If you signed a timeshare contract in the last few days and you're having second thoughts, the letter you mail this week decides everything. Inside your window, the right letter gets your money back. After the window closes, no letter cancels the contract.

Here's what it should say, how to get it there so you can prove it, and what to do if the deadline has passed.

The letter

Adapt this to your contract and state. Your own cancellation notice controls if it says anything different.

[Your full name(s)]
[Your address]
[Date]

VIA CERTIFIED MAIL, RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
Tracking no.: [number]

[Developer's name, exactly as written in your contract]
[Address listed in your contract's cancellation notice]

Re: Notice of Cancellation, Contract No. [number], signed [date] at [resort or sales center name]

I/we cancel the timeshare purchase contract identified above, as permitted by [state] law and by the cancellation notice in the contract. This notice is being mailed within the cancellation period.

Please confirm the cancellation in writing and refund all payments made under the contract, including [deposit amount and how it was paid]. Please send all communication about this to the address above.

[Signature(s) of everyone who signed the contract]
[Printed name(s)]

A few notes on that template:

• Address it where the contract says. The cancellation notice names who receives it and where. Don't use the sales center, a customer service page, or a phone number.
• Everyone who signed should sign the letter. That's the safest way to match the contract.
• Keep it short. You don't need a reason, and arguing your case only gives them something to dispute. Citing the statute is optional. "As permitted by the cancellation notice in my contract" covers it.

Where your right to cancel actually comes from

Many people assume the FTC gives them three days. The FTC's own page, Buyer's Remorse: The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule May Help, says the rule covers certain sales made at your home, workplace, or dorm, or at a seller's temporary location such as a hotel room or convention center. It says the rule doesn't cover sales involving real estate. A resort sales center is typically the seller's own place of business, so timeshare buyers generally have to rely on state law, which sets the length of the rescission window:

• Florida: 10 calendar days, counted from the later of your signing date or the day you received the last required documents, under Section 721.10 of the Florida Statutes. We walk through it in our Orlando exit guide.
• South Carolina: 5 days, covered in our Charleston guide with the statute text.
• California: 7 days, covered in our Lake Tahoe guide.
• Elsewhere: guides generally put the range at three to fifteen days.

The state is where the resort sits, not where you live. The clock can also start later than the day you signed. In Florida it starts on the later of the signing date or the day you got the last required document. If you were never handed the disclosure paperwork your state requires, that's a question for the state regulator or an attorney, because you may be earlier in your window than you think.

Sending it so you can prove it

• Certified mail with return receipt. Photograph the signed letter and the sealed envelope, and keep the receipt and tracking number.
• Mail it early. Florida's cancellation section has long treated a mailed notice as given on the postmark date, as long as the developer actually receives it. Rules vary by state, so don't gamble on the last day. South Carolina's notice excludes a Sunday if it would be the fifth day, but don't count on that cushion either.
• Use any other method your contract lists, in addition. If it mentions fax, email, or hand delivery, do that as well. It doesn't replace the certified letter.
• Don't cancel by walking back into the sales center or phoning your rep. A conversation with the person who'd lose the commission isn't legal notice.

If the refund doesn't come, or they say you're late

Statutes set refund deadlines. Florida's cancellation section has set a 20-day refund deadline after you demand your money, so find the deadline in your own state and calendar it. If it passes, file a complaint with the regulator: Florida owners can go to the Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes, and South Carolina owners to the Real Estate Commission. If you paid by credit card, ask your issuer what dispute options remain.

Proof of mailing matters because developers have been accused of ignoring cancellations. In a 2016 settlement with the Arizona Attorney General, which Diamond Resorts entered without admitting wrongdoing, one allegation was that some buyers' cancellation requests weren't honored. A certified receipt and a postmark are what let you show that yours was sent.

If the window has closed

A letter won't cancel the contract at that point. Your options become developer programs, negotiation, or a structured exit. Some developers offer a program of their own, such as the one we cover in our Westgate Legacy Program guide. Whether your contract is with Marriott Vacation Club, Hilton Grand Vacations, Wyndham Destinations, or Diamond, the route differs by brand, and our Wyndham, Marriott and Bluegreen exit guide covers several of them. Skipping payments isn't one of the options. Here's what it triggers, and here's how a structured exit works.

Want a second look before it goes out, or already past the window?

Bring your contract and the page with the cancellation notice. We'll check which window applies to you and whether a letter is still worth sending, and if it isn't, which route fits.

Call AxeMyTimeshare at (949) 731-6607 or book your free consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I cancel by email or phone instead of mailing a letter?

A phone call isn't a written notice. Email counts only if your contract lists it as an accepted method. Florida's statute says notices sent other than by mail are given when delivered to the developer's place of business. When in doubt, send the certified letter and add the other method on top.

What if my contract doesn't mention cancellation at all?

State law generally requires the notice to be in the contract, and in Florida the window starts when you've received the required documents. A missing notice or missing paperwork may mean your clock hasn't started or has been extended. Don't assume either way. Ask the state regulator or an attorney, and send a cancellation letter anyway.

Does a cancellation letter stop my payments from coming out?

It tells the developer you're cancelling, but it doesn't stop an automatic payment on its own. Keep the receipt, check your statements, and if a charge goes through after the developer has your notice, contact your bank or card issuer and the regulator.