# Answering unhappy timeshare owners.



## jjhiscutt1979 (Jun 24, 2013)

Does TUG have an article that responds to unhappy timeshare owners most frequent complaints regarding timeshares and how people who are very happy with their timeshares avoid those pitfalls?  For all of the happy timeshare owners, there seem to be three on the internet who are warning in no uncertain terms against them.


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## timeos2 (Jun 24, 2013)

Those who are happy don't tend to broadcast the news as muchas those who are disenchanted tend to do. 

When you stand back and look at the timeshare industry the reason is quite obvious. Sales are typically made using high pressure tactics to new buyers who had no intention of buying.  Most fail to understand what they have bought and have been purposely mislead by statements that are borderline false or easily misinterpreted. They pay far more than the same product can be purchased for on the open market. Often times they are sold off season or low demand use periods to keep their purchase expenses lower and with the mistaken belief - supported by those earlier misleading sales statements - that what they own can "easily" trade to the most desirable times and locations virtually on demand. 

Many fail to understand that the inflated purchase price buys nothing but the right to pay the annual fees and the use of a property that brings them. They are under the misguided belief that they are "pre-paying your vacations for life" when in fact they face life long payments of maintenance fees if in fact they are to enjoy the promised luxury vacations they were set up to dream of. 

There are so many opportunities to be set up for disappointment as well as those who manage to get value out with a minimum of cost and effort.  Those who figure out how to use it may even go on to buy more and become TUG members! Those masses who never should have bought and post all those internet (and TUG) complaints do tend to get the attention while the less vocal ones either bought into more suitable situations or have learned how to best use what they bought really haven't got as much to say.


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## chriskre (Jun 24, 2013)

I am here at bonnet creek in a packed house today.

see lots of happy people here.
maybe they are faking it but if they are they are great actors. 

Don't believe everything you read on the Internet.


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## csxjohn (Jun 24, 2013)

jjhiscutt1979 said:


> Does TUG have an article that responds to unhappy timeshare owners most frequent complaints regarding timeshares and how people who are very happy with their timeshares avoid those pitfalls?  For all of the happy timeshare owners, there seem to be three on the internet who are warning in no uncertain terms against them.



The same people who warn you about staying away from all timeshares are uninformed or partially informed.  They or a friend may have fallen prey to one of the retail sharks or a resale scam artist.

I don't know if there is the article you are looking for but there are many happy timeshare owners here on TUG.

What other way can you get a weeks vacation on the beach in Fla during July 4th week in a condo with a full kitchen for $500?  Only in Timeshare World.


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## TUGBrian (Jun 24, 2013)

are more than 100 articles in the TUG advice section that woudl easily turn an uninformed Timeshare owner (or potential owner) into a much more informed one.

all articles are free and open to the public

http://advice.tug2.net


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## LannyPC (Jun 24, 2013)

jjhiscutt1979 said:


> Does TUG have an article that responds to unhappy timeshare owners most frequent complaints regarding timeshares...



Now that you've mentioned it (straying a bit from the OQ), what are some of the "owners['] most frequent complaints regarding timeshares"?

Keep in mind this would be actual *owners'* complaints and not what non-owners might have heard regarding TSs.

I'll start (even though I am a former owner and not a current owner):

You can often rent from another owner for less than the MFs.  Conversely, if you can't make it to your week and want to rent it out, you can't recover your MFs (if you can even find a renter at all).


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## TUGBrian (Jun 24, 2013)

Id say the number one complaint (from my experience reading...not personally)...is the lack of exchange options...vs what they were told at purchase anyway.

probably a 50/50 with "my maint fees keep going up" though.


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## MLR (Jun 27, 2013)

*re: Owners Complaints*

I joined TUG to figure out how to get RID of our timeshare. Instead, I learned how to USE it. My only complaints are lack of trades and worries over getting rid of it if either myself or hubby passes on or we become incapacitated and can no longer travel. 

Hoping the kids will take it - ha ha ha ha ha.  Gotta keep your sense of humor folks!!!


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## tstired (Jun 27, 2013)

*Owner Complaints*

I am a timeshare owner for over 25 years and my biggest complaint is the "owner update"  (what a joke that is).  I never schedule one now no matter what they offer but they don't give up--ringing the phone several times every day all week which I never answer but it's a nuisance.  It is a real pleasure to go to resorts that don't do that.


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## B104396 (Jun 27, 2013)

Here's a positive - purchased retail Princeville prior to opening (Whoops) Used once with wife and I finding we much preferred Maui. Traded for week at KOR then upgraded to Xmas week KOR. Too crowded, so worked a deal with Westin to trade for three one bdrm weeks. Later via TUG purchased a much discounted Cancum two bdrm. Now retired we seem to always be able to haggle our way to six weeks in a one bedroom on Maui. Annual cost about $6k. I challenge anyone to rent a condo/house on the Kannapali beach front with pool for a month and a half at that price. Being retired we love our time on the island from late January to early March away from those PNW winters.   Even considering picking one more week. It's only mo, mo, money !!!


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## drmicm (Jun 27, 2013)

*Complaints*

Interestingly, I am in my unit while reading this thread. I have just received a call from the office wanting to set up a meeting to discuss updates! I informed her that we are very happy with our week, our unit and we have no desire to transition to points or upgrade. Thankfully she was not pushy and said she was happy that we were happy and dropped it. We have owned a week at Inn Season - Pollard Brook in Lincoln, New Hampshire for about 17 years. I agree that the two biggest complaints are rising MF's and ease of trading. Our MF was about $275 when we bought, it is now over $600. We were sold a bill of goods when the salesmen promised us, that as teachers, we would easily be able to find trades during school vacation weeks - yeah right. Luckily our resort is only about 2 hours from home, so we can at least use our unit and receive guests. We are not sorry we bought the TS, but if we could turn back the clock, we certainly would not have done so. We have passively tried to sell, but we are hoping that when we both retire, we can take better advantage of the exchanges and get aways.


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## Rent_Share (Jun 27, 2013)

MLR said:


> Hoping the kids will take it - ha ha ha ha ha. Gotta keep your sense of humor folks!!!


 
You can always hope, keep in mind despite the lies being spread by the disposal companies, your children do not have to accept ownership and there is an exit strategy to the maintenance fees. If they take title they are stuck.


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## wiegert53 (Jun 27, 2013)

*Borderline false statements?*

In response to the post by John Chase, my experience is a lot more than borderline false statements or those easily misinterpreted. When I purchased my timeshare in Mexico, the salesman out and out lied about many things. In particular:

That the resort would be building a 27 hole golf course in the following year. A total lie, nothing but dirt in the alleged site.

That the timeshare property would easily rent for $600 to $700 per night. Also false. I had my timeshare on TUG and VRBO for over a year and I couldn't rent it for enough to pay the maintenance fees which is about $300 a night. I even tried to rent it at $200 per night and got no bites. And this is a prestigious 3 bedroom 3 bath home, over 3,000 square feet with gorgeous ocean view, private pool and spa, beautiful kitchen and a very nice office/workspace.

Since I purchased five years ago, the whole resort has gone way downhill. They don't properly maintain the property or units and the main resort is more like Disneyland than the charming "village" it once was. 

My advice: If you're going to buy a timeshare, buy a resale and get once that you've been to and has been operating for at least five years. I'd give it away if someone would take it.


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## Karenann (Jun 27, 2013)

My family and I have been owners since 2005 and we love our timeshares.  Before we owned, we only took our children to visit their grandparents;one set in Maine and one in Florida. This worked very well when they were young, but after the teenage years began, they were interested in traveling to other places and, frankly, so were we.  With our timeshares we have been able to travel to Lake Tahoe, Aruba, Hawaii, St. Thomas, Newport Beach, Ca, St. Kitts, Arizona, Cancun and other locations. With four children, having a kitchen and more than one bedroom was essential.  Now that our children are in their late teens and early 20s, we don't have the opportunity to travel all together very often, but we can take one or two when their schedules allow. I look forward to going every time and have only been disappointed once when it rained nearly the entire week.


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## EileenL (Jun 28, 2013)

Two complaints maybe three - ok more than three

1. Maintenance fees
2. Trading power
3. Extra charge for amenities, WiFi, or whatever they call it on top of high maintenance fees
4. Price to trade, be part of rci, price to buy extra weeks

I like the wheeling and dealing to stretch my week(s) - since joining tug bought more which was not my intention. 

I joined to sell. 

Finally listed this past week with no nibbles. I realize I am not the brightest bulb in this bunch but had thought I was very smart about timeshares until I joined this group. Still have not figured out how you all trade and get so much. But many own a lot and have over time bought and traded to get better choices - gone to lurking to keep learning from others. 

I am always amazed when I list something how many others list daily. how many members are there in this group? There is always something to buy.

Somethings go fast. Some seem to have their hand on the pulse and see every new posting right away. Some are quick to act without a second thought.

Very glad to find this group.


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## orlando5 (Jun 28, 2013)

*read my last post 9 happy weeks in la and florida*

I dont think I would have been able to afford this other than with time share

As i've  said previously  I could write a book (gun pointed at me in europe because I told an owner the salesman was pulling a scam)

Lets not go there,

Home in damp miserable June in the uk.

Give me timeshare anyday well worth the money

Only buy resales now days owners lie!!!!!!! plenty of bargins to be had but learn to use the exchage or rental wisely


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## Retiredrog (Jun 28, 2013)

*Retiredrog*

Living in the Northeast we were looking for a TS where it was warm in winter.  We purchased our first TS in 1985 (resale) at Vistana Resort in Orlando FL. and since have purchased additional ones at the same resort.  We have very few complaints about the resort itself.  They have a good maintenance program on the building and grounds and the staff are friendly and helpful.  We have used their internal exchange program to visit sister resorts with few problems.  I cannot say the same for external exchanges through RCI (The resort is now affiliated with II).  I don't have enough space here to list my complaints about those experiences!  Over the years we have attended the "Update Meetings" based on what incentives they were offering at the time and told them up front that we were not buying.  Other years, when checking in, we told them that we did not want to attend one of their "Update Meetings" and did not want any phone solicitation.  For the most part they honored our request.


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## Retiredrog (Jun 28, 2013)

*Retiredrog*

I have a question in response to "Rent Share"'s comments about the kids not taking the title when we pass on.  Way back when we purchased, I thought having a Deed to the property was a big deal.  Over the years, the kids, most of the family and friends have used the resort with us or on their own.  For free of course!  They all expressed nice things about the resort but no one wanted to commit to the yearly maintenance costs.  Now, thinking of leaving the deed to my kids seems more of a burden rather than a gift. Any suggestions?


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## vacationhopeful (Jun 28, 2013)

Time and vacations just seem to FLY by. Had to go look at my register date here on TUG. Almost 6 years - owned several timeshares before finding TUG. But my (original) plan for timeshare ownership was using TS for that warm winter Florida condo by the ocean during the Snowbird season. 

And it was during a 8 hour ride with my sister's family in their van where my mind was just re-hashing her in-laws Owner's Update I attended with them. Already GOLD VIPs' with Wyndham, I was stunned that they wanted $17000 more dollars.

All I kept rolling over and over in my mind was, there has to be a cheaper place to buy these points. Cheaper marketplace, cheaper, cheaper --- about 2 hours later, it hit me where is a CHEAP PLACE! ==> Ebay.

It was 9 months later I found TUG. 

And TUG brought about countless vacations - winter, spring, summer or fall. Florida beaches, Nevada deserts, Hawaii beaches, NYC, NOLA, Chicago loop, DC, nephews & nieces trips, siblings together and 1 on 1 trips, elderly aunts, and gifts to friends & families.


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## theo (Jun 28, 2013)

*My $0.02 worth...*



Retiredrog said:


> I have a question in response to "Rent Share"'s comments about the kids not taking the title when we pass on.  Way back when we purchased, I thought having a Deed to the property was a big deal.  Over the years, the kids, most of the family and friends have used the resort with us or on their own.  For free of course!  They all expressed nice things about the resort but no one wanted to commit to the yearly maintenance costs.  Now, thinking of leaving the deed to my kids seems more of a burden rather than a gift. Any suggestions?



Your offspring can always quite simply opt to *decline* any such inheritance if / when that time comes if they want no part of your timeshare(s). They are (and will be) under *no* obligation to just unilaterally accept that which they might very well regard as a unwelcome, ongoing financial burden and commitment.

If you do a search (I'd specifically recommend reading helpful input by Talent312, posted on May 15, 2013 on this very subject), you'll find some verbiage which spells out specific options for you to consider vis a vis planning for your timeshares and heirs before that time comes.


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## Space Coast Laurie (Jun 28, 2013)

*IMO, where the dissatisfaction starts in most cases...*

I've been happily timesharing for about 30 years. That means I have met and talked to a lot of other timeshare owners here and there.  Also, my daughter, who started timesharing herself around the age of five, has been the general manager of a timeshare resort for several years.  I've been very satisfied myself on all except for one bad timeshare exchange, but here are the items that seem to cause dissatisfaction for others:

1)  Being misled by the salesperson that you can rent the unit anytime for some highly inflated rental fee.
2)  Being misled by the salesperson that the unit will increase in value and that you can easily sell it if you find you're not using it.
3)  Being misled by the salesperson that maintenance fees will hardly ever go up.
4)  Being misled by the salesperson that you can have whatever unit you want, whenever you want it, in a floating time resort.  This is particularly warped out of reality when the units have different sizes, views, values and seasons and the buyer/owner doesn't understand how it all works.
5)  Not planning your vacations ahead and being ticked when VRI/RCI/II/etc. doesn't have the last-minute exchange that you want. 
6)  Expecting to be able to easily trade into a better season, bigger unit, better location, higher value timeshare and being disappointed that you usually get an equal value unit.
7)  Being treated like everyone else, when you feel like you should have special treatment and be able to bend the rules, only to find that you can't.  This would be someone who wants to book a floating unit ahead of the time that they're allowed to book it, someone who bought a one-bedroom off-season unit and has a fit when they can't book a two-bedroom, oceanfront unit in the middle of the season, someone who can't understand why they're not allowed to bring 8 people to a unit that sleeps 4, etc., someone who requests a certain unit or type of unit once they get there and doesn't understand that there are none available (what, you want management to make someone else move???), checking out five hours after the check-out time and being outraged that you've been charged a late check-out fee (even though you signed that you understood the check-out time/fee when you arrived, and the front desk called up to remind you).
8)  Resorts that are not kept up, especially when the maintenance fees are high (can certainly understand this one!).
9)  Having "bad neighbors" at a resort... unsupervised kids, doors constantly slamming, people yelling down to other family members from windows or balconies or down the hall, etc.   Fortunately, I see less of this at timeshares than I do at hotels.
10)  Not realizing, or being misled by the salesperson, as to how much additional money is needed for most of the exchange programs (membership fee, exchange fee, fee to "combine points") or simply thinking that too much is being charged for something that's mostly handled by a computer program (yes, I personally think that II/RCI fees are too high).
11)  Letting yourself be convinced that others who don't understand timesharing (or who've had bad experiences themselves) that timesharing is a bad deal.   Like most things, it is a bad deal only if you don't understand it, didn't know what you were getting into, paid too much for your unit, expected to make a profit on it and/or don't use it.  

All that said, I love timesharing!


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## Rent_Share (Jun 28, 2013)

Retiredrog said:


> I have a question in response to "Rent Share"'s comments about the kids not taking the title when we pass on. Way back when we purchased, I thought having a Deed to the property was a big deal. Over the years, the kids, most of the family and friends have used the resort with us or on their own. For free of course! They all expressed nice things about the resort but no one wanted to commit to the yearly maintenance costs. Now, thinking of leaving the deed to my kids seems more of a burden rather than a gift. Any suggestions?


 
Just make sure the executor takes actions to abandon the timeshare as worthless, rather than transferring them into their names. If any maintenance fees become due and payabable between opening the estate and it's closing, those will need to be paid from the decedents funds, the next year ithe time share will belong to the HOA.

No one can be forced to inherit an ongoing payment obligation


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## LannyPC (Jun 28, 2013)

drmicm said:


> New Hampshire for about 17 years. I agree that the two biggest complaints are rising MF's and ease of trading. Our MF was about $275 when we bought, it is now over $600.



I think that's one of the biggest complaints.  It's not so much that MFs increase (everything increases) but that they appear to rise faster than the regular rate of inflation.   I say "appear to" because I don't have the facts and figures in front of me to definitely prove it.

So your MFs have more than doubled in 17 years.  Has your income or wages done that?  Probably not


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## Rent_Share (Jun 28, 2013)

I have only been to two developer promotions both DRI and in both cases when they do their vacation economics they leave out the interest on the loan and the maintenance fees.  Double Liars


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## mlefferts (Jun 28, 2013)

Rent_Share said:


> I have only been to two developer promotions both DRI and in both cases when they do their vacation economics they leave out the interest on the loan and the maintenance fees.  Double Liars



I went to one at westgate about 15 years ago with my now hubby and they included in the "cost for normal vacation" flight + hotel + food + activities, then proceeded to show us how for MF of about the same as the total we could have a 1br weeks vacation, leaving out food, activities, and airfare. Boy was that girl pissed when I pointed out her math/logic was way off, and then also mentioning the ongoing cost of the loan payment.  A "Manager" came over to try to "explain the value of ownership better". Hubby's not a numbers guy, so he was tempted to buy, but I kept pointing out the flaws in the math and logic. He (manager) got mad and started yelling at me all the made up reasons why buying a timeshare is an investment. I started laughing, really loud:hysterical:. Then the "gift redemption" paper person came over pretty quick to get us out of there, about 3 hours into our "90 minute" presentation.

Went to "owners update" with friends 2 years ago at Orange Lake, and they failed to mention when buying points through them that it reverts back to weeks if you sell it, and were misleading in that when presenting packages in that they did not specify if the number of points being purchased was in HICV value or RCI value, or that the MF don't include taxes. And they were relentlessly pushy. Over 3 1/2 hours for a "90 minute" update with kids in tow- not fun!

Went to one at Summer Bay Orlando last year and they were pleasant, straightforward, and not pushy. We were surprised by this, and had we been looking to purchase retail, I would have been happy to do it there. I was already looking here on TUG and biding my time knowing that buying retail was overpaying... Out in under 2 hours, including asking some questions about their vacation club for $1999 out of curiosity.  

My only complaint so far other pushy/lying/swindling/misleading sales-folk is RCI publishes points grids that I can look up without an account, but I can't look up TPUs.  Kinda irks me as I was looking for the best value for trading purposes, and makes learning which weeks are worth it for our family difficult to evaluate prepurchase, and also makes learning about trading weeks and TPUs more difficult when you have no way to compare and contrast. Easy on the points side, though. 

OK, another one- waiting for the paperwork. I like things done quickly, and the whole transfer/purchase process takes entirely too long IMO.


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## chunkygal (Jul 8, 2013)

I bought before I found TUG and I am sure I could have gotten better deals...but it has helped me make the best of the situation....and by buying quality programs (Disney, Marriott) we have had some AWESOME family vacations (france, London, Hawaiii, Italy) that are some of the very best memories we laugh over, share, remember. 
Currently at Ko Oina Marriott in Hawaii. 
I have paid stupid tax on many things...but great vacations and memories made up for my stupid tax.


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## sdgaskill1 (Jul 14, 2013)

*Answering unhappy timeshare owners*

We were very happy owners for over 10 years with 8 resorts at the peak of ownership. We didn't trade but bought where we wanted to go. Family events changed and we had resorts we no longer wanted yearly. In addition, ownership of 3 of our resorts changed. in one instance in Hawaii, they turned the owners recreation area into a sales area for all their resorts. this left a very bad feeling toward the new owners. We sold the weeks there through an onsite realtor for 30% commission. That was fine as we had bought resales and almost got all the original cost back and enjoyed the resort for years. In another instance the new owners immediately started raising rates and are now among the highest in the industry. We loved the resort but sold it, losing money in the process. There are many reasons, beyond the purchaser's control, that causes unhappy owners. We hope an easier method for trading or selling becomes possible as life needs change. We would never buy new at developer's prices no matter how much we liked the area. It doesn't make economic sense as it once did. We still prefer staying in nice condos that timeshares provide rather than hotel rooms. REsales or rentals may be the way to go rather than buy. We have lots of good memories. S Gaskill.


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## timeos2 (Jul 15, 2013)

sdgaskill said:


> We were very happy owners for over 10 years with 8 resorts at the peak of ownership. We didn't trade but bought where we wanted to go.



Buying to use and being ready to change with the times are critical parts of timeshare ownership. Buying to use creates a very good chance that the ownership will be a positive one while watching for change minimizes the chances that outside factors will spoil things. 

Renting has emerged as a much better option than trading over the past decade.


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