Timeshares?

flowerchild730 · 05-16-2008

We were possibly thinking about getting a timeshare. Does anyone have any tips on what we should do? Is this a good idea? Any information is appreciated. Thanks...L

pulque · 05-16-2008

Don't buy a timeshare 1st hand. Buy it 2nd hand...

beegee · 05-17-2008

We bought our timeshare 3 years ago, and have been very happy with it- We bought at the Grand Mayan, and have visited 3 of the locations in mexico-We are returning in June, and will be bringing family. We enjoy the freedom that we have to bring guests because the rooms are so large and 2 BR 2 BA. I must warn you though, the timeshare people are TOUGH!! The 45 min promised presentation will go on for hours, and the price will change often. Hold out until they get on the verge of rude, and you will know you have gotten the best price.

**Susie Q Roo** · 05-17-2008

I just got back from visiting friends in town who are staying in a 2BR, 2BA luxury condo 2 blocks from the beach in the center of town. They are paying $100/night. When you can get deals like that, why in the world would you want to be bogged down by ownership and maintenance fees, etc?

My advice... do NOT do it!

jeffandbecky · 05-17-2008

Time shares are modern piracy. A friend of mine was looking into converting his hotel into a timeshare and I helped him with the cash flow projections. Great for him, but a total ripoff for the buyer. The monthly maintenance fees are enough to run the property, pay the mortage and taxes with a bit left over. This is one deal that you should not walk but run away from. Why else do you think that 2nd owner deals on timeshares are so much less than the original purchase price.

Annabelle · 05-17-2008

I have both friends & family who have purchased timeshares and I think all wish they hadn't. They realize how user "unfriendly" they really are...........having to plan and book a trip a year or more in advance............always feeling like you have no choice but to go and stay where you own a timeshare, etc. Besides, by the time you pay the annual fees on top of your purchase price, you could stay anywhere without a year's planning for the same price or less. IMHO, they are really ridiciulous. And the 90 minute presentation is more like a 4 hour presentation.

Mamacita · 05-17-2008

I dunno. My mom and step-dad have a timeshare through RCI in Lake Tahoe, but they haven't been to Lake Tahoe in years. Instead, they've been to New York, Washington DC, Oregon, Palm Springs, Zion National Park, England, Paris, Norway, heck - anywhere.

The advantage I see is it forces you to put travel as a priority. And I can value that.

absoluteAL · 05-17-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by pulque

Don't buy a timeshare 1st hand. Buy it 2nd hand...

Better yet, don't buy it at all.

FrankRN · 05-17-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Susie Q Roo

I just got back from visiting friends in town who are staying in a 2BR, 2BA luxury condo 2 blocks from the beach in the center of town. They are paying $100/night. When you can get deals like that, why in the world would you want to be bogged down by ownership and maintenance fees, etc?!

I'm with Susita on this one. We are renting a 2 bed/2 bath condo in June for $600/week.

Mamacita · 05-17-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrankRN

I'm with Susita on this one. We are renting a 2 bed/2 bath condo in June for $600/week.

Okay... that's seriously a great deal. Where please?

pulque · 05-17-2008

Quote:

Better yet, don't buy it at all.

I agree, but that is the strategy if you really want one. I don't want to get within the moon of one...But I am a real estate investor sometimes...

Dan-0 · 05-18-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrankRN

I'm with Susita on this one. We are renting a 2 bed/2 bath condo in June for $600/week.

Yup. You could spend a lot of time in that condo before you would even come close to what a timeshare costs. Using the verb "buy" when referring to timeshares is deceptive in and of itself. You're not buying anything except the right to a discount that you could probably get anyway. Timshare salesmen use high-pressure hustling to rip people off. I was gullible enough to go to one of their presentations in Cancun once without even really knowing what I was getting into. What a scam, don't do it.

PAUL250268 · 05-18-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by flowerchild730

We were possibly thinking about getting a timeshare. Does anyone have any tips on what we should do? Is this a good idea? Any information is appreciated. Thanks...L

Why do you think you want a timeshare?
Paul

Sukidog · 05-18-2008

We have timeshare. No maintenance and no annual fee. It forces us to take a vacation. When you own your own business sometimes you have to push yourself out the door to go on holidays. It was a deal we could not pass up.
No doubt about it the sales people are slick. Never at any time were they hostile. We also let them know what WE wanted and what we were comfortable paying. It was definetley what we wanted. We knew we would be coming back to Playa why not save a few bucks along the way. I would never in a million years be going to Playa twice in one year!!! My timeshare allows me to do that. We are fairly new to this. This will be my first time back as a timeshare'er will see how everything pans out. So far so good. Got a great deal on our airfare, which being in northern Canada can cost up to $1,200.00 per person return. With RCI we are paying what most Texans are paying and some even cheaper.
For some this would not work for. We met another couple who bought the same timeshare 3 years ago and said it was the best thing she ever did. It's all subjective and to each his own. Kinda like you are either an A/I person or you are not. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. All I know is that we will be coming back to Playa for many years to come, and we still have the freedom to travel elsewhere as well.

StewartG · 05-18-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrankRN

I'm with Susita on this one. We are renting a 2 bed/2 bath condo in June for $600/week.

Ditto.

But $450 per week and only one bathroom, but we have a full kitchen and full laundry room.

05-16-2008	#1 (permalink)
flowerchild730 into ruins Join Date: May 2007 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 71	Timeshares? We were possibly thinking about getting a timeshare. Does anyone have any tips on what we should do? Is this a good idea? Any information is appreciated. Thanks...L

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

05-16-2008	#2 (permalink)
pulque way into it Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 123	Don't buy a timeshare 1st hand. Buy it 2nd hand...

05-17-2008	#3 (permalink)
beegee sandflea Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Nederland, Texas Posts: 6	We bought our timeshare 3 years ago, and have been very happy with it- We bought at the Grand Mayan, and have visited 3 of the locations in mexico-We are returning in June, and will be bringing family. We enjoy the freedom that we have to bring guests because the rooms are so large and 2 BR 2 BA. I must warn you though, the timeshare people are TOUGH!! The 45 min promised presentation will go on for hours, and the price will change often. Hold out until they get on the verge of rude, and you will know you have gotten the best price.

05-17-2008	#4 (permalink)
Susie Q Roo Moderator Join Date: May 2003 Location: Q Roo Posts: 9,906	I just got back from visiting friends in town who are staying in a 2BR, 2BA luxury condo 2 blocks from the beach in the center of town. They are paying $100/night. When you can get deals like that, why in the world would you want to be bogged down by ownership and maintenance fees, etc? My advice... do NOT do it!

05-17-2008	#5 (permalink)
jeffandbecky life=playa Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Driftwood Posts: 693	Time shares are modern piracy. A friend of mine was looking into converting his hotel into a timeshare and I helped him with the cash flow projections. Great for him, but a total ripoff for the buyer. The monthly maintenance fees are enough to run the property, pay the mortage and taxes with a bit left over. This is one deal that you should not walk but run away from. Why else do you think that 2nd owner deals on timeshares are so much less than the original purchase price.

05-17-2008	#6 (permalink)
Annabelle way into it Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 192	I have both friends & family who have purchased timeshares and I think all wish they hadn't. They realize how user "unfriendly" they really are...........having to plan and book a trip a year or more in advance............always feeling like you have no choice but to go and stay where you own a timeshare, etc. Besides, by the time you pay the annual fees on top of your purchase price, you could stay anywhere without a year's planning for the same price or less. IMHO, they are really ridiciulous. And the 90 minute presentation is more like a 4 hour presentation.

05-17-2008	#7 (permalink)
Mamacita life=playa Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 545	I dunno. My mom and step-dad have a timeshare through RCI in Lake Tahoe, but they haven't been to Lake Tahoe in years. Instead, they've been to New York, Washington DC, Oregon, Palm Springs, Zion National Park, England, Paris, Norway, heck - anywhere. The advantage I see is it forces you to put travel as a priority. And I can value that.

05-18-2008	#14 (permalink)
Sukidog reposado Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: ON, Canada Posts: 1,345	We have timeshare. No maintenance and no annual fee. It forces us to take a vacation. When you own your own business sometimes you have to push yourself out the door to go on holidays. It was a deal we could not pass up. No doubt about it the sales people are slick. Never at any time were they hostile. We also let them know what WE wanted and what we were comfortable paying. It was definetley what we wanted. We knew we would be coming back to Playa why not save a few bucks along the way. I would never in a million years be going to Playa twice in one year!!! My timeshare allows me to do that. We are fairly new to this. This will be my first time back as a timeshare'er will see how everything pans out. So far so good. Got a great deal on our airfare, which being in northern Canada can cost up to $1,200.00 per person return. With RCI we are paying what most Texans are paying and some even cheaper. For some this would not work for. We met another couple who bought the same timeshare 3 years ago and said it was the best thing she ever did. It's all subjective and to each his own. Kinda like you are either an A/I person or you are not. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. All I know is that we will be coming back to Playa for many years to come, and we still have the freedom to travel elsewhere as well.

register to remove these adverts