Timeshares

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  • Selling Timeshares

    Apr 12, 2023

    My siblings and I inherited 3 timeshares from our parents and would like to sell them.  Two are, I think, pretty desirable (3 bd Aruba Marriott during platinum season); the other is not so much (New Jersey golf club).  I would love to hear from anyone with experience selling (or possibly renting) timeshares.  I have spoken with one firm, and was put off by how aggressive they were.

     Thanks!

    My in laws have kept, not sold, their Marriott timeshare in Orlando for decades, and they trade their time for Marriott points. I don’t think they’ve paid for a Marriott hotel stay in years! They travel frequently, and get high value for money using their Marriott points. Something to consider rather than selling.

    Potential buyers beware…please educate on the headaches of timeshares as shared by John Oliver on Last Week Tonight. In summary, these are more than scams and can put families into debt and have their individual assets and properties seized without any state or federal protections…https://youtu.be/Bd2bbHoVQSM.

    I feel for you guys trying to offload, but it’s worth watching.

    Hello

    Sorry to say it is a nightmare …

    we inherited 3 Marriott weeks, very expensive to keep because of very high maintenance fee and difficult to use because they never had anything available in places we wanted to go.

    For a while I was able to exchange in the point system but that stop working as well.

    when you talk to Marriott they say they are the best and new weeks to purchase is super expensive, but when you try to resale it to them , they said your weeks are worth nothing…

    I just gave them back to them, a whole process and I had to pay… I don’t remember how much, I’m so happy I don’t have them anymore.

    there are companies that say they can sell them for you but I did not trust them.

    I think that Timeshares are a scam unless you want to go to the your same timeshare every year.

    Good luck.

    We have bought timeshares thru Red Week.com as well as ebay.  We have 2 weeks at Marriott and use them every year at Newport Coast, Palm Desert and NYC.  We've been happy with the system but you have to be patient and plan way ahead.  Good luck!

  • 5 years ago a friend gave a time share as a gift, she was well meaning but I never used it. It costs me $600. /year. Does anyone know of a reputable attorney or time share re-seller? I have tried to give it away to family members and friends, offering to pay 1 years membership fees. I have tried to give away to a charity. I have even tried to give it back to the company that owns it . I have seen time shares for sale on Ebay for $1.00. All with no takers. 

    COVID has been unkind to the travel industry. Walking away will ruin my credit rating. 

    Anyone else or their parents in a similar situations and gotten out successfully?

    Any constructive response greatly appreciated.

    Thanks so much

    DJ 

    You can resell on redweek.com.  And if its the Newport Coast Villas time share, I might very well buy it off you but would want to use redweek to handle the purchase. 

    I have been hearing about this problem for years! So sorry! I really can't be of any help. But I have heard some rumblings that the law should be changed so that every contract must have an end date. I think this is a great idea and should be implemented. 

    I just happened to see an article about this in my mom's latest AARP magazine: "3 Proven Ways to Get Out of a Timeshare".  Read the article, but in a nutshell it says: 1. Surrender the deed by not paying the annual fee, and hope the company doesn't report it to the credit bureaus.  2. Try to sell it, probably for no money unless it's premium such as Disney. They recommend tug2.com or redweek.com.  3. Use an "exit company" to do #1 for you. This is not recommended: "The Better Business Bureau (BBB) reported in 2019 that “complaints against Missouri-based timeshare exit companies have exploded in recent years.... Complaints revolved around hard-sell tactics, fear-mongering, and cases that drag on for years. The biggest red flag ... is a requirement that asks you to pay upfront ... $4,500 is common." )

  • After hearing all the jokes about "free" vacations that require sitting through a timeshare pitch, I'm actually considering an offer from Westin in Hawaii. I'd have to do a "personalized tour and presentation" for their Vacation Club. Has anyone done one of these and if so, what was it like? Any tips? Thank you, BPN! 

    I'm very active in a lot of the credit card hacking forums and people are always talking about these offers because it's a good deal! Here's some takeaways that I'd share:

    -You can usually plan on 90 mins - 3 hours as norm. Some people don't want to do this on their vacation and so they should not take advantage of the offer. Some people want to travel and have a limited budget and that requires them to get creative. It's all about your ROI and what you're comfortable with. 
    -If you are not intending to buy, be firm about your intentions. Be comfortable saying "I'm here because this was part of the terms from my vacation. I'm not purchasing anything."
    -Don't take your wallet with you under any circumstances!
    -They often ask you what you do for your job or how much you're willing to spend. You can always say "I'm not working right now" or "I'm on vacation because I'm unemployed at the moment." That usually cuts off the conversation because you're income ineligible.

    We did this early this year at the Westin Kaanapali. It was fine; the resort is nice (although the room we got was likely the worst one in the resort; dark and in a sort of musty corner of the property.) The timeshare presentation was about 90 minutes and they left us alone after they realized they wouldn't get anywhere with us. The one caveat is that you really can't cancel the trip reservation and I believe changing the dates or anything about the reservation incurs a fee. Also, you both have to go to the presentation. This became a problem for us because we needed to change our dates or cancel or just have one person go on the trip (childcare fell through) and we really couldn't change it (it would have incurred a hefty fee). So we wound up taking a "forced" trip to Hawaii that wasn't ideal. So...caveat emptor, read the fine print and make sure you're ok with it. If you can deal with the restrictions then it's a decent deal to stay mostly unbothered at a Westin in a good location in Maui, with rental car included. But don't expect a particularly nice room by Westin standards.

    I did not do them as an adult, but my parents used to do them often to get free vacations, hotel/resort stays, tickets to shows, etc. so I set through quite a few of them as a child/teen.  The main advice for you is that if you are doing it to get the free vacation/hotel stay is that you agree with your husband ahead of time that you won't buy it --- just promise yourself that no matter what you will not buy it.  They are very convincing and I know some people who went to those to get a free vacation with no intention to buy and were convinced to purchase the timeshare.  ALL of them have regretted it.  It is never as good as it sounds.  Do you research ahead of time and promise yourself that you won't get it.  Those presentations are great since for 1-2 hours of your time you get free hotel stay, but it is only worth it if you are able to withstand the pressure and not let them convince you to get the timeshare.  My dad is impossible to budge so it worked well for them and we were able to get a lot of freebies that way, but a few times I saw my mom wavering at those presentations since the sales people are just that good and my dad had to tell her "no" even though both parents went into it agreeing not to get it.  Personally we did not do it, since even though I set through enough of them to withstand the pressure and be able to say no to the purchase offers and the supposedly "deal of a lifetime" offers, I don't trust my husband not to be convinced so it is just easier not to go to those. 

    Hello,

    I have 4 weeks of Timeshare. I hate them, I have lost so much money and you could never get rid of them.

    I guess, it does work for people who like staying in the same place every year, at your home timeshare, because trying to exchange for other resorts is expensive and difficult to get what you want.

    I have never travel for free to listen to one of this presentations, but believed me, they really want you to buy, so be prepare for that!!

    Hi there! 

    We did one for a trip to Arizona as well as a free cruise. I would say it’s totally worth it so long as you make it clear to the presenter that you only have time for the two hour presentation and that you have a booked activity that you have to be at. They are very good at trying to prolong the presentation and trying to convince to buy a timeshare, but if you stay firm and keep reminding them that it’s an interesting opportunity but you have a pre-planned activity you need to be at (which just so happens to start right after the presentation) then it’s worth it :) 

    I agree with the person who wrote: "I would say it’s totally worth it so long as you make it clear to the presenter that you only have time for the two hour presentation and that you have a booked activity that you have to be at."

    If they tell you that you have to listen to a 90-minute talk, then be prepared to leave at minute 91. It will be tough. You might think you are being rude, but think about the fact that they tell you 90 minutes and want you to spend three hours while you wait for their manager and their manager's manager to take their shot. Who is being rude?

    Have you ever bought a car on a sales lot? Same thing.

    We got a nice meal and learned a bit about timeshare and didn't buy.

Archived Q&A and Reviews


Questions


Need Help Selling A Timeshare

June 2014

Desperate to find a reputable service for reselling a timeshare up in South Lake Tahoe, as the family needs change, we're never going to use it. And we're tired of paying the fees. All the companies I've looked at want hundreds of dollars up front with the 'hope' that they'll sell it. Any help is much appreciated! Thanks, Shannon


Check out the Timeshare Users Group: http://www.tug2.net/

There's a lot of information about selling a timeshare, and they have a classified section where you can post yours for sale. I successfully sold my timeshare on their classifieds.

First and foremost, DO NOT EVER give anyone money up front to list your timeshare for sale. Any company that asks for money to sell it for you is a scam. These people can be aggressive, but do not use them. Second, don't expect to get anywhere near what you paid for your timeshare, unless you bought it resale. It's not an investment property. Check out what similar weeks are selling for, and if you just want to get rid of it, price low.

Good luck. Done with timeshares


Broker To Sell A Timeshare Productively

Jan 2013

Does anybody know of a real estate brokerage company that routinely sells timeshares for a commission? I have a beautiful home resort opportunity at The Canterbury in San Francisco that I would like to market and sell...but this kind of real estate requires some specialization. I appreciate any recommendations you may have. TC


You can get a lot of information about selling timeshares on the Timeshare Users Group website. www.tug.com. Be careful if someone asks you for money to sell your timeshare. There are a lot of scam artists out there. Happy Vacationer


Any advice on selling a timeshare?

Aug 2011

I have a paid for timeshare I want to pass on. I am separating from my husband and don't want to pay the maintenance fee every year. Any advice on selling a timeshare or gifting it to someone? Maybe even donating it to a non profit or something?


Hi, Selling a timeshare these days is extremely hard, but definitely check out TimeShare Users Group on line. www.tug.com. They have a ton of information, opportunities to rent and sell. They are on the timeshare OWNERS'side - not the developments. You get great advice from experienced users. The cost is minimal (about $15/annually). I've learned sooo much from this group. One piece of advice they give: NEVER give someone advance money to sell your timeshare. Good luck! Pat


There is a wealth of information about selling timeshares at the Timeshare Users Group: http://www.tug2.net/ I recently sold a timeshare using their online classifieds. I also sold one using a reputable agency. Whatever you do, DO NOT EVER give any company money up front to sell your timeshare. Any agency that asks for a commission or listing fee up front is a scam. Done with timeshares


Timeshare contract attorney?

Jan 2011

Can anyone recommend an attorney who is knowledgeable and experience with timeshare contracts. My aunt and uncle made an upgrade to a timeshare recently. My uncle unexpectedly passed away and my aunt needs to be counseled on how to get out of the remaining payments due and the contract entirely. Patty


Timeshares are sticky business. I don't know an attorney but I know a WONDERFUL website for all things timeshare: TimeShareUsersGroup (TUG). You can post questions and get informed answers. You can probably find an attorney referral there. This site is looking out / on the side of owners (like your mother). Good luck! Pat


Timeshare Hell

Nov 2009

I need to find someone, maybe even an attorney, who can help my m-i-l and my family deal with a couple different timeshare problems. My m-i-l owns several timeshares and has wanted to sell one of them for a while. So when she was contacted out of the blue by a company claiming they would help her sell her timeshare, she gave them a substantial amount of money and she got ripped off. She still owns that one.

Last summer my family was vacationing with her in Hawaii and we went to an owner's presentation (we are also owners with this one company, Wyndham) and believed we were making a good investment by consolidating our points, but we had to buy additional points to do this. Apparently, we did not read the very fine print, and the price we were charged was WAY more than we had verbally understood to be the case. We need to get out of the contract! My m-i-l has stopped making payments and has gotten ''nasty'' letters from Wyndham.

In the meantime, my m-i-l was contacted by yet another outfit, claiming to be timeshare educators, and when she told them everything, they said they could get her money back from the ''reseller'' and help us get out of the Wyndham contract. A big red flag went up for me and I spoke with representative who said all the right things, but when I did some internet research, I found negative things about them. I don't trust anyone who calls cold.

So, now we are looking for legitimate help. Any recommendations would greatly be appreciated.

stuck with timeshares


I sympathize with your situation. Timeshares can be a real pain in the neck sometimes. While I don't have a lot of legal advice I can direct you to, I do want to share with you a website that has been helpful for us as we've dealt with different timeshare issues with our Bluegreen timeshare.

http://www.tug2.net is the site for the Timeshare Users Group--a collection of people who own timeshares. Hopefully you can find something useful on there. Best wishes! Fellow timeshare owner


Thinking about buying a timeshare

Sept 2008

I think I'm interested in buying a timeshare (have young kids). I like the idea of being able to trade for different locations and the idea of have a set plan for vacation each year. I'm told that the most cost effective approach is to buy resale. I'd like advice about how to select a place to buy resale (any idea of the rough costs - I was thnking a two bed/2 bath) and any advice about selecting a location (I like beach and mountain areas). Thanks for your help


We've looked at timeshares and have chosen not to buy. But, I can see their allure. If you like a certain level of amenities, 'safe' locations, and ease of vacation planning, then a timeshare could be a fabulous choice. Good friends of ours are doctors -- they own a timeshare -- a Westgate -- in our town (they come out to visit every year, but don't have to stay with us). We love to go hang with them at their timeshare -- cheap childcare and wonderful amenities. Ditto for my in-laws (beyond fabulous amenities, great activities, no childcare) who bought into Marriott.

For us, we just can't stomach the cost ($50,000 - retail/half that for reasale for a week in our town during ski season). Plus, about $1,000 in fees annually for 'maintenance' and trading costs. For that, we can easily find a rental in any town in the world that we want to go to...also, we don't mind them now and again (we are happy to leech of the in-laws), but our personal view is that timeshares are the wal-martization of American vacations...you know what you get, but it really isn't anything special or unique. -anon


We have purchased 2 timeshares since our child was born and it has been great. We purchased both timeshares secondhand, directly from the owner; the timeshares were listed on either craigslist or ebay. A couple of things to note, if you don't want to do the leg work you should use an agency, but they will charge a commission. We did all our own research and made the arrangements for escrow, etc ourselves which saved us a bundle.

Regarding trading and locations, here is my advice: Choose a location that you wouldn't mind going back to year after year, that way you won't feel compelled to trade (which incurrs additional costs). We chose Tahoe for one timeshare because we can drive there. Trading is not as easy as the sales people say it is. You need to be flexible about dates and locations, often going to popular spots in the offseason. Hawaii is very difficult to trade into, but has tremendous trading value (therefore cost more to purchase). You need to weigh the pros/cons. kc


Hi, We have a time share in Cabo San Lucas at the five star Playa Grande Resort. the reason we bought the time share several years ago is that it simplified our life in terms of vacation planning and our kids were happy to have a tradition in going once a year to the same fun in the sun beautiful Cabo San Lucas. It makes for a memorable family vacation and only two hour flight. Our kids are now graduating from HS and going on to college so we are interested in selling our time share since we wont be traveling as much anymore. if you are interested let me know. the overhead is five hundred a year and the cost of the timeshare is a third of your friends. M


Timeshares - are you happy with yours?

Oct 2007

Hi everyone. This is a general question about timeshares. Those of you who have them, how happy are you with your selection? Would you do it again if you had the choice? How long is your commitment? Are you happy with your vacation options, meaning, places you can go?Do you think it is worth the money? We went to a timeshare ''presentation'' once about 5 years ago up in Napa. We felt very pressured and the sales people were really rude when we didn't commit. They wanted us to pay $200/month for 30 YEARS!! We laughed when they told us that. We also never used the free Vegas trip because we left feeling so angry. BUT, my best friend has 2 timeshares and loves them. One is a HIlton, and the other is a private resort in Mexico. Anyone with advice on this topic? We will be attending a Wyndham presentation in a few weeks, but are considering Hilton as well. Or others. Thanks for any input. anon


Way to show them! By not using the free gift which is the only reason to sit through one of those presos. Honestly, why do you keep going to these presos? They are high-pressure sales situations. The only reason to get one is if you LOVE a certain place and want to vacation there every single year. Plenty of people go on vacations without having time shares. anon


We own one in Mexico. We are pretty happy with it. There are pros and cons. From our experience (a family of four), if money is an issue, it's cheaper to do a package deal that includes airfare than use the timeshare and pay for four airline tickets. But the accommodations we get (wherever we use the timeshare) are almost always wonderful. Since we have a family, we like having places that have kitchens, living room, dining room, etc. We like the space. Hotel rooms that come with package deals make us feel pretty cramped--plus there's usually no refrigerator, etc. If you can afford the airfares that come with going somewhere, a timeshare is a nice option--providing you get a nice one. We joined Interval International, so we can deposit our timeshare week and use it at other resorts around the world. We're pretty happy with ours. Happy Timeshare Owner


My husband and I own two timeshares - a Hilton and a Marriott. The best advice I can give you is to do your homework and research, research, research and ask questions like you are doing now. We literally attended dozens of timeshare presentations over 10 years (including the one in Napa) before buying our first one. There are plenty of on-line forums and web sites to gather information. One of my favorite sites is www.tug2.net (Timeshare Users Group).

It has worked well for us and we have enjoyed them very much. We especially like the roominess that comes with staying in a timeshare - 1 or 2 bedrooms, a separate living room, full kitchen and a washer & dryer inside the unit (the latter two being indispensable with children!). They are both considered real estate and we will have them forever and our children will inherit them when we're gone. Because they are considered real estate, we also pay property tax on them (in addition to an annual maintenance fee).

We love both our Hilton and Marriott - they are great brand name places. My only regret is that we bought both of these timeshares in gold season rather than platinum season. That means we are limited to what time of the year we can travel. Between the two, I would say I prefer the Marriott a little bit more because they have better locations than Hilton and the exchange company they use, Interval International, is more user friendly than RCI. A Momma Who Still Loves to Travel


What is your experience with timeshares?

July 2007

I am interested in people's experience with time shares and vacation ownerships such as the Starwood/Sheraton. I hear different opinions but would like to actually know from people who have these shares or ownerships. How do You like it? What are the benefits? What are the drawbacks? Any surprises when you bought your share/ownership? What upfront footwork/research would you recommend if one considers a share/ownership? Thank You for taking the time to respond. Single mom with 11 year old girl


Hello, I wanted to respond to your question about purchasing a timeshare because I am one of the people that bought 20 some years ago, and actually like timeshare ownership. I was single at the time, and took my sister and her kids on vacation once a year. I love the space and kitchen available in most timeshares. Before you buy, the first question you want to ask yourself is, will I really use it? Do I have the funds and time to travel? The owners that are unhappy are those who purchase on a whim, but don't ever use it. That said, I have owned a timeshare with Fairfield, which is now called ''Wyndam Resorts'' for probably 20 years, and have never been unhappy with my purchase. I did a lot of research and was able to purchase through Wyndam (Williamsburg, VA) at a reasonable cost. Compare maintenance fees before purchasing (mine are approxmiately 00 year for a one bedroom in Virgina). I would suggest buying somewhere that you enjoy going to in case you don't want to trade it to go to other locations. My experience has been it is easy to trade to other timeshares using RCI, but they want 99 for a trade now, and you have to pay membership fees to RCI (Wyndam pays my RCI membership fees, so I don't know what they are). I can trade within Wyndam at no cost. Buy from a reputable company that you will have good trading power with, i.e. Starwood, Marriott not only have beautiful resorts, but I asume it will be easy to trade if you don't want to stay within your timeshare company. Consider buying at least a one bedroom, not a studio, you or your daugter may want to bring along friends or relatives. Lastly, don't buy directly from the company. There are tons of people trying to unload their timeshares on www.redweek.com and other websites. You can pick up a bargain, just do your research first, maybe by even visiting the timeshare resort first if possible. Marriott is selling in South Lake Tahoe, so you might be able to wrangle a free weekend to check it out. No sure what Sheraton you were looking at. Lastly, keep in mind timeshare ownership in Mexico is limited to I think 30 years. My timeshare in VA is considered property, I can will it to anyone and it never expires. If you have any further questions, feel free to email me. h


Hi there, We bought a 2bdrm lock off week at the Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas (Starwood's big property in Maui) back in 2003. I would be happy to talk to you about it. Also, I would highly recommend that you start reading up on the bulletin board where a lot of Starwood people post and ask questions because every question that could ever be asked is there...... http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/ page down to the Hotel Based Timeshare Forum..... and start searching and reading.


Selling a Time Share

Dec 2006

My mom would like to dispose (by selling) a timeshare that she has owned for more than ten years but never used. It is in a good location at Orlando Florida across from Disney. Someone got hold of us and wanted us to pay $1500 so they can advertise and sell the property. I do not trust this process. Has anyone sold a timeshare successfully? How does one go about it? Is there a reliable org or group that does this? How about price? She bought it fully paid at $9000 more than 10 years ago. Is this like real estate where the value goes up? Thanks a lot. A


Timeshares are generally very hard to re-sell and are worth much less on the secondary market than the original purchase price (in contrast to real estate), so don't expect to get very much. I wouldn't pay the $1,500 fee for someone to sell the timeshare. Your best bet is probably to list it on E-bay, Craigslist, and even the BPN marketplace. Anon


Check out this website: http://tug2.net/ ''TUG'' stands for Timeshare Users Group and they are a group of folks who own timeshares and share information (resort information, buying, selling, renting, etc.). If you scroll down on the home page, there is a link on the left side to an article about selling timeshares Owner of Two Timeshares