Last updated 2026-07-25
TL;DR
There's no verified "best" timeshare exit company; the industry has no licensing body and the FTC has sued several for fraud. The safest path is checking your rescission window first, then vetting any company for escrow-held fees, a written contract, and a clean record with your state AG before paying anyone thousands upfront.
Is there actually a best timeshare cancellation company?
No. This is the honest answer and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. Timeshare exit is not a licensed profession. There's no state board that certifies "timeshare exit specialists," no accreditation you can check the way you'd check a CPA license or a bar number. Some exit companies are lawyers. Some are paralegals. Some are salespeople who used to sell timeshares and now sell exits instead. A few are genuinely good at negotiating deed-backs. A meaningful number have taken large upfront fees and delivered nothing. The Federal Trade Commission has brought enforcement actions against timeshare resale and exit companies for exactly this pattern: charge upfront fees, promise results, deliver little or nothing. In 2017 the FTC and the state of Missouri sued timeshare resale telemarketers doing business as Wyndham-adjacent resale operations, alleging in FTC v. Consumer Marketing Research, Inc. that the defendants falsely claimed to have buyers lined up and pocketed upfront fees without delivering sales, part of the FTC's broader "Operation Deceptive Vacation" sweep against timeshare resale scams [1]. The FTC's own complaint database and consumer alerts warn people to research any company before paying anyone to help sell or exit a timeshare, and to check for complaints with the state attorney general and the Better Business Bureau first [2]. So instead of asking "which company is best," ask three narrower questions: does this company hold fees in escrow until work is done, does it have a written cancellation policy, and does its home state attorney general have an active case against it. Those questions have real answers. "Best" doesn't.
How to get out of a timeshare without hiring anyone
The cheapest and fastest exit is rescission, and it costs nothing but a stamp. Every state gives timeshare buyers a window to cancel after signing, no reason required, full refund. The catch: it's short, often 3 to 15 calendar days depending on the state, and it starts running the moment you sign (some states start the clock when you receive the last required disclosure document, not the signature date) [3]. If you're still inside that window, stop reading guides about exit companies. Send a written cancellation letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, following your contract's exact instructions and your state's statute. Confirm your state's rescission window and its exact procedure before you do anything else, because judges care about the language, the delivery method, and the deadline written into your specific state's timeshare act. Outside the window, your realistic paths are, roughly in order of cost: 1. Deed-back or deed-in-lieu program run directly by the resort or developer, often free or a few hundred dollars in fees. 2. Selling or giving away the timeshare on the resale market (worth almost nothing, but sometimes someone will take it to escape fees themselves). 3. Hiring an attorney or exit company to negotiate a release, typically $2,000 to $8,000 depending on the firm and the complexity [4]. 4. Doing nothing and letting the resort foreclose, which usually happens after 6 to 12 months of missed maintenance fee payments and can hit your credit report. For a full state-by-state breakdown of rescission rules, see how to get out of a timeshare.
How do you get out of a timeshare if the rescission window already closed?
You ask the resort for a deed-back before you pay anyone else a dollar. Many developers, including Marriott Vacation Club, Hilton Grand Vacations, and Wyndham, run their own exit or deed-back programs for owners in good standing, and these are frequently free or low-cost compared to a third-party exit company. The qualifying rule that trips people up: most deed-back programs require your account to be current, meaning no missed maintenance fees and the loan (if any) fully paid off. If you owe money, the resort has no incentive to take the property back for free, since it can foreclose and resell the week itself. If the developer says no, or you don't want to deal with them directly, your next options are a licensed real estate attorney in the state where the resort sits, or a vetted exit company that holds your fee in a third-party escrow account and releases it only when the cancellation is confirmed in writing. Never pay a company that asks for the full fee upfront with no escrow and no contract specifying what "success" means. One more option people forget: some timeshare mortgages and maintenance fee contracts allow you to simply stop renewing (for right-to-use products with an expiration date) rather than canceling a deeded, perpetual interest. Read your original purchase contract closely; the exit path is different for deeded weeks versus right-to-use or points-based contracts.
How much does a timeshare cost, and how much does canceling one cost?
| Rescission (inside window) | $0 (postage only) | Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developer deed-back program | $0 to $500 | 1 to 6 months | |
| Resale (private sale or auction site) | $0 to $600 in listing/closing fees, often sells for $1 or less | Weeks to years | |
| Attorney-negotiated release | $2,000 to $6,000 | 3 to 12 months | |
| Third-party exit company | $2,000 to $8,000+ | 6 to 24 months | |
| Do nothing, let it foreclose | $0 upfront, credit damage, possible deficiency judgment | 6 to 18 months | These exit-company figures are industry-typical ranges reported by consumer attorneys and state AG consumer alerts, not a fixed quote; get everything in writing before you pay anything [4]. |
Timeshares themselves are not cheap to buy or to hold. Industry surveys from the American Resort Development Association have put the average timeshare purchase price in the low-to-mid $20,000s in recent years, with average annual maintenance fees generally in the $1,000 to $1,200 range; exact figures shift year to year and ARDA updates its owner survey periodically, so check the current report before quoting a precise number [5]. Prices vary wildly: a small studio-week at a budget resort can run under $10,000, while a large fixed-week unit at a luxury brand can top $40,000. Canceling one, outside the rescission window, has its own cost structure: | Exit path | Typical cost | Timeline |
How to sell a timeshare (and why it's harder than you think)
You can sell a timeshare, but the resale market is brutal. Timeshares are not an investment; they lose the vast majority of their resale value the moment the rescission window closes, and secondary-market listings routinely show weeks selling for a small fraction of the original purchase price, with many listed for $1 just to transfer the deed and stop the fees. To actually sell, list on a dedicated timeshare resale marketplace, price it near what comparable weeks are actually closing for (not what you paid), and disclose the annual maintenance fee clearly since that's what buyers care about most. Never pay a big upfront "marketing fee" to a company that cold-calls you promising a buyer is "already lined up." That pattern is exactly what the FTC's Operation Deceptive Vacation enforcement sweep targeted in 2017 [1]. If nobody will buy it for money, some owners give it away for free (a "deed transfer") just to be rid of the maintenance fees. This is legal, but the buyer takes on the fee obligation going forward, so be honest about the fee history and any special assessments in your listing.
How to get rid of a timeshare fast
There's no legitimate way to get rid of a timeshare in a day or a week unless you're still inside your rescission window. Anyone who promises a fast, no-fail exit for an upfront fee is telling you what you want to hear, not what's true. The realistic fast paths, in order: First, check whether you're still inside your state's rescission period. This is the only truly fast option and it's free. Second, call the resort's owner services line and ask directly about a deed-back or hardship exit program. Some developers process these in a matter of weeks if your account is current and paid off. Third, if you have a documented hardship (job loss, medical, or a fixed income that can no longer cover fees), ask the resort in writing about hardship-based deed-back consideration. Not all resorts offer this, but many do, especially for owners with no outstanding loan balance. What's not fast: attorney-negotiated releases and third-party exit company processes, which commonly run 6 months to 2 years depending on the resort's cooperation and whether litigation is involved [4]. If a company tells you 30 to 60 days with no exceptions, ask them to put that in the contract with a full refund clause if they miss it. Most won't.
Are timeshares scams?
The timeshare product itself is legal in all 50 states and regulated at the state level, not a scam in the legal sense. But the sales process around timeshares has a long, well-documented history of high-pressure tactics, and the cancellation industry that grew up around it has a real fraud problem. The FTC has pursued multiple enforcement actions against companies that specifically target timeshare owners with resale and exit promises, warning owners to check with the state attorney general and Better Business Bureau, get all promises in writing, and never pay a large fee to a company that claims it already has a buyer [2]. That's not a warning about the timeshare industry broadly, it's a warning about the exit and resale services that target timeshare owners specifically. Several state attorneys general have sued specific timeshare exit and resale companies for deceptive practices. The FTC's 2017 action, brought jointly with Missouri, targeted timeshare resale telemarketers over misleading sales claims as part of the broader Operation Deceptive Vacation sweep [1]. Other states have pursued similar cases against individual exit firms in recent years. So the honest answer is: timeshares aren't inherently a scam, but the exit industry attracts scammers the way any distressed-consumer market does, and you need to vet whoever you hire the same way you'd vet a contractor asking for a big deposit.
What are the biggest red flags of a timeshare exit scam?
Five patterns show up again and again in state AG consumer alerts and FTC enforcement actions [1] [2]: 1. Large upfront fee with no escrow. Legitimate firms that use escrow only release payment when the cancellation is documented. A company demanding the full $5,000 today, no escrow, is the single biggest red flag. 2. Unsolicited contact. If a company cold-calls you claiming to already have a buyer, or claiming it "specializes in your specific resort" out of nowhere, be skeptical. This is a common lead-in to both resale scams and exit scams. 3. Promises with no room for failure. No legitimate firm can promise a resort will agree to a deed-back or that a court will rescind a contract. Absolute promises are a sales tactic, not a legal reality; there is no way to guarantee any specific legal outcome, and firms that claim otherwise are misrepresenting what they can do. 4. Instructions to stop paying maintenance fees or the mortgage. Some exit companies tell owners to stop paying while "the process" plays out. Don't do this. Missing payments can trigger foreclosure, credit damage, and in some states a deficiency judgment, regardless of what the exit company is doing on your behalf [6]. Keep paying everything you owe until you have a signed, recorded release or deed-back agreement in hand. 5. Pressure to use a specific attorney or title company the exit company recommends, with no ability to verify that person independently. Always confirm any attorney's license status with your state bar association directly.
How do I check if a timeshare exit company is legitimate?
Run four checks before you sign anything or pay a deposit. Check your state attorney general's consumer complaint database or press release archive for the company's exact legal name (more than its marketing name). Many exit companies operate under a consumer-facing brand that differs from the LLC actually named in the contract. Check the Better Business Bureau profile, but don't stop there since BBB accreditation can be purchased and doesn't verify legal outcomes. Look specifically at complaint volume and how the company responded. Ask for the escrow agreement in writing and confirm the escrow holder is a real, independent third party (a title company or licensed escrow agent), not the exit company's own affiliated account. Ask how many completed cancellations they can document with your specific resort or developer, and ask for the timeline range from the last 10 clients, not the best-case anecdote. A company that can't or won't give you a realistic range is telling you something. For a running list of firms and their track records, see timeshare exit companies and timeshare call list.
What can I do myself instead of hiring an exit company?
A lot, actually. Most of the exit process is paperwork and persistence, not legal complexity, especially for a deed-back on a paid-off deeded week. Start by pulling your original purchase contract and confirming exactly what you own: deeded week, right-to-use, or points-based. This changes your options completely. Deeded interests are real property and typically need a recorded deed transfer to exit cleanly. Right-to-use contracts sometimes just expire or can be non-renewed. Then call the resort's owner services department directly and ask, in plain language, "Do you have a deed-back or voluntary surrender program for owners in good standing?" Get the answer in writing, either email or a mailed letter confirming the program terms. If you want a structured, guided version of this process without paying a $5,000 negotiation fee, that's what our $149 one-time Timeshare Exit Kit is built for: state-specific letter templates, a document checklist, and a step-by-step path for contacting your resort's actual deed-back or exit desk yourself. It's not a law firm and it doesn't contact the resort for you or promise an outcome, but it replaces a lot of the guesswork that pushes people toward expensive middlemen. For owners who inherited a timeshare and don't want it, the same deed-back-first approach applies; contact the resort about a hardship or heirship release before assuming you're stuck.
When does hiring a lawyer or exit company actually make sense?
It makes sense when the resort is uncooperative, when there's a real legal defect in how the contract was sold (misrepresentation, undisclosed fees, elder abuse in the sales process), or when you're facing active collections or foreclosure and need someone who can respond to a court filing. A licensed consumer protection attorney in the state where the resort is located can evaluate whether your original sales presentation violated your state's timeshare act, which sometimes gives you an argument a self-filed deed-back request doesn't have. Look for attorneys through your state bar's lawyer referral service rather than a company that found you through a timeshare-specific ad. It does not make sense to hire anyone before you've tried the free deed-back request yourself, and it never makes sense to pay a large fee upfront with no escrow protection, no matter how convincing the salesperson sounds on the phone.
Frequently asked questions
How to get out of a timeshare?
First check whether you're still inside your state's rescission window (often 3 to 15 days from signing, varies by state); cancel in writing by certified mail if so. If that window has passed, ask your resort about a deed-back program, since many developers accept paid-off, current accounts back for free or a small fee. Only consider paid exit companies as a last resort.
How do you get out of a timeshare?
Confirm your state's rescission deadline first; that's your only free, fast option. After that, request a deed-back from the resort directly, try the resale market if the account is paid off, or hire a vetted attorney or exit company that uses escrow. Never stop paying fees while you wait, since that can trigger foreclosure.
How to sell a timeshare?
List it on a dedicated timeshare resale marketplace at a realistic price (most resell for a fraction of the purchase price, some for $1), disclose the annual maintenance fee clearly, and never pay a large upfront marketing fee to anyone who cold-calls claiming a buyer is ready. That pattern is what the FTC's Operation Deceptive Vacation sweep targeted in timeshare resale telemarketing cases in 2017.
How to get rid of a timeshare?
Check your rescission window first, since that's free and fast. Outside the window, ask the resort about a deed-back or hardship surrender program, try reselling or gifting it if paid off, or hire a licensed attorney. Giving it away for free (deed transfer) is legal if you're honest with the recipient about ongoing fees.
Are timeshares scams?
The timeshare product itself is legal and regulated at the state level. The sales process has a documented history of high-pressure tactics, and the exit and resale industry around timeshares has a real fraud problem, per the FTC's 2017 Operation Deceptive Vacation enforcement action and other state attorney general lawsuits against specific companies.
How much is a timeshare?
Industry owner surveys from the American Resort Development Association have put the average purchase price in the low-to-mid $20,000s in recent years, with average annual maintenance fees roughly $1,000 to $1,200. Prices range from under $10,000 for small studio-weeks to over $40,000 for large luxury-brand units. Check ARDA's current-year report for the most recent figures.
How much do timeshares cost to maintain each year?
Recent ARDA owner survey data has put average annual maintenance fees in roughly the $1,000 to $1,200 range, though this varies by resort size, brand, and location, and special assessments for repairs or storm damage can add hundreds or thousands more in a single year on top of the regular fee.
How much are timeshares to cancel through an exit company?
Third-party exit companies typically charge $2,000 to $8,000 or more depending on the firm and how contested the exit is, based on ranges reported in consumer attorney guidance and state AG alerts. Attorney-negotiated releases often run $2,000 to $6,000. Get every fee in writing and confirm escrow before paying anything.
Is there a single best timeshare cancellation company?
No. There's no licensing body or independent rating system for timeshare exit companies, and the FTC and state attorneys general have taken enforcement action against several for deceptive practices. Vet any company individually: escrow-held fees, written contract terms, and a clean record with your state attorney general matter more than any "best of" ranking.
What is a legitimate way to cancel a timeshare contract?
Rescission within your state's statutory window is the most reliable cancellation method when you qualify, done in writing exactly as your contract and state law specify. After that window, a resort-run deed-back program for accounts in good standing is the next most reliable path, since it comes directly from the party that owns the contract.
Can I just stop paying my timeshare maintenance fees to get out?
Don't. Stopping payment can trigger late fees, collections, foreclosure, and in some states a deficiency judgment against you even after foreclosure, and it can damage your credit. Keep paying everything owed until you have a signed, recorded deed-back or cancellation agreement in hand.
What happens if I inherit a timeshare I don't want?
You can typically disclaim the inheritance during probate before accepting it, or, if you've already accepted it, ask the resort about a deed-back or heirship release program the same way a current owner would. Contact a probate attorney in the decedent's state if the disclaimer window has already closed.
How do I know if a timeshare exit company is a scam?
Watch for a large upfront fee with no escrow, unsolicited contact claiming a buyer is ready, absolute promises of results, instructions to stop paying your fees, or pressure to use a specific attorney you can't independently verify. Check your state attorney general's complaint database for the company's exact legal name before paying anything.
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission, "FTC Action Stops Sham Timeshare Sellers" (Operation Deceptive Vacation press release): FTC and Missouri sued timeshare resale telemarketers in 2017 for falsely claiming to have buyers and taking upfront fees without delivering
- Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Alert, "Looking to Sell Your Timeshare? Watch Out for Resellers Who Are Also Scammers": FTC guidance to research exit and resale companies before paying, check with the state AG and BBB, and get all promises in writing
- Cornell Legal Information Institute, Wex, "Cooling-off rule": States provide statutory rescission/cooling-off periods for certain consumer purchases that vary by state
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, "Timeshares" consumer complaint topic page: Attorney and exit company negotiated release cost ranges reflect industry cost patterns discussed in consumer guidance
- American Resort Development Association, "State of the Vacation Ownership Industry" annual report series: Average timeshare purchase price and average annual maintenance fee figures from ARDA owner survey data
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, "What happens if I don't pay my timeshare maintenance fees or assessments?": Warning against stopping payments and risk of foreclosure or credit damage