Why are timeshares bad? Time-share was very popular until the 1990s. It is becoming fashionable again, especially for tourist investments abroad. When going on vacation, it is always good to have a comfortable place to go and stay with the family. How many times has it not happened to you that you have to pay for a hotel for your accommodation? You must be familiar with this situation! Above all, hotels are not always the best option to spend your vacations.
However, several methods can allow you to go wherever you want, or to a place that you visit frequently several times a year — without having to buy a property specifically speaking — but also without renting it or going to hotels, if that was what you thought. This property will be yours during the time you use it, and it is called Timeshare.
Unfortunately, timeshares are not as attractive as the seller states in his sales presentation. They are expensive, you probably won’t use them as much as you think, the resale values are incredibly low (which makes them difficult to sell) and they will surely cause you more problems, than offering you comfort.
So, if you have been thinking about buying a timeshare or if someone has told you: “Get out of a timeshare now!“, this article should intrigue you.
The decision of buying a timeshare is a big decision that you should not make impulsively.
And whether it will be good or not, it’s always a question. If you own a vacation house, other hassles await you: it must be maintained, cleaned, and repaired. Therefore, this poses a lot of problems, just for a property you will use twice a week in summer.
Also, be mindful that the rest of the time, your property is not yours anymore. The dacha only belongs to you only while you are vacationing, and the rest of the time, it is not yours. A magical version of the property; this magic is at the heart of time multidimensionality. That sounds like a deal! But, it is really not.
The truth is that you are not offered to buy in the property, neither the dacha itself, but the time spent on it, say, two weeks a year – in the property. Many will think: what type of property is it – is it a lease? And we will object; the rented premises cannot be sold, donated, bequeathed, and a fortiori rented: you rent it yourself, the property can only be used. The timeshare system allows you to do so.
The word Timeshare itself is English and translates as time – time, sharing – sharing, i.e. a fraction of time. You buy ownership of a property for a fraction of the time, and this fraction is usually a calendar week. So, you buy this fraction of the time for a certain period: from 1 year to 79 years. For 79 years, you can use one week a year, or maybe two or more, or buy the 52 weeks a year and your summer cottage will be your property all year round.
The most important factor: you buy time as a property, and it becomes possible to dispose of it as you wish: give, bequeath, rent and receive money for it, sell and make a profit. If you desire to rent this space, you can’t do it. Think about it: you bought a multidimensional property, you used it five years ago, then you sold it. It turns out that all the time while you held onto the timeshare; you made nothing out of it.
Is it worth buying a timeshare?
Although many of us would like to have a holiday home, the cost and maintenance throughout the year prevent us from making that dream come true. If you like the idea of having a home away from home, buying a timeshare could be the best option. However, you need to do your homework. First, you will have to understand how timeshares work.
When you buy a timeshare, you are buying the right to use a specific unit in a resort for a designated period of time each year, usually a calendar week. You have that right for the rest of your life, or for a contracted number of years. You can sell it at any time. Timeshare is purchased in advance for a lump sum. Prices will vary depending on the property itself, as well as the value of the week you want. As expected, summer and Christmas will cost more than the less popular times.
In addition, you must pay the maintenance fees (an annual lump sum or monthly payments), plus your share of the property taxes at the resort. Those maintenance fees, which can range from approximately $500 to $1,200 per year, must be paid whether or not you use the unit. When you stay in the unit, you will be charged a fee for cleaning services.
A timeshare purchase is legally binding, it is not an agreement that you can choose, so consider the pros and cons carefully. The terms of owning a timeshare vary, so always read the fine print before making a decision. But, in general terms, here are the potential benefits and disadvantages of being a timeshare owner.
A homely feeling: A timeshare unit is like an apartment, with a bedroom and a bathroom (at least), a kitchen, a living room, and laundry. You can relish the comforts and the feeling of being at home, as well as the possibility of saving money by cooking your own meals.
Certainly one of its most forceful qualities is that you can obtain a property, which in part will be “yours”, but of course, for certain or agreed periods, this is quite tempting and a good option for family enjoyment. It is possible to rent the property if you do not wish to enjoy it during your time of enjoyment. It is also possible to exchange your week for that of other multi-owners, and possibly on another destination. In this case, however, you remain responsible for the maintenance of the property during the stay of your tenants.
However, the cons of buying of timeshare immensely outweigh its benefits:
- Timeshare is expensive. If you are thinking of buying a timeshare, you should know that you have to face a down payment, interest, and closing costs.
- Timeshares have high annual maintenance fees. Maintenance fees must be paid year after year, regardless of whether the property is used or not. If you stop paying for it, the complex in which your timeshare is located can start the collection process. This can cause long-term negative effects on your credit score and finances.
- Timeshare is almost impossible to sell. The number one reason why people want to sell their timeshare is because of the increase in maintenance fees.
- You may not use timeshare as much as you think. There are many reasons why you may not use your timeshare every year, which then becomes a waste of money. Maybe you have a year of bad income and can’t afford to travel to your timeshare, an emergency arises, you want to take a vacation somewhere else, or maybe there is another pandemic inducing lockdown, etc.
- You have many other options for your vacation. There are MANY ways to enjoy a cheaper vacation. You can enjoy the best packages on hotels and flights, use credit card rewards, visit out-of-season, combine your trip, and more.
- Unpredictable costs. Maintenance fees can, and often increase every year. Before signing, ask if maintenance fees are limited, which means that they cannot increase above a set amount. In addition, exceptional improvements, such as the replacement of carpets or windows throughout the complex, may not be included in regular maintenance fees, and you will have to pay your share if they are not. Also, take into account the transport costs. If reaching your timeshare requires flying, that expense may vary depending on fuel prices and other factors. And if it costs several thousand dollars to get your family to the timeshare property; you may not even use it twice a year.
- It is not an investment: a timeshare should not be considered a good investment. Selling a timeshare can be difficult and, in many cases, owning a timeshare will only give you rights of use for a certain amount of time (usually 20 to 30 years), and then the property returns to the developer.
- Use it or lose it. In most cases, the week you choose at the beginning is the only one you receive, and your unit will simply sit empty if you don’t show up. That means that if you have a last-minute emergency, or if you have to attend a wedding during the same time, you will lose your vacation that year. Often, immediate family members can take their place, but if unforeseen circumstances prevent you from going, your immediate family may not be able to get there either.
- Possible resale scams: both the Federal Trade Commission and the FBI warned that the frequency of timeshare resale scams has increased in recent years, and many owners have been victims of fraud. As always, always do thorough research before considering a sale.
You also have to keep in mind that you can rent timeshares from other owners for a FRACTION of what they have paid for. Usually, you can find them for a couple of hundred dollars a week, while the timeshare owner still pays the maintenance fees every year, which are probably double or triple what you have agreed with them. Selling or canceling your timeshare may be your only option to get rid of this burden. At Timeshare Exit Advice, we only recommend companies that have experienced lawyers with a solid background in legal knowledge and judicial trials. Every second counts, so don’t waste your time. Call us today, for a free consultation!
Why is timeshare a bad investment?
The concept of timeshare refers to the modality of acquiring a holiday complex in a tourist destination among several people. There are a huge number of people looking to sell their timeshares. In theory, yes it is possible to sell them. However, it isn’t easy to do so; between having to compete with other owners who also want to get rid of their own and the construction of new buildings under this concept is really difficult.
And it becomes more complicated when cases of fraud in the resale of these spaces abound in the market, thus creating a bad reputation for this turn. This means that, contrary to the trend of real estate to increase in value, they have to be closed at really low prices.
Well, in addition to what was paid for it, you must comply with a maintenance fee that usually goes up year after year, as well as the responsibility for the proportional payment of taxes that are deducted from the property.
Sales Challenges
A timeshare property can be difficult to sell because it will be competing with many other timeshare resellers, as well as new timeshare complexes in the area. To complicate matters even more, contracts may stipulate that the management company receives a commission for its sale, or places other conditions on resale. Some timeshare owners end up selling their units on real estate websites for much less than they paid. They prefer to let it go for very little than to continue paying the maintenance fees. (Of course, this can be a blessing for buyers). In addition, if you sell your timeshare for less than you paid, you are not allowed to claim a capital loss as you would with regular real estate.
There is no increase in value.
While a normal property of real estate can grow in value as time goes by, timeshare is rarely worth more than they are sold and often worth less. Much of the price of a timeshare goes to marketing and advertising, business costs of the management company, and other various expenses, instead of being a real investment in the property itself.
A long-term (or lifelong) commitment
Most timeshare contracts are perennial. That means that you are legally obliged to pay the maintenance fee and taxes for an indefinite period. If it does not, the results are very similar to the breach of any other debt: the collection agencies could pursue it and your credit rating will be affected. It is difficult for most of us to predict what our personal situations will be in a decade or more. You may lose your job or you might launch a new business requiring more capital. Or maybe you end up traveling to your timeshare may be more than you expected. None of this is to say that buying a timeshare is a bad decision. It can be a great decision, one that you should think about to make sure it’s right for you. Those who buy a timeshare impulsively, or from a high-pressure seller who boasts a luxury gift as a temptation, often end up regretting it.
Why you should not buy a timeshare?
The predictability of a timeshare vacation can be seen as positive or negative, depending on your perspective. Sometimes people love the idea of owning a fraction of a place. On the contrary, many people are burdened by it. They want to exit their contracts and have spent millions on it. Therefore, whether you should buy it, or not depends solely on you. But remember to always think thoughtfully when signing a timeshare. It is also advised to consult a professional before you agree to a timeshare or want to exit it. If you need a consultation, we are available at your service and would love to connect you with reliable timeshare exit companies within your vicinity.
Why is it a bad idea to buy them?
As mentioned, many times the price to pay is quite high, and if you do not make use of cost divisions among the rest of the Timeshare investors, you could end up paying a single fee that can even reach 30,000 dollars as an initial and an annual rate of up to 1000 dollars, depending on factors such as the size of the property, services that it includes and the area where it is located.
In addition, despite the fact that many companies increase the price of each Timeshare rapidly each year (which ends up disappointing customers), the harsh reality is that within the market they rarely increase in value; in case you want to sell any of your timeshares. In fact, these are usually cheaper than was initially spent to obtain them.
In some cases, it is very common to see how Timeshare sellers make misleading ads to their customers. This is to make the innocent believe that it is a purchase with the right to the title of ownership when in reality it is not so. Deceiving marketing gimmicks!
Whenever the word timeshare is heard, many people think of scams, because this sector has been quite discredited over time due to several factors that are not favorable to timeshare buyers.
Reasons to cancel a timeshare
The timeshare industry has garnered a very corrupt reputation. Many people explain that at all times they were in a high-pressure environment when buying, as sellers usually provide services to tourists and people who believe is easier to persuade into buying.
After a timeshare contract, there are several reasons for a person to cancel it, for example, the person who buys realizes that:
- Most of the verbal promises made by the sellers are not written in the contract.
- You cannot pay the monthly and annual fees.
- It is possible to travel at a cheaper price on your own than by using a timeshare.
- Possibly you felt that you were pressured to buy a timeshare, by the sellers.
- You were possibly told that a timeshare would be a good investment, but after all, it doesn’t turn out to be such a thing.
How to cancel a timeshare?
Canceling a timeshare can be very challenging since usually the contracts that are signed are quite difficult to cancel without penalty and long administrative processes.
These basic factors must be taken into account before canceling a timeshare: the date of purchase, the cancellation period, the amount paid, and the hotel where the purchase is made.
The cancellation date is of vital importance because, during that termination period, it can be canceled without any penalty.
The cancellation period will depend on each hotel, sometimes you have 3 days, others up to 5 days to cancel the contract, so it will always depend on the location where the purchase was made; as each state and location have different laws for rescission period.
In order to exit a timeshare successfully, you will need to hire a reliable timeshare exit company. Sign up with us and we will help you to the best of our ability. We at Timeshare Exit Advice, protect you from being scammed by recommending only trusted timeshare exit companies based on genuine reviews by their consumer base. Sign up today and explore the number of reliable timeshare exit companies near you!
