Let me start off by saying I am completely new to not only this board, but also to the idea of timeshares, so I apologize for my naivety. My husband and I just returned from a caribbean vacation where we agreed to sit through the timeshare presentation. We chose not to purchase at the end of the sales pitch, because I am not one to make spontaneous decisions. I like doing my research first. I have always heard that timeshares are a scam, but from the things the salesman said, it seems like a person could easily make a yearly profit off of it. I am hoping you TUG users can help clarify a few things and let me know where my thinking is flawed on all this! 
Here is what I was told my the salesman: I would receive one primary week, one bonus week, and one wholesale week per year (so 3 weeks total) for a price of $13,500. I know there would be NO profit to be made if i actually paid this price. However, I also know that I could easily buy a timeshare resell on ebay for $1 (assuming I am patient and can find a desperate buyer who agrees to pay the resort transfer fee and no closing costs). If i bought a timeshare from the same resort from ebay, would i still have the 3 weeks mentioned above, or were the extra two weeks some type of "developer incentive?"
The salesman also told me I could easily give my wholesale week or primary week back to the resort, and they would sell it for me for the weekly rate of $2500. They would keep 30%, but I would still get 70% of that which would still be a nice check. They also told me I could sell the week myself for 100%. I don't foresee being able to sell it myself for more than $1700 so giving it back to them seems like the best option, ASSUMING they actually are able to sell them.
Basically, I don't understand how I would NOT make profit from owning a timeshare. Say I bought a timeshare for $1 on ebay and had maintenance fees of approx. 800 per year. I could give 2 of my 3 weeks back to the home resort and receive two checks for $1700. That totals to $3400. Of course i would pay my maintenance fee of 800 which would knock down my yearly profit to $2600. Still, a profit. I could actually use that $2600 profit for flight, meals, etc on my 3rd week and have a free vacation every year. Or, if its not that easy to just sell back to the resort, I could sell my week on ebay and once again cover my maintenance fees.
I realize timeshares are not exactly an "investment" if bought from the developer for thousands of dollars, but if I basically got one free from ebay, why wouldn't I make money off of it every year? What is the catch?
I am so confused! Thanks in advance for all of your help
Here is what I was told my the salesman: I would receive one primary week, one bonus week, and one wholesale week per year (so 3 weeks total) for a price of $13,500. I know there would be NO profit to be made if i actually paid this price. However, I also know that I could easily buy a timeshare resell on ebay for $1 (assuming I am patient and can find a desperate buyer who agrees to pay the resort transfer fee and no closing costs). If i bought a timeshare from the same resort from ebay, would i still have the 3 weeks mentioned above, or were the extra two weeks some type of "developer incentive?"
The salesman also told me I could easily give my wholesale week or primary week back to the resort, and they would sell it for me for the weekly rate of $2500. They would keep 30%, but I would still get 70% of that which would still be a nice check. They also told me I could sell the week myself for 100%. I don't foresee being able to sell it myself for more than $1700 so giving it back to them seems like the best option, ASSUMING they actually are able to sell them.
Basically, I don't understand how I would NOT make profit from owning a timeshare. Say I bought a timeshare for $1 on ebay and had maintenance fees of approx. 800 per year. I could give 2 of my 3 weeks back to the home resort and receive two checks for $1700. That totals to $3400. Of course i would pay my maintenance fee of 800 which would knock down my yearly profit to $2600. Still, a profit. I could actually use that $2600 profit for flight, meals, etc on my 3rd week and have a free vacation every year. Or, if its not that easy to just sell back to the resort, I could sell my week on ebay and once again cover my maintenance fees.
I realize timeshares are not exactly an "investment" if bought from the developer for thousands of dollars, but if I basically got one free from ebay, why wouldn't I make money off of it every year? What is the catch?
I am so confused! Thanks in advance for all of your help