Does Donate For A Cause Really Care About Helping Charities Or Just Making Profits?

PS Just for future use-- a forum is a place where people share information, not critique questions or the writer of the question.

If the questions and inquiries are too vague for you-- just don't respond. No response was necessary if you found the question too vague.

As everyday passes, new people seek information to their new questions. If your responses are clear PUT Downs, you will continue to send people home with their "ball". Unless this is YOUR forum and you are "REDWEEK.com" you might want to reconsider your attitude.

Welcome is a typical attitude to any forum where many look for someone who shares a problem, asks a question, and/or seeks to discover an answer.

Responses generally come from those who have a generous heart and is willing to assist others without being judgemental.

God bless you and Merry Christmas!!

marya836 wrote:

If the questions and inquiries are too vague for you-- just don't respond. No response was necessary if you found the question too vague..... you might want to reconsider your attitude.

For several years now, I have volunteered my time and efforts to the RedWeek forums, trying to help others by utilizing and sharing my (several decades worth of) knowledge and experience acquired in various aspects of the timeshare industry. Unfortunately, it's an industry very heavily populated with assorted thieves, parasites and scammers of ill intent. My ONLY goal here is to inform and educate the inexperienced and uninformed, in an arena clouded with misinformation, misrepresentations and misunderstanding. I don't (...and won't) seek to somehow be "warm and fuzzy" in so doing.

In any event, you are certainly correct that an overly vague question is probably best just left unanswered and I will endeavor to take that good advice to heart in the future. Thank you for that suggestion.

Hello I have a condo that I am considering donating. I have contacted DFAC and actually had an appraisal done for $300 to verify the value of the property. I won't say how much, but let's say the property is valued at $10000. I am interested solely for the tax deduction. I am told that the property will be deeded in DFAC's name and I will be able to claim the $10000 for tax purposes. My question is what if the property resells for $5000? Will I still be able to claim the $10000 that was given to me on the appraisal. I know the IRS has changed rules for donating cars, where the actual sale price, not the appraised value is what can be claimed for tax purposes.

Thank you

robm196 wrote:

Hello I have a condo that I am considering donating. I have contacted DFAC and actually had an appraisal done for $300 to verify the value of the property. I won't say how much, but let's say the property is valued at $10000. I am interested solely for the tax deduction. I am told that the property will be deeded in DFAC's name and I will be able to claim the $10000 for tax purposes. My question is what if the property resells for $5000? Will I still be able to claim the $10000 that was given to me on the appraisal. I know the IRS has changed rules for donating cars, where the actual sale price, not the appraised value is what can be claimed for tax purposes.

With all due respect, I personally think that you would be well advised to instead seek your answer from a qualified CPA or tax attorney.

Personally, I wouldn't follow ANY "tax advice" from ANY anonymous Internet poster(s) of unknown qualifications. After all, where will those "anonymous Internet tax experts" be if / when you later get audited by the IRS?

robm196 wrote:

Hello I have a condo that I am considering donating. I have contacted DFAC and actually had an appraisal done for $300 to verify the value of the property. I won't say how much, but let's say the property is valued at $10000. I am interested solely for the tax deduction. I am told that the property will be deeded in DFAC's name and I will be able to claim the $10000 for tax purposes. My question is what if the property resells for $5000? Will I still be able to claim the $10000 that was given to me on the appraisal. I know the IRS has changed rules for donating cars, where the actual sale price, not the appraised value is what can be claimed for tax purposes. Thank you

From Dave M. (CPA and tax expert on TUG), however this was written several years ago and the appraisals of timeshares have changed dramatically since then. What may have been valued (FMV) then, it's really what someone is willing to pay you in today's market that sets the value. Unless you own a very highend timeshare and during high Red time (some Marriotts, Hyatts, Harborside, Disney, 4 Seasons, etc.) I don't see how DFAC could set a value on your timeshare.

Dave M: If donating a deeded timeshare, the deductible contribution amount will normally be equal to the Fair Market Value (FMV) on the date of donation. That’s the price that an arms-length buyer and seller in the timeshare resale market would agree upon, not what the developer is charging for that same week. If the FMV exceeds $5,000, you’ll need a written appraisal that meets IRS guidelines. If the sale of the property would have resulted in a short-term gain, the FMV must be reduced by this amount.

How could there be any value for a time share. Even the lawyer who owns DFAC writes on his site he has a so called extremely valuable Westin Kaanapali, but that timeshare is sitting on E-bay for a penny with no bids. The maintenance fees are 300 higher than what you rent it for. Why would any charity want a liability that is a fixed payment worth less than what you can rent it for. They can't be resold or given away. Now that your time share is available to the general public for cheaper than your dues it makes no sense. Even if you could give this to a charity (which I don't believe) it would quickly bankrupt them. Imagine the thousands of timeshares on e-bay being given to an Unicef. They would simply have a giant bill they could never keep up with or sell.

bobr273 wrote:

How could there be any value for a time share...... Even the lawyer who owns DFAC writes on his site he has a so called extremely valuable Westin Kaanapali, but that timeshare is sitting on E-bay for a penny with no bids.

I could easily sell (or donate) ANY of my weeks, even in this lousy economy, but my weeks happen to be in seasons and locations where demand still consistently exceeds supply and where particulalrly affordable rentals are seldom offered (let alone for the price of or less than maintenance fees). You also can't usually "exchange" into these areas in peak season either, since most owners who don't use their weeks (as I always try to do) seem to find rentals to be quite lucrative --- and much smarter financially than "depositing for exchange" and far-too-seldom seeing anything as good offered and available in return.

Hawaii has become an unfortunate and somewhat unique case in recent years. Yes, anyone CAN definitely now frequently find afforable purchases and rentals there, but for a multitude of rather unique reasons. First and foremost, airfare costs have become just obscenely high (and you can't get to Hawaii any other way). Additionally, state and County and local Island governmental entities in Hawaii seem to be continually inventing new ways to impose new costs upon "non-resident" owners and somehow "squeeze" more money out of them.

These are tough times and the timeshare industry has certainly been widely impacted at both the developer level and in the resale market as well. Nonetheless, there are few blanket statements or "one size fits all" proclamations that are universally accurate or correct....

ken1193

bobr273 wrote:

There are still many timeshare weeks which have and hold their value (...so far, anyhow). Locations, seasons, supply and demand all factor in (and JayJay, please refrain from identifying and announcing to the world (again) what I happen to own; it's not really your role or place to do so).

Edited to add: After I read your post above I had decided to ignore it considering the poster (you and your ever present arrogance), but after I thought about it a while, I felt I needed to reply to your rude, tasteless, classless remark.

Why would you PREsume/ASSume that I would tell where you own? Anybody that has any education on the subject of timeshares, their supply/demand, snowbirds, USA etc. could easily figure out where you own. You don't have to be a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon.

I have no idea 'what' (resorts) you own (and don't care to know) .... I just know the state/area and it's well documented that it's high demand, low supply in the winter months, so what's the secrecy all about?

If it's ever been posted by you where you own (unless you have legal copyright on that post) then it's fair game for anybody.

BTW, what exactly is my role and place ????

You really need to get over yourself = narcissist.

ken1193 wrote:

marya836 wrote:

Sorry YOU"RE NOT GETTING the nature of MY concern. I am seeking info. SORRY I BOTHERED YOU-- won't happen again!!

In response to your vague and general "what's the deal?" question, you received some very clear and specific information in reply. No reason to go into a snit and "take your ball and go home". You could instead just be more specific about your actual question if you didn't happen to "like" the details of the clear answer provided. In any case, it's certainly your own personal choice and prerogative.

Above .... just another example (of hunderds) of your classless, rudeness, arrogance to other posters. People come here for information, not be be ridiculed and talked down to by you.

jayjay wrote:

People come here for information, not be be ridiculed and talked down to by you.

I provide plenty of clear, specific, detailed, accurate and factual information to these forums, based upon nearly 30 years of ongoing (...not just former) personal experience with timeshares.

I could not possibly care ANY less what YOU might personally think about or have to say about my input here (...nor about anything else, for that matter). Anyone and everyone here is ALWAYS free to just summarily ignore any and all postings, exactly as they see fit. That's precisely the beauty of a "discussion" forum....

DFAC uses their own company, The Savvy Traveler, to sell the timeshares. The savvy traveler is on the BBB site.

Hi, I spoke with Donate for a Cause Yesterday. I wanted to give away our Palm Springs Time Share. The girl on the phone told me right away that i would have to pay $2,000 for them to take it. I said, no upfront fees, then she said i could do some other program they had for only $1,400. I said, no thank you, and she said, this is your only option. You're going to have to sell it then. I got the impression that she heard from people every day who wanted to give their timeshare away, and DFAC is raking in these up-front fees. She seemed surprised that i didn't just do as she said and agree to pay the fee.

darleneo24 wrote:

I spoke with Donate for a Cause Yesterday. I wanted to give away our Palm Springs Time Share. The girl on the phone told me right away that i would have to pay $2,000 for them to take it. I said, no upfront fees, then she said i could do some other program they had for only $1,400. I said, no thank you, and she said, this is your only option. You're going to have to sell it then. I got the impression that she heard from people every day who wanted to give their timeshare away, and DFAC is raking in these up-front fees. She seemed surprised that i didn't just do as she said and agree to pay the fee.

The current hefty DFAC fees are reflective of a weak (at best) resale market and those fees are basically a way for DFAC to "hedge their bets". In essence, they are collecting a few years worth of maintenance fees, in advance, directly from the "donor". If DFAC can then sell the timeshare promptly, even if for peanuts, they are still well ahead of the game. If it takes more than a year to sell the "donation", then DFAC has the DONOR'S money (i.e., not using their own DFAC money) to pay the maintenance fee bills (now issued in the DFAC name) while the non-selling timeshare remains up for sale on the market.

Again, I'm NOT defending DFAC (and I also believe that they have disseminated some HIGHLY questionable "tax advice" in the past), but you have to at least give DFAC credit for being willing to place the ownership in their own name while they try to unload it. In my opinion, this action puts DFAC head and shoulders above the parasitic PCC's who just hide behind a Power of Attorney while maybe (...and ONLY maybe) finding a new owner into whose name the deed (and hence the maintenance fee responsibilities) can ultimately be transferred.

We bought a timeshare with all good intentions and now find that my husband is not well. We have an RCI 58,000 pts./p/y program and we're thinking of donating to the Property Donation Program. Can anyone reinforce the fact that they are legitimate. We have gotten so many calls from these so called "I have a buyer for your condo and I can sell it for 50 times what you paid" type sleeze bags. I need to concentrate on my husband and this timeshare thing is an issue I need to resolve. Any feedback would be appreciated as I'm beginning to realize there are so many not so nice people out there regarding timeshares. Thanks

Hello marieb169, If you're asking about Donations For A Cause, I can vouch for them as far as taking the unit off your hands. We just finished the process which takes about 6 mos. and cost us ~$2300. I would question their ethics on the tax deduction issue which they promote heavily to sell their program. I paid $300 to get a very rich appraisal that I'm now afraid to use. If I had to pay $2300 to get rid of it how can it be worth $6000 or anything for that matter? I now think the appraiser is in cahoots with DFAC which says they only received $285 upon resale of my unit. That would be in addition to my $2300. Not a bad racket. You are the only one responsible for the amount claimed on your 1040 and I hear the penalty can be serious if your deduction is found to be excessive.

Thanks for your response, I was actually asking about the Property Donation Group. If anyone has had any experience with them.

marieb169 wrote:

I was actually asking about the Property Donation Group.

sorry, i'm new to this whole thing didn't realize i shouldn't be asking questions about a different company :( thanks

I have been reading this thread, so I thought I would jump in with my two cents. I "own" 20k+ points with Diamond Resorts International (DRI) that I haven't been able to get rid of so I am donating them thru DFAC. The gentleman that I spoke with was very nice and very upfront about the expenses, and willing to explain things to me. I am not doing this so much for the tax deduction but just to be rid of this expensive albatross that I hate. They quoted me $2495, all of which will be (according to them) tax deductable; however my accountant will be the final word on what is deductable and what isn't and for sure keep me from getting in trouble with the IRS. I will post again as the process continues.

carolh325 wrote:

I have been reading this thread, so I thought I would jump in with my two cents. I "own" 20k+ points with Diamond Resorts International (DRI) that I haven't been able to get rid of so I am donating them thru DFAC. The gentleman that I spoke with was very nice and very upfront about the expenses, and willing to explain things to me. I am not doing this so much for the tax deduction but just to be rid of this expensive albatross that I hate. They quoted me $2495, all of which will be (according to them) tax deductable; however my accountant will be the final word on what is deductable and what isn't and for sure keep me from getting in trouble with the IRS. I will post again as the process continues.

Please report back to us what your accountant says about donating timeshares or points to charities concerning any deductions on your taxes.