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Moving to VIP at the lowest cost???

Designerd

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Hello,
I attended the "Owners update" at BCR and was told "something like this... correct as needed"

1) Buy a contract to "ACTIVATE" my account.
- The sell was I made a good investment into Wyndham, but I am paying FULL PRICE for what I should be using 25% less in points if I was VIP

2) Options I was told to "activate" my account
a) Buy an acct and they would give me VIP for 2 years @ which time, I could continue to add accts until I reached VIP

**** THIS IS THE OPTION I WANTED TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THE GROUP:b) Buy an Wyndham acct and buy a 2bed room from any other TimeShare (non-Wyndham) that would trade in RCI. Yes, I would be paying a maintance fees with another TS resort and RCI fee of approx. $89 to convert to points.
- If I did this, the sales person advised that Wyndam would convert the points to Wyndham points and these points would count toward VIP status. The more 2BRs you have (approx. 2) could get you to Gold VIP.

*Even told me to purchase the non-Wyndham TS from Ebay as I advised them the price didn't make sense because all I am paying today is Maintenance Fees. They would be asking me to buy a contract @$10K + maintenance Fees.
- I questioned, the not so good value of $10K would buy me more than 108k points on the resale market

For me the only benefits that I would ever look for are:
- Check-in Early
- Upgrades
- No housekeeping fees for reservations (just got hit with 3 sets (@60+ pts ea) for having to continue to look for a reservation - never opened up so couldn't cancel and rebook
- Few guest reservations
**Just hasn't totaled $10K value in my mind yet...Am I missing something?

Is this option true or is this another day of smoke signals going in the air? Has anyone done this successfully?
 
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Bigrob

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Hello,
I attended the "Owners update" at BCR and was told "something like this... correct as needed"

1) Buy a contract to "ACTIVATE" my account.
- The sell was I made a good investment into Wyndham, but I am paying FULL PRICE for what I should be using 25% less in points if I was VIP

2) Options I was told to "activate" my account
a) Buy an acct and they would give me VIP for 2 years @ which time, I could continue to add accts until I reached VIP

**** THIS IS THE OPTION I WANTED TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THE GROUP:b) Buy an Wyndham acct and buy a 2bed room from any other TimeShare (non-Wyndham) that would trade in RCI. Yes, I would be paying a maintance fees with another TS resort and RCI fee of approx. $89 to convert to points.
- If I did this, the sales person advised that Wyndam would convert the points to Wyndham points and these points would count toward VIP status. The more 2BRs you have (approx. 2) could get you to Gold VIP.

*Even told me to purchase the non-Wyndham TS from Ebay as I advised them the price didn't make sense because all I am paying today is Maintenance Fees. They would be asking me to buy a contract @$10K + maintenance Fees.
- I questioned, the not so good value of $10K would buy me more than 108k points on the resale market

For me the only benefits that I would ever look for are:
- Check-in Early
- Upgrades
- No housekeeping fees for reservations (just got hit with 3 sets (@60+ pts ea) for having to continue to look for a reservation - never opened up so couldn't cancel and rebook
- Few guest reservations
**Just hasn't totaled $10K value in my mind yet...Am I missing something?

Is this option true or is this another day of smoke signals going in the air? Has anyone done this successfully?

Let me clarify a couple of things, because sales will sometimes not state things directly and if you don't know to ask, they will let you go away with a false impression.

First, much of what they said is actually true. They want to rope you in to buying more points, so they usually grant "bonus points" that give you VIP eligibility for a limited time. It is also true that you can "PIC" up to 2 weeks for Wyndham points (of course you have to give up the use of the other timeshares when you do this). I would recommend PIC'ing 3BRs, rather than 2BRs. Generally, the MF's on 3BRs are not much higher than 2BR, but they PIC for much more points (254K instead of 154K each). That is the only way to get to VIP gold in your scenario, and in fact, would still be temporary (105+508 = 613K leaving you 87K short of GOLD).

Most of the better benefits actually kick in at the GOLD level, so be sure to look at the directory and carefully understand the differences between the (current) level of benefits of each.

$10K is actually a pretty low price for 105K points (from Wyndham - with a rack rate of $225/K point). Usually I see them start the sheet at 22K and after much weeping and gnashing of teeth, and belt tightening and grimaces about children going without dinner tonight, they ratchet it all the way to $15.5K. I hadn't heard they were that aggressive in pricing at Bonnet Creek (assuming that's what you mean by BCR).

"Activate" your account is, I think, a bunch of nonsense. If you already have Wyndham points your account is already "active". Do you already have resale Wyndham points? If so and you have the opportunity to ask, say this... "when you say, 'activate my account', do you mean adding this contract will make my existing Wyndham points VIP eligible? Let's write that into the contact."

Please know that where they say "you can add accounts until you reach VIP" they mean add account/contracts you buy from WYNDHAM. You can add resale contracts but they won't help you reach VIP - they won't do anything (with possible exceptions that can be few and far between and should not be counted on).

Chasing VIP purely for personal use rarely makes financial sense. (Some would say never, but you could get dinged for a lot of fees if you take short trips, make arrangements for friends and family, etc.)
 

Designerd

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Thanks

Thanks for the additional details - I answered a few of your questions below about what I currently have.

I currently own only resales points (308k yearly, plus approx. 368K in odd year). So I have been fine with the number of trips that I have been able to make so far. Just 2nd year in though. Learned early to book trips as soon as I get my daughter's school calendar - Key to getting dates that you want to me. I still forget about the ARP, but have been able to get what I wanted so far.

*Main frustration has been: If I can't get entire stay, I continue to look until date shows up and then book; which has me using more RT, HK points than I like, but no other option with my current membership status. I usually book as many reservations in one day as well.

Even on my even year with 308k and a small credit pool from last year of approx. 105k, I have booked the below in my low EVEN year:
2 - 7 day trips in 2BR
1 - 3day trip to Smokie Mountain
1 - 2 day tip to San Diego for my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary

*In my ODD year, I have been able to book approx. 6-7 vacations short/long.

So I get that I am paying full price on the points in most cases, unless I see the resort on discount and I book and cancel my original trip. I am happy with this, but if there was a lower cost option to get "GOLD" then I would consider. I get that it would provide discounts and other benefits, but it has to make financial sense for me.

- Yes when they called it "Activate" they were referring to the fact that all my points are "resale" not "direct" Wyndham purchased.

- I picked up on the 2year temporary VIP deal - leaving me with additional Maintenance fees and No VIP benefits after year 2. But their response was that you buy the 1st contact now from them and add another one later (each year) to get up to the VIP level on the Wyndham direct contact side.

- I just kept hearing $$$$ on fees for what benefit? That was when the option to exchange "PIC" points was raised; but they said I had to have a "Direct Wyndham contract to have those point count toward the Gold level" - Is this true?
 
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Bigrob

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Thanks for the additional details - I answered a few of your questions below about what I currently have.

I currently own only resales points (308k yearly, plus approx. 368K in odd year). So I have been fine with the number of trips that I have been able to make so far.

Even on my even year with 308k and a small credit pool from last year of approx. 105k, I have booked the below in my low EVEN year:
2 - 7 day trips in 2BR
1 - 3day trip to Smokie Mountain
1 - 2 day tip to San Diego for my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary

*In my ODD year, I have been able to book approx. 6-7 vacations short/long.

So I get that I am paying full price on the points in most cases, unless I see the resort on discount and I book and cancel my original trip. I am happy with this, but if there was a lower cost option to get "GOLD" then I would consider. I get that it would provide discounts and other benefits, but it has to make financial sense for me.

- Yes when they called it "Activate" they were referring to the fact that all my points are "resale" not "direct" Wyndham purchased.

- I picked up on the 2year temporary VIP deal - leaving me with additional Maintenance fees and No VIP benefits after year 2. But their response was that you buy the 1st contact now from them and add another one later (each year) to get up to the VIP level on the Wyndham direct contact side.

- I just kept hearing $$$$ on fees for what benefit? That was when the option to exchange "PIC" points was raised; but they said I had to have a "Direct Wyndham contract to have those point count toward the Gold level" - Is this true?

I'm a little confused by a couple of things here. 1) Are they saying there is another channel to purchase through (at lower cost) that would be VIP eligible call "Wyndham Direct Contact"? If by that they mean Wyndham Corporate Direct, we have that information already so if it was cheaper we would already be doing that. Don't let them confuse you that you'd get VIP for 10K that way, if you have to buy more developer contracts later. 2) It is true you have to make a purchase from Wyndham in order to PIC weeks. The weeks you want to PIC must trade in RCI but not be in RCI points, and as I said, you want 3BRs with cheap MF's. 3) What points were they referring to when they said you had to have a direct Wyndham contract to have those point count toward Gold level? If they were referring to your current resale points, and that buying the 105K contract for 10K would "activate" them making them VIP-eligible, have them put it in writing in the contract, grab a couple of 3BR PICs, and you're at platinum for $10K. (Resale 432K+105K+508K PIC > 1M). I don't think they'll do it but they might.
 

ronparise

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There are cheaper ways to get to VIP, that involve mistakes, or exceptions or luck. For you poker players, like drawing to an inside straight.

Then there are cheaper ways to get there that depend on certain "insider knowledge". You will need to find the right salesman that knows a semi-secret path.

The typical salesman will show you PIC as has already said a 3 bedroom red week at an RCI affiliiated resort is worth 254000 points and yes you do need to buy at least 49000 points from Wyndham per pic week, and you are limited to 2 pic weeks per account

So 254 + 254 + 98 = 606 enough for Silver but not Gold. Gold would take at least a 192000 point purchase

I thought a 105000 point contract would cost in the neighborhood $15000 to $20000. The op says $10000. I have been quoted a price of $35000 for 203000 points

The question that the op has to ask is: it worth spending $10000 or more for free housekeeping and a 25% discount on their last minute reservations or $20000 to get to Gold and a 35% discount

I dont think so, at least not for personal use. and 800000 points is not enough for a rental business
 

lcml11

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Thanks for the additional details - I answered a few of your questions below about what I currently have.

I currently own only resales points (308k yearly, plus approx. 368K in odd year). So I have been fine with the number of trips that I have been able to make so far. Just 2nd year in though. Learned early to book trips as soon as I get my daughter's school calendar - Key to getting dates that you want to me. I still forget about the ARP, but have been able to get what I wanted so far.

*Main frustration has been: If I can't get entire stay, I continue to look until date shows up and then book; which has me using more RT, HK points than I like, but no other option with my current membership status. I usually book as many reservations in one day as well.

Even on my even year with 308k and a small credit pool from last year of approx. 105k, I have booked the below in my low EVEN year:
2 - 7 day trips in 2BR
1 - 3day trip to Smokie Mountain
1 - 2 day tip to San Diego for my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary

*In my ODD year, I have been able to book approx. 6-7 vacations short/long.

So I get that I am paying full price on the points in most cases, unless I see the resort on discount and I book and cancel my original trip. I am happy with this, but if there was a lower cost option to get "GOLD" then I would consider. I get that it would provide discounts and other benefits, but it has to make financial sense for me.

- Yes when they called it "Activate" they were referring to the fact that all my points are "resale" not "direct" Wyndham purchased.

- I picked up on the 2year temporary VIP deal - leaving me with additional Maintenance fees and No VIP benefits after year 2. But their response was that you buy the 1st contact now from them and add another one later (each year) to get up to the VIP level on the Wyndham direct contact side.

- I just kept hearing $$$$ on fees for what benefit? That was when the option to exchange "PIC" points was raised; but they said I had to have a "Direct Wyndham contract to have those point count toward the Gold level" - Is this true?

What they were probably offering you was a contract that was taken back. It is my understanding the Corporate Wyndham Sales gets 1st shot at selling them at a discount. Then they go to the Resort Sales.

The Direct Wyndham Contract crack was referring to what the members directory makes reference to as VIP eligible points or words to that effect.

You already own a lot of Wyndham Points, so I guess the question becomes how many points do you need or want for a year and how long do you want the higher number of points for.

PM me if you do not want to answer the questions on-line. There may be other possible options. I am sure some others have PMed you at this point with some of them. The major problem I see with what is being discussed is apparently you want reservations that are not going to go in the VIP discount window. So that leaves the unlimited use of Housekeeping credits and Reservations Transactions.

The activate crack is probably meaningless unless someone comes up with a definition of what this is. The implication to me is that resale contracts and developer points are going to be broken apart into different accounts or sub accounts. I do not think this is happening.
 
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