One last thing to add…We were told that we could go almost anywhere around the country and world for $159/$259 a week. They gave us a book with a ton of destinations and resorts/hotels. My question is, would we be able to still do that if we bought a timeshare on eBay? Or would we be stuck at that one resort? Sorry for all the questions.
The short answer about exchanging is yes - there is no real difference between retail and resale in most cases. Once you own your timeshare, where you bought it, or what you spent, is mostly irrelevant. The maintenance fees and ongoing costs are the same, regardless of where you bought.
Exchanging is not a perfect science. There needs to be an available unit you want, at the time and in the location you want. A lot of planning and coordination has to happen to get a good exchange - providing the week you deposit has the trading power to be able to pull that perfect exchange you want. Technically, you "can" go anywhere in the world, but only if you can find a comparable exchange that balances what you're trading. They are not always available, and certainly not at the drop of a hat. Most good/great exchanges take a year or two of planning ahead, and more than a dash of coincidental good luck.
If the stars align and there IS availability and your week is strong enough to pull it, then an exchange can happen. Whether you can get it for $159/$259 a week? Unlikely, and HIGHLY DOUBTFUL, at best. The annual membership in an exchange company might be $159 or $259, but to accept an exchange through them requires you to deposit your week (on which you've paid maintenance fees), and you'd also pay an exchange fee at the time to accept that exchanged week. Costs mount quickly, and the bargain days of timesharing are mostly history anymore. The two major exchange companies, RCI and Interval International, have discounted "getaway" or "last minute" vacations available for a lower price, but I doubt you could get either one for those $159/$259 kind of numbers.
Something to fully understand and accept: You need to be HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS of anything a timeshare salesperson told you - they live on their sales commissions, so will promise you everything to get you to buy. Whether you can later do what they promise rarely happens the way they said. They won't care - they have your money in their pocket, and they smile all the way to the bank.
Rescind, while you have time. Do the research, and if you decide you want to buy that same deal again, you can ALWAYS buy it again. But once you have the knowledge to make a smart decision, you'll see there are many other options. Get out of your sale while you still have time.
Dave
