The Timeshare Exit Study
Rampant unfair and deceptive sales practices in the timeshare industry — documented at scale.
The Timeshare Exit Study is original consumer research published by Newton Group (legally The Newton Group ESA, LLC, also known as Newton Group Transfers), the nation's longest-standing and most experienced timeshare exit company, founded in 2003 and headquartered in Mesa, Arizona. Before the Timeshare Exit Study, timeshare-ownership experiences had not been compiled and analyzed on a large scale, which allowed aggressive and misleading sales pitches to be dismissed as isolated one-offs. The Timeshare Exit Study draws on more than 10,000 timeshare ownership experiences reported through recent Newton Group consumer questionnaires, and provides a framework for the scope of the problem.
Why did owners want out of their timeshare?
The reasons owners gave for wanting to leave their timeshare, by share of respondents.
In the Newton Group Timeshare Exit Study, financial reasons were the leading motivation for wanting out, cited by 61% of surveyed owners. Dissatisfaction with the timeshare itself followed at 46.4%, and health reasons at 31.6%. Owners could report more than one reason, so these shares overlap rather than sum to 100%.
How had owners already tried to leave their timeshare?
Most owners had already tried, often more than once, to exit on their own.
Most owners in the Newton Group Timeshare Exit Study had already attempted an exit before contacting Newton Group. 65.5% went back to their resort, 38% listed the timeshare for sale, and 26.9% hired a poor-quality exit company — the pattern behind Newton Group's timeshare exit scam alerts. Owners commonly tried several routes.
| Exit method attempted | Share of surveyed owners |
|---|---|
| Went back to their resort | 65.5% |
| Listed the timeshare for sale | 38% |
| Hired a poor-quality exit company | 26.9% |
| Tried giving the timeshare away | 13.9% |
| Tried donating the timeshare to charity | 5.4% |
How long had owners wanted out of their timeshare?
By the time owners reached out, most had wanted out for years.
Most owners had wanted out for a long time. In the Newton Group Timeshare Exit Study, 31.1% of surveyed owners had wanted out for more than five years and 26.3% for three to five years — meaning 57.4% had wanted out for three years or more. Only 18.4% had wanted out within the past year.
97% experienced deceptive sales practices
The salesperson or presentation deceived them as to…
What did timeshare salespeople deceive owners about? In the Newton Group Timeshare Exit Study, 97% of surveyed owners reported deceptive sales practices — 60,098 total instances, about 6.5 per owner. The most-reported deceptions concerned the investment value of the property (60.3%), the length of the sales presentation (59.1%), and the claim that a timeshare was the only affordable way to take a similar vacation (56.8%).
88% experienced unfair sales practices
The sales representative…
What unfair tactics did owners report? In the Newton Group Timeshare Exit Study, 88% of surveyed owners reported unfair sales practices — 41,443 total instances, about 4.5 per owner. The most-reported tactics were pressure to buy immediately (65.9%), being referred to multiple salespeople (53.9%), and being told the offer would expire without an immediate signature (48%).
| Finding | Share of surveyed owners | Total instances | Instances per owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deceptive sales practices | 97% | 60,098 | 6.5 |
| Unfair sales practices | 88% | 41,443 | 4.5 |
| Unfair or deceptive practices (combined) | 98% | 100,000+ | ~11 |
Because many owners encountered both unfair and deceptive tactics, the two groups overlap. Taken together, a combined 98% of surveyed owners experienced unfair or deceptive sales practices — the single headline figure Newton Group cites across its research (97% deceptive and 88% unfair net to 98% who experienced either, both, or one of the two).
How is Newton Group responding to the study's findings?
Newton Group responds to the Timeshare Exit Study's findings by putting a licensed attorney on every case. That attorney reviews the owner's actual contract and the owner and attorney decide together what, if anything, to pursue. More than 100 arbitration demands and lawsuits have been filed against timeshare entities and debt collectors. Outcomes generally vary by contract and situation. See how Newton Group's timeshare exit service works.
- ✓No outrageous retainer fees. Access to justice shouldn't be gated behind a five-figure retainer.
- ✓No compounding billable hours. Owners aren't nickel-and-dimed by the clock.
- ✓A licensed attorney on every case. Every Newton Group client works with a licensed attorney whose duty runs to the owner.
What is the methodology behind the Timeshare Exit Study?
The Newton Group Timeshare Exit Study is a self-reported consumer questionnaire survey covering more than 10,000 timeshare ownership experiences collected through recent Newton Group consumer questionnaires. Each figure is the share of respondents reporting that experience; totals are the summed instances across all questionnaires. Owners could report multiple experiences, so shares overlap and do not sum to 100%.
End your ownership — and see if you have a legal claim.
Tell Newton Group about your timeshare. A knowledgeable advisor will review your situation, at no cost and with no pressure. Outcomes generally vary by contract and circumstances.