A Valley woman was caught in an unwanted timeshare, but she’s grateful for the help of a Let ABC15 Know volunteer.
Janet has a lot of timeshare memories.
“Oh, Lake Tahoe, that was so much fun!” she recalled.
She purchased her timeshare 10 years ago.
“I bought it because I needed to make myself go on vacation, and because I wouldn’t spend the money on these nice timeshares,” explained Janet.
Janet has now retired in Arizona and said she’s enjoying her life and there’s no need to go on vacation because she’s said every day is a vacation.
She wanted out of her timeshare agreement. Janet says representatives of the company back when she signed up, told her whenever she was ready to exit the agreement she could.
“So, I called them and said, 'what do I do to get out of it,' and they said, ‘we’re no longer providing that service,'“ said Janet.
Janet couldn’t understand. She added, “That was the selling point to me and many others that we could sell it (timeshare) back and get out of our timeshare.”
She wasn’t satisfied with the company’s answer. Janet started working to get out of her timeshare in March of 2023. She told Let ABC15 Know she sent emails, made numerous phone calls, and sent dozens of letters to the company.
Janet wanted her demands in writing.
“All I wanted was to get out of the timeshare, and I wanted my maintenance fees for 2024 which had doubled since last year and I put points from 2023 timeshare into a banking system,” explained Janet.
“It was kind of like they would throw me a bone to get me to back off.”
Then, Janet decided to reach out to the Let ABC15 Know Team in January of 2024 for help. A Let ABC15 Know/BBB volunteer named Mary Ann was assigned to the case. Janet said Mary Ann got to work helping her with the case.
Janet said, “She would talk to the executives and then all of a sudden, I would get emails from them.”
Janet said Mary Ann contacted her daily, and Janet sent her all the information she would need.
“She made it happen,” added Janet.
Finally, in June 2024, Janet received a letter from the timeshare company stating her timeshare escrow was closed. With the letter was a refund check for her 2024 maintenance fees.
The problem was solved with many thanks to volunteer, Mary Ann.
The Let ABC15 Know Team is extremely grateful for Mary Ann and all the other amazing volunteers behind the scenes. The volunteers work very hard and our team couldn’t do what we do if it weren’t for them.
They solve cases and help our community in an impactful way.
Janet admits she didn’t read her contract thoroughly when she signed it.
“But the pressure when you go to these timeshare sales, so high, so they’re so good at confusing you,” she added.
She hopes people can learn from her experience, she encourages people to make sure they read over the contract and have everything in writing.
“Read all the paperwork, make sure in the paperwork you can get out of it, and your children or somebody doesn’t inherit it,” she stated.
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