A New York widower takes on Martin Management after handing over more than 18,000$ in fees. The widower who lost her husband in the September 11 terrorist attacks is amongst a group of consumers who have also handed over thousands of dollars to, Martin Management Group, Springfield, Missouri, believing the company would liquidate timeshares they owed. The widower commented “No one lifted a finger. This has been a disaster.”
The company received more than twelve complaints in the past year, failing to resolve most of the complaints.
David Martin oversees the day to day management of the company which has been active since April 2004.
A former employee claimed that they dupe consumers by telling them they could liquidate their timeshare within 180 days.
The contracts which consumers received had two different businesses listed on them, one being, Martin Management Group and the other, Freedom Solutions, which is based in Kansas City. Owner of Freedom Solutions, Justina Aulgur, stated that the companies worked together to recruit clients from July 2016 through March 2017. The partnership was dissolved when Freedom Solutions launched its own call centre.
- Another consumer who handed over more than $2,000, did eventually receive a reply to one of his many emails, where the company apologised for its lack of communication and wrote “We had to restructure our entire organisation which has left us behind our preferred schedule,” also claiming they “would definitely fulfil that obligation” to liquidate his timeshare.
- One consumer from Indonesia commented, “Just calling them is an adventure, there doesn’t seem like there is anybody there.” Having tried more than 10 times since July. “They took my money, and that was pretty much it,” having handed over 4,000$ to relinquish his timeshare in February 2017.
- A Cuban woman also paid Martin Management Group $6,500 to liquidate two timeshare properties she owned, she stated she has had no contact for months. “I called and left a message with them, but they never got back to me,”
We at the TCA cannot emphasise enough the importance of running checks on such companies. We recommend you research the company and the owners carefully before committing to signing a contract. Legitimate legal companies will not ask for upfront fees, bank account details, nor credit card details over the phone, nor should the consumer provide any personal information.
The consumer should always request a copy of the contract before sending funds, make sure the contract outlines what is to be done along with a timetable and an explanation of what will happen if the company or the consumer do not conform, and finally always pay with a credit card in case you need to challenge the purchase in the future.
For more information regarding this article or assistance in any other timeshare related issues please contact the TCA on 01908 881058 or email: info@TimeshareConsumerAssociation.org.uk