How does the timeshare industry still exist?

[Anonymous]

It seems like such a scam.

[Anonymous]

because the suckers keep breeding

[Anonymous]

Are timeshares ever a good idea?

[Anonymous]

Timeshares and QVC exist because of people like my mother-in-law.

See also: sucker, hourly birthrate of

[Anonymous]

16:03 - GOOD ONE!

Timeshares are never a good idea. The chances of you getting an actually useful week (useful to YOU) are slim or none. It's not that different than a pyramid scheme. I'm surprised there are any left.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Timeshares and QVC exist because of people like my mother-in-law.

See also: sucker, hourly birthrate of

Hey now. QVC has good deals on Bare Minerals and quality fake diamonds.

[Anonymous]

Why doesn't the gvt crack down on them? Given the vast amounts of money (upwards of 20K per wk) how do they go unregulated?

[Anonymous]

See also: sucker, hourly birthrate of

CRACKING the f up at this.

[Anonymous]

My inlaws are suckers that bought a timeshare. They love it, but I am worried that I might inherit it. Is there any way to refuse this, as I do not want to pay the yearly maintenance fees, etc.

[Anonymous]

We got gifted one from my inlaws, who were big time share buyers/users. We ended up selling it on the secondary market and got a couple of thousand dollars, which was pretty good. (much less t han what it costs, but that's how they work). It is the maintenance fees that are the killer. Often those fees are high enough that you are paying most of the cost of just getting a hotel for the week just for your maintenance. Is it really worth it to commit yourself to a place and company with a big up front payment and expenses to get what is essentially a discount on your hotel room. (for example someone posted the other day that their fee was $850. That's $120 a night in maintenance fees. So if you would normally pay $250 a night for lodging, let's say, what you have with a time share is basically a $50-60% discount on your vacation lodging.

[Anonymous]

I've never seen the use...I don't know any place I want to return to repeatedly, and suppose I want to vacation from wed-wed, as airfares are cheaper?
I have a fairly savvy cousin who used to roll his eyes when I said I couldn't understand the appeal; yet for the past 3 years, he's offered me his hilton head timeshare cos he can't use it or rent it....I couldn't make it either, so the place went empty...

[Anonymous]

My parents use theirs all the time. They work on a point system with Hilton and get free hotel rooms in addition to their timeshare time. They purchased in FL but can use it at any Hilton resort and they aren't tied down to just one week. They are also given given great deals that are often just a month out from when they need to be used. Not a big deal for them because they are retired and have five children to share with. DH and I had four nights in Orlando for $99. It was the best vacation we have had to date.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My parents use theirs all the time. They work on a point system with Hilton and get free hotel rooms in addition to their timeshare time. They purchased in FL but can use it at any Hilton resort and they aren't tied down to just one week. They are also given given great deals that are often just a month out from when they need to be used. Not a big deal for them because they are retired and have five children to share with. DH and I had four nights in Orlando for $99. It was the best vacation we have had to date.

Same deal here... my parents own a Marriott resort 3BR in Florida for two weeks a year - they normally trade it in and use a week elsewhere and bank the other week for points to be used at Marriott hotels throughout the year. We've taken the kids down there twice for a week - my brother has used it, too. We enjoy it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My parents use theirs all the time. They work on a point system with Hilton and get free hotel rooms in addition to their timeshare time. They purchased in FL but can use it at any Hilton resort and they aren't tied down to just one week. They are also given given great deals that are often just a month out from when they need to be used. Not a big deal for them because they are retired and have five children to share with. DH and I had four nights in Orlando for $99. It was the best vacation we have had to date.

Same deal here... my parents own a Marriott resort 3BR in Florida for two weeks a year - they normally trade it in and use a week elsewhere and bank the other week for points to be used at Marriott hotels throughout the year. We've taken the kids down there twice for a week - my brother has used it, too. We enjoy it.

Yep, same here! My parents have time to travel and take true advantage of the features of a timeshare. They've banked a ton of points and encourage us to help them use them up. We were in Williamsburg (a weekend trip to Busch G.), a ski trip in New England, etc.
I think it depends on what type of person you are and what your family situation is. It might not be a good investment for everyone, but for those that it does "fit" it really works for them.

[Anonymous]

How does the points system work for hotel timeshares? We paid off our timeshare years ago yet they still want to charge maintenance fees and the original hotel we signed up for is no longer in existence?

We don't have a deed to anything so how can they continue to charge maintenance fees?