Timeshare Freedom Group Review
Timeshare Freedom Group Review
Timeshare Freedom Group is a timeshare exit company based out of Laguna Hills, California. The company has been in business since 2010. They have fifteen physical offices for in-person consultations in Virginia, Ohio, Colorado, California, Texas, Florida, New York, Arizona, Oregon, and Illinois. But you don’t have to live in one of these places to work with Timeshare Freedom Group. In fact, we advise you not to go to their offices for an in-person meeting. Why? Because more pressure is put on potential clients to sign up for services in person than over the phone.
Like any typical timeshare cancellation company, Timeshare Freedom Group claims they can cancel your contract with your developer, eliminating maintenance fees and mortgage balances. The company claims they can help you eliminate your mortgage balance and cancel maintenance fees associated with your timeshare. But who is behind Timeshare Freedom Group? Let’s find out after you take a look at one of our recommended companies like Resolution Timeshare for cancelling your timeshare in 2022 and 2023.
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Who Is Jordan Salkin
According to Zoom Info and a lawsuit filed in 2020 by Diamond Resorts against Timeshare Freedom Group, the company owner is Jordan Salkin. His name is not listed anywhere on the company’s marketing. And there’s a good reason.
California vs. Jordan Salkin (2017), Salkin was accused and found guilty of attempted murder, then overturned. This was not his first offense of domestic violence, nor would it be his last. His new jury trial on the attempted murder case is set for September 13, 2021. If you’re still on the fence about hiring Timeshare Freedom Group, please read on so you can make an informed decision about who you want to hold on to your up-front payment.
Lawsuits
Diamond Resorts Files Lawsuit Against Timeshare Freedom Group, Molfetta Law & Others in Timeshare’ Cancellation’ Ring for Allegedly Scamming Consumers.
Some of the charges were as follows:
- Falsely conveying to the public that they can get customers out of their timeshares without investigating the legitimacy of their contract.
- Guaranteeing a permanent cancellation of a timeshare contract.
- Pressuring customers to pay large up-front fees for “exit” services instead of advising them to work with their developer first.
- Persuading customers to stop paying their timeshare fees- causing them to go into foreclosure.
- Blocking communications between the timeshare developer and owners to hide that they were involved in ill-advised practices.
- Not providing proof that any work was done on the client’s behalf during or after the agreed-upon time period.
- Utilizing unfair, deceptive, and unlawful methods to obtain cancellations.
- Offering and engaging in credit repair services in violation of applicable laws.
- And falsely characterizing cancellation as a success even if it results in default and foreclosure.
Website Review— Truths and Lies
From what we can tell, this website is secure. They get right to the point by placing their contact form and phone number up first on the home page. Scroll down to find “As Seen on TV” logos of the places where they’ve most likely placed paid ads. We are monitoring their website for updates in 2022 and they seem to be a little slack. We will continue to check up on their site in 2023.
Be Free of Your Timeshare
- Skip the Stress— by getting rid of fees
- Skip the Hassle— by letting us negotiate with your timeshare company
- Get Real Solutions—Backed by a 100% money-back guarantee
How to Get Out of Your Timeshare
Timeshare Freedom Group lists its four-step process
- Firstly, a free consultation
- Secondly, they’ll create a customized exit plan for you
- Then, you’re assigned a manager that promises to update you at least once a month, which is not nearly enough.
- Finally, after 6-24 months, you’ll receive an official cancellation letter freeing you from your contract. (at least that’s the idea)
There should be a Step 3 ½: Sign contract and pay fees.
Before doing this, please consult with your own lawyer to review the contract and make sure you are comfortable with their terms.
Stats
- 100% money-back guarantee- this means you must pay the agreed-upon fee up-front before any work is done and hope they don’t go out of business by their 6-24 month time period.
- 15,650 satisfied clients served: You’d think with this many happy client’s they’d have more than 12 Facebook reviews and 8 Google reviews, and 15 reviews on the Better Business Bureau which also has this business started in 201.
- Ten years in business: The Better Business Bureau and the … have this business started in 2017. This means they’ve only been in business for three years.
Client Reviews
Several client testimonies are listed on their page, but none have a source or are linked to where they came from. Although they might all be legit, they may not. Many times shady exit companies write their glowing reviews and post them on their site. We’re not saying this is the case, but we’re not saying it’s not. Transparency in business is just good practice.
About Page
Unfortunately, this is not where you’ll find information on the company’s origin, pictures of their staff, management, or hear clients’ testimonies. Instead, it’s a poorly written description of what they “pictured a relationship…” and “visualized a process…” and “wanted to earn their trust…” In fact, all past tense verbiage is written to make you think this is who they are- and what they’ve done.
Our Values
- Integrity
- Vision
- Empathy
- Excellence
- Inclusion
Blog
There are some good articles here, including what to do with your timeshare after a divorce.
Frequently Asked Questions
You must review all FAQs. Here are a few that caught our attention in the first place.
– What’s included in your fee?
“Six to twenty-four months of consistent work on your behalf and a 100% money-back guarantee. If we don’t get you out of your timeshare in 24 months, we will reimburse you fully for all of our service fees.”
Who knows if the company will even be in business in 24 months. This is why an escrow is so important. Your money stays safely in a bank until and if the exit company legally and completely terminates your timeshare contract.
– Will canceling my timeshare damage my credit?
“No, our timeshare cancellation process will not damage your credit score. In fact, if you are trying to avoid foreclosure by going through our timeshare cancellation process, working with us to get rid of your timeshare could drastically improve your credit over time.”
As you’ve seen and read on review sites, many of Timeshare Freedom Group’s clients have gone into forclosure unbeknownst to them. As one client pointed out, Timeshare Freedom Group considers foreclosure as getting out of your contract. Furthermore, remember to hire an attorney to look over any documents given to you by your exit company.
– Can I get out of my timeshare on my own?
“Unless you are within the rescission period of your timeshare contract, it is nearly impossible to get out of a timeshare on your own – and even then, it can be hard. Timeshare Freedom Group has the skills, knowledge, and expertise to get you out and has developed a proven timeshare cancellation system.”
For one thing, we are glad to see the ‘rescission period’ mentioned here.
Location Page
There’s a map with locations and addresses. Click the Location button to see photographs of each office and address, and the same phone number is listed on each location, so they are not local to each location. Why even do that?
The Contact and Free Consultation page are the same.
Typically exit companies prefer in-person consultations, so they can pressure you to agree on a higher cost.
COST
There is not any information about cost on the website. this is common with sales companies- yes, timeshare exiting is sales.
But we did come across reviews that mentioned the cost of the service. According to clients’ reviews, the price ranges on average from around $4,000 – $7,900. And yes, you can negotiate your price. Never be afraid of salespeople trying to pressure you into paying for their services. You have the upper hand in negotiations. Above all, sales companies like timeshares and timeshare exit companies work on commission so that you can make a deal.
Big Red Flags
Google Reviews: Surprisingly, there are no Google reviews or a Google page found on the internet.
Facebook: Poor ratings are the consensus. As has been noted, you’ll see many frustrated clients who feel they’ve been scammed like they were with their timeshares.
Here are some of the complaints on Timeshare Freedom Group:
Yelp 3 out of 5 stars. While there are some positive reviews, the negative ones all have consistent themes, no contact, hard to get ahold of someone, over the 24-month agreement with no results. Also, Yelp has Bill F. listed as Manager. However, we did some investigating, and he manages all aspects of internet strategy and social media relations, not the company.
Trust Pilot 3.4/5 stars. There is a mix of positive and negative reviews on this site. Judge for yourself.
BBB
Right now, they have 2 out of 5-star ratings and are not accredited. According to their Better Business Bureau page, Timeshare Freedom Group BBB has been in business for three years, which doesn’t match the amount of time on their Facebook page and website, but we digress.
Wayne C Merrill is listed as the company’s Principal- he’s also listed as a Customer Service Supervisor. Those two positions are not in line with one another, and we cannot find any other information on Mr. Merrill.
Please take time to read through the reviews, both positive and negative, on the BBB site.
What Timeshare Freedom Group Won’t Tell You
- Generally speaking, you have a recission period to give back your timeshare without penalty; laws vary by state.
- The money-back-guarantee considers foreclosure ‘out of your contract’ and will do nothing to fix your ruined credit.
- Anything about the company’s management, staff, or owner is non-existent.
- They’ve been sued for many counts of fraud, making false promises, and operating outside the constraints of the law.
Outsourced Attorneys
As a matter of fact, Timeshare Freedom Group currently refers timeshare customers to Michael A. Molfetta, the criminal defense attorney for Jordan in his criminal cases. We recommend if you choose to hire a timeshare exit company that isn’t a law firm, at least vet the attornies they recommend.
Here is the Scam
We’ve read Timeshare Freedom Group reviews and found that often, they will not get you out of your timeshare contract legally but allow your timeshare to go into foreclosure, ruining your credit. One former client wrote on their Facebook Review Page, “We naturally contacted TFG because they have a clause in their contract stating that if they can’t/don’t get you out of your timeshare, you get your money back. Surprise, surprise: they consider a foreclosure getting you out of your timeshare.”
Final Thoughts
Is Timeshare Freedom Group a legit company? To summarize, there are much better, more reputable timeshare exit companies in the world. Please read some of our other reviews to find out who gets an A+ from us. As a result of many reviews, we’ve come to appreciate timeshare exit companies being transparent with their clients about their options. In this case, referring them back to their developers to see if they can qualify for free exit options.
We agree that the only exit companies you should hire are the ones that offer an escrow account to keep your money safe while they work hard on exiting your case. We will admit that there are companies that take advantage of the laws and escrow accounts. You may actually end up paying more when companies offer escrow accounts. The top cancel timeshare companies that do not offer escrow can make this process easy for you.
It’s important for your family’s stress level that you hire an exit company that will give you weekly updates on your case via phone calls and emails. The more often you get updates, the better prepared you’ll be in case something goes south. Get everything in writing, even the phone conversations. Make sure you get a follow-up email after each call outlining what you’ve discussed.
Take our advice, talk with several different timeshare exit companies, take notes, and all things considered, use your best judgment. In the long run, you’ll be better off taking your time to vet several exit companies.