What is a timeshare

i work in collections, and all i have to say is never get a timeshare with westgate resorts! they lie to many of their customers about the packages....just make sure you read THE ENTIRE contract before signing it...too many times have i heard.."well the sales guy didnt tell me that!!" when it comes to fine print :)

I work for one of the major ones you have listed. If you would like to talk let me know. I can give you my contact info.

I work for a hotel company and my property sells vacation ownership (timeshares). I think that the product is only good for people who know that they will take the vacation every year/every other year. I know if you do not take the trip, you can get points, which can be converted into frequent flyer mileage, or to be used at other properties. My aunt owns a unit with another company in Key West and because it is a lower level destination (as compared to Hawaii, where I live) it is harder for her to find places to go, in the time she wants. Just know ALL of the details before you decide! Those ownership fees can be expensive!

I have to tell you - I am the complete opposite of most of the people who have voiced their opinions. We have 4 young children and bought 2 weeks through Marriott. Our home resort is in Orlando (close to Disney). We can trade through any Marriott resort or through Interval (they have exchanges throughout the world). We have stayed at some REALLY beautiful places and our kids have had some awesome adventures. For us - taking a vacation can kind of fall to the bottom of the list - having this makes us take time off together . As with anything else - we do our research before we exchange our week to make sure the place we choose is top notch. We have had it for 3 years and have yet to be dissapoined. Next year we will use our home resort & take the kids to Disney again. We have NEVER regretted our decision. It truly is what you put into it. Good luck!

I love mine! If you buy one you have to use it for it to make sense. Im surprised at the neg statements from folks saying they were "forced" to buy, not using it, blah,blah..Vera make an educated decision based on your travel needs. Very simple. And for the statement about how much money the timeshare industry makes....well what about the hotel industry at 300 a night??

We have a Hilton Timeshare that was a WONDERFUL purchase. The family has used our points to travel to Hawaii for a week. We had a beautiful Condo with a full kitchen. We also use it to stay at Hilton Grand Vacations in Vegas all the time. I think if you do your research, you can find a good one.

My parents have one and they love it! I say go for it! Their "home" base is in Hawaii - they get four weeks every other year and have had it for 5 years now. They actually just traded it for some time in AZ....I have gone with and the places are very nice - (They are through the MarriotT)...very good decision and they have not made one complaint about it!

My sister and her husband bought one. They were being pretentious when they got it so it didnt work for them. Total complete waste of money. It was like pulling teeth to get him to travel so I really dont know what they were thinking. Oh yeah they almost went bankrupt so that tells you what they were thinking lol

A co-worker has one and she loves it ! I believe its RCI. She has used it all over the world and we are travel agents. She travels with her extenda-family tho so its really worth the money for them. Usually a min of 5 people go on each trip. My sister ( the one from above lol ) has a friend who has one and the friend uses it all the time as well.

I guess look at the costs of renting a place vs buying the timeshare cost upfront. Are you really planning on traveling every year ? If not then its definitely NOT worth the money. Personally I prefer to go to different places on each trip so I wouldnt like being locked into the one place. Best advise so far is READ the fine print !

ugh dont do it we have one with rci.. even tho they say its not a "time share" everytime we want to go somewhere its booked or we cant even get a deal. what a complete waste of money.

only do it if you can be very spontanous, very last minute... we get emails all the time saying we can get a lovely 2 bedroom condo in cancun for the week for a mere $180 but you see to get that we would have to pay 700 for flights.. plus try to get that time off work..

DONT DO IT.

Unless you are absolutely sure you will use it for a long time period, avoid timeshares at all costs. They are impossible to resell and it is almost impossible to get out of timeshare contracts. We have a timeshare in Mazatlan Mexico, a one bedroom oceanfront floating week unit that we may finally can get out of. The maintenance charges keep increasing by at least 10% every year and we are assessed for improvements for the property. Not a ggo deal.

Try looking at things line www.carefreevactions.com whenre you can "rent" a timeshare for a cost less than what you would pay for maintenance and hidden charges if you owned, plus you have the flexability to move around to different resorts.

Vera - my parents have had a time share for over 20 years and they love it. They trade off every other year to go to other places and they also can buy bonus weeks really cheap. They end up vacationing 4 or 5 weeks a year using time shares. They are very happy they did it.

My husband and I bought one in Vail Colorado about 3 years ago. We have really enjoyed the times we have used it. It is part of Starwood and the resort is the Sheraton Mountain Vista. We are actually trying to sell it though b/c my husband has come into some really rough times at work. To be honest...even though we bought it for Vail (in case we wanted to ski) we have opted for trading it each year to go somewhere warm. Good luck!

I have a timeshare in Willamsburg VA and i just got back yesterday and they are so worth it!!! i stay at kings plantation and their beautiful! their are alot of other timesshares i saw down there like the marriots and their just as nice.. they are definately worth just make sure you find the right one for you.

Also, I forgot to add...Marriott also offers easy and affordable ways to arrange stays at their properties in excess of your two allotted weeks (ie: my girlfriends and I could get a cheap rate at a Marriott property any time of year essentially.)