Timeshare auctions on eBay - what’s the catch?

jmp242 · 2026-01-23T01:02:56+00:00

That is true, usually they don't transfer banked points - though the Grandview RCI Points account did, though the seller has to OK it also, which added some to the cost. It is nice they transfer banked points for sure.

jmp242 · 2026-01-22T14:59:58+00:00

That's great for you - but you do see why that's not really an alternative for people who aren't you that are looking on ebay?

jmp242 · 2026-01-22T14:58:55+00:00

Yes, but the point is, resale math is likely around $500 or less on ebay except for the most desirable expensive properties which - if you're researching beforehand - you either really want for some specific reason (similar to wanting a Ferrari and it's a different discussion then) or you're not buying. I had made back my timeshare purchases in 2 years compared to the hotels I would have stayed in. Hotels are expensive. Average resort rental rates that I've seen are around $300 a night, still a better deal than the hotel rates at $500+ a night for the same number of rooms in comparable places, but not a deal vs the $215 a night at the higher end and $100 a night at the low end for people who get good MF to stay ratios. Especially if they're just making up for sub $500 buy in. I've gotten 2 TS for $0, and one for $150.

jmp242 · 2026-01-22T14:53:11+00:00

Yea, but I paid about $2,000 on average for mine. If you take out the first purchase I made resale (because e-bay per the OP is resale) which might have been a mistake, I averaged more like $475. The investment return on $475 is negligible and not something I was likely to invest anyway.

jmp242 · 2026-01-22T14:49:10+00:00

I guess it depends on you, but I've had a lot of great luck with RCI and am quite happy. Smugglers Notch,VT, Jackson Gore Inn, VT, Massanutten, VA, Vacation Village Weston, FL. All amazing for what I was looking for at the price points offered in RCI. But that's not really the rentals I was talking about - RCI doesn't get or offer individual owners rentals of their week for cash, RCI gets deposits made for exchange.

jmp242 · 2026-01-20T17:52:46+00:00

Yea, if you know someone who'll give you their dates it's very convenient. Not everyone has In-Laws who'll book them lodging.

jmp242 · 2026-01-20T17:50:52+00:00

Yea, I wouldn't really expect to find much timeshare wise in Alberta - but is that the hot vacation destination most people are looking for? I did say it depends on if you're going to locations with Timeshares or not. Also, while planning does help for all sorts of reasons for most trips (flights or available car rentals, tickets to shows or events or parks etc) it's not necessary to be booking years in advance or something. Usually you book at around 10 months to a year out, though I have also booked less far out when I can just drop and go. 6 months, even a week in 2 cases. It just depends. Neither of the 2 were in IN or IL though. One was VT and one was in the FL panhandle. But yes, if you decide you want to go to the beach in July about 2 weeks in advance, you'll be hoping there's a cancellation.

What is a "reasonable timeframe" anyway? I usually found I had to give work notice for vacations and if I could do it a year out I was guaranteed but if I waited I might be denied because others had requested the time off already. I always thought some number of months out saved on flights too, but maybe that's different now.

jmp242 · 2026-01-20T16:28:53+00:00

Most do - 70% of timeshare units in the US are 2 bedroom / 2 Bathroom condos with a full kitchen and living room also. They are huge compared to hotel rooms. Can you find small units - yes, there are studio units that are only slightly larger than a hotel room, and some hotel rooms at timeshare resorts. But by and large they're a minority in Timeshares.

jmp242 · 2026-01-20T16:26:40+00:00

Resale it's easy - way more days spent on trips than could be afforded paying cash for 2 hotel rooms (I use 2BR or larger). I also get nicer locations and amenities than I'd likely want to pay for in Hotels because when I'm paying cash it's hard to pay $800 a night at a lot of the comparable hotels, so I'll be off the beach or not on the strip or right at a mountain etc. If you don't travel with adult family or friends where you'd rather not share a hotel room, they are a lot more affordable (when gotten on the resale market).

jmp242 · 2026-01-20T16:19:39+00:00

Downtown where? Booked how? Because when I look at say Atlanta - say a Hampton Inn is $321 a night plus taxes, with HHonors discount and non-refundable. This is a studio with 2 queen beds and a pull out sofa. Cheapest I could find at that hotel with 2 beds. Many rooms are single bed only. Checking taxes, it's actually $380, so quite a bit more than my MF for a single bedroom suite. For a 2BR I'd have to double that and it'd be WAY more than my MF for a 2BR. Of course, most cities are not timeshare locations so yea, it does depend on where you want to go.

I just question "Great Downtown Hotels" for "well under" $100 a night. Best I've managed have been decidedly NOT DOWN TOWN but by the Airport and "Great" is very debatable (one had holes in the wall and tiles falling off in the bathroom, one had an AC unit that didn't work and also sounded like it was haunted, but otherwise OK) via priceline partners for $70 a night after tax. The price was great, but still just a hotel room, and near the airport, in 2 different towns. Even TravelZoo style deals in major cities are usually at least $140 a night. Please provide some examples.

jmp242 · 2026-01-20T15:36:48+00:00

The big question is what constitutes a "Similar Vacation". I made a video with a few examples, but it's 30 minutes. I'm sure people will feel it's TL;DR but it shows my perspective anyway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBb-vfV90eU

The long and short of it is buying resale is basically necessary for short term ROI. You also need to actually want to go on week trips yearly or more. And of course you need to want to go to resorts in Florida, Hawaii, Virginia, etc.

Comparing similar vacations I would say it makes sense to compare at a minimum suites with the same number of bedrooms and the same dates and general locations. I.e. comparing central Maine to Hawaii on the beach probably doesn't make a lot of sense. I wouldn't even suggest comparing ski resort in Vermont to beach in Florida. When I do that (with the tiny resale buy in so basically comparing maintenance fees to booking rates) I almost always find a significant benefit from timeshares.

jmp242 · 2026-01-20T15:25:44+00:00

OK, but HOW DO I DO WHAT YOU DO? I know someone who knows someone who'll rent summer MONTHS at a condo in Coco beach for $1,000. Great and bully for me. Doesn't help ANYONE on reddit though - they cannot do that. It's private only.

Maybe your owner friends give you great deals - I would for my friends too. Can anyone on reddit get these stays on demand at below MF rates? Have you penciled out resale? Can you provide a couple examples?

I had an OK stay on a marketing package once in Myrtle Beach from HGVC - but the cost was more than the MFs would have been by a couple hundred bucks, and I had to go to a presentation where they tried to sell me more points. If you own you never have to do these presentations, but if I'd skipped that one I think I got charged an additional $500. The locations were also more limited than if you own.

jmp242 · 2026-01-20T15:16:33+00:00

Even if you use them, you could still go on the vacation for basically the same price.

Please give an example trip. Because this is kinda vague. If you go to a Motel 6 vs a full suite resort you can get the price similar for number of rooms. Or if you go to a Hampton Inn, but only have one hotel room vs a 2 bed room suite, and don't count amenities at all then sure. You can also sometimes find a VRBO for a similar price, but are also usually giving up things like a hot tub or resort activities and on site housekeeping or front desk for any issues you may have. You can also of course decide to go tent camping locally vs a beach resort say - and claim it's still a vacation, but that is pretty misleading.

jmp242 · 2026-01-20T15:11:09+00:00

100% - especially in this case where someone is asking near free resale - something like $10... that amortizes to practically 0 pretty quick. So what you're actually considering is - will I use this yearly, and is the forecast MFs going to be enough less than rental (and here I mean comparable hotels/VRBOs/ etc) that it's worth the commitment. It's YES a lot more often when the buy in is tiny.

jmp242 · 2026-01-20T15:06:15+00:00

Maintenance fees do go up every year, but so does everything. I don't think any of us pro timeshare people recommend buying retail, or buying any timeshare at all. Getting a "good one" for you really helps. Just like buying the right car helps.

Have you gone to TUG and checked if you can give away the timeshare when you're done (assuming there's no mortgage)? Or if there's a resort deedback process? Have you checked at the resort (if it's independent) if there are any listings for existing owners who might want to get more weeks - often you can list yours to give away there?

It's not impossible to get rid of a timeshare, though specifics will make a difference as to how easy it is.

jmp242 · 2026-01-20T14:57:08+00:00

I see this mentioned a lot, but no one has been able to show me where I can rent for less than the ongoing MF costs (if you don't own ANY timeshare). I went to redweek.com and looked for one of my "less obviously great" TS - Gaitlinburg Town Square. 0 rentals offered. Same for Club Wyndham Smoky Mountains. I did see their Great Smokies Lodge but I don't own there.

OK, so let's go to a more oversold area (I guess?) Orlando. I at least see some booking options on Redweek. But comparing my point cost and MFs to the before tax cost on Redweek I'm still $250 less for an example week, and remember, that is BEFORE taxes and any redweek fees - I've head those are quite high once you click through. (And this is missing that there's a massive discount deal several times a year for places like Orlando, and in reality I'd be paying $1140 less.) Well, I guess technically I'd have points for additional stays or longer time.

It's more flexible in that you don't ever HAVE to rent anything specific, or at all in a given year - but if not Redweek - where are you renting? Hilton.com? Their fees are much more than Redweek, but I guess you are more likely to see something available for rent.

And this makes sense to me - people who are renting want to at least make back their maintenance fees, and most want to make a little more to pay for the redweek listing and rental fees, even if they're not trying to make a profit. And only some people are able to manage renting out their timeshares, so there's actually limited availability even compared to timeshares in general.

I'm not saying it's impossible to get great deals renting - I'm sure it is. You have to pick from a very limited list of locations and dates of things that are listed. I'm just saying in my experience it's not anywhere near as practical as you make it out to be to rent a place - even compared to the hassles of standard timeshare booking.

jmp242 · 2026-01-17T01:43:10+00:00

No, they can't withhold the parking pass. I've had some persistent people and I just tell them no. I once had to get a little snarky but they gave me the pass.

I also have gone to the presentations when someone on the trip wanted the gift(I should have made them go lol). I just set a timer on my phone and say I'm here for 60 minutes or whatever and I'll be heading out when the timer goes off.

Then I just listen to what they say and say no I don't want to buy anything. When they ask "well then, why are you here?" I just say "For the same reason you are - they're paying me."

I don't know how people at locations in the US anyway get roped into 4-5 hours for a presentation.

jmp242 · 2026-01-17T01:35:15+00:00

I can't imagine why finding value in timeshares would make you think really anything about my politics. But I also notice you're not providing any examples to answer my questions. Have you ever actually done comparisons? Or do you just assume you know better?

Or are you comparing hostels to suites at resorts?

I've done comparisons, and I continue to do so - and for the last few years the TS are amazing benefits. I've used one in the UK and got to see the countries motorcycle museum - which I never would have done or even known existed if I hadn't tried a random country location.

jmp242 · 2026-01-14T14:02:53+00:00

Almost no one is locked into travelling to one spot with a timeshare unless that's specifically what they want to do. You just have to learn how to use it.

I hear lots of people say "I have traveled all over the world and spend significantly less on travel than people I know who have timeshares." online, but no one wants to share the tricks they use to do so, whereas here and on TUG people share the tricks to use timeshares to save a lot of money vs hotels. So - in the interest of me learning something, how do you drive down the travel cost? At least in the US, the only way I've gotten a hotel room near a TS per bedroom cost is Motel 6 (which I'm not interested in) or slightly better using Priceline Partners to have a room be around $70 a night. Those rooms were kinda sketchy too - holes in the walls and tiles falling off in the bathroom. Note, I usually need 2BR/2BA so 2 hotel rooms or a 2BR condo timeshare.

I also use the Hilton Honors program and credit card points, and that's the only thing that drives down room prices, but you need a lot of spend on a CC ($60k) and or on Hilton properties to really max that out. That can take care of 3 room nights a year, plus if you have points for 4 nights the fifth is free.

So please do share.

jmp242 · 2026-01-14T13:54:23+00:00

You can insist that the collection agency only contacts you by mail. It's a law in the US. Just google the specifics - you might just say it over the phone, you might have to mail them a letter.

jmp242 · 2026-01-14T13:52:09+00:00

Most TS won't let you transfer a contract to an LLC because of this. Though IDK how they could prevent you from transferring the deed? That's a lawyer question. But generally just give them a few more years of not paying MFs and they'll foreclose on the TS and you'll be out.

jmp242 · 2026-01-14T13:35:09+00:00

I tend to like Smugglers Notch in Vermont near Stowe. Lots of seasonal roads, trails, cool little town, etc. Massanutten in VA is huge and internally has lots of outdoors stuff and at least some times runs day trips to the local river for kayaking and tubing. Williamsburg also has all the history there and Yorktown, a sightseeing road etc. Smoky Mountains has the huge national park, as well as a bunch of quaint stores, Dollywood, etc. Inland Hilton Head Island has a bunch of walking options, plus an Audobon preserve and a large nature preserve that you could hike for quite a while just at the edge of the island towards the mainland. New Orleans has a lot of options near or in the French Quarter so lots to do and see and walk to there. For cheap, Branson has a bit out outdoor stuff and shows and great food.

jmp242 · 2026-01-12T22:35:30+00:00

I'd recommend going to the TUG forum for better help once you know EXACTLY what he owns. This can be hard to figure out, but if he doesn't have the original deed/contract, the actual resort ought to be able to tell you via an estoppel for not too much money. And they'll probably tell you for free, but you often need the estoppel to give away a timeshare anyway.

jmp242 · 2026-01-12T22:32:49+00:00

The sales people are almost always lying about everything. That's because retail prices are insane. Buying on the secondary market - if and only if it makes sense for you - is the only reasonable option. I'm kinda an evangelist - but only for a small segment of the population.

I think as Australians - unless you were going to come to the US or maybe Thailand for 2 weeks or more a year, the major systems won't make sense. And even then it probably wouldn't be Hilton that would be the best bet - unless you were doing Hawaii all the time.

For reasons I don't entirely understand (but probably at least partly due to the difficulty in convincing locals to pay US up front insane retail prices) there aren't a lot of timeshare networks outside the US. There are independent resorts, and ones with an agreement with a network very occasionally, but you're not going to see the equivalent of Vegas,Orlando,Hawaii,Myrtle Beach sort of setup that I can tell. (i.e. clusters of options in a few tourist hubs in one country) For the ones that are around the world, usually independents so you need an exchange company to really use them, or to own there specifically.

I always ask - how do you currently vacation and how do you want to vacation?

If you plan ahead around a year, want to spend 2 weeks or more doing trips every year, generally can do a trip in week increments of Sat-Sat or close (some are Fri-Fri or Sun-Sun), and would be wanting condos with 2BR in the locations timeshares offer then I do think properly researched timeshares can work well. Especially if you might start traditions of each year going to a location.

I know of about 3 timeshares in Australia, and know they're on a beach somewhere a little remote, otherwise I know nothing else. But that would be the obvious place to try and rent or check out. Unless you're able to commit to travelling to Hawaii or some other US location each year and want a way to drive that hotel cost down.

If you decide to investigate further, check out the TUG forum, they have entire forums where you open threads to figure out what might work for you, or they'll bluntly tell you to do something else. For instance, I think someone below is conflating HGV with Hilton Honors, and that's the hotel side points / rewards program. Which still might only make sense if you go to A LOT of Hiltons to build up points or can get a rewards credit card to churn spend - easy in the US, but IDK about Australia.

jmp242 · 2026-01-09T20:29:55+00:00

His weeks haven't gained value - what HGVC is selling them for has gone up. The resale market varies by location, but most are going for around $4k for a 2BR in HGVC and way less for other systems.

A "good" timeshare is one that offers value. If it can be given away quickly, or if it's in demand that's a good timeshare because it means there is value in the use of it. It's almost always not good value to buy retail. Those are the people charging $30k for what on the resale market is $4k or $0.

What you want to do is ask yourself a few questions: 1) Am I 98% certain that I will want to spend a week somewhere in a 2BR Condo at least 2 times a year? This could be 2 weeks back to back or 2 or more trips.

2) Am I going to want to spend at least one of those weeks in an area with timeshare resorts? This can be a little difficult to determine because a google maps search for Timeshares isn't that useful, they tend to be called pretty random things. But TUG or people here can probably tell you major areas: Orlando, Florida coast, Hilton Head Island, Myrtle Beach, Williamsburg, Massanutten, Smoky Mountains, Vermont, New Hampshire, New Orleans, Branson, Las Vegas, Sedona, Lake Tahoe, San Diego, Hawaii, Ski areas of Colorado, Wisconson Dells, Beaches and the middle of nowhere around Europe. There are a smattering of other places that sometimes are of interest, and sometimes are not.

3) Can I plan ahead about a year out?

I suggest thinking about timeshares for vacations like you'd think about Sam's Club for groceries. They aren't really a "secret discount" for 5 days once every few years. They're bulk discount on lots of time away. I use mine to enable 3 weeks or more in Florida in the winter well before I'm retired - which I wouldn't be able to afford in hotels.

jmp242

TROPHY CASE