For the most part, fractional ownership is one of those major purchase decisions that can be a shot in the dark. Whether potential buyers know nothing about timeshare travel or they are fully aware of the industry’s pitfalls, both are essentially rolling the dice when they don’t thoroughly analyze what they’re signing up for. No matter how or why an owner arrives at the point of regret, the timeshare financial burden is usually the driving force. When maintenance fees, taxes, assessments and interest catches buyers off guard, they quickly realize the expense wasn’t exactly something they could afford.
While it’s easy to blame the consumer for biting off more than they can chew, it’s important to understand how timeshare companies go about positioning their product. Resorts intentionally target those that can’t quite travel to desired locations because of limited incomes. Free gifts, vouchers and travel packages tend to appeal to this audience more. When they’re offered a seemingly low price for an annual trip they never dreamed they could afford, many are willing to rearrange their spending to make it work.
Higher income families aren’t as advantageous for resorts because they’re less likely to conform if timeshare financial concerns arise. People that make more money typically do so by making good decisions. Those living comfortably aren’t going to allow themselves to be at the mercy of the resort if the purchase doesn’t work out. Instead of funneling more into the purchase, they’re more likely to spend their capital on timeshare cancellation services or other methods of relief.
Pitching supposed travel deals to people that have no business making this type of purchase is downright criminal. But it’s the reality of the business. Every year, tens of thousands of consumers anticipate an experience that never transpires. Once they discern that listening to an incentivized salesman was a huge mistake, it’s normally too late. At this point, they’re forced to completely alter their spending just to avoid more fees or worse – like the possibility of foreclosure and judgements for the deficiency.
The Result of Timeshare Financial Hardships.
When people in general are struggling financially, relationships are often affected the most. While it’s easy to assess the physical aspects of a financial crisis, it’s important to remember the mental or emotional trauma that ensues. The guilt from poor financial decisions can creep into confidence levels and lead to assumptions.
When multiple people have to endure the hardship, tension amongst family and friends can easily make matters worse. Stress levels can become magnified and bitterness can settle in if people aren’t dealing with loss appropriately.
Making Sacrifices to Make Timesharing Worthwhile.
When dealing with timeshare financial hardship, buyers ordinarily have to make sacrifices just to cover the unexpected costs of fractional ownership. Sadly, the perpetuity of the agreement regularly reminds them of their mistake. We’ve spoken to hundreds of people desperately looking for help after the timeshare has completely altered their lifestyle. Although the purchase was once seen as an opportunity to get away every year, many realize they can’t even go out anymore.
Restaurants, local events and other forms of entertainment tend to be the first things eliminated due to tight budget restraints. Holidays, birthdays and other special events also become limited when the timeshare financial burden gets out of hand. Some of our clients have sold personal items of value and even taken on second jobs just to revitalize their quality of life. Nobody would sign up for a timeshare if they knew hidden costs and sacrifices were a part of the deal.
Coping With the Financial Burden of a Timeshare.
Although being backed in a corner may actually help some people gain confidence in improving their income levels, it’s rather devastating more often than not. Going from a state of euphoria to painful remorse can be tough to deal with. Especially when you don’t have the tools, social circle and capital to persevere. Even if you’re able to pay for all that the timeshare entails, you subconsciously know that another costly setback can be disastrous.
Financial Scenarios That Call for Timeshare Cancellations.
When dealing with a timeshare financial burden, many people simply aim to survive the entrapment of the purchase. But this leaves them extremely vulnerable when further financial blows occur. While most people avoid spending more money on something they’ve heavily invested in, there’s always a final straw that lands on the camel’s back. It’s kind of a rule of thumb in life. At some point, you just gotta eat your losses and try to move on.
Since we’ve been helping timeshare owners find relief for a while now, we know that this reasoning typically surrounds their inability to comply with the timeshare financial agreement. While they may have been able to keep their head above water for an extended period of time, they reach a point where survival mode just doesn’t make sense anymore. Here are three scenarios that normally point users to a third party cancellation.
1. An Unexpected Income Change.
If you’ve experienced financial hardship before, you know that losing a source of income is the worst possible thing that can happen. While other financial obligations may be willing to work with you to soften the blow, timeshares haven’t been known to show much empathy here. Forbearance, restructured payments or downgrading isn’t an option here. Prominent resorts are firm believers in holding buyers accountable for the price they agreed to.
This can be especially difficult for parents who have mouths to feed or the aging community that lacks the skills required in today’s workforce. One of our retired clients ended up having to go back to work after using up an inheritance and taking out a second mortgage on their house. Another told us she had no choice but to legally cancel when the resort refused to alleviate her timeshare financial burden after she lost her job. It was the only line of credit unwilling to do so.
2. A Poor Understanding of the Cost.
Like we mentioned in the past few articles, the actual cost of the purchase is a lot more than what’s initially presented. Interest rates on contracts tend to mislead buyers tremendously. When they’re unable to refinance the purchase to decrease lender’s fees, the annual cost becomes a lot higher than anticipated. Instead of focusing on how much of the principal balance they’re actually paying, they tend to spend more time trying to decrease their monthly payments.
When owners finally realize the resort isn’t going to provide them with favorable timeshare financial help, they confidently make the decision to legally walk away from the purchase. There’s just no need for them to continue paying for something that they can’t pay off, use or enjoy the way they want to.
3. Sales Tactics are Recognized.
Once fractional owners are able to identify the intent behind the timeshare sales system, they often feel somewhat liberated. Instead of constantly finding themselves frustrated with outcomes and costs, they start to understand how they’re being played. This usually occurs when the purchase is seen for what it is: a liability instead of an asset. Unfortunately, most buyers don’t realize this until they’re facing quite a few timeshare financial burdens.
Another one of our clients reached out to us for help after figuring out the timeshare wasn’t actually offering them solutions. Instead of listening to and addressing their concerns, the resort was up-selling them into further timeshare financial obligations. The major hospitality chain even went as far as ignoring the owner’s cancellation request and charging unknown credit cards without their consent. When the simple purchase accumulated over $100k in charges, they knew a professional exit strategy was their best bet.
Don’t Let Timeshare Financial Burdens Rule Your Life.
Although buying a timeshare property may seem like an opportunity you’ve always wanted to explore, just know that it’s a risky decision. Unless you take the time to fully assess the purchase, you should never get too excited about the possibilities. Far too many people are currently overwhelmed by a timeshare financial burden that could have been easily avoided.
If you feel trapped in fractional ownership, hopelessness doesn’t have to be the result. While we do specialize in getting rid of timeshare contracts, there’s always a chance you can work things out with the resort. Knowing how to approach the situation can make all the difference. To learn more about our attorney based process, you can schedule a free consultation or proceed with our client qualification process below.
