Timeshares

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Do any of you own a timeshare property or have you ever stayed at one of their resorts? Have you found it to be a worthwhile investment or would you do something different if you had it to do over again? We stayed at a beautiful resort in Florida and had no intentions of buying a timeshare, in fact my husband and I repeatedly reminded each other of that right up until the time we were on our way to the presentation we were required to attend in order to get a fantastic rate for our stay. About three hours later he and I walked into our condo with a large black briefcase full of papers and sheepish grins on our faces. It turns out the only one NOT surprised was our daughter who said, “I knew you’d get talked into it, I just knew it!” Since then we have no regrets although there have been a few problems with our reservations getting mixed up; nothing major, just some slight delays in getting checked in and once we were put in the wrong room and had to move two days after checking in. At our request, I should add, since they’d put us in a smaller unit than what we’d requested. They’ve always compensated somehow for any inconvenience by giving us some extra perk, one time they refunded us for the extra week we’d taken and paid for ourselves, twice they’ve given us bonus weeks so I guess we’ve made out pretty good. The taxes and maintenance fees seems to increase every year, but I guess that’s no different than anything else these days and we still can’t beat it for the amount it would cost us for our lodgings when we travel. Our fixed unit is in Orlando, Fla. but we could trade it for just about anywhere in the world but so far we’ve kept going back there, everyone loves it so much. Once it’s paid off it’s ours to leave to our family for them to use or rent or sell, whatever they choose. What are your thoughts on timeshares? Do you think they’re worth it or do you prefer to just book your lodgings as you make your plans? Annie