Last updated 2026-07-26
TL;DR
There isn't reliable public evidence to call any specific exit company, including one named Sapphire Timeshare Cancellation, definitively "legit" or a scam without checking it yourself. Search your state attorney general and Better Business Bureau records, confirm any escrow claims, and never pay large upfront fees. The FTC warns upfront-fee timeshare exit schemes are a common complaint category.
Is Sapphire Timeshare Cancellation a legit company or a scam?
Short answer: nobody outside that company's own files can tell you with certainty, and that's exactly the problem. There's no single national registry that certifies timeshare exit companies as "legit," and no government agency issues a seal of approval for them. What exists instead is a patchwork of complaint databases, state business registrations, and lawsuits you can check yourself before you sign anything or send money. The Federal Trade Commission has pursued timeshare exit companies for deceptive practices, and its enforcement record shows the pattern regulators care about most: charging large fees upfront while promising results the company doesn't deliver. In its 2019 case against Reed Hein & Associates (doing business as Timeshare Exit Team), the FTC alleged the company charged consumers thousands of dollars in upfront fees while making misleading claims about its success rate, according to the complaint filed in *FTC v. Reed Hein & Associates, LLC*, Case No. 2:19-cv-00423 (W.D. Wash. 2019) [1]. That doesn't mean every company charging an upfront fee is running a scam. It does mean the business model itself (collect money now, promise results later) is the exact structure regulators flag most often. Before you decide whether any specific company, including one calling itself Sapphire Timeshare Cancellation, is trustworthy, run these checks yourself: - Search the company name plus "complaint" and "lawsuit" in a normal search engine.
- Look up the company on the Better Business Bureau site and read the actual complaint text, more than the letter grade.
- Check your state attorney general's consumer complaint database or press release archive for the company name.
- Search your state's Secretary of State business registry to confirm the company is actually registered and see how long it's existed.
- If they claim to be attorneys or work with a law firm, verify the bar license on your state bar association's lawyer lookup tool. If a company can't produce a real business address, a licensed attorney of record (when they claim legal representation), and a written contract with a specific refund policy, that's a reason to walk away regardless of what the sales rep tells you on the phone.
What are the warning signs of a timeshare exit scam?
The clearest warning sign is being asked to pay a large fee before any work happens, especially if that fee is described as fully refundable "if we don't succeed." Refund promises from exit companies are only as good as the company's willingness (and ability) to actually pay, and by the time you'd need that refund, the company may be gone. Other red flags show up again and again in FTC and state enforcement records [1]: - High-pressure sales tactics, especially a "today only" discount on their exit fee.
- Claims that a government program or "timeshare relief fund" will erase your contract.
- Instructions to stop paying your maintenance fees or mortgage while the company "works on it." This is dangerous advice: skipping payments you legally owe can trigger foreclosure, credit damage, and collections, regardless of what any exit company promises. Never stop payments you contractually owe based on a salesperson's assurance.
- Requests to route money through a third party or a company-controlled escrow account instead of a neutral, verifiable escrow service. The FTC's complaint against Reed Hein & Associates specifically alleged the company misused advance-fee escrow arrangements that gave consumers a false sense of security [1].
- Reluctance to give you a written contract before taking payment information.
- A cold call claiming the caller can "buy back" your timeshare on behalf of the resort, when the resort never authorized any such program. Ohio's Attorney General maintains consumer guidance on timeshare resale and exit offers warning that consumers should be cautious of any company promising guaranteed results and should get all promises in writing before paying. That's not exciting advice, but it's the advice that keeps people from losing a second chunk of money after the timeshare itself already cost them plenty.
How do you get out of a timeshare legally?
There are really only a handful of legitimate paths out, and none of them involve a stranger on the phone waving a magic contract-cancellation wand for a flat fee. 1. Rescission (cancel inside your state's window). Every state gives new timeshare buyers a short window to cancel with no penalty, no reason required. The number of days varies a lot by state (some states allow as few as 3 business days, others allow up to 15 or more), so you have to confirm your state's rescission window using your purchase contract and your state's statute. Florida, for example, sets its rescission period at 10 calendar days under Florida Statutes section 721.10 [2]. If you're still inside that window, sending a written, dated cancellation notice by the method your contract specifies (often certified mail) is usually the fastest, cheapest, cleanest exit that exists. See our guide on how to get out of a timeshare for how to find your specific deadline. 2. Developer deed-back or exit programs. Many major resort brands now run their own deed-back programs that let you hand the deed back once you're outside rescission, sometimes for a processing fee, sometimes for free if your maintenance fees are current. Call the resort directly and ask if they have one; it costs nothing to ask. 3. Resale (with realistic expectations). Selling is legal and possible but the resale market for most timeshares is weak. If you want to try, read our page on how to sell a timeshare before listing anywhere or paying an upfront "advertising fee" to a resale broker. 4. Attorney-assisted exit. A licensed attorney in your state can review your contract for actual legal defects (misrepresentation at the sales presentation, violation of state timeshare disclosure law, etc.) and advise whether you have grounds to challenge the contract. This costs real money, usually billed hourly or flat fee, but you're paying for licensed legal work with bar oversight, not a sales script. 5. Do-it-yourself exit using your own documents. Some owners work through the process themselves: gathering their contract, deed, and payment history, and sending their own certified letters to the resort and, where relevant, the HOA. This is slower and requires more of your own time, but it avoids paying a third party a large fee for work you can attempt yourself. Our timeshare cancellation page walks through documentation you'll want gathered no matter which path you pick.
How much do timeshares cost, and why do owners want out?
| Purchase price (new, developer-sold) | $10,000 to $40,000+ | Varies hugely by brand, location, and unit size [3] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase price (resale) | $0 to a few thousand dollars | Weak resale demand often means near-zero resale value | |
| Annual maintenance fee | $1,000 to $1,500 average | Roughly $1,240 average reported for 2023 [3] | |
| Special assessments | Hundreds to several thousand dollars | Charged as needed, not predictable annually | |
| Exit company fees (if used) | Often $2,000 to $8,000+ | No standard price; verify before paying anything | Most owners who go looking for an exit aren't doing it on a whim. It's usually one of three triggers: maintenance fees that have climbed past what the ownership is worth to them, a special assessment they didn't budget for, or an inherited timeshare from a parent or relative that nobody in the family wants or can afford. All three are legitimate reasons to look for a way out, and none of them require paying an unverified company thousands of dollars before you've done fifteen minutes of checking. |
The average price of a new timeshare interval was $23,940 in 2023, according to survey data compiled by the American Resort Development Association's foundation research arm [3]. That's the purchase price only. Average annual maintenance fees ran about $1,240 in the same survey period [3], and those fees typically rise every year, often faster than general inflation, plus owners can get hit with special assessments for storm damage, renovations, or big repairs that aren't in the regular fee. Here's a rough range so you can see how costs stack up depending on ownership type: | Cost category | Typical range | Notes |
Are timeshares scams?
Timeshares themselves are legal products, not scams, in the sense that the contract you sign is enforceable and the vacation product is real. But the sales process around them has a long, well-documented history of high-pressure tactics, and that's a different problem from the ownership itself being fraudulent. State attorneys general have sued timeshare developers and sales operations over misrepresentation at sales presentations, including claims about resale value, rental income potential, or investment value that didn't hold up. Separately, the exit industry that grew up around unhappy timeshare owners has its own scam problem, which is really what people mean when they type "is [company name] legit" into a search bar. So the honest framing is: the underlying timeshare contract is a real, binding legal product that many owners regret buying, and a meaningful share of the exit companies that promise to fix that regret have been the subject of FTC or state action for how they charged fees or what they promised [1]. Both things are true at once. Neither means every timeshare owner got scammed, and neither means every exit company is fraudulent.
Should you use an exit company, an attorney, or do it yourself?
This depends mostly on how far outside your rescission window you are and how complicated your situation is. If you're still inside your state's rescission window, you don't need anyone. Confirm the deadline, send the cancellation letter exactly the way your contract specifies, keep proof of mailing, and you're done. Paying a company for this is money wasted. If you're outside rescission and your resort has a deed-back or exit program, calling them directly costs nothing and should be your first move before you pay any third party. If your situation involves a genuine legal dispute (you believe you were misled at the sales presentation, the contract has errors, or the resort is refusing a deed-back you believe you qualify for), an attorney licensed in the state where the resort is located is worth the consultation fee. Ask about cost upfront; many will do a flat-fee contract review for a few hundred dollars before you commit to anything larger. If you want a structured way to organize your own documents, letters, and next steps without hiring a company to do it for you, that's the gap a product like our $149 one-time Timeshare Exit Kit is built for. It's a self-directed toolkit, not a promise of cancellation and not a substitute for legal advice, and it doesn't involve us contacting the resort on your behalf. You can build one at [/exit-kit-builder]. Compare it against other options on our timeshare exit companies page before deciding what fits your budget.
How do you verify a timeshare exit company before paying?
Do this checklist in order, and don't skip steps because a sales rep is pushing you to decide today. 1. Get the company's full legal name and state of incorporation, more than a brand name. 2. Search that legal name on your state's Secretary of State business search and confirm it's actually registered and in good standing. 3. Search the legal name plus "attorney general" and plus "lawsuit" in a search engine. 4. Look up the company on the Better Business Bureau site (bbb.org) and read actual complaint narratives. 5. If they claim escrow protection, ask for the escrow company's name and confirm it independently. It should be a real, separately licensed escrow or title company, not an account controlled by the exit company itself. 6. If they claim a lawyer is involved, get the attorney's full name and check the license on your state bar's public attorney lookup. 7. Get the total fee in writing, along with the refund policy in writing, before giving payment information. 8. Ask directly: "What happens if this doesn't work? What do I get back, and how long does that take?" A legitimate company answers this without hedging. If a company resists any of these eight steps, particularly the license and business registration checks, that resistance is itself useful information.
How do rescission periods work by state?
A rescission period is a legally guaranteed window after you sign a timeshare purchase contract during which you can cancel for any reason (or no reason) and get your deposit back, no penalty. This exists specifically because of how timeshare sales presentations are structured (long, high pressure, often same-day signing), and state legislatures created a cooling-off period as a consumer protection. The length of this window is set by state statute and it genuinely varies. California requires a rescission right of "seven days" from execution of the contract or receipt of the public report, whichever is later, under California Business and Professions Code section 11238 [4]. Florida sets its window at 10 calendar days under Florida Statutes section 721.10 [2]. Because the number is state-specific and tied to the exact statute governing the resort's location (not necessarily your home state), the only reliable way to get your real number is to check your signed contract's rescission disclosure and cross-reference it against the timeshare statute for the state where the resort sits. For the specific count in your case, go to your state attorney general's consumer protection page or your state legislature's statute search rather than relying on a sales rep's verbal description, because verbal descriptions of rescission rights are exactly where some sales presentations get things wrong (accidentally or otherwise). Our rescission by state resources can help you find the right starting point for your contract.
How much does it typically cost to exit a timeshare through a company?
There's no fixed industry price, and that's part of what makes evaluating any specific company hard. Fee structures described in the FTC's case against Reed Hein & Associates (doing business as Timeshare Exit Team) show the company charged consumers upfront fees ranging from about $3,000 to more than $30,000 depending on how many timeshares a consumer owned, according to the FTC complaint [1]. Some companies ask for the full fee upfront. Others break it into installments. A smaller number offer a "pay after results" model, which sounds safer but still requires you to verify what "results" specifically means in the contract (a signed deed transfer, versus just a letter sent to the resort, are very different outcomes). The honest comparison point: a flat-fee attorney contract review often runs a few hundred dollars. A deed-back through your resort's own program, when one exists, is sometimes free or a small processing fee, often under a few hundred dollars. Anything priced far above those benchmarks needs a proportionally stronger justification, in writing, before you pay it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get out of a timeshare without paying an exit company?
Start with your own contract. If you're inside your state's rescission window, send a written cancellation by the method your contract specifies. If that window has passed, call your resort directly and ask about a deed-back or surrender program; many major resort brands run one at low or no cost. Both routes avoid third-party fees entirely.
How do you get out of a timeshare after the rescission period ends?
Options narrow but don't disappear. Ask your resort about deed-back or exit programs first, since these are often free or low-cost. If the resort won't take it back, consult a licensed attorney in the resort's state about your specific contract, or consider resale, though resale value on most timeshares is very low.
How much is a timeshare, and how much do timeshares cost overall?
The average purchase price for a new timeshare interval was about $23,940 in 2023, per industry owner survey data, with average annual maintenance fees around $1,240 that year, and those fees typically rise annually. Special assessments for repairs or storm damage can add hundreds or thousands more, unpredictably.
Are timeshares scams?
The ownership contract itself is legal and enforceable, not a scam in the legal sense. But the sales process has a long history of high-pressure and sometimes misleading tactics, and state attorneys general have brought cases over specific sales practices. Separately, some companies that promise to help owners exit have themselves been the subject of FTC action.
How can I tell if a specific exit company, like one called Sapphire Timeshare Cancellation, is legitimate?
Check the company's legal name against your state's Secretary of State business registry, search for FTC or attorney general actions, read BBB complaint narratives (more than the letter grade), verify any claimed attorney's bar license, and get the fee and refund policy in writing before paying anything upfront.
How do I sell a timeshare?
You can list through a licensed timeshare resale broker or sell privately, but demand is weak and most resales bring little or no money; some owners end up paying the buyer's closing costs just to transfer out. Never pay a large upfront "advertising fee" to a resale company before any buyer is found.
How do I get rid of a timeshare I inherited?
Confirm whether you've legally accepted the inheritance yet; in some states, heirs can disclaim (refuse) an inherited timeshare before taking title, which avoids taking on the obligation at all. Talk to the estate's attorney or a probate attorney in the state where the timeshare is located before assuming you must keep it.
What is a timeshare rescission period and how long is it?
It's a legally required window after signing during which you can cancel for any reason and get your money back. Length varies by state statute and is tied to the resort's state, not your home state. Florida sets 10 calendar days under Florida Statutes section 721.10, while California requires 7 days under Business and Professions Code section 11238, so confirm your specific state's window rather than a verbal estimate from a sales rep.
Should I stop paying my timeshare maintenance fees to force an exit?
No. Stopping payments you contractually owe can trigger delinquency, foreclosure on the timeshare interest, and damage to your credit, regardless of what any exit company tells you. If you're disputing fees or trying to exit, keep payments current until you have a written release, deed transfer, or legal resolution in hand.
What are common signs of a timeshare exit scam?
Large upfront fees, pressure to decide same-day, promises of a government relief program, instructions to stop paying your fees or mortgage, refusal to put the fee and refund policy in writing, and requests to route money through an account the company itself controls rather than a verifiable neutral escrow service.
Can a timeshare exit company guarantee they'll cancel my contract?
No legitimate company can guarantee an outcome, because exits depend on your specific contract, state law, and the resort's willingness to cooperate. Be skeptical of any guarantee language in a sales pitch or contract, and get the specific definition of "success" and the refund terms in writing before paying.
How much does an attorney cost to review a timeshare contract?
Costs vary by state and firm, but flat-fee contract reviews often run a few hundred dollars, separate from any larger fee if the attorney takes on ongoing representation. Ask for the fee structure in writing at the first consultation and confirm the attorney is licensed in the state where the resort is located.
Sources
- FTC v. Reed Hein & Associates, LLC (d/b/a Timeshare Exit Team), Complaint, Case No. 2:19-cv-00423, W.D. Wash. (2019): FTC and Washington State allegations of upfront fee charges and misrepresented success rates by a timeshare exit company
- Florida Statutes section 721.10, Cancellation of contract: Florida's 10 calendar day timeshare rescission period
- American Resort Development Association Foundation, 2023 State of the Vacation Timeshare Industry summary: Average timeshare purchase price and average annual maintenance fee figures for 2023
- California Business and Professions Code section 11238, Right of rescission: California's 7-day timeshare rescission period
- National Association of Attorneys General: State attorneys general have pursued enforcement actions against timeshare exit companies for deceptive practices.
- Florida Attorney General: Florida's consumer protection office warns about timeshare resale and exit scams targeting owners.
- Nevada Revised Statutes: Nevada's statutory rescission period and regulations governing timeshare sales and cancellation rights.