Sometimes after making a timeshare purchase people will get that sense that they’ve been ripped off. Something they were promised in that sales presentation they were put through hasn’t materialized in their actual experience of the resort. They make up their mind: I’m going to call that company, give them a piece of my mind, and tell them they can take this timeshare and shove it.
We’re here to tell you: calling that company isn’t likely to do you any good. More than likely the person you will be directed to on the phone will not be someone with the authority—or intention—of cancelling your contract. (It just isn’t that easy.) What’s the more likely scenario? That you will be connected to another salesperson—one whose specialty is in convincing timeshare owners to make costly “upgrade” purchases rather than correcting anything about their present contract.
Likely this salesperson will tell you that the amenities you believed you would receive after that first purchase were actually only available with a higher-level of ownership. For only a fraction (still thousands of dollars) more, you can have those amenities at your beck and call! To make this happen, your old contract will be replaced by a new one, with a new loan, at the new price. Isn’t it worth it to you? You said you want to cancel because you don’t get those amenities, right? So now you would. It should be worth it to you!
No—it shouldn’t be. These new salespeople are just as likely to be lying about what you will have available to you as the first set of salespeople were. If you sign this new contract, you’d probably just be getting into the same contract again, with the same available (and unavailable) amenities, but for a higher price and a reset on the amount of time you would have to pay.
We don’t mean to say it isn’t worth seeing if a resort will be willing to negotiate with you on your contract. We just mean to say they aren’t likely to do so fairly—because almost nothing they do is done fairly. Rather than trying to cancel on your own, you really should get an experienced attorney on your side. If you’re looking to end your association with a timeshare company—in Fort Lauderdale, Florida or elsewhere—let The People’s Advocate fight for you. We take on timeshare companies to hold them accountable for their high-pressure sales tactics and fraudulent practices. Don’t find yourself subject to losing money on “properties” into which you’re forced to pour significant amounts of your hard-earned money. Contact us for more details.