Advice about Timeshares
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Advice about Timeshares
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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 Timshare 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
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
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
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.
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
this page was last updated: Dec 18, 2012
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