Welcome to this week’s Letter from America, this week we publish the story of Calvin and his dealings with Nationwide Transfer. It is yet another story of how a respected Veteran with 100% disabled from his service has been defrauded by what can only be described as despicable criminals. As we have said before this is a result of the practices of the industry itself, it is they and they alone that are responsible for the emergence of companies such as this.
As many of our US readers know, Irene Parker has been subpoenaed by Diamond, all because she has helped many to resolve their timeshare problems. It is with regret that Inside Timeshare informs our readers that Irene will not for the time being be publishing any further articles. There will be a go fund me campaign being launched to help Irene with the cost of legal fees so that she is fully represented. More details will be published on this when the campaign is launched.
Veteran Timeshare Fraud is Despicable
Our Experience with Nationwide Transfer
How can our Government stand by and let this continue, especially to the ones who fought for everyone’s Freedom?
By Calvin W
Calvin W, age 68
Vietnam Veteran, 100% disabled, Platoon Sergeant E-7
Desert Storm, ran a POW camp, Military Policeman
My family strongly supports me. They had good intentions when we purchased a timeshare for my relaxation, but we entered into another war on US soil that we did not see coming. Stress over this timeshare has added to my sickness and has put us at a poverty level.
September 20, 2019
In an attempt to be released from our Vacation Village timeshare, my wife Gwen and I lost $20,000 to Nationwide Transfer over a series of payments beginning in 2017. We have recently learned just how horribly we have been defrauded.
We purchased a Vacation Village timeshare at Williamsburg Plantation Resort in Virginia about ten years ago. I had asked the sales agent what would happen if we could no longer use the timeshare. Like many, we were told it was real estate so it would be easy to sell. When we looked to sell because of my illness, Vacation Village would not discuss it. We found Nationwide Transfer online.
I contacted Irene about Nationwide Transfer. When she learned we still have a small loan balance with Vacation Village, she advised me to contact Vacation Village about what happened. I did contact Vacation Village and spoke with a manager. She was understanding and helpful. I am in the process of getting together the information that Nationwide Transfer should have sent to Vacation Village, instead of sending a letter they had to have known would be ignored. I am writing to warn others about Nationwide Transfer.
I knew Vacation Village had sent me a letter in December 2017 requesting medical documentation concerning my PTSD hospitalization. I had asked about a medical hardship release. Nationwide had told me not to talk to Vacation Village under any circumstances. Instead of requesting and sending my medical documentation, Nationwide instead sent Vacation Village a letter that said I had Parkinson’s. I don’t. This made it look like Nationwide was doing something, knowing that if I had sent medical documentation as requested, there was a possibility I could have been released from the loan. The ineffective letter allowed Nationwide to string me along to get the following checks out of me:
DEC 2017 $4,825
APRIL 2018 $3,500
JULY 2018 $2,225
AUG 2018 $6,435
OCT 2018 $800
JAN 2019 $1,800
I last called Nationwide January of 2019. They said that the deal was about to close, but I would need to send another $1,800. When I spoke with them in November of 2018, they had said they were going to make another trip to Williamsburg to close the deal.
I spoke with ANTONIO, ROBERT, FRANK ANTHONY, and TONY. AN INVESTIGATOR OBTAINED THE OWNERS NAME, BUSINESS LIC. AND SEVERAL ADDRESSES AND PHONE NUMBERS. AS YOU KNOW THEY CHANGE NUMBERS. THE OWNERS NAME IS MICHAEL McDONAGH, business lic ID 4643788205 (877} 554-7870//address Variations 150 Paularino Ave, Costa Mesa, CA msg description Orange County, CA employees 12 people.
Irene informed me the phone number has been disconnected.
NATIONWIDE TRANSFER has a BBB Rating of F
In 11 years we only used the timeshare twice. We have had to refinance our home three times because of this timeshare burden. I fought in two wars and now have to fight another one on my own soil. It is a shame, but at least I am getting some help.
Back in December of 2014, we received a notice in the mail from Vacation Village to discuss the terms of our timeshare contract. We had sent them a couple of letters asking them to please release us from our obligations. My health had been greatly declining. Our original purchase price was around $7,000. The salesman we met within 2014 said the point system would allow us to use our points to help with our maintenance fees. I told him I was going to retire at 62 and explained the difficulty I was having due to PTSD from Desert Storm. Believing this would lower our maintenance fees, we exchanged the deeded weeks for 103,000 points. The upgrade cost was $6,295.34 financed at $128 per month. We are still are making loan payments. Maintenance fees did not decline.
https://vacationvillageresorts.com/williamsburg_plantation/index.html
My Military Service
My name is Calvin. I am a proud retired military veteran. My military career began in 1970 when I was drafted into the U.S Army. I officially entered the military January of 1971. I took my basic training at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, then was stationed at Polk Louisiana, a training facility for soldiers preparing for Viet Nam. From there, I was shipped off to Germany, because my brother was in Viet Nam. We supported our brothers in Nam and ran missions from Germany until your loved ones were sent back, some living and some not.
When I returned home in 1973, I entered the National Guard. My unit was the most active in the state, a Military Policeman. When the nation prepared for the Gulf war we were among the first to start preparing and training troops to deploy. I was promoted to platoon sergeant and assigned to the desert along the Iraq border. We provided security for convoys, route reconnaissance, and POW detainees.
The horror of war was just on the horizon. Scud missiles were a norm, morning, noon, and night. Keeping prisoners in line was probably the most frightening because of the vast number of prisoners, dangers were present 24 hours. The threat of death was so persistent that most soldiers still suffer nerve problems. The prisoners tortured each other because of differing nationalities. We had 27,000 POWs. We saw so much killing inside the camp. There were soldiers from five different factions. I had severe PTSD.
It hurts today to talk about what happened. I still go to therapy at the VA three times a week. My doctors and therapist advised me not to revisit the nightmares too often. My PTSD has gotten better, but it will never be over. I have headaches daily, an injured knee, and several other injuries. I was hospitalized for two months at the Hampton VA MEDICAL CTR IN 2015 due to my PTSD symptoms. That was when my wife tried to sell or give back the timeshare, but she kept being strung along.
My Vacation Village loan balance is $2,143.38. I am hoping they will at least cancel the remaining loan balance.
My family had good intentions when we purchased a timeshare for my relaxation, but instead, we entered into another war on US soil that we did not see coming. We have endured more financial problems as a result of our decision to purchase a timeshare than I thought possible. I will be reaching out to newspapers and to veteran organizations about timeshare fraud. There needs to be more public awareness, like the following news report:
Comment by Irene
Mother Teresa was once asked, “Who causes the problems of the world?”
Her reply: “I do.”
We seek to provide timeshare members with a way to proactively address membership concerns; to advocate for timeshare reform; to obtain greater disclosure from the company; to advocate for a viable secondary market, and to educate prospective buyers.
Free at Last Timeshare Support Course offered by Straight-A-Guide
Bluegreen Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/180578055325962/
Wyndham Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/376743609795740/
Wyndham Carriage Resorts Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CHCROwners/
Sapphire Starpoint https://www.facebook.com/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fgroups%2F292083584642570%2F%3Fref%3Dshare
Diamond Resort Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/DiamondResortsOwnersAdvocacy/
Gold Key Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1639958046252175/
Inside Timeshare Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2213231165610648/
Thank you Calvin for your story, also a very big thank you for your years of dedicated service, we just hope the industry realises the misery that their practices are inflicting on many people. Having clear exit or resale solutions along with sales agents telling the truth will, in the end, put a stop to the scam companies that flourish as a result of the industries practices.
That is all for this week join us again next week and have a great weekend.
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