Getting rid of a time share

By Anne C. Lee, Money magazine


NEW YORK (Money magazine) -- Q: We no longer want our vacation time-share. How do we get rid of it? Can we return it to the resort? -- Fred M., Galena, Md.

A: Resorts rarely buy back time shares, though they may have a resale program. Your best bet is to try to sell your annual vacation weeks on your own.

Just don't get your hopes up for a big payoff. Nowadays most time shares are fetching no more than 25% of the original price, says Brian Rogers, owner of Timeshare Users Group. Some are worthless.

List yours on eBay or Craigslist, or try a specialized site like tug2.net ($15 for an annual membership), Bidshares.com (free), or RedWeek.com ($75 for a 12-month listing).

Steer clear of sites that ask for a large fee upfront. You can also hire a broker .(Find one on ltrba.com).

But if your time-share would sell for just a few hundred bucks, a broker is unlikely to take the listing. If your time-share is worth little or nothing and you're sick of paying maintenance fees, you can try turning your shares over to the resort. The company, however, doesn't have to accept your offer.  To top of page

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