With so many reasons as to why timesharing is neither a viable or realistic investment option in 2016, picking just three is a task in itself. That said, here are the three top reasons why anyone considering in ‘investing’ in a timeshare should think twice.

Timeshares: the ‘Investment’ that is not an Investment

Timesharing very literally does not ever provide timeshare owners or would be owners with an actual financial  investment opportunity at all. It is that simple. The term ‘timeshare investment’ is a complete misnomer as timeshares have been proven since their conception back in the 1960s to offer buyers no realistic means of making any money what-so-ever.

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In fact, timeshares do not only provide no real financial gains, but worse still, their value depreciates over time. Hence, if you are considering ‘investing’ your money or savings steer well clear of timeshare properties; not only will you almost certainly end up owning no property at all (as timeshares are usually sold as a stake in a lease on a property and not the property itself), but as the time on a lease ticks down so too will your investment amount, leaving you with costly annual fees to fork out for and little else.

Scams, Cons and Mis-selling

So many hundreds of thousands of people have fallen prey to having been scammed into purchasing a timeshare or mis-sold one that organisations such as TESS (the Timeshare Exit and Support Service) have consequently been created solely to try and help those preyed upon by timeshare scammers and unscrupulous timeshare sellers who previously were able to mis-sell timeshares in order to ensure at least they financially gained from operating within the timeshare industry.

The only way to safeguard yourself against becoming a timeshare scam victim is to avoid timesharing. That said, if you have been mis-sold a timeshare, pressured into buying one or otherwise fear you could have been conned into parting with your hard earned money by a timeshare sales person or company, the best advice is to give the likes of TESS a call; not only do they offer support and advice, but at best they may even be able to help you exit your agreement and recoup your losses. The important thing in such a situation is to act fast, as those who do stand the best chance of exiting their agreement financially unscathed, thanks to changes in the law which recognise now the scale and reality of timeshare scams and mis-selling.

The Problem of Resale

Because timesharing is so unpopular in 2016, not only is it almost impossible to make any money on buying one, but it can also prove almost impossible to sell one. There are even cases in which those desperate to escape their timesharing nightmare have been refused the option of ‘gifting’ their timeshare property back to the person or company from whom they bought it. Not only does this reality  prove the reality that timesharing is worth avoiding, but it also means that scammers recognising the desperation so many are experiencing to rid themselves of their timeshare agreement do not just in 2016 prey on those looking to buy a timeshare, but as well those wishing to sell one.

In fact, thousands upon thousands of timeshare owners have all but given up on the prospect of selling their timeshare in the current climate and instead are forced to assume the responsibility of renting out or exchanging their timeshare in order to afford the annual fees timeshare owners are legally responsible for paying and to get away on a holiday at all.

Whilst this is a sad reality for many, for those tempted to give timesharing a go, but who do not (understandably and sensibly) want to lose out financially, it does mean that a timeshare can be enjoyed without all the added nasties that come with owning one. To learn more about renting a timeshare in order to holiday on a shoe string in 2016, visit the Timeshare Exchange website, which is not only a credible and well established hub where timeshare owners can exchange their timeshares, but where non-timeshare owners can also bag a cheap holiday.