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The good, the bad, and the ugly - discover what customers are saying about Universal Marketing Solutions

Welcome to our customer reviews and complaints page for Universal Marketing Solutions. We understand that making informed decisions about where to invest your time and money can be challenging, which is why we've created this platform for our community to share their honest feedback about their experiences with Universal Marketing Solutions.

On this page, you'll find a comprehensive collection of reviews and complaints from real customers who have used Universal Marketing Solutions's products or services. Our reviews are authentic and unbiased, providing you with a complete picture of the company, its products or services, and their customer service.

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11:34 am EST

Universal Marketing Solutions Deceptive tactics

I received a call from Jackson Darden a sales representative from Universal Marketing Solutions. I was told that Universal Marketing had a buyer for my Royal Holiday Club timeshare in Cancun, Mexico. For their $2500 fee my timeshare would be sold within 6 weeks of them charging my Discover card. It took them almost an hour to convince me. I even talked to a representative from Creative Home Mortgage, their financing arm, that confirmed the sale. I had second thoughts late that night and talked to a representative from Discover that assured me that this was a reputable company. 6 days later they called me back and said I needed to sign their standard listing contract so they could process the paperwork for the sale. I did and faxed it back to them. Needless to say the sale did not take place. I tried to contact them many times and the sales representatives cell phone number was no longer in service and all I could get from Universal Marketing was an automated answering system that said leave us a message and we will get back to you within 72 hours. I did not receive any call backs from any of the messages I left. I disputed the charge with Discover, and after a couple of months the temporary credit I had received to start with was disallowed. It just showed up on my statement. I received no information about the resolution from Discover until I called them to question why the conditional credit was disallowed. Discover said I had to pay because Universal Marketing had a listing contract, no matter how they obtained it, and it was getting service even though I can never get in touch with them. Needless to say I was disappointed in Discover and cancelled my card on the spot. They were no help at all. Do not do business with Universal Marketing. They use deceptive sales practices to get your money and then do nothing for you, not even communicate with you.

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king82
Northbridge, US
Apr 16, 2010 1:56 pm EDT

they told me they could sell my time shair and said i had to pay up front. honestly i paid so much i dont want to metion it. how can these people get away with this. now all the phone numbers are disconnected. what am i supposed to do now.

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biggin
, US
Feb 22, 2010 8:49 am EST

They lied over and over to me knowing they had no intentions of selling me timeshare. Everyone needs to research these companies before making any decisions. I've tried to contact Universal Marketing now and all their phones have been disconnected. I hope they all rot in HELL!

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rtownsend
Philadelphia, US
May 05, 2009 2:58 pm EDT

THESE PEOPLE TOOK MY MONEY AND PROMISED TO SELL WITHIN 60 DAYS. I HAVE TRIED TO CALL SEVERAL TIMES AND NO ANSWER. WHAT SHOULD I DO? ROSS TOWNSEND

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joseph dawidiak
round lake park, US
Feb 24, 2010 1:57 pm EST

take money with out signature.

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3:35 pm EST
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Universal Marketing Solutions Defrauded of my money

On Feb 12, 2009 we were told that they had a buyer and that we needed to pay $1396 UPFRONT. This fee would be refunded to us, so it would cost $0 to sell it. We were told the price they offered is $17, 500 and we would have this amount sent to us within 30 days of closing. Also, we were told to call back the 2nd week of May 2009. The representative was Nicole Williams her direct number to her was [protected] and she worked 4:30 to 10:00pm Monday thru Thursday. She also worked Friday and Saturday 10:00am to 4:00pm. Toll free number [protected]. We called many times and was told the peoples financing fell thru. We are still waitning on our money and any response.

I think they sold our phone number. Ever since dealing with them we have had roughly 50 other similar companies bother us with reselling our timeshare.

Joey Huddleston
[protected]@yahoo.com

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9:18 am EST
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Universal Marketing Solutions Scam and cheating

I got a call from Randy Hiefer saying he works for Universal Marketing Solutions. He informed me that he had a buyer for my timeshare. He said all I had to do is pay $1997.00 to do a title and deed search. After the transaction took place over the phone ( I gave him my credit card number) he sent me out a contract to sign. He instructed me that once they received the signed contract back from me it would take 60 days to close and I would receive 3 checks totally $10, 500.00 for my rental weeks and a check for $49, 995.00 would be deposit in my bank account upon closing once I gave them the routing and account number to my bank. Well I called Randy before the 60 days to check the status of my sale and all he would tell me is their just waiting on the family, after 60 days I called Randy and he would either give me a fake closing date or not answer his phone at all. He even went as far as giving me a fake fedex tracking number for the $10, 500.00 in checks I was suppose to receive for my rental weeks. Please if it's possible can anyone help me get my money back.

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mcfly
03053, US
Nov 23, 2009 7:42 pm EST
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call the Florida Attorney Generals Office ask them to send you a affidavid form to fill out. Law suit is n ow pending filed on 11-28009

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5:20 am EDT
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Universal Marketing Solutions SCAM BAD ADVERTISMENT

On 01/20/2009 I got a phone call from Jay Dixon a costumer representative from Universal marketing solutions saying that he has a couple of interested buyers and need $999.oo to research the deed and to get ready for closing. He also said that the money will be refund upon closing or in 45 day if the closing took longer.

Since Januray I had been trying to get a refund of the money and they refuse to do so cause is for marketing research.

I told Jennifer Kirk Vice president of universal marketing solutinons that I had various tape conversations between their employees and myself over the phone but she didnt care..

Please be aware of this company they are RATS, they dont care about your families.. They want your money using scam phone calls.

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12:38 am EDT
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Universal Marketing Solutions Non-performance/Refusal of Refund

I concur with the aforementioned SCAM complaints against UMS. I was required to pay an up front fee of $2397, with the assurance that the representative at that time (Keith Shelley), had a buyer waiting to purchase my timeshares with the certain rental or purchase of my banked weeks. The upfront deposit was supposed tobe for title searchand closing costs, and would be reimbursed to us as soon as the buyer signed the papers. Then the agreed selling price check would immediately follow by overnight mail. We were told this whole deal would be finalized within 45 days, and we would be kept informed. Phone calls were seldom returned, and when they were, we were told UMS was just waiting for the buyers financing. After extensive research (which should have been done first), we contacted our credit card company to suspend payment, which they did. The bad news is that this gave UMS the time to refute our legitimate claim to stop payment. For latest information on this SCAM, you could contact the Palm Beach County Public Safety office.

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5:36 pm EDT
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Universal Marketing Solutions Timeshare Scam

I agree with all other posts thus far, this company scams you out of a fee telling you they have a buyer for your timeshare. They are no buyers and Universal Marketing will not return fees even when they guarantee you a sale in 120 days or your fees returned.

I want to participate in a lawsuit.

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charlotte Bailey xanax lover
charlotte Bailey xanax lover
West Palm Beach, US
Feb 05, 2010 1:33 pm EST

concerned about the pubic giving their money away? far from the truth! an expert in the timeshare scam field? correct! due to the fact that i am still currently work for one of these scam companies and stealing money from the innocent!

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Great Vacation Marketing
Cheyenne, US
Dec 10, 2009 9:34 pm EST

In the course of the last 2 years I have tried to sell my timeshare through several companies. I am ashamed to admit that I have spent thousands of dollars and have finally just gifted it to my daughter. In this long process I have met a number of characters but none so devious as Charlotte Bailey. Charlotte Bailey and Dina Bailey both of which are the same person have contacted me. The second time I knew it was her and questioned her about the fist company. She won’t answer the phone anymore. Well being fed up I decided to do a little digging. Charlotte has several names and a long history to go with them. Let’s see: Charlotte Dina Bailey, Charlotte Indina Bailey, Charlotte Indina Sweat Bailey, Indina Sweat, Dina Sweat…you get the picture right. Well after a little public records search in Palm Beach County Florida where she actually called me from I found out that this woman…if you would call her that, has a long history of domestic violence, drug abuse, prostitution, child neglect, and theft. Keep in mind this is all public information. Dating all the way back to 1983 where she caught a felony drug case that got her a small bit of county jail time and what they called drug offender probation. Well old girl didn’t learn her lesson, and violated that probation and did a little bit more jail time. Then on to the domestic violence. There were two reports of that and in both cases the court determined that she had lied. Now we have some of my favorite…more drug charges. Precious little Charlotte got pulled over for careless driving, and apparently the officer thought something was wrong and decided to search her car. Well low and behold there was enough drugs in that care to make it a felony traffic issue. Charlotte found some sad sack that would post bail and then she never showed up in court. A warrant was issued and she was later picked up on a solicitation charge…that’s right folks, prostitution. She was hauled in and she stayed at the county jail for 8 months waiting to see a judge. After 10 months they gave her time served. Hey folks it doesn’t stop there. She managed to straighten up for a bit and only received a suspended license charge. Now after that, some idiot thought that she may have some redeeming qualities and decided to knock her up, and she wasn’t a spring chicken. With an infant child named Leona, Charlotte seemed to be preoccupied and didn’t have time to get caught, until her daughter was a few months old, then the Department of Children and Family Services came in and took that little baby away. Why? Why would anyone do that? Well because Charlotte has a fondness for living in filth, not feeding or bathing the child and using a variety of drugs in her presence. Not just her but the poor schmuck Jeffery E. Hopp. They are both using drugs in front of a little baby. Charlotte’s daughter is a ward of the state, and the woman is in her 40’s. Good grief. The best part of it is that if you read in each court case, she says she was indigent, couldn’t afford a lawyer, and I am thinking to myself…what did you do with the 2, 000.00 that I gave you…oh wait the police report says that you bought crack cocaine with it….hmmm well I will sum it up: she is a filthy, manipulative, money, grubbing, lying, gutter [censored]. The state of florida is working on getting my money back. And they have her information. I take comfort in knowing that Karma is a ### and this woman’s problems are far from over.

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Out $1396.24
Pottstown, US
Aug 26, 2009 6:41 pm EDT

Universal Mkting Solutions-How can they still be getting away with bilking people?I for one!Amber Smythe had a buyer for my timeshare.I got burnt before only for$199 for a rental fee by another company 10 years ago.
I grilled her over the contract and wrote in I'd get my money back if the sale didn't go through in 120 days.I'm out $1396.24! The Attorney General and FTC have complaints from me. Jennifer Kirk-Where are you? How do you sleep at night?
Who wants to buy or rent week 47 at Divi Southwinds in Barbados?
ruthheffner@yahoo.com

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5:32 pm EDT
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Universal Marketing Solutions Universal Marketing Solutions

Contacted by Universal Marketing solutions by a salesperson named Melvin who said they had a buyer for our timeshare. He indicated that the process would take 45 days for closing. This was in Jan 2009. After numerous calls, as of today, May 8, 2009 we have nothing, but a loss of $1396.00.

Each phone call left us with empty promises of when to expect closing. As we called to inquire about specifics (that we probably should have asked first) the representatives became agitated and one even hung up on my husband.

Who can help us recover the cost of this scam?

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12:06 pm EDT
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Florida seems to have a monopoly on the "timeshare marketing" scam artists (and they are truly artists). We have been called many times with offers to "market" our timeshare for a set price, always with a "guarantee" that, upon close examination, was no guarantee at all. All these scam artists have the same strategy. They tell you they have one or more...

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1:55 pm EDT
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Universal Marketing Solutions Fraudsters and cheaters

In Aug and Sep of 2008, I was contacted on several occasions by a John Egan of Universal Marketing Solutions telling me he had a buyer confirmed waiting to purchase my timeshare. On 24 Sep 2008, I paid them $1125 via credit card as requested to continue with the sale of the property. I later told that a credit check on the buyers was in progress and would take about 30 days. After 30 days I contacted a Mr. Jay Dixon [protected]). He informed me that they had extended the buyer's time period three weeks.

I was even contacted by someone claiming to be from Fidelity Title and some Finance Company 'by mistake' to con me into thinking there was progress being made on the sale. Then in Nov 2008, I was contacted by Jay Dixon telling me the buyer's wanted the (3) banked weeks also so they could look at the property before the purchase. However, I would need to pay Universal Marketing Solution $897.00 for a rental contract before they could proceed. I agreed and paid them the requested amount on 19 Nov 2008.

I have since contacted them every week requesting status. They either don't answer the phone or, when they do, they tell me they have extended the buyer's timeline to secure funds another three weeks. This has happened three times. So here it is six months later and still no confirmation of a sale or even a rental. These people are absolute thieves and should be prosecuted for fraud at the highest level.

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10:14 am EST
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Universal Marketing Solutions Fraudulent company

This company promised me to sell my time share and it never happened. First i spent $699.00 for the tittle search. Yeah what ever!. That never happen! Then a couple of month later they call telling me that I have three weeks there that i should rent, they asked me for 300.00 per week to rent it and i was going to get that money back, yeah! so...in conclusion, I end up expending $1600.00. can you believe this @#$@#@#@. I just found out that the company went out of business. I hope to get this money with my credit card.

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deb
Sharpsburg, US
Mar 06, 2009 8:53 pm EST
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thank you RedRock! To Tony- NO THEY HAVE NOT GONE OUT OF BUSINESS! I was just called and got them to "hold off" a week because I did not have the money needed. Guess I am cancelling! Thanks to all of you who posted compaints!

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10:36 am EST
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Universal Marketing Solutions Awful company

I received a phone call that I had an offer on my timeshare (I had it listed with someone else). They wanted an advance payment on a credit card to start the title search that would be refunded at closing. I thought it was legitimate because they asked all the right questions.

After not receiving the paper work and leaving many messages and getting put on hold I did a google search and found out I was Scammed!

I called my credit card company and they told me since I am disputing the charges now Universal Marketing has 30 days to prove a contract exists and that I owe them the money. Time will tell what happens!

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duane
Falls Church, US
Jun 01, 2009 1:08 pm EDT

Tina... please let us know what happened with your dispute. My contract with UMS was in November '08, so I'm well past the 2 month dispute limit, but perhaps I, too, can have some belated success with these shysters who keep saying "we've got someone connected to your property -- they're arranging financing now, just a few more weeks" But that's happened several times now...

Please give us an update!

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9:09 am EST
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Universal Marketing Solutions Unauthorized charges

We wanted to sell our timeshare and unfortunately tried to do business with Universal Marketing Solutions in Delray Beach, FL. They called to say they had 2 interested buyers and needed $1493.24 to research the deed to get ready for closing. Also that this money would be refunded upon closing. This was Dec 1, 2008.

On Dec 26, I again called because I had not heard any news on the closing. I was told that Diane would check into the status and call me back. On Jan 10, 2009 I finally called them back because of no response and demanded our money back.

On Jan 19th Harrision Pomerantz called and said that we were closing in 3-4 weeks. He also said that we have 1 banked week and 2 promo weeks that the buyer wants to purchase from us (an additional $7716.00 for us at closing). He said that these weeks are in our name and we would need to pay about $1400.00 to change the name to the buyers. I told him we do not have that kind of money and he offered to talk to his boss to see about a short term loan with Universal Marketing until closing date.

Since then, I called 1/20, 1/21, 1/22 and 1/26 and left messages for Harrison to call me. Today, 1/26 I called and left a message that I want my $1493.24 refunded to me and if I do not receive a call by tomorrow 1/27, I will seek legal action. I don't know what course of action we can take, it sounds like they have done this to others. I wish I would've looked on the Internet before this fiasco!

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refdogbud
Otterville, US
Aug 13, 2009 10:48 am EDT

I also have had problems getting ahold of anyone except for a man named Tom who doesn't know anything. I listed with this company Oct 24, 2008 the resort they used isn't even a real resort. In the beginning they told me they had a buyer, the buyer even upped his price $10, 000.00 because I told the lady I had to talk to my wife about selling. What a load of dung. I have talked to Tina, Esmeralda, Mark, Kerri, Alex and Angela Baker the Manager, and since May I have been talking with Tom, all gave me the same answer, we have a buyer but they are having trouble coming up with the money. Allex or Alex told me one buyer put 10% down but they need 20%. That fell through, so don't I get to keep the earnest money, they told me no. I am at my wits end. There are 8014 other people just like me and if they paid $2, 146.00 this company made over $17.000, 000.00 all I want is my money back. Thank you refdogbud@yahoo.com

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cheer4jax
57006, US
Apr 29, 2009 3:59 pm EDT

I called Andrew Cove's office today (4/29/09) and was told that UMS is their client and they have been instructed to give out the UMS email address and we are to contact UMS directly. Been there, done that, got shot down. They claim we signed a contract with full knowledge of the terms. I used their "Contact us" feature on their web page in the 3rd or 4th week of March and was called by a man claiming to be Matthew Hicks. Matthew Hicks died February 1. Joanne is answering Matthew Hicks' emails and when I asked her why Matthew Hicks was not answering his own email, she stated "Well if they had email in heaven he may be able to do that but I don't think
technology has gotten that far just yet." I wasn't aware that Matthew Hicks had passed away at that point. Guess it only leaves writing to the Florida Attorney General's Office, BBB, Boca Raton Police Dept., and anyone else who might want to see this operation shut down. We were lead to believe if our timeshare didn't sell in 120 days, our money would be refunded. Their contract is not totally clear on that point so they worded it purposely to mislead people.

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richard3737
Oklahoma City, US
Mar 08, 2009 11:08 am EDT

help...anyone had a solution yet? richard582@sbcglobal.net I will try to call bacabill at the mentioned phone...

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iosilver
Lets not do this, US
Feb 24, 2009 11:09 am EST
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Harrision Pomerantz just called me to tell me he has a buyer for my timeshare. He said though I need to pay him $1396 less $125 special discount today, and then he would send me a contract. I said I am a businessman and need to see the contract first before sending money and he said they don't work that way. He said I could do my own title search and send him the docs and I found a company online that charges $89 for this. I still will pass on this. Too many issues.

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outslaw2002
Omaha, US
Feb 18, 2009 4:53 pm EST

Thank you so much for the above numbers. I too have been scammed by Universal Marketing. I called the attorney's office and she answered right away. She automatically talked about a refund and said to check back in a week if no one calls me back.

Thanks again elj7721,

Cory

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elj7721
, US
Jan 31, 2009 3:37 pm EST

Call the company's lawyer, Andrew Cove, at [protected]. I was able to get my money back through this route. The legal assistant who helped my was Tiffany Eaton. As you have already found out, Universal Marketing Solutions does not answer their phone calls or return messages. This is the only effective way of dealing with them. There is a gentleman who has posted on other complaint boards about this company named Bill who you should also call. He used to work for this company and gave me wonderful advice in dealing with these people in order to get my money back. He has posted his number on several message boards, so I do not think he would mind me giving it out here [protected]).

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5:02 pm EST
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I was contacted by Universal Marketing Solutions that they have sold my timeshare and that I also get 4 weeks bonus weeks. I cpuld sell them for 2000 each but a processing fee of 499 for each week will be charged to my credit card and returned in the guaranteed sale of my timeshare. I think I've been scammed

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