Exploria Resorts, also known as Club Exploria and Exploria Vacations, and formerly known as Summer Bay Management, is a U.S.-based timeshare company that owns a portfolio of nine hotels and resorts throughout Florida, Pennsylvania, Missouri and Tennessee. Club Exploria, LLC, was acquired by Cerberus Capital Management in November 2017, including two of the company’s Florida resorts and one in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
If you are seeking to get out of Exploria timeshare, you’re definitely not alone. Many people want to exit their timeshares when they end up paying more than they planned or using it far less than they expected.
When it comes to Exploria timeshares, we found that several people wanted to cancel theirs for reasons that had more to do with the resorts and management themselves. Some of the complaints that we found online included:
- Misleading presentations
- Constantly booked properties
- Maintenance fees continually escalating and even doubling
- Unexpected fees and taxes
- Poor customer service and unresponsiveness
We found these and other kinds of problems noted several times on Exploria’s Better Business Bureau page, as well as ConsumerAffairs and Yelp. Some of their many ratings and complaints included:
- 1 out of 5 stars with the BBB, and no accreditation after 26 years of being active
- 179 complaints closed in last 3 years and 69 complaints closed in last 12 month
- 48 reviews on ConsumerAffairs leading to an overall 1.35/5 rating
- 2.5-star rating on Yelp (for Summer Bay Orlando by Exploria Resorts)
Some of the major complaints that we found on these pages included the following.
From ConsumerAffairs:
- “Our experience with Exploria dates to 2017. We unfortunately accepted an offer of a “free” stay in one of their resort villas in exchange for attending a 90 min presentation. When we arrived at the presentation, I was firm with them that we needed more time to make a decision, but the rep was insistent and kept bringing over her manager to put more pressure on us. We made attempts at leaving the presentation as we were well past 4hr into this 90min presentation … It felt as though we were being held hostage.”
- “The absolute biggest financial mistake of my life. … I was scammed into buying it, scammed into using it, scammed over maintenance fees, scammed trying to get out of it. It has brought me more stress in my life than I could ask for. To top it off, I called to ask them to waive the 47 dollar late fee associated with my newly increased maintenance fee that was raised without my knowledge by $130.00 in 2020. I asked this because of the COVID-19 health crisis, and the fact that I have yet to use the timeshare ONCE in the 5 years of owning it. “Sorry there is nothing we can do” is the answer I got. EVIL EVIL EVIL ORGANIZATION. PLEASE STAY AWAY.”
From the BBB:
- “We purchased this timeshare going on 3 years ago, and we have only been able to take one vacation. Buying a timeshare with Exploria Resorts was one of the worst decisions we have ever made. They made promises about how we could go anywhere at any time, but that is just not true. They don`t have the availability or amount of inventory required to accommodate all of their owners. They sell people a timeshare knowing good and well that not all of their owners will utilize it during their ownership years. They are a scam!! To add insult to injury, we have to pay fees upon fees every single year. There is no end in sight.”
You should know that, if you’re in a similar situation to these past customers and seeking to cancel Exploria timeshare, you have options available.
Exploria Resorts Exit Programs
On both the Club Exploria and Exploria Vacations websites, we were able to find Terms and Conditions pages that provided information on cancelling a timeshare within 30 days of purchase OR up to 3 days prior to a stay. This is as much as we could find regarding an official exit program.
It’s incredibly likely that Exploria Resorts has such limited information on exiting their timeshares because the company doesn’t want owners exiting their timeshare. Timeshare developers typically do not like owners getting out of their timeshares because they want their owners to continue paying the maintenance fees.
Exploria Class Action Lawsuits
Though this was the only class action lawsuit we found for Exploria Resorts or any of their related companies, Aaronson v. Club Exploria LLC and Club Exploria Management LLC was significant. You can research the case yourself for further details using the following information:
- Aaronson v. Club Exploria LLC and Club Exploria Management LLC, formerly known as Summer Bay Management LC – U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida Orlando Division – case number 6:18-cv-00576-JA-DCI
Typically, you don’t need to do anything to receive compensation from a class action lawsuit of this nature. If the court decides you are eligible, you should receive a check in the mail.
Resale and Timeshare Exit Options
When it comes to resale options to get rid of Exploria timeshare, there are a few platforms and companies we typically recommend:
- Craigslist (free)
- Ebay ($50)
- Myresortnetwork.com ($34.95)
- tug2.com ($15/year membership)
- Redweek.com ($59.99 – $125)
Finding a buyer through one of these websites can save you a lot of money in hiring a timeshare resale broker. That said, a licensed timeshare broker can also be a great option if it is within your budget. If you do go this route, be sure to check the timeshare broker’s license with the state before hiring them to help you.
If you decide to go the route of working with a timeshare exit company instead, there are a few tips you should keep in mind to avoid getting scammed. Always keep an eye out for any company who wants to charge you a high upfront fee. Usually this is indicative of a scam — you can confirm this by finding out whether they want to “advertise” your timeshare online until they find a buyer. This is nothing short of a dead end; it means that your timeshare will most likely be posted on a website with thousands of other properties who haven’t found buyers either.
Get Out of Exploria Timeshare with a Reputable Exit Company
It can be difficult and arduous to get out of a timeshare with Exploria. Since resale and working directly with the resort are not always ideal options, it’s worth looking into what timeshare exit companies can do for you instead. We created this website in order to help timeshare owners like you get help in resolving issues with timeshares.
Our number-one goal in reviewing timeshare exit companies is to find those who are legitimate and reputable, and especially those that offer an escrow payment option. Paying through escrow means that the timeshare exit company does not get paid in full until after you have successfully cancelled your timeshare. You can learn more about why escrow payments are important on this page.
Summary
If you’re unsuccessful working directly with Exploria, you can still find a way to cancel Exploria timeshare. Be sure to look into our recommended timeshare exit companies — all of these companies use escrow for payments and have several positive reviews from people they have served in the past.
If you have any other questions about timeshare exit in general, or want to ask about one of these companies, please feel free to get in touch. You can give us a call at 833-416-8796, fill out the contact form on the right side of this page, or initiate the live chat to get started.