A lot of timeshare owners today who are frantic for any form of timeshare relief have mistakenly procured the services of the wrong company. This is because the majority of timeshare relief companies out there are mere fronts for fraudulent activities. Here are a few tips to avoid being misled by unscrupulous organizations.

Never permit something because of a telephone conversation until you have verified the credentials of a company.

Written materials such as brochures are poor indicators of legitimacy as these are easily fabricated.

Company references such as business addresses and contact numbers should be immediately verified

Ask for the real estate license of the company and verify it with the corresponding agency

Inquire about the company’s method of payment whether they charge commissions or upfront fees. In addition, ask if there is a single payment involve, or if you will still have to pay for the processing and escrow fees.

Companies who charge upfront appraisal fees are usually unreliable. The most reliable companies only charges fees after a successful sale.

The best tip is still to consult with the Better Business Bureau or any local consumer protection agency. This is because the BBB as well as agencies of the sort mentioned above will have a record of the complaints filed against the company. Complaints are pretty standard for most companies but the more legitimate ones will have a proven track record of complaint resolutions. Timeshare owners wishing to get rid of their timeshare are best off availing of the services of such companies.

Today, an increasing number of timeshare owners are desperate for any form of timeshare relief. The main reason for these timeshare owners is the increasing financial burdens of maintenance fees as well as other special assessment fees for their timeshare vacation packages. A lot of these owners purchased their current timeshare properties with the thought of experiencing the vacation of their dreams. However, even if they have experienced their share of glorious vacations, the financial responsibilities of timeshare ownership gradually transformed their dream into a perpetual financial nightmare.

Forthcoming timeshare owners should first pause and contemplate on their decision thoroughly before entering into any timeshare contract. Prior budget capability assessment is a must before deciding to purchase any timeshare vacation packages. Prospective timeshare vendees must take into account the funds that they would gladly sacrifice in order to maintain their choice of a vacation lifestyle. By making preparatory budget assessments, potential timeshare owners will minimize the chances that they would later regret their timeshare purchase.

A lot of timeshare sales are perfected by reason of impulsive purchases by less than fully informed owners. Prospective timeshare vendees must always bear in mind that the original acquisition price of the timeshare is not the only expense connected with timeshare ownership.

Forthcoming timeshare owners should also take account of maintenance fees, intermittent special assessment fees, as well as other periodic timeshare bills. This is because timeshare ownership almost always involves the payment of chronic bills for maintenance as well as for other purposes. The existence of these chronic bills is the main reason which has caused thousands of timeshare owners to finally get rid of their timeshares.

Scores of timeshare owners today are ever more displeased with their vacation packages. The inevitable presence of expensive maintenance fees has prompted many timeshare owners to secure the aid of timeshare relief companies. By doing so, they hope to be alleviated from the recurring scourges of costly upkeep charges as well as the intermittent bills for special assessment fees. Hence, an increasing number of owners are seeking aid from third party companies, going so far as to recompense these companies for their service; ever hoping that their service fee would be their last expense on their timeshare property.

It is to the dismay of many owners that most of these timeshare relief service companies require the payment of an upfront fee before providing their services. In the timeshare resale business, a common modus operandi for fraudulent timeshare relief companies is to charge an upfront fee without guaranteeing the eventual sale of the timeshare property. Listing services are notorious for this type of timeshare resale operation, as the timeshares of their customers are just included in a public listing without further action on the part of the listing company.

Title transfer companies, on the other hand, also require upfront fees for their services. Title transfer companies transfers the timeshare ownership from the owner to a corporation, hence, freeing the owner forever from his timeshare financial liabilities. However, timeshare owners wishing to avail of this service should first make sure that the title transfer company is legally capable of getting rid of the timeshare property of the owner.

Many owners today are getting rid of their timeshare vacation packages due to expensive maintenance fees. Some owners choose to avail of the services of listing companies in order to help them sell their timeshare properties. However, timeshare property owners should be aware of the different types of listing services in order to effectively facilitate the sale or resale of their timeshare vacation package.

Listing services all have one thing in common, that is, they are advertising tools to expedite the sale of a particular timeshare property. However, different types of listing services provide different benefits and disadvantages; hence, owners should select the best type of listing service according to their unique needs.

Non-exclusive listings allow owners to contract with several brokers at once. Real estate brokers generally would not accept non-exclusive listings as their commissions are not guaranteed upon the sale of the timeshare. In contrast, exclusive listings bestow upon the broker exclusive rights for the sale of the timeshare. Hence, upon the conclusion of a sale, the broker receives his commission even if he was not the one responsible for the sale.

Lastly, net listing services allow owners to determine a fix price for the sale of their timeshare. Brokers may sell the timeshare at whatever price as long as he remits to the owner the agreed upon amount upon the conclusion of the sale. Thus, whichever listing service the owner chooses, the owner is assured of timely relief in their timeshare sales dilemma.

Vacationers will find it to their relief for timeshare units can be found in most locations around the world. Since its inception by a Frenchman in the 60’s, timeshare luxury vacation packages are becoming more popular for regular vacationers worldwide. Timeshare vacation packages are available for every type of resort or holiday escape imaginable. From ski lodges, to pristine beaches, to theme-parks, even 5-star hotels in the center of highly industrialized tourist destinations, timeshare vacation packages have proliferated all over the world.

Vacationers avail of timeshare packages as they are assured of excellent quality vacation accommodations for a fix period in any given year. By purchasing timeshares, consumers are granted ownership rights over the particular unit purchased for a specific span of time each year, usually denominated in weeks. Hence the term “timeshare”, as timeshare owners are granted specific shares in units of time for a certain property as contrast to conventional shares in real estate where total monetary investment is the basis.

Future timeshare patrons should be aware that on top of purchasing timeshares, additional financing is also required to maintain the condition of the timeshare property. This involves a periodic fee so as to preserve the property from the normal effects of wear and tear through time. Maintenance fees are part and parcel of timeshare units and the high costs of its expense have caused many owners to get rid of their timeshare properties. Thus, in order to sustain the quality of timeshare accommodations, the avid vacationer must take into consideration the costs of periodic maintenance fees.

A timeshare sales presentation is the first step for many timeshare owners to ultimately result to owning a timeshare vacation package. However, many existing timeshare owners are seeking relief from their timeshares and regret the day that they ever attended that sales pitch event. Yet, the vast majority of regular vacation goers can take advantage of high-pressure sales presentations to cut costs for their holiday trips. The reason is that most timeshare sales presentations include several freebies to be given to their participants.

Freebies are part and parcel of a timeshare sales presentation. They are designed to entice participants to attend these sales pitches. It is then up to the timeshare sales staff to convince the participants to purchase the offered timeshare vacation packages. The most common hand-outs in these presentations are gift items and knick knacks such as commemorative paper weights, ballpoint pens, even cigarettes cases, and other items of this nature. However, sales presentation by more affluent timeshare companies may include high-value freebies such as theme park tickets, gasoline allowances, and even a free night or two in the timeshare resort itself.

Thus, vacationers may be benefited by attending these timeshare sales presentations. It would be more to their advantage if they have previous information of what the freebies in the presentation would be. Still, they would have to be on guard lest they be charmed by the high pressure tactics of timeshare sales presentation agents. It may be best that participants leave their checkbooks at home lest they be later counted among the many timeshare owners longing to get rid of their timeshares.

The global economic recession has caused many timeshare owners to seek relief for their timeshare liabilities. Even multi-million real estate companies are currently experiencing severe problems with the recent downturn of the timeshare industry. Some of these colossal timeshare developers such as Marriot International have declared plans to halt current and future timeshare expansion projects. A lot of smaller timeshare companies have closed up shop or are under probation due to the effects of the present macroeconomic atmosphere.

Wyndham Hotels and Resorts laid off 4,000 employees in order to stave the effects of the ongoing global economic slump. That’s 4,000 jobs lost and an additional 4,000 people to the US unemployed pool. A representative of Wyndham averred that one of the main reasons for laying off thousands of jobs was the degrading condition of the timeshare market. Furthermore, those availing of the timeshare vacation packages of Wyndham paid only half the original acquisition price as the other half was funded by Wyndham as a type of loan. Wyndham in turn borrowed from any of the numerous financial institutions, banks, and insurance companies in the market to compensate for the loan.

The case of Wyndham is also the same for many timeshare companies. Some timeshare owners inadvertently pay interest fees for loans contracted by the timeshare company. Thus, owners are paying mortgages on top of costly charges for upkeep and assessments. Timeshare contracts are long-term contracts, hence owners are shackled with costly fees for a long period time and could be better off by getting rid of their timeshares.