Time share solicitations pose as fake birthday postcards

David Lazarus of The Los Angeles Times has uncovered a new wrinkle in the mail pitches being sent out for timeshares.

Have you received a postcard around your birthday with an offer of two roundtrip airfares to any U.S. location, plus a car rental? Don't dial that number in an attempt to redeem it! It's very likely a time share solicitation disguised as a free trip.

You'll need to sit through a 90-minute strong arm pitch. And those free tickets aren't really free. You can only go where they say and when.

Why the smoke and mirrors? "If we said 'time share,' our response rate would probably go down," one marketer told Lazarus. "That's why we say, 'call for details.' "

Remember, never buy a time share from the original developer. The only way to buy a time share is used from an existing owner. They paid the big money to buy it, most of which went to marketing, sales and commissions -- not the property itself.