Transfer Smart

Timeshare Mega Media and Marketing Group, an illegitimate “company,” that claimed to resale timeshares, now has four more people going to prison. Eric Friedman, Alvaro Rodriguez, Hernando Osorio and Joseph Ackermann are all charged with defrauding customers and violating FTC rules regarding the Do Not Call registry.

Since last year, nineteen former employees of TMMMG have been charged and sentenced by the FBI, all receiving prison terms ranging from five to thirty-three months. Investigators say the company made $5 million in one year, and some individual clients paid up to $10,000 to earn what they thought was a way out of their timeshare deeds.

Prosecutors say there were never any buyers and they are now in the process of getting the company to award restitution to the many people they defrauded.

Russia to the common Westerner can conjure images of blizzards, communism, and lawless towns ruled by gangsters. Many tourism sites agree that most of the country is not conducive to the Western traveler. But the tourist attractions in Moscow and St. Petersburg are world class.

In Moscow the Kremlin is a can’t-miss. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and boasts amazingly unique architecture. There are also many famous Russian Orthodox churches nearby, and the entire city of Moscow is steeped in history. Deserted warehouses have been turned into underground clubs. Concert halls perform Chekov as well as contemporary composers, and cafés and bars abound.

St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia from 1713 to 1728 and from 1732 to 1918. Much closer geographically and culturally to Western Europe than Moscow, it is home to lavish churches, palaces and canals. So much so you can really appreciate the city by boat tour. It is home to the State Hermitage Museum, which has over three million works of art and historical artifacts.

The Sunshine State offers exciting things to do that can’t be found elsewhere. Here I outline five of the must-see attractions of Florida.

Visit South Beach

This is the most obvious choice, and for good reason. South Beach attracts visitors from all over the world, the bold and the beautiful, and in a down economy can be cheaper than ever. Stay at a hostel two blocks from the beach for as low as $30/night during the offseason.

Attend a Florida State Vs. University of Miami football game

The official date for 2012 has yet to be set, but this year it will be in November in Miami Gardens at Sun Life Stadium. Florida is a state where college football rules, and despite national rankings the football rivalry never gets better or more passionate than this. For tickets call 305-623-6100 or visit sunlifestadium.com.

Relax at Wakulla Springs

Just south of Tallahassee are the famous Wakulla County Springs. The water stays at 70F year round, and has provided millions of visitors with relaxation and enjoyment since the Wakulla Springs Lodge was built in 1937.

Caladesi Island

For the opposite of the South Beach experience, visit Caladesi Island. Accessible only by boat, this jewel of the Gulf Coast has remained a local favorite for decades because of its white-sand beaches and unspoiled beauty. You can get there in under an hour from Tampa, and under four hours from Orlando.

Big game fishing in the Gulf

This one maybe my favorite. I remember sailing on a boat out of Marco Island on Florida’s west coast back in 2008, and our guide threw chum over the side to try to catch marlins and grouper. While we didn’t catch any marlins that day, we did catch barracuda and stingrays and all sorts of other large fish. The diving is great too, so make sure you get scuba certified before you go, as there are numerous reefs and shipwrecks to see all over both coasts of Florida.

Westin hotels will upgrade gyms located at all 186 of its North American locations, according to a press release put out today. This comes after months of research done by the chain through surveys of their guests. Some of the upgrades include a more natural look for their gyms, more floor space, and blue lighting. The move to a more natural look means many of their hotels will get rid of rubber flooring and install organic materials into “textural woven flooring.” Less equipment achieves two goals: it de-clutters the gym floor, a top complaint of most guests; and gives patrons room to stretch before their workout, a common practice of most active people.

The blue lighting is perhaps the most innovative and daring of the additions. Philips ActiViva Active lamps will be installed in most Westin gyms. Phillips claims that the lights “will positively influence physical performance and encourage well-being.” Each gym will also have a new water and towel station. Market research found that most travelers are happy “just to find a working treadmill,” but Westin hopes their gym upgrades go above and beyond their customers’ expectations.

Rwanda, set in middle of Africa’s sub-Saharan desert, is one of the last places you’d expect to find Western companies and investors. The site of massive genocide in 1994 and world-wide dis-renown will soon be home to a five-star Marriott and a four-star Radisson Hotel. These famous brand-names will bring jobs, money and prestige to the region. The country’s capital, Kigali, is building the Kigali International Convention Center. All three structures will open in 2012.

“There’s no denying that the past year in the Middle East and Africa has had its challenges,” said Ed Fuller, president and managing director of international lodging for Marriott International. “However, we are seeing pockets of resurgence throughout the region both in terms of new hotel development and in occupancies.”

Rwanda, with its central location on the African continent and a commitment to leaving its checkered past behind, could become a hub of tourism and industry in Africa, a much needed change for the country’s economy and image.

“This signing symbolizes the new optimism investors have in Rwanda, and further underlines our strong commitment to Africa – this emerging and promising continent is one of our key areas for future business development,” says Kurt Ritter, President and CEO or Rezidor Hotel Group, owners of the Radisson brand.

Own a timeshare in Rwanda? Mexico? Colorado? If you want to get out of your contract, contact Transfer Smart today.

Let’s say you live in perhaps the densest concrete jungle in the world, New York City. You have a small studio apartment located on the 100th floor of a high-rise building. There’s hardly enough space in there for your desk, but in your heart you wish you could throw a barbecue, complete with tiki torches and a slip-n’-slide, with all of your friends laughing and drinking around the grill.

Well now you can. At 145 Ludlow Street, New York, New York, you can throw the backyard grill party of your nature-loving dreams. Dubbed a Backyard Timeshare, a group called The Participation Agency will rent out an empty patch of land right in the heart of the city to you for the low price of $50/hour.

However, just like at a movie theatre, you can’t bring your own treats. The slip-n’-slide rental will cost you a flat $100, a grill built to serve 10 people is $150, a kiddie pool is $200, and having a live band play will cost a whopping five grand. You’re also capped to no more than thirty people total, and your party must stop at 8pm. Renters will also have to buy all food from the company.

A backyard timeshare sounds like fun, but it won’t carry a lifetime contract. Resort timeshares do, and if you want to get out of yours, Transfer Smart is here to help. Contact us today and inquire about our In-Writing Guarantee.

A Los Angeles area man and his son were sentenced to 12 years hard-time each this week for their involvement in a telemarketing scam.

Richard Cohen, of Sherman Oaks pleaded guilty to over 20 felony counts of fraud. He and his son formed numerous LLC’s with names such as Rig Leasing Inc. and Mintech International, then called people around the country claiming the companies were valuable and had stock for sale at a discount. But the companies had no value and provided no services, and their stock certificates were worthless. Cohen and his son did this for ten years, and bilked investors of around forty million dollars.

Investigation into the pair and their workers determined the companies and their stock to be fraudulent, and most of the money taken from victims was used to fund the Cohen’s lavish lifestyles, which included a mansion in Calabasas and luxury cars. One of their co-conspirators, a Josh Hoffman of Malibu, was sentenced to five years in prison. Mr. Hoffman told “investors” they were purchasing advertisements in reputable magazines.

Transfer Smart is not a telemarketing scam. We don’t ask for money upfront and have been in business since 2005, currently holding an “A” rating with the Better Business Bureau. If you have a timeshare contract you’re tired of paying into, we offer a 100% IN-WRITING GUARANTEE we will get you out of it if you qualify. Contact us today.

Starwood Hotels, the owner of Sheraton, Westin, and W Hotels, is having a “Dream Vacation” contest on Facebook.

They’re taking advantage of their world-wide reach and encouraging prospective vacationers to submit a story or a picture about what their dream vacation would be. The Grand Prize winner will receive roundtrip airfare for two to anywhere in America and a 5 night stay at a Starwood resort and $1,000 in cash. Two finalists will each win a two night stay at any Starwood hotel in North America.

The company will pick out ten finalists and put their stories or photos on Facebook. Site users will vote on which person’s dream vacation they like the best, and the story with the most votes will win the Grand Prize. According to Starwood’s Facebook site, the winner will be judged on “inventiveness and popularity.”

This weekend in Belgium enjoy the famous Ghent Light Festival. There will be an art trail, food, and of course, lights. Over forty artists from around the world will show off different creative works, such as films, music and paintings. People here speak Dutch, French, English and many dialects of those languages, which is unsurprising as Belgium is the world’s home of the United Nations.

Ghent has plenty more to offer than just art. Café’s, weekend markets, historic plazas and waterside walks are simultaneously quaint and enjoyable. Must-sees include the Patershol district, with its many restaurants; Temmerman Sweets; St. Bavo’s Cathedral; and a walk by the Grassley River. Watch the famous K.A.A. Gent football team play at the Jules Ottenstadion downtown. The club came in 2nd place in their division in 2010.

Visit Ghent’s official website for more information.

Venice is on most people’s travel lists, but the thought of a vacation here can bring up questions about pricing, lodging and what sights are worth seeing and which aren’t. Fear not, Transfer Smart has some tips for you to get the most out of your stay here.

Take a water taxi, stay away from the gondolas.

Though much more expensive, the water taxi will get you to your destination more quickly and reliably than the gondolas. And they make gondola rides feel slow and touristy.

Pick an Apartment over a Hotel.

Surprisingly enough, the nightlife in Venice is not that great. Most places are closed by 3AM, and there are a lot of tourist traps. Venetian Apartments will square you away with a studio for $900/four nights or one bedrooms for $1000 to $1200. The space and peace and quiet is well worth it, and those prices are available year-round.

Visit the di Rialto.

Make sure you visit Venice’s first church, the San Giacomo di Rialto. The market in front of the Church is where all of Venice comes to buy its fruit, vegetables, meat and seafood. That includes baby octopi, prawns, crabs, and fresh caught fish from local canals. Around the street is the local bacaro, a small outdoor mall with café’s that are cooking up some of the delights you just saw in the market.

Ditch the tourist traps and experience Venice as a local.

Getting lost amongst the churches, squares, bacaros and museums is romantic, not looking in a brochure for your next order. Wander through the Cannaregio or St. Mark’s squares, or the Ghetto (not what you’re thinking) and watch kids play football in the streets. Dorsoduro to the south is a suburb full of tiny alleyways and small, friendly bars. Home to Santa Margherita, it houses many students of the local university and offers cheap drinks. Finally, enjoy an opera at the Musica a Palazzo. This cozy theatre seats less than 100 people and offers a more intimate setting than the famous La Fenice. Get a great seat up front and follow the performers as they act out the opera in one of the three rooms for an enchanting evening.