The Real Reason Timeshare Owners Sell Timeshare
Monday, September 13, 2010
Wander around the internet and it’s easy to find comments by first one ‘authority’ and then another bemoaning how many timeshare owners want to resell their timeshare. In a refreshing counterbalance to these many anti-timeshare articles (often written by people who have never vacationed in a timeshare), it is especially interesting to read an article that appears in the September/October edition of Timesharing Today magazine. Titled “Why we’re selling,” this article provides an unbiased look at the answers received when interviewing more than a dozen owners who are currently seeking to sell timeshare.
Why Timeshare Owners Sell Timeshares
Here’s what we discovered as we analyzed the results cited in Timesharing Today:
- More than twenty-five percent of the prospective sellers interviewed in the article cited “aging” as their primary reason for selling. At least two of the couples interviewed noted that they were beyond the age of 80 and simply didn’t travel and vacation as much as they once did.
- One timeshare owner mentioned that a certain timeshare destination has grown “too touristy” over the years and that, he had no interest in timeshare exchange. He to vacation at the timeshare destination he owned and his vacation destination was no longer enjoyable for him.
- Multiple owners noted that increasing timeshare dues or maintenance fees and the increase in travel costs, especially when combined with a reduced income or dwindling pension, made continuing to own timeshare a financial strain.
- Lifestyle changes such as illness, relocation, or children leaving the nest also came up in the quotes from the owners wishing to sell.
The Positive Side of Buying Timeshare
While a few of the timeshare owners interviewed either were unhappy with the management at a particular resort or had difficulties in timeshare exchange at the resort, almost every owner also had many good things to say about vacation ownership—even though they planned to sell. Many of the people selling were owners of more than one timeshare and sometimes were only paring down their inventory not giving up timesharing altogether. Several timeshare owners mentioned flexibility issues and cited that they would rent timeshare in the future but they no longer wanted the on-going commitment of ownership.
Quotes from “Why we’re selling”:
“Timeshares are so much more comfortable than hotel rooms. We ‘evened out’ by buying a resale closer to home for a very low cost.”
“Timeshares have been among the best decisions we have made in our married life. We purchased them to use, and use them we have, although there have been some trades for various reasons.”
“We enjoyed them a lot when we could travel, we had 6 and gave 3 away to nieces and nephews.”
“We love timesharing and have done it since 1984.”
Life changes. Divorce, illness, job transfers or just the growing up of our families changes our interest and vacation needs. Timesharing Today did an excellent job with its article and when in reading it, you clearly understand that just because someone is selling a timeshare, doesn’t mean he or she had a bad experience with it.
Thank you again Timesharing Today for this candid insight into timeshare ownership.
