Sadly, if there were not direct purchases, a lot of these timeshares simply would not exist. In fact it's the very definition of resale.
I do have a feeling that in the future, with people more informed, that these companies will be forced to differentiate direct and resale purchases a lot more, with additional perks enticing people to purchase direct, at least until the property is completely sold. It's the only way that these companies will be able to profitably build new properties.
All well and good, but let's say that you have a timeshare that you bought from the developer for (pulling a number out of nowhere) $20,000 when you were 40. You paid the ever increasing MF, and every year at 11 months out, you booked your favorite week or deposited it with the exchange company.
Now, you are 65. Wife has divorced you, kids are all grown and gone. Income doesn't meet expenses. You decide to sell this timeshare, and find out that the developer (who still has a commissioned sales staff onsite and controls the HOA) has quadrupled the cost of internal exchanges, and only allows resale buyers to book whatever vacancies are available 2 months before move-in and all that's left is 'mud weeks'. Your timeshare has no value and even worse, you have to pay someone to take it off your hands.
What are you gonna do? Pay another year's extravagant (now) MF? Pay someone to take it, though you can't afford it? Give it to the kids who don't want it? Pay some Viking Ship outfit to load it on their LLC and bankrupt you out of it, leaving the upkeep and financial mess to the other owners (including the developer in this case)?
No, what needs to happen is for developers to initiate a plan whereas owners in good standing can sell their interest back to the HOA to be re-sold. New owners would be treated as exactly what they are- OWNERS!
This whole thing is so simple that anyone should be able to see it. Like used cars at factory branded dealers, 'used' (they're all used) timeshares have value, since they don't need to be re-built, and if they are properly maintained, they should sell for near their original cost.
You'll note, I'm not holding my breath waiting for this to happen.
Jim