RCI timeshare exit: how to actually get out of RCI points

Last updated 2026-07-26

What is RCI and can RCI cancel my timeshare?

RCI (short for Resort Condominiums International) is a vacation exchange network, not a timeshare developer or resort operator. It's owned by Travel + Leisure Co. and lets owners at affiliated resorts trade their week or points for stays at other member resorts around the world ^[1]. You join RCI as an add-on membership tied to your deeded week or points contract; you don't buy your timeshare from RCI, and RCI doesn't hold title to your unit. This matters because a lot of owners call RCI asking to "cancel" and get told, correctly, that RCI can't do that. Your legal relationship is with the resort, the homeowners association (HOA), or the developer who sold you the contract. RCI can cancel your exchange membership if you stop paying its annual dues, but that does nothing to your underlying timeshare deed or contract. If you want out, the exit has to happen at the resort or developer level, not through RCI's call center. If you're unsure who actually holds your contract, pull your closing documents or your deed (recorded at the county where the resort sits) and look for the seller of record. That's the party you need to deal with, whether that's a rescission letter, a deed-back request, or, if you decide to sell, a resale listing.

How to get out of a timeshare during the rescission window

Every state gives timeshare buyers a rescission period, sometimes called a cooling-off period, where you can cancel the contract for any reason and get your money back. The catch: these windows are short, often 3 to 15 days depending on the state, and they start ticking the day you sign or the day you receive the required disclosure documents, whichever your state's law specifies ^[2][3]. Florida, one of the largest timeshare markets in the country, gives buyers a 10-calendar-day rescission period under Fla. Stat. §721.10 ^[2]. The statute states that a purchaser "may cancel the contract until midnight of the 10th calendar day following whichever of the following days is later" (the date of contract execution or the date the purchaser receives the last of all required documents) ^[2]. Other states set their own rescission windows and notice requirements in their own timeshare acts, so day counts and required language differ from state to state. California, for example, gives buyers a rescission right that runs through midnight of the seventh calendar day after signing or receipt of the public report, whichever is later, under Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §11238 ^[3]. Because this varies, confirm your state's rescission window with your state attorney general's consumer protection page or the statute itself before you assume you have (or don't have) time left. To rescind, follow the method your contract specifies exactly: usually written notice, sent by a method that creates proof of delivery (certified mail, return receipt requested, is the classic choice), to the exact address named in the contract. Keep a copy of everything. Do this even if a salesperson told you verbally that you could "just call to cancel." Verbal promises don't protect you if the dispute ends up in front of a regulator or in court. If you're inside your window right now, this is by far the cheapest and cleanest way out. No deed-back application, no resale listing, no exit company fee. Full details on how state rescission laws work are in our guide on how to get out of a timeshare.

How do you get out of a timeshare after the rescission window closes?

Once rescission has passed, you have fewer options, and none of them are instant. Realistically you're choosing among four paths: deed-back to the resort, resale, an exit company or attorney, or living with it while you manage the fees. Deed-back (sometimes called a deedback, take-back, or surrender program) means the resort or developer agrees to accept the deed back and release you from future obligations. Some major timeshare companies run formal deed-back programs, sometimes for a processing fee, sometimes free if your account is current and the resort wants the inventory back. Not every resort offers this, and most require your maintenance fees to be paid in full before they'll even consider it. Resale means selling your interest, usually for far less than you paid, sometimes for a token amount or literally $1, because the secondary market for timeshares is flooded and resorts often have right of first refusal. The Federal Trade Commission warns consumers directly that timeshare resale is a common setting for fraud, cautioning that "if someone contacts you out of the blue to buy your timeshare, or asks you to pay money upfront to sell it, be suspicious" ^[4]. State consumer protection offices echo this warning: owners who already want to sell get targeted again by resale brokers demanding upfront fees for a sale that never happens. Exit companies and timeshare attorneys are a real, if mixed, category. Some operate legitimately and get results through negotiation, deed-back facilitation, or, where the contract was misrepresented, legal action. Others are the upfront-fee operations that state attorneys general warn about repeatedly. We break down how to tell the difference in timeshare exit companies.

How to sell a timeshare (and what it's actually worth)

Selling a timeshare is legal and sometimes the right move, but go in with real expectations: resale value for most timeshares is a small fraction of the original purchase price, and many listings sit for years. Industry survey data reported by the American Resort Development Association puts the average per-interval purchase price for a timeshare in the range of the low-to-mid $20,000s, while resale prices for the same intervals routinely run in the hundreds to low thousands of dollars on secondary marketplaces. If you want to sell, three channels are common: listing directly with a licensed timeshare resale broker (check state licensing, since many states require real estate licenses for timeshare resale transactions), listing on a peer-to-peer marketplace, or asking your resort about a broker it endorses. Never pay a large upfront fee to a company that claims to have a "buyer already lined up" for your unit; this is one of the oldest scripts in timeshare resale fraud, and the FTC's own consumer guidance calls this exact pattern out by name ^[4]. A blunt truth worth saying out loud: if your maintenance fees are current and reasonable, and you actually use your week or points, selling for pennies on the dollar may cost you more in lost future vacations than it saves. If your fees have climbed past what the ownership is worth to you, selling, or pursuing deed-back, usually beats paying an exit company thousands of dollars to do less than you could do yourself with patience.

How much do timeshares cost, and how much are the fees?

Purchase price (developer-direct)	$10,000 to $40,000+ per week/interval
Purchase price (resale market)	$0 to $3,000 for many older-week resorts
Annual maintenance fee	~$1,000 to $1,500+ per interval, rising most years
Special assessments	Hundreds to several thousand dollars, as needed
Exit company fees	Commonly $2,000 to $8,000+, varies widely by company	Those exit company fee figures aren't from a single published study; they're the range consumer complaints and state AG enforcement actions commonly describe, so treat them as a general caution rather than a fixed benchmark. The point is the same either way: exiting isn't free, whether you do it yourself or pay someone. Understand what you're actually being charged for before you sign anything with an exit company, and compare that to the deed-back or resale path first.

The upfront purchase price is only part of the cost. Industry owner survey data reported by ARDA puts the average timeshare purchase price in the low-to-mid $20,000s per interval and the average annual maintenance fee in the range of roughly $1,000 to $1,300. Maintenance fees are not fixed for life; they typically rise annually and resorts can levy special assessments on top of them for major repairs, storm damage, or renovations, sometimes running into the thousands of dollars per owner with little advance notice. Here's a rough range breakdown owners commonly report: | Cost category | Typical range |

Are timeshares scams?

Timeshares themselves are legal products regulated at the state level, not scams by definition. But the industry has a long, well-documented history of high-pressure sales tactics, and the resale and exit side of the business is where actual fraud concentrates. The FTC's consumer guidance on timeshare resale is direct about where the risk sits, warning owners to be skeptical of unsolicited resale pitches and upfront payment demands ^[4]. State attorneys general in Florida, California, and elsewhere have brought enforcement actions against both deceptive timeshare sales operations and fraudulent exit or resale companies over the years; check your own state AG's consumer alerts page for active warnings before you sign anything or pay anyone. So the honest answer: the ownership contract itself usually isn't a scam, it's a real, if often overpriced and hard-to-exit, product. The scam risk shows up later, when a distressed owner searching for a way out gets targeted by a company promising to end their contract for a big upfront check. That's the pattern to watch for, not the original purchase.

What are the biggest red flags of a timeshare exit scam?

Watch for these together, since scammers rarely rely on just one: Large upfront fees before any work is done. Legitimate deed-back programs and reputable attorneys typically don't demand your full payment before lifting a finger, and many deed-back programs charge little or nothing if your account is current. Promises of a 100% success rate. No legitimate company can promise your resort will accept a deed-back or that a court will rule in your favor. Any pitch that promises your contract will definitely be canceled should make you stop and check the company's name against your state AG's enforcement and complaint records. Unsolicited calls claiming they have a buyer, or that they're "working with" your resort, or referencing a class-action settlement you supposedly qualify for. The FTC's guidance on timeshare resale and exit offers specifically flags unsolicited contact combined with upfront payment requests as a warning sign consumers should treat with suspicion ^[4]. Instructions to stop paying your maintenance fees while the exit is "processed." This is dangerous advice. Stopping payment can trigger delinquency, late fees, collections, and damage to your credit, and it can also cost you whatever standing you had for a clean deed-back. Keep paying what you owe until you have an actual, finalized release in writing. For a broader list of tactics to check before signing anything, see timeshare exit companies and keep a running record with our timeshare call list.

How to get out of an RCI points membership specifically

If your timeshare is an RCI Points contract rather than a deeded week, the mechanics are slightly different but the core rule is the same: RCI manages the exchange membership, not the underlying ownership. Your RCI Points come from a developer trust or club structure, and canceling your RCI membership (which you can typically do by not renewing annual dues) stops your exchange access but does not end your obligation to pay maintenance fees or club dues to the trust that actually owns the underlying real estate. To actually exit an RCI Points ownership, you still need to go through the developer or club's own deed-back, surrender, or resale process, exactly as you would with a deeded week. Check your points club's governing documents (the trust agreement or club rules disclosed at purchase) for its own cancellation, transfer, or surrender language, since some point-based clubs have specific internal transfer processes separate from a standard deed-back. If you're inside your rescission window on an RCI Points purchase, the same state rescission rules apply as any other timeshare purchase; the fact that it's points-based rather than a fixed week doesn't remove your cancellation right, it just means the contract you're rescinding is with the club or developer who sold you the points, not with RCI directly.

What should I do this week if I want out?

Start by finding out exactly where you stand. Pull your original purchase contract and figure out three things: what state's law governs it, whether you're still inside that state's rescission window, and who legally holds your ownership (the resort, a developer, or a points club/trust). If you're inside the rescission window, send written cancellation notice today, by the method your contract specifies, and keep proof of delivery. Don't wait for a callback from anyone. If the window has closed, call the resort or developer directly and ask specifically about their deed-back or surrender program, in writing if possible, and ask what condition your account needs to be in to qualify (usually current on fees, no liens). This costs nothing and rules out the cheapest option first. If deed-back isn't available, research resale realistically, understanding you'll likely net far less than you paid, or a licensed timeshare attorney in your state for a paid consultation, since a short paid consult from a real attorney is a lot cheaper than a $6,000 exit-company retainer that may not deliver anything. This is also where a structured framework helps rather than trying to piece it together contract by contract. Our own $149 Timeshare Exit Kit walks through the rescission check, deed-back request letters, and scam red-flag screening in one place, as a starting toolkit rather than a company that contacts the resort for you. It's not a substitute for state-specific legal advice if your situation is complicated (liens, estate/inheritance disputes, active collections), but for a straightforward "help me organize the exit process" situation it's built exactly for that.

What if I inherited a timeshare I never wanted?

Inherited timeshares are their own headache. Ownership (and the maintenance fee obligation) generally passes through the estate the same way other debts and property do, governed by the state probate process where the deceased owner lived or where the resort is located, depending on the contract and state law. You are not automatically stuck with it forever, but disclaiming an inheritance has to be done correctly and often within a specific timeframe, and federal tax law separately requires a qualified disclaimer to be made in writing within nine months of the decedent's death under 26 U.S.C. §2518 for it to be treated as a valid disclaimer, so this is a genuine case where a probate attorney consult is worth the cost before you do anything else ^[5]. Some resorts have inheritance-specific deed-back policies precisely because they don't want to chase heirs for fees on units nobody wants; ask directly. Don't assume that ignoring collection notices makes the obligation disappear, and don't assume you're personally on the hook for a family member's specific unit either; the answer depends on your state's probate law and how the estate was administered, so verify rather than guess.

RCI, resale, and exit paths compared

Path	Cost to you	Timeline	Best for
Rescission (cancel in window)	$0, full refund typical	Days	Buyers still inside their state's window
Deed-back/surrender	$0 to a few hundred dollars	Weeks to months	Owners current on fees, resort accepts
Resale	Often near $0 net, sometimes a loss	Months to years	Owners who accept low/no return
Exit company/attorney	Often $2,000 to $8,000+	Months	Complex contracts, misrepresentation claims
Do nothing / keep paying	Ongoing annual fees	N/A	Owners who still use and value the timeshare	RCI membership cancellation on its own doesn't appear in this table because it solves a different problem: it stops your exchange dues, not your ownership obligation. Treat it as a separate, smaller decision from the actual exit.

Frequently asked questions

How to get out of a timeshare fast?

The only genuinely fast, low-cost exit is rescission: canceling in writing inside your state's rescission window, which can be as short as a few days from signing. Once that window closes, there's no fast guaranteed path; deed-back, resale, and legal routes all take weeks to months at minimum, and anyone promising an instant, guaranteed result after the window has closed should be treated as a red flag.

How do you get out of a timeshare with RCI points?

RCI doesn't own your timeshare, so it can't cancel your contract. You cancel your RCI exchange membership separately (usually by not renewing dues), but you still need to pursue deed-back, surrender, or resale with the actual developer or points club trust that holds your ownership to end your maintenance fee obligation.

How to sell a timeshare when nobody wants to buy it?

List with a licensed timeshare resale broker or a reputable peer-to-peer marketplace, price realistically against actual recent sales (often a small fraction of purchase price), and ask your resort whether it has right of first refusal or its own broker referral. Avoid any company demanding a large upfront fee before finding a buyer; the FTC specifically warns against paying upfront for a promised buyer.

Are timeshares scams, or is it just the sales pitch that's bad?

The ownership contract itself is a legal, regulated product, not inherently a scam. The scam risk concentrates in high-pressure sales tactics at the point of purchase and in the resale/exit industry afterward, where fraudulent companies target owners desperate to leave with upfront-fee schemes that deliver nothing.

How much is a timeshare, on average?

Industry owner survey data reported by ARDA puts the average purchase price in the low-to-mid $20,000s per interval, plus an average annual maintenance fee of roughly $1,000 to $1,300, and those fees typically rise most years plus occasional special assessments for repairs or renovations.

How much do timeshares cost per year in maintenance fees?

Annual maintenance fees commonly run roughly $1,000 to $1,500 per interval based on recent industry survey data, though this varies widely by resort size, brand, and location, and fees generally increase year over year, sometimes sharply after major repairs or storm damage.

Can I just stop paying my timeshare maintenance fees to force an exit?

No, and you shouldn't. Stopping payment on fees you contractually owe can lead to late fees, collections, credit damage, and possibly foreclosure-style loss of the unit without releasing you from the debt. Pursue a real exit path (rescission, deed-back, resale) and keep paying what's owed until you have a signed release.

What's the difference between a deed-back and a timeshare exit company?

A deed-back is a direct arrangement where the resort or developer agrees to take the deed back and release you, often free or low-cost if you're current on fees. An exit company is a third-party business you pay, often thousands of dollars, to negotiate, litigate, or facilitate an exit on your behalf; results and legitimacy vary widely.

How long is the rescission period for timeshares?

It varies by state and is generally short, ranging from about 3 to 15 days depending on the state, starting from signing or document receipt depending on that state's specific statute. Florida sets a 10-day window under Fla. Stat. §721.10, and California sets a 7-day window under Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §11238. Always confirm your specific state's rescission window rather than assuming a national standard.

How to get rid of a timeshare I inherited and don't want?

Check whether you can disclaim the inheritance through probate before accepting it; federal tax law requires a qualified disclaimer be made in writing within nine months of death under 26 U.S.C. §2518, and your state's probate code sets its own procedural rules. If you've already accepted it, ask the resort directly about an inheritance-specific deed-back policy, and consult a probate attorney if the estate is contested or complex.

Is it worth hiring a timeshare exit company?

Sometimes, mainly for complex cases involving misrepresentation claims or liens, where legal action may be genuinely necessary. For straightforward cases, check deed-back eligibility and resale first, since those cost far less; compare any exit company's fee and claims against your state attorney general's complaint database before paying anything upfront.

Does canceling my RCI membership cancel my timeshare?

No. Canceling RCI only ends your exchange privileges and annual RCI dues. Your underlying deed or points contract, and the maintenance fee obligation attached to it, stays in force until you complete an actual exit through the resort, developer, or club, such as rescission, deed-back, or resale.

Sources

1. Travel + Leisure Co., RCI overview: RCI is a vacation exchange network owned by Travel + Leisure Co., not a resort or developer
2. Florida Legislature, Fla. Stat. §721.10: Florida sets a 10-calendar-day timeshare rescission period
3. California Legislative Information, Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §11238: California sets a 7-day timeshare rescission period running from contract signing or receipt of the public report, whichever is later
4. Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice: Timeshares and Vacation Plans: FTC guidance warns consumers about unsolicited timeshare resale offers and upfront payment demands as common fraud patterns
5. Cornell Legal Information Institute, 26 U.S.C. §2518 (Qualified Disclaimers): A qualified disclaimer of an inherited interest must be made in writing within nine months of the decedent's death
6. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, complaint database: Consumers file complaints related to timeshare fees and exit company practices, trackable through federal complaint data