So you’ve signed contracts and documents, pages of them most likely, and you did it in just a few hours. That time may have been better spent investigating who you have just done business with. Branded timeshare sale companies, such as Disney, Hilton, Marriott, Starwood (Sheraton, Westin), Hyatt, and Worldmark have a brand to protect and likely have a higher standard of conducting their business. Other companies have names and brands that aren’t well recognized outside of the sales center and care less about reputation and public opinion.
A good place to begin to predict future issues you may have just bought in to is the Better Business Bureau. They accredit and rate businesses of all types, but Timeshare companies routinely show up on their complaint lists.
Look at the statistics below from just a few companies doing business in two very heavily regulated timeshare sales locations; Orlando, Florida and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina:
| Better Business Bureau Accredations and Ratings – Orlando, Florida resorts | ||||
| Name of Company | Rating | Accredited | Complaints * | Subject to Government Action |
| Disney Vacation Club | A+ | Yes | 12 | No |
| Island One Properties | A+ | Yes | 64 | No |
| Orange Lake Resort | A+ | Yes | 202 | No |
| Starwood Vacation Ownership – Westin Brand | B+ | Yes | 18 | No |
| Starwood Vacation Ownership – Sheraton Brand | B+ | Yes | 77 | No |
| Bluegreen Vacations | C+ | No | 484 | Yes, Govt Action Pending |
| Wyndam Vacation Ownership | F | No | Over 1200+ | No |
| Club Sunterra Resorts | F | No | Multiple | No |
| Better Business Bureau Accredations and Ratings – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina resorts | ||||
| Plantation Resort | A | Yes | 5 | No |
| Sheraton Broadway Plantation | A- | Yes | 15 | No |
| Marriott Ocean Watch at Grand Dunes | A- | No | 1 | No |
| Bluegreen Vacations | C+ | No | 487 | Yes, Govt. Action Pending |
| Wyndam Vacation Ownership | F | No | Over 1100+ | No |
| Wachesaw East | NR | No | Minimal | No |
*Totals are complaints closed within the past 3 years. Statistics obtained from bbb.org and can change daily*
These are just some of the Timeshare sales centers in two very popular areas. But some of these numbers are alarming. Wyndam Vacations averages a BBB complaint every at the rate of 1.2 complaints per day. Every day consumers are entering into lifelong financial obligations with these very companies without doing any significant research. Yes, purchasing a BRAND name like Disney, Marriott, or Westin gives the customer some peace of mind, however; that is not a substitute for doing consumer due diligence within the rescission period. If you happen to find yourself outside the rescission period and think you no longer have an option to cancel your timeshare, you need to call the Timeshare Closing Group for a free consultation.