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How We Rank — Methodology & Editorial Policy
Rankings are only as trustworthy as the rules behind them. This page is the full set of rules we use — the same ones linked from every comparison we publish.
The criteria and weights
| Criterion | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| Payment protection | 40% | Escrow option (strongest), written money-back guarantee, refund terms in writing. Large unprotected upfront fees are the industry's classic red flag. |
| Track record | 30% | Years in business, BBB rating and accreditation, complaint volume relative to caseload, and whether the company responds to complaints. |
| Transparency | 20% | Clear process and timelines, honesty about who they can't help, disclosed litigation or regulatory history. |
| Customer feedback | 10% | Volume and pattern of reviews across BBB and major platforms — patterns matter more than star averages. |
Sourcing rules
Every factual claim in a ranking carries a source — BBB profiles, court filings and press releases for litigation, established third-party reviews (e.g., LendEDU), and company websites for their own claims. We date-stamp pages, describe litigation as allegations unless adjudicated, and re-verify BBB data quarterly. If we can't source a claim, we don't publish it.
How advertising fits in
We may be compensated when readers request consultations through certain links — that's what keeps the tools free. Compensation affects which offers we feature and where buttons appear; it does not change the criteria above, and it doesn't buy a positive review — our top-pick's own complaint history is listed in its review. Compensated links are marked, and the full advertising disclosure is linked beside every recommendation.
What this site is
Timeshare Fee Calculator exists to answer one question honestly: what does owning this timeshare really cost, and what are the options if the answer is "too much"? We build free calculators (maintenance fees, exit break-even), explain how exit actually works, and maintain one carefully sourced comparison of exit companies. We are not a law firm, financial advisor, or exit provider, and nothing here is professional advice.
Corrections
Spotted an error or outdated fact? Email contact@timesharefeecalculator.com — corrections are reviewed and applied promptly, and material fixes update the page's "last updated" date.