Ron Williams, Founder and CEO of ClearPathExit.com, recently negotiated his way out of his timeshare contract, a contract he and his then-wife had signed over twenty years ago. He regretted getting involved in timeshare ownership almost from the start, explaining that “the people who worked for the organization convinced us that it was a really good deal, but it soon proved to be very problematic.” After his divorce, Ronald was saddled with paying the maintenance fees.
While Ron and his ex-wife used the timeshare for the first couple of years they owned it, by enlisting the services of an exchange program that allowed them to vacation in destination spots by “trading” their week with other owners in other regions, they found that, more often than not, nothing was available for trade most of the time they put in requests because the requirement was that it had to be available during their week.
Frustrated, they parted ways with the exchange program, but were still obligated to pay maintenance fees for the timeshare unit – fees that increased annually at the timeshare company’s discretion. “They charged for upkeep, improvements, and remodeling, but we weren’t initially told that these fees would increase year in and year out.”
They were also not informed that, under the terms of their contract, their children would be obligated to take over ownership once they were unable to continue fulfilling their obligations. “These contracts are apparently ironclad and written with provisions that aren’t mentioned upfront during the seminars,” says Ron. “So, if you don’t take the time to read the contract, and most people don’t, because it’s around 40 pages long and you’re being pressured to sign it, you really don’t know what you are getting into, which is exactly how you end up being trapped.
“There’s generally a two-week ‘opt out’ provision, but you can’t even use the timeshare in two weeks’ time, so how can you possibly know whether or not it’s going to work out for you?”
Ron then started researching exit companies around 2015 to determine whether they offered viable solutions for ending these types of contracts. “What I discovered was, and there weren’t a lot of these exit companies at that time, is that they all charged somewhere in the neighborhood of 5K for their services. They didn’t discuss their plan for getting you out of the contract, and many of them stopped answering their phones.”
Ron didn’t feel safe putting his hopes, or his money, in the hands of companies that were often being sued for failure to perform, or what he found to be deceptive practices, as many customers were complaining that they weren’t being offered refunds, or were only given a portion of what they paid, sometimes as much as 15K.
That’s when he adopted a self-advocacy strategy. He decided to negotiate directly with his timeshare company to try to arrange for them to release him from his obligations. “I’ve heard people say, ‘They won’t even talk to me, or ‘They say that there’s nothing they can do. You signed the contract, and now you’re obligated to fulfill it.” But Ron discovered that you can actually negotiate with a timeshare company to get out of your contract. It will cost you, but it will likely be a fraction of what you might spend with a timeshare exit company or a law firm.
“That was when I decided to create ClearPathExit.com as a way of informing others that self-advocacy is the safest and most cost-efficient way to navigate your way to a successful timeshare exit.”
There’s a process that begins with a “settlement offer.” This is where your timeshare companies will allow you to opt out of your contract by entering into a settlement agreement (a document that all registered parties must sign) once the settlement amount is paid. This is followed, often weeks later, by a buyback agreement. Once this is completed and approved, the company will present you with a quit-claim deed, releasing you from any further obligation. “It’s a long process, but the best part is, once you start, the company generally freezes your account, so you will no longer be obligated to pay maintenance fees because you are en route to having your contract canceled. As an added bonus, they told me in writing that there would be no negative credit reporting.”
There are some aspects to achieving this goal, such as open lines of communication, a notary, and punctual deadlines. Ron discusses all of these key elements, including how to reach the “settlement offer phase,” during a one-hour webinar that interested parties can sign up for on his website, “clearpathexit.com.”
“I want people who feel trapped in a timeshare contract and are unwilling to risk, or unable to invest, time and money with timeshare exit companies to know that they have other options. I was able to negotiate my way to timeshare freedom on my own and can give you the tools you need to do the same.”