10 Reasons Timeshares Are A Bad Deal


For the vast majority of people, timeshare resort units are a huge waste of money. Here are 10 things that that the timeshare sales rep won’t tell you, but you really should know before you consider buying one:

1. Time Shares Are a Lousy Investment
2. You Can Get the Same Time Share for Half the Price
3. You Lose 50% or More When You Sell
4. It’s Cheaper to Rent a Time Share
5. Time Shares Come With Multiple Hidden Risks
6. Miss One Year and You’re Better Off Without a Time Share
7. Trading Isn’t Near as Easy as Claimed
8. If You Can’t Pay in Full, It’s a Terrible Deal
9. Travel Is Not Calculated When Comparisons Are Made
10. Hotel Prices Are Increasing (But So Are Time Share Fees)

You really need to be careful with these because they will suck your savings dry if you purchase on the image (what the timeshare sales reps sell) and not the financials of the deal. To this day, it’s still the issue I get the most emails about – people stuck with timeshares that they don’t want because the maintenance fees are killing their finances, but they aren’t even able to give the timeshare away (known as the Timeshare Trap – the timeshare resorts won’t take it back even for free because they want your yearly maintenance fees).


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Reader Comments

Yes I also heard that timeshares travel packages are bad deal and many people get cheated in these traps. But I just curios, it there any good timeshares company that really provides some good and honest service to customer?

We went to a timeshare presentation in Vegas to get $50 free chips (well worth it since we turned it into cash pretty fast).

BUT we had not intention to buy a timeshare. I fudged our income way down on the form, they had dollar signs in their eyes when we said we were from the Bay Area – LOL.

Anyway, the price was around $15k and as we were walked out they were pretty much begging us to take the dang things for around $5k. We were staying at the Hilton for $30 that night and I Wasn’t very sold how this timeshare would save us money. But the quick drop in price made it pretty apparent what a bad deal it was. I imagine though Vegas is a particularly difficult place to sell a timesahre.

My question is what happens when you inherit a timeshare? My well-meaning relative wants to give us her timeshare, we don’t want it. I am worried we will inherit it.

My question is what happens when you inherit a timeshare? My well-meaning relative wants to give us her timeshare, we don’t want it. I am worried we will inherit it.

You want to use a Quit Claim Deed to refuse it and not have it transfered into your name.

And you can buy resale timeshares on ebay for 10 cents on the dollar. Its an industy that should really be looked at harder. And the salespeople are SOOOO high pressure.

IS
IT SAFE TO BUY ON EAY AND WHICH IS BETTER TO BUY POINTS WITH FAIRFIELD,WYNHAM OR RCI

I would stay away from timeshares all together…as mentioned in the article, not worth the risks. If you are asking basic questions like this, you need to do a lot more research before thinking about purchasing one.

TIME SHARES SUCK!
TIME SHARES SUCK

Never Ever Ever Ever Buy A Time Share….Pretty Strong Words You Think? Wait till you Try To Sell It…Try To Trade it…Try To Resolve Ownership Issues with the Management company. Having owned a time share Managed By Marriot Corporation and Vacation Resorts International (VRI) I Can Say Truthfully…………..DON’T DO IT! The Time Shares Hall Of Infamy or Worlds Greatest Quotes (Lies). “we really wan’t to make you part of the Marriot Family!. At VRI we pride our selves on excellant Customer Service. Your Getting a Great Deal…It’l Only Appreciate It! Fix your vacation costs now…The Unit’s Will Only Get More Expensive Over time. And…If You Ever Wan’t To Trade Your Unit…It’s So Easy! Forget The Huge Expenses Charged You When You Try!. What I Know For Certain….Ren’t some Dummys Unit You Bought One At 40cents on the Dollar….Run….Do,’t Hide From The Nex’t Presentation….If You Do Weaken And Buy One…(GOD HELP YOU) but Complain To Your Legislatures for Regulation and Rules To Control The management and Sales Companys Who Prey On You Like The Vultures You Are. You Can Always Ren’t For Less…NEVER EVER BUY THE DAY YOU GET THE PRESENTION! Take Your Thousand Dollar Deposit And Throw It a Slot macfhine…You Have A Better Chance Of Winning then Coming Out On Top With A Time Share. AND DID I MENTIO…TimeShares Suck!

If Quite Claim does not go through, you may be out of luck. Selling off timeshares are a bigger scam than the timeshare itself. I had my own timeshare, but after 5 years, I just got bored with it. Ultimately I found a company called timeshare relief that took it. Their service probably applies to inherited timeshares too.

Timeshare is a great product as long as you know what you are buying into. There are two kinds of people those that love it and those that hate it. Unfortunately because of scams and other high pressured techniques the larger companies that offer good products now get a rougher deal. In my opinion.

I could not agree with you more.

I just wrote a blog on it before finding you page on digg.

Check out my page when you get a sec.

Nice Job!!!

I am one of the fools who purchased a timeshare. I also paid a company $625 to sell it. BIG mistake. Its been for sale since 2003 no offers. I dont have time to go to my timeshare. Maintenace fees cost more than a hotel would cost for the year that I can use my timeshare. DON’T buy a timeshare horrible idea. So far I am about $15k in the hole and I have never used it. Its a scam.

My question…. Is there any magic way to make this go away and get it off my hands. I would consider a huge loss if I could just be free of this darn thing.

My question…. Is there any magic way to make this go away and get it off my hands. I would consider a huge loss if I could just be free of this darn thing.

No, there is no magic way to make it disappear, but there are a few options. if it is a decent time slot, a charity might be willing to take it. Another option is to give it to a real estate agent where the timeshare is located and agree to give them 90% of whatever they can sell it for.

Despite the bad reputation of the timeshare industry, you’ll wonder why there are still individuals who own a timeshare. I think it’s the timeshare sales presentation. Timeshare developers mostly present their resorts greatly without warning of the incoming liabilities that lie ahead.

Is there a legitimate company in the business? I have Marriott and theirs are different. I can resell mine for what i paid for it.

Just because you bought a Yugo doesn’t mean one should give up driving. There are pretenders in every business. You made a knee jerk reaction to buy it without knowing the facts and you are making a knee jerk reaction to throw all of them under the bus.

@David

I wrote this article because thousands of people have complained about their timeshare trap to me over the years, not because I had one bad experience (I actually have had none because I have never bought a timeshare)

The problem with your analogy is that even a high end car loses 20% the minute it leaves the dealers parking lot, not just the Yugo and the same is true with timeshares (although it loses 50% – 90% the minute it’s purchased). Marriott is no different as I have received plenty of complaints about people stuck with Marriott timeshares as well.