Timeshare Rescission Period in US

Each state passes its own laws regarding the amount of time you have after buying a timeshare property to return it for a full refund.  The process of returning an unwanted timeshare shortly after purchasing is known as Timeshare Rescission, or rescinding.  The timeshare rescission process refers directly to the interval of time that is legally allowed to pass before you can no longer return a timeshare contract, or change your mind about your time share purchase.  The ability to return an unwanted timeshare shortly after purchasing is not something your timeshare salesperson is likely to mention, but it is built into every state's legal code as a protection for consumers; some people also tend to refer to this time as the "cooling off period" following the purchase.

How long do I have to return timeshareIt makes no difference if you purchased your timeshare is through RCI, Wyndham, Celebrity, Disney, Fairfield, Hilton, Hyatt, Mariott, or another timeshare exchange company, the Right to Rescission is entirely dependent on the state law where the timeshare property was purchased.  Each set of documents/purchase papers accompanying a timeshare sale will include form explaining how to rescind. It will likely be titled something similar to, "Notice of Mutual Right of Cancellation of Time Share Purchase."  If you fall within the window of legal rescission, see the following post – 10 Steps to Successfully Rescind Your Timeshare – for detailed instructions on how you can complete the timeshare deed cancellation and rescission process.  Below you will find the timeshare rescission period for each state, and please add your own comments below if you have had experience in a particular state.

Timeshare Rescission Cancellation Periods by State:

Alabama – No data available

Alaska – 15 days

Arkansas – 5 days

Arizona – 7 days

California – 7 days

Colorado – 5 days

Connecticut – 3 days

Delaware – 3 days

District of Columbia – No data available

Florida – 10 days

Georgia – 7 days (business)

Hawaii – 7 days

Idaho – No data available

Illinois – 5 days

Indiana – 3 days (business)

Iowa – 5 days

Kentucky – 5 days (business)

Louisiana – 7 days

Maine – 10 days

Maryland – 10 days

Massachusetts – 3 days

Michigan – 5 days

Minnesota – 5 days

Mississippi – 7 days

Missouri – 7 days (business)

Montana – 7 days

Nevada – 5 days

New Hampshire – 5 days

New Jersey – 7 days

New Mexico – 7 days

New York – 7 days

North Carolina – 5 days

North Dakota – No data available

Ohio – 3 days

Oklahoma – No data available

Oregon – 5 days

Pennsylvania – 5 days

Rhode Island – 5 days (business)

South Carolina – 5 days

South Dakota – 7 days

Tennessee – 10 days

Texas – 5 days

Utah – 5 days

Vermont – 3 days

Virginia – 7 days

Washington – 7 days

West Virginia – 10 days

Wisconsin – 5 days (business)

Wyoming – No data available

 **  The following 30 states are home to the majority of US timeshares – AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, HI, IA, IL, LA, MA, MD, ME, MO, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA and WI.  As such, some of the other states listed above may have very little information on time share law, or do not have any policy concerning a rescission period in their state.  I have made note of which states these are, and encourage you to contact the local state government office in those states which lack well-defined timeshare rescission laws.

***  Also worth mentioning, some states do the dates according to business days, and others do not – be on the safe side and DO NOT assume the time allotment goes by business days.

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52 Comments

  1. I just read my contract. I am ONE freaking day too late to rescind. It is CALENDAR days, not business days. So, I guess when my May vacation is over, I will just stop paying. Can’t believe we were so freaking STUPID!!

      1. Ruining a credit score is better than paying for something COMPLETELY WORTHLESS, You are better off to dispute the contract on consumer rights violations and then the debt will be found invalid. There will be nothing for them to (legally!) report.

        1. Hi can you help me? I bought a “timeshare” with GEC GVC and I regreat buying it …I sign the contract 1 month ago and I want to get out of it ..just doing reaserch on hot to get out of it

  2. Has anyone successfully cancelled, after the 5 day “cool off” period? Just recently purchased and realized, it was a huge mistake and was pressured and fed lies of what we wanted to hear! Please help!!!

    1. Yes, we bought one on January 10th and were tipped off by a worker at another hotel it’s a scam and to rescind. We sent out certified letters to all their P.O. boxes and had FedEx hand deliver one to their physical address. They called us today that they excepted the notice to rescind and refund is in process

      1. It is very hard to cancel after rescission period. If you feel that you were misrepresented or pressured into a sale you can contact (number redacted)

  3. All these people that are complaining about RCI’s practices and timeshare scams should gather a million signatures and present them to the Attorney General’s office as well as the Consumer Affairs. This nonsense has to stop. I just purchased the timeshare over a week ago and now I read all these horrid stories about mostly negative experiences. Hope this comment is read and some action is taken. Maybe a Petition?

  4. and what can you do to rescind the contract or mortgage AFTER that cooling-off period?? In my case, me and my family were on vacation in Orlando, FL and we unfortunetelly bought a timeshare from westgate resorts.. when we went back to Brazil we started paying the mortgage but due to the bad economic crisis going on in the country we cannot afford it anymore and we need to cancel or rescind the contract, but we signed it on April this year.. PLEASE, DOES ANYBODY KNOW HOW TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM????

      1. My firm specializes in canceling contracts. (number redacted)

        Also, you can google rescission period by state for timesahres if that helps

        Good luck!!

  5. A sales contract must follow state law in order to be enforceable. If the contract does not address the recission right then it will be enforceable against the seller anyways. State law trumps the language of the contract.

    1. My email it bebetinanguyen@yahoo.com

      We made a mistake purchase a time share at Wyndham today and we just did a handwritten letter stating the cancellation process mailed it back the same day we purchased.

      My question is since they put 20,000 on my credit on PayPal for 6 months. Is there anyways I can contract PayPal right Away? Or should I wait to hear back from them? please help. My number is 832 228 6211. Thanks

  6. In the US, the cancellation period varies by state to state, and it goes from 3 to 15 days. The law that applies for the cancellation is the one from the state where the timeshare was purchased. The cancellation should also be communicated in writing.

  7. Are the days posted actual including weekends or does it mean business days? I just got back to Chicago from Las Vegas after this whole timeshare incident.

    1. Be aware that if you were looking at a timeshare in a foreign country and they call you in your state, and you like what you here and sign a contract, get the rest of the info and it is not what you thought you were getting, you have no recission period. This just happened with us in Aruba. We had been looking for something when we down there and they supposedly got something we were asking for. They told us about the timeshare and asked us to sign a contract (because other wanted it too) and they would send us all the info after the agreement was sent back. We also had to give them our credit card then. When they sent all the paperwork, we felt there was misleading info and since we were within our state’s recission period, we sent a letter asking to cancel. We were informed that there was no recission period because even though we were contacted back in the States, this was sold under their country’s laws, no recission period. And to top it off, our charge card charged us a foreign tax fee.

  8. Don’t know where you found (7 Business Days) for the state of Missouri, but I called attorney generals office and they said 5 days.. Can you explain the (7 Business Days) as I used your criteria for rescission, which was the 5th Business day but actual day 7 according to calendar.. So my question is this: Did I meet the requirements fir recession in Missouri?

      1. It all depends on what your contract says. I was told 5 business days, also. Contract states CALENDAR days. So Im screwed.

  9. I have read on another website that if your Contract/Deed does not mention a timeshare rescission then it does not matter how long after you purchase your timeshare you could always rescind. Is this true?

    1. I am not an attorney, but I would say that if there is no language in the contract about a rescission period, then there is no rescission period.

  10. Hi,

    We made a timeshare purchase in Las vegas, my husband and I are from France. We were not inform about the cooling off period, and since we are on holiday we were not really able to read the contract and just proceeded with our holiday as scheduled. Now that we are able to check and do some research about GandView Las Vegas, we are not happy with our purchase. And to add to our frustration we are only given 5 day cooling off period (resicion)which was not informed to us. At this point it has been 12 days and we are back in France. Is there anything else we can do about this? I would appreciate any advise and hope someone can help us. We are new with the concept of timeshare and were attracted to some promises that later on as per research are all false. Please help.

      1. I’m another one who purchased the timeshare from Grand View in my vacation. Checked my papers and agreements only after my vacation was over (i.e. after 5-days revoking period). I’d like to know what did people in my shoes end up doing, did you guys started paying of your mortgage?

    1. In March we had a similar situation, we were told that the resort we were deeded with thru Wyndham was being sold and they were transfering out people to other deeds (more exspensive) to help us members but come to find out they are not selling the original resort at all and it was all for nothing. I have found a state statute that may assist us with unconscionable contracts when dealing with timeshares. Research you may have something like that as well. If you have any other advice please let me know.

      1. did the state statute help break the contract for you Ellie?
        If so what is your state? I bought into the grandview at Las Vegas as well and am not happy with it at all. need advise what to do.

    2. Hello what did you do to cancel your time share and other fees and mortgage? Did you write a letter and email them? I have the same situation, I paid almost 3000 but realize after 10 days that is not practical and I am not happy. I think they will not refund the deposit. Do we need to state reason why we like to cancel it? Please let me know. I called the salesperson , he told me to wait for my card to arrive and to go vacation with my timeshare , just pay for 1-2 months the mortgage and tax maintenance fee 349 + 200 because they won’t refund my deposit, any advise? I’M not sure if I have time and if hotels are available. He said I can start checking the website after Maitenance membership is paid

      1. Hi Karen,
        I’m just signed my contract at Grandview at Vegas on 01/11/2016. I want to cancel it because it is the BIG LIES but I can’t because it passed 5 days. I deposited almost $5’000 and found out it the bad deal with crazy contract . I meet a lawyer in my state- California , he read the contract an said it the bad deal an crazy contract , you need to get out of them to avoid problems in the future . I looking for the specialist lawyer in Nevada to cancel contract and request for full refund. If you want in, contact me at [redacted]

        1. Please count me in Tam Le,I need to get rid of this scam too. I also bought it January 4,2016 and want out and a full refund. Help!

        2. Hello,I’m Ana and I just got suckered into getting timeshare. I don’t how it even work or anything but for some reason I don’t think it’s going to work for me. I did my down payment yesterday 05/29/16I really would like to cancel it . It was bought in vegas. Help,anyone?

    1. can someone tell me if recission period laws are the same when i buy a timeshare RESALE as it is when i buy from the developer?

      1. Hello Kirstin.
        Have you had any luck as I am in the same situation and just want out of the contract.

        1. No responses…??? And no luck getting much information! But thank you for asking…glad to know i’m not the only sucker out there! 🙂 Please let me know if you get any information because i am really at wits end! Thanks so much!

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