How to Avoid Timeshare Resale and Exit Scams

Whether you’re dealing with timeshare exit company scams or timeshare resale scams, the warning signs are often the same:

Upfront Fees

This is the most consistent red flag across every consumer protection authority that tracks this issue. Legitimate fees are usually deducted from the sale price or paid after the sale is done, not upfront. 

Guaranteed Results or Unrealistically High Resale Prices

Promoters often create a sense of urgency to trigger a fear of missing out. They might also try to entice you by “guaranteeing” an unrealistically high resale price. No legitimate company can guarantee a specific outcome, and any that does should be treated with serious skepticism.

High-Pressure Sales Tactics

If you attend a session with a timeshare exit company and they put pressure on you to sign up immediately, this is a bad sign. There is usually no reason why you should have to rush to sign up for services unless the company wants to prevent you from thinking it through. 

Suspicious Communication and Unprofessional Websites

Legitimate companies will communicate through multiple verifiable business channels rather than limiting contact to someone’s cell phone or personal email. Watch for sites with poor grammar, no verifiable address, or a very recent registration date. 

Wire Transfer or Prepaid Card Requests

Never send money by wire transfer or reloadable money cards to any party involved in the sale of a timeshare. These payment methods are nearly impossible to recover once sent.