Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Timeshares: Exposed!

The worst investment someone could possibly make is to buy a timeshare. Consider the yearly maintenance fees. For the cost of the yearly maintenance fee alone, you could go on a nice vacation. I've gone to many, many time share presentations. They say it will take 90min and that's all the time I give them. Then I gladly take their free dinners and breakfests. I've been to at least 50 timeshare presentations and I'm proud to say, I've never ever bought one. All timeshare sales people are high-pressure sleaze-balls, and i enjoy playing on them. Here's a little information that the average buyer doesn't realize when they sell their timeshare. The original owned is responsible for maintenance fees if the buyer {for whatever reason} does not pay those fees. I've seen yearly maintenance fees from $900.00 all the way up to $2000.00 per year. Multiply that cost x say 200 units, then multiply the cost of each unit x 52 weeks. If you play with the numbers, you will soon realize that there are big profits to be make at expense of the ignorant public. My advice: Never ever buy a timeshare at any cost. You'll be left holding the bag. Here's an example: Lets say there are 200 units for sale at $10,000.00 per unit per week with yearly maintenance fees of 1000.00 per unit per week. Are we starting to understand? It gets even better! That's $10,000.00 x 52 weeks = $520,000.00 per unit cost. Now, lets not forget the maintenance fee! That's $1000.00 x 52 weeks = $52,000.00 per unit, just for maintenance. Wait, it gets even better. 200 units x $520,000.00 per unit = $104,000,000.00 + 52 x $52,000.00 in maintenance fees = $2,704,000.00. That's $2.7 mil per year in just maintenance fees alone!!!! NOW, THAT'S THE REASON FOR THE HIGH PRESSURE!!!!