The honest way out of a timeshare.
Plain answers on cancelling, giving it back, selling, inheriting and the scams to avoid. Every route in the order to try it, with the free ones first and the sources on every page.
- 32 guides
- 1,800+ facts checked
- Free, no sign-up
Where are you right now?
Pick the one that sounds like you. Each starts with what costs nothing.
Just signed Signed in the last few days? Your state gives you a short window to cancel for a full refund. Count the days now. Inherited A parent left you a timeshare You can usually refuse it, if you have not accepted it yet. Paying for years Fees keep rising and you want out Every route, in the order to try them. 
Resort said no The resort will not take it back What a free file review checks, and how to judge any exit firm. Behind on fees Bills are piling up What happens next, and the options before foreclosure. Lost money Paid a company and got nothing Where to report it and how to try to get it back. 
Start with the free routes
See all guides
Five steps, in the order to take them.
The FTC tells owners to start with the timeshare company itself. So do we, and so does the exit firm we work with. Paid help comes last, and only if the resort says no.
Read the full plan- 01 Just signed? Cancel nowInside your state rescission period, a written notice gets every dollar back.
- 02 Inherited it? Refuse itAn heir who has not accepted the interest can usually disclaim it in writing.
- 03 Ask the resort, in writingRequest its surrender or deed-back program, and check what similar weeks really sell for.
- 04 Sign nothing at the pitchAn upgrade is a bigger contract, not an exit. Treat an upgrade offer as a no.
- 05 Resort said no? Get a free reviewAn exit firm can review your contract for free and tell you whether you qualify.
Must read before you pay anyone
More on getting help
Getting out, developer by developer
Each company runs its own exit program, with its own rules about who qualifies.
On the owner's side, and open about how we're paid.
Candid Timeshare works with Vacation Ownership Consultants, a timeshare exit firm in Scottsdale, Arizona, and may be paid when readers hire it. That's why we tell you to try every free route first, publish a checklist that any exit firm should pass, and never tell you to stop paying.
- Every number checked against a primary source
- No guarantees, ever. Nobody can promise an exit.
- Sources and the last-updated date on every page
Questions owners ask first
Short answers. Each guide goes deeper.
Can I cancel a timeshare I just signed for?
Often yes, if you act inside your state's rescission period. These windows typically run from about 3 to 15 days after signing, depending on the state, and the right generally cannot be waived in the contract. Send the cancellation in writing, using the method and address the contract names, and keep proof that it was sent or delivered.
Do I have to pay someone to get out of my timeshare?
Not always. Cancelling inside the rescission window costs nothing, and neither does asking the developer to take the timeshare back. The FTC tells owners to start by contacting their timeshare company, and Vacation Ownership Consultants, the exit firm Candid Timeshare works with, starts its own process the same way. If the week has no resale value and the developer refuses or names a price you can't accept, a free file review from an exit firm is a reasonable next step. Before paying any firm, get its flat fee in writing, the name of any attorney on your file, and a written answer on what happens to your money if the developer says no.
Are timeshare exit companies legal?
Some are, and some were shut down, so judge the conduct, not the label. In April 2026 a federal court ordered Christopher Carroll, a top operator of a scheme run through a company called Consumer Law Protection, to pay $140 million in an FTC case, and Washington State put Reed Hein, known as Timeshare Exit Team, under a $2.61 million consent decree. A legitimate firm reviews your documents before quoting, puts one flat fee in writing, never tells you to stop paying, and never promises a result.
Will my children inherit my timeshare whether they want it or not?
No. An heir can refuse an inherited timeshare by filing a written disclaimer under state law. The risk is acceptance: using the week or paying a fee from the heir's own account can count as accepting the interest and end the right to disclaim. An estate attorney in the state where the estate is handled can say what counts there.
What happens if I stop paying my maintenance fees?
The resort keeps billing and then escalates. Expect late fees, collections and credit damage, and depending on the contract and the state, foreclosure and possibly a claim for what the sale does not cover. The FTC lists advice to stop paying as a warning sign of an exit scam, so be wary of anyone who suggests it. This is general information, not legal advice; take questions about your own contract to an attorney licensed in your state.
Start your timeshare exit with a free review.
If the resort won't take it back, an exit specialist will look at your contract and tell you whether you qualify. The consultation costs nothing, and you decide what happens next.
Candid Timeshare may be paid if you hire the firm this button leads to.