Last updated 2026-07-25
TL;DR
Wesley Financial Group is a Nashville-based timeshare exit company that charges an upfront fee, often $2,000 to $10,000+, to try to cancel your contract. It has settled complaints with the Tennessee AG and been sued by resort developers. Before hiring anyone, confirm your rescission window, check your state AG's site, and get every promise in writing.
What is Wesley Financial Group and how does its cancellation process work?
Wesley Financial Group (WFG) is a timeshare exit company based in Franklin, Tennessee, founded by Chuck McDowell in 2014. It markets itself as a company that helps owners get out of timeshare contracts, usually by challenging the sale as fraudulent or by negotiating with the resort for a deed-back or cancellation. WFG is a member of the Better Business Bureau and holds an A+ accreditation rating there as of recent checks, though BBB ratings measure complaint handling, not outcome success [1]. The typical process starts with a free consultation where WFG reviews your purchase documents and sales experience, looking for grounds like misrepresentation, undisclosed fees, or high-pressure tactics during the original sales pitch. If they take your case, you sign a contract and pay an upfront fee. WFG then works on your behalf, which may include disputing the contract with the developer, filing complaints, or in some cases referring cases to affiliated attorneys. This is the same basic model used by most timeshare exit companies: pay first, wait for results. That model is exactly what state regulators and the FTC warn owners to be cautious about, because payment happens well before any cancellation is confirmed [2]. For a broader look at how this business model works across the industry, see timeshare exit companies.
How much does Wesley Financial Group cost?
| Rescission during your state's window | $0 to certified mail cost | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Developer deed-back program | $0 to a few hundred dollars | Weeks to months |
| Attorney-negotiated exit | $1,500 to $5,000 | Months |
| Timeshare exit company (like WFG) | $2,000 to $10,000+ | Months to 2+ years |
| Do-it-yourself Exit Kit approach | $149 one-time | Varies by method used |
WFG does not publish a fixed price list, and fees vary based on the number of contracts, the resort involved, and the complexity of the case. Based on consumer complaints filed with the Tennessee Attorney General's office and various reports, fees have ranged widely, with many owners reporting upfront payments between $2,000 and $10,000, and some multi-contract cases running higher [3]. WFG has offered payment plans in some cases rather than requiring the full fee upfront in one lump sum, according to complaint records reviewed by the Tennessee AG. That's a meaningfully different structure than exit scams that vanish the day after a wire transfer, but it does not eliminate the core risk: you're paying substantial money for a service with no assured result. Compare that to a self-directed approach. Exercising your rescission right during the legal cancellation window costs nothing but a certified letter. A deed-back program run directly by the resort, where one exists, may cost a few hundred dollars in fees or nothing at all. Hiring a real estate attorney to review a deed-back or negotiate directly with the developer typically runs in the low thousands, not tens of thousands. | Exit path | Typical cost | Timeline |
Is Wesley Financial Group legit or a scam?
WFG is a real, operating company, not a fly-by-night scam that disappears after taking your money. It has been in business since 2014, has a physical office, and has helped some owners exit contracts. That said, 'legitimate business' and 'good outcome for you' are two different claims. WFG has faced legal scrutiny. In 2021, the Tennessee Attorney General's office reached an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance with WFG after investigating consumer complaints about its sales and refund practices; the agreement required changes to WFG's advertising, contract terms, and refund policies without WFG admitting wrongdoing [3]. Separately, timeshare developers including Diamond Resorts have sued WFG and similar exit companies over alleged tortious interference with existing contracts, arguing that exit companies encourage owners to breach agreements and stop paying [4]. None of that means every WFG customer gets scammed. It does mean you should treat any exit company claim of a promised cancellation with real skepticism, verify current standing with your state attorney general's consumer protection division before signing anything, and never send money to anyone who tells you to simply stop paying your maintenance fees or loan while they "work on it" behind the scenes. Stopping payment on amounts you owe can trigger default, foreclosure, and credit damage regardless of what any exit company promises [5]. The FTC's guidance on timeshare resale and exit offers is blunt: "Before you pay anyone anything, do your research" [2]. That single sentence is the best filter you have.
How do you get out of a timeshare without hiring an exit company?
Most owners have three real paths, and none of them require paying a five-figure fee to a third party first. First, check your rescission rights. Every state gives new timeshare buyers a short window, often between 3 and 15 days depending on the state, to cancel the purchase for any reason and get a full refund. This window starts at signing or at receipt of required disclosure documents, depending on the state's statute. If you're still inside it, send a certified letter following your contract's cancellation instructions exactly. Florida's timeshare law, for instance, states that a purchaser "has the right to cancel the contract... until midnight of the 10th calendar day following the date the contract was signed". Confirm your specific state's rescission window and method before doing anything else; the requirements are technical and missing one detail (wrong address, missed deadline, wrong form of notice) can invalidate an otherwise valid rescission. Second, if you're past rescission, ask the resort directly about a deed-back or exit program. Many major developers, including Marriott Vacation Club, Hilton Grand Vacations, and Diamond/Hilton legacy brands, run some version of a voluntary surrender program for owners current on payments and fees. These programs aren't advertised loudly, so you may need to call and ask specifically for the deed-back or exit department. Third, if there's no company program and you're past rescission, you can sell, donate, or negotiate a private exit, though timeshare resale value is close to zero for most weeks-based products; a 2023 survey by the American Resort Development Association found the average per-interval maintenance fee was $1,205, and resale prices for many older timeshare interests are frequently listed for $1 or given away free just to escape ongoing fees . For a full walkthrough of each option, see how to get out of a timeshare and how to get out of timeshare.
How do you sell a timeshare if you don't want to cancel it?
Selling is legal and sometimes realistic, but expect a low or negative return. List with a licensed timeshare resale broker or on a reputable resale marketplace, never pay a large upfront "listing fee" to anyone who cold-calls you claiming they have a buyer already lined up, that's one of the oldest timeshare resale scams there is, according to FTC consumer alerts [2]. Realistic pricing matters. Many deeded weeks resell for a few hundred dollars or less because buyers know they'll inherit ongoing maintenance fees. Points-based club memberships sometimes hold slightly more value if the brand and location are desirable, but don't expect to recoup anything close to what you originally paid, especially if you bought directly from a developer at retail sales-presentation pricing. If a broker or reseller asks for payment before a sale closes, that's a signal to walk away. Legitimate resale brokers typically take a commission from the sale proceeds, not an upfront fee just to list your unit.
How much does a timeshare cost overall?
Purchase prices vary widely by brand, size, and season, but ARDA (the American Resort Development Association, the timeshare industry's trade group) reported the average per-interval purchase price was roughly $23,940 in its 2023 State of the Industry data, though prices for larger units or peak-season weeks can run well into the $30,000 to $50,000+ range . The ongoing cost is often the bigger surprise for owners. That same ARDA data put the average annual maintenance fee at $1,205 per interval in 2023, and these fees typically rise faster than general inflation, sometimes 3% to 5% or more per year, plus special assessments for major renovations or storm damage that can add hundreds or thousands of dollars in a single year without warning . Over a 20 or 30 year ownership period, cumulative maintenance fees alone can exceed the original purchase price several times over, which is exactly why so many owners eventually look for an exit rather than simply keeping the week they bought.
Are timeshares scams?
The timeshare product itself is legal in all 50 states and regulated at the state level, it is not inherently a scam in the criminal-fraud sense. But the sales process has a long, well-documented history of high-pressure tactics, and the secondary market around timeshares (resale and exit services) is genuinely full of scams. The FTC has brought or supported enforcement actions against timeshare resale and exit operations for years, warning specifically about "advance fee" resale scams where a company promises a buyer is waiting, collects a fee, and delivers nothing [2]. State attorneys general in Tennessee and elsewhere have pursued both sales-side and exit-side timeshare companies for deceptive practices [3]. So the honest answer: the timeshare itself is a real, legal (if often overpriced and hard to exit) product. The scam risk concentrates heavily in two places: aggressive, sometimes misleading original sales presentations, and upfront-fee exit or resale companies that take your money and deliver little. Treat both stages with the same skepticism.
What red flags separate a legitimate timeshare exit company from a scam?
A few patterns show up again and again in state AG complaint files and FTC consumer alerts, and they apply whether you're evaluating Wesley Financial Group or any competitor. Watch for these specifically: a promise of cancellation with no conditions attached (no legitimate company can promise a resort will agree to release you); pressure to pay the entire fee by wire transfer or gift card rather than a traceable method; instructions to stop paying your maintenance fees or mortgage while the company "handles it"; refusal to put fee refund terms in writing; and a company that showed up as a new entity within the last year with no verifiable track record. Before paying anyone, search the company name plus "attorney general complaint" for your state and the company's home state, check the Better Business Bureau profile for pattern complaints (more than the letter grade), and ask for a written escrow or trust arrangement where your fee is held by a third party until the exit is confirmed complete, some exit companies and industry groups have moved toward this model specifically because of past abuses . See our timeshare call list for a structured way to work through resort contacts, state regulators, and your own contract documents before you pay anyone a dollar.
What did the Tennessee Attorney General find about Wesley Financial Group?
In November 2021, the Tennessee Attorney General's office announced an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance with Wesley Financial Group following an investigation into the company's advertising and business practices. Under the agreement, WFG did not admit any wrongdoing but agreed to change certain advertising claims, refund policy disclosures, and contract terms going forward [3]. This is a civil compliance agreement, not a criminal conviction, and it's a common resolution mechanism state AGs use with businesses rather than pursuing full litigation. It does mean regulators found enough concern in consumer complaints to open a formal inquiry. If you're considering WFG or any similar company, it's worth reading the actual assurance document, which is typically posted on the Tennessee AG's consumer protection site, rather than relying on secondhand summaries [3]. Separately, timeshare developers have pursued civil litigation against WFG and comparable exit companies, alleging the companies interfere with valid contracts by encouraging owners to stop payments or misrepresent grounds for cancellation. These cases (including litigation involving Diamond Resorts) reflect an ongoing legal fight between developers and the exit industry, and the outcomes vary by case and jurisdiction [4].
What should you check before hiring any exit company, including Wesley Financial Group?
Do this in order, and don't skip steps because a salesperson creates urgency. Urgency is a sales tactic, not a legal deadline (with the one real exception being your actual rescission period, which is genuinely time-limited). First, pull your original purchase contract and check for a rescission clause and deadline; if you're still inside that window, cancellation is a matter of following your state's procedure correctly, not paying anyone thousands of dollars. Second, call the resort or developer directly and ask if they have a deed-back, surrender, or exit program for owners current on their account. This is free to ask about and, when available, is usually the cheapest legitimate route out. Third, check your state attorney general's consumer protection page and the FTC's timeshare resale guidance for open complaints, alerts, or enforcement actions tied to any company you're considering [2] [3]. Fourth, get every fee, timeline, and refund condition in writing before paying anything, and understand exactly what happens to your money if the company doesn't succeed. Fifth, never let anyone instruct you to stop paying amounts you currently owe your resort or lender. Missing payments can trigger foreclosure proceedings and credit damage independent of whether an exit company eventually succeeds [5]. If you'd rather build your own step-by-step exit plan using your specific contract, state, and resort details rather than paying an exit company's upfront fee, our $149 one-time Exit Kit Builder walks through the same rescission-check, deed-back-request, and documentation steps outlined above, without a percentage fee or long-term contract.
How long does a timeshare exit typically take, with or without a company?
Rescission, if you qualify, is the fastest path, often resolved within a few weeks once your cancellation letter is received and processed, since the legal deadline is on your side, not the resort's discretion. Developer deed-back programs typically take a few weeks to a few months, depending on the brand's internal process and whether your account is current. Exit companies, including WFG, often quote timelines of several months to two years, and consumer complaint records show real variation in how long cases actually take to resolve, some faster, some considerably slower than initially quoted [3]. That long timeline is part of why the upfront-fee model draws so much regulatory attention: you're paying now for a result that may not arrive for a long time, if it arrives as promised at all.
Wesley Financial Group vs. other exit paths, at a glance
| Path | Who runs it | Typical cost | Assured outcome? | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rescission | You, per state law | Free to minimal | Legal right if timely and correct | |
| Developer deed-back | The resort | Free to a few hundred dollars | No, resort discretion | |
| Attorney-negotiated exit | Licensed attorney | $1,500 to $5,000 | No, but attorney has fiduciary duty to you | |
| Wesley Financial Group / similar exit companies | Third-party company | $2,000 to $10,000+ | No, despite marketing claims | |
| Self-directed Exit Kit | You, with a guide | $149 one-time | No, but no ongoing fee risk | No path on this list, including ours, can promise a certain result. Any company that tells you otherwise is making a claim the industry's own legal history doesn't support [2] [3]. |
Frequently asked questions
How to get out of a timeshare?
Start by checking your state's rescission window if you recently bought; that's the fastest, cheapest exit. If you're past that window, ask the resort about a deed-back or surrender program. If neither applies, consider selling at low or no value, or consult a real estate attorney. Avoid paying large upfront fees to exit companies without checking their state AG complaint history first.
How do you get out of a timeshare?
The three realistic routes are: rescind during your state's legal cancellation window if you're still inside it, request a deed-back or surrender directly from the resort if you're past rescission and current on payments, or sell/donate the interest privately, accepting little to no resale value for most timeshare products.
How to sell a timeshare?
List with a licensed resale broker or reputable marketplace and expect a low sale price, often a few hundred dollars or less for deeded weeks. Never pay an upfront fee to anyone claiming a buyer is already lined up; that's a documented FTC-flagged resale scam pattern. Legitimate brokers take commission from proceeds, not payment before a sale closes.
How to get rid of a timeshare?
Options in order of cost: exercise rescission if still within your state's window, request a developer deed-back program, sell or donate for little to no money, or hire an attorney or exit company as a last resort. Never stop paying maintenance fees or your loan as a strategy; that risks default and credit damage regardless of any exit plan's progress.
Are timeshares scams?
The timeshare product is legal and regulated, so it isn't a scam in itself, though sales presentations are frequently high-pressure. The bigger scam risk sits in the exit and resale market, where the FTC has repeatedly warned about advance-fee schemes that collect payment and deliver no cancellation or sale.
How much is a timeshare?
ARDA's 2023 State of the Industry data put the average purchase price around $23,940 per interval, with larger units or peak weeks costing more. The bigger long-term cost is often the annual maintenance fee, which averaged $1,205 per interval in the same report and tends to rise each year.
How much do timeshares cost annually in fees?
ARDA's 2023 data shows an average annual maintenance fee of $1,205 per interval, and these fees commonly rise 3% to 5% or more per year. Special assessments for repairs or storm damage can add hundreds or thousands more in a single year, on top of the regular fee.
Is Wesley Financial Group a scam or legitimate?
Wesley Financial Group is a real, operating exit company, not a disappearing scam operation, but it has faced a 2021 Tennessee Attorney General assurance of voluntary compliance over advertising and refund practices, and developers have sued similar exit companies over contract interference. Verify current standing with your state AG before paying any upfront fee.
How much does Wesley Financial Group charge?
WFG doesn't publish fixed pricing. Based on consumer complaint records, fees commonly range from roughly $2,000 to $10,000 or more depending on the number of contracts and case complexity, sometimes with payment plan options rather than one lump sum.
Can I cancel my timeshare within a rescission period for free?
Yes, if you're still inside your state's legal rescission window, you can cancel for a full refund by following your contract's and state's required cancellation procedure exactly, usually a written or certified letter sent by a specific deadline. Confirm your exact state's window and method before sending anything, since requirements vary and errors can invalidate the rescission.
What happens if I stop paying my timeshare maintenance fees?
Stopping payment on fees or a loan you owe can trigger late fees, default, foreclosure-style action against the deeded interest, and damage to your credit, regardless of whether an exit company is working on your case. No legitimate exit strategy requires you to default first; treat any advice to stop paying as a serious red flag.
Do timeshare exit companies guarantee cancellation?
No legitimate company can promise a resort will agree to cancel your contract, since that outcome depends on the developer, your specific documents, and applicable law. Marketing language that promises a sure exit should be treated with skepticism; check the company's state AG complaint history and get all terms in writing before paying anything.
Sources
- Better Business Bureau, Wesley Financial Group LLC business profile: WFG's BBB accreditation and rating status
- Diamond Resorts International, Inc. v. Reed Hein & Associates, LLC, No. 2:17-cv-00994 (D. Nev.), case docket via U.S. District Court, District of Nevada CM/ECF: Developers have sued timeshare exit companies over alleged interference with existing contracts
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, What happens if I stop paying my timeshare loan: Stopping payment on a timeshare loan can lead to default and credit damage
- Florida Statutes Section 721.10, Cancellation of purchase contract; nonrefundable fees: Timeshare rescission periods and cancellation procedures vary by state and are typically short
- Tennessee Attorney General, Assurance of Voluntary Compliance with Wesley Financial Group LLC (November 2021): Tennessee AG's 2021 assurance of voluntary compliance with WFG over advertising and refund practices