ask-redweek-get-rid-of-my-timeshare

Maintenance fees on my Bermuda timeshare had escalated to obscene levels. I contacted an "exit" team and was told they'd guarantee my getting out for a fee exactly the same as my 2-week maintenance. I then contacted a lawyer who read their contract and pointed out that after I'd paid the exit team's fee the timeshare could add additional exit charges which would make the cost even higher. He suggested, instead, I write the timeshare owner and ask to be let out. To my surprise, they agreed. Their charge, a year's maintenance plus a few additions, was high but worth it, I felt. I am now timeshare-free and much happier.

I own 3 Deeds with Bluegreen. I am a bronze member. I want to get out but the 2 lawyers I have contacted are expensive. I know everyone complains that their timeshare company has lied to them or misled them. They are common complaints. I do love Timeshare but since I have become an owner I have learned how to purchase resort stays economically. To get to the point. I went to an owner update. We refused to buy so the manager offered us 20,000 points at 99 cents a point, normally $3.15 a point. We were encouraged to buy more points to put us in a higher bracket so that we could rent out points and have more privileges. We were urged to do so while we could buy points at 99 cents. However, after we got home we found out the manager charged us 99 cents for 10,000 points and full price for the other 10,000 points. Bluegreen refused to make it right. On another occasion, we went to Ormond Beach/Daytona. We are premier owners and received a deplorable room. The furniture was all beaten up. All of the handles fell off of the stove. The beds were terribly stained and very uncomfortable. There was pizza all over the floor. There were mounds of grime under the cabinets on the floor..my granddaughter stepped on an earring and punctured her foot. The countertops and cabinets were made of cheap Formica and we're all beaten up and cracked. There was poop on the bathroom counter doors. The lights constantly flashed on and off. I told management the light sockets were hanging off the wall and I had 2 children with me. They never fixed them. The air conditioning did not cool the room. The room was so unsanitary and inappropriate for a Timeshare Premier owner. We have photos and a video. Sure we were given our points back but why would you be placed in a room like that and not moved to another room. So I appreciated your commentary and if you have any input I would appreciate it. We have had some good experiences with Bluegreen and they are making improvements but we sure are paying a bundle along with all types of fees and rising maintenance fees. If I could learn to make the system work for me by renting, I would keep it but I do not have enough points. I am stuck. I can't let it go because we have plans to remodel our home. So we can't have our credit messed up.

I need help. I have a small timeshare at CHRISTIE LODGE (CO) which I have not used for years, as I have a terminal illness and in a rest home. I pay my annual fees religiously. I have been scammed once already. I have no one to leave it to. I have offered it on Craig's List with no one contacting me. I list it for free and I'll pay the first year maintenance fees of $500. Foreclosure will provably hurt my income to pay the nursing home. I have tried to work with the resort's HOA, however they want thousands of dollars to let me out of the contract. I listed it with Redweek, paid my upfront fee, yet nothing. I'm helpless and can not find help. Any suggestions?

Orange lake resort in Florida allowed us to give it back..it was totally paid off cost us nothing....

If your timeshare has a deed whereby you pay taxes to a township(eg.Riverside California) by not paying the tax the timeshare is repossessed by the township and put up for resale at auction. Marriott is such a timeshare . I contemplate this option but found out they were rebuking them back.

I wrote to the company with no success to the Manager of the Timeshare in St. Maarten. I phoned and I finally received a reply. I had surgery that resulted in blood clots and long recovery, and final disability and retirement from work. I told this to the Timeshare Managing Unit. I said simply we had paid the maintenance fees for 3 years without using the timeshare. We had hoped our health would recover, but my husband's health worsened and mine will never improve so AS MUCH AS WE LOVED OUR TIME for 18 YEARS WITH ROYAL ISLANDER, WE JUST MUST TURN IT BACK OVER TO THE COMPANY SO THEY MAY SELL IT TO A COUPLE THAT LOVE IT AS MUCH AS WE DID. I waited and the gentleman was very accommodating. I am sure the Unit was resold quickly. We did not pay another penny, nor any legal fees. Just Signed the letter relinquishing all our rights, and interest in the Timeshare Unit 5204 on Week 23. By the way, We paid $5995 for the Unit initially and for 18 years Loved every week every minute of our vacations. So we got 18 years worth of happiness for $5995 plus the airfare.

I used Wyndham's Ovation program, and it was fairly simple and straight forward. It only took a few weeks to process. My objective was not a resale, but to get out of high maintenance fees. It cost me absolutely nothing to transfer title to Wyndham. Thanks, Jo Ann

I have abandoned 2 timeshare. I just quit paying my dues. Initially they harass you but eventually they give up. It has been a long time now and have not heard from them.

what do you do if we own a timeshare , which is basically a club we brought into 2006 in Mexico , we have paid maintenance for each year except this year. Have called and told the Las VEGAS PEOPLE WHICH COLLECT MONEIES that we DO NOT WANT TO GO TO MEXICO any more ! We do not have a Deed for property , we have been called by Mexican government from time to time to ask if we were satisfied with the company , we could exchange thru HSI but have not got any good deals , no vacancies where we want to go . So it gets frustrating we are retired and need to forget about the money they keep wanting .

Thank you to RedWeek's Chief Correspondent, Jeff Weir, who did a fantastic job reviewing the subject of timeshare sales & transfers that covered a lot of my questions with reasonable intelligent answers.

We have finally resorted to the "stop making payments and Just Walk Away" option. We paid twice to have our condo listed for sale, spending over $1000, but never even got a bite. We investigated the value of our week and found that it was worthless, being at an undesirable time of year at that resort. We were told that the value was so low, that no one would want it, even we gave it away! We sent the resort a letter, surrendering our rights and the deed, which they ignored and continued to charge us. We never stayed, even once at the resort. Thus, we never cost them one copper penny in cleaning or anything else. We paid our dues for several years, and got absolutely nothing in return. So we STOPPED. Since then, every once and while they turn us over to a collections agency that calls non-stop, day and night for several weeks or months. We have stopped answering any unknown numbers. The collection agency has offered us a deal a couple of times, wanting several thousand dollars, that we did not have, and that again we felt we would be giving in exchange for exactly NOTHING! So here we are, several years into this standoff, and I'm sure the calls will start again soon. So far, nothing has showed up on our credit. Thanks for the chance to vent!

brianh362 Were you current on everything when Orange Lake let you out of the contract or behind ie: maintenance fees, mortgage? Also did they give you anything in writing about how they report to credit bureaus?

I would like to be done with timeshare. It has been falsely advertised since I purchased it. What can I do?

I have not tried any of the examples listed. I have 14000 points with Shell Vacatons Club, which is now owned by Whydamn. I prefer to sell, but maybe renting is a better way to go. My home club is the Beachboy in Kauai. My annual maintenance fees are $3200.

Has anyone just walked away from paying maintenance dues at the Sunset Royal in Cancun, Mexico? I am unable to keep up the dues and use the timeshare since my husband has passed away. Just wondering what that company does if I were to do that!

I have a company call R&T Marketing Solutions LLC that has contacted me about renting or selling my timeshare. They have a website but have nothing else about them. Have you ever heard of this company? website:rtmarketingsolutions.com . They were charging us $500 for their services. Our timeshare is with Westgate.

We own a timeshare at the Westgate Town center in Florida. We are citizen of Tunisia and as every owner, we were not told the truth when we bought this timeshare. Now the Tunisian money has lost more than 40 percent of its value. Plane tickets (3 tickets ) cost more than 3 thousand US dollars. We tried to sell it through a company in Florida and we paid five hundred dollars, nothing. We complained to the westgate, nothing. Now we are asked to pay the maintenance fee (2,300.00) for two years. We just cannot afford it anymore. We want to get rid of it at no cost. What will happen if we go away and stop paying the maintenance? We do not live in the USA.

I am 77 and to old to worry.

I have contacted my timeshare VSA and they sent a form charging 5 years worth of maintenance fees to get out of the contract. Is that normail?

I had a timeshare at Tahoe Seasons. Didn't owe any money just wanted to move on. I contacted the resort and they took back the deed for $500.