Ok, I bought mine from an elderly family friend who coudln’t use it anymore, so that part was great! No real initial investment, and we transferred the deed over and all, so it is mine.
Here are my complaints:
1. It’s expensive- $700/year or so for our week. Now, that’s not terrible considering we get a week’s vacation for a year and ours sleeps 6 people (two bedroom plus couch bed). But! It started out at $500 year when I bought it four years ago, and they can just raise your cost every year without asking or telling you (Yeah, they have meetings I could go to, but I can’t travel just for that, and you have to go in person to vote on things). So, now I am locked into $700/year when I only wanted $500.
2. You also have to pay to transfer it!!! Ours is based in the Poconos, but I have only used it there once. We went to New Orleans, Florida, etc. It costs an extra $80 a year just to be eligible to transfer and $140 more to actually do a tranfer, so thats an additional $220 more per year if we want to travel elsewhere.
3. Even though it sleeps 6, no one ever travels with us, our friends are at the age where they have small kids or no money so they won’t go away for a week. If I had this later in life, it’d be more worth it maybe?
4. It’s more difficult to get out of than a marriage or mortgage, I am finding, ha!! I’ve wanted out for 1+ years and haven’t made it work. I feel stuck with the purchase. I’d rather pay more for a hotel and not be locked into paying this price yearly. Yes, weeks carry over, but only for a few years then they expire.
5. Even though I own a timeshare, they still hound me!!! When I am using it, they call, they come to the door, they offer us special deals with strngs attached etc. And I am an owner there!!!!
In the end, I am unhappy that I bought something with a fixed payment per year, that they can just raise. It’s gone up $200 in the past 4 years, I know it will keep rising. I am unhappy that they make it so hard to sell them or get out of the purchase. I am unhappy with all the extra fees I incur when I try to use it away (even though it may sometimes still be cheaper than a hotel- we wouldn’t do the trips every year though like we have to now).