Anyone out there own a timeshare that gives you points? We went to a sales pitch this past weekend and they were selling points that could be used at any RCI timeshare....some of the things they said just didn't add up. Just wondering if anyone could enlighten me. Please do me a favor and only respond if you have something useful to say. I am well aware most people think timeshare is a stupid idea and I mostly agree but I do know there are some people out there who like it. Just wanting to talk to someone knowledgeable on this subject because I would like to double check some things the sales rep said. Of course, IF I decide to do this, I know a resale is best. Tx! PB
I don't have any advice for you really. Mom & Dad have a time share and they have gone LOTS of places nearly FREE. Good Luck.
My parents also love their timeshare and have been able to more than get their money's worth. You can find tons of good information on the points vs. weeks debate on the Internet. The main advantage to the points system, in my opinion, is that it offers a lot more flexibility. With a deeded week, you can pretty much only exchange for another week somewhere. With points, you can split them up and use them different ways. If you have a "week" of redweek 3-bedroom points, you can split them up and maybe take a week in a 1-bedroom and then several weekend trips with the rest of the points. You get a lot more value out of your points if you use them during off-peak times. The main advantage of the week system, in my opinion, is availability. You can always get your week at your resort, and usually have an easier time exchanging your week for another peak week at a top resort. Points all go into the same pot, so you may have a hard time booking a room even at your ownership resort and you have to book very early to exchange points for peak times/places. Cons for each are: The point systems are very complex and vary for each resort company. So if you go outside your resort chain, the rules and point values may be different. And you lose a lot of flexibility with the weeks, plus a lot of value if you don't have a redweek. Also, the points are often much cheaper up front, but keep in mind that they are still subject to maintenance fees and exchange fees, and you may find that as time goes by, you have to purchase more points in order to vacation the way that you want to. HTH!
I'd just like to know who you did your tour with. I could use a weekend getaway, and I'll let them pitch to me... And I mean this with all sincerity, I'm not being sarcastic.
Crysta hit the nail on the head with the pros and cons of each. My 2 cents or maybe 10 cents cause this ended up being a long story: My DH and I have been on MANY sales pitches in the past 6 yrs. Some REALLY bad experiences with some, but those stories are for another thread. We went to one in Myrtle Beach, I think it's called South Beach resort. Anyway, we were not ready to dive in so we purchased a "Sampler" to try it out. It was a points system and we spent about $700.00 for it. We went to Toronto Canada for a week on our honeymoon and it was the nicest resort I've ever been to, we also split up the other points and went to Williamsburg and Myrtle Beach. I feel we got our $$ worth at $700 for 3 trips. We didn't buy in because the maint fees were $650 per year for that resort. After going to many different resorts, we ended up buying at The Massanutten Resort in VA. WE LOVE IT!!! We were in that sales pitch for 4 hours at least and told at 3 people NO, we are not gonna buy. (That's the trick. The first, second and sometimes even third price is not the lowest they will go) We got them down to a very reasonable price and we now have a 2 bedroom lock off, Tri annual deeded week. But they threw in a bonus week from RCI and so we can travel every year, sometimes twice a year and only pay around $140.00 per year in maint fees. Also RCI offers tons of weeks at a discounted rate for around $140 to $250. I don't know of any hotel that you can stay in for that much for a week and these are nice condos we stay in! The salesman tried to talk us out of this deal saying we wouldn't be able to get the units and weeks that we would want to travel, but we have been to Myrtle Beach, Orlando, Williamsburg, and NC Mountains with no problem! We are so spoiled now. I love staying in large condos instead of a tiny room in a hotel. I guess my advice would be to chew them down on price, find a home resort with low maint fees, ask for deals on biannual or triannual units and bonus weeks from RCI! Also stay away from leasing a unit! That is a new tactic. You can't leave a leased unit to your kids like you can with a deeded week or points system because you never really own it! Good Luck! I highly recommend purchasing a timeshare! We love ours!
We have one with Wyndham (was Fairfield when we bought) and we have thoroughly enjoyed it! We've also exchanged w/ RCI to go other places that Wyndham doesn't have resorts or availabilty. I agree w/ the other poster - staying in a condo is SO much better, especially if you have kids! Jen - I'd be glad to pass your name along for a weekend stay. PM me if you're interested!
timeshares We have a floating week timeshare and have enjoyed using it. I'm not a fan of the point system since you are not guaranteed a full week at some resorts. It is definitely nicer to stay in a 1 or 2 bedroom condo with full kitchen than a hotel room for a vacation. If anyone is interested, we aren't able to use our week by Aug. 31st. You can check www.rci.com to see what resorts are available for a week in August and then we would tranfer it to you. PM me for cost and more info.
