Do you feel stuck in your timeshare property? Not able to use it when you want or to trade it for a different location without a hassle and costing you more money? If you purchased your time share 25 to 30 years ago you have paid $500 to $700 a year maintenance fee to vacation at that same time share, for your purchased week or weeks for all this time. If you have owned your timeshare for 25 years you have paid a maintenance fee (at a minimum of $500 to $700 per year)of$12,500-$17,500. For 30 years $15,000-$21,000. Do you really think you bought into a good deal?
You are probably wondering “what did you purchase?” Especially now if you are trying to sell your timeshare because you are not able to travel but are still stuck with the monthly maintenance fees. You thought with paying $15,000 to $20,000 upfront for your timeshare that you would not have to pay any thing more for your vacations for life. We felt the same way. But, that timeshare you invested in needs maintenance and upkeep over the years and all the people who bought into this have paid over and over again. On top of the maintenance fee you have the extra cost of air fare or if you can drive to your destination, you have fuel prices to include in the costs and they are a lot higher than they were years ago.
Times have changed. With the down economy now in 2010, that Time Share that you have been supporting for all these years, ask yourself this, is it still the 4 or 5 star resort that you bought into? Or does it look tired each year you visit? Has it not been upgraded even though everyone who purchased there so many years ago and paid their maintenance fees, what have your maintenance fees been paying for? The interior upgrades, maybe to the building itself ie: the roof, exterior painting or plumbing, electrical updates or the landscaping of the resort which also cost money. I have a friend who has a 2 week timeshare in Hawaii and has been going there for 25 years. She returned recently from her trip and said that the location has not be upgraded in years. The furniture is old, no flat screen TV, the kitchen is outdated. I asked her “What is your maintenance fee paying for?” She replied “I don’t know.”
Would you love to travel when you want to. No more having to reserve your timeshare a year in advance or trade your time for another location. Life is unpredictable and in a year things will change and the ability to get away for your designated week may not happen. You have paid the maintenance fee for the year but if you do not use your week you do not get a second chance at another time. You just forfeit or bank that week but you did not go on vacation even though it just cost you $500-$700 in fees.
That same timeshare is now being used by a new generation of Travel Club Members. They, unlike you, only pay a one time, lifetime membership fee of $3000 and no monthly fees. They have access to over 5000 resorts, discounted cruises, hotels, air fare and car rentals for the rest of their life. They can also will this membership to their children and not have to try to sell it. If you are trying to sell your timeshare, you are probably having a tough time getting rid of the albatross.
With a Platinum travel membership, the only upfront cost is a one time investment of $3000. You can invite your friends or family to take 3 weeks of vacation each year as a guest on your membership and you do not need to be with them. They are allowed to travel at your discounted rates, whether it be a land resort or a cruise, it does not matter. Can you do that with your timeshare? If you cannot go that year, you could give your week to your kids and just ask them to pay the maintenance fee that you incur or let them use your timeshare week, forgiving the fees so they will be able to cover the other expenses that go with the vacation, ie: air fare, gas, care rental, food, entertainment. With a travel membership your guests pay for the week at the same discounted price that you as a member of the travel club would have paid. Yes they have to get to their destination but with a 70-80% savings on the lodging, the other costs are almost covered in the saving in most cases.
Now you may be thinking, that sounds like a great vacation deal but I still own my timeshare. No problem, with a GRN Travel Membership you can list your timeshare week on our site to rent to the other travel club members. They can rent your location from you directly and you at least recoup some of your yearly investment. At the same time, with your club membership, you can now vacation as many times a year as you want, no limits, with over 5000 different choices to pick from. A travel club membership offers unlimited vacations, no black out dates and prime hot week specials on hundreds of locations and cruises with as little as a 3 day notice to book your vacation.
If you are considering the purchase of a Time Share, do your homework and check out the Travel Club Memberships. Weigh the Pros and Cons of each. timeshare vs Travel Club Membership is a lifetime decision.
Thank you for reading my published Ezine article. My husband Mike and I love to travel. We owned a Time share in the past and found it restrictive and expensive, but our Travel Club Membership allows us much more freedom to travel when we want to and spend that saved maintenance fee on the fun things we do on our trips.
