01. The Promises and Realities – Unmeet Expectations from the Beginning
02. Mismanagement and Closure – Employee and Customer Dissatisfaction
03. Legal Repercussions – Charges Pressed Against CEO Luke Shannon McKinley
04. Closing Thoughts – Overall Rating
UDI Consulting, once a burgeoning enterprise in Springfield, Missouri, promised a way out for timeshare owners burdened by their contracts. However, the company’s lofty promises were nothing more than hot air, leaving many of its clients in financial and legal quagmire. This article delves into the operations of UDI Consulting, its closure, and the criminal charges against its CEO, Luke Shannon McKinley, shedding light on the consequences of timeshare fraud.
― The Promises and Realities
UDI Consulting was among the myriad timeshare exit companies claiming to assist timeshare owners in canceling their contracts. They pledged to navigate the legal channels necessary to liberate their clients from timeshare obligations. However, these claims were far from the reality. Multiple victims reported paying substantial amounts to UDI Consulting with the hope of exiting their timeshare contracts, only to be left in the lurch. The company’s promises of timeshare cancellation never materialized, making it a classic case of a scam operation rooted in Springfield, Missouri.
Date of Experience: March 11, 2021 – Vicki K (BBB Review)
In November 2016, we met with UDI Consulting to sell our condo timeshare in North Carolina. They persuaded us to fill out an application for a credit card with ********* ****, in which we could use as a regular credit card and which also could be used to pay UDI Consulting’s fee for selling the condo. The credit card was only being applied for and not being activated nor authorized for use. The card was received four months after the application was made, in which we cut it up and mailed back to them with a note stating we changed our mind and did not want it and to please cancel. The card was never authorized for use nor ever activated by us and was not to be used until we gave our authorization to activate it (which we never did). The card would be used ONLY if UDI Consulting sold the condo timeshare to pay for their fees for selling the condo. They never did sell it nor did they do anything whatsoever to be able to charge any type of fee. After several months of UDI Consulting calling and trying to renegotiate fees with us for when UDI sold the condo (which they never did sell), we finally contacted another company to sell the condo timeshare for us, and it was sold in a short time. The credit card that was cut up and returned to ******** was charged for over $8,000 by UDI Consulting without our authorization. We are now being sued in court by ******** **** of Delaware for not paying the charge. We have since been made aware that there are possibly two separate cards that have both been charged and billed to us – both by ******** and both by UDI Consulting. We have, also, been made aware that the main headquarters of ******** in London has been involved with fraudulent timeshares sells and have been ordered by their courts to pay it back as recent as December 2020. We have, also, not had any success in getting UDI Consulting back on the phone nor to respond to emails. We understand that Luke ********, the registered agent for UDI Consulting per Missouri Secretary of State records, has since been arrested for fraudulent activities against others, as well.
― Mismanagement and Closure
The company’s demise can also be attributed to internal mismanagement. Employee reviews highlighted a lack of attention to management aspects by the owner, focusing solely on micromanaging sales through salespeople, which significantly affected the operational integrity of the company. The culmination of these factors led to the closure of UDI Consulting, leaving a trail of aggrieved timeshare owners.
Date of Experience: October 8, 2018 – Former Quality Assurance Processor (Indeed Review)
They are out of business now, for good reason. Owner never payed attention to management aspects and only focused on micromanaging sales through sales people, often leaving them with less commission because of it.
― Legal Repercussions
The legal net tightened around UDI Consulting when the Orange County District Attorney’s Office charged CEO Luke Shannon McKinley with multiple felonies. McKinley faced charges including conspiracy, theft from an elder adult, and grand theft, stemming from a timeshare fraud scheme that reportedly defrauded at least five victims in Orange County, California. The scheme, which also involved another company named Iron Horse Consulting Group, was described as a “timeshare resale fraud ring” that preyed on timeshare owners across the United States.
Date of Experience: March 11, 2021 – Michael P Wre (PissedConsumer Review)
About the month of June, 2017 my wife and I were invited to a seminar by UDI consulting held in Jackson at the Hilton. We were told that legislation was passed that allowed timeshare owners to transfer from a maintenance timeshare with ownership to a membership program with no maintenance with Interval International. They had us sign a contract and took 2,000.00 off our credit card. They then set up a draft for 200.00 for the remainder. Mr. Luke McKinley called and stated he was the CEO and could set up a credit card for the remaining 5,900.00. He called late one night to get the money released and stated that this would speed up the transfer. I have not received anything from UDI to this date. Please don’t allow UDI to take your money. THEY ARE A SCAM and FRAUDS. I have contacted the Attorney office .I was told that I would have to file charges in North Carolina and Missouri which is costly. I am still after you Luke.
― Closing Thoughts
The tale of UDI Consulting serves as a stern warning to timeshare owners and regulatory bodies about the potential pitfalls and fraudulent practices within the timeshare exit industry. The disheartening experience of UDI Consulting‘s clients and the legal woes of Luke Shannon McKinley underscore the necessity for stringent oversight and due diligence in the timeshare sector to protect unsuspecting owners from falling prey to unscrupulous exit schemes.
OVERALL RATING: Out of Business
To continue educating yourself about the timeshare industry, read more Timeshare Exit Bureau blogs.