Joyce Orecchia’s beach bag could be packed with memories of coast-to-coast travel, after all she’s a timeshare owner. Instead, the sack is stuffed with postcards, of sorts, from several states of frustration.
“Well, I bought it in Vegas,” she said with a side eye and a sigh. “Never buy things in Vegas!”
In a Las Vegas impulse buy, Joyce wagered $12,000 with Diamond Resorts (now Hilton Grand Vacations) for a “lifetime of travel” — that’s their tagline.
On top of paying $12,000, she was required to pay maintenance fees annually for life, whether she used her timeshare or not. She told NBC Bay Area that those fees recently rose to more than $1,000 a year.
“I said, ‘No way. That’s more than I would even pay for a hotel,’” she said. “So, I was like, ‘I gotta get out of this.’”
She said she called in 2024 and asked Hilton if she could return what she owned. “The solution was: I had to buy more to get out of it. And that was $15,000.”
Hilton did not address Joyce’s claim with us. When she hung up the phone, Joyce took action. “That’s when I started looking for an exit company,” she said.
An “exit company” is an outfit that advertises help to get rid of or re-sell a timeshare. They look like lifesavers. But the Federal Trade Commission says: beware. Its website says, “The truth is, the timeshare market is overcrowded, and it might be hard, if not impossible, to sell a timeshare.”
Others have issued warnings, too, including Consumers’ Checkbook.
“We found that several victims we’ve spoken with, after years, are still held to these timeshare exit companies that promised they would get them out of, and haven’t,” said Checkbook Executive Editor Kevin Brasler. His team has written about high pressure sales tactics, hollow promises, and high fees, both in buying into a timeshare as well as getting out.
“Consumer groups have been begging the timeshare industry to clean up its act for decades now,” Brasler said. “And it’s made very little progress,” he said.
The timeshare industry has created what’s called the Coalition for Responsible Exit. Its website tells timeshare owners like Joyce “There’s no need to pay a company to take the steps toward timeshare exit.” The coalition’s members, including Hilton, are supposed to give owners “A comprehensive overview of your timeshare exit options.”
But to get out of her Vegas splurge, remember that Joyce said the deal Hilton put on the table was doubling down. So, she hired a third-party timeshare exit company that, in turn, enlisted another company for the transfer. Joyce paid Consumer Edge Travel Solutions in Carlsbad and Liberty Consultations in Tennessee $6,700, up front, in 2024.
Joyce said she paid. And waited. Joyce shared a certificate guaranteeing transfer in 365 days. By the time she contacted NBC Bay Area Responds, about 730 days had gone by. Two years after signing an agreement, she still had a timeshare and the requirement to pay annual fees.
We asked if she had any idea she would still be dealing with this in 2026. “Hell, no,” she said.
So, NBC Bay Area contacted the companies. All three responded. None went on camera. The exit companies said Hilton was the hiccup holding up Joyce’s transfer. A rep wrote, “Their phone lines were literally so overwhelmed it would kick my staff off.” And, “I believe we have resent this transfer 3 times.”
Hilton disputed that and said this about the hold up: “…it appears a third-party company engaged by the member filed incomplete paperwork that resulted in significant delays.”
To Joyce, none of that finger-pointing mattered. All she wanted was out. Shortly after our inquiry, the transfer company said it sent another packet of papers. Hilton then confirmed to Joyce “The transfer is complete.”
Hilton said: “While the vast majority of our members love their vacation ownership, we understand that life circumstances can change, and we strive to support our members in finding the right solution for their needs.”
The exit companies said they were “fully committed to seeing this through to completion.”
As for the $12,000 Joyce spent in Vegas buying real estate, she didn’t get a single penny back cashing out. But she says that loss was OK to end her unlucky run as a timeshare owner.
“I feel like I’ve had this weight on my back for so long. It’s just… gone,” she said. “And it’s such a relief.”
If you ever consider buying a timeshare, make sure you ask about fees. Are there fees to get in? Fees to use your timeshare? Annual maintenance fees? And, does the program charge fees to get out? Ask about your options to exit your lifetime contract. Can you just give back your timeshare? Or can you re-sell it? Also, research whether anyone’s even buying second hand. A quick search of eBay for second hand timeshares sales might open your eyes.
