Much like fish, shiny things mesmerize us and tend to draw our attention toward something little better than biting a hook. Not all that glitters is gold. In fact, a lot of things in shiny wrappers are playing to the human penchant for latching on to superficial glam.
Cleverly disguised, these golden gifts come with unseemly trappings, fine print, quid pro quos, and flat-out fraud. That you get stuck with. A costly price for what seemed so lovely in the packaging. Timeshare sales are one of the biggest culprits of deceptive, high-pressure sales tactics, and you definitely don’t want to get caught on the lure.
In the United States, timeshare owners are an average age of 46.8 years old, but many of these owners will be on the hook for the rest of their life. There is currently a class action lawsuit claiming that timeshare sales target unwitting elderly people, creating financially impossible situations constituting elder abuse. It’s certainly not a secret that many companies selling timeshares are looking for your cash by netting you in a seemingly inescapable trap of paperwork underneath the allure of a “vacation home”.
To avoid the trap, here’s what to look out for to keep you from falling victim to the bait.
Urgency is fishy
Don’t fall for an urgently advertised prize. It’s a vindictive tactic that buyers fall for because the sense of urgency rushes them into making rash decisions. If a timeshare salesperson is rushing you into investing and promising some type of additional gift for quick action (car, TV, vacation package, you name it), it’s very likely that they’re hiding other monsters beneath the surface to pull you under.
Is it really worth it?
Because of aggressive sales techniques, people fall for timeshare purchases that are supposed to save them money, but end up being just as expensive, if not more expensive, than traditional vacation costs. Add in the contract you’ve signed and your hasilty purchased timeshare will be a recurring expense that’s difficult to get out of.
Timeshare lawyers
These professionals are deft at cutting through everything from timeshare valuation, how to cancel timeshares, and getting out of timeshare contracts. Ideally, timeshare lawyers won’t be necessary, but thousands of people fall victim every day and having legal professionals on your side to help sift through timeshare tangles will help you out in the long run and short run.
Timeshare lawyers will always encourage wariness before committing to a purchase, but it’s important to note that not all timeshares are fraught with scammery. Feel free to explore options, but be careful out there. Given the track record that timeshares have in first entrancing then ensnaring unaware buyers, reading the fine print, not falling for aggro sales pitches, and trusting the expertise of a lawyer will all help keep your head above water before it’s too late.
