Ensure that time-share is what you really want

By Betty Lin-Fisher
Knight Ridder News service

Here are some tips about time-shares:

• Know what you're getting. Whether you're buying a time-share new or resold, understand all the terms and find out exactly what you're getting. If you buy into a multi-unit building set up like a hotel with suites, ask if you're getting rights to use a specific room every time or to a type of room — for instance, an oceanfront view or parking lot view.

The hard sell is going by the wayside. Jason Tostevin, spokes-man for the industry's trade association, said developers understand that the hard sell often turns people off, so the trend is to go low-key.

When we were on vacation last summer in Hawai'i with my in-laws (before they bought their time-share), my husband and I went to our first time-share presentation. The resort was offering free lu'au tickets worth $100 if you sat through a presentation, so we figured we didn't have much to lose. We also knew there was no way we could afford a time-share as a young couple.

My in-laws went along, but were also not interested in purchasing another week. But after the very low-key presentation, my in-laws were sold. My mother-in-law later said the low-pressure sales tactic was part of what sold her.

However, my obstetrician said he got a high pressure, you-must-buy-today-or-lose-perks pitch, which sounded good at the time.

• See the resort. Tostevin said online sales of time-shares are starting to gain popularity, but most timeshares are still sold on site. That happens one of two ways — either a consumer will be near the resort and go in for a presentation, or be offered a highly discounted "mini-vacation" through direct marketing.

With the minivacations, which Tostevin recommends, consumers usually are responsible for their own airfare but are put up in a nearby hotel at a cheap rate. The consumers then have access to the resort and its amenities and are required to attend a presentation.

Tostevin said if there's any doubt about where you're going to stay or the quality of the hotel, make sure to ask lots of questions before you book.

• "Free" gifts come with a price. Many time-share developers offer gifts, such as the lu'au tickets we got or a free TV, if you listen to their spiel. If you fulfill your end of the bargain by listening to the presentation, you should be entitled to your gift (unless there's some small print somewhere on your invitation that says purchase required). But if you don't make it through the whole presentation, you're probably not entitled to the gift.

• Never be pressured into buying. Know your rights. The state where the time-share is will be the one to regulate it. Most states have a cancellation period of at least three to four days and sometimes 10.

If you have problems, start with the state attorney general in the state where you purchased the time-share. Florida has the most time-share properties in the United States, with half of those in Orlando. The department that oversees time-shares in Florida has a good Web site (www.state.fl.us/dbpr) with tips and links to similar divisions in other states.

• Think about trade value. Often, time-share owners can trade weeks at their home resort for a week at another resort. But there are some rules. First of all, to get a good trade, you have to have a week at a resort that's in demand during the right season.

Tostevin suggests being flexible about trades. If you just want to trade for any warm Caribbean climate, tell the person at the trade organization instead of saying you want a specific place. That might get you more choices.

• Figure out whether, in the long run, buying into a time-share is worth it for your family. Do you like the idea of going to the same place every year? Do you have the flexibility to plan ahead?

Do the math and figure out whether a time-share is better for your family than going on vacation to a different place every year or renting a time-share from someone at the same resort. Know that situations will vary. The condition of the resorts may vary. Some will be luxury resorts, while others may not be up to snuff. That's why it's important to see the property that you're buying.