Last updated 2026-07-25
TL;DR
You get rid of a Vistana timeshare by rescinding fast if you're still inside your state's cancellation window, asking Vistana/Marriott directly about a deed-back or surrender program, or selling/donating for little to no money if you're current on fees. Resale value is usually near zero. Never pay a large upfront fee to an exit company before checking it against your state attorney general's consumer complaint list.
What happened to Vistana, and does that change how I get out?
Vistana Signature Experiences was the timeshare brand built from the old Sheraton and Westin vacation ownership resorts. Marriott Vacations Worldwide bought Vistana in 2016 and has been folding it into Marriott Vacation Club branding since. If your deed or contract says Vistana, Sheraton, or Westin, you're now dealing with a Marriott Vacations Worldwide-affiliated company for most practical purposes, even though your legal deed may still say Vistana Development, Inc. or a related entity [1]. This matters because your exit path depends on who legally holds title and administers your contract, not on what logo is on the brochure. Before you do anything else, pull your closing documents and confirm the exact legal entity named as grantor/seller and the HOA or owners' association tied to your specific resort. That's the name you'll need for any rescission letter, deed-back request, or attorney general complaint. It also means Vistana owners have access to the same corporate deed-back and separation programs Marriott Vacation Club has rolled out for its broader portfolio, which is genuinely useful if you're current on your maintenance fees and just don't want the property anymore.
How do I get out of a timeshare, generally speaking?
There are really only four honest exits: rescind during your cancellation window, get the developer to take it back (deed-back or surrender), sell or give it away for what it's actually worth (often zero), or stop paying and let it go to foreclosure, which wrecks your credit and can trigger a deficiency judgment in some states. There is no secret fifth option where a company magically voids a validly signed contract for a fee. If someone offers that, it's the first sign you're looking at a scam, not a solution. The Federal Trade Commission warns consumers to be skeptical of unsolicited contact from companies promising to sell or cancel a timeshare for an upfront fee. For a full walkthrough of all four paths side by side, see how to get out of a timeshare.
How do you get out of a timeshare during the rescission period?
Every state that regulates timeshares gives buyers a short window, often called a cooling-off period or rescission period, to cancel the purchase with no penalty and get a refund. The length varies a lot by state and is usually counted in calendar days from signing or from receipt of the public offering statement, not business days. Florida, where a huge share of Vistana/Westin/Sheraton resorts sit, gives buyers a 10-calendar-day rescission right under its timeshare act, and requires the developer to refund the buyer within 20 days of receiving a valid cancellation notice [2]. South Carolina uses a 5-day window [3]. Confirm your state's rescission window using the actual statute or your state attorney general's consumer page, because these numbers change and vary by state, and the clock usually starts the day you sign, not the day you have second thoughts. To rescind: put it in writing (certified mail, return receipt, and email if the contract allows it), reference the specific statute, keep a copy of everything, and send it to the exact address named in your contract for cancellation notices, more than a general customer service address. Do this inside the window. Miss it by even a day and you're back to the deed-back/resale/foreclosure menu. See our full state-by-state breakdown at how to get out of timeshare rescission rules.
Does Vistana or Marriott Vacation Club have a deed-back program?
Marriott Vacation Club, which now administers most Vistana-branded resorts, has run a program sometimes referred to informally as a legacy exit or deed-back option for owners who are current on fees and want to surrender their week or points back to the company. Availability, eligibility, and paperwork requirements change by resort and by year, and Marriott Vacations Worldwide does not publicly commit to accepting every property or every owner into the program. The realistic path: call the owner services or member accounts line listed on your actual maintenance fee statement (not a number from a Google ad) and ask specifically whether your resort participates in a deed-back, surrender, or "exit" program. Get any offer in writing before signing anything, and confirm whether you'll owe a final year of fees or a processing charge as part of the deal. Deed-back programs are not universal and acceptance is never certain for any specific owner. Some resorts and unit types (especially older fixed weeks at lower-demand Sheraton/Westin properties) are more likely to be accepted back because the HOA doesn't want them sitting in default anyway. High-demand Hawaii and Caribbean weeks are less likely to be taken back for free, because they still have resale value to the company.
How to sell a timeshare, and will anyone actually buy a Vistana week?
Selling is legal and sometimes possible, but the resale market for timeshares is brutal. Industry data from the American Resort Development Association and independent surveys of the secondary market consistently show resale prices at a small fraction of what owners originally paid, often just a few hundred dollars, sometimes literally $1, because buyers know maintenance fees will keep climbing regardless of resale price [4]. If you want to try: list on a licensed timeshare resale marketplace or through a broker who charges only a commission on closing, never an upfront listing fee in the thousands of dollars. Price realistically; comparable Vistana/Sheraton/Westin weeks on resale sites frequently list for under $1,000, and many owners end up paying a small fee just to get someone to take the deed off their hands (sometimes called a "we'll take it for $1" transfer). Beware of any company that calls you unsolicited claiming they have a "buyer already lined up" for your specific unit and just need an upfront fee to close. That is one of the most common timeshare resale scam patterns state consumer protection agencies warn about [5]. A legitimate broker earns money when the sale closes, not before.
How much is a timeshare, and how much do timeshares cost long-term?
| Original purchase price | ~$24,140 | $18,000-$45,000+ depending on resort/season | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual maintenance fee | ~$1,170 | $1,200-$2,500+ | |
| Resale value | Often a few hundred dollars or less [4] | Often $0-$1,000 | |
| Special assessment (when levied) | Varies by resort | Can run $500-$3,000+ in a bad year | The gap between what you paid and what it resells for is the core financial reality of wanting out. Nobody has precise nationwide resale data broken out by brand, so treat the Vistana column as a realistic range drawn from active resale listings, not an official figure. |
Purchase price and ongoing cost are two very different numbers, and the second one is why so many owners want out. ARDA's 2023 industry data put the average timeshare purchase price around $24,140 and average annual maintenance fees around $1,170, though fees vary widely by resort size, location, and unit type . Vistana/Westin/Sheraton resorts, being upscale flagged properties, often run maintenance fees above that average, and special assessments for hurricane damage, roof replacement, or renovations can add hundreds or thousands more in a single year on top of the regular bill. Fees also tend to rise faster than general inflation in most recent years, based on industry maintenance fee surveys. Here's a rough cost comparison so you can see where a typical Vistana-brand week might land versus industry averages: | Cost item | Industry average (ARDA 2023) | Typical Vistana/Westin/Sheraton range |
Are timeshares scams? Is Vistana itself a scam?
The purchase contract itself is legal and enforceable; timeshares are a regulated real estate or vacation-right product, not inherently illegal. Vistana and Marriott Vacation Club are large, publicly regulated companies subject to state timeshare acts and SEC disclosure as part of Marriott Vacations Worldwide (NYSE: VAC). That's different from saying the sales process or the exit industry around timeshares is scam-free. The scams cluster in two places: high-pressure sales presentations that misrepresent resale value or investment potential, and post-purchase "exit" or "resale" companies that charge large upfront fees and then do nothing. Florida's Attorney General consumer protection division has published warnings that timeshare resale and exit scams commonly involve upfront fees collected before any service is delivered, with the company then becoming unreachable. So the honest answer is: the product is legal but expensive and hard to exit, and the surrounding exit industry has a real scam problem. Treat both halves seriously. Check any exit company against your state attorney general's consumer complaint database and the Better Business Bureau before paying anything, and read our full exit scam warning list before returning any cold call about your Vistana contract.
What are the red flags of a timeshare exit scam targeting Vistana owners?
Vistana owners get targeted specifically because the brand is well known and resale listings are easy to scrape. Watch for these patterns. A company cold-calls you claiming to already have a buyer for your exact resort and week. A company demands a large payment upfront, in cash, wire, or gift cards, before doing any work. A company pressures you to stop paying your maintenance fees or mortgage while they "work on it," claiming this speeds up the process. A company promises to cancel a validly signed, out-of-rescission contract with no real legal basis for how. A company is unwilling to give you a physical business address or a state bar attorney's name if it claims legal representation. Do not stop making payments you legally owe while any exit process is pending. Missing payments can trigger default, foreclosure, and credit damage regardless of whether the exit company follows through, and no legitimate company can promise you a specific exit or cancellation outcome in advance. Check any company you're considering against your state attorney general's consumer protection division before paying anything [5]. For a rundown of specific tactics, see timeshare exit companies and timeshare cancellation options.
What if I inherited a Vistana timeshare I never wanted?
Inherited timeshares are one of the most common reasons people search for an exit, and Vistana/Westin/Sheraton weeks show up in estates constantly because the original owners bought decades ago and never sold. You are not automatically obligated to accept a timeshare interest through probate; heirs can disclaim an inheritance, including a timeshare, under most state probate laws, though the disclaimer must usually be filed within a specific timeframe (often nine months, mirroring the federal qualified disclaimer timing rule under IRC Section 2518) and before you've accepted any benefit from the property . If the estate is still in probate, talk to the estate's attorney about formally disclaiming the interest rather than accepting the deed and then trying to get out of it later; disclaiming before you take title is procedurally cleaner than deeding it back after the fact. If you've already been deeded the timeshare, you're in the same boat as any other owner: check for a rescission window (almost certainly expired by the time an inheritance transfers), ask about deed-back, or attempt resale. Don't assume ignoring the maintenance fee bills makes the problem disappear. HOAs can and do pursue collections and liens against titled owners regardless of how reluctantly they inherited the interest.
How do I actually contact Vistana or Marriott to start an exit conversation?
Use the phone number or mailing address printed on your most recent maintenance fee statement or in your original closing documents, not a number found through a search ad or a third-party "owner services" site. Ask specifically for the department that handles deed-back, surrender, or contract termination requests; front-line customer service reps often don't know these programs exist by name. Write down the date, the rep's name, and what was said, every time. If you're offered a deed-back or surrender agreement, get the full terms in writing, including whether you owe a final maintenance fee, a processing fee, or back HOA dues before the transfer is accepted. Read it before signing. This article and ExitHonest do not contact resorts or developers on your behalf and don't promise any outcome; we're not a law firm or an exit company. What we do provide is a self-directed process: our $149 one-time Exit Kit Builder walks you through pulling the right documents, drafting a compliant rescission or deed-back request letter, and checking your specific state's rules before you send anything, so you're not paying an exit company thousands of dollars to do steps you can do yourself. You can start that at /exit-kit-builder.
Should I just stop paying my Vistana maintenance fees?
No. Stopping payment on fees or a loan you legally owe is not a shortcut; it's how owners end up in collections, facing a lien, or in foreclosure, and it can hurt your credit for years. Even if you plan to surrender or deed back the property, most legitimate deed-back programs require you to be current on fees first, so falling behind can actually close off that option. If the fees are unaffordable right now, contact the HOA or Marriott Vacation Club's owner services directly and ask about hardship arrangements or payment plans before you miss a due date, not after. Some HOAs have informal hardship processes even if they're not advertised. For a deeper look at what drives fee increases and what your options are when fees have gotten out of hand, see our companion guide on maintenance fee escalation.
What's the realistic timeline and cost to get rid of a Vistana timeshare?
Rescission, if you're still in the window, is the fastest and cheapest path: days to weeks, and it should cost you nothing beyond postage for certified mail, because state rescission laws require a full refund with no cancellation penalty [2] [3]. Deed-back or surrender, if your resort and resort year qualify, typically takes weeks to a few months of back-and-forth with owner services, and may involve a modest processing fee, though terms vary and are not guaranteed by Marriott Vacation Club for every resort. Resale realistically takes months and often nets you at or near $0 after listing costs, sometimes negative if you pay a broker or a "deed transfer" fee just to get someone to take it. Foreclosure, if you simply stop paying, takes months to over a year depending on the state and your resort's process, and leaves you with credit damage and, in some states, exposure to a deficiency judgment for the unpaid balance. There is no path that is fast, free, and certain to work all at once. Anyone selling you that combination is selling you a story.
Frequently asked questions
How to get out of a timeshare fastest?
Rescind during your state's cancellation window if you're still inside it; this is the only exit that's fast, free, and backed by a specific legal deadline. Confirm your specific state's day count and refund deadline (Florida requires refund within 20 days of a valid notice) before sending anything, and use certified mail so you have proof of timing.
How to get rid of a timeshare after the rescission period ends?
After rescission expires, your remaining options are a developer deed-back or surrender program (if your resort offers one and you're current on fees), resale at a low or zero price through a licensed broker, or, as a last resort, letting it go to foreclosure, which damages your credit. There's no free exit that's certain to work after the window closes.
How do you get out of a timeshare if the company won't take it back?
If deed-back is refused, try resale through a broker paid only on commission, or a licensed timeshare-specific transfer service. If the timeshare is genuinely worthless, some owners transfer it for $0-$1 just to remove their name from title. Never pay a large upfront fee for a promised exit; verify any company with your state attorney general first.
How to sell a timeshare without losing money?
Realistically, most Vistana/Westin/Sheraton timeshares resell for a few hundred dollars or less, per industry resale data, so "without losing money" against your original purchase price usually isn't achievable. Price near comparable active listings, use a commission-only broker, and treat any recovered cash as a bonus, not an expectation.
Are timeshares scams?
The contracts themselves are legal, regulated products, not inherently scams. The scam risk concentrates in high-pressure sales tactics and, more so, in the post-purchase exit and resale industry, where regulators warn that companies commonly charge upfront fees and then fail to deliver a sale or cancellation.
How much is a timeshare, on average?
ARDA's 2023 industry data puts the average U.S. timeshare purchase price around $24,140, with average annual maintenance fees around $1,170. Upscale flagged brands like Vistana, Westin, and Sheraton properties often run above these averages, and special assessments can add substantially more in a given year.
How much do timeshares cost per year after purchase?
Beyond the purchase price, expect an annual maintenance fee (around $1,170 on average industry-wide per ARDA, often higher for upscale brands) plus occasional special assessments for repairs or renovations that can add several hundred to a few thousand dollars in a bad year.
How to sell timeshare through a broker without getting scammed?
Use a broker who charges a commission taken only at closing, never an upfront listing or marketing fee in the hundreds or thousands of dollars. Verify the broker's license and check them against your state attorney general's consumer complaint database and the Better Business Bureau before signing any listing agreement.
Does Vistana have a deed-back or surrender program?
Marriott Vacation Club, which now administers most Vistana/Westin/Sheraton resorts, has offered deed-back or surrender options for some owners current on fees, though availability isn't certain for every resort or unit type. Call the number on your actual maintenance fee statement and ask specifically about surrender programs.
What is the rescission period for a Vistana timeshare bought in Florida?
Florida law gives timeshare buyers a 10-calendar-day right to cancel from the date of signing or receipt of required documents, whichever is later, and requires the seller to refund the buyer within 20 days of receiving a valid written cancellation notice, per Florida Statutes Chapter 721.
Can I get out of a Vistana timeshare I inherited but never wanted?
If the estate is still in probate, you can often formally disclaim the inheritance under state probate law before accepting title, which is cleaner than trying to exit after the deed transfers to you. Once you hold title, you're subject to the same rescission-expired options: deed-back, resale, or, as a last resort, foreclosure.
Is it legal for an exit company to ask for money upfront?
It's not automatically illegal, but consumer protection regulators specifically warn that many timeshare resale and exit scams involve upfront fees for services never delivered. Check any company against your state attorney general's complaint database first, and be very wary of large upfront payments tied to a promised outcome.
Sources
- SEC EDGAR, Marriott Vacations Worldwide 8-K (Vistana acquisition, 2016): Marriott Vacations Worldwide acquired Vistana Signature Experiences in 2016
- Florida Statutes Section 721.10, Cancellation: Florida gives timeshare buyers a 10-calendar-day rescission right and requires refund within 20 days of a valid cancellation notice
- South Carolina Code of Laws Section 27-32-110: South Carolina gives timeshare purchasers a 5-day cancellation period
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Consumer Complaint Database: Consumers can search and file complaints against companies, including timeshare exit and resale firms, before paying upfront fees
- 26 U.S. Code Section 2518, Disclaimers: Heirs can disclaim an inherited interest, including real property such as a timeshare, under federal qualified disclaimer rules if done within the required timeframe (generally nine months)