Top 3 Reasons NOT To Purchase a Timeshare

I have purchased three timeshares and one travel club membership over the years.  My mom has also purchased a timeshare.  From both of our experiences, I can tell you that there are some good reasons to purchase one, but there are more bad reasons then good.

Here are my top 3 reasons Not to Purchase a Timeshare.

1.  You can't sell it or you never get the money or use out of it that you put into it.  If you get to the point in your life where you  find that you can no longer travel or that you financially cannot afford the yearly maintenance fees, you may not be able to sell your timeshare.  If you do decide that you want to sell your timeshare, chances are excellent that the only thing you may get is someone to buy it only for the yearly cost of maintenance fees.  Most timeshares are worth nothing today.  Don't buy one now thinking you can sell it later.  You will be in for a rude awakening.

2.  Timeshare purchases are very expensive.  The way they get you is to approach you when you are having the vacation of a lifetime.  The weather is beautiful.  The property is beautiful.  You are so relaxed and enjoying yourself that you think you want to stay forever.  I know.  That was me for sure.  So they get you on a good day, take you out for a drink, sit you down and show you paradise. . . until they present you with the cost.  A bit of that relaxed feeling starts to fade when you see dollar signs dancing in your head.

They don't give up.  They have you for the next two hours and they are going to make the most of it.  After all, you did respond to their call to come when they enticed you with a free drink and a free tour or a free travel bag or free something.  So for two hours, they convince you that you cannot live without the timeshare to return to your vacation of a lifetime, every year until you die and then the person you will your timeshare to dies, and then those in their wills and so on and so on.

After being worn down by confusing prices and terms, you see the sun starting to fade in the sky.  If you are a "can't say no" person because you like what you think you hear, or you know you will want to come back again and again, or you know that the person selling this to you has a tough life and needs a sale, you may just buy.  The cost doesn't seem that much at first, but costs add up over time and times and situations change.  Remember, timeshare purchases are very expensive because you will get stuck with it for the rest of your life if you can't use it or sell it.

3.  You don't need a timeshare to get a great rate on discount travel!  It's true.  You simply rent from someone else who is stuck with their timeshare and use their week for no obligation then to pay for that week.  My last vacation, even though I have a membership similar to a timeshare at the place I went on vacation to, was purchased on Ebay.  Yep!  I couldn't believe that even though I had paid.  . . I'm too embarrassed to even say the amount. . . a huge amount of money for my membership, I could travel with the same benefits for $300 less for that same week.  That made me very angry, mainly at myself for falling into the timeshare trap.

I will go into more detail about timeshares in more of my posts, but for now, please heed my warning.  My money saving travel tip for you today is to go to Ebay, type in the name of the place you want to visit and see if anyone is offering their timeshare week for a good deal.  Enjoy!

BEFORE YOU GO  If you are planning on taking a vacation in the near future, you WILL want to check out this video on A UNIQUE way to save money on airfare.   
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