To get out of a timeshare, act fast if you've just signed: most contracts or state laws give a short cancellation period, and you cancel by certified letter. If that window has passed, contact the developer or resort management company to ask about an exit program before you pay anyone else. The FTC warns that many paid resale and exit companies take your fee and do little or nothing.
The hardest truth about timeshares is that they're easy to buy and hard to leave. The Federal Trade Commission says the resale market is overcrowded and it might be hard, if not impossible, to sell one.
Here's the order I'd work through, based on the FTC's consumer guidance, read in October 2026.
Your options, in order
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| You've just signed | Check your cancellation period (sometimes called a right of rescission or cooling-off period) and cancel in writing by certified mail with a return receipt |
| Past the cancellation period | Contact the timeshare developer or resort management company and ask about an exit program |
| Developer won't help | Try selling it yourself or through a reputable reseller, and expect it to take time |
| Someone cold-calls promising a quick sale | Treat it as a likely scam, especially if they want a fee upfront |
Step 1: use the cancellation period if you still can
The FTC says your contract or state law may set how long you have to cancel after signing. It's often short, so read your paperwork today. If you decide to cancel, send a letter to the seller by certified mail and ask for a return receipt, so you have a record of the date.
Don't rely on a phone call or a chat with the salesperson. The letter is your evidence.
Step 2: ask the developer about an exit program
This is the step most people skip, and it's the one the FTC puts first. Before you pay a company to help you sell, contact the timeshare developer or the resort's management company and ask about your options. The FTC suggests finding out whether your timeshare company offers an exit program and how it works. The American Resort Development Association (ARDA) has a tool to help you find the right company to contact.
Step 3: know how your timeshare works
What you can do depends on what you own. The FTC describes several types:
- Deeded timeshares: you buy a specific unit for a specific week each year. Legally, these are real property that your heirs may inherit.
- Right-to-use and points-based plans: you pay for the right to stay at one or more properties, and points let you book different places through the year.
- Vacation clubs: memberships with their own cancellation rules, so check how to cancel if you don't want to stay enrolled.
The laws that govern timeshares are specific to the state where the property is located. Ongoing maintenance fees usually keep coming whether you use the timeshare or not, and the FTC says those fees typically rise at rates that equal or exceed inflation.
Step 4: avoid resale and exit scams
Here's the insight that saves people the most: the FTC flags common lines in timeshare resale ads as lies or unlikely, including promises that the market is hot, that your unit will sell fast, or that you're guaranteed big returns. Anyone who guarantees a sale or big returns is a scammer, in the FTC's words.
- Check the company with the state attorney general and local consumer protection agencies in the state where it's based, and ask about complaints.
- Search the company's name online with words like scam, review or complaint.
- Be wary of any request to pay a large fee before anything is sold.
- Get every promise in writing, and don't sign under pressure.
Scam patterns repeat across industries. If you want to sharpen your radar, this guide to the signs of a loan scam uses the same playbook, and before you book any future holiday deal, here's how to check whether a travel deal site is legit.
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If you're still at the sales presentation
The FTC describes the tactics plainly: promoters offer free holidays or prizes for attending, set the room up so you feel you're already on holiday, make you wait between parts of the meeting or meet several people, and say the offer won't be there tomorrow. Its advice for anyone tempted: research the company before you go, don't act quickly or under pressure, ask why today is the only day the deal is available, and take the paperwork home to read on your own. If the property is undeveloped, you also have a right to a public offering statement. A timeshare's value is in using it as a holiday, not as an investment.
My verdict
If you signed recently, send that certified cancellation letter now. If not, go to the developer first, because an official exit program is the cleanest way out and costs you nothing to ask about. Treat any company that guarantees a fast sale or wants a big fee upfront as a scam until proven otherwise, and check them with your state attorney general before you hand over a cent.
Frequently asked questions
Can you cancel a timeshare after signing?
Often, for a short time. The FTC says your contract or state law may give a cancellation period, sometimes called a right of rescission or cooling-off period. Cancel by certified letter with a return receipt.
What is the best way to get out of a timeshare?
Contact the timeshare developer or resort management company first and ask about an exit program, before paying any resale or exit company.
Are timeshare exit companies legit?
Some aren't. The FTC warns that some companies take your fee and do little to nothing, and that anyone who guarantees a sale or big returns is a scammer.
Do maintenance fees keep coming after I stop using it?
Usually, yes. The FTC says you'll have to pay fees and taxes even if you don't use your timeshare, and maintenance fees typically rise at least in line with inflation.
What should I do before a timeshare presentation?
The FTC suggests researching the company before you go, searching online for complaints about the developer and management company, and taking all paperwork home to review before you commit.
Can I sell my timeshare?
You can try, but the FTC says the resale market is overcrowded and it might be hard, if not impossible, to sell a timeshare.
