The Patio Expert Pages

While many people still go through traditional method of buying timeshares (i.e., through timeshare brokers or real estate companies), the trend to buy timeshares online is catching up.

Horror stories abound where people have been coerced into buying timeshares, only to find the quality not up to standards or even that the timeshare is in the wrong location. The number of people being taken by these scammers seems to be on the rise, so these stories can hardly be ignored. If you picture yourself attending a presentation by a timeshare company, you can only imagine being stuck sitting there for hours at a time being subjected to pressure selling techniques, then they do not want to let you go unless you sign papers indicating a commitment.

Events such as these helped popularize internet timeshare auctions. Now a buyer who is interested in a timeshare can buy one without interference from an unscrupulous seller who may want to do something illegal to sell their timeshare. Such auction websites allow a user to buy and sell a timeshare, and they charge no upfront fee at all either to list your timeshare for sale or to bid on a timeshare for sale. Their charges are only after your bid has won. When you bid on such a timeshare listing, you have to remember a few things. Try to communicate with the seller as soon as you can, so that you can get a feeling of how responsive the seller will be to your questions, and how quickly, and whether that seller is giving all the information you need. No internet auction is completely foolproof against fraud, so keep your guard up against it. The practice referenced above will get rid of some of the risk of your being caught in a scam transaction, but it doesn't necessarily mean that a nonresponsive seller is a scammer; some people simply don't communicate well in writing. In a case like that, you would do well to make a phone call to ask about the timeshare unit.

While bidding on a timeshare, one important thing to remember is to "do your homework". Get complete information on the property: name and location of the property, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the name of the Exchange Company that the seller's resort is associated with, the date which the property will be ready for your use, the annual fees (including maintenance) for the resort, the size of the bedrooms and rooms, and the cost of any possible assessments.

It is important to research the selling price of similar units that recently sold in your desired location. Try not to stress over losing out on a property, and do not hurry - there may be a better property waiting for you. It is also a good idea to determine the mode of payment before you contact the owner. There are many methods of payment available, but a seller may have a particular preference. Exercise caution if the owner does not respond to questions about payment.

The auction websites also provide seller ratings, feedbacks and transaction history. This very important to you as you may not want go to a seller with bad ratings or feedback. Also, if you miss a bid by a whisker, say $10, don't be discouraged. You may contact the seller that you are ready to buy the unit just in case if the winning bidder retracts his bid. It happens! Even if it doesn't happen, you may get another unit if seller has multiple units. But never agree to pay over your bid price which defeats the purpose of an auction which provides an open platform for fair and reasonable bargaining but within the jurisdiction of the system adhering to the rules and regulations.