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Timeshare perspectives - Know me, know my views - conclusion
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I had been out of the business side of timeshare for about three years, when inspiration struck for a new type of resort program. A partner and I spent about 2 years as developers, dealing with zoning, finance, design and usage issues, and more. We learned much about the many ways properties could be used, from fixed to floating weeks, and points. We also learned the challenges of zoning and financing, and eventually the plan faded.
Over and over again, whether at the sales table, or in conversation, I would hear people express frustration with timeshare. They weren’t using it, they couldn’t exchange, they weren’t getting their money’s worth. Different people, the same concerns.
Yet my wife and I were exchanging to Tahoe for New Year’s, Maui for Christmas, and more. We picked up a 4th of July bonus week for a southern California beachfront resort for $199. One year, we enjoyed 6 weeks, and 5 weekend vacations, all while owning only one week. Why was our experience so positive, when others were so frustrated? And the resort we own is nice enough, but nothing special.
I came to believe much of the frustration was “operator error”; owners who failed to complete exchanges because they did not understand the proper way to make it happen. Part of that was due to the fact that there was little to no support for owners once they owned.
That’s when I decided to write my book “Timeshare: The Complete Owners Manual” (due Spring of ’09); and when I began my initial column in the SF Examiner.
Clearly I am a fan of timeshare. That does not mean I’m a fan of everything that occurs in the industry. I’ve been to hundreds of sales presentations and there are abuses and shenanigans at the sales table, though, to be fair, not nearly as much as I expected to find. And many presentations were straightforward, and completely above board, though most still apply a fair amount of “buy today” pressure.
There are problems in the resale market. Most owners who wish to sell cannot get anywhere near the price they hope to get. This is caused both by unrealistic expectations on the part of the selling owner, as well as an overly optimistic picture painted by sales people at the presentation. And there are still the predators exploiting frustrated owners, often collecting thousands of dollars, while delivering no value or assistance selling the unwanted deeds. And I’ve written about that.
But there are millions of happy owners all over the world, and many own more than one timeshare. And I’ve written about that too.
If you want to know how to get the benefits from your timeshare that you hoped to get after leaving the presentation, feel free to write. If you want some tips on the best way to sell your timeshare, I’m happy to help there as well.
Now you perhaps know something more about me. I hope you find this column is about you.
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