Dear Timeshare Recyclers,
James and I wanted to write and thank you for helping us get out of our timeshare through your Straight Exit service.
As I write this, we are on our first vacation using our Resort Credits—what we are now calling our second honeymoon. It is hard to describe what this moment means to us, because for a long time, that timeshare felt like a mistake we would never escape.
In all honesty, it nearly put a serious strain on our marriage.
We never thought of ourselves as “timeshare people.” We have always loved traveling to different places, exploring new destinations, and having flexibility. A timeshare contract was never something we planned to sign.
But that is exactly what happened.
About seven years ago, James and I got married and were given a timeshare week from James’s uncle as a honeymoon gift. We spent weeks planning the trip—buying outfits, looking up dive sites, and dreaming about a week of rest and relaxation after the stress of wedding planning.
We flew out the day after our wedding and checked into the resort. Shortly after arriving, a friendly woman invited us to a “complimentary breakfast” and a quick walk around the property so we could learn where everything was.
She said it would only take 90 minutes to look at some vacation packages.
We had no idea we were walking into a timeshare presentation.
What followed was one of the worst experiences of our lives.
The presentation lasted six hours. It started off pleasantly enough, but quickly turned into a high-pressure sales environment filled with loud music, clapping, constant pressure, and one sales pitch after another. Every time we said no, they lowered the price, changed the offer, or brought in something new.
We were exhausted. We felt cornered. And after hours of pressure, we signed.
Even as I sat there signing the paperwork, I knew in my heart we were making a terrible mistake.
After it was over, we went back to our room completely drained and slept for two hours. Looking back, I honestly think it was a trauma response.
When we woke up, we both knew we had made a huge mistake.
We went back to the sales office, but it was already closed. That night, neither of us slept. On the second night of our honeymoon, we got into a huge argument. I was so upset I almost booked a flight home.
The next morning, we canceled our dive plans and went back to the sales office to try to undo everything.
Unbelievably, they talked us into staying in the deal.
We got through the rest of our honeymoon, but the joy of that trip was overshadowed by what had happened. What should have been one of the happiest weeks of our lives had this dark cloud hanging over it.
When we got home, we tried to put the whole thing behind us. We made another mistake and paid off the timeshare quickly. Mostly, we avoided talking about it, because every time we did, it turned into stress and arguments.
Then January came, and with it came our first timeshare maintenance fee bill.
I still remember calling the resort and explaining that our plans had changed and that we would not be vacationing there that year. They told me it did not matter. We had to pay the maintenance fees anyway.
I argued with customer service, but they said that because we had signed the timeshare contract, we were legally responsible and would be sent to collections if we did not pay.
We had not even bought our first house yet.
I asked what we needed to do to get out of the timeshare, and they told us the only way out was to sell it to someone else.
That answer made me furious.
It felt like being trapped in a bottle, with the only escape being to convince somebody else to take on the same burden.
Since we were forced to keep paying for it, we decided we might as well try to use it.
But returning to our home resort brought up so many negative memories that we ruled that out immediately. Instead, we tried to exchange through RCI.
That turned into another nightmare.
We spent months trying to find a destination we actually wanted, during dates that worked with my schedule as a school teacher. In the end, we settled for a trip we did not even enjoy. It caused more frustration, more disappointment, and yes—more arguments.
That was when we realized the system was not designed to make vacationing easy. It was designed to keep us locked in.
After that, we decided to sell it.
We listed it with a major resale company and paid almost $2,000 just for the ad. We priced it below what we paid. Nothing happened.
We kept lowering the price.
Still nothing.
Eventually, we dropped it to one dollar.
Still nothing.
The timeshare sat there for almost four years with no buyer.
Meanwhile, we kept paying those annual timeshare maintenance fees, and yes—they increased year after year.
Eventually, we stopped even trying to use the timeshare and just booked our vacations through Expedia instead.
At that point, I truly believed we would never get out of that timeshare contract.
Around that same time, James’s uncle decided he also wanted out of his timeshare. He signed up for the Straight Exit service with Timeshare Recyclers.
To be honest, we were interested right away, but after our bad experience with the resale company, we were cautious. We decided to wait and see whether Timeshare Recyclers could really help him exit his timeshare first.
A few months later, he called us and said his exit was complete—and that he had received a refund equal to what he had paid in the form of travel credits.*
That was all we needed to hear.
We contacted Timeshare Recyclers immediately.
Of course we were nervous. After everything that had happened, trust did not come easily.
But from the beginning, your team treated us differently.
You were patient, informative, professional, and responsive. You explained the process clearly, answered our questions, and kept us updated throughout the entire timeshare exit process.
That made a huge difference for us.
When we got the final notification that we were finally out of that timeshare, we went out to dinner to celebrate—with real cocktails this time, not cheap champagne.
A few weeks later, we received the final deposit of Resort Credits, and I actually cried.
I could not believe it.
Not only were we finally free from the timeshare, but we also received a full refund in travel credits, plus reimbursement for the weeks we had paid maintenance fees on but never used.
We had long since accepted that money as a loss. We thought it was simply gone forever.
The relief I felt in that moment is hard to put into words. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off our shoulders.
Honestly, by that point, I did not even care whether the Resort Credits worked. I was just so grateful to finally be free and able to move on with our lives.
Now I am writing this from a beautiful hotel on our first vacation using those Resort Credits, and I am happy to say that the program really does work.
Buying a timeshare was one of the most painful financial mistakes we ever made. But working with Timeshare Recyclers restored some of our faith that there are still good people out there who genuinely help others.
This trip feels like our second honeymoon.
It feels like we finally got to close a painful chapter and move forward.
Thank you for helping us get out of our timeshare and giving us a real path forward.
We know firsthand how difficult it is to legally get out of a timeshare contract. For a long time, it felt nearly impossible. We are deeply grateful for everything your team did for us.
With love,
James & Karen
Note from Timeshare Recycler's Editors: James and Karen's Story is all too common. If you'd like help getting out of your timeshare or have a similar story to share contact us here:
👉 Schedule a free consultation with a Timeshare Recyclers specialist
📞 1-888-287-4188
📧 wecare@timesharerecyclers.com