Were you Lied to by a Timeshare Salesperson?
For decades, timeshare sales presentations have followed the same troubling pattern: big promises, selective truth, and omissions that only become clear after the paperwork is signed.
Every year, thousands of owners find TUG and are shocked to discover that what they were told in the sales room doesn’t match what’s buried in the contract. By the time many realize it, the brief rescission window has already closed — and they’re left feeling trapped, powerless, and unsure where to turn.
Having dealt with this issue since 1993, TUG has seen these stories repeat themselves across every major brand and resort. The good news is that even after rescission has passed, owners are not always out of options — and understanding how to fight back starts with knowing your rights and the paths others have successfully taken.
Step 1: Start writing a Detailed Recap of your Experience!
Document, Document, Document! Have we mentioned Document?
If you feel like you were lied to or misled during a timeshare sales presentation, your most powerful tool is a clear, detailed written record of what happened — while the details are still fresh. This first step is often the hardest, but it’s also the most important
The easiest way to start? Open an email and begin writing the story to yourself. It’s free, simple, time-stamped, and accessible anywhere. Don’t worry about making it perfect. Your first draft is just a starting point — you can revise it as many times as you need until it accurately and specifically reflects what happened.
Questions to ask yourself and ensure they are included in the story:
- Who, where, and when: resort location, date/time, names (or descriptions) of the salesperson/manager, and how long the presentation lasted.
- What you were promised: the key selling points you relied on to make your decision.
- What you later discovered: what turned out to be false, misleading, omitted, or contradicted by the contract.
- Supporting details: screenshots, brochures, emails/texts, photos of worksheets, financing docs, credit card applications, and anything you signed.
- What were the specific statements that were false, exaggerated, or deliberately misleading?
- Were you clearly told about your rescission/cancellation deadline and how to cancel?
- Were you promised availability for specific resorts, dates, holidays, seasons, or unit sizes?
- Were all fees explained upfront (maintenance fees, club dues, special assessments, booking fees, exchange fees, etc.)?
- Did you receive full details on financing terms (APR/interest rate, total cost, down payment, loan length)? Were you pushed to apply for a credit card?
- Did you say you couldn’t afford it — and were you offered “creative” payment options or told it would be easy to refinance later?
- Were you told you could rent it out to cover maintenance fees or the loan? What exactly was said?
- Did you mention anything that suggested hardship (fixed income, medical issues, job uncertainty) — and did they keep pushing anyway?
- Are you active duty military (or a covered servicemember/dependent), and did you mention this? (Research the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA).)
While this is not an exhaustive list (though we think its pretty good) if you can utilize a significant % of these bullet points to create your recap it will go a long way into improving your chances of getting the resort to agree to end your ownership!
Step 2: Send a Formal Complaint to the Resort, Developer, or Management Company
While you should not expect instant results, this step is still critical. Before escalating your situation elsewhere, you should always give the resort or developer the opportunity to correct the problem themselves. If they acknowledge the misrepresentation and make things right, your issue may be resolved quickly — at little or no cost to you.
This is where the written recap you prepared in Step 1 becomes invaluable. Use it to submit a clear, factual, and professional complaint outlining exactly what you were told, why those statements were misleading or untrue, and how they influenced your decision to purchase. Stick to documented facts, avoid emotional language, and clearly state what resolution you are requesting (refund, cancellation, contract review, or other relief).
Be persistent and consistent.
If your initial outreach results in a generic or “courtesy” response, follow up regularly! Ask for escalation to owner services, customer advocacy, or executive resolution teams. Consistency matters — contradicting your own account can weaken your position, while steady, documented communication strengthens it.
Keep copies of everything: emails, letters, screenshots, names, dates, and response timelines. These records often become crucial if further escalation is necessary.
Important: This same documentation-and-escalation strategy applies not only to deceptive sales presentations, but also to upfront-fee resale companies, timeshare exit scams, cancellation schemes, and other third-party operations that target owners.
Step 3: Where else can I report deceptive timeshare sales practices?
Ever hear the term "Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease?" Well buckle up, as you are about to become the squeakiest of all squeaky wheels!
While not all of these options are going to wind up with you story getting to someone who can make a difference (and to be honest, most probably wont) you dont have to hit the target with every shot you take, only one well place shot is necessary!
here is a list (in no specific order) of resources and options you have to file your report and tell your story!
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - CFPB
A US Government Agency that ensures banks, lenders and other financial companies treat you fairly.
Federal Trade Commission - FTC
A US Government Agency that defines “unfair and deceptive” sales and marketing practices.
Office of the Attorney General (OAG)
File your complaint in BOTH the state you reside in and the state where you signed the sales contract!
TUGBBS Online Forums
Posting your story on TUG not only puts it in front of tens of thousands of other owners just like you, but will also show up in google searches for potential future owners at that resort or system which timeshare companies want to avoid!
Better Business Bureau
While we have done reports on the BBB in the past and how they appear to ignore repeated complaints on Timeshare scams by owners, it usually DOES initiate an investigation that would require the timeshare company to respond!
Your Credit Card Dispute Department
If you put a down payment using your own personal credit card this can be a great option --though more often than not the dispute will be found in favor of the timeshare, which is why it is so important to have a detailed story!
Any and All Social Media for the Timeshare!
Post your story on every social media page and platform you can find for not only the specific resort you bought at, but the developer or system you bought into if applicable! Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok - find them all and copy/paste your story! The goal here is to not only hopefully get the right person to get eyes on your story, but also publicly tell your story to other owners or potential owners! Timeshares do not like this at all!
Your Local News Reporter!
Almost every city/state has an investigative reporting department or a well known reporter to handle stories where somenoe was screwed over and needs help making things right! This is a perfect outlet for your detailed recap above and you never know when these sorts of stories get picked up by national news outlets! Never underestimate the court of public opinion!
Can I still get out after my rescission period?
Once the statutory rescission (cancellation) period outlined in your contract has expired, the developer is generally no longer legally required to cancel the agreement. That’s the hard reality — and it’s why so many owners feel stuck once the window closes.
However, this does not mean the situation is hopeless.
After rescission, the path forward shifts from a guaranteed right to cancel to a documented misrepresentation claim. In other words, your goal is no longer to exercise a legal cancellation right, but to demonstrate — clearly and credibly — that the purchase was based on deceptive, misleading, or false statements made during the sales presentation.
This is where your written complaint, supporting evidence, and consistency matter most. Developers may choose to unwind a contract, issue a refund, or offer other relief at their discretion when faced with well-documented allegations that expose sales practices they don’t want scrutinized internally or externally.
While success is never guaranteed after rescission, many owners have found that a calm, factual, persistent approach gives them far more leverage than doing nothing — or panicking and turning to expensive third-party “exit/cancellation” companies.
Do I need to hire an Attorney?
In most cases, no — not at the beginning.
Your first objective should be to give the resort or developer every reasonable opportunity to resolve the issue directly. At this stage, your goal is simple: demonstrate that your purchase was based on legitimate misrepresentation and request a straightforward resolution, such as cancellation and refund.
Introducing an attorney too early can change the tone of the conversation. Once lawyers become involved, resorts often shift into a defensive posture and route the matter through their own legal teams. That can slow progress, increase costs, and reduce the likelihood of a quick, cooperative outcome — especially when your initial request is simply to unwind the contract.
That said, an attorney may become appropriate later if:
- The amount at stake is substantial
- The developer refuses to engage meaningfully
- You are facing aggressive collection or legal action
- You have clear, documented evidence of misrepresentation
Many owners have successfully resolved disputes without legal representation by remaining factual, persistent, and well-documented. Legal counsel is a tool — but it’s usually best saved for escalation, not the opening move.
One option to consider if you have exhausted all the options above is to reach out to
Tarda: Timeshare & Resort Developer Accountability
with your story to see if it is something they can help with especially if you are active duty military!
The Final Word on Being Lied to by a Timeshare Salesman!
The single most important “make-or-break” factor in this entire process is the quality of your first written complaint. A clear, detailed, factual recap — supported by documents — gives you credibility and leverage. A rushed, emotional, or disorganized message often gets dismissed as “buyer’s remorse.”
Spend the majority of your effort here. Read your draft multiple times. Tighten the timeline. Quote specific statements. Remove assumptions. Add names, dates, and exact promises. And yes — it’s perfectly reasonable to use an AI writing tool to improve clarity and tone (without changing the facts). Your goal is to sound calm, consistent, and impossible to ignore.
After you send it, give the resort a reasonable amount of time to respond with something more than a canned form letter. If they stall, deflect, or refuse to meaningfully engage, your leverage shifts to escalation: documented follow-ups, higher-level corporate contacts, and when appropriate, sharing your experience publicly and with the right agencies.
Your story — backed by facts and persistence — is often the most powerful (and free) tool you have. Developers may ignore complaints, but they rarely ignore well-documented complaints that won’t go away.
For more detailed help or advice (and to post your story!), be sure to visit the TUG
Where you can ask questions from tens of thousands of other owners just like you 24 hours a day for free!
Access to Ratings & Reviews of thousands of timeshare resorts all over the world!
The TUGBBS online community forums consists of tens of thousands other timeshare owners and is the first, largest and most informative online Timeshare Forum on the internet!
The TUG Timeshare Marketplace is one of the largest and most visited timeshare classified ad sites on the internet with Millions of dollars in completed listings and thousands of current ads posted by owners!
TUG Advice is probably the most helpful section of the site for new buyers/sellers just getting into timesharing.