The popularity of Orlando as a travel destination needs no introduction. As the home of many famous parks, plenty of sunshine, and nearly endless outdoor activities, there are countless reasons to travel to the central part of Florida. Not only are there many standard hotels and resorts in this area, but there are also a tremendous number of timeshare properties that attempt to sell visitors on the benefits of becoming an owner to return time and time again.
Unfortunately, owning a timeshare rarely works out to be a good experience. That’s not to say that visiting Orlando isn’t a worthwhile endeavor – many people love this place and it’s sure to remain a popular tourist destination for many years to come. But you don’t have to be a timeshare owner to visit Orlando, and you can certainly do it in a way that isn’t as expensive and doesn’t come with as many obligations. Let’s explore below how you might be able to get out of your Orlando timeshare if you are ready to be done with this experience.
Act Quickly if You Just Purchased
The best way to get out of a timeshare is to cancel it almost immediately after you agree to make the purchase. This might sound unusual, but it actually happens quite often – there is a cooling-off period in place for these kinds of purchases in the state of Florida, and it may extend up to 10 days after you sign the paperwork. So, if you are reading this article after recently purchasing a timeshare but now you are thinking twice about what you have done, it might not be too late.
There is no time to waste, however. If you are still within the range for the cooling-off period, you need to act right away to contact the developer and ask to cancel. They might not be happy about it, but they’ve been through this before with other buyers and are familiar with the process. Of course, they are likely to attempt to talk you out of your change of heart, because they certainly don’t want to lose a sale. Make up your mind before calling that you are determined to cancel this Orlando timeshare and don’t let anything they say move you in another direction.
Reach Out Directly for Help
If you purchased your timeshare too long ago to have any chance of utilizing the cooling-off period, your next step is actually still going to look quite similar – contact the resort or developer directly to ask about your options. Tell them that you no longer want to own this Orlando timeshare and you would like to learn about any programs that they have available to make that happen.
You should understand from the start that it’s very possible – and even likely – that they will have no such programs available for you to use. But it’s still a good idea to start in this direction because you don’t want to miss out on something that could be an easy path to get away from the timeshare. Some developers offer a give-back program for owners who just want to be done, while others might have an offer where you can pay them a certain amount to end your contract. Whatever the case, always look into the details and get everything in writing before you proceed.
Despite the frustration that is almost certainly going to be involved with trying to get rid of your timeshare, don’t let that get the best of you during this process. Remain calm and professional when dealing with the developer, as losing your temper is only going to make things more difficult. It’s understandable to be frustrated when working with a timeshare company that doesn’t seem to care about the satisfaction of its owners, but that’s just the reality of the situation that you are in. See the big picture and do what you can to find your way out of this situation as soon as possible.
Could You Sell Your Orlando Timeshare?
Since you do own a piece of this timeshare property or group in Orlando, you do have the right to sell that ownership stake. It’s an option to explore the sale of your timeshare as a way to exit cleanly – and maybe even get a little bit of money back for your trouble. Sadly, it’s unlikely that you will wind up getting much money in return for the timeshare at all, and you might find that there simply aren’t any buyers out there willing to engage with you on a purchase.
The problem here is that the timeshare you own has basically no intrinsic value attached to it. No matter what you may have paid when you first made the purchase, the timeshare isn’t valuable inherently – it only has worth if there are willing buyers out there to take it over from you. That’s where it gets tricky, as people are going to be rightfully hesitant to become an owner of an Orlando timeshare that includes obligations for maintenance fees and assessments.
To try selling your timeshare, look for online platforms that specialize in that kind of deal, or even try classified ads where you can add a listing and see what happens. The lower the listing price to attach to the timeshare, of course, the more likely it is that people will be interested. Go through some type of trusted channel to interact with a potential buyer to protect both parties if money does change hands. And, once you have closed a sale, keep the documentation so you can prove to the timeshare in the future that you are no longer the owner, if necessary.
Keep Track of All Interactions
The idea of keeping a “paper trail” in this day and age is a little bit out of date. Most things are done digitally today, so you probably have hard copies of very few things in your life. With that said, you need to make sure that you have a record of your interactions with your timeshare developer in Orlando, no matter if those records are physical or digital. It’s a good idea to hang onto anything you have that proves how your interactions have gone with the company, and it’s even more important if you are trying to cancel the timeshare and they start to change their story about what was offered or how you can get out.
Most likely, you’ll be using email messages to communicate with the developer and discuss the options for exiting. If there are such emails taking place, never delete them – always save those messages in a dedicated folder, and consider backing them up somewhere else just in case. You can’t be too careful with something like this, as being able to prove what was said later on could make all the difference.
Beyond emails, you’ll want to file away anything that the developer sends you in the mail, or anything you can print off the computer for your own records. There can be significant sums of money at play when dealing with a timeshare, so leaving things to chance or just trusting that you are going to be treated fairly really isn’t a good plan.
Turn to Experienced Professionals
If you have owned your Orlando timeshare for a while, you already understand that the timeshare experience often isn’t a good one. You are far from the only person who is feeling this way, and plenty of other people would like to cancel their timeshares as soon as possible, as well.
Given that strong demand for getting out of timeshares, it should be no surprise that a small industry has sprung up on this very topic. More and more timeshare exit companies are entering the market with the goal of helping owners cancel their accounts so they can move on and be free of the responsibilities of an owner. While some of these services are better than others, you might want to turn in this direction if you are struggling to make progress with any of the tactics we have discussed so far.
With so many options to pick from in this space, you should be able to find a good one if you just take a bit of time to review your options and compare their various services to your needs. One thing to keep in mind is that it’s a good idea to find a company that is going to offer an escrow service to hold your money while they are working on the case. If you pay the exit company up front and have no protection, you could be left out in the cold if they don’t deliver. The best timeshare exit companies use escrow for the protection of the customer, so don’t neglect to utilize that option.
Upgrade Your Orlando Experience
Selling your timeshare in the Orlando area doesn’t mean you have to give up on visiting Orlando with family and friends in the future. In fact, you might find that you enjoy Orlando more than ever before once you are free of your timeshare and can just book accommodations at whatever location you would like, and whenever you want to travel. Call us now at
833-416-8796 to learn more about the options that you can explore for getting away from this timeshare or use our live chat feature. You’ll be in good hands with our team!