Action 9 investigates new risky timeshare deal

LEESBURG,Fla. — A Leesburg man claims a local company promised to take over his timeshare for a fee and then he could just walk away. He said that he ended up losing more than $1,500.

Don Phillips and his wife wanted out of their time share and its annual fees. He said a Volusia County company offered to take it over and take it off their hands, for a onetime charge.

Phillips said they paid Resort Transfers International.

"I thought I gave them $1,595, a copy of the deed and it was over," said Phillips.

But the deed never transferred. Instead, their own timeshare company offered to buy it back only if they paid another $1,500.

Phillips said that was never part of the deal with Resort Transfers.

"We got screwed," he said.

Phillips called Action 9's Todd Ulrich looking for help.

Consumer Complaint? Contact the Action 9 Office

The company is rated A-minus at the Better Business Bureau, but there are a couple dozen complaints about its product.

Resort Transfers shares an Ormond Beach address with Global Discovery Vacations, a vacation club with a controversial history. It's been sued by Ohio and Illinois attorneys general for deceptive trade. And customers like Phillips said the two companies worked together offering to replace their timeshare with a flexible vacation club.

 "We will take your timeshare and you can have X number of weeks," said Phillips.

But consumer advocates said timeshare transfer companies who want upfront fees to take over your unit are risky.

"It's very easy to fall for these, especially when you consider for $1,500 or $3,000 I can be out from under my timeshare," said Brian Rogers, with Timeshare Users Group.

Resort Transfers International told Ulrich that less than 1 percent of customers aren't happy, most deeds are transferred and many customers got refunds.

Because of Action 9's call, Don Phillips is getting all his money back.

"I think we got taken advantage of," said Phillips.

Global Discovery Vacations, also called Global Connections, denies all of the allegations in the state lawsuits.

Resort Transfers International said it closed the Ormond Beach office, and it is a separate company.

WFTV