The 5-Day Cancellation Right for Mexico Timeshares (Articles 56 & 56-BIS)

Mexico's Federal Consumer Protection Law gives every timeshare buyer a five-business-day "cooling-off" period to cancel without penalty and without explanation. It is the single most powerful tool you have — and it cannot be taken away by any clause in your contract.

What Articles 56 and 56-BIS say

Article 56 establishes that, for contracts signed away from the supplier's normal place of business — which includes timeshare sales presentations at resorts — the consumer has the right to revoke their consent within five business days of signing, without responsibility and without penalty. Article 56-BIS reinforces the supplier's obligations around clear disclosure and the consumer's revocation right. Together they make the cooling-off period automatic and non-negotiable.

What qualifies

  • Timeshare (tiempo compartido) contracts.
  • Fractional ownership of vacation property.
  • Right-to-use vacation membership contracts.
  • "Vacation club" and points-based memberships sold at presentations.

What does NOT qualify

  • Ordinary hotel stays and room bookings.
  • Standard short-term vacation rentals.
  • Completed services you have already fully consumed.

Exactly how to count the 5 business days

The window is measured in business days (días hábiles), not calendar days. That means:

  • The count generally starts the day after you sign.
  • Saturdays and Sundays are excluded.
  • Mexican federal holidays are excluded (e.g., Jan 1, the first Monday of February, the third Monday of March, May 1, Sep 16, the third Monday of November, and Dec 25).
  • The fifth business day is your final deadline to deliver notice.
Let the tool do the math. Our letter generator calculates your exact deadline — accounting for weekends and Mexican holidays — and shows it in red the moment you enter your signing date.

What "proper notice" means legally

To cancel correctly, deliver written notice within the window. Best practice — and what we recommend in the letter — is to send it both ways:

  • Certified mail with Return Receipt Requested to the developer's legal department. The postal receipt proves the date you gave notice — your single most important piece of evidence.
  • Email to customer service, creating a second, timestamped record.

Keep copies of everything. Dated, documented notice within five business days is virtually impossible for a developer to defeat.

What happens if the developer refuses

If you gave timely notice and the developer still refuses to refund you, their refusal is itself a violation. Escalate:

  1. File a PROFECO complaint — the developer is legally obligated to attend the hearing.
  2. Start a credit-card chargeback if you paid by card (Regulation Z in the US; FCAC/card-network rules in Canada).
  3. Document every refusal in writing; it strengthens your case.

Inside the 5 days? Don't wait.

Generate and send your rescission letter today.

Generate My Letter

Frequently asked questions

How do I count the 5 business days?
Count business days (días hábiles) starting the day after you sign, excluding weekends and Mexican federal holidays. The fifth business day is your deadline.
Can the 5-day right be waived in the contract?
No. Under Article 56 the cooling-off right cannot be waived. Any clause claiming you waived it is legally void.
What counts as proper notice?
Written notice delivered by certified mail with return receipt, ideally also sent by email, dated within the 5-business-day window.
Does the 5-day right apply to hotel stays?
No. It applies to timeshare, fractional, and right-to-use vacation-ownership contracts — not ordinary hotel stays or standard rentals.