Forbes article on Timeshare Exit

[TUGBrian]

Getting Out Of A Timeshare In 2026 Will Be Harder Than Ever. Here’s What Works.

As maintenance fees skyrocket, owners find their investment is nearly impossible to sell or even give away. Here’s how to exit your timeshare without spending a fortune.

www.forbes.com

**Admin Edit, after reaching out to the author they have added an entire section to the article and included a link to TUG!

this was a frustrating article to read as its going to do nothing more than drive more desperate owners right into the hands of exit/cancellation companies where they will pay thousands of dollars to stop paying for their own timeshares. This entire article might as well have been an ad for an Exit Company.

so many parts of this article that really piss me off knowing the audience it reaches will be in the thousands.

 

[emeryjre]

Written by AI
2 Generations back
Very poorly done and glosses over important details

A well written rebuttal from TUG would be appropriate
IMHO

 

[TUGBrian]

The reporter actually responded to my email regarding the article and a followup, fingers crossed!

 

[pedro47]

Good luck TUGBRIAN.

 

[BingoBangoBongo]

There needs to be stronger Consumer Protection Laws on the initial sale of Timeshares.

 

[jp10558]

There needs to be stronger Consumer Protection Laws on the initial sale of Timeshares.

At this point I'd go for just competent journalists. How hard is it to search "timeshares" and find TUG etc...

 

[TUGBrian]

after a quick back and forth via email, he added an entire section to his article about default and quoted me along with a link to TUG so Ill give him credit for being open to suggestion and modification!

hopefully at the very least itll get people doing a bit more research before throwing good money after bad!

 

[BingoBangoBongo]

At this point I'd go for just competent journalists. How hard is it to search "timeshares" and find TUG etc...

A story that a journalist (competent or incompetent) writes that hardly anyone reads won't reign in the shady sales tactics that lock people into long term agreements that involve large amounts of money. For starters, the rescission period should be longer than it currently is and there should be some type of industry standards for the type information that needs to be disclosed and the format it gets disclosed. It's too easy to bury the real numbers in a CD or document that is multiple pages.

Maybe the journalist could write an article on the resale vs retail markets and illustrate where the real value in TS ownership is. I'm sure the developers would love that

 

[RX8]

Linx Legal is the exit company quoted in the article. Linx Legal proudly states on their website that they have been in business 16 years. Multiple times they state that they have been in business since 2009. The facts are that their original NC foreign corporation filing was October 2017 and their website was created April 2017. The original Linx Legal filing was in WY and as 2009. However, it is common for these companies to take an existing corporate entity, create a brand new exit company business to attach to the corporate entity and then say “In business many years!” when the reality is they are a new business using an old name. Deceitful if you ask me.

Their website states “Unlike many other timeshare cancellation companies, we have a very positive reputation”. Just check out the complaints on the BBB.

Linx Legal, Inc. | BBB Complaints | Better Business Bureau

View complaints of Linx Legal, Inc. filed with BBB. BBB helps resolve disputes with the services or products a business provides.

www.bbb.org

 

[andre10056]

Linx Legal is the exit company quoted in the article. Linx Legal proudly states on their website that they have been in business 16 years. Multiple times they state that they have been in business since 2009. The facts are that their original NC foreign corporation filing was October 2017 and their website was created April 2017. The original Linx Legal filing was in WY and as 2009. However, it is common for these companies to take an existing corporate entity, create a brand new exit company business to attach to the corporate entity and then say “In business many years!” when the reality is they are a new business using an old name. Deceitful if you ask me.

Their website states “Unlike many other timeshare cancellation companies, we have a very positive reputation”. Just check out the complaints on the BBB.

Linx Legal, Inc. | BBB Complaints | Better Business Bureau

View complaints of Linx Legal, Inc. filed with BBB. BBB helps resolve disputes with the services or products a business provides.

www.bbb.org

Oh my! That's something that should be brought to the attention of the journalist.

 

[Larry M]

Linx Legal is the exit company quoted in the article. Linx Legal proudly states on their website that they have been in business 16 years. Multiple times they state that they have been in business since 2009. The facts are that their original NC foreign corporation filing was October 2017 and their website was created April 2017. The original Linx Legal filing was in WY and as 2009. However, it is common for these companies to take an existing corporate entity, create a brand new exit company business to attach to the corporate entity and then say “In business many years!” when the reality is they are a new business using an old name. Deceitful if you ask me.

Their website states “Unlike many other timeshare cancellation companies, we have a very positive reputation”. Just check out the complaints on the BBB.

Linx Legal, Inc. | BBB Complaints | Better Business Bureau

View complaints of Linx Legal, Inc. filed with BBB. BBB helps resolve disputes with the services or products a business provides.

www.bbb.org

Almost two decades ago (!), there was a post here from a Canadian gentleman, looking for someone in North Carolina to call on an exit company with postal address in North Carolina which had not been responding to his calls and mails. He had expended a good deal of money with no response. He seemed quite desperate. The address was about 1-1/2 hours away, so I did some internet forensic research. The address was on the 17th floor of a skyscraper in the heart of downtown Charlotte. The office was the site of a Pitney-Bowes mail service which, at that time, offered the same mail-drop/forwarding as UPS does at their UPS Stores today. I had to inform the posting gentleman that their website was hosted in Mexico and gave him the name and contact information of the individual who registered the domain. As I recall, it was an "Anglo" name, address in Mexico City.

The name of the service evades me, but I am certain that it was not Linx Legal. I'm wondering if it's the same company/principals as years ago.

I was looking for my original posted response, but the search of my posting history only goes back to 2012. (Kind of annoying when the software upgrades don't include porting the history. It's not that difficult to port old items to a new format when changing over.)

 

[NikkiStonewall]

It saddens me that my time share deed MUST go to my children upon my death. The deed is in my name. Can anyone share what steps I can take NOW to prevent the deed from automatically going to my estate and thus to my children.

 

[RX8]

It saddens me that my time share deed MUST go to my children upon my death. The deed is in my name. Can anyone share what steps I can take NOW to prevent the deed from automatically going to my estate and thus to my children.

A common scare tactic of exit companies is the lie that your heirs have no option but to accept your timeshare and be stuck with it forever. Your heirs can refuse the timeshare.

If you no longer want your timeshare you can give it away, deedback to the timeshare HOA (if they have such a program) or just stop paying and let them foreclose.

 

[RX8]

Almost two decades ago (!), there was a post here from a Canadian gentleman, looking for someone in North Carolina to call on an exit company with postal address in North Carolina which had not been responding to his calls and mails. He had expended a good deal of money with no response. He seemed quite desperate. The address was about 1-1/2 hours away, so I did some internet forensic research. The address was on the 17th floor of a skyscraper in the heart of downtown Charlotte. The office was the site of a Pitney-Bowes mail service which, at that time, offered the same mail-drop/forwarding as UPS does at their UPS Stores today. I had to inform the posting gentleman that their website was hosted in Mexico and gave him the name and contact information of the individual who registered the domain. As I recall, it was an "Anglo" name, address in Mexico City.

The name of the service evades me, but I am certain that it was not Linx Legal. I'm wondering if it's the same company/principals as years ago.

I was looking for my original posted response, but the search of my posting history only goes back to 2012. (Kind of annoying when the software upgrades don't include porting the history. It's not that difficult to port old items to a new format when changing over.)

From what I can gather, Linx Legal is not a Mexican based company. They are a US based company who is taking advantage of unaware timeshare owners by charging thousands of dollars in exchange for doing very little work or work that can be done by the timeshare owner that costs very little to nothing.

The Mexican based scammers are typically using the “we have a buyer” business model. They will use fake addresses, a fake website and a VoIP phone number to make it appear that they are calling from their fake US city (when they are really calling from Mexico). They will request money upfront to be wired, using bogus Mexican taxes or other government fees as being required to be paid by the seller. When the victim pays, the scammers will keep coming back with more requests for money until the victim finally runs out of
money or gets wise to the scam. There are reports that this scam may be run by Mexican cartels supplementing their criminal income.

One common aspect of the Mexican scammers is that they don’t use a suite number. So if it is a 17 story office building the scammers will only show their address as 123 Main St. The reason is that it is easier to determine they aren’t at the address when they list a fake suite number.

 

[TUGBrian]

It saddens me that my time share deed MUST go to my children upon my death. The deed is in my name. Can anyone share what steps I can take NOW to prevent the deed from automatically going to my estate and thus to my children.

you an be very happy, because it absolute doesnt have to go to your children!

 

[PegStevek]

Getting Out Of A Timeshare In 2026 Will Be Harder Than Ever. Here’s What Works.

As maintenance fees skyrocket, owners find their investment is nearly impossible to sell or even give away. Here’s how to exit your timeshare without spending a fortune.

www.forbes.com

**Admin Edit, after reaching out to the author they have added an entire section to the article and included a link to TUG!

this was a frustrating article to read as its going to do nothing more than drive more desperate owners right into the hands of exit/cancellation companies where they will pay thousands of dollars to stop paying for their own timeshares. This entire article might as well have been an ad for an Exit Company.

so many parts of this article that really piss me off knowing the audience it reaches will be in the thousands.

In late 2007, I moved to a new state after living abroad for a couple of years, and despite filing a deed change with my name and address change (which went through), a timeshare I owned in Colorado for more than 10 years failed to acknowledge my address change when it came time to bill the annual maintenance. As a result, I didn’t pay and after about 10 months or so (I was very busy with a new job and simply forgot about it) I received a notice that they were foreclosing on my week. As soon as I received it, I called them to pay the maintenance I’d forgotten about and they said I would need to pay over $2000 in late charges PLUS the original amount I had purchased it for to reinstate it. I told them that was ridiculous and that was the end of it. They didn’t send anything to the credit bureau before or after I contacted them, so my always-stellar credit rating wasn’t affected at all. As mentioned in the revised article, I’m thinking it may well be that since I owned the week outright (I had paid in full when I bought it) it wasn’t worth the cost for them to come after me for the maintenance, so they instead filed the foreclosure.

 

[LannyPC]

It saddens me that my time share deed MUST go to my children upon my death. The deed is in my name. Can anyone share what steps I can take NOW to prevent the deed from automatically going to my estate and thus to my children.

Do you still want to keep it and keep using it until you die or do you want to just get rid of it now and cease using it?

If you want to keep it while you still can use it, I would suggest that you let your children know that you own this and, with the advice from TUG members, tell them how to get rid of it if/when you die. Many here on TUG would be happy to help your children in this regard. The best suggestion would be for your kids to contact the resort's Homeowners' Association and explain that they don't want their deceased parents' TS and request that the HOA take the TS back.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

It saddens me that my time share deed MUST go to my children upon my death. The deed is in my name. Can anyone share what steps I can take NOW to prevent the deed from automatically going to my estate and thus to my children.

Your children can absolutely refuse accepting it.

Instead, why not will it to someone whom you don't like ? They can decide if they want to keep it or not.














.

 

[TUGBrian]

I received a notice that they were foreclosing on my week. As soon as I received it, I called them to pay the maintenance I’d forgotten about and they said I would need to pay over $2000 in late charges PLUS the original amount I had purchased it for to reinstate it. I told them that was ridiculous and that was the end of it. They didn’t send anything to the credit bureau before or after I contacted them, so my always-stellar credit rating wasn’t affected at all. As mentioned in the revised article, I’m thinking it may well be that since I owned the week outright (I had paid in full when I bought it) it wasn’t worth the cost for them to come after me for the maintenance, so they instead filed the foreclosure.

pursuing foreclosure is expensive and time consuming to accomplish something the owner is willing to do for free already!

threatening to foreclose costs a stamp and more often than not results in the owner paying.

 

[sjudge]

I see where the ave maintenance fee is around $1875, mine is right at that level. I have been thinking about the exit, but still not ready to make the plunge. I appreciate this information, great insights scattered in the article but still not spelling out the the exact suggested steps but a lot of good ideas. Is there a position paper about the steps one would suggest be taken when the time comes that can be changed as this process evolves and timeshare companies start to use different tactics. I think the basic ideas suggested work, I just would just like it dumbed down for me and others a list that will tell the average timeshare owner when the day comes, these are the steps I should take. These are the paths I should avoid. All these ideas are great, but if such a paper exists, greatly appreciated. Please point me in that direction. THANK YOU.

 

[Hindsite]

All these ideas are great, but if such a paper exists, greatly appreciated. Please point me in that direction. THANK YOU.

Take a look at this and if there is more information that you think should be in it, then let Brian know. There is a large degree of variability by brand so specific steps that apply to everyone can be challenging, but there is usually information in the brand specific threads on the TUG forums.

How do I Get Rid of or Exit My Timeshare | Effective Solutions for Owners

How to Get Rid of a Timeshare | Discover All Valid Timeshare Exit Options for Owners and Avoid Scams | Free Solutions from Timeshare Users Group

tug2.net

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

It saddens me that my time share deed MUST go to my children upon my death. The deed is in my name. Can anyone share what steps I can take NOW to prevent the deed from automatically going to my estate and thus to my children.

Nobody can be forced to inherit a liability. Your heirs can absolutely disclaim it.

 

[TUGBrian]

I see where the ave maintenance fee is around $1875, mine is right at that level. I have been thinking about the exit, but still not ready to make the plunge. I appreciate this information, great insights scattered in the article but still not spelling out the the exact suggested steps but a lot of good ideas. Is there a position paper about the steps one would suggest be taken when the time comes that can be changed as this process evolves and timeshare companies start to use different tactics. I think the basic ideas suggested work, I just would just like it dumbed down for me and others a list that will tell the average timeshare owner when the day comes, these are the steps I should take. These are the paths I should avoid. All these ideas are great, but if such a paper exists, greatly appreciated. Please point me in that direction. THANK YOU.

are only 3 ways to exit any timeshare.

sell it/give it away
surrender it back to the resort
walk away.


100% of all exit solutions pitched to you or you will read anywhere will be some dressed up flavor of one of these 3.

 

[Kelso]

Getting Out Of A Timeshare In 2026 Will Be Harder Than Ever. Here’s What Works.

As maintenance fees skyrocket, owners find their investment is nearly impossible to sell or even give away. Here’s how to exit your timeshare without spending a fortune.

www.forbes.com

**Admin Edit, after reaching out to the author they have added an entire section to the article and included a link to TUG!

this was a frustrating article to read as its going to do nothing more than drive more desperate owners right into the hands of exit/cancellation companies where they will pay thousands of dollars to stop paying for their own timeshares. This entire article might as well have been an ad for an Exit Company.

so many parts of this article that really piss me off knowing the audience it reaches will be in the thousands.

What exit company does TUG say to use?

 

[TUGBrian]

none, as you can accomplish the exact same solution yourself for free.