What is the process for selling my timeshares in Mexico?

Should I ever agree to accept payment for the sale of my vacation club membership in the form of a cashiers check or wire transfer from a Mexican bank?

wayneg162 wrote:

Should I ever agree to accept payment for the sale of my vacation club membership in the form of a cashiers check or wire transfer from a Mexican bank?

Better question: Is someone promising to pay you big bucks for this supposed sale? If so, this is likely a scam, more so than any cashier's check or wire transfer that is allegedly coming your.

Is there any way to make new owners (Marriott/Hyatt) enforce a current contract? I had been happy with my timeshare, the points and benefits until Marriot/Hyatt stepped in and purchased the resort. Now everything has changed. Paid upgrades for benefits are no longer valid and they say they can change them at anytime without notice. I purchased a United States based company and now the terms have unilaterally changed with no consideration or acceptance from both parties. These new owners are now a third party to my contract. How can they just go and change all the terms? Who can I find to help me enforce my original contract before selling or walking away from an asset I actually enjoyed and used?

We purchased a Timeshare in Cancun & have recently contacted by email & after several conversations & emails & paperwork we have now been asked that we are required to pay the Mexican Government a "foreign investment permit" is this a possible scam?

fionap20 wrote:

We purchased a Timeshare in Cancun & have recently contacted by email & after several conversations & emails & paperwork we have now been asked that we are required to pay the Mexican Government a "foreign investment permit" is this a possible scam?

You need to fill in a blank here. Did this call or e-mail promise you big bucks for the sale of your timeshare? If so, then this is a scam.

As well, these people asking you to pay a "foreign investment permit", how are they asking you to pay them?

I have never heard of a legitimate Mexican Government "foreign investment permit" except in a scam. What the scam artists do is tell you that they can sell your (worthless) Mexican timeshare for big bucks but the Mexican Government requires that the seller (in this case, you) pay for this permit before the sale can be finalized and before these people can send you the cashier's check. This, of course, is a scam!

My mom purchased a RTU in puerta vartalla when she went on vacation with my dad, we took another vacation to Cancun, me not knowing they had a membership already they resigned a contract in Cancun for better deal and what not. Long story short we are paying for fees for something we ni longer use.. we have tried canceling but that seem impossible. My question is is what would happen if we just stoped paying them? Would we face legal action since it was in Mexico and we live in the states someone pleae help

gerardot11 wrote:

My mom purchased a RTU in puerta vartalla when she went on vacation with my dad, we took another vacation to Cancun, me not knowing they had a membership already they resigned a contract in Cancun for better deal and what not. Long story short we are paying for fees for something we ni longer use.. we have tried canceling but that seem impossible. My question is is what would happen if we just stoped paying them? Would we face legal action since it was in Mexico and we live in the states someone pleae help

There really isn't much of anything they can do if you just walk away from a Mexican RTU contract, beyond maybe a few attempted collection calls and letters that have absolutely no legal meaning or any authority here in the U.S. anyhow.

You will permanently forfeit any and all monies already paid and none of the money paid already will ever be refunded, which obviously hurts in the pocket, but that's about it for the “consequences” of walking away from a Mexican RTU contract.

Nope you dont need that.

I received a call from Lazada Viajes saying they want to buy my Unlimited Vacation Club. They offered a little more than I paid for it in 2017. All the paper work would be handled by a law firm in New York, (legitimate firm). They were going to send a wire transfer. I was skeptical, so I requested a cashiers check instead, which they agreed. They check was sent but intercepted by Aduana Customs. They contacted me stating that I didn't include Form 105. Because of that there was a penalty of over $9300, which I had to pay before they would release the check. They wouldn't accept the form late, since I was unaware of such a form. I asked if I refuse to pay wh at would happen. They told me that anytime we enter Mexico we would be red flag at customs. So reluctantly, I paid. They released the check to Courier Express to be delivered. Four days later I received an email that the check could not be found. The New York attorney made arrangements with a Mexican attorney to investigate. Half of her fees were paid by the New York attorney and I had to pay the other half, $3500. She sued Courier Express and got a judgement to cover legal fees and $20,000 for damages. Next step was to send the check. Aduana Customs stopped the check, not because of form 105, but for IVA tax of just under $12,000. Which I also paid. The check was then released to my Mexican attorney. However, she got in an accident, and was in the hospital and couldn't pick up the check. So, Administración Tributaria sent the check to Tesoreria de la Federacion. Now they said there was a mistake and they didn't include the ISR tax of over $21,000. And this is where we stand right now. I can not pay that amount. So far I've been scammed over $30,000! Now the buyer, Lazada Viajes, wants to try to recoup some of their money they lost with their cashiers check. They told me I might have to hire an attorney to sue the Mexican Government. I'm not sure what will happen next. Can I just walk away and take the loss? Anyone have any comments, other than how stupid I am. Thanks

There's an investor in Canada that is interested in purchasing our timeshare/RTU in Playa del Carmen (The Reef Resort). We straight-out told them we are not putting any upfront cash or paying for anything. They agreed and told us any upfront fees will come out of the offering price. So, after signing the Proposal, now the title/escrow/closing company is asking for copies of our driver's licenses' and photocopies of our passports (only the picture page) to open up a trust fund where the offering amount will be deposited and closing and commission fees will be withdrawn. We are definitely not sending them copies of our documents. Please share if anybody else encountered anything of what I mentioned above?

O M G! I can not believe you actually sent money W O W!!! And, that is a lot of money! I hope they sent you a thank you card, being the least they can do?! You are beyond ... However, the only good thing about what you did is that you are not alone, Ive heard of this happening to several people I know. If I had $9300 dollars, I would have purchased a flight ticket to personally visited the place/location where my money is being requested to verify and investigate if it is a legitimate company. But, I would have NEVER sent my hard earned $9,300 dollars blindly!!!

maurot4 wrote:

There's an investor in Canada that is interested in purchasing our timeshare/RTU in Playa del Carmen (The Reef Resort).

Sorry, but there is no "investor in Canada interested in purchasing your (likley nearly worthless) RTU contract in Playa del Carmen". Be smart --- investors don't buy things (timeshare RTU contracts or anything else) that have very little value now and no prospect of increasing in value at any time later.

You have already been asked to provide more information than you should be willing to provide to unknown foreign strangers of questionable intent (think identity theft). At some point in this obvious scam, you will be asked for money for some (non-existent, imaginary "tax", or for "escrow", or for some other such contrived nonsense. You will never actually receive a dime -- never!

There is an old saying that "A fool and his money are soon parted". Please don't become someone who once again proves this old saying to be true.

I unfortunately bought a time share in Mexico with the hope of renting it out. No such luck and I'm out $$$$$. I know about the soliciting scams and don't trust anyone. The latest phone call was from a company...Conventions and Event planning wanting to to rent out weeks or buy it if i wanted to sell. I told the guy this isn't my first rodeo and I am not paying anything upfront. I promised and promised there is no upfront cost at all. Sent me the offer prices for renting the weeks and buying it. GREAT numbers but is it too good to be true??? He knows I'm not stupid and on to the whole scam game, but guaranteed no money out of my pocket. I guess we'll wee what happens but he's not getting a dime. Co-incidentally I got another call 2 days after their offer from another company....Index asset management company....told him I already have numbers from another company. I wish there was a LEGIT way to sell it. I also told them I 'm not working with any mexican escrows either.

tiffanyl259 wrote:

I wish there was a LEGIT way to sell it.

Most Mexican timeshares have little or no resale value. You can try listing it on a reputable website like here on RedWeek.

If you just want to get rid of it, another way is to just stop paying your maintenance fees and let the membership lapse.

I believe I’ve been scammed, is there anything I can do to get my money back. Everything I’ve read this far is what’s happed to me.

dianal345 wrote:

I believe I’ve been scammed, is there anything I can do to get my money back. Everything I’ve read this far is what’s happed to me.

Please explain how your were scammed. If it was an American company, you can report it to the Attorney-General of the state. If it was in Mexico, then there is little to nothing you can do about it except treat it as a hard lesson learned.

He has drawn up a contract to sell my Mexico time share at Bahia Principe Privilege Club to Fora Travel Corp., regulated under the laws of Mexico with its corporate office located at: Av. P.º de la Reforma 93 Tabacalera, Cuauhtémoc, 06030 Ciudad de México, CDMX, México. Is this legit has anyone ever heard of this lawyer or Buyer before? They supposedly want to buy same for $25,000. They also have 5% commission fee that the seller is responsible for paying. Am I being scammed?

orh wrote:

They supposedly want to buy same for $25,000. They also have 5% commission fee that the seller is responsible for paying. Am I being scammed?

If you pay them any money then yes, you are being scammed. This is a common scam with Mexican timeshares. If you have to pay the 5% commission fee, that would come out of the proceeds of the sale. I'm guessing that this scam artist is saying you must pay the $1250 "commission fee" upfront before the sale and transfer can be completed and finalized, correct?

orh wrote:

They supposedly want to buy same for $25,000. They also have 5% commission fee that the seller is responsible for paying. Am I being scammed?

Yes, the "offer" you reference is indeed a scam.

1. No one on Planet Earth is going to pay you (or pay anyone else) $25k for a Mexican RTU contract, when there are plenty of them available for peanuts any day of the week from people who have such RTU contracts and (like you) now want to be out of them.

2. If that "commision" was legitimate (..it's not), it could simply be taken from the (non-existent) transaction funds at closing. This alleged "commission" is just a ruse to get you to pay money upfront out of your own pocket. If you unwisely did that, the "deal" would then go up in smoke for some bogus, contrived reason and you would never see that "commission" money again. Poof!

3. Don't do it! Don't let greed cloud you judgement here. If you do, you will only learn an expensive lesson; one that can still be avoided by not getting blinded by those big dollar signs now in your eyes --- over a "deal" that does not even actually exist.

Forewarned is forearmed...

I realize this is a long time since the original post, but do you happen to recall the names of the "realtors" you dealt with in Boston (Realty One)? Curious if they are the same ones I am dealing with now for a client.