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3.2 114 Reviews

Silverleaf Resorts Complaints Summary

61 Resolved
53 Unresolved
Our verdict: While Silverleaf Resorts has an above-average resolution rate, there’s room for improvement. Investigate common issues reported by customers and understand how they were resolved. Be prepared to follow up on your queries if needed, and keep detailed records of all interactions.
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1:02 pm EDT

Silverleaf Resorts beware

Beware of Silverleaf Resorts and their practices! I Am a former employee and here to let you know that they run your credit without your permission! If it is below a certain score, they will call you and say all appointments are booked up and keep rescheduling you. Also you must have a household income of $40, 000 or greater to qualify for the tour. Your prizes will be A trip to Hawaii and you have to pay for the airfair and a trip to Vegas... There are blackout dates! They'll reschedule you until You say forget It! BEWARE!

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Theresa Cowart
Arlington, US
Jul 07, 2011 2:09 am EDT

RIPPPPP OFF

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4:47 am EDT
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Silverleaf Resorts misleading, lying, and apathetic

I sure wish I had done better research on this horrible scam. We bought a "try it before you buy it" type of vacation where we would pay 1000 over the next year which could go to the down payment toward a deed or cancel at any time. Well, before we made a single payment, I found out I'm pregnant and needing to put all the money we can aside for the next 8 months, I tried to cancel my plan. They said that since it was past the 6 day grace period, that I was required to complete the contract. No where on the contract does it say that the plan may not be canceled prior to pay off. It says that 6 days for cancellation without penalty...that's it. I'm going to have to take this to the next level and make sure that everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, knows what sort of misleading, lying, apathetic company this is. They don't care who they scam as long as they get the money. Out right crooked.

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snoopster
Mansfield, US
Feb 26, 2011 6:58 am EST
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There is a specific form that spells out this cancellation condition. It is called the Rights of Recision and I guarantee you got it. The contracts you signed also discusses recision rights and advises how to complete this.

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9:37 pm EDT
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Silverleaf Resorts - consumer fraud / scam

My husband and I purchased a timeshare week from Silverleaf Resorts at Oak n' Spruce in Lee Massachusetts in December 2009. We were enticed to go by the offers of a prize that was guaranteed to us and a chance to win $50, 000.00. They gave us gas money so we decided to see what it was all about. Now, I am an attorney in Massachusetts and I KNOW that there...

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12:13 pm EDT

Silverleaf Resorts run away from them

Silverleaf is full of lies! Eveything anyone in that company tells you is a lie! Thank God I only signed up for a one year sampler package, I can't imagine the poor people who are stuck with it for 30 years. You will get nothing from them except people who will give you empty promises or be rude to you.

If you see a "free car or $40, 000" in the mall to sign up for, it is them. They know they are so hated, they don't even put their name on the sign, you just see leaves as the background of the sign. Don't sign up, you will only "win" a vacation that they won't let you take.

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linzlew
Fort Worth, US
Dec 01, 2010 6:43 pm EST
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Holy crap ! They just called me yesterday and told me to come to there apointment on sunday at 230 grrr ... What will happen if I dont show?

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3:42 pm EDT

Silverleaf Resorts misleading and liars

I purchased a red week wth Silverleaf Timeshare in Flint, Tx. They promised that I would be considered a Diamond Plus Member. This was not contingent upon anything else. Yet after a year, they renigged on the deal. It is very important that any one dealing with them get everything in writing. Please don't trust this company. In fact don't buy a timeshare from them at all. Their facilities are not the best. They have hidden fees that you find out about later. And this is what pissa people off into postals. When in doubt don't do.

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10:10 pm EDT
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Silverleaf Resorts false advertisement and sales tactics

I am a christian woman who is married to a christian man. I would never write anything or take the time to go into detail about my experience at SilverLake Resorts if it wasn't true.

I just arrived back home to Longview, Tx from Flint, Tx where this Silver Lake Resort is located. When we pulled up to the Resort my Husband and I already felt like it was a scam because nothing in life is Free, but we were willing to be open minded. Once we walked in the environment was slightly friendly but seemed to be all business. My Husband noticed that the America's Funniest Videos was playing on the TV. He said "Hunny, if thats a DVD then you know they are up to no good"! Turn's out it was a DVD. LOL.

We we taken by a nice lady to another building and we noticed maybe 30 other couples on our side of the room and then maybe 30 more couples on another side of the room. This is when I began to question what is really going on here. Our TOUR GUIDE/SALES REP asked us all these personal questions. Where were we from, how did we meet, etc. Then she asked Whats the most important thing in your marriage? Of course we said, Spending time with one another. There's the hook. She asked us how much we spend when we go out of town-- on hotels, food, entertainment, etc. Then she added it up and showed us a figure. Then she said what if you vacationed 10 days out of the year. Adding more money to the calculated bottom line, Then she asked what trips have you planned already. We told her Spain, LA, and another place. She was like great, but ended up using all this information against us in the end. Then she made us feel like staying in a hotel was nasty because they are public and have no extra amenities. She made buying a vacation home sound like it was a bad idea because we would be stuck in the same location and worry about security and etc. She kept saying with these options we would lose and won't be able to get back anything overtime, or build equity.. Very convincing, but still would not discuss a price. She wanted to show us the "Property"

Then we asked just tell us the catch.. She said" There is no catch!" Just lets ride and see the resort! So we played along since there was no money being mentioned at this point. She showed us the welcome center-- Included two places to eat, a gift shop and an arcade. Then she told us to walk around a peak into a gym, it was small and cramped.. Not impressed, at all. The best thing we viewed was the water-park for our kids. We felt like it was nice to see a water-park with nice indoor slides for our kids to enjoy, great! Then we went on to view the actual condo itself.. The BBQ grill was about 20 years old and the condo looked semi-up to par. We loved the jacuzzi in the master-bath room, but felt like the beds were small and a tad but used. But the TOUR GUIDE/SALES REP said we change those out to ensure top quality.. HMMMM. We rode around in her vehicle by the way which I found to be weird, only because I felt like they should be able to at least afford a shuttle or Resort Bus Right? After viewing the amenities, I asked Are you going to talk money now and she said yes we can. But prior to this moment my husband and I kept asking how much, how much is this? She would not even give us a clue until we were back into the ROOM WITH ALL THE OTHER COUPLES, that we started in. Only this time we sat on the other side of the room. Which I found to be entertaining because now I see that they didn't want any of the New Comers/WINNERS OF THE ULTIMATE INVISIBLE PRIZES to over hear prices being discuss or have a plain view of people being disgusted and walking out.

Once we were seated down with our backs facing the wall. As other couples had done. Not realizing that there was a entire command center with other sales people and managers in the back of the room waiting to come over and talk. Not realizing that our TOUR GUIDE/SALES REP was sending signals to cue certain sales managers to come over. She went into another program called RCI, and how we could park our 8/7 day resort rental and travel the world. How we could travel to the other 6 resorts (4 of the resorts are in Texas, thats not a vacation, I wanna leave Texas!) Then she kept saying this is such a great deal, you guys deserve this! You're such good people. While the whole time while she is talking her hands shake, she tries to hide them, but I noticed. Then she went over how much we wanted to spend this year in vacations, how much we have spent in the past, and how much money we would lose if we continued to vacation like we have been. Which was a realist point, but thats going as much as we want whenever we want, and where-ever we want.
She went over the pricing, finally! We allowed her to play around with the papers and mispronounce my first name several times and she hit us with a pre-figured number and monthly payment. Nothing specially discussed or figured for us. It was $15, 500.00 for the price and it was 487.50 a month for 3 years. They wanted us to put down $3864.00 right then at that moment. I told her NO, H-E- double hockey sticks NO. I am thinking to myself, If you would have told me to bring 3864.00 I would have been more prepared. But you want me to use all the money I have, all the resources I have to make a hast decision. My husband and I said NO. Then she brought over a man who claims to just have returned from Italy and he tried to WOW us with all the extras he had and how he only paid 194, with RCI and blah, blah, blah. Then he says " You guys make such a great couple, and I am going to work with you this evening (b/c now we have been there for 2 hours). WE GO BACK AND FORTH, BACK AND FORTH. Until this man tells us well if you can put down 200, and write a post dated check for a week from today for $1358.00 we can work out the other half. Are you serious? What turned into a come out and enjoy a day at our resort was slowly turning into a plot to take all of our money. My husband began to really consider this deal only because it sounded great! But the ending numbers were this to be exact. Put down 1584.00 and have monthly payments of 247.00 for 84 months at a 17.4 percent interest rate. You do the math... Thats right at 22, 180.00. This is crazy! Not including maintenance fees or special fee's. My husband and I turned down the offer and was told that we would miss the special deal because it was good for TODAY and only TODAY. So we then realized two hours had passed us by. The day was almost gone! So at this point they say, we will send someone to talk with you about your prizes! Your trips, 40 gift card, and a chance to win $49, 000 dollars or a car... We waited... Then another gentleman came over and tried to convince us to put down 150.00 dollars to hold the price of the deal being offered today, for 18 months?.. As if this wasn't another attempt to get something from us, every-time a couple signed up they would announce their names over the intercom and the entire room cheered and stood-up to say CONGRATS. This makes you feel more inclined to buy because everyone wants to feel special. MANIPULATORS!
I was like Are you serious? I kept thinking, Why is there so much pressure? Why is this man's face so red? Why does it seem like this Resort is so desperate? Why can't they just allow us to think about it? Why is it so rushed? Something isn't right! I am so happy I stuck with my GUTT. I am happy that God saw us through these lies and repeat actions to get us to comment and do something we truly didn't want to do. We are NEWLYWEDS, why would we need to start off our marriage with DEBT.

We are in a recession! Please BEWARE of these people! They are salespeople. They will target and compliment you only to build you up, so you will be easier to manipulate and take advantage of your savings and money.

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SRBofTexas
Kilgore, US
Mar 15, 2011 10:53 pm EDT

As far as the timeshare I bought one with Silverleaf and love being able to take my children to the resorts. Since we live pretty close to three of them we spend a lot of time there. I mean we can either go spend a fortune playin golf, going to the pool, whatever or we can go spend three nights in a two bedroom condo with a free theater, basketball, putt putt golf and more. I don't regret buying a timeshare but I do regret who I bought mine with.
I would advise anybody to stay away from Silverleaf their sales tour is filled with lies, they will tell you anything to get you to buy and once you buy you find out all the lies they told. Not to mention all that money we pay in dues, where on earth does it go? I almost fell through the floor the last time I stayed at Lake of The Woods. Pathetic considering they are getting at least 30, 000 a year off the dues for one condo!
Oh yeah and the whole nobody can stay but Silverleaf owners or people exchanging through RCI is CRAP! Grand vacations and several other vacation clubs can rent condos at the resort as much as they want so there goes somebodies bonus time.
The up side is the bonus time has worked for us since we live so close we can just keep putting in bonus time if we get turned down and still end up staying several times a year and Sun thru Thursday is free there is no charge for a condo..

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Mrs.RM Kennedy
Donie, US
Sep 09, 2010 6:20 pm EDT

Did you ever get your prizes? Or was that just a scam as well?

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John Conner
bourbon, US
Aug 31, 2010 2:44 am EDT
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Welcome to the world of timeshare sales. I have been to several of these presentations over the years. I always thought that the price was too high for what you get. Instead the wife and I purchased a vacation club. A much better value and we get to use all of the timeshare resorts without having to buy timeshare.

As far as selling your timeshare check out tug2.com but just to let you know, your timeshare isn't worth near what you paid for it. Good luck to both of you.

For your info the club that we own is called Grand Vacation Club.

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Esnajudi
Odessa, US
Aug 04, 2010 6:43 pm EDT
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Same thing happened to me but I was stupid enough to fall into their selling scheme. Now I need to sell my share but i have no idea how to go about doing it. Can anyone help me?

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12:14 am EDT
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Silverleaf Resorts warning to prospective buyers

WARNING to prospective buyers of timeshares from the Internet, newspaper, Craigslist, Ebay...or any source OTHER than the timeshare company.

Timeshares look REAL CHEAP from sources other than the original timeshare company.

BUT, you must BEWARE and BE SUSPICIOUS of these cheap timeshares.

1. Carefully read (scrutinize) the contract, especially when it pertains to Endless Escape (Silverleaf), bonus time, or even Day Use of resort facilities.

2. A Silverleaf representative, in particular, has advised that Silverleaf contracts have been reworded to automatically cancel any type of Bonus Time verbiage on property sales from other than the timeshare company.

3. For instance, if I buy a RED week(s) and have Endless Escape (up to 6 days FREE) and ZERO maintenance fees, and then late decide to sell the property on my own, the new owner will ONLY have the RED week guaranteed...Endless Escape or bonus time and maybe even maintenance fees will not be honored.

BE CAREFUL...BEWARE...CAVEAT EMPTOR (BUYER BEWARE!).

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2:45 pm EDT

Silverleaf Resorts scammers

I see I'm not alone when I say that I got suckered big time by these guys. Believe me, I take full responsibility for my lousy decision to buy this stupid time-share. I'm posting here to help save others from making the same mistake.

Even if you think (like I did) that you are a savvy consumer who won't be suckered into buying one of these things... beware! Their sales reps are aggressive and relentless. And once you are in they continue to hound you about buying more weeks or "upgrading" your membership. I once spent literally eight hours in their offices for an "update meeting" during which I was talked to by three different people until they finally gave up and let me get my 150 dollars cash (which is how they get you in there).

I was promised a presidential suite when I upgraded and I found out that my deed is actually a "presidential access" deed which mean I'm not guaranteed a presidential suite at all and I was paying presidential prices.

On top of that, I lost my second job and could no longer afford the over five hundred dollar a month payment. I contacted the company to try and refinance so I could lower the payment. First they asked me to send them all this personal financial information including three previous bank statements, a list of all my monthly expenses, and they pulled my credit report twice. Then I find out (according to them) that I don't qualify for 'assistance'.

I told them that I would have no option except to stop paying them because I could not afford it. They then proceeded to make all sorts of threats including reporting me to the IRS (for what, I don't know). They attempted to intimidate me into paying. I refused and have not given them a dime in over six months. So far, they have not reported me to the credit agencies and the loan has disappeared off my credit report (I have no idea what that means).

I would have gladly continued to pay them (even though I did not use their services) simply out of a desire not to wreck my credit but they were totally unwilling to work with me. Even home mortgage providers are willing to work with you these days but these guys won't budge an inch. They will not get any more of my money.

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issy18
, US
Feb 09, 2011 1:56 am EST

complain to bbb, texas general attorney, the general attorny of resort, and your state general attorny,
and if you want get a free consultation

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issy18
, US
Feb 09, 2011 1:37 am EST

LexisNexis Academic
Advertising Age

November 7, 1988

Texas officials probe resort mailings

BYLINE: By DENISE GETSON, Christy Fisher in Dallas contributed to this story

SECTION: NEWS; Direct Marketing; Pg. 30

LENGTH: 566 words

A U.S. attorney in Texas has obtained what he believes is one of the largest-ever mail fraud judgments against a time-share resort company. Now, he wants to nab the company's direct-mailing agency.
The lawsuit, brought by U.S. Attorney Bob Wortham in Beaumont, Texas, last month, resulted in a $1.5 million fine against Freedom Financial Corp., which advertised time-shares by offering prizes to consumers for visiting the resorts.

Among the prizes: an "all-terrain vehicle" that was actually a lawn chair with large plastic wheels.
As part of plea-bargain agreement with the court, the Dallas company pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit mail fraud and two counts of mail fraud relating to the distribution of misleading direct-mail ads for its time-share resort properties from September 1987 to June 1988. Freedom Financial operates five time-share developments in Texas and two in Missouri.
"I plan to change the way these time-share operations do business, and the direct-mail companies are at the top of the pyramid." Mr. Wortham said.
"Freedom Financial was sold a package by a direct mailer who claimed that their tactics were legitimate and had been proven with other resort operations in the county, " Mr. Wortham said. "Of course, Freedom Financial had to be pretty greedy to shut their eyes and be taken in by the claims."
His office is still investigating the direct-mail company's role in the scheme.
An official statement by Freedom Financial implicated a third-party professional mailing organization, which it had contracted with for the creation and distribution of its ads.
However, Freedom Financial's plea-bargaining agreement with the court has been sealed.
Penny Wilson, VP-marketing for Freedom Financial, refused to release the company's name.
Separately, Freedom Financial is paying $219, 000 in fees and restitution to Texas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma and residents of those states who complained to government agencies that prizes offered for visiting the resorts were misrepresented.
Time-share resorts often entice visitors by claiming that a major prize is being reserved for them.
The investigation by the Texas attorney general found consumers who visited Freedom Financial time-share properties often were subjected to high-pressure sales tactics. In some instances, consumers got virtually worthless gifts rather than the high-price prizes they expected.
In addition to the "all-terrain vehicle" was a ladie's imported black mink coat, which was composed of dyed waste fur parts, including snouts, paws and ears. The value of the coat to winners, after they paid a "redemption fee, " was 5¢.
A Freedom Financial solicitation resembled an official telegram and carried a false endorsement from the Texas attorney general's office.
The attorney general won an injunction requiring Freedom Financial to declare its contracts with mailing organizations to his office. Further, the office will regulate future ads for proper disclosure of prize information and terms of redemption.
Lorna Christie, director of ethics and consumer affairs for the Digest Marketing Association, said vigorous prosecution is appropriate when direct mailers employ fraudulent practices.
"Fraud hurts our business, " Ms. Christie said. "It's in the best interest of this organization that companies engaging in fraud are put out of business."

PERSON: BOB WORTHAM (63%);

COUNTRY: UNITED STATES (97%);

STATE: TEXAS, USA (97%); MISSOURI, USA (92%);

CITY: DALLAS, TX, USA (79%);

COMPANY: FREEDOM FINANCIAL LIFE INSURANCE CO (90%);

SUBJECT: RESORTS (90%); DIRECT MAIL MARKETING (90%); LAWYERS (90%); PLEA AGREEMENTS (89%); JUSTICE DEPARTMENTS (89%); FRAUD & FINANCIAL CRIME (89%); ATTORNEYS GENERAL (89%); INVESTIGATIONS (89%); CONSPIRACY (78%); FINES & PENALTIES (76%); GUILTY PLEAS (75%); SUITS & CLAIMS (73%); SALES PLAN (71%); MOTOR VEHICLES (70%); FUR & LEATHER CLOTHING (62%);

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

Copyright 1988 Crain Communications, Inc.;
The San Diego Union-Tribune

June 11, 1989 Sunday

Fraud charges a threat to lavish lifestyle

BYLINE: Jim Okerblom, Staff Writer

SECTION: LOCAL; Pg. B-1

LENGTH: 1854 words

DATELINE: RANCHO SANTA FE

RANCHO SANTA FE -- David and Annette Hagen would seem to be the picture of success, what with the brand new, $670, 000 five-bedroom house they are renting here, the Cadillac and Range Rover in the drive and the direct-mail business they own in the the pink-stucco Polo Plaza complex nearby. That's what lots of people -- first in Seattle and then in Virginia -- thought about the Hagens.
Many don't think that anymore. "If you deal with that man, do so at your own risk -- he will take your money and run, " is how Desmond Call, manager of the Ad Pro print shop in a Seattle suburb, put it. Over the past 10 years, the 34-year-old Hagen has left in his wake scores of angry creditors, thousands of complaints from consumers, lawsuits, criminal investigations and an eight-count indictment for mail fraud and conspiracy, filed March 31 against him and his wife in Jefferson County, Texas. The Hagens recently opened the Brown Development Institute on Via de la Valle here. Approached at his office last week, Hagen answered to the name David Brown, but later denied that he was using that name.
A promotional brochure for his new company on his desk had his name printed as David Haggin.
He said that was a misprint. Hagen declined to be interviewed for this story, saying past interviews have resulted in "absolute lies" about him appearing in print.
In an interview with the Washington Post last month, he dismissed the indictment, saying, "Someone once said a U.S. attorney can indict a sandwich." Hagen's Houston attorney, Kent Schaeffer, said Hagen and his wife are innocent of the mail-fraud charges.
Schaeffer attributed Hagen's financial difficulties to business setbacks beyond his control. Despite his financial problems, Hagen has managed to live the good life by operating a series of direct-mail businesses that promote time-share campgrounds, resorts and condominiums.
Companies he has controlled in other states have sent out millions of letters -- by one account as many as 250 million -- promising prizes for people who attend time-share sales promotions.
Authorities allege the prizes often were never awarded. But much of Hagen's success, those who have dealt with him say, stems from his uncanny skill at running up hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt, and then walking away from it -- over and over again. "He deserves an academy award -- he's that good, " said Paul Wham, co-owner of LaserPrint, a Seattle-area company that says it lost more than $30, 000 to Hagen. Before moving to San Diego about three months ago, Hagen lived with Annette, his second wife, in Great Falls, Va. There, the two were known as David and Annette DeFusco.
DeFuusco is her maiden name.
Their life in Northern Virginia including driving a $95, 000 Rolls Royce and a Mercedes Benz and living on a 150-acre farm. The mail-fraud indictment stemmed from the Manassas Park, Va., direct mail firm that the couple operated with Annette as president. The Northern Virginia operation used several names, including DeFusco Advertising and Design, Lead Marketing, Leadco, Bureau of Adjustment and U.S. Graphics & Mail Ltd. According to Texas authorities, the operation sent out as many as 26 million letters to people in six Southwestern states offering BMWs, large-screen television sets, up to $10, 000 in cash and other prizes for attending time-share promotions for resorts owned by Dallas-based Freedom Financial Corp. Bob Worthman, the assistant U.S. Attorney in Beumont, Texas, who sought the indictment, alleges that the mailings were a blatant scam.
Unlike many mailings of this sort, Wortham says, the Hagens letters listed no cheap gifts, only expensive prizes such as cars, television sets and cash. "A lot of them said you were absolutely guaranteed to get both of the prizes, " he said.
"And you'd get there and win a book on the 1984 Olympics." Wortham said the mailings, in mid-1987 to mid-1988, prompted more than 2, 000 complaints in Texas alone. "We've handled a lot of major cases in the United States -- drugs, major bank-fraud cases, " Wortham said.
"But no other case I've handled has received the interest of the public as this case." Bill Van Hook, the assistant attorney general in Springfield, Mo., said his office also received close to 1, 000 complaints about the letters. Schaeffer, the Hagens' Houston attorney, argued the mailings were not illegal because they contained a "qualifying number" that had to match a winning number before the prizes were actually awarded.
He also noted that Freedom Financial, which hired the Hagens and approved their mailings, paid a $1.5 million fine but did not face any criminal charges. (The company was named an unindicted co-conspirator.) The couple's trial is scheduled for August. In 1987, the Hagens declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy for their Manassas Park operation. The company listed debts of $875, 000 to 20 of the largest unsecured creditors, with the Hagens personally responsible for none of it, said Gerald O'Donnell, the U.S. trustee overseeing the bankruptcy in Alexandria. There are no substantial assets, O'Donnell said, because much of the property was leased. The company's debts, in a 13-volume bankruptcy file, reportedly exceed $1.3 million to nearly 100 creditors.
One creditor is the doctor who delivered the Hagens' baby three years ago. Another creditor is Tri-State Envelope in Beltsville, Md. David Zukerberg, Tri-State's sales manager, said Hagen came in and paid cash for several small orders, and then asked for credit. "We said, `OK, we'll give you 20 days, ' " Zukerberg recalled. Soon much larger orders came in, and checks began bouncing. "In the space of 45 days, he had us for about $40, 000 or $50, 000, " Zukerberg said. The company eventually recovered close to half the amount, after some heavy-handed collection tactics, Zukerberg said.
Many other companies, banks and the U.S. Postal Service were not so lucky.
They got nothing. Schaeffer blamed the debts on the "amount of heat" put on by government investigators, which he said quickly drove away the Hagens' customers and sank the business. But the stories about Hagen are similar in Seattle. In 1979, Hagen and his first wife, Amanda, filed for personal bankruptcy for a company they owned called Sunbeam Electronics.
They listed debts totaling $296, 955 to 23 unsecured creditors.
All were legally discharged, according to bankruptcy records. After working in the marketing department for a time-share campground company in Bellevue, Hagen formed his own direct-mail marketing company, World Wide Marketing, around 1981 with several partners, said a former business associate who asked not to be identified. Under contract, the company was paid $50 to $85 for each "lead" it could entice to come to a sales promotion for a time-share resort or campground. Hagen liked to brag about his $1, 000 suits and his silk shirts and ties; he drove a Cadillac and stockpiled diamonds and other jewels, said John English, a World Wide salesman who eventually became vice president for sales. World Wide's offices were equally lavish, with $80, 000 worth of custom furniture, including a $6, 000 conference table, $1, 700 leather chairs, a $3, 000 desk in Hagen's office and a $4, 000 reception center, said Edward Webb, owner of Crawford's Office Furniture in Seattle. All of the furniture, Webb said, was leased through a company Hagen provided.
His store, Webb said, received an initial $1, 700 down payment, and then the deal collapsed.
The store finally recovered the furniture after nearly a year by paying a lien to a storage company, said Webb's daughter, Lynn. The last of it has been sold only recently. "It was just one nightmare after another, " she said. When English became vice president for sales, he assumed World Wide was awash in black ink, he said.
Then, when his wife gave birth to a baby prematurely, he discovered money that had been deducted from his paycheck for health insurance had never paid to the insurance company.
Hagen, he said, dismissed it as a clerical error -- but it happened again with another insurance company. Calls from disgruntled creditors began surfacing, English said, "and it became obvious what was going on."
English resigned, still owing $6, 000 in hospital bills. In 1984, after Hagen had remarried, World Wide Marketing was forced into Chapter 7 bankruptcy, leaving debts close to $1 million to dozens of Seattle-area companies. The former business associate said Hagen went on to form two more direct-mail companies -- one called United Prudential Inc. and one called Matrix.
He lived an increasingly lavish lifestyle, the man said, while both those companies racked up more debts. Gary Jones, owner of Westgate Travel in Seattle, said United Prudential paid cash for small amounts of airline travel and then charged $6, 600 worth.
"I never saw a penny of it, " Jones said. While trying to collect the debt one day, Jones said, United Prudential's controller sat "face-to-face across the desk" from him and announced, "We never intend to pay you or any of the others.
It has worked very successfully for us." Call, the office manager for Ad-Pro Litho in Lynnwood, Wash., said United Prudential charged $14, 000 to his company within the first 30 days, paying nothing.
Call said a company official laughed and told him: "If I decide to pay you, I will.
If I decide not to, I won't. And there's not a damn thing you can do about it." Schaeffer, the attorney, emphasized that most of the more than $1 million in debts Hagen left behind in Seattle were legally discharged.
The remaining creditors, he said, had legal avenues they could have pursued. "If all these people were really defrauded out of their money, why wasn't something done years ago?" he asked. Postal inspectors in Seattle spent four years investigating World Wide Marketing, United Prudential, Matrix and two other companies connected to Hagen there, said Stan Pilkey, the inspector who headed the probe.
Postal officials have said thousands of people were promised free trips, most never receiving them, and about 1, 000 lost $200 each in "refundable deposits." Harry McCarthy, an assistant U.S. Attorney in Seattle, said his office received the results of the investigations in January, and is still reviewing it to determine whether a criminal indicment will be sought. "It's fairly extensive, in terms of the number of people involved, " McCarthy said. The Hagens' lavish lifestyle may finally be threatened. In addition to the criminal charges they face in Texas, their company's bankruptcy in Virginia may also be in trouble.
O'Donnell, the trustee, said he has filed a challenge to the company's request to discharge its debts, contending it is in "absolute violation" of the bankruptcy code. It is unclear what business the Hagens' new company, Brown Development Institute, is doing here.
Hagen told a reporter last month that the company would do desk-top publishing and design small ads, and was "staying away" from any time-share promotions. But the promotional sheet for the Brown Institute on Hagen's desk last week -- the one with a name spelled "Haggin" -- was a list of valuable prizes that someone may have won.

The Washington Post

May 14, 1989, Sunday, Final Edition

DeFuscos Are Called Bad Example;
Time-Share Firms Changing Tactics

BYLINE: Mary Jordan, Washington Post Staff Writer

SECTION: FIRST SECTION; PAGE A18

LENGTH: 416 words

David and Annette DeFusco "are to our industry what pornographers are to the publishing industry, " said Gary A. Terry, president of American Resort and Residential Development Association, which represents a majority of the 1, 100 owners of time-share developments in the United States.
The millions of DeFusco mailings -- which promise, but do not deliver, expensive prizes to lure people to resorts or presentations of time shares -- have tarnished the image of time shares, Terry says.
But David DeFusco says that he is being blamed for the sins of an entire industry, and that vacation promoters have always relied on gimmicks and free gift offers to attract people.

"I did what everybody else did, " he said in a recent interview at his offices in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. "Only I ran into a prosecutor who wanted to clean up the industry."
Time sharing -- buying into a resort for a week or more each year -- has become increasingly popular both in the United States and abroad, according to industry figures.
In 1988, 1.3 million Americans owned a time share, according to Terry's group.
Faced with increasingly bad publicity recently, some resort owners say they are rethinking their advertising tactics and hiring lawyers to read their promotional mail.
Outdoor World Inc., which owns 14 vacation spots around the country and once hired the DeFuscos, reviews all its mailings for potential legal problems, according to Bruce Morgan, the company's attorney.
"What David DeFusco has been indicted for is not part of the mainstream, " Morgan said.
"We've never had anybody as nasty as this."
The resort owners who hired the DeFuscos have run into trouble, too. The Dallas-based Freedom Financial Corp. pleaded guilty in October to conspiracy and mail fraud charges and paid a $ 1.5 million fine.
According to federal prosecutors, Freedom Financial paid for millions of the DeFuscos' mailings and had endorsed their use.
In Alexandria, The Hensley Group Inc., a time-share company that also used the DeFuscos' mailings, has been the target of complaints and lawsuits in Virginia, Maryland and Florida. Federal prosecutors said other resorts linked to the DeFuscos also may find themselves indicted or fined for fraud.
"Most members would love not to send direct mail, " Terry said, "but direct mail plus a gift offer is the single most successful [advertising strategy for time shares]. Unfortunately, it lends itself to . . . unethical and misrepresentative material."

ENHANCEMENT: SIDEBAR

COUNTRY: UNITED STATES (95%);

STATE: VIRGINIA, USA (92%); TEXAS, USA (79%); CALIFORNIA, USA (79%); MARYLAND, USA (79%);

CITY: DALLAS, TX, USA (79%);

COMPANY: FREEDOM FINANCIAL LIFE INSURANCE CO (53%); AMERICAN RESORT DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION (84%);

ORGANIZATION: OUTDOOR WORLD INC. ; HENSLEY GROUP INC.

SUBJECT: FRAUD; REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY; MARKETING; ADVERTISING REAL ESTATE (90%); RESIDENTIAL CO-OWNERSHIP (90%); REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT (90%); TRAVEL HOSPITALITY & TOURISM (90%); RESORTS (90%); DIRECT MAIL MARKETING (89%); JUSTICE DEPARTMENTS (89%); INDICTMENTS (88%); FRAUD & FINANCIAL CRIME (88%); INTERVIEWS (78%); LEISURE TRAVEL (78%); PUBLISHING (73%); LAWYERS (73%); GUILTY PLEAS (73%); MARKETING & ADVERTISING (72%); MARKETING STRATEGY (70%); CONSPIRACY (69%); FINES & PENALTIES (67%);

PERSON: DAVID DEFUSCO; ANNETTE DEFUSCO; GARY A. TERRY GARY A TERRY (90%); DAVID DEFUSCO (82%); BRUCE MORGAN (66%); ANNETTE DEFUSCO (66%);

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

TYPE: VIRGINIA NEWS, NATIONAL NEWS

Copyright 1989 The Washington Post
Austin American-Statesman (Texas)

September 13, 1997

Timeshare purchasers seldom satisfied

BYLINE: David Evans

SECTION: Business; Pg. D1

LENGTH: 1004 words

DALLAS -- To Connye and Melvin Eichelberger of Dallas, the proposition from Silverleaf Resorts Inc. was outrageous.
In June, Silverleaf offered $200 to buy back the same timeshare vacation unit in Flint that it sold her for $5, 850 in October 1994. The development is on a lake about 100 miles east of Dallas.
Though the Eichelbergers wanted to sell, they declined the offer.

It was ridiculous, '' Connye Eichelberger said. I thought they were joking.''
It's no joke, however. Many owners of Silverleaf timeshares who want to sell their vacation investments accept the company's $200 buyback offer. That's because the resale market for timeshares -- which grant owners the right to use a condominium for a specified week each year -- is almost nonexistent.
Such transactions contributed to the 94 percent gross profit margin that Silverleaf posted last year, which was higher than that of almost any public company. Silverleaf's stock has gained 44 percent since its June initial public offering of 3.6 million shares at $16 by Credit Suisse First Boston. The stock closed at $22.75 a share Friday.
Silverleaf is one of the largest timeshare vacation developers in the $2 billion-a-year U.S. timeshare industry. It is an industry that is still dogged by customer complaints that, in the 1970s and '80s, led to some timeshare promoters going to jail for defrauding consumers.
For some timeshare owners who want out of their vacation investments, the difficulty in reselling their units is a source of grief. Silverleaf bought back 1, 500 timeshares for $200 a unit at its seven resorts in Texas and Missouri last year. Meanwhile, the company was able to sell units to new customers for an average price of $6, 645.
Silverleaf's average cost for each one-week unit sold to new customers last year was about $387, including buybacks, foreclosures, new construction and units from inventory.
Almost half the 1.8 million U.S. owners of timeshares are interested in selling, according to an industry study released in July. The number of units that Silverleaf bought back last year was equal to a quarter of the 6, 054 units it sold to new customers. Now, Silverleaf plans to buy back only about 500 units a year, according to the prospectus for its IPO.
Sharon Brayfield, president of Dallas-based Silverleaf, said the company buys back timeshares as a favor to its customers. It's kind of a customer service-type thing, '' she said. This is not something we forced anyone to do.''
The market for resale of timeshare intervals is very limited, '' said Silverleaf in its prospectus. Resale prices are substantially below their original purchase price.''
It isn't easy to sell timeshares the first time, either. Silverleaf spent 45 percent of its 1996 revenue on sales and marketing, which is in line with the industry, about $3, 000 for each timeshare sold. Timeshare buyers get title to 1/50 of a resort condominium unit and the right to use it for one week a year. They must also pay maintenance fees or dues.
Regrets purchase
Nobody wakes up in the morning and says, I want to buy a timeshare, ''' said industry consultant John Simon of KPMG Consulting.
Ask Ruthie Seward, an inventory clerk from Frankston who now regrets her $8, 500 purchase of a Silverleaf timeshare last year. She paid $850 down, and committed to monthly payments of $142 for seven years.
It's a lot of money for something we don't even use, '' Sewardsaid.
She said she was lured to the sales presentation by a letter from Silverleaf informing her that she'd won a prize.
Three months ago, Seward paid $200 to list her timeshare with a broker, asking $7, 000, but hasn't attracted any inquiries.
Foreclosures are another source of low-cost timeshare inventory for Silverleaf. In 1996, the company charged off bad debts representing 25 percent, or $12.1 million of its $48.1 million of sales. That's more than five times the industry average.
No Buyer Found
The Eichelbergers weren't able to find a buyer for their timeshare by July 1. That's when Silverleaf foreclosed on it. Even though Connye Eichelberger and her husband owned it free and clear, they were $350 behind in paying the $600 annual dues Silverleaf charges all its timeshare owners.
We kissed $6, 000 goodbye, '' said Eichelberger. Yet she said she doesn't regret turning down Silverleaf's $200 buy offer. I considered that an insult.''
According to the industry's study, the most common reasons timeshare owners want to sell are lifestyle changes, insufficient usage, the continuing expense and wanting more vacation flexibility.
The industry was notorious in the 1970s and 1980s for using high-pressure sales tactics and phony contests to persuade unsophisticated consumers that timeshares were a good investment.
In 1988, Silverleaf, then called Freedom Financial, was convicted on federal mail fraud and conspiracy charges, and paid a $1.5 million fine. The company admitted defrauding consumers by promising them nonexistent prizes in exchange for attending a timeshare presentation.
Robert Mead, who owned Freedom Financial, is now chairman and chief executive of Silverleaf. He holds about 7.7 million shares, worth $175 million. Although his company was convicted of fraud, he wasn't personally charged with any crime. David DeFusco, who provided sales leads for Freedom Financial, pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges and received a prison sentence.
Yes, we had problems back in 1988, '' said Brayfield. That was a really painful period for Bob.''
Besides the criminal conviction when it was called Freedom Financial, Silverleaf has been the subject of several enforcement actions by Texas and Missouri regulators.
In March, it donated $30, 000 to Texas to settle allegations by the Texas Real Estate Commission that it used illegal sales practices. Silverleaf admitted no wrongdoing.
The commission is now investigating 16 new complaints against Silverleaf, said Beverly Rabenberg, an attorney for the commission.

TICKER: SVLF (NASDAQ) (91%);

COUNTRY: UNITED STATES (94%);

STATE: TEXAS, USA (94%);

CITY: DALLAS, TX, USA (94%); AUSTIN, TX, USA (91%);

COMPANY: SILVERLEAF RESORTS INC (91%); CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON (69%); SILVERLEAF RESORTS INC (91%); CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON (69%);

SUBJECT: RESORTS (91%); RESIDENTIAL CO-OWNERSHIP (90%); TRAVEL HOSPITALITY & TOURISM (90%); INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS (89%); STOCK REPURCHASE PLANS (78%); EXISTING HOME SALES (74%); CONSTRUCTION (74%); COMPANY PROFITS (73%); STOCK OFFERINGS (72%); FORECLOSURE (69%); CUSTOMER SERVICE (65%); RESEARCH REPORTS (50%); RESORTS (91%); RESIDENTIAL CO-OWNERSHIP (90%); TRAVEL HOSPITALITY & TOURISM (90%); INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS (89%); STOCK REPURCHASE PLANS (78%); EXISTING HOME SALES (74%); CONSTRUCTION (74%); COMPANY PROFITS (73%); STOCK OFFERINGS (72%); FORECLOSURE (69%); CUSTOMER SERVICE (65%); RESEARCH REPORTS (50%);

LOAD-DATE: September 13, 1997

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

Copyright 1997 The Austin American-Statesman
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri)

September 21, 1997, Sunday, FIVE STAR LIFT EDITION

SILVERLEAF PROFITS BIG IN TIGHT TIMESHARE BUSINESS;
COMPANY HAS BEEN A TARGET OF COMPLAINTS

BYLINE: David Evans; 1997, Bloomberg News

SECTION: BUSINESS, Pg. 08E

LENGTH: 1144 words

DATELINE: DALLAS

To Connye and Melvin Eichelberger of Dallas, the proposition from Silverleaf Resorts Inc. was outrageous.
In June, Silverleaf offered $ 200 to buy back the same timeshare vacation unit in Flint, Texas, that it sold her for $ 5, 850 in October 1994.

Though the Eichelbergers wanted to sell, they declined the offer.
"It was ridiculous, " Connye Eichelberger said. "I thought they were joking."

It's no joke, however. Many owners of Silverleaf timeshares who want to sell their vacation investments accept the company's $ 200 buyback offer. That's because the resale market for timeshares is almost nonexistent.
Timeshares grant owners the right to use a condominium or other piece of property, such as a campsite, for a specified week each year.
Silverleaf is one of the largest timeshare vacation developers in the $ 2 billion-a-year U.S. timeshare industry. The Dallas company has two timeshare resorts in the Branson area. It is building a third one south of Festus, Mo. It also has five in Texas and is building one near Chicago.
Silverleaf posted a 94 percent gross profit margin last year, higher than that of almost any public company. Its stock has gained 44 percent since its June initial public offering of 3.6 million shares at 16 by Credit Suisse First Boston. The stock was trading at about $ 23 Monday .
The timeshare industry is still dogged by customer complaints that, in the 1970s and 1980s, led to some timeshare promoters going to jail for defrauding consumers.
In 1988, Silverleaf - then known as Freedom Financial - agreed to pay the state of Missouri $ 45, 000 after the state accused the company of breaking consumer fraud laws related to its direct mail practices.
Tom Franks, a key officer of Silverleaf, said last week (Sept. 11) that those practices occurred when the company used outside marketers to drum up customers. The company has since brought all its marketing in-house, he said.
A spokesman for the Missouri state attorney general, whose office oversees timeshare resorts, said that it had received no complaints in the past couple of years about the company.
For some timeshare owners who want out of their vacation investments, the difficulty in reselling their units is a source of grief. Silverleaf bought back 1, 500 timeshares for $ 200 a unit at its seven resorts in Texas and Missouri last year. Meanwhile, the company was able to sell units to new customers for an average price of $ 6, 645 a week.
Silverleaf's average cost for each one-week unit sold to new customers last year was about $ 387, including buybacks, foreclosures, new construction and units from inventory.
Almost half the 1.8 million U.S. owners of timeshares are "interested" in selling, according to an industry study released in July. The number of units that Silverleaf bought back last year was equal to a quarter of the 6, 054 units that it sold to new customers. Now, Silverleaf plans to buy back only about 500 units a year, according to the prospectus for its IPO.
Sharon Brayfield, president of Dallas-based Silverleaf, said the company buys back timeshares as a favor to its customers.
Franks said customers are told before closing a deal that Silverleaf makes no promises about buying back weeks or re-selling them for customers.
"The market for resale of timeshare intervals is very limited, " said Silverleaf in its prospectus. "Resale prices are substantially below their original purchase price."
Franks said salesmen are told to tell customers that in order to get value out of the purchase, they must use it.
Silverleaf spent 45 percent of its 1996 revenue on sales and marketing, which is in line with the industry. That amounts to about $ 3, 000 for each timeshare sold.
"Nobody wakes up in the morning and says, 'I want to buy a timeshare, ' " said industry consultant John Simon of KPMG Consulting.
Ask Ruthie Seward, an inventory clerk from Frankston, Texas, who now regrets her $ 8, 500 purchase of a Silverleaf timeshare last year. She paid $ 850 down and committed to monthly payments of $ 142 for seven years.

"It's a lot of money for something we don't even use, " said Seward.
She said she was attracted to the sales presentation by a letter from Silverleaf informing her that she had won a prize.
Three months ago, Seward paid $ 200 to list her timeshare with a broker, asking $ 7, 000. She hasn't attracted any inquiries.
Foreclosures are another source of low-cost timeshare inventory for Silverleaf. In 1996, the company charged off bad debts representing 25 percent, or $ 12.1 million of its $ 48.1 million of sales.
The Eichelbergers weren't able to find a buyer for their timeshare by July 1. That's when Silverleaf foreclosed on it. Even though Connye Eichelberger and her husband owned it free and clear, they were $ 350 behind in paying the $ 600 annual dues Silverleaf charges all its timeshare owners.
"We kissed $ 6, 000 goodbye, " said Eichelberger. Yet she said she doesn't regret turning down Silverleaf's $ 200 buy offer. "I considered that an insult."
According to the industry's study, the most common reasons timeshare owners want to sell are lifestyle changes, insufficient usage, the continuing expense and wanting more vacation flexibility.
The industry was notorious in the 1970s and 1980s for using high-pressure sales tactics and phony contests to persuade unsophisticated consumers that timeshares were a good investment.
In 1988, Silverleaf, then called Freedom Financial, was convicted on federal mail fraud and conspiracy charges and paid a $ 1.5 million fine. The company admitted defrauding consumers by promising them nonexistent prizes in exchange for attending a timeshare presentation.
Robert Mead, who owned Freedom Financial, is now chairman and chief executive of Silverleaf. He holds about 7.7 million shares, worth $ 175 million. Although his company was convicted of fraud, he wasn't personally charged with any crime. David DeFusco, who provided sales leads for Freedom Financial, pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges and received a prison sentence.
The Texas Real Estate Commission is investigating 16 complaints against Silverleaf, said Beverly Rabenberg, an attorney for the commission. These are in addition to the allegations of illegal sales practices that were settled in March when the company donated $ 30, 000 to Texas. Silverleaf admitted no wrongdoing at the time.
Silverleaf acknowledges using "intensive" tactics with sales prospects, who aren't wealthy. "The company targets audiences which generally are less financially sophisticated and more susceptible to intensive sales practices than more affluent customers, " according to its prospectus.
"Intensive sales practices do not mean high-pressure sales, " Brayfield said. "Intensive merely means giving a special effort or certain emphasis."

TICKER: SVLF (NASDAQ) (91%);

INDUSTRY: NAICS721110 HOTELS (EXCEPT CASINO HOTELS) & MOTELS (91%); SIC6081 BRANCHES & AGENCIES OF FOREIGN BANKS (67%);

PERSON: MELVIN EICHELBERGER (59%); TOM FRANKS (58%);

COUNTRY: UNITED STATES (94%);

STATE: TEXAS, USA (94%); MISSOURI, USA (94%);

CITY: DALLAS, TX, USA (91%);

COMPANY: SILVERLEAF RESORTS INC (91%); CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON (67%);

SUBJECT: RESORTS (93%); TRAVEL HOSPITALITY & TOURISM (92%); RESIDENTIAL CO-OWNERSHIP (90%); US STATE GOVERNMENT (77%); DIRECT MAIL MARKETING (77%); CORPORATE WRONGDOING (75%); CONSTRUCTION (74%); COMPANY PROFITS (71%); INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS (70%); EXISTING HOME SALES (70%); CONSUMER LAW (69%); FORECLOSURE (69%); JUSTICE DEPARTMENTS (63%); ATTORNEYS GENERAL (50%); RESEARCH REPORTS (50%);

LOAD-DATE: September 22, 1997

LANGUAGE: English

Copyright 1997 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Inc.
Daily News (New York)

July 20, 2000, Thursday

PRIZE SEEKERS BEWARE OF TIME-SHARE OFFERINGS

BYLINE: BY ASA AARONS

SECTION: NEW YORK NOW; Pg. 62 ASK ASA

LENGTH: 380 words

Maureen Arscott wonders whether there's a car at the end of the drive to Massachusetts - or just a waste of fuel.
The New York woman has been trying to decide ever since she received a call from someone at Silverleaf Resorts, a Dallas-based vacation time-share company.
A vacation time-share gives the owner the right to use vacation property for a limited period over a specified number of years.

"I was told I won a car, but that I would have to travel to Massachusetts to collect the prize, " Arscott explained.
Why Massachusetts?
It's the home of Oak in Spruce, one of Silverleaf's 22 resorts nationwide.
The one thing Arscott is assured of finding there is a sales staff eager to tell her about the merits of the vacation property.
According to the Better Business Bureau in Fort Worth, Tex., Silverleaf sends letters offering one of several free awards to consumers who agree to attend a sales presentation.
Not all the consumers have been satisfied.
The BBB reports the company has been the subject of complaints alleging misleading or high-pressure sales tactics.
Other consumers have complained about the award they received at sales presentations.
The BBB added that most complaints have been answered, but not always to the customer's satisfaction.
If you receive an award letter or a call, it doesn't mean you've won a contest.
Though you will receive a gift if you attend the sales presentation, the chances that you will receive a major prize, such as a car or cash, are very slim, the bureau warned.
It found that most consumers receive a package for 10 one-day holidays, which allows use of resort facilities during the day only.
Overnight accommodations and transportation are not included.
Ed Lahart, a vice president at Silverleaf, could not confirm that Arscott won a car.
The company described the call as a solicitation to tour the property and not a guarantee of a specific prize.
Tomorrow: Are time-shares good investments?
Asa Aarons is a consumer reporter who appears on WNBC-TV, Channel 4, News. His Daily News column appears Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Send your questions to: Ask Asa, P.O. Box 3310, New York, N.Y. 10116, or E-mail him (DNconsumer@aol.com). Questions can be answered only through this column.

TICKER: SVLF (NASDAQ) (58%);

INDUSTRY: NAICS334111 ELECTRONIC COMPUTER MANUFACTURING (63%); SIC3571 ELECTRONIC COMPUTERS (63%); NAICS721110 HOTELS (EXCEPT CASINO HOTELS) & MOTELS (58%);

COUNTRY: UNITED STATES (94%);

STATE: NEW YORK, USA (94%); TEXAS, USA (88%);

CITY: DALLAS, TX, USA (88%); NEW YORK, NY, USA (79%);

COMPANY: ASK ASA (63%); SILVERLEAF RESORTS INC (58%);

SUBJECT: SALES & SELLING (90%); RESIDENTIAL CO-OWNERSHIP (90%); RESORTS (90%); TRAVEL HOSPITALITY & TOURISM (89%); NEW ISSUES (89%); BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS (77%); SALES FORCE (74%); CUSTOMER SATISFACTION (72%); TELEVISION INDUSTRY (50%);

LOAD-DATE: July 20, 2000

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

Copyright 2000 Daily News, L.P.

ComplaintsBoard
H
9:10 am EDT

Silverleaf Resorts sales people are liars! get out!

First of all, I purchased my first timeshare from Silverleaf in May of 2007. It was week 52 at Hill Country. The payments were reasonable and I thought it was a good thing to do for family vacations down the road. The sales' people really put on the glitz and glam of how much more affordable this option is and how great it is to do an internal exchange if we chose not to use our week. Plus I thought it was a good deal because it was week 52(!) and the amount paid for it was around $7000. I got sucked in.

A few months after the purchase I received a phone call inviting me to stay at Hill Country for a "VIP" stay and enjoy time at the resort. So, I packed up the family and drove out there. Upon arrival, I was told that I needed to attend an "Owner's Update Meeting" sometime during the weekend in order to stay for the VIP weekend. I agreed. When I showed up to the "Owner's Update Meeting" it wasn't an update on anything other than trying to get you to buy more. I didn't purchase anything that time, but did later after being sucked into first of all the "Diamond Program". When buying my second week, I asked the sales people if there was anything above the "Diamond Program" and was told "no". Well, that wasn't true, because lo and behold a few months later, I was invited back for another "Owner's Update Meeting" to purchase another week for the "Diamond Plus Program". I gotta say these people are very good at blowing smoke up your fourth point of contact, if you know what I mean. Needless to say, I ended up with 3 weeks total. So far up to that point, I thought everything was fine.

Then in February 2009, I stopped by Fox River in IL. We were really just stopping by here on the way back from a funeral in Minnesota. Our sales person, told us after reviewing our accounts, that we would best benefit from being Presidential owners. They offered up week 14 (Presidential unit) and week 6 (Chairman unit) at Holiday Hills in Branson in exchange for our 3 weeks we already had. This sales rep continued to tell us that we were going to "luck out" on this white week because Branson had recently just opened an international airport and that week would soon be turning red.

Our payments wouldn't change, however, we would have much better accomidations available by being Presidential owners and "be in the top 5% of their owners". We told her we have no desire to vacation inBranson and didn't care for the weeks either due to having children in school. She said, "You can easily exchange them. You will be guaranteed to stay in a Presidential or Chairman depending on the week you are exchanging or when using bonus time. We were also told that we would be pretty much guaranteed the exchange of our choice during almost any time with the exception of Orlando and the Pinnacle Lodge in Colorado. This was due to the ownership of the Presidential and Chairman. Her and her "manager" went on and on to tell us what a great deal we would get if we upgraded to these units. My husband and I thought we were getting a good deal. We noted however, that upon signing the paperwork, the week was not week 14 but week 15 instead. We asked thesales rep this and she stated it didn't really matter what week it was as long as it was red because we were going to trade it anyways.

Up to this point we hadn't really used the resorts, so didn't know the hassle we would soon be entering our selves into.

After the purchase of these units, we stayed one night during the middle of the week the end of September at the Villages. Upon arrival, we were placed in a regular unit. I complained and this was changed so we could stay in a Presidential. SInce then I had requested several exchanges/bonus time usages of my banked former weeks and was always told that they had no availability at any of the resorts or during any times (various times of the year from October-March then May-Sept). I asked a rep one time when our white week was going to be turning red as I explained we were told that it would change due to theinternational airport opening thus increasing tourism to Branson . I was laughed at. I last called for reservations to Seaside in Galveston for any availability this summer. I was told they are booked May through October. I asked about what oursales rep about guaranteeing availability and was told by the reservationist that exchanges are on a "first come, first served" basis. What?!This conflicts what we were told. I then asked if they had availability atHill Country . They said they did. I then asked if it was a Presidential unit and was told they don't have that information. How then, do they fairly make reservations without knowing what type of unit it is? Obviously they aren't going to put a "regular" owner into a Presidential or higher unit. I then called corporate.

First of all, Shirley in "Customer Service" which I later found out is "Legal" was very condescending when I talked to her. She told me I didn't know "how to use the timeshares" and that "the only availability you are guaranteed and type of unit is in your deeded week". I told her that the sales rep had told my spouse and I a different story. I then told her that why then were we paying over 800 dollars a month for something that we can use. She stated then, "You can use it". I asked her, "How? Everytime we call to use our exchange, there is no availability." Again we went round and round about how I told the sales person I had no desire for the location or weeks but were really buying the "exchange power". My spouse and I put a stop payment on the account. When we told her about the stop payment, her story changed to, "Well, I can offer to change your week and location to something you desire more." I asked her how she could magically do this considering that this wasn't done when we first purchased the units and expressed our concerns. She didn't respond to this. We told her that we felt that we were paying for something we can't use and want out. We also found out that there is a charge to use the exchange program. $75 per exchange. This was never disclosed to us. No where in any of the paperwork we found we had signed did it discuss this at all.

Needless, to say, I have filed complaints with the BBB and the Federal Trade Commission just 3 days ago. Today, I received a call from Tonya offering me a release from the contract and Silverleaf will pay off the remaining balance of the loans. She stated that nothing would be reported on my credit. While this is desired, my spouse and I looked at getting some of our money back because we felt we were misled into what we were getting/able to use.

So, here's what I recommend if your story is similar...file complaints with the right people (BBB, Texas Attorney General's Office, Federal Trade Commission). Send a certified and registered letter describing your encounter to Silverleaf and your wish to be released from the contract. I don't know about these groups that "guarantee" to help you. But I know one thing...they are expensive (upwards of $3000 up front) to assist you in releasing you from the timeshare. Also, most of them are not attorneys. They are regular guys like you and me that know the right channels. Hope this helps some of you. Buyer beware!

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RachKieselstein
Spring, US
Feb 16, 2015 9:11 am EST

Always First Come First Serve...Simple

ComplaintsBoard
M
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Silverleaf Resorts - silverleaf resorts

Hard-sell approach by company 'henchmen' sometimes leads a bad taste in owners' mouth. Kept getting phone calls from Silverleaf Vacations in Irving (?), TX, trying to get my wife and I out for a 'complimentary' stay at The Villages Resort near Tyler, Texas. Kept telling the telemarketer(s) that we didn't 'need' any update about Silverleaf since we had been...

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Silverleaf Resorts scam/swindled

My husband and I were tricked into signing a contract with Silverleaf Resorts and promised so many things in return. Well let me tell you Silverleaf gets you in the door and then never follows through with what they promise! When sugning this contract we were to have any year and then after signing we came to find out that we just have odd years and have yet to use our vacation time because when you call to schedule the dates are never available. Now we are stuck paying for something that is not being able to be used. We never received our "FREE GIFTS" and yet we still have to pay! Canceled the contract within the right amount of time and yet we still have to pay also did everything the way we were supposed to and YET WE STILL HAVE TO PAY! so please beware of this scam and no matter what is promised please do not sign a thing!

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Silverleaf Resorts annoying phone calls

Silverleaf Resorts from the no. [protected] calls my home 4 to 5 times every day for over the past two weeks. Leave a message for us to respond to or Stop The Telephone Calls. We are retired, we do no travel we are not interested in anything you advertise like renting, buying or selling a timeshare and we are not going to answer your annoying telephone calls that come very early, during breakfast, lunch and dinner on weekends, even today, Sunday you have called three times. The next complaint I have is you required at least 100 words!

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kjmac5
, US
Mar 26, 2010 10:46 am EDT

We have been getting the same calls constantly every day, glad to read these posts & know who these people really are. All I can do is tell my kids NOT to answer the phone because I don't want to pay extra on my phone bill for a call blocker.

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Silverleaf Resorts former manager/ complete scam

i used to work sellin the timeshares until i got sick of bein screwed on my paychecks as well. u would think after lying there way into $50000 a day they could take care of there employees atleast. top management would get paid 10, ooo a week while the people who are doin all the work would starve. they train u to lie to the tours there are no re-sale of deeds, u can never use bonus time and NOTHING works like they say. it truely would not be worth havin if they waved the sales price of thousands of dollars and u just paid the 800 in dues every year. fyi the public uses the golf courses, swimming pools, mini golf etc. nothing is private and the rooms are filthy. don't do it u will be unhappy immediately. the managers laugh at the people who by that S*&t

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sad employee
Twin Falls, US
Mar 25, 2010 12:24 am EDT

If you quit, Silverleaf also refuses to pay your final bonuses ($$ for getting people to tour resorts) which are hard to get! I had close to $200.00 missing from my final paycheck because of that...which was also sent to me over a month after quitting...

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PRETTYSHYGYRL
Irving, US
Mar 22, 2010 7:28 pm EDT

Silver Leaf is a definite rip off.

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Silverleaf Resorts scam

Typical high pressure scam. Started with sending a mailout saying I'd won one of $49k, $1.5k, $500, or a vacation (no airfare) all I had to do was listen to a 90 min talk. After listening to a 2 hour talk here are the details: For $15, 000 plus monthly maintenance fees (starting at $65/mo) plus $200 fee each time you use the "resort, " you get to go to the resort of your choice. Boil it down, during your 1st three years you're paying about $900/month plus $200/reservation to stay at a "resort." Really? That's about $10000/year for a one week vacation (travel and food not included). Again, you really want to do this?
You could easily go to any other vacation destination for much less $ that these guys.

While I was at the store, the employees celebrated a "new member." The new members were a military family. That hacked me off. They took advantage of someone who devoted his life to our country and freedom.
And for the "free gifts." The odds of winning any "good" prize are at best 20 in 53, 130...read it yourself. The odds of winning the "exotic vacation" are 53, 000 in 53, 130. You don't get your playing card until after you tell them if you will buy the package or not. Then you have to compare your "number" to a list of numbers they give you on the spot. Think that's rigged... Guess which prize you'll get.
Your exotic vacation will also come bundled with so many hoops to jump through that you realistically cannot ever use it.

Bottom line, run away.

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Silverleaf Resorts information

I need some information from all you upset Silverleaf owners out there. My resort is paid in full, but I refused to pay the dues as they said dues would only be needed to be kept current if I used my week. That was a lie as I received a letter from an attorney stating my "property " is to be auctioned off and I am no longer an owner. I say thats great if thats all but knowing how they have been to me in the past there has to be a catch. Anyone out there with a similar situation and what does this do to my credit. Also will I still have to pay late dues.

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How to Sell or Give Away
Silver Spring, US
Dec 28, 2010 10:54 pm EST
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How do you give back the timeshare? I need details.

Out of This World Realtor
Out of This World Realtor
Dallas, US
Dec 08, 2010 5:35 pm EST
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I could not sale it, could not get anyone dumb enough to take it from me, so I gave it back to them. The best thing I ever did. So what I lost money. LOTS of it for that matter. But Im free to not go to anymore dumb [censor] update meeting. We are almost 2011, send me e-mail update Silverleaf! No we all know what they update you. To up sale you. They just keep raping our pocket books. I hope other keep on reading before they buy something that sounds too good to be true. Hang in there and keep your head high. One day we can fight this, for now we give it back and walk away a bigger person. Have a good day. Feel free to call or e-mail me.

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Carolyn W
, US
Dec 08, 2010 3:47 am EST

Hi i am Carolyn and i came across your reply about a Silverleaf owner who had a question about of what to do to dispose the timeshare. I share the same problem with you. Our timeshare is paid years ago, but we stopped paying the dues last Jan but 2 days ago we received a foreclosure letter. As much as I don't want to, i am now pressured to send the entire amount of dues for this year just so our credit won't be affected, but what other alternative do we have. Any input will be appreciated. Thanks. Email me at carpwes65@hotmail.com

Out of This World Realtor
Out of This World Realtor
Dallas, US
Apr 05, 2010 3:59 pm EDT
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Hello, I hope I can answer some of your questions with the dumb thing we all got our self in with Silverleaf. You paid for the timeshare. Then for the REST of your life you will owe what they call HOA fees. If you do not pay they miss up your credit. You can only hope to sale it, like I have been trying since 2008 with no luck. Or give it back to them. You will lose all the money you put in it but you will be free of them once and for all. All you can do is to pray. Im in the same boat as you, only I pay them so my name & credit are nice and clean. It makes me so mad that I have to pay for something I dont even use. :-( You take care and e-mail at Raluca.Saturn@gmail.com if you want to talk more about this. I really want to find a better way for us all. There has to be hope out there.

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Silverleaf Resorts - executive scam

I tried to work for Silverleaf in an ethical way but the direction from the top and the pressure they place on you makes any kind of ethical selling impossible. It is impossible to compete with individuals and resorts willing to sell their soul to the devil by cheating, lying and stealing from members. The leaders of this company, David O'Connor, Jeremy...

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Silverleaf Resorts I stopped paying!

Ok, just wanted to update everyone on my post from September. Silverleaf sent us notice that they would foreclose on the timeshare in OCT. The phone calls have stopped and we have been monitoring our credit closely. Nothing! There is no record of Silverleaf on there anywhere! I do think that something should be done about a class action lawsuit, though, to prevent this sort of thing from happening to others. Good luck to all of you!

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Update by Cdeans
Mar 17, 2010 12:07 am EDT

Try sending them a cease and desist letter and also report them to the attorney general. They are not allowed to harass those who know you. You should be able to pull a cease and desist template off the internet for free.

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Shirley Yarbrough
, US
Jun 08, 2018 10:05 am EDT

I have stopped paying and continue to get letters and phone calls from Orange Lakes. I contacted them for 4 months following Harvey and never received a response. Told them to foreclose on the property because it was worthless per one of the high pressure salesman, and there were deceptive trade practices regarding the original sale. I am 74 and cannot throw good money after bad. I have my presidential almost paid for, but I DO NOT CARE. This is property so they need to take it back. I am interested in the class action suit that I keep hearing about. They are using timeshare properties for vacation clubs and timeshare owners have none of the benefits of the vacation club unless they spend thousands more to get points!

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Laura tazzy
, US
Feb 17, 2018 1:07 am EST

I tried to work with them because I was divorced and unemployed. At that time they said there was nothing they could do. I've been too worried about keeping my home than messing with them. It has been 20 months. They reported my late payments to Experian this month and just the late payments, no on-time payments from the previous years. When my now ex husband and I visited one of the properties, he was very, very disappointed with the way it was maintained. He was feeling sick and the sales managet wouldnt let us leave the sales office. To top it off, we all went home sick.

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xyz102
, US
Oct 19, 2017 2:02 pm EDT

Class-action lawsuit recommended against SilverLeaf.

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hauntingvirus
, US
Mar 23, 2017 6:13 pm EDT
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Went with Resort Relief that uses a group "Castle Law".. paid around $3000 to get out of our Silver leaf timeshare (Paid for over a year and a half with a crappy experience the couple times we went.. the one time we actually were in our unit the A/C wasn't working in the middle of August). They sent me copies of the notices they sent to Silverleaf stating to "not contact us" and to "not report to credit bureaus". It's been over a year now. I have not been contacted by Silverleaf nor have I seen anything on my credit reports. I'm getting the cold shoulder from the Castle Law group though. They originally said it could take up to a year. Now that the year has passed they really don't answer back, so I am beginning to feel like we were played twice in a row. YOLO! Anyways.. seeing the balance due recently when logging in to my silverleaf account is very upsetting. I'm considering just taking out a loan to pay off the full balance and then try out that "deed back" option that some ^ have seemed to have success with. I am just ready to be done with this virus that haunts my thoughts every now and then.

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bunnyhop58
, US
Apr 29, 2017 4:47 pm EDT

Before you waste money paying those crooks, contact Jim at www.timesharetricks.blogspot.com, he is a great guy and you'll pay him only 400 dollars then a commission after he gets you out of the contract with your money back.

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Sckooter
, US
Oct 02, 2017 1:05 pm EDT

If you paid Resort Relief by credit card you can get your credit card charged back, I did. Kevin Hanson and Castle Law are fraud!

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Sweet05
, US
Feb 22, 2018 8:07 am EST
Replying to comment of Sckooter

How did you get your card charged back, if it's been over a year?

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Ledis Cano
, US
Oct 02, 2018 12:04 pm EDT

The same thing happened to us. we got played by those cooks

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Angelitamm1
, US
Dec 29, 2016 3:04 pm EST
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Please if anyone is planning a lawsuit or has info about stopping payment pass on the info to the rest of us.

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bunnyhop58
, US
Apr 29, 2017 4:49 pm EDT

I got a guy! Always wanted to say that. Jim at timesharetricks@gmail.com is the guy you want to talk to. His website is www.timesharetricks.blogspot.com

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Carla Gregg
Austin, US
Jun 26, 2013 10:44 am EDT
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I received a silverleaf guest card with a $40.00 value ( supposedly ) on it and when I went to use it, the card was rejected for no funds available! the tracking # [protected], this card has never been used before and I would like for the $40.00 value to be put back onto the card or there will be serious consequences to bare! My name is Carla Gregg and can be reach at this phone # [protected] at any given time! So please call, email, or do whatever you are supposed to do to refund my $40.00 ! I'm sorry to have to contact you guys with this mess, but it must be corrected ASAP! I expect a response from you about this matter, so please stay in touch, I certainly will! Thank-You for your time, Sincerely, Ms. Carla Gregg

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Barbara Siegert
Sulphur Springs, US
Apr 17, 2014 1:04 pm EDT

Joined back in 2008 for the trial version which gave us a week of free vacation at one of the resorts, had to have emergency surgery so we called them to let them know & they said it wasn't a problem that we could still use it. Well surprise - surprise we still didn't get it even to this date. They still call wanting us to come to a meeting to discuss the issue so far we have been to quite a few with no results, now they say we have to buy the time share in order to receive our week. My husband & I have told them to quit calling but they don't and it is the same lies every time. Beware people of their false claims ..

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HAZMAT tech
, US
Oct 16, 2016 7:44 am EDT
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Like many of you who have posted. My mother and I have been scamed by silverleaf resort as well. The also told us to upgrade to the diamond program to use as much as we would like. Everytime we try to book not available. If anyone has any advice or would like to participate in bringing justice to these crooks, please contact me at j.bramble27@yahoo.com. Thanks

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Monika Crossley
, US
Aug 03, 2016 9:11 pm EDT

Any update on those who stopped paying?

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smokinintexas
, US
Jul 31, 2016 7:15 am EDT

I am having the same problems with silverleaf. I plan to file a 1099-c with the IRS and a 1096. 1099-c is cancellation of debt and the 1096 is a form needed to file the 1099-c.
From what I understand one should receive a treasury check for the amount of your timeshare. This should solve the issues.

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Silverleaf Resorts false advertising

I am so tired of the drama with this company. They have intimidated my husband again and he just paid an additional $2700 because of their constant calling and badgering. We have never been able to use the timeshare and we have 2 also never able to trade up like they promised. I am speaking to an attorney regarding a class action lawsuit if anyone is interested in adding their names to the list, please respond.

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Update by Sick of Silverleaf
Jul 28, 2010 11:13 pm EDT

I have set up a website at Google and I am still working on the details I will email you later

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Patricia Marks-Sund
, US
Aug 05, 2015 11:33 pm EDT

Please include me to your list

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Patricia Marks-Sund
, US
Aug 05, 2015 11:33 pm EDT

Please include me in your list.

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BarbaraFletcher
Dallas, US
Jul 29, 2013 12:28 pm EDT

As with almost all properties these days, timeshares are not easy to sell. There are few incentives for buyers and even less demand. With so many tens of thousands of timeshares available, it’s difficult to find someone willing to take on ownership. Most people looking at the timeshare resales market know the truth about timeshares being poor investments, having many fees and the difficulty in getting rid of them making it extremely difficult to sell even during good times, but you can still give it away. This is a good article on how to give away a timeshare:

http://www.timesharescam.com/blog/160-how-to-give-away-a-timeshare/

Rick297
Rick297
Tempe, US
Jul 26, 2013 2:33 pm EDT

We took the 90 minute tour...you know, the one that took 4 hours in real life.We are smart consumers who prefer money in the bank over material possessions.
They say no pressure, but you deserve the pressure if you believe they will not pressure you:. Sitting for the sales pitch, listening to the deal, I looked around and realized we were being herded like cattle.. If it is too good to be true, it usually is folks'. This timeshare business is well crafted. The salesman made comments to my husband such as, " you know these vacations will really strengthen your marriage, . Your little boy isn't getting any younger:." Puh-lease!. He said he preferred a no over a "we need to think about it, " and that is a pressuring sales tactic...not to mention a preposterous demand for the truth from someone who tells half-truths for a living. If you read this forum before visiting, just stay away. Yes, we received free incentives for taking the tour. However, we drove three hours to take the tour. I don't feel guilty. No hard-working, honest, middle class family deserves what they are selling, and that is ice cubes to Eskimos. I recommend you to read this article on how to give away a timeshare, I hope this helps:

http://www.timesharescam.com/blog/160-how-to-give-away-a-timeshare/

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Sandra71
, US
Jul 20, 2013 7:59 am EDT

I just canceled the 18month with free vacation. When I went to hand deliver the notice of cancelation she got so pissed she started to act like she had no class! Now I'm afraid they won't cancel the account and I'm going to be fighting with them! This place is so messed up I feel bad for those who took out the timeshare! They say oh you won't see surprise raises or you will be able to come out for 50.00 buck. Didn't I just pay you 1000.00 and you treating me like I'm Renting a hotel.. It's just truly a scam!

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JJB007
Houston, US
Apr 12, 2010 2:18 pm EDT

I am also willing to join, these people really threw out a bunch of lies. What they verbally agreed to and the actual contract are different. I wanted to get into something like this, but not get conned into it. Let me know, cdiablo77@msn.com.

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burnz11
Joliet, US
Feb 24, 2010 1:17 pm EST

I am more than willing to join you! I kept all of my documentation that the salesman gave to prove that it was all a lie. I even made the salesman sign a sheet stating my usage, only to find it was all still a lie.

How would you like to go about contacting each other?

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8:03 pm EST
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Silverleaf Resorts lies and can't sell

We purchased a Silverleaf timeshare at the Fox River (Illinois) Resort on August 15, 2003. We tried using this timeshare at least once and were always told that our use week was not available at any of Silverleaf's resorts, certainly not at our home resort. Silverleaf also charged more than the monthly fee to our credit card for at least most of two entire years, although we notified them and protested. This was only resolved when we involved Illinois' Attorney General.

Like so many others, we want out. Please let us know how to do this with the best possible financial result for our family.

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Update by JandNL
Jun 08, 2010 11:56 am EDT

We had the same problems this man describes with both Silverleaf Resorts and Bluegreen Vacation Club. The only way out with Silverleaf is to request a "back-on-inventory" deed, especially if one has documentation of difficulty using the timeshare and/or of financial errors on Silverleaf's part. We had both.
We must disagree on one point, however: Both Interval International and Disney Vacation Club (from the Walt Disney Company) are legitimate timeshares that do not present difficulties for members to use their assigned week at the assigned resort. It may be difficult at times to book time at a different resort, but if one starts looking early enough, that can usually be overcome. In fact, if one has any problems with a Disney resort, Disney wants to know so that they can hopefully fix the problem and keep records on that resort. Interval and Disney are reputable and should not be lumped in the same (bad) category as RCI and its affiliates.

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badbusinessmantx
Fort Worth, US
Feb 19, 2010 1:09 am EST

i use to work in the call center in north richland hills, TX. these people are all crooks! Most managers and divisionals use drugs. i even know a divisional john h who sold weed in the building. i did cocaine with phillip h in the bathroom, he is now a senior divisional mgr in arlington. i also seen many other drug transactions in this company. i had to get out. they care nothing for the customer, and use high pressure sales to get you to go to a even more high pressure sales pitch about time share. oh yeah the gifts you get, , good luck using the trips, , you have to travel tues-thurs and no holidays or peak times. so just remember the people on the other end are more than likely on drugs and please do not purchase or even go to a timeshare to visit, , , you will be sorry!

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Silverleaf Resorts sexual harrassment

im a female was working in landscaping and a co worker constantly sexually harrassed me i complained to supervisor repeatedly and all he could tell me to do was slap him so when i reported him to another supervisor he was mad . you people with children be cautious because a lot of their workers are out on parole if he will assault me just think what he may do to a child, one of our workers was caught peeking in skylights on roof. the members were very mad i felt sorry for them ladies. beware and god bless all members

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Silverleaf Resorts contacts

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