Timeshare resales often look like a great deal, especially if you are considering a Villa del Palmar timeshare property. Thanks to the excellent track record of the Villagroup’s chain of resorts, you know you will be purchasing a quality product in a great Mexican resort. However, there are many disadvantages to buying a resale rather than directly from the developer, in addition to the risk you run of being caught in a resale scam.
When you look into the possibility of buying a resale that claims to be a timeshare at one of the Villa del Palmar resorts in Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas or Loreto, you should make sure that you are really buying a genuine property. There have been cases of bogus sellers, promoting Villa del Palmar properties for resale who then deliver a unit in an alternative resort, or simply disappear from the scene. Whether private sellers or timeshare agents, make sure you get your own lawyer to look over the contract.
In many cases, when you buy a resale timeshare, you are not entitled to the same privileges as the original owner, such as access to vacation club membership. In the case of Villa del Palmar, Villa Preferred Access acts like a vacation club whereby you can swap your timeshare unit for other destinations within the Villa Group. When you purchase a Villa del Palmar resale unit, you are not guaranteed access to these rights.
Simply put, when you do not buy a timeshare from the original developer while physically on the property, you are in more danger of being scammed, and you do not have the same legal rights as if you were buying directly. You really need to make sure the contract covers all eventualities, including the death of the original owner as there have been various cases where second hand buyers have lost their timeshare units upon the death of the original owner because of inheritance laws.
On the other side of the coin, as an owner of a Villa del Palmar timeshare you should also beware of agents claiming to have a buyer for your property. This is a common scam whereby owners who bought their property more than a few years ago are approached with attractive offers to purchase their timeshare. In these cases, the timeshare owners will probably stand to make a great profit according to the prices offered and inflation, but the reality is that you have to pay the agent to act on your behalf, and once you have handed over your money, you find that your property (that you never wanted to sell in the first place!) is now on an eternal waiting list.