Release Consulting, much like many other so-called timeshare exit companies, built its entire identity around a vague and almost meaningless name. That lack of clarity wasn’t accidental—it was likely intended to mask their illegitimacy. By 2025, everything about them points to one simple truth: they are nothing more than an abandoned scam, effectively out of business since around 2022.

There haven’t been new reviews or complaints after early 2023, which strongly suggests they’ve disappeared. And yet, their website is still online—a faint reminder of their presence, and a lingering risk to unsuspecting timeshare owners who might stumble across them today.

In their heyday, Release Consulting boldly flaunted their Google reviews, boasting a perfect 5/5 rating. But as more people caught on to their shady practices, that score plummeted to a dismal 2.2/5, a rating still visible both on their own website and through Google itself. The fall was not subtle, and it told the story of a company’s crumbling reputation in real time.

On forums like TUG (Timeshare Users Group), Release Consulting was frequently flagged as yet another fraud. One particularly telling thread remains: while several posters warned about the dangers of fraudulent exit firms, a suspiciously glowing post stood out—a piece of obvious self-promotion almost certainly authored by Release Consulting themselves under a throwaway account.

Back then, the company’s Google page had far more reviews, many of which were clearly fabricated five-star ratings. Today, those reviews have vanished, scrubbed away without a trace.

Their website also carried the familiar marketing trick of an “As Seen On” banner, featuring supposed endorsements from reputable media outlets. At the time, some articles may indeed have existed. But as of now, every single one has been wiped—either because the outlets realized they were promoting a scam or because the paid advertising simply expired. No archived copies exist, leaving behind only a hollow attempt at false legitimacy.

By January 2023, at least one user reported that Release Consulting had already gone out of business, only to reemerge under a new alias: Palmetto Consulting Services. This reincarnation carried the same hallmarks—another questionable “exit company” with a recycled look, complete with the same “As Seen On” gimmick. While the Palmetto Consulting Services site eventually went offline, another related site—wgrelease.com—still lingers online. Oddly, that site bears a 2013 copyright, which might indicate it has been abandoned even longer than expected.

To make matters murkier, the name “Palmetto Consulting” isn’t unique and has been used by numerous unrelated firms, which makes tracing their true activity even more confusing. Still, archived TUG discussions clearly link the two names together, tying Release Consulting and Palmetto Consulting as one and the same operation.

At the end of the day, what’s left of Release Consulting is a trail of warning signs: abandoned websites, deleted reviews, fabricated praise, and a pitiful rating that betrays their reality. Whether operating under their original name or rebranded aliases, they are yet another example of why timeshare owners must remain vigilant. A shiny logo or polished website is no guarantee of legitimacy—sometimes, it’s the opposite.