Timeshare companies typically lure in potential owners with the promise of a luxurious place to vacation each year. Reality soon sets in though, and many timeshare owners realize that they’ve put their money into what seems to be a sinking ship.
Timeshare exit companies, like Newton Group Transfers, promise to help people break free from their timeshares. Take a closer look at the company to see if it delivers on its promises.
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Table of Contents
What is Newton Group Transfers?
Newtown Group Transfers is a timeshare exit company based in Michigan. It’s been in business since 2003 and has around 75 employees. The company offers two options to timeshare owners who want to get out of their contracts.
One of the services it offers is a timeshare transfer service, which transfers ownership of the timeshare from one individual to another. The company also offers legal advice and assistance to owners who need it.
Newton Group Transfers didn’t start out as a timeshare exit company. When it got started in 2003, the company produced software that timeshare recapture companies could use during the transfer process. It soon realized that it could use its own software to help clients. It pivoted from being a software provider to being a timeshare recapture company in 2005.
Over the past decade and a half, Newton Group Transfer claims to have helped thousands of clients get out of their timeshares. It also claims to be one of the oldest companies of its kind.
In 2017, realizing that the timeshare resale market was flooded and that many timeshare owners were getting scammed by the companies that claimed to help them, Newtown Group Transfers created a law firm, DC Capital Law.
DC Capital Law provides clients of Newton Group Transfers with legal aid and representation if they need it. By offering two services, Newton Group Transfers claims to be able to provide a well-rounded and comprehensive timeshare exit strategy to its clients.
How Newton Group Transfers Works
Newton Group Transfers claims to offer personalized timeshare exit plans to its customers as well as legal representation should clients need it. The company’s website doesn’t provide much in the way of details when it comes to what it does to help clients, though.
The company encourages timeshare owners who want to learn more to contact it for a no-obligation consultation. During the consultation, a representative from the company will review a timeshare owner’s circumstances and make a recommendation for the best way to proceed.
As part of the consultation, timeshare owners receive a copy of the company’s “Consumers Guide to Timeshare Exit.” The guide claims to shine a light on the exit process, as well as on the many scams that lurk around the timeshare and timeshare exit industries. Some of the topics covered in the guide include:
- Identifying shady marketing tactics the timeshare industry uses
- Why it’s so hard to sell timeshares
- How to exit a timeshare
- Why some scammy companies have high Better Business Bureau ratings
- Why a money-back guarantee isn’t always what it seems
The company also provides consumers with a guide to identifying timeshare exit scams on its website. Some signs of a scam people should look out for include:
- The promise of a tax-deductible timeshare donation
- Being asked to wire money outside of the U.S.
- Too-good-to-be true offers (such as exiting a timeshare quickly)
- Companies that claim to have a buyer waiting
In addition to offering timeshare transfer services and acting as an advocate for timeshare owners, Newton Group Transfers provides its clients with access to a law firm, staffed by attorneys who are well-versed in timeshare exit.
The attorneys who work with Newton Group Transfers have a fiduciary duty to clients, meaning they need to act in the best interest of the people they represent. The exact services the attorneys provide, or examples of the type of cases or legal aid a timeshare owner might need, isn’t specified on the company’s website.
Timeshare owners who are interested in working with Newton Group Transfers can call the company or fill out a form on its website to set up a free consultation. Depending on the results of the consultation, the company will put together a plan to help an owner get rid of their timeshare.
Newton Group Transfers Pricing
Newtown Group Transfers promises to provide its clients with access to two services for one flat fee. The two services are timeshare transfer and legal representation.
While the company doesn’t include a price list or mention how much the flat fee is on its website, reviews and complaints about the company imply that it is in the neighborhood of $3,000 to $8,000.
How the company decides how much to charge a client isn’t made clear. It’s also not clear what “one flat fee” also means, as some clients have stated that the company collected a fee from them upfront, then asked for more money later.
Some timeshare exit companies use escrow to reassure their clients that they will provide the service they claim to or they won’t get paid. With escrow, a client pays the fee, but it doesn’t go directly to the company. Instead, the money gets deposited in a separate account.
The timeshare exit company only gets the money if they fulfill their end of the bargain. While escrow is ideal for clients, not every timeshare exit company offers it. It doesn’t look as if Newton Group Transfers offers escrow as an option to clients.
Another popular promise from timeshare exit companies is a “money-back guarantee.” The client pays the company and if they aren’t able to get out of their timeshare, they can demand a refund.
Often, money-back guarantees are shrouded by murky language which makes it seem like getting a refund is easy when it isn’t. Newton Group Transfers doesn’t seem to promise a refund or money-back guarantee to clients.
Newton Group Transfers Qualifications: Who does Newton Group Transfers Work With?
Some timeshare exit companies will only work with some types of timeshare owners, such as those who don’t have a mortgage on the property or people who purchased timeshares at particular resorts.
Newton Group Transfers doesn’t outright say what type of timeshare owner it will or won’t work with. It does make it clear that the process is individualized, though, and that whether or not it can help a timeshare owner depends on the specifics of the situation.
The company does outline some features to look for that can help a timeshare owner recognize whether or not they have a claim against their timeshare company.
Timeshare companies are notorious for using sketchy tactics to get people to sign up and purchase a timeshare. Often, representatives present timeshares to people as a valuable investment. In reality, the value of timeshares often plummets after purchase, with some being listed on eBay and similar sites for as little as $1.
Some timeshare companies use high-pressure sales tactics or deception to convince people to buy timeshares. The clients who were lied to or pressured into sales are the ones who are most likely going to benefit from the assistance and legal aid a timeshare exit company can provide.
Online Reviews
Online reviews about a company can tell you a lot about the quality of its service and whether it does what it claims to do. But it’s also important to vet reviews before you trust them. Some review websites let anyone write up a review, whether they’ve actually worked with the business or not. In some cases, companies will pay clients for glowing testimonials.
Usually, the best places to look at reviews of a company like Newton Group Transfers are neutral, third-party websites. The Better Business Bureau, for example, doesn’t stand to gain financially if it gives Newton Gropu Transfers a positive or negative rating.
Better Business Bureau Rating of Newton Group Transfers
How does Newton Group Transfers do on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website? All in all, reviews are positive. The company is also BBB accredited and has an A+ rating.
As of July 2021, there are 228 reviews on the BBB’s site about Newton Group Transfers. The average rating is 4.71 stars out of five, which means that the majority of reviewers have had positive things to say.
Some of the comments left by reviewers imply that the company was able to act quickly to get them out of their timeshare. Others note that the company was successful where other timeshare exit companies failed.
Among the negative reviews are complaints from people who haven’t actually used the service but who are unhappy with the volume of marketing material they receive from it.
While a high star rating on the BBB’s site seems promising, what seems more promising is the fact that the company is accredited and that it has an A+ rating.
The BBB doesn’t use reviews from users when determining how to rate companies. Instead, it looks at the complaint history of a business. The BBB examines the number of complaints received about a company and how the company handled those complaints.
Companies that are proactive about responding to complaints and that are willing to work with consumers to resolve issues have a higher rating than companies that don’t.
How old a company is, how transparent it is and the type of industry it’s in also affect its rating.
BBB accreditation is separate from a company’s BBB rating. Newton Group Transfers is BBB accredited, which is another way of saying that it (in the opinion of the BBB) strives for honesty in working with clients and that it makes a good-faith effort to respond to concerns and problems raised by consumers.
Other Online Review Sites
Newton Group Transfers has high ratings on other review websites aside from the BBB. Its rating on Trustpilot is 4.8 stars out of five stars. Most of the reviews on the site seem to be from customers who are relieved to have gotten out of their timeshares.
There are a few negative reviews on the site, which don’t seem to critique the services provided by the company. Instead, the reviews mention the company’s apparently aggressive marketing tactics.
Review Summary
Based on online reviews and the company’s rating by the BBB, clients have had a largely positive experience with Newton Group Transfers. Many of the critical reviews of the company seem not to focus on what it offers but on how it goes about trying to get new customers. That might be a red flag for timeshare owners who are tired of aggressive and pushy tactics.
Although the reviews are mostly good, it’s still a smart idea to do research before deciding to work with Newton Group Transfers. Talking directly to past clients will give you a better sense of what it can do. It’s might also be worthwhile to approach the company to learn more about its services before you agree to work with it.
Newton Group Transfers Lawsuits
While there don’t seem to be any lawsuits filed against Newton Group Transfers by timeshare companies, resorts or clients, the company is no stranger to the courtroom or the legal process.
In August of 2020, the company filed a cease and desist letter against another timeshare exit company, Wesley Financial Group. The letter accused the other company of plagiarizing Newton Group’s Consumers Guide to Timeshare Exit.
Also in 2020, Diamond Resorts tried to bring a case against Newton Group Transfers for what it alleged to be false advertising. After Newton Group was able to provide evidence supporting the claims made in its advertisement, the court ruled in its favor.
Who is a Good Fit for Newton Group Transfers?
Newton Group Transfers doesn’t provide specific details regarding who is or who isn’t a good fit for its services. It might keep its requirements purposely vague to encourage more people to contact it, and in doing so, hand over their contact information.
While there aren’t specific details, the company does imply that people who feel they have been lied to by a timeshare company are the most likely to benefit from its services.
Pros and Cons of Newton Group Transfers
There’s a mix of good and bad about every timeshare exit company. It’s up to the consumer to decide if the cons of a company outweigh the pros or if the positive aspects of a business make it worth working with.
The Good
- Offers legal representation
- Seems effective
- Is highly rated
- Seems concerned about consumer welfare
Offers Legal Representation
There are two ways a company can help people get out of their timeshare. The first method involves writing letters to a timeshare company or finding ways to transfer ownership of the timeshare. The second involves taking a company to court.
Newton Group Transfers is associated with a law firm. When clients sign on with Newton Group, they also become clients of the law firm. If necessary, the lawyers representing a client can take the timeshare or resort company to court.
Seems effective
One common complaint about timeshare exit companies is that they don’t actually do anything. Or, if they do help customers, it’s often by doing things a customer can do on their own. Many of the reviews of Newton Group Transfer seem to come from clients who are at the end of their rope before contacting the company. The reviewers often seem happy with how quickly and effectively the company solved their problems.
Is Highly Rated
Speaking of reviews, Newton Group Transfers is highly rated across the internet. It has a BBB rating of A+ and nearly five-star reviews on several websites.
Seems concerned about consumer welfare
There seems to be a legitimate concern for the welfare of consumers and of its clients from Newton Group Transfers. The company has published a guide to timeshare exit companies and also issues scam alerts on its website.
The Bad
- Description of services is vague
- Aggressive marketing
- No escrow
Description of Services is Vague
When a client agrees to work with Newton Group Transfers, what will the company do for them? It’s hard to say, Newton Group insists that timeshare exit is an individualized process and that different clients need different approaches.
The vagueness surrounding its process can be a red flag for some potential clients. If someone is going to pay thousands of dollars, it’s reasonable for them to want to know what they’ll get for it.
Aggressive Marketing
Newton Group Transfers has been accused of aggressive marketing by people online. Several of the complaints about its marketing tactics have come from people who owned timeshares in the past and no longer do but who still receive multiple flyers from the company.
No Escrow
Escrow keeps a client’s money secure until a company delivers on its promises. It also provides peace of mind to a company as the client has made the payment upfront.
Newton Group Transfer doesn’t seem to offer escrow to its clients, meaning that people have little recourse if the company doesn’t do what it claims to do.
Final Verdict: Is Newton Group Transfers a Legit Timeshare Exit Firm?
Newton Group Transfers appears to be legit. It has a long track record in the industry, nearly two decades. In that time, it claims it has helped thousands of people. Reviews and ratings online seem to back up the company’s claims.
Interestingly enough, Newton Group Transfers has fashioned itself into a sort of watchdog of the timeshare exit industry. It’s made it part of its mission to alert people to timeshare exit scams and to help educate consumers. That alone makes it seem worthy of trust.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns Newton Group Transfers?
The president of Newton Group Transfers is Gordon Newton. He also wrote the company’s Consumers Guide to Timeshare Exit.
Where is Newton Group Transfers located?
The corporate offices of Newton Group Transfers are located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The company has a second location in Chandler, Arizona, which seems focused on providing customer service.
How is Newton Group Transfers rated online?
Newton Group Transfers has a good reputation online, with average ratings of nearly five stars on sites such as BBB, Trustpilot and Google.
What services does New Group Transfers offer?
Newton Group Transfers appears to offer timeshare transfer services as well as legal representation when clients need it.
How long will it take?
The company doesn’t provide a general timeline for the process on its website, most likely because there’s a lot of variances. Some clients have noted that they were able to get out of their timeshares in just six months or so while others have noted waiting for years for results.