Anyone here ever own or owned a time share

[_19disnA]

Nope. Most of the time-share industry has a sleazy reputation as fast-talking scam artists. Now they call their 'time share' something else (i.e. fractional ownership, vacation club.....etc.) to try to fool people. Several other scam industries have also appeared offering to sell your time-share for an upfront fee (scam) or will provide some kind of legal paperwork to help you get out of it. The reality as many have mentioned above there is ZERO active resale market for many of these and you are basically stuck with the ongoing fees for something that is worthless. My parents used to own a time-share and that was their experience as well. MOST of what the fast-talking salesperson told them turned out to be lies, had trouble renting when they weren't able to use and it was basically a pre-paid vacation expense with no current value. Fees went up and the amenities originally offered were no longer available. Time-share sales people SAY they will help you sell if you want to dispose, but are mainly focused on selling NEW units to more gullible buyers. Finally helped them dispose of it when they were no longer able to travel due to advancing age. Anything sold using high pressure sales tactics should make people ask why that is necessary and walk away.

Perhaps Disney is more reputable with their time-share, but still would never own one.

 

[71 Truck]

Yes.
My wife and I bought DVC when it was less than $60 dollars a point. Over the years we have gotten more than our monies worth based on the way we vacation.
At one time back in the beginning we would use our points for cruises when it was worth it. That alone based on the savings paid for the initial purchase of our DVC membership.
Unfortunately now the points for the cruises are not that good so we just mainly use it for short stays at Walt Disney World.

On the other hand my in laws at one time had 5 or 10 of the most expensive free breakfasts you could imagine. I do not remember who they bought with but it was not DVC.

 

[Darcy03231]

Nope. Never even been tempted.

My parents' friends had a couple and they loved them. They bought in prime locations and prime weeks so they never had trouble trading for other places. As I recall they had St. Maarten & Las Vegas. It fit their vacation lifestyle. I also have a co-worker who has one in St. Maarten. Goes every year for two weeks.

 

[jsmith]

My parents bought one that converted to RCI in 2003 and additional points in 2005. After my father passed away in 2008 my mother parted with more than half a million dollars first to a scam organization that would sell it for her and then to numerous bogus lawyers who would make her a part of legal settlements in the state of Florida that would repay her what she had already lost. Most abhorrent industry in the world and it breeds scammers.

 

[jsmith]

My parents bought one that converted to RCI in 2003 and additional points in 2005. After my father passed away in 2008 my mother parted with more than half a million dollars first to a scam organization that would sell it for her and then to numerous bogus lawyers who would make her a part of legal settlements in the state of Florida that would repay her what she had already lost. Most abhorrent industry in the world and it breeds scammers.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

or come close

in my 20,s I almost bought a time share at Atlantic City, they gave us these real nice leather bags to go listen, I was almost persuaded , they kept lowering the price, then when I said "no" I will never forget how mean they got to me. You heerer all types of comercials now, where peole paying good money tog et out of them U an stiull so glad I didnt make a bad purchase

but just to prove I dont always make good ones, I bought all kinds of Beta movies, LOL

Given what Atlantic City turned into, I bet you're glad you didn't purchase. I've never purchased a time share. Never been seriously tempted to.

No, none of the swag was worth it to me to sit through a sales pitch.

A friend of mine went to one where they had prizes. The first prize was a chance to win a million dollars, second prize was a nice dinner table and chairs and such and third prize was a membership to a health club. I found this out because she was trying to get out of the health club. As it turns out it was a trial membership during which she got another high pressure sales pitch. She told me she was so excited about winning the prize that she bought in. I told her that everyone wins the third prize. It's just another marketing gimmick. LOL she goes to a marketing gimmick and wins another marketing gimmick.

 

[Lumpy1106]

We bought 160 points resale @ BLT right before the restrictions (that have now gone away??) - so far so good, but I draw the line at resale. I would not buy DVC direct. We could sell our resale contract today for the same price. My in-laws own two, one is Marriott that they have been happy with and the other one I don't know, but they I think finally found a way to get out of - that was not a good experience. My parents looked very seriously into buying a timeshare in HI but so glad they didn't. They are now unable to travel and my siblings and I have no interest in going to HI on a regular basis.

The biggest benefit I have found from DVC is the "guaranteed" vacation. By that I mean WE are going to go on vacation, not that DVC is guaranteeing us a vacation. That little bit of obligation makes a big difference. I imagine other timeshares have the same appeal - but you do have to be careful with what you are getting into.

 

[fortwildernessishome]

We've ran the numbers a few times while considering DVC, but they never worked out in the right direction.
Renting points always has been a better fit for us.
Have never considered any other timeshare - my brother has one, he can't get rid of it. Not a terribly expensive one, long ago paid off. They never use it, can't give it away - truly, they tried to give it away for free and pay the transfer fees/taxes and couldn't get a taker! They looked into one of those Companies that get you out of timeshares, but the hidden costs didn't make sense - especially considering they had to pay even if the Company couldn't get rid of the timeshare. So, they continue to pay the dues every year.

I actually know two people that are in the same situation as your brother! Long ago paid for and they can't give it away!!

 

[nene0182]

We own DVC and have never regretted it. My parents own Wyndham and that is a mess. We sat in on a presentation for them when we were on a family trip to Williamsburg and it was horrible. I told my mother while I love her, I would never do that again. They are so pushy with their sales tactic they were even lying to us about our DVC contract. It was really not a good experience.

 

[firefly_ris]

Nope. DVC wouldn't work for us either, we don't go to Disney every year.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Always wanted DVC to keep our family vacationing as a group as it grows but over the years buying in became less and less appealing.

Back when it started they would give perks like a few years free tickets (doesn't really cost anything since the parks are still there anyway) AND would give help making arrangements to give it a try at your desired resort THEN give that week free off the top if you signed to buy. The last few times I inquired they would always try to force me to stay somewhere I don't want to be (Saratoga Springs never appealed to me at all and is NOT going to help anyone sell me anything) and had no perks that I can see so it's a big why. If you notice all the videos are about having fun on vacation NOT about what the facility or timeshare offers that is beneficial, I think to myself no-one needs to sell me on vacation LOL. So with all the expense of DVC (they never add in all the fees ets on those charts, it might just be cheaper to spring for a Villa or pay for our kids families rooms when our family gets bigger and they don't have it to spend. Been thinking a lot about this lately as my kids grow into adulthood.

My in-laws loved having timeshare in Aruba, they have never had a complaint but it's much more cost effective than DVC.

I have looked at an Italian themed Marriott or maybe Hilton around Orlando that I like a lot but didn't buy since there was evidence of an abandoned project near the property. I have a cousin that adores her Marriott and uses it to go to Hawaii. I have another cousin that likes the one that had a slime thing near Universal and she never complained.

 

[kdonnel]

I have read several accounts of people who lived a year or more bouncing from one timeshare to another that they owned for their retirement.

The cost was listed at about $11,000 a month, $4,000 of which was maintenance fees, the rest was living expenses and expenses associated with getting from one timeshare to another.

In each case they were very careful with what timeshares they purchased and that $11,000 a month did not include the money spent buying the timeshares in preparation for their traveling retirement.

The accounts were intriguing for sure but I do not think I would want to travel that much. In each cases they spent a week in each location to as long as four weeks.

 

[_19disnA]

I think the original concept of time shares was sound, but once the con artists saw a way to make a fast buck, things started to go downhill. The original developer can sell the same weekly vacation unit to 52 different people. If they would invest that money and use it pay for future upkeep expenses (i.e. new roof, painting, furniture, general maintenance) seems like a reasonably sound concept. However, the con artists walked off with those funds or used it to finance their next vacation destination. Over the years, there was no money for repairs/upkeep, so they just had to raise prices of those who were owners. Eventually it becomes a bad pyramid scheme where it is necessary to keep finding new buyers or the whole thing just falls apart.

 

[anjuan]

My spouse had bought an RCI one (Orange Lake in FL) before I married him. Orange Lake itself was nice but you were restricted to the same week every year. We did go to different RCI facilities with it, but I always felt like we had to plan our vacation around an RCI facility each year. One thing I'm very grateful for is that we never added my name to it when we were married. When we divorced he wanted it and I was very glad for him to keep it. I know it later became a burden for him financially.

My step dad's family wanted to give him one of theirs and I convinced him that it would be a bad idea to accept it.

 

[elgerber]

We bought DVC 18 years ago, and haven't regretted it for a second.

 

[unrequited23]

My in-laws gifted us a timeshare week that we never wanted. They even had the quit claim deed notarized without our signatures.

 

[Heather07438]

My in-laws gifted us a timeshare week that we never wanted. They even had the quit claim deed notarized without our signatures.

How nice of them, lol.

 

[mrsstats79]

I own 2 - 1 on even years, 1 on odd years. One in Vegas, one in Orlando. Bought resale. Not unhappy.

 

[RamblingMad]

Lots of time share folks over in the DVC portion of this board. I can't get the math to work.

 

[NFLDERS]

Sorry internet is too blippy To 'share' my experience keeps knocking me out. I'll try later.