If there are no pros AND cons in a decision process then no decision is necessary. This is especially true when considering the purchase of a Fractional Resort Home, Timeshare or Travel Club membership that is domiciled outside the US. We have heard all the stories about great deals AND about big time rip offs related to resort stuff around the world. Yep! My favorite story line is; “OMG, they kidnapped us and locked us in a sales meeting and tricked us and gave us food that made us throw up and laughed at us and the contract we signed was not legal and they would not refund our money and THEY DID ALL THIS IN SPANISH!!!”

We have heard this story to many times. Mexico is a third world country. You get that… right? They have different laws. You are a long way from home. You don’t speak the language and you don’t understand the culture or customs. Even in the States you can get hooked up with less than honest timeshare and fractional folks. Don’t blame it on Mexico or on “Those Mexicans”. You got a 6 day vacation at an all inclusive, 5 Star resort right on the beach for the entire family for $299. What were you thinking? How is that possible? Are you stupid? Really, ask yourself, “Why would someone sell me a $2,700 vacation for $299? ” So then you answer yourself, “Well its because I am a SMART gringo and these dumb Mexicans are going to lose money on me because I am not buying their timeshare”.

Well you are the stupid one…admit it. Just like in the States, there are good and bad players in every industry. Although in Mexico & around the world, the laws regarding timeshare and fractional ownership have come a long way in the last 20 years, you still do not have much recourse if something goes wrong. Also, if you are thinking you can go somewhere, sign some papers and put a down payment on your credit card, only to cancel and request a charge back when you get home to Cleveland, think again. You are now the con-artist, liar and “pinche gringo” and will find that it is not that easy. So, just be reasonable. There are many great timeshare & resort club operators on the planet including Real Group, Anantara, El Cid, Azure, and Playa Resorts as well as many large US companies selling and servicing timeshare under foreign branded names or companies. Do your homework. If you are trying to get a ridiculously cheap vacation anywhere you should be prepared to get what you pay for. List and understand the Pros and Cons.

According to Dos Mundos Developments, many large, global banks and other providers, service timeshare notes & stick to GAAP principals and the documentation is fairly standard. You can get some absolutely great values on timeshare and vacation club memberships at truly outstanding and luxurious resorts from Paris to Bora Bora to Venezuela but you have to be smart.

And if you are not smart, don’t also be naive. An easy way to take advantage of the Pros and Cons that have already been vetted by a global leader in the resort business is simply buy points from RCI. (Resort Condo International). Let them do the work and you just enjoy your vacations.

For more no-nonsense resort stuff from Chris Bounds, visit his site.