palmas claims that they have nothing to do with the deal although the transaction took place in their office by their salesman. Has anyone made a similar experience?
Franziska
 

tschwa2

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From posts on TUG and lots of other places, your experience is not uncommon. This is most common with Mexican Timeshares but it happens elsewhere as well. The salesman will overcome the objection that you can't buy because you already own by verbally promising that they can sell your old TS for a handy sum. In your own words, you signed a contract for them to market your TS. Nothing else. You may have even paid them something to do it. I am sure they wrote your TS on a marketing list somewhere so that if someone calls specifically asking for what you own they can quote a really crazy high price. I doubt anyone even calls. They have done there job. Now you own multiple TS;s. Since you are looking at multiple jurisdictions, US, Costa Rica, Mexico, Switzerland, and your contract was for marketing, I don't think there is much you can do but move on and work on selling or giving away your Mexican TS on your own. Do not pay another company upfront be it a marketing company, recovery company or a disposal company.
 

wendellgrif

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In connection with our timeshare purchase at Las Palmas, Playas del Coco, Costa Rica

I also purchased at Las Palmas, Playas del Coco, Costa Rica in June of 2013. He said his name was Todd Richards but found a picture at insidethegate.com and his real name is Todd Dehn. Everything he said was a lie and nothing was in the contract. He said Mercury Property Management would sell my 6 weeks for 5 years for 2600.00. Havent heard or seen anything from Mercury. I am so stupid. They ply you with mimosas and they are so slick and promised you it was an investment and you can get your money back by not using your weeks by renting them. I then got a Amerashare Annuity that would pay off in 25 years. He said it was fractional ownership. I think its a vacation club membership. I cancelled my credit card that I needed to pay a balance on. Thank god. The charges were to Las Palmas VC but the company name is Resortcom International. Where did this company come from. I am still going to go after my credit cards and do a fraud complaint. If you read insidethegate.com you will see the names of the criminals and flim flam sales people. I have emailed the resort owners or management, but they will just say that anything verbal is no good. The whole presentation was verbal and then I signed some paper that has none of what he had said on it. He used a fake name so he signed a forged scrawl. I am doing an FBI complaint and anything else to get this developments name out there. I will not be paying a single penny more. Costa Rica is so beautiful. This has really hurt and I cant get over it. People are scum. I have posted on Travel Advisors, Redweek, Pissedconsumer. Please no one respond and say how stupid I was. I know it.
 

csxjohn

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I also purchased at Las Palmas, Playas del Coco, Costa Rica in June of 2013. He said his name was Todd Richards but found a picture at insidethegate.com and his real name is Todd Dehn. Everything he said was a lie and nothing was in the contract. He said Mercury Property Management would sell my 6 weeks for 5 years for 2600.00. Havent heard or seen anything from Mercury. I am so stupid. They ply you with mimosas and they are so slick and promised you it was an investment and you can get your money back by not using your weeks by renting them. I then got a Amerashare Annuity that would pay off in 25 years. He said it was fractional ownership. I think its a vacation club membership. I cancelled my credit card that I needed to pay a balance on. Thank god. The charges were to Las Palmas VC but the company name is Resortcom International. Where did this company come from. I am still going to go after my credit cards and do a fraud complaint. If you read insidethegate.com you will see the names of the criminals and flim flam sales people. I have emailed the resort owners or management, but they will just say that anything verbal is no good. The whole presentation was verbal and then I signed some paper that has none of what he had said on it. He used a fake name so he signed a forged scrawl. I am doing an FBI complaint and anything else to get this developments name out there. I will not be paying a single penny more. Costa Rica is so beautiful. This has really hurt and I cant get over it. People are scum. I have posted on Travel Advisors, Redweek, Pissedconsumer. Please no one respond and say how stupid I was. I know it.

Welcome to TUG and thanks for being brave enough to tell the world what you did. Hopefully it will help others if they find your post before they buy.
 

ktrueba

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VLM and Las Palmas Timeshare Sale

Hi Franziska,

The same thing happened to us as well. We bought the whole line sold to us at Las Palmas that they would sell our timeshare in Mexico to cover the cost of the Las Palmas membership. Their sales people (Todd was our agent) set up the company (VLM) and negotiated a price with them for the price of our timeshare in Mexico.

When I got home and looked at our contract and it was for 300days. (just long enough that so that our charges on our credit cards could not be recalled for scam practices) I contacted them and got our contract after paying a fee of $899.

I was in contact with a Francis Johnson at that time. I was assured that after 300 days I would be paid the full amount on our contract ($33,500).

By April my final payments for Las Palmas Membership was coming due so I called and wrote them several times before getting a response and asked them how it was going? Again reassured that after 300 days I would get my money. I also contacted Las Palmas and Todd my salesman and he reassured me that all was fine.

So against my better judgement I paid the rest of my membership to Las Palmas. By July I was unable to contact VLM, their email went unactive and their website went down. I can call their number at 801-739-7108 and leave a message, but they never have return my many, many inquiries.

Let me know if you get anywhere on this, I was contacted by someone claiming to be an investigator hired by Las Palmas to help clean up their mess and reputation his number was 310 421 1816

All the best and hope you find some satisfaction!

In connection with our timeshare purchase at Las Palmas, Playas del Coco, Costa Rica at the end of 2013 we have signed a contract with VLM, Salt Lake City, for the marketing of Las Palmas weeks and the sale of our Mexican timeshare which should all have taken place in 2014. Nothing has happened so far and Las Palmas claims that they have nothing to do with the deal although the transaction took place in their office by their salesman. Has anyone made a similar experience?
Franziska
 

Passepartout

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I can see that our mission here at TUG to tell people to NEVER PAY ANY UPFRONT fee still has a ways to go to reach everyone. These offshore (not subject to U.S. laws) outfits offer to list your current TS for sale -though owners hear it as 'trade-in' for at least what they paid for it. Once they've listed it on some nondescript website, their responsibility is over. The problem is that it never sells, and the owner now has two timeshares- at least one of which is in arrears before they are aware that they've been scammed. Long after any chance to rescind the sale has passed.

Sorry I can't offer anything constructive to help with this situation.

Jim
 

wendellgrif

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Do not call that number. 310-421-1816. The company is Logistical Services Group out of CA. They are a huge scam. The names are Jonathan Rinaldi, Alex Perez and Joe Santana. They are scum. Beware!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

wendellgrif

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Go to insidethegate.com It has so much info. Stuff I had posted too.
 
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