WEST PALM BEACH, FL - This began as a story about a local company making sales pitches to people across the country during this difficult financial time. The pitches come at a time when many are hoping that what they are being told is legitimate. Then came a startling revelation for us, and it will for you too; a former NewsChannel Five personality is working inside this business, which is at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to ratings by the Better Business Bureau.
The company is Premier Timeshare Solutions, and on its website it promises to connect timeshare owners hoping to sell their properties with those ready to buy or rent.
"These people called out of the blue, had my phone number and said we understand you have a timeshare for sale," said Sandra King. She told Contact 5 that after a job loss this year and four children at home, she and her husband were desperate to sell their Vero Beach timeshare.
"It sounds wonderful, I would love to believe it," she said.
King said the pitch from Premier Timeshare Solutions was just what she was waiting for.
"We have this buyer guaranteed to sell within 30-45 days," King said of the pitch. She said they told her, "You'll have your closing and within 60 days the entire process will be finished."
King says all she had to do was turn over her credit card and pay a $1,900 refundable fee.
But an individual who worked at Premier Timeshare Solutions said the over-the-phone pitch was not what it seemed.
"The company itself is doing a million dollars every week-and-a-half," the individual told Contact 5. "Anywhere from 40 to 50 thousand on the day shift they did 60 thousand on the night shift that I've seen."
"Companies like Premiere Timeshare," said the tipster, "they actually purchase these lists, can call people knowing what their timeshare was and say 'Hello Mr. Jones, I see you have a timeshare in the Bahamas and we have a family very interested that was looking at your timeshare, are you still trying to sell it,' so you're kind of baiting them to say yes."
NewsChannel 5 agreed not to identity the tipster to understand more about how deals are allegedly closed inside Premier Timeshare Solutions.
"The closer would then call the client back and say, 'Great news Mrs. Jones, we have a pre-approved buyer who already has put 20 percent into escrow with our attorney and our title company, we just need to make sure there are no liens or money owed against this property, it's going to cost you.' I believe the fee is $1,380 which you will get back at closing," said the tipster.
The tipster added there's never a buyer.
"Buyers don't exist, there is no buyer," said the tipster. "We were told this during the pitch, we're never going to sell this unit, we're never going to list these units, these people are going to give you their money, the next person that calls they're going to give them their money and they're never going to get their money back. If they're stupid enough to give it we're going to take it, and you know why we're going to sleep good at night is because we're making a whole lot of money."
"They told us what we're doing, we're never going to sell these timeshares, they will never sell," added the tipster. "We don't have buyers for these timeshares, but we say whatever we've got to say to get the credit card out of their pocket and if any of us have consciences we should stay home and not come back to work the next day."
While these claims were being made, complaints were stacking up in Contact Five's inbox; 60 callers from Maine to California and even more e-mailing with questions or complaints about Premier Timeshare Solutions.
"It's almost like they are predators out there going after these people," said Mike Galvin of the Southeast Florida's Better Business Bureau. The BBB has given the company an "F" rating.
"There's a pattern here that's somewhat deceptive to say the least and the public has to beware," said Gavlin.
So the Contact 5 investigators tracked the company for weeks. Day and night, Contact Five watched this business on Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard in West Palm Beach. Time and again, our cameras spotted a face we all recognize coming and going; former NewsChannel 5 weatherman Rob Lopicola.
We'll get to what he said in a moment, but first, we tried talking to Premier Timeshare's owner. State records led us to Palm Beach Gardens, and C & G Marketing, the parent company for Premier Timeshare. It turned out to be a mailbox.
According to property records, company manager Jose Goyas, lives in Jupiter. He was never home when we tried contacting him.
But outside Premier Timeshare Solutions, we did catch up with Rob Lopicola.
I asked him what's going on at Premiere Timeshare Solutions?
"It's a listing company. We list timeshares," said Lopicola.
I told him people all across the country are writing and emailing me saying you're stealing their money and you're never selling their timeshare.
Lopicola replied, "It's a listing, it's a marketing and advertising company and we market and advertise timeshares that's what we do. Anyone that's complaining about up-front fees to list their timeshare, so what they're paying to list their timeshare that's what we do, advertise and market timeshares."
I asked him if he could take us upstairs to the office right now and show me a list of people they've closed deals on, the happy customers.
Lopicola said, "We don't have the customers here but I can go upstairs and see if the manager of the office, I'm not a manager in the office, but see if the manager of the office is in place to do that. So I can go upstairs and come down in three minutes."
I asked permission to go inside the building with a photographer.
"You can't actually come in the building without approval, but let me see what I can get out and then I'll come back out, o.k.," said Lopicola. "Give me like 5, 10, 15 minutes."
We waited for an hour. He didn't come back downstairs and neither did company officials.
we were contacted late Wednesday by a man who claimed to be the company's attorney. We invited him down to NewsChannel 5 to review the complaints with us, but he refused.
There is another company Premiere Timeshare Resale in Utah. It's not affiliated with the company in our report.
In the interest of full disclosure, this was a difficult story to do. Many of us know Rob Lopicola very well and consider him a friend. He told us he's not a manager and the company is legitimate.
