• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 31 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 31st Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $23,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $23 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Mongoose

TUG Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2012
Messages
2,231
Reaction score
1,209
Location
Colorado
Resorts Owned
Hyatt Pinion Pointe, HGVC The Bay Club, HGVC Elara, Worldmark
Granted having lived in Florida I know that it's a bad state, but it wasn't always this bad.

I'm not sure why you think Florida is a "bad" state. It certainly has its issues, but there have been more people moving there from other states for a reason. In FL there is no state income tax, the literacy rate is higher than NY or CA, you have statewide school choice, and the violent crime rate in FL is lower than half the other states.
 
Joined
Apr 4, 2024
Messages
39
Reaction score
4
I'm not sure why you think Florida is a "bad" state. It certainly has its issues, but there have been more people moving there from other states for a reason. In FL there is no state income tax, the literacy rate is higher than NY or CA, you have statewide school choice, and the violent crime rate in FL is lower than half the other states.
Just from personal experience, and those that I know of, when I lived there myself for half of my life.
But that's irrelevant to this post.
 

TUGBrian

Administrator
Joined
Mar 24, 2006
Messages
23,137
Reaction score
8,929
Location
Florida
20 years ago this kind of information wasn't readily available to timeshare owners who were misled and ill informed.

TUG was around 20 years ago with this information....and 30 years ago too! =)
 

TUGBrian

Administrator
Joined
Mar 24, 2006
Messages
23,137
Reaction score
8,929
Location
Florida
plenty of phones, computers and internet in 2004!

1994 notsomuch!

sadly, even today most folks simply dont do any research before buying a timeshare. its not a technology issue at this point!
 

ScoopKona

Guest
Joined
May 7, 2008
Messages
6,315
Reaction score
3,871
Location
Monkey King Coffee - Captain Cook, Hawaii
Exactly. It's their "job", but I wish they'd also realize their job includes horrible methods and lying to set vulnerable people up.

Actually, their job is to do whatever their broker tells them to do. I sold timeshares in Florida for years. I worked for one of the good brokers, who is still a friend. We didn't have to tell any lies to sell our timeshares. "Here's what it does. Here's what it costs. You're spending the money anyway."

I doubt they'd even bother going to one of their resorts for some rewards, and I very much doubt they'd agree to a timeshare unless they 100% know it won't hurt them in the long run.

The "free gift" song and dance has always been a (lousy) part of this business model. It's why timeshares cost so much. It's not the sales commission (usually 10-20%). It's not the developer profit. It's getting people off the street and putting them in chairs so they can get their "free" show tickets, luau or whatever. That's where the lion's share of timeshare mark-up goes. The people who grab people off the street typically make as much or more than the salespeople.

20 years ago this kind of information wasn't readily available to timeshare owners who were misled and ill informed. Now there is.

Yes, it was. It was available 50 years ago. It's ALWAYS been available. But people will stand in line for free headaches, let alone free luaus.

Granted having lived in Florida I know that it's a bad state, but it wasn't always this bad.

Yes, it was this bad. In many ways, it was even worse back then. In some ways it's worse now. I got sick of it and left more than 15 years ago. Transplants are too blinded by the pleasant weather to notice the dirty backroom deals and bodies sunk in the swamps.
 

Mongoose

TUG Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2012
Messages
2,231
Reaction score
1,209
Location
Colorado
Resorts Owned
Hyatt Pinion Pointe, HGVC The Bay Club, HGVC Elara, Worldmark
plenty of phones, computers and internet in 2004!

1994 notsomuch!

sadly, even today most folks simply dont do any research before buying a timeshare. its not a technology issue at this point!
If I hadn’t Found TUG and had signed up, I more thank likely spent that evening scouring the paperwork and would have rescinded. It’s much better to have not signed at all. Thank you TUG and all the great members.
 

RunCat

Guest
Joined
Aug 2, 2018
Messages
418
Reaction score
218
Location
Boulder County, CO.
Resorts Owned
HPP, Sheraton Flex.
If I hadn’t Found TUG and had signed up, I more thank likely spent that evening scouring the paperwork and would have rescinded. It’s much better to have not signed at all. Thank you TUG and all the great members.
We bought from a developer a couple of times. The first time I thought about rescinding. (2002). But I was talked out of it by my mother, who, with my father, owned 3 fixed weeks, talked me out of it. Her comment was that she wished that they had owned timeshares when I was a kid. My two kids were 6 & 4. 20+ years later, my kids are spoiled having spent their lives traveling in timeshares.
 

Mongoose

TUG Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2012
Messages
2,231
Reaction score
1,209
Location
Colorado
Resorts Owned
Hyatt Pinion Pointe, HGVC The Bay Club, HGVC Elara, Worldmark
We bought from a developer a couple of times. The first time I thought about rescinding. (2002). But I was talked out of it by my mother, who, with my father, owned 3 fixed weeks, talked me out of it. Her comment was that she wished that they had owned timeshares when I was a kid. My two kids were 6 & 4. 20+ years later, my kids are spoiled having spent their lives traveling in timeshares.
Then it was money we’ll spent.
 

sfcagent86

Guest
Joined
Dec 25, 2021
Messages
12
Reaction score
0
I don't know what Exploria is exactly, but I would bet it's like Sapphire Resorts or Capital Vacations, where they move into older resorts and then make up some point system to book and sell points in that system.

I highly recommend that you file a complaint with the FL Attorney General. I remember when the now retired FL Attorney General contacted me over some complaints I had about one timeshare company that was changing rules on renting.

Most likely, the resorts in the Exploria system are so-so resorts (I think Summer Bay is in that bunch). Some might be nice, but it's nothing I would ever buy or consider buying into for any price (even free). I hope you will take the time to file a complaint with FL's AG. You can actually do it online.
So is Sapphire Resorts a scam and you are not really buying a deed to a timeshare? Please explain what is Sapphire Resorts, thank you
 
Joined
Aug 30, 2024
Messages
59
Reaction score
29
Resorts Owned
SWFL HGV Affiliate Resort
Because the notary who was translating reassured her that she was accurate in her verbal translation and seemed like a "good person".
Makes me wanna swan dive off a bridge. This is the thing I wanted to deal with. This is the worst thing she could've done to herself and her family.
This sounds like my parents. Luckily they're kinda old people "rude" (They dont sugar coat and care about feelings) and my dad is a country guy, he's not big but he talks really loud and everything sounds like he's extremely pissed off. One solid NO I DO NOT WANT IT!!!! and I think they'll stop asking lol
plenty of phones, computers and internet in 2004!

1994 notsomuch!

sadly, even today most folks simply dont do any research before buying a timeshare. its not a technology issue at this point!
People didnt USE the internet like that back then. I mean My parents didnt sit and actually start "messing" with computers at least until mid 2010s.

Especially people from rural areas. I know this is slightly off topic but kinds on topic: A lot of people who lived in "slower" areas were the LAST to get on the TECHNOLOGY TRAIN. People in more city, suburban areas were introduced to technology sooner than those who lived in farming towns and such of the south. Your mom, being from Kentucky, same thing: I would imagine most of her life she hasnt been SUPER introduced to technology. Meaning everything doesnt revolve around the "ease" of the push of a button. Im used to having no qualms about doing things "The old fashioned way".... this is one of the rare times I think technology has SAVED us. No more OLD FASHIONED you need to "keep up with the joneses" and fill misleading information and INFORM YOURSELF and im glad that forums like TUG make it easier to get informed.
 
Top