Better Business Bureau warns of timeshare and vacation club sales

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – The Better Business Bureau shared the report on an investigation into the timeshares and vacation club sales.  

BBB Regional Director Whitney Quick says that timeshares and vacation clubs often meet with high-pressure sales.  

“Timeshares and vacation clubs before because often synonymous with high-pressure sales and with the sun out and their guard down vacationers can quickly find themselves on the hook for a lifelong commitment,” said Quick.   

Some key findings from the report are that timeshares are nearly impossible to sell. 

And consumers often feel misled about the amount and frequency of fees charged for timeshare maintenance. 

“They also trick buyers scammers copy high-pressure sales tactics used by real-time share sellers and imposters use the address and amenities of a timeshare or vacation club combined with the owner’s personal information to trick victims into paying for bogus fees,” said Quick.   

Some tips from the BBB are: 

• Be realistic about what you can get for your timeshare. Most of these contracts are not investments. 
• If it sounds too good to be true, it is. Scammers know consumers want to save money and take advantage of it. 
• Be wary of paying timeshare exit companies all fees upfront until services are rendered. 

“Timeshare or a timeshare exit company you first want to make sure that you are extensively researching timeshare properties vacation clubs or exit companies. Thoroughly read the contracts for language about lifetime commitment airs obligations because a lot of times timeshares get passed on to their kids,” said Quick.   

The Better Business Bureau reports that through their research about timeshare sales and exit, vacation clubs.  

There were almost 10,000 negative reviews and 1,160 BBB scam tracker reports with losses of $3.5 million.