Timeshares are a complicated thing. At first, they seem like a great buy. Who wouldn’t want to reserve a few weeks in a vacation condo by splitting the cost with hundreds of other buyers?

Unfortunately, like most things in life, there is a catch. When you factor in the hefty down payment, ever-increasing maintenance fees, and special appraisals that surprise owners, timeshare ownership far outweighs the cost of conventional vacations. These fees are so outrageous due, in large part, to the fact that the resort’s marketing campaigns are responsible for nearly 50% of the final timeshare price. These wildly aggressive strategies lead to a huge markup on your costs.

In addition to the costs associated with timeshare ownership, it is important to remember that they can also be extremely expensive to sell. Most resale agencies require a significant initial sum to list your property, and continue to charge monthly fees until your timeshare is sold. In general, listing your timeshares will cost you thousands and they rarely sell, even after your financial commitment.

Of course, timeshares rarely sell due to a number of factors, one of which is that the reseller has little motivation to do so as long as their clients continue to line their pockets. Coupled with the fact that a lot of these companies are nothing more than fronts for scammers, timeshare resale companies are simply not the way to go. People usually only turn to them when they’re desperate to get out of their contract, only to lose hundreds if not thousands more in the process. In fact, according to The South Florida Sun-Sentinel, complaints about timeshare resale companies doubled in 2009 and became the most frequently reported complaint to the state Attorney General.

These fraudulent companies do an excellent job of hiding their true nature, so here are a few suggestions to help you determine the strength of the company:

• Verify the physical address of the company: This is a sure way to determine the validity of the business.

• do your research: A simple way to determine the legitimacy of the business in question is to contact the Better Business Bureau and the State Attorney General.

• Look for the guarantee: If the reseller does not offer a full and guaranteed refund of your money if you are not satisfied with their service, DO NOT COMMIT anything in writing!

Considering the many drawbacks of listing agencies and the fact that many of them are illegitimate, I strongly advise against enlisting their help. The surest way to avoid being scammed by a resale company is to not seek their help in the first place. But there is a convenient, affordable and sensible way to end your timeshare ownership.

The best option for timeshare owners looking to get rid of their timeshare contract is to enlist the help of Newton Group Transfers for a guaranteed exit from their timeshare. Unlike resellers, we offer the following features to keep you safe and informed throughout the process:

• All relevant information is documented in writing.

• An immaculate track record that can be referenced and verified through the Better Business Office.

• A quick transfer of your timeshare ownership for a nominal one-time fee.

• Full details of the terms and conditions of the service offered.

• 100% money back guarantee to successfully complete your transfer in a timely manner.

We urge you to be diligent in your search for an efficient and convenient timeshare checkout solution. We realize that most timeshare owners have dealt with disreputable individuals and organizations in the past, and we understand the hesitation in going ahead with an exit solution that asks for an up-front fee. However, the bullet points above speak volumes about our credibility and our honest commitment to our customers.