Where to leave timeshare reviews before you buy or exit

Last updated 2026-07-25

Where should I actually leave a timeshare review?

Five places matter more than the rest: the Better Business Bureau profile for the resort or exit company, the company's Google Business Profile, Trustpilot, ConsumerAffairs.com, and your state attorney general's consumer complaint portal. The AG complaint isn't technically a "review" but it's the one that actually gets read by someone with subpoena power, and it feeds pattern-of-abuse cases that state AGs bring against resorts and exit companies. The BBB is worth the ten minutes because resorts and exit firms watch their BBB rating closely, and a documented complaint with dates, dollar amounts, and contract numbers carries weight future buyers will actually search for before they sign anything. ConsumerAffairs and Trustpilot get indexed by Google fast, so a detailed review there often shows up when someone searches the company name plus "scam" or "reviews," which is exactly the search moment you want to catch them at. Skip anonymous forums with no moderation. They're full of astroturfed praise from the same companies you're trying to warn people about. A review with a date, a specific dollar figure, and what actually happened beats five paragraphs of outrage with no detail every time.

How do you get out of a timeshare, actually?

There's no single universal way out. The real paths are: rescission during your state's cancellation window, a deed-back or surrender program offered directly by the resort or developer, a resale (for little or no money, sometimes you pay someone to take it), or working with a licensed attorney if the contract has a real legal defect. Each path has a different cost, timeline, and success rate. Rescission is the fastest and cheapest if you're still inside the window. Every state sets its own rescission period by statute, and the range runs from three days to fifteen days depending on the state, so confirm your state's rescission window before you assume you have time ^[1]. Miss that window and your options narrow to deed-back, resale, or a negotiated exit, all of which take longer and may cost money. Deed-back programs (sometimes called surrender or exit programs) let you hand the deed back to the resort, usually after you're paid current on maintenance fees and any special assessments. Marriott Vacation Club, Hilton Grand Vacations, and Diamond-brand resorts under Hilton all run some version of this, though acceptance isn't automatic and terms vary by resort and season ^[2]. If your resort has one, it's almost always cheaper than paying a third-party exit company thousands of dollars to do less than what you could do yourself with a phone call and a signed release. For a fuller walkthrough of the decision tree, how to get out of a timeshare covers the state-by-state rescission mechanics in more detail than fits here.

How much do timeshares cost, really?

Purchase price for a new timeshare interval from a developer runs a wide range, commonly $15,000 to $25,000 for a one-week annual interval at a branded resort, though luxury weeks and larger units can run well past $40,000 ^[3]. That number is often negotiable on the sales floor (developers routinely knock 20 to 40 percent off the "today only" price), which itself is a signal you're overpaying no matter what number you land on. The purchase price is the smaller ongoing problem. Average annual maintenance fees across the industry sat at $1,205 per interval in 2023 according to the American Resort Development Association's owner survey, and that figure climbs almost every year, often faster than general inflation ^[3]. Add periodic special assessments for storm damage, roof replacement, or renovation, and it's common for owners to pay $1,500 to $2,500 or more in a single bad year. That combination, rising fees plus surprise assessments, is the single biggest driver of owners searching for an exit in the first place. Resale value is the ugly secret nobody tells you at the sales presentation. Timeshares are not an investment and they do not appreciate; most resale listings on sites like the Timeshare Users Group or RedWeek show intervals selling for $1 to a few thousand dollars, a small fraction of the original developer price, and plenty list for $1 with the buyer only covering transfer fees. If you're trying to figure out what yours is actually worth before you decide whether to sell, gift, or walk away, that resale reality should anchor your expectations, not the number you paid a decade ago.

How do I sell a timeshare if I don't want it anymore?

List it honestly on a secondary market first: RedWeek, Timeshare Users Group (TUG), and the resort's own owner resale board if one exists. Price it near what comparable weeks are actually selling for, not what you paid, and expect the number to be humbling. A studio week that cost $18,000 in 2015 might list for $500 to $2,000 now, and that's normal, not a sign you're doing it wrong. Never pay an upfront fee to a company that promises to sell your timeshare fast. The Federal Trade Commission has warned that resale scams target owners with promises of a fast, sure buyer, collect a fee of a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, and then the sale never happens ^[2]. If a company promises a sale outcome or asks for money before any transaction closes, that's the reddest of red flags. If the resale market won't take it (some resorts restrict transfers, or demand is simply zero for your week), ask the resort directly whether they run a deed-back or surrender program. It costs you nothing but time and paperwork, and it's the most realistic exit for a huge share of owners who bought points-based or off-season weeks nobody wants to buy. For a walkthrough focused specifically on getting rid of unwanted ownership rather than selling for value, see how to get out of timeshare.

Are timeshares scams?

The timeshare product itself is legal in every US state, so no, owning one isn't a scam by definition. But the sales process is aggressive by design, and a meaningful share of the complaints regulators see involve deceptive sales tactics rather than the ownership structure itself. High-pressure presentations, misrepresented resale value, and vague promises about "investment potential" show up constantly in state AG enforcement actions and FTC guidance ^[2]. The scam risk that owners actually need to worry about lives downstream of the purchase: the timeshare exit industry. The FTC's consumer guidance describes a pattern of companies charging upfront fees ranging from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars for cancellation services that never deliver, sometimes disappearing entirely after payment ^[2]. Some state attorneys general, including Missouri and Wisconsin, have brought enforcement actions against exit companies for exactly this pattern. So the honest answer splits in two: the timeshare product is a bad deal for most buyers given the fee trajectory and near-zero resale value, but it's a legal contract, not a scam. The exit industry built around helping people escape that contract is where actual fraud concentrates, and that's the part worth reading reviews about before you hire anyone. Our exit scam awareness coverage, and specifically the timeshare exit companies breakdown, digs into which red flags separate a legitimate exit attorney from a company that will take your deposit and vanish.

How do reviews help you avoid a timeshare exit scam?

A pattern of recent, specific complaints on the BBB or ConsumerAffairs is often the earliest public warning that a company has stopped delivering what it promises. Look for reviews that mention a specific amount paid upfront, a specific promise (like "we'll get you cancelled, no risk" or "we'll handle everything with the resort"), and what happened months later. One glowing review means nothing; a cluster of near-identical complaints about vanished deposits means everything. Check the date range too. Exit companies sometimes rebrand under a new name after a state AG action or a wave of bad press, so search the owners' names and any address on the contract, more than the company name on the website. A company that's been in business "since 2019" with a BBB profile opened last month is a real signal worth noticing. Before you sign anything or pay anyone, run the company name plus "complaint" through your state attorney general's consumer protection search tool. Most states publish these as searchable databases ^[4]. It takes five minutes and it's free, which is more than you can say for most of what the exit industry sells.

What should you never do when trying to exit a timeshare?

Never pay a large upfront fee to a company that promises it can guarantee your contract will be cancelled. No legitimate attorney or exit firm can promise a resort will accept a deed-back or that a cancellation is a sure thing, and the FTC specifically warns that no-risk, sure-outcome exit promises paired with upfront payment are a hallmark of the scam pattern it tracks ^[2]. Never stop paying your maintenance fees or loan payments because someone told you it would "pressure the resort to let you out." Unpaid fees can lead to late penalties, collections, and in some cases foreclosure on the timeshare interest, which can also hit your credit report. Whatever exit path you're pursuing, keep paying what you currently owe until the contract is legally terminated or the deed is actually transferred. Never sign a quitclaim deed to a random LLC that offers to "take the timeshare off your hands" for a fee, without confirming the resort has approved the transfer and the LLC is real and reachable. This is one of the most common current scam structures: the resort never gets notified, maintenance fees keep accruing in your name, and the LLC disappears. If you want a structured way to organize which documents, letters, and state-specific steps actually apply to your situation, that's the kind of research the Timeshare Exit Kit, a one-time $149 product, is built to walk you through, though it's not a law firm and it won't contact the resort or promise a specific outcome.

How does rescission work compared to a deed-back or resale?

Exit path	Typical cost	Typical timeline	Reliability
Rescission (inside window)	$0, just certified mail	Days to a few weeks	High, if filed correctly and on time [1]
Resort deed-back / surrender	$0 to a few hundred dollars in fees	1 to 6 months	Moderate, resort discretion, often requires fees current [2]
Resale (RedWeek, TUG, resort board)	$0 to list, often sells for $0 to a few thousand	Weeks to over a year	Low to moderate, depends heavily on resort and season
Third-party exit company	$2,000 to $10,000+ upfront, varies widely	Months to years	Variable, high scam risk per FTC warnings [2]
Attorney (contract defect claim)	Hourly or flat fee, varies by case	Months	Depends entirely on whether a real legal defect exists	Rescission is the cleanest exit that exists in timeshare law, precisely because it's a statutory right, not a negotiation. Every other path depends on either the resort's willingness to take the property back or someone else's willingness to buy it, and neither of those is owed to you the way a rescission right is.

How do you get rid of a timeshare you inherited and never wanted?

Inherited timeshares are a specific mess because you never signed the original contract, and depending on the state and how the estate was handled, you may or may not be personally obligated to keep it. Start by checking whether the estate formally transferred the deed to you, or whether it's sitting in probate limbo, because an interval still legally owned by the deceased's estate isn't automatically yours to owe fees on. If the deed did transfer to you, the resort's deed-back or surrender program is usually the first call to make. Many resorts specifically handle inherited-property surrender requests because they'd rather take the unit back than chase an heir with no attachment to the property for fees. If no deed-back program exists, disclaiming the inheritance before you accept it (a formal legal step, done through the estate) can sometimes prevent you from taking on the obligation at all, though this depends on state probate law and timing, so this is a genuine case where a probate attorney's hour of time is worth paying for. Don't ignore mail from the resort assuming it will go away. Unpaid fees on an inherited interval can still lead to collections activity tied to the estate or to you personally depending on how title passed, so get a straight answer on the legal status before you decide your next move.

How much should you expect to pay to exit, honestly?

If you're inside your rescission window, the honest cost is close to zero: certified mail, a printed cancellation letter following your contract's instructions, and the postage. That's the cheapest and most certain exit that exists in this entire space ^[1]. If you're past the window and going the deed-back route, expect $0 to a few hundred dollars in administrative or recording fees, plus you'll need your maintenance fees current before most resorts will accept the deed back. If you're hiring outside help to organize the process, compare that cost against what a full-service exit company charges. Industry reporting and multiple state AG complaints put typical upfront exit-company fees in the $2,000 to $10,000+ range, frequently with no refund if the promised cancellation never happens ^[2]. That gap is exactly why a lower-cost, do-it-yourself resource exists as a middle option: something that gives you the letters, checklists, and state-specific rescission information without charging thousands of dollars for a promise nobody can actually make. That's the niche the $149 Timeshare Exit Kit fills, one-time cost, no promise of a specific outcome because no honest company can offer one, and no contact with the resort on your behalf. It's a research and document tool, not a law firm.

What should a good timeshare review actually include?

A useful review has five things: the company or resort name spelled correctly, the approximate date of the transaction, the dollar amount involved, what was promised, and what actually happened. "They took my money and did nothing" is honest but not searchable or verifiable; "Paid $3,500 in March 2023, was told the resort would remove me as owner, still shows me as owner as of this writing" is the kind of detail that helps the next owner and holds up if a regulator ever reads it. If you're reviewing a resort itself rather than an exit company, separate the vacation experience from the sales pressure. A resort can have great housekeeping and a genuinely awful, high-pressure update presentation, and both facts are useful to different readers. File the same complaint with your state attorney general if real money changed hands and the promised service didn't happen. Reviews help future buyers; a formal AG complaint is what actually builds a case file that can lead to enforcement action down the road ^[4].

Frequently asked questions

How to get out of a timeshare?

Check your contract date first: if you're still inside your state's rescission window, send a written cancellation by certified mail exactly as the contract instructs, that's the fastest, cheapest exit. If the window has passed, look into the resort's deed-back or surrender program before paying any third-party exit company. Confirm your state's rescission window with your state attorney general's office.

How do you get out of a timeshare after the rescission period ends?

After rescission, your realistic options are a resort deed-back or surrender program, a resale through RedWeek or TUG (often for very little money), or in rare cases a legal challenge if there was fraud in the original sale. Keep paying maintenance fees during this process; stopping payment can trigger collections or credit damage.

How to sell a timeshare?

List it on RedWeek, the Timeshare Users Group (TUG), or your resort's owner resale board, priced near what comparable weeks actually sell for, which is often a small fraction of the original purchase price. Never pay an upfront fee to a company promising a fast, sure sale, that's a common scam pattern the FTC has warned about.

How to get rid of a timeshare with no resale value?

If nobody will buy it, ask the resort directly about a deed-back or surrender program. Most major brands including Marriott Vacation Club and Hilton Grand Vacations offer some version of one. It typically costs little to nothing beyond having your fees current, and it's far cheaper than a third-party exit company.

Are timeshares scams?

The ownership product itself is legal, so it isn't a scam by definition, though sales tactics are frequently aggressive and resale value is almost always far below purchase price. The bigger fraud risk sits in the exit industry, where the FTC warns upfront-fee offers promising a sure-thing cancellation are a common scam pattern.

How much is a timeshare?

New developer-sold timeshare intervals commonly run $15,000 to $25,000 for a one-week annual unit at a branded resort, sometimes more for luxury properties, though sales-floor discounts of 20 to 40 percent are common. Resale prices are dramatically lower, often $1 to a few thousand dollars for the same interval.

How much do timeshares cost per year in maintenance fees?

The average annual maintenance fee per timeshare interval was $1,205 in 2023 according to the American Resort Development Association's owner survey, and fees typically rise most years. Special assessments for repairs or storm damage can add $500 to $2,000 or more in a single year on top of that.

How much are timeshares worth on the resale market?

Most resale listings on sites like RedWeek and TUG show timeshare intervals selling for a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, a small fraction of the original developer price, and many list for $1 with the buyer covering only transfer costs. Timeshares are not an investment and do not appreciate.

Where should I leave a timeshare review?

The Better Business Bureau, Google Business Profile, ConsumerAffairs.com, and Trustpilot are the most-read platforms for timeshare and exit-company reviews. Also file a formal complaint with your state attorney general's consumer protection office if you lost money, that feeds regulatory enforcement, more than public opinion.

How can reviews help me avoid a timeshare exit scam?

A cluster of recent, specific complaints describing upfront fees paid with no results is the clearest public warning sign an exit company isn't delivering. Look for dates, dollar amounts, and specific promises in reviews, and cross-check the company name against your state attorney general's complaint database before paying anyone.

Do timeshare exit companies ever get sued by regulators?

Yes. Multiple state attorneys general, including in Missouri and Wisconsin, have brought enforcement actions against timeshare exit companies over deceptive upfront-fee practices and undelivered cancellation promises. Search your state AG's press releases and complaint database before hiring any exit company.

Can I just stop paying my timeshare maintenance fees to force an exit?

No, and it's risky. Unpaid fees typically lead to late penalties, collections activity, and potentially foreclosure on the timeshare interest, which can also affect your credit. Keep paying what you owe until the contract is legally cancelled or the deed is formally transferred through rescission, deed-back, or another documented process.

What happens if I inherit a timeshare I don't want?

Check whether the deed actually transferred to you through probate before assuming you owe anything. If it did transfer, ask the resort about a deed-back or surrender program for heirs; if it hasn't transferred yet, a probate attorney can advise on formally disclaiming the inheritance under your state's law.

Sources

1. Cal. Civ. Code section 11024 (California timeshare rescission period): Rescission periods and consumer rights around timeshare cancellation are set by state statute and vary by state
2. Federal Trade Commission, "Time-Shares and Vacation Plans" consumer guidance: Resort-run deed-back and surrender-style programs exist as an alternative to third-party resale or exit companies
3. American Resort Development Association (ARDA), State of the Vacation Timeshare Industry fact sheet: Timeshare purchase prices and industry statistics reported by ARDA
4. Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Consumer Complaint form: State consumer protection agencies maintain complaint portals where residents can file complaints against companies
5. Better Business Bureau: BBB guidance warning consumers about common timeshare resale and exit scams to watch for before hiring an exit company.
6. Nolo: Describes how state-specific rescission periods work for canceling a timeshare purchase shortly after signing.
7. California Attorney General: State guidance on timeshare cancellation rights and warnings about deed-back and exit company scams.