Owning a Timeshare - Any Benefits?

[RG1820X]

Well to begin, my wife and I were vacationing in Aruba on our 10 year anniversary and found ourselves purchasing a timeshare. Though we tried to cancel the transaction, Aruban Law (or lack of one) would not allow us to null and void the contract at any time after signing it.

So if (1) you own a timeshare or (2) in the process of owning one or (3) thinking about owning one, please SHARE the BENEFITS of owning a timeshare (as I am already aware of the disadvantages of owning one). Thank you for your time and concern in educating a jemsiter in need of an education.

[IbanezFreak777]

I got no idea about it, but are you allowed to sell your timeshare ? If so, id look into selling it......

[michblanch]

I know people who own time shares and each one complains.
Generally you are tied in on the time you can use the time share, and if you can't make it at that time then you have to sell it and the company gets a cut of the sell.

Just join a Time Share club, that will let you use shares in different areas of the country, so you won't be tied down on when and where you have to be somewhere.

For instance, if you decide you want to go to the beach, or if you decide you want to go snow skiing, your options are open.

One of the guys at work just joined one of these, and he loves it.
So far he has been to Orlando and to Colorado.
I'll get the name of it tomorrow and post it. .

[jaxadam]

Originally Posted by michblanch

Just join a Time Share club, that will let you use shares in different areas of the country, so you won't be tied down on when and where you have to be somewhere.

For instance, if you decide you want to go to the beach, or if you decide you want to go snow skiing, your options are open.

This is the only advantage I can think of as well. I know of a few people who own timeshares, and they'll swap different locations, and it seems to be better than just locked in to one location.

[jay ratkowski]

My sister-in-law has a timeshare through Hilton that seems nice, albeit expensive. She "owns" a room in some resort in Hawaii with a great view... but if she doesn't use it she gets countless points for stays at any other Hilton branded hotel. I'm told the place has appreciated in value, something about it being in a location where nothing else can be built to block the ocean view or add competition.

I feel her story is probably in the minority. I have known others who have US-based timeshares, also through the major hotel chains. I think that's the only way I'd do something like that.

The way I look at it, if most timeshare companies have to give you fancy free vacations and other prizes just for listening to their sales pitch, they aren't selling anything you want.

[bammbamm]

My wife and I went to a couple different pitches, my wife's idea for freebie crap. neither was something we were interested in, with one exception.
In Neuvo Vallarta, they, instead of a sat dish or iPod, offered straight up CASH !
REAL honest to goodness money. it worked out to about 300 bucks.
The pitch was your typical long winded story about how much money we'll save buying it at 25K, then we declined the 1st guy, next thing you know, the 2nd guy says Ahh, I can offer you something the other guy can't so we're down to about $15K, WE TELL him NO. last guy, he can make us a deal that the last 2 people couldn't, it's our lucky day!
they were willing to offer it to us for $8500.00 Ooooh, a bargain, especially when it was 25,000.00 a few minutes before! We decline and the guy hands us a voucher for thew cashier. We go see him, he gives us 3000 Pesos. @ 10: that's 300 US dollars!

The one thing you find out is all the $ you spend on upkeep and "updates" at 5-10 G's every couple years... yeah, some bargain!

Oh, yeah, we met a couple who'd purchased their TS from the same company, they said they'd regretted it ever since.
Great endorsement and we were glad we didn't follow through.