Timeshare Salespeople Used Daughter's Murder Trial As Selling Point

Written by: Chuck McDowell Updated: Dec 01, 2022 Published: Jul 06, 2020 4 minute read

Below is a word for word account of the timeshare nightmare that Toni and Mike S. experienced. We hope their written account will shed some light on the tactics that the timeshare industry often uses on good, unsuspecting people like them. Names of people have been changed and/or redacted for privacy reasons.

 

Toni and Mike R. Client Story

 

In 2015, my husband and I were approached by a lady who asked us if we wanted free tickets to a show. She then stated that all we needed to do was attend a 30-45 minute presentation. I told her we were with a group of 8 people, she said no problem we will give you enough tickets for everyone. My husband and I were shuttled to the timeshare’s property to attend the presentation.

 

After the presentation, which was 1 1⁄2 hours long, we told the salespeople that we were not interested in purchasing a timeshare. We told them that all we wanted were the free tickets. He was adamant and would not give us the tickets until we talked to someone else (I presumed his boss). A saleswoman came over to our table and was very insistent. We continuously said no. I then began telling her the reason we were in Las Vegas was not for a vacation, but rather for a personal matter. 

 

I told salespeople we were in court the day before to attend the preliminary hearing for the murder of my daughter. I went on to tell her that the trial is set for May 2016. What is really disturbing is that she began to use the murder trial as a selling point to persuade us into purchasing. She then went on to say that the 2-bedroom timeshare would be perfect for our family to stay in during the trial. I then told her the trial would be 4-5 weeks long, but she advised this would not be a problem at all. We were then told that if we purchased that day, we could use our 1 week and then use the “getaway vacations” for only $29.99 per week, which ended up being a lie. 

 

Again, we continuously said no we are not interested. She asked us to wait as she was going to talk to someone else (I assumed her boss). About 20-30 minutes later she came back and said that she had great news, she lowered the price and monthly payments. Once again, I said no. She then said that we could rent our timeshare “for profit” and/or refer friends/family “for profit” and earn points to use for the maintenance fees and free vacations. 

 

By this time about 3 hours had gone by and we were tired, hungry, and frustrated. They both kept bringing up my daughter and the trial.  As sick as it was, they found a way to take advantage of a tragic situation. They appeared frustrated and said that they were going to step away to let us think about it. They came back with a 3rd person about 10 minutes later. Once again the 3rd person lowered the price and monthly fee. Honestly, by this time which is now about 4 hours into this presentation, my husband and I decided to purchase the timeshare. From start to finish we were there 5-6 hours. When signing the docs, I asked the gentleman about the “getaway” vacations and he assured me that we would not have a problem and he gave me his business card and said to call him if we have any issues.

 

About 2 weeks later my husband was injured at work. I called the timeshare company and explained the situation and wanted to cancel the timeshare. I was told that we had to cancel within the 72-hour grace period of signing the contract. Basically, I was told that there was nothing they could do to cancel the purchase.

 

During the last week of January 2016, I called to reserve my one week (4 nights) timeshare and was told that there was no availability in May or June. I then called to book the “getaway” weeks and was told that I had to pay $149.99 per week, not $29.99, which we were told during the presentation. Also, there were no “getaway” vacations in Las Vegas. I began to panic because the trial was in 4 months and now we could not use the timeshare or the “getaway” vacations. 

 

I called the man who asked me to call him if we had any issues. I called him at least 5 times for 2 weeks and he never returned my call.

 

This is when Toni and Mike reached out to us for help. They were greatly wronged by the timeshare company and we worked very hard to make sure we got them out of their timeshare contract. We are proud to say that we were able to cancel their timeshare contract and they are now living timeshare-free. 

 

If you have faced anything similar to Toni and Mike’s situation when sitting in a timeshare sales presentation, reach out to us today to see if we can help you get rid of your timeshare burden. 

 

Call: (800) 425-4081

 

*Wesley Financial Group, LLC (“WFG”) develops individualized programs for each client, terminates over 98% of their client’s timeshare relationships, and in certain circumstances, obtains a refund of some or all of the timeshare purchase price.  Actual results depend on each client’s distinct case and no specific outcome is guaranteed (although WFG does offer a 100% money back guarantee if the timeshare is not cancelled).


*Wesley Financial Group, LLC, and its affiliates, successors, or assigns are not lawyers or a law firm and do not engage in the practice of law or provide legal advice or legal representation. All information, software, services, and comments provided on this site are for informational and self-help purposes only and not intended to substitute for professional advice, legal or otherwise.

Recommended Reading

crossarrow-up linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram