Is a timeshare exit team legitimate? how to tell

Last updated 2026-07-26

Is a company called "timeshare exit team" actually legitimate?

There's no single national company that owns the phrase "timeshare exit team." It's used as a generic descriptor by a lot of businesses, some registered LLCs with a real office and a lawyer on staff, some little more than a call center and a website. That means you can't answer "is it legitimate" for the category as a whole. You have to check the specific business you're looking at. One company that literally used this name, Timeshare Exit Team (operated by Reed Hein & Associates, LLC), was sued by the Washington State Attorney General in 2019. The state's complaint, filed in King County Superior Court, alleged violations of the state's Consumer Protection Act, including deceptive claims about the company's success rate and pressure tactics used on owners. In February 2021, Reed Hein entered a consent decree requiring at least $2 million in consumer restitution and barring it from operating in Washington ^[1]. That's a real, documented case, not a rumor. So the honest answer: some businesses operating under exit-team-style names have done real work for owners and refunded people when they couldn't deliver. Others have taken large upfront fees and disappeared, or strung clients along for years with no result. The name alone tells you nothing. The specific company's registration, complaint history, and fee structure tell you a lot. Before paying anyone, read our breakdown of timeshare exit companies and cross-check any firm against your state attorney general's consumer complaint database.

What are the red flags of a timeshare exit scam?

The Federal Trade Commission has published guidance warning owners to research any exit company before paying anything, because complaints about upfront-fee exit schemes are common enough to generate a specific consumer alert on the topic ^[2]. Demanding money before doing any work is one of the clearest warning signs regulators point to. Here's the pattern that shows up in state AG lawsuits and consumer complaint data again and again: - Large upfront fee (often $3,000 to $10,000+) required before any work begins, with no escrow protection

• High-pressure sales tactics, including claims that a special promotion expires today
• Vague or unverifiable success rate claims ("we've helped thousands of owners exit")
• Instructions to stop paying your maintenance fees or mortgage while they "work on it"
• Refusal to name the individual attorney or law firm actually handling your file
• No written contract, or a contract with no refund terms if they fail That instruction to stop paying is especially dangerous. If you stop paying assessed fees or a timeshare loan, the resort can send you to collections, report late payments to the credit bureaus, or in some states pursue foreclosure on the timeshare interest. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has separately warned that stopping payments based on a third party's promise to negotiate on your behalf can lead to serious credit damage even if that company eventually delivers results ^[3]. Never stop paying amounts you legally owe based on a company's promise that it'll "handle it." A legitimate company (or law firm) can tell you exactly what work it will do, provide a written scope, and usually offers some form of fee protection like a trust account or bar association's client trust rules, rather than pocketing your full fee day one.

How much does it cost to get out of a timeshare?

Rescission (buyer's remorse period)	$0, sometimes a small processing fee	Days to a few weeks
Developer deed-back / surrender program	$0 to ~$1,500 in fees, if accepted	1-6 months
Resale (selling on the secondary market)	Listing fees $0-$500; sale price often near $0 or negative	Months to years
Exit company (attorney-based or third-party)	$2,000 to $8,000+, sometimes more for multiple deeds	6 months to 2+ years
Timeshare Exit Kit (self-directed research tool)	$149 one-time	Self-paced	The resale market is brutal. Consumer complaint patterns and secondary-market listing sites consistently show most timeshares reselling for a small fraction of the original purchase price, and it's common to see listings priced at $1 just to escape ongoing maintenance fee obligations. The Government Accountability Office has noted that timeshare interests generally carry very limited resale value compared to the original purchase price, a pattern consistent across multiple consumer-facing reviews of the secondary market. What matters most for an exit decision isn't what you paid originally, it's what you'll actually recover on resale, which for most owners is close to nothing. Maintenance fees are the other side of the cost equation, and they tend to rise faster than general inflation, which is a big reason owners look for an exit in the first place. If you're comparing your own fee increase against a benchmark, the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the Consumer Price Index data you can use to see how your increases stack up against general inflation over the same years [4].

Costs vary enormously depending on which exit path you use, and anyone who quotes you a single flat number without knowing your situation is guessing. | Exit path | Typical cost | Timeline |

How do you get out of a timeshare (the actual options)?

There are really only four legitimate paths out, plus one you should ignore. Here's how they stack up. First, rescission. Every state gives timeshare buyers a window to cancel a brand-new purchase with no penalty, sometimes called a cooling-off period. This is by far your best option if you're still inside it. The window length is set by state law and varies a lot; some states give 3 days, others give 5, 7, 10, or even 15. For example, Florida's timeshare statute gives buyers a 10-day rescission period running from the day the contract is signed or the day the buyer receives the last of the required documents, whichever is later . You must confirm your specific state's rescission window and follow the exact cancellation method (usually written notice, often by certified mail) named in your contract and state statute. Our guide on rescission windows by state breaks down where to look. Second, a deed-back or surrender program direct with the developer. Many large timeshare companies now run their own exit or deed-back programs for owners current on payments. These aren't automatic, the resort can say no, but they cost little or nothing if accepted and don't require paying a third party. Read more on deed-back programs. Third, resale or transfer. You can try to sell or even give away your timeshare through licensed resale brokers or transfer companies. Expect a low or negative net return; the value is mostly in getting rid of the maintenance fee obligation, not making money. Fourth, hiring an attorney or a vetted exit company to negotiate release, contest the contract, or pursue legal grounds like misrepresentation at the point of sale. This costs the most and takes the longest, but for owners with no deed-back option and no resale market, it can be the only path. What to skip: any company that claims it can promise a specific cancellation outcome and wants full payment before starting. No legitimate business can promise an outcome that depends on a third-party resort or lender agreeing to release you. Our timeshare cancellation guide walks through what a realistic cancellation actually looks like step by step.

Are timeshares scams?

Not exactly, but the sales process has a well-documented history of aggressive and sometimes deceptive tactics, and the exit side of the industry has attracted real scammers. The timeshare product itself is legal in every US state. You're buying (usually) a right to use a unit for a set period each year, or a points-based system, in exchange for a purchase price plus ongoing maintenance fees. That's a legitimate, regulated real estate or vacation product, and millions of people use it without complaint. The industry's own trade association reports high owner satisfaction in its surveys, though as the industry's own group, that figure should be read with that context in mind. Where things go wrong: high-pressure sales presentations (the notorious 90-minute tour that runs 3+ hours), pressure to buy same-day, unclear disclosure of the total lifetime cost including rising maintenance fees, and difficulty exiting once buyer's remorse sets in. State attorneys general have brought enforcement actions against both timeshare developers and exit companies over misrepresentation, including the Washington case against Reed Hein described above ^[1]. Consumer protection agencies have specifically warned owners to be skeptical of unsolicited offers to buy or help sell your timeshare, since that's a common scam vector targeting owners who already want out ^[2]. So: the industry isn't a scam in the legal sense. But it has a real, well-documented pattern of aggressive sales tactics on the buy side, and a real, well-documented scam problem on the exit side. Both are true at once.

How do you check if a timeshare exit company is legitimate?

Do these five things before you sign anything or pay anything. 1. Search the company name plus "attorney general" and "lawsuit." State AG offices publish enforcement actions; Washington's action against Reed Hein/Timeshare Exit Team is a public court record ^[1]. 2. Check the Better Business Bureau profile for complaint volume and how complaints were resolved, more than the star rating. 3. Ask for the name of the specific attorney or law firm handling your file, and confirm that person is licensed in your state through your state bar association's attorney lookup tool. 4. Ask exactly what happens to your fee if they don't succeed. A refund policy in writing, ideally with fees held in a trust or escrow account rather than paid out immediately, is a good sign. No refund policy at all is a bad sign. 5. Get the total fee and payment schedule in writing before you pay anything. Compare it against typical ranges (see the cost table above); anything wildly higher with no clear justification deserves more questions. You can also file or search complaints through the FTC's own consumer complaint system, which state and federal investigators use when building cases against exit companies . Our timeshare call list has the actual phone numbers and portals for state AG offices and the FTC complaint system, which is a faster starting point than searching blind.

How to sell a timeshare (if resale is your best option)

Selling is realistic in some cases, but you need to reset your price expectations completely. The secondary market for timeshares is oversupplied; a lot of owners are trying to give theirs away, not sell for profit. Start by checking what similar weeks or point packages at your resort are actually selling for on licensed resale marketplaces, not what you paid. If your unit type and season are common, expect a sale price near zero, sometimes owners pay the buyer's closing costs just to get someone to take it. Use a licensed timeshare resale broker or transfer agent, not a company that cold-calls you claiming they have a "buyer waiting." That specific unsolicited-buyer pitch is one of the most common resale scams consumer agencies warn about ^[2]. A real broker earns commission on a completed sale; they shouldn't need a large fee from you before finding a buyer. If you can't sell, ask your resort directly about a deed-back or surrender program before paying anyone else. Many developers, especially larger branded chains, have added these programs in the last several years specifically because the resale market for older weeks-based products has collapsed.

What about buyer's remorse or an inherited timeshare?

If you just signed and regret it, move fast. Check your contract's cancellation clause and your state's rescission statute immediately; these windows are short and start counting from the day you signed or the day you received the final documents, depending on the state. Send your cancellation notice in writing, by the method the contract specifies (often certified mail with return receipt), and keep proof of the date sent. Miss the window and you're now dealing with a fully binding contract, which is a much harder exit. If you inherited a timeshare, you have more options than you might think and no reason to panic into hiring the first company that calls. You can typically disclaim (formally refuse) an inheritance before accepting it, which in many cases avoids taking on the obligation at all; this is a decision to make with an estate attorney, since disclaimer rules involve deadlines set under both state law and the federal disclaimer rules in 26 U.S.C. Section 2518, which can affect other parts of an estate as well . If you've already accepted the deed, you're in the same boat as any other owner: rescission won't apply since you didn't buy new, but deed-back, resale, or a vetted exit path still apply. Check our guide on how do you get out of a timeshare for the inherited-ownership scenario specifically.

What should I actually do before hiring anyone?

Start with the free options. Call the resort and ask directly if they have a deed-back or surrender program; this costs you nothing to ask and, if they say yes, can cost you little or nothing to complete. Check whether you're still inside your rescission window; if you are, that's free and total. If neither applies, do your own research on the resale market and realistic company options before paying anyone a dollar. This is exactly the gap our $149 one-time Timeshare Exit Kit is built for: it's a self-directed research tool that walks you through your specific state's rules, your resort's deed-back policy if one exists, and how to vet any company you're considering, without charging you thousands upfront or requiring you to hand your file to a third party. You can start with our exit kit builder if you want a structured starting point rather than searching from scratch. Whatever you do, don't pay a large upfront fee to a company you haven't independently verified, don't stop paying money you owe based on someone's promise, and don't sign anything the same day someone calls you cold. Legitimate exits take time. Anyone promising a fast result with no risk for a big upfront check is the exact pattern the FTC and state AGs have been warning about for years ^{[1] [2]}.

Frequently asked questions

Is timeshare exit team a legitimate company?

"Timeshare Exit Team" is used generically by multiple businesses. One company operating under a similar name, Reed Hein & Associates, was sued by Washington State's Attorney General in 2019 and settled in 2021, paying at least $2 million in consumer restitution. Always check the specific company's registration and complaint history rather than trusting the name alone.

How do you get out of a timeshare?

Four real paths exist: rescind during your state's cooling-off window if you just bought, ask the resort about a deed-back or surrender program, try resale through a licensed broker, or hire a vetted attorney or exit company as a last resort. Avoid anyone who wants a large fee upfront and promises a specific cancellation outcome.

How much does a timeshare cost?

Purchase prices and annual maintenance fees vary widely by resort and unit type, but maintenance fees commonly run in the four figures annually and tend to rise faster than general inflation. Resale value is usually a small fraction of the purchase price, and many owners list units for $1 or less just to shed the maintenance fee obligation.

How much does it cost to hire an exit company?

Fees for third-party exit companies typically run $2,000 to $8,000 or more, depending on the number of deeds and complexity. Ask for the total cost and refund policy in writing before paying anything, and be wary of firms demanding full payment upfront with no escrow or trust protection.

Are timeshares a scam?

The product itself is legal, but the sales process has a documented history of high-pressure tactics, and the exit side of the industry has real scam activity. Consumer protection agencies specifically warn owners to be skeptical of unsolicited offers claiming to have a buyer or a fast resolution for your timeshare.

How to sell a timeshare?

Use a licensed resale broker or transfer agent and check what comparable units at your resort are actually selling for, not what you paid. Reset expectations: many timeshares sell for near zero. Avoid companies that cold-call claiming they already have a buyer waiting; that's a common scam pitch.

Can I get out of a timeshare within a few days of signing?

Possibly. Every state gives buyers a rescission (cooling-off) period to cancel a new purchase without penalty, but the length varies by state. Florida, for instance, sets a 10-day window under its timeshare statute. Confirm your specific state's window immediately and send written cancellation using the exact method named in your contract, keeping proof of the date you sent it.

What happens if I stop paying my timeshare maintenance fees?

The resort can send your account to collections, report late payments to credit bureaus, and in some states pursue foreclosure on the timeshare interest, since maintenance fees are a legal obligation tied to the deed or contract. Never stop paying based on a company's promise to "handle it"; verify any exit plan before you go delinquent on anything.

How do I know if a timeshare exit company is a scam?

Red flags include demanding full payment before doing any work, refusing to name the attorney handling your file, claiming a promised cancellation outcome, using high-pressure same-day sales tactics, and instructing you to stop paying your fees. Check the company against your state attorney general's complaint database and the Better Business Bureau before paying anything.

Can I get rid of an inherited timeshare without paying anyone?

Sometimes. You can typically disclaim (formally refuse) an inheritance before accepting it, which in many cases avoids the obligation entirely; talk to an estate attorney about deadlines, since federal disclaimer rules under 26 U.S.C. Section 2518 and state law both apply. If you've already accepted the deed, deed-back or resale options apply the same way they would for any other owner.

Does the FTC have official guidance on timeshare exits?

Yes. The FTC publishes consumer guidance warning buyers to research any company before paying upfront fees to exit a timeshare, and separately warns about unsolicited resale offers claiming to have a buyer lined up. Both are documented patterns in complaints filed through the FTC's consumer complaint system.

What's the cheapest way to get out of a timeshare?

Rescission is free if you're still inside your state's cooling-off window. A developer deed-back or surrender program is the next cheapest option, often costing nothing to a few hundred dollars if the resort accepts you. Paid exit companies and legal help cost the most and should be a later resort.

Sources

1. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, guidance on debt settlement and third-party negotiation risks: Stopping payments based on a third party's promise to negotiate on your behalf can cause credit damage and other consequences even before any resolution is reached.
2. U.S. Government Accountability Office, report on timeshare industry consumer protections: Timeshare interests generally have very limited resale value relative to their original purchase price.
3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index data: Consumer Price Index data can be used to benchmark how maintenance fee increases compare to general inflation over time.
4. Florida Statutes Section 721.10, Cancellation: Florida's timeshare statute gives buyers a 10-day rescission period running from the day the contract is signed or the day the buyer receives the last required document, whichever is later.
5. 26 U.S.C. Section 2518, Disclaimers: Federal law under 26 U.S.C. Section 2518 sets the requirements and deadlines for a qualified disclaimer of an inheritance, including inherited timeshare interests.