There are few "absolute" rules when it comes to selling a timeshare. About the only one that I know is that a consumer should never buy or sell a timeshare on impulse. It always needs to be a well researched decision, and the consumer who doesn't take a deep breath and back away from an impulse decision will normally regret it!
Likewise, all the various players in the resale industry may want you to believe they wear a pristine white cowboy hat- but most everybody I know has at least a little dirt that has rubbed off while they've been playing in the mud...
For consumers- just like all programs they need to fully research the entire industry (including classifieds such as TUG, licensed brokers with no upfront fees, PCC's, charities, resort deed back programs, and also consider the actual ramifications of simply defaulting). There is no single one answer that is correct... While there are often no great choices, there are always options. Some of which will probably hurt less than others!
I'm not a fan of PCC's- but I have talked to numerous clients who for them- paying a few thousand to be rid of a timeshare was a researched decision that made sense for their situation. Likewise, there is at least one member of LTRBA who operates their own "reverse equity" sale program where the seller pays $1,500 plus closing costs and the unwanted timeshare is deeded out of their name. There are also other methods of earning a commission on a "worthless" timeshare.
Consumers need to explore as many options as they can... It seems like common sense, but we have to remember that timeshare owners in general are a demographic that is prone to impulse. This is the reason why everyday there are new stories about timeshare owners being scammed by cons that seem ridiculously transparent to most of us. It's often the nature of a timeshare owner to makes them an easy target.
Consumers need to pay less attention to labels and trade groups, and instead concentrate on the details of the transaction itself. Just because a broker or reseller pays hundreds to belong to a trade organization such as ARDA or LTRBA does not necessarily mean they have the best interest of the client as the heart of their business.
This doesn't mean they are bad people- it's just the cut throat nature of the timeshare industry itself. No different than non-licensed Tuggers who run their own flip business. In every aspect of life, the savvy always have an advantage over the uneducated in any specific industry.
The best advice to always give to any seller is "Educate Yourself"..
That opportunity for learning is always the best part of websites such as TUG.
For readers of this thread- there will always be sharp differences of opinion between posters- and there will always be conflicting information about who others would recommend you use.. Take all of that with a grain of salt and use these discussions not as the answers themselves- but rather as suggestions!