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How many people have ever gone in to a timeshare office and demanded to buy a timeshare? Nobody.... Timeshares are sold through OPCs who promise nice gifts to unsuspecting "prospects" in exchange for a 90 minute to 2 hour presentation. The "prospects" are told that they will get their gifts at the end of the presentation. Then, the short presentation lasts 3, 4 or 5 hours and the pressure to buy goes up and up. And the price goes down and down. That is how timeshares are sold. As Richard Siegel says on a Youtube video - "All our sales are made on the first day." I would never use the word "voluntary" in describing this process. What if, during the closing session, the salesman said that, "Your new purchase will have little or no resale value in 90 days. Additionally, you will be expected to pay maintenance fees after the purchase price is paid off. And, you can't get out of paying those fees, no matter what happens to you. Maintenance fees are in perpetuity." Ken, how many timeshare owners would there be? One can junk a car. One can throw away a refrigerator. And one can walk away from a house. There may be credit ramifications, but one can walk away from a house. But timeshare companies - that's a different story. They want their money. There are more sellers than buyers, and "the Industry" doesn't want to admit it. They only want that brand new prospect who is open to getting a free gift in exchange for that 90 minute presentation. You know - the one who will "voluntarily" buy their product after 5 hours. And then be a customer "in perpetuity." Ken, the only constant in this universe is "change." And the timeshare companies are blind to it. Wyndham and Diamond have something in place to address this problem, but the rest of the industry does not. Jlb makes a good point. Nothing should be "in perpetuity."