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 IT ALL IN SPANISH!!!.

We have heard this story so many times that it is NOT FUNNY. 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”. So you got a 6 day vacation at an all inclusive, 5 Star resort right on the beach for your whole family for $199. What were you thinking? How is that possible? Are you stupid? Really, ask yourself, “Why would someone sell me a $1,700 vacation for $199? ” 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. In Mexico, although 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 down there, sign some papers and put a down payment on your credit card, only to cancel and request a charge back when you get back 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 in Mexico, such as Real Group, Garza Blanca and Playa Resorts as well as many large US companies selling and servicing timeshare under Mexican 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.

Many large, Mexican banks and other providers, service timeshare notes and generally 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 in Mexico but you have to be smart. And if you are not smart, don’t also be naive.

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