Sierra Resort Services: Taking Timeshare Scam to a New Level
Our associates at Mexican Timeshare Solutions have noticed a new wave of timeshare scam victims that have been defrauded repeatedly by the same company, Sierra Resort Services, also known as Sierra Rentals and Resales or Sierra Corporate Resales. At the time of purchasing the original timeshare membership, many consumers of Mexican timeshares are referred to Sierra Resort Services in order to rent out their weeks or resell their previously owned timeshare within a short time period, typical 90 – 120 days. The clients pay a fee to list their timeshare for rental or resale. During this time period, the clients think that everything is going according to plan, so they wait for the results, and continue to make payments to the resort to pay off their timeshare membership. Some clients even choose to pay off the membership in full so as to not incur any interest charges. This waiting period, is a delay tactic conceived by both the resorts and the rental/resale company to ensure that the client is deeply committed into their timeshare contract, without have the option to rescind. Once the time period is up, the clients begin to question Sierra, and are often given many excuses, such as the weak economy, as reasons why the rental or resale has not been achieved. If the clients are persistant in their complaints, Sierra will block their phone number and change their email address to discontinue all communication with the timeshare scam victims.
The scam listed above is one of the most common timeshare scams, and is perpetrated by many different companies throughout Mexico and the US. Recently, we have heard from many timeshare scam victims who have been scammed to a much deeper level by Sierra. These clients normally have tried to rent their weeks through Sierra without success, but have not pursued many complaints with them, so have continued amicable relations. After a year or so of not being able to rent, they received a call from Sierra saying that they have a buyer who is interested in purchasing the client’s timeshare membership. The client is asked to pay a fee for the title search and other administrative costs, which typically costs over $1000. The clients that have called us about this timeshare scam have told us that Sierra Resort Service’s customer service and communication style was very professionally executed and appeared to be completely legitimate. They continuously updated the clients on the status of the sale and presented deadlines about when they would receive paperwork and the final payment for the sale of their timeshare. Having been successful in charging the upfront fee for the title search, Sierra has gotten very confident and has now been advising clients through a transfer company, called Gibralter Servicios Financieros, that the state of Jalisco has implemented a new tax on timeshare sales, which has to be paid by the seller into an escrow account. The money will supposedly be kept in trust until the funds are received from the buyer to cover the taxes and the resale. The clients are asked to wire the money for the taxes to another company, S & P Servicios, as they claim that they are the agency that collects all taxes from foreign nationals. The taxes are normally several hundred or over a thousand dollars and are sent to a bank account in Mexico. The reality is that escrow accounts do not exist in Mexico, and the clients are simply depositing a fee into someone’s individual bank account. The client is promised a pay-out date for a few weeks after the bank wire is received. After this date passes, the client will try to call, but will receive a constant busy signal, a dead telephone line, and undeliverable emails.
Unfortunately, recovering the money from the resale and rental agents, like Sierra Resort Services, or any of their affiliated companies is extremely difficult as they seem to disappear very quickly. In the end, the clients are left with their timeshare scam contract, and are out thousands more hard earned dollars. Their natural reaction is to feel betrayed, skeptical and helpless. Fortunately, there are still possibilities to cancel their timeshare contracts in Mexico. The staff at Mexican Timeshare Solutions is knowledgeable with all types of Mexican timeshare contracts and is able to assist with the cancellation and potential recovery of the money paid to the timeshare resort, without charging any upfront fees. After being scammed not once, not twice, but three times, there is no value in paying upfront for timeshare cancellation as the risk of being defrauded again in this industry is too high. The only way to successfully cancel your timeshare is to pay for results. With the services of Mexican Timeshare Solutions, you will only be invoiced if we are able to cancel your contract. If we do not succeed, you do not pay a cent. Contact us today for a free consultation and analysis of your timeshare contract.
