39 Media Reports and Timeshare Member/Owner YouTube Videos, Revised April 8, 2023
Goals:
- Raise Consumer awareness concerning the “oral representation” clause
- Improve communication between developers & timeshare members/owners
- Promote a viable secondary market
Section 1: Network and Cable News Coverage
Section 2: General Topics YouTube (Page 2)
Section 3: Timeshare Developer-specific YouTube (Page 3)
Section 4: Books We Promote and Miscellaneous (Page 4)
Outsmarting the Scam Artists by AARP Staff writer Doug Shadel. This book explains why the victim should not be blamed. According to Mr. Shadel, “No one is smart enough to outsmart a scam artist.”
Not Today Buster by Vern Thornton, founder of Seniors Vs Crime. Published in 2007, the advice is timeless. Super Sleuth Glendora Goodwin (G. G. to her friends) offered advice in her June 1998 column appropriate for timeshare and exit companies today. According to Ms. Goodwin: It’s Easy to Spot a Scam Artist if:
You’re told to act immediately or, you must act on the offer the same day;
If a company has a name that is intended to sound like a government agency or a well known company.
Or a common sounding lofty-sounding name, I would add, like Consumer Law Protection (not to be confused with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau). Consumer Law Protection is an exit company, along with other named defendants, pursued by the Missouri, Wisconsin and Alaska Attorneys General, and the Federal Trade Commission. It was reported that timeshare members lost $90 million.
YouTubes #1 and 2 John Oliver on Timeshare, (4,507,111 views as of 4/8/2023), aired March 20, 2023,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd2bbHoVQSM
Jen, a Disney Vacation Club owner, her response to John Oliver, (4,094 views as of 4/8/2023) March 26, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gG8E8Zp_Kw
#3 Let Joe Know, Arizona, ABC 15, April 21, 2023
#4 CBS News Money Watch – Timeshares: Everything you need to know before buying in, March 30, 2023
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-is-a-timeshare-cbs-news-explains/
#5 ABC New Investigative News Reporter Jessica Jarvis exposes a scam offer for free vacation/airline tickets in exchange for 90 a minute presentation, (7,044,095 views), December 20, 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6yr8W3mc38
#6 News Channel 5 Investigates, The Campbells, after being informed via a phone call that they had won “a very expensive gift,” found themselves with a $15,000 PayPal line of credit and a Wyndham credit card. (91,276 views), May 3, 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmRdKFWV30Q
#7 Fox 4 News Kansas City, Attorney Russ Schenewerk forwarded more than 200 Branson, MO timeshare complaints to the MO Attorney General. The Westgate Buyer interviewed was shown in John Oliver’s segment. (30,221 views) July 26, 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9qRLAoHPxg
#8 USA Today and AZ Central Lusk Family, ages 88 and 89, Christian missionaries Frank & Betty found themselves responsible for over $19,000 in yearly Diamond Resort maintenance fees on top of a $36,000 annual mortgage payment, up-sold to a $197,000 loan. (5,432 views) February 27, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf_Ut7apesg
#9 South Park Timeshare Conspiracy (112,002 views) September 23, 2020
