EXCHANGES
No one ever said that using a timeshare was going to be free, did they? While I happen to disagree with the rising exchange rates that both RCI and II charge for a transaction that most owners do themselves, i.e. online; in the long run, those fees don't add up to that much. Any any savvy owner better be checking out the many other timeshare exchange companies that are available. Just because the resort is affiliated with one of the 2 major exchange companies, doesn't mean that you are limited to using them.
SUMMING UP
The author makes a point of saying that developers are not interested in updating and/or remodling resorts. That is just not true. Of course, there will always be some unscrupulous developer out there, but it really is up to the consumer to ask questions beyond, "how much does it cost?" And with all the resources out there for consumers, it is a very simple thing to get other owners' views on a particular resort.
As for the ridiculous statement, "let's just hope you don't buy a timeshare in hurricane country", again, comsumers need to ask good questions about what type of insurance the resort has and the fees associated with that insurance.
In closing, let me reiterate a few points:
* No timeshare, even real estate based timeshare, should ever be purchased or sold as a real estate investment. As I said in my first book "Surviving A Timeshare Presentation...Confessions From The Sales Table" "timeshare is not Donald Trump type real estate."
* It is imperative for consumers to ask a lot of questions before making any purchasing choice. For a list of these questions, see my second book, "Timeshare Vacations For Dummies" and stay tuned for my next book, "Timeshare By The Numbers"
* Understand the exchange or trading system, whichever trading system you are going to be using. An off-season week in Alabama is simply NOT going to trade for a high-season week in Hilton Head. No matter what the salesperson said or no matter how much you want to believe it.
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