When I was trying to figure out how to cancel my vacation club membership, I couldn't find much from someone who had actually gone through the process from start to finish. I spent hours researching what to do, so I wanted to share exactly what worked for me in case it helps someone else.

My understanding is that Article 56 of Mexico's Federal Consumer Protection Law applies to vacation club or membership purchases made in Mexico, regardless of which resort sold the membership.

I'm not a lawyer, and this isn't legal advice. I'm simply sharing what happened in my case and the steps I took.

My Situation

I purchased a Legendary Vacation Club membership while staying at AVA Resort in Cancun.

After I got back to my room, I had second thoughts. I sat down, read through all of my paperwork again, and decided the membership just wasn't for me.

While researching my options, I came across Article 56 of Mexico's Federal Consumer Protection Law. My contract didn't mention this cancellation right, but based on my research, I understood that I had five business days to cancel, so I acted immediately.

One piece of advice I'd give anyone in this situation is to document absolutely everything. Keep copies of every email, every letter, every document, and every conversation. Create a paper trail from the very beginning. If there's ever a dispute, you'll want hard proof of every step you took before the five-business-day cancellation period expired. That's why I emailed my letter, hand-delivered a printed copy, recorded myself delivering it, had a second signed copy ready to send by FedEx if it became necessary while I was still in Mexico, and later asked for written confirmation of the refund.

Here's exactly what I did.

Step 1

I wrote a cancellation letter referencing Article 56.

In the letter I requested:

• Cancellation of my membership
• A full refund
• No future charges
• Written confirmation that everything had been canceled

Step 2

I immediately emailed the letter.

I CC'd:

• The Legendary Vacation Club membership email
• My membership representative
• The resort's email address
• extranjeros@profeco.gob.mx (PROFECO's office that assists foreign consumers)

I wasn't filing a complaint with PROFECO at that point. I simply wanted them copied on my cancellation notice so there was a record that I had exercised what I understood to be my cancellation rights within the five-business-day period and show the resort I had educated myself.

Step 3

Immediately after sending the email, I walked to the membership office and personally handed them a printed copy.

I also recorded myself handing the letter to one of their employees.

The reason I did that wasn't because I expected a problem. I wanted to create a clear paper trail showing that I had delivered my written cancellation notice within the five-business-day cancellation period. I didn't want to rely solely on email because they could later claim they never received it, and I didn't want it to become my word against theirs about whether I delivered the letter on time.

If I ever needed to dispute the charge with my credit card company, I wanted clear documentation showing that I had notified the resort within the legal cancellation period.

Step 4

I also had a second signed copy ready to send by FedEx if it became necessary while I was still in Mexico.

Fortunately, I never had to use it.

When physically handing them the letter, they started reading my letter and the very first thing they said was:
"I have to ask...who wrote this?"

I smiled and simply replied,
"I did."

Honestly, I expected a lot more resistance.

There really wasn't any.

They asked me a couple of times why I wanted to cancel.

Every time I gave them the exact same answer.
"I decided it wasn't for me."

That was it.
I didn't argue.
I didn't complain.
I just stayed polite and firm.

They agreed to cancel my membership and refund my money.

The only issue was that they couldn't actually process the refund until the following day.

I wasn't comfortable leaving with only a verbal promise.

Before I left, I asked them to put the agreement in writing.

They printed a document showing:

• My name
• The date
• The date they will be issuing refund
• The exact refund amount

The reason I asked for that document was because I wanted proof that the resort had agreed to issue the refund. If something changed overnight and they later refused to process it, I wanted documentation I could provide to my credit card company showing they had already agreed to the refund.

Thankfully, I never needed it.

I returned the following day, signed the cancellation paperwork, and they processed the refund.

The refund was back on my credit card just two days later. I was honestly surprised it happened that quickly.

At no point did I have to file a dispute with my credit card company or file a formal complaint with PROFECO. Everything was resolved directly with the resort.

The Exact Letter I Used (Personal Information Removed)

I've removed all of my personal information and included the exact letter I used below.

Feel free to use it as a template if you're in the same situation. Just replace everything in brackets with your own information. Having an example would have saved me a lot of time and stress, so hopefully it does the same for someone else. The template below is based directly on the letter I used.

[DATE]

To: [MEMBERSHIP COMANY NAME]

I, [YOUR NAME], hereby provide formal written notice that I am exercising my right to cancel and revoke my Legendary Vacation Club Membership Agreement.

This notice is submitted pursuant to Article 56 of the Ley Federal de Protección al Consumidor (Federal Consumer Protection Law) and is being provided within the applicable five-business-day cancellation period.

My membership information is as follows:

Member Name: [YOUR NAME]
Membership No.: [MEMBERSHIP NUMBER]
Contract No.: [CONTRACT NUMBER]
Date of Signature: [DATE SIGNED]
Place of Purchase: [WHERE MEMBERSHIP WAS PURCHASED]

Accordingly, I request the following:

• Immediate cancellation of my Membership Agreement.
• A full refund of all amounts paid in connection with this Membership, including, but not limited to, the enrollment price, administrative fees, processing fees, taxes, and any other amounts charged at the time of purchase.
• That no future charges be processed to my credit card or any other payment method.

Effective immediately, I revoke any authorization for [MEMBERSHIP COMPANY NAME] and/or any affiliated entity to process any future charges related to this Membership.

Please provide written acknowledgment of receipt of this cancellation notice. This notice is being provided within the applicable five-business-day cancellation period under Article 56 and is intended to preserve all rights available to me under applicable law.

Please also provide written confirmation that my Membership Agreement has been canceled, that my request for a full refund is being processed, that no further charges will be made, and that this notice has been forwarded to the appropriate department for handling.

You may respond to me at:

Email: [YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS]

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]

One last thing... don't just copy and paste my letter without reading it. Replace all of the information with your own and make sure it fits your situation. I'm only sharing the letter that I personally used.

I realize every situation is different, and I can't promise anyone else will have the same outcome. I'm simply sharing what happened in my case in hopes that it helps someone else.

If you're reading this and you're still within the five-business-day cancellation period, don't wait. You can always do more research later, but you can't get those five days back.

We purchased a timeshare with MVC and yes it was expensive and the fees are high but we love the properties we’ve stayed at and utilize it to its fullest. It just seems like all I hear is negative.

I don't mean to sound rude or anything, I really just want to know why so many people don't like timeshares?

As a kid my grandpa would take my family on vacations to WorldMark resorts, and I loved it, though I obviously wasn't financially responsible for it.

Edit: Thank you for the answers, I get it now

Why are people paying these scummy TS companies hundreds to thousands of dollars to “deed back” their worthless unsalable timeshares!?! Am I missing something? Makes no sense. Why not just walk away? You paid THOUSANDS of dollars upfront, they made their money. Why are you giving them more just to get out of the scam? I really don’t understand

Marriot Ocean Pointe - Palm Beach, FL

Was hoping someone who has access to the portal could help me out with explaining to my dad about what he should expect. Still in the recision window and I am hoping to get him out of it and acting fast.

Any tips on Availability and Points required?
How far out its booked etc.?

An elderly family member is cleaning up her estate and wants to give me her timeshare in a resort town. The unit is paid off, I would just owe the annual fees, which right now are $750; she told me I could rent out the week for at least $1200 if I don’t use it.

She had originally bought it from someone else. It’s managed by a subsidiary of Hyatt.

What questions should I be asking before taking this on? Or should I be taking it on at all??

Also, she wants to gift it to me in advance of her death; would I owe taxes on it?

UPDATE: Thanks for all of the comments. I just called my relative and told her that I can’t accept this timeshare.

Does anybody know about this company? They have called me about renting my timeshare

Ok, I need some outside perspectives on my situation. I am (now) the owner of a week at Attitash in NH. Week 29 in July. The resort is planning to permanently relocate us in Q1 2027 to a newer building. They're planning to sell our unit straight-up as a whole condo...I assume because the building is getting older, and this way they don't have to spend money remodeling it.

*The timeshare is a lockout unit. Sleeps 10.
*Currently "Weeks" through RCI, not points.
*Was purchased in 1996 and has been fully paid off for years.

I was told we would have options when being relocated....Size up/down, switch weeks, OR.... give them the unit back and be free from a timeshare completely. They would NOT buy it back from us... but would take it off our hands no questions asked.

Of course, that's many people's dream - to be out of their timeshare, no strings attached. But we DO use the timeshare every year. Either our week at Attitash or we spacebank and use the time somewhere else. Because of the lockout unit, we can also do both - spacebank the one side and get another week somewhere else and still use the other half at Attitash. So it's very flexible.

Maintenance fees have gone up of course, now around $915/yr. We are a young family - kids will be at home for another 10-15 years. We do vacation at least once per year - using the timeshare. If we didn't have the timeshare, we would still vacation.

So, I'm looking for some advice. What would you do? What am I not thinking about? I want to keep it, but part of me is saying "Now is your chance to get out!" Yes, we can always try to sell it on Redweek or whatever.

The units we would be moved into are newer than what we have...but even the newest building is about 16 years old now. When they relocate us, our "options" would all be dependent on what they have available.

From what I can gather, shockingly to me, Week 29 is a prime week at Attitash and we get the most trading power through RCI. Only one week in February gets more trading power. Attitash is a Ski resort btw, but there is still plenty of activity around in the summer.

So, I guess I'm also asking - If we stay - What should I be looking out for when they try this relocation? I feel like we have a prime unit, in a prime week and somehow I will come out getting screwed in the deal.

Thank you for any input.

I got this timeshare in Vegas horrible mistake this was in April I regret getting it I was trying to get out and they kept transferring me to different calls now it too late to even get out I don’t have funds to pay the timeshare maintenance and monthly payments I plan on just not paying it and letting it fall to collections or should I hire a lawyer in Vegas to get me out anyhelp ?

Has anyone sold or exited their timeshare agreement with this company? Can you recommend a reseller? My parents bought this thing, and it was bequeathed to me. Now I'm on the hook for the maintenance fees. They say they can't help me and won't even take a quitclaim on the agreement. They said sell it on the open market. Of course, that feels like I'm screwing someone else.

My dad owned a timeshare in Gatlinburg TN called Gatlinburg Town Square for almost 40 years that he used annually. He passed away last year and my siblings and I want to sell. My sister has been in contact with Capital Vacations and it seems they will actually buy back or take back the deed through a relinquishment involving us paying a processing fee and some other fees amounting about $1700. Just curious if anyone else has been through this process and if it was easy once the required payments were made??
Thanks!

Hi guys anyone have any positive experiences with timeshares? I always meet ppl saying it’s worth it and some say heck no don’t do it. Share some experience please.

I know someone who bought a timeshare in the mountains of Colorado decades ago. Now they're paying $300 a week to stay somewhere that would be $1000 minimum to book as a hotel. Turned into an INCREDIBLY good deal.

Same person has an HGV "vacation club." They value it a lot, but the value there has always seemed more debatable.

When would you say a timeshare is actually a good deal?

So, like a dummy, I signed up for a timeshare at the Westgate in Orlando, FL less than 48 hours ago. I want to cancel this immediately. What do I need to provide? I don’t know how any of this works so if it needs to be Florida specific, please let me know.

My family and I are staying at a Wyndham resort this week and are loving it. It has me looking into pricing for what it would cost to set up an account with them plus whatever it cost for points and maintenance. Has anyone signed up recently that can share their cost or signing up and the fees? Or any reviews from people who have had them for a while.

Any information is appreciated! I’m trying to avoid talking to their sales team to avoid endless phone calls and emails before doing what research I can

Anyone know of any good options for selling off Wyndham credits? We've had ours for around 10 years and are just not getting the use out of them any more. Would be interested to know if anyone has had any experience selling credits.

Edit: I'm trying to offload 10,000 Wyndham south pacific credits.

Vacations are all about memorable time spent together with loved ones. What has been some of your most cherished timeshare vacation experiences?

Our most memorable Timeshare vaca was our wedding in Maui. Booked one week of six 2bedrooms and four 3 bedrooms for ~50 guests (all for 2K plus 3 years worth of points saved 1 year, current year and borrowed from following year). In lieu of wedding presents we asked everyone pitch in for meals or group activities. My younger sister & brother who was still in school couldn’t afford much so they went to Costco and made most wonderful pancake, sausage and egg breakfast for everyone day after wedding (decorating tables with flowers from wedding). A friend made secret hangover recipe (very tasty) free to all and kept running out and had to restock 3 or 4 times that week. My older sister sat through a timeshare presentation to give entire group 50% off snorkeling (and paid for ours). Our dear friend, who couldn’t swim, signed up for snoba (scuba with tank on floatation) and almost drowned me. At Halloween parade in Lahaina Maid of Honor hugged an inflatable (male private part) costume wearer and it deflated. Friend was so drunk he had no idea he was hitting on males dressed up as Fem bots. I kept nodding off on back of motorcycle as hubby took me around coastline and cliffs. Some of our party met Dwayne Johnson at the beach (I wasn’t there). Helicopter tour gave us two tickets free (we did book total of 28 people over the week so 30 got to go). The couple that received free helicopter ride paid for another lunch for all the guest at local Thai restaurant. (They already paid for one lunch before but decided to use money they would have spent on ride to share with group). Owner at restaurant gave lots of extras on the house and continued to give members of the group free food when they returned. Everyone raved about the tasty 3 layered wedding cake (it was from local Safeway and cost ~$100). I spent 2 hrs prepping wedding details. First lunch I researched online, next day I called of my top 3 choices and picked one. (Calls to HI was expensive back then and not part of cell plan, that’s why I did it at work). Wedding itself was under 2K. Most time consuming and expensive part of destination wedding was paying for everyone’s plane tickets. (Those who could reimbursed us for flight - cheaper with group discount via travel agents). We definitely earned our free upgrade to business class (didn’t qualify for 1st class).