In the real estate industry the term dontwanner (don't want'er) is used to describe distressed properties that the owners no longer want--so much that they're willing to discount it substantially just to rid themselves of it. Companies that pay cash for homes prey on these home sellers who are in distress or need to quickly sell.

Over 65% of timeshare owners are "empty nesters," many of whom no longer need nor want their timeshare property. In the timeshare industry people that have a dontwanner vacation timeshare often find themselves in a desperate situation: they
want to get rid of their timeshare, but they have no idea on how to do it. Since their timeshare is probably located in a
different state or country, they just can't call their local realtor and start the sales process. They probably don't even know that 95% of timeshare resales are done on the Internet and many of those at auction.

Those of you that are timeshare owners know what a drain on your budget your property can be--even if you've paid it off. That annual maintenance fee and property tax, which is typically several hundred dollars annually, will not go away. Whether you are still using your timeshare or not, you still owe that fee and tax. And there may be special assessments, too.

Then along comes an over-sized, glossy, color postcard in the mail with an invitation to attend a presentation that just may solve their problem. They are offering to take the timeshare "off your hands."

Should you attend such a presentation? Decide for yourself after you read this.

There is a glut of timeshare properties on the market. Depending on what you own, your timeshare may actually have no resale value--or, at best, it's worth a fraction of what you may have paid for it. The reason is simple economics: too much
supply and not enough demand. Just visit eBay and check out the $1.00 timeshare listings; and some of them don't sell even at
that price!

The companies that market timeshare relief, rescue, liquidation, independence or disposal to you via postcards are called "postcard companies" (PCC). They refer to themselves sometimes, however, as "title transfer companies." PCCs rent a list of timeshare owners and send off postcards by the hundreds inviting you to attend a presentation at a local hotel to "come in and let us help you get rid of your timeshare."

During the presentation you'll hear about those greedy developers that sold you your timeshare. Then you'll hear about those
unscrupulous listing companies that charge you upfront to sell your timeshare and never deliver. You'll hear about how the
value of your timeshare has plummeted...and how they will offer to take it off your hands---for a price. You'll hear them falsely claim that you can deduct the loss on disposition, including what you pay them, on your tax return.

How much do they charge to "help you?" It varies from company to company, but a number you hear quite often is $2,995.

What some PCCs do is have a power of attorney available for you to sign on the spot when you fork over nearly $3,000 on your credit card. You grant them the power to dispose of your property and you are off the hook for the maintenance fees (providing it sells). You leave the presentation with some peace of mind knowing that closure is near.

What the postcard companies then do is then have one of their affiliated companies auction the properties on eBay for whatever they can get. Part of the terms of the auction is that the winner must use a certain closing company (also an affiliate of the PPC in many cases).

So they make money on the front end by preying on the unsuspecting owners (usually the elderly) with a dontwanner and on the backend with the sale and closing.

If you want to know more about other options for selling your timeshare...and learn more about who are some of these postcard
companies and how they operate, just visit http://TimeshareWebGuide.com.
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Jim Rannazzisi is a timeshare owner and industry veteran who is the webmaster of the Timeshare Web Guide (http://TimeshareWebGuide.com), an information resource portal for those who have an interest in buying, selling, exchanging, renting or using timeshares. It features a hierarchical directory with hundreds of links to timeshare sites, forums and blogs; and dozens of relevant articles and industry news items.