Exit Checklist: Steps Before You Start
Exiting a vacation ownership successfully requires preparation. This checklist helps you gather the information you need, evaluate your options clearly, and avoid the common mistakes that extend the process or create new financial problems.
Step 1: Gather your documents
Locate your original purchase agreement, club membership certificate or deed, and any financing paperwork. These confirm what you own, what your obligations are, and who holds any outstanding debt secured against the ownership.
Step 2: Confirm your account status
Log in to your member portal or call member services to confirm: your current annual fee balance, whether any fees are outstanding, and whether there is any outstanding finance balance. Exit options are more limited — and more expensive — when there is outstanding debt.
Step 3: Contact the club directly
Call the club's member services and ask: 'What are your formal options for an owner who wants to exit?' Write down the name of the person you speak with, the date, and what they tell you. Ask for any surrender or relinquishment policy in writing.
Step 4: Research the resale market
Search for your specific product (club name, points type, region) on resale platforms and owner forums. This gives you a realistic picture of secondary market value and whether a resale listing is worth pursuing.
Step 5: Evaluate your options honestly
Compare: the club's formal surrender process, resale listing (and realistic price), legal advice (if you have grounds for cancellation), and whether paying outstanding fees to qualify for surrender is the most cost-effective path. Pick the option that ends your ongoing obligation at the lowest total cost.
Step 6: Get everything in writing
Once you agree on an exit route, get confirmation from the club that your obligations are fully extinguished in writing — not verbally. Keep this documentation permanently, as future claims against former owners are not unheard of in this industry.