Crimeshare...What a crock!!!

[GateKeeper]

I couldn't believe my eyes today when I did a quick query on Google for "timesharegateway". We're actually listed on Crimeshare. The only thing this goes to show is that whoever runs that site is clueless. Not only do we not operate out of Spain as they suggest, our classified ads pages are about as "owner friendly" as you can get without giving away the farm. I guess anyone can put whatever they want on the web these days, and with what seems is little or no consequence. Oh well, they only diminish any value of the information they spout off about if they list any timeshare company name they get their hands on without knowing the facts.
This is a sad state of afairs for the Internet indeed. Maybe we need to have a website that lists all the websites that are worthless, or better, slanderous.

Update:
On 8/23/2006 we observed that the error on the Crimeshare website had been corrected. Complete details of the event follow in subsequent posts. Details of what the crimeshare website is and the illusion they create are also included and it makes for some very interestinig reading. Clearly not everything posted on the net is what it appears!

[wanderer]

Unbelievable!!!

Hard to figure how this site could land there - do they even have anything to base it on??

worst part is, some people believe everything they read. sad.

[GateKeeper]

do they even have anything to base it on??

This was my point. Anyone looking at this website would know it can't be a rip off. The entire site is geared toward the timeshare owner and in a more than equitable form. The fact that we operate out of the U.S. and they think the site is in Spain just shows what little they really know. Their "blacklist" is so long that anyone taking a look at would realize that this webmaster must be a really jaded individual with a lot of grudges in the industry. He's probably in the back pockets of the only ones not listed (less than a handful I imagine) and hence why they aren't listed. The Crimeshare site is worthless with this type of mis-informaiton on it, since it leaves anyone reading it guessing whether there is any validity to any of the information posted.

[GateKeeper]

I have written the management of the crimeshare website asking for an explanation of their claim. If you wish to do the same, the email address to the editor of crimeshare is mailto:editor@crimeshare.org. This is an open forum, an honest website, and anything that comes out of this discussion should be posted here. I'll put money down that they don't heed our request to explain themselves or remove us from their list, and I'll double that bet that you never hear anything from them yourselves.

You have no basis for listing us on your site. We are a sell by owner site with nominal fees that are less than all other sites in the U.S. MyResortNetwork.com charges $14.95 for a six month ad. We allow free placement of ads, FREE, and charge $4.95 to follow up on offers. This is the most equitable approach in what you assureadly know is a difficult market to accomplish a sale.
You have ignored previous requests, and we have little recourse other than to appeal to your good sense about this matter. We do not know how you came to know the name of our website, but there is no evidence that you were ever given any negative information to motivate this action. If you have such evidence, then why not publish it and substantiate this claim. One way or the other, an unsubstantiated claim is not productive, either for the reputation of your site or ours.
Thank you,
TimeshareGateway.com

If we hear anything, we will update this forum with that information.

[GateKeeper]

Well, after three attempts to get a response from their management, Crimeshare has finally recognized the errors of their ways and removed us from their list. No other comments have ever been posted, so I have to assume it was a simple oversight on their part. We did not get a written response, however, our good name has certainly been cleaned off of their site.

[GateKeeper]

I spotted this article on an eBusiness Strategies website and thought it would be worth posting here. It offers some interesting insight as to what the Crimeshare Website management is all about.
http://www.ebusiness-strategies.co.u...hurtabrand.htm

Can Web Spam hurt a brand?

Most definitely, the internet has become a great soap box where anybody can say anything about anybody. Of course the normal rules of slander, deformation, loss of earnings and copyright apply. However all these elements only apply when you can pin down the culprit. A recent example of this is in the timeshare industry.

Companies such as Club la Costa and Sunterra have suffered at the hands of a web site called Crimeshare. Crimeshare has managed to confuse the branding messages by publishing comments about these organisations. Regardless of whether the comments are accurate or not - it doesn't really matter, the point is that the branding has been compromised by someone that knows sufficient about search engines to do so.
Interestingly, in defense of the Timeshare industry an article published at tripod.com Crimeshare Warning clarifies some points including the identity of the site owner.

CRIMESHARE.NET WARNING In response to requests from diverse Credit Card Companies and Banking Institutions, a thorough investigation is underway on the bogus web site CRIMESHARE.NET.
Please be advised that this is an ongoing investigation; therefore, the findings are preliminary and bound to be included with other materials in a final public report to be published by the TRUST.
- CRIMESHARE.NET << a fraud; a cheat; a scam; a method of extracting money under false pretences: timeshare'-r person who has been defrauded. [Eng.; to trick, to betray confidence]>> This is deceitfully advertised in CRIMESHARE.NET initial page as being a dictionary definition of "Timeshare". Through falsifications, CRIMESHARE.NET openly slanders the Timeshare industry in full.
- According to the security firm InternetWatch, CRIMESHARE.NET is run by an Arab individual: Mohamed Ahmed Kdadouri (a.k.a. Kdadourian). Mohamed Ahmed Kdadouri is both the Registrant and the Administrative Contact of CRIMESHARE.NET. His main address is a Post Office Box (PO Box Apartado de Correos 191, Fuengirola, Malaga, Spain).
- Mohamed Ahmed has a "profitable" relationship with Holiday Resale Homes SL Timeshare Resales (HRH/Auctionwise/Goldflash) a bogus company providing the infrastructure for CRIMESHARE.NET. HRH SL is run by a group of Arabs and a British national (Hutchinson). Mohamed Ahmed and his partners employ deceit, lies, and insults to slander and disrupt the Timeshare industry, disrupt the Tourist industry, and disrupt related economic activities in Costa del Sol (Spain).
- HRH SL has been set up as a deliberate attempt to mislead the public as to the true name of the company and there is no official listing for HRH SL in Spain. CRIMESHARE.NET, HRH SL, Goldflash, Auctionwise and the Timeshare Council are hosted in the same ISP (Internet Service Provider) and employ the same Domain Servers NS1.HRH.ES (217.11.124.52). HRH SL, Goldflash, and Auctionwise are structured around www.hrh.cc. These web sites are all hosted by Ibernet Hosting SL at Tucides 24, Malaga, Spain.
In addition to the above, the following findings regarding CRIMESHARE.NET as of September 2004 still apply:
- CRIMESHARE.NET is run in coordination with OTE and TCA scams.
- CRIMESHARE.NET attempts to create confusion, reluctance, and guilt among existing and potential timeshare owners (disruption).
- HRH SL / Auctionwise (CRIMESHARE.NET) runs a series of scams which include: the "Land Registry Number" scam, the VAT and IVA scam, the Auction scam, the Money Back scam (see details in this web site).
- CRIMESHARE.NET mostly publishes lies, anonymous personal attacks, and scurrilous comments against certain individuals.Here is a sample of the "mild" messages published by CRIMESHARE.NET:<< Oct 15, 2003 - Well I heard today that Mr. David Stronach was found dead with multiple stab wounds in Marbella area ...
Oct 17, 2003 - the report of dave stronach being dead is rubbish just goes to show that not all this info is true as of today he still looks healthy - in the know
Timeshare Sh*t of the Year - Award 2004. Nomination: Resort Properties (Bob Trotta) Grand larceny. Reason: Being a total bastard ...
Aug 14, 2005 - Some true facts about Paul Rhind and Wife! Those of you who defend him do not know the true extent of his lies and family life, for a start Paul is a drug user, a lier a fraudster and has been for a long time now way above his station. Him and his gay son strutted around Brockwood Hall like they were kings, noone at Brockwood like them if there name is spoken in a local pub you will hear a few tales! For those of us who knew Paul Rhinds wife back before she was sleeping with Captain Hook, know what a real slut she was and is, she banged everything with anything between there legs, aint much better now so I hear. Sitting there in there ivory tower, which i might add is paid for by stolen money and about to topple over and squash them, in the way of a prison sentence (we hope) wonder how long she will stay faithful..... oooo about as long as it takes them to say GUILTY! - REALTRUTH
May 2, 2006 - Are those gypsies the Stephensons (or is that Stevenson) still in the game? There was a whole clan of them, Brian, Evelyn, Andy, Joy, Pete, Carol, and others (numerous illegitimate grandchildren for example). I think they were from Blackpool. they must of made a real killing over the years. As far as OPC legends go, they are high on the list, but not for their talent, rather their peculiarity. - PK.>>
[note: all spellings as in the original text. Similar kind of messages found throughout 2000-2006 as "news" and "winghes" in CRIMESHARE.NET ]

- Besides all the personal insults and slanders, CRIMESHARE.NET fails to give any warnings as to what types of timeshare frauds are most common at present. CRIMESHARE.NET does not provide any protection to timeshare owners.

[wanderer]

Truly interesting reading. I actually thought Crimeshare was on the up-and-up, altho, you can't always put a lot of stock in what a person writes. It could be miswritten or a person's wrong interpretation of what occurred. But I had no idea that Crimeshare itself wasn't quite above board. Many people cite items found there as 'proof' of one thing or another. Perhaps that is why they exist?

[BlueParrot]

I have read Crimeshare for a number of years. They seem to publish whatever comes in from whatever viewpoint. Some is legit, and some isn't. In the South Africa section, for example, someone posted an article from the Johannesburg Star newspaper verbatim. I read the same article on the newspapers own website. Interestingly, that article mentions some of the very complaints about the very people who have had negative comments for years on Crimeshare.

As to anyone blaming Crimeshare for Suntera's predicament, that is a real belly laugh. That started with a mid-level whistleblower from within the Sunterra organization in Spain. What really got it rocking and rolling was when former Sunterra executive Ian Podesta jumped into the whistleblower campaign. Podesta has posted across a wide range of websites. If I could condense Sunterra's brand problems into one word, it would not be Crimeshare. It would be Podesta. For more background on that, read the Sunterra boards at www.timesharetalk.co.uk The various websites of disgruntled Sunterra consumers. like www.sunterrafied.co.uk and www.scambustersuk.com do not help either. Sunterra apparently paid off the owner of www.sunterror.com to take that site down. Then there is www.vogas.org

Yes, one has to take Crimeshare with a grain of salt, but there is some useful information there, too.

[GateKeeper]

I still take exception to the fact that they had no basis for ever listing this website on their blacklist and never offered any basis for it in the form of complaints or otherwise. They demonstrate a real lack of responsibility when they do this, and it dimishes the value, or at the least bring into question anything valid they do have to say.
I'm just glad they came to their senses and took us off their list, since many believe what they read there whether there's any truth in it or not. Slander should not be so freely dispensed, and yet the Internet is a perfect breeding ground for it.

[Inseign]

The OTE was pleased to announce a couple of months ago that they had vigorously, and successfully, attacked the developers of the crimeshare website. The claimed to have chased down the ISP supporting the site and were able to get them to actually shut down the site.
To prove just how anonymous and resilient the Internet can be, the crimeshare website has re-appeared on the net, this time under the guise of madtrot.com. I won't give these bozos the privelege of actually providing a link to their site, but you can check it out yourselves. It blows my mind that the individuals running this scurrilous site would be so compelled to venture onto a new domain and ISP to continue spinning their lies and bad karma. It should be clear that these yahoos need to get a real job, but until then, we'll just have to put up with their continued beratement of the timeshare industry.