# Help with fairfied/wyndham points/looking at Resales



## sts295 (May 19, 2007)

Seems on ebay the same points ,154000, can go for alot more depending
on the location of the resort,ie, Tennessee vs Florida vs Washington,D.C.
In the point system are they the same value? Any caveats because
of a resale?
Also, is the booking system reliable,ie, like RCI's, will do searches for
time period(week/days) wanted or take what they have?
Anyone aware if FF oversold units and booking is a nightmare? Can you
get into your own resort-week if wanted to or deeding is basically for
taxes?
What have been your experiences?
thanks


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## lisa1001 (May 19, 2007)

The resorts are not oversold; however, that does not mean that you will be able to book whatever you want whenever you want (most who go to SC beach wish to do so June-August and not everyone is going to get it).  If you purchase FF points you do not own a particular week.  You own a very small UDI interest at a particular resort.  Points at all of the resorts are the same with one exception.  You can book at your home resort 13 months out.  Anyone can book anywhere 10 months out. 

Other than not counting to VIP status resale points are no different than developer points.

If you want to go to a particular resort at the same time every year, you would best off if you just purchased a fixed week.  There are no guarantees that you will bet exactly what you want each year.


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## sts295 (May 20, 2007)

*More Help*

Thanks for the help; I would be better off buying then the most points for
the lowest price. Any recommendations where? Also what is VIP status?
thanks


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## catastrophy65 (May 20, 2007)

*More on resales*

Let me correct some of the information you are getting.  Resales will never count toward VIP status in the program and you will only have 10 month reservation ability.  None of the enhancement programs transfer over, such as RCI, Plus Partners, etc. so pick a resort you'll probably want to go back to year after year.  Myrtle Beach is blacked out all summer and major holidays for owner priority.  If you don't own currently, I would purchase directly from the company to get these benefits and then look into resales.  Good luck!


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## mshatty (May 20, 2007)

catastrophy65 said:


> Let me correct some of the information you are getting.
> 
> Resales will never count toward VIP status in the program and you will only have 10 month reservation ability.
> 
> ...


 
See my corrections in red above.


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## Timeshare Von (May 20, 2007)

catastrophy65 said:


> If you don't own currently, I would purchase directly from the company to get these benefits and then look into resales.  Good luck!



To the OP, most would disagree with the advice of this person!  Based on this post and the other one saying the FF/Wyndham acquisition has been "good" . . . I'm thinking this person is a mole, errr I mean employee of that company.  For all the added expense to buy from the developer, I can't see the "average timeshare owner/traveler" getting the value that would justify the outrageous prices they charge.

If you are uncertain about FF/Wyndham, you might do best to buy a small package of points (154k or less) via resale and see how you like them and how well you use the system they have.  If you later decide that you just MUST have VIP, you can always find a developer's deal to buy.

The thing about VIP that has always had me jaded and skeptical is that they (FF and now FF/Wyndham) have the ability to control the perks and rules about VIP.  They have recently done some changes that have long time FF loyalists pretty unhappy.  Further, they use the "levels of VIP" as a huge pyramid sales gimmick to make people think they need more points so the press to sell you even after you have bought in at a premium price, never ends!

I own two fixed weeks within the FF system and am in the process of acquiring a points package from an immediate family member so I will soon be learning and dabbling in the world of FF/Wyndham points.  If it isn't good for "us" . . . I expect I will either rent them out every year or sell the contract someday in the future.


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## Timeshare Von (May 20, 2007)

mshatty said:


> If you don't own currently, I would purchase directly from the company to get these benefits and then look into resales.
> 
> My opinion is that you will need to investigate whether you want the VIP benefits or not. If you are not buying 300,000 FSP points or more, it's an useless exercise. With resale 90% less in cost than a developer cost, it makes it difficult to justify the difference. However, if you have other non FF/Wyn timeshare weeks that are not in another points program, there are ways to utilize those weeks to lower the developer cost to one that is more reasonable if the VIP benefits are important to you. Still not as cheap as resale, but certainly a deep discount to the prevailing retail price today.



Outstanding advice given by MShatty.  I would only add that from what I've seen and heard about the 300k VIP level, it is really not worth your while to bother.  The perks there are somewhat marginal at best.  Many might suggest VIP Gold (500K) as the lowest VIP level to consider if your goal is to have VIP with FF/Wyndham.


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## nushy730 (May 20, 2007)

*resale and vip update*

I will also be the one to let you know that resales can not be traded at all.  Once you purchase it its yours.  you will not be able to equity trade it into a different deed for a different resort.  
VIP benefits are a joke now well unless you become platinum.  The VIP benefits are going to change first on August 1st then again Jan 1st of 2008.  Just a heads up to all those that dont know.  Wyndham has decided to make changes and stop the mega users as they like to call it.
Guest fees will increase, they will begin to have owners forfeit their points if they cancel within 14 days of check in instead of the limited points.
Just figured i would let you all know.


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## ausman (May 20, 2007)

nushy730.

You have posted twice before or perhaps this is your second post, regardless or irregardless, and everybody tries to tell me that is not a word,.

Some of what you suggest has already been reported. Some of it is wrong. Good luck on trying to sell in the future.


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## Timeshare Von (May 20, 2007)

nushy730 said:


> I will also be the one to let you know that resales can not be traded at all.  Once you purchase it its yours.  you will not be able to equity trade it into a different deed for a different resort.



OK I'll bite . . . what does this mean?  Are you saying that points from one FF resort will be no good in attempting to get trades at other FF resorts?


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## mshatty (May 21, 2007)

TSVon,

I think he is referring to the sales ploy that FF/Wyn won't take a resale contract in trade for a new developer "equity" swap.  You know where they try to get an owner to swap into a new resort that has lower MF while the developer is still building.


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## timeos2 (May 21, 2007)

*There are very few times paying tens of thousands more is better*



nushy730 said:


> I will also be the one to let you know that resales can not be traded at all.  Once you purchase it its yours.  you will not be able to equity trade it into a different deed for a different resort.
> VIP benefits are a joke now well unless you become platinum.  The VIP benefits are going to change first on August 1st then again Jan 1st of 2008.  Just a heads up to all those that dont know.  Wyndham has decided to make changes and stop the mega users as they like to call it.
> Guest fees will increase, they will begin to have owners forfeit their points if they cancel within 14 days of check in instead of the limited points.
> Just figured i would let you all know.



Me thinks we have a FF Sales Weasel in the mix! Read carefully what they wrote above - especially "Wyndham has decided to make changes"

Now here is another quote from a non-weasel:



Timeshare Von said:


> To the OP, most would disagree with the advice of this person!  Based on this post and the other one saying the FF/Wyndham acquisition has been "good" . . . I'm thinking this person is a mole, errr I mean employee of that company.  For all the added expense to buy from the developer, I can't see the "average timeshare owner/traveler" getting the value that would justify the outrageous prices they charge.
> 
> The thing about VIP that has always had me jaded and skeptical is that they (FF and now FF/Wyndham) have the ability to control the perks and rules about VIP.  They have recently done some changes that have long time FF loyalists pretty unhappy.  Further, they use the "levels of VIP" as a huge pyramid sales gimmick to make people think they need more points so the press to sell you even after you have bought in at a premium price, never ends!



Since quote #1 proves the second paragraph of quote #2 you may want to think very hard before plopping down not a few thousand but 10's of thousands of dollars for a "benefit" program the seller has a right and a history of changing at their whim or whenever they feel they can extract even more money out of the buyers who have been drawn into the never ending upward spiral of levels and greater costs. It simply isn't worth it.

Resale Wyndham points are one of the great deals in timesharing. Don't make degrade it by thinking you "need" the virtually worthless perks of VIP the cost of which turns a great value virtually into a consumer ripoff. Where do you think all those resale deals come form? The very people who got ripped off by developer prices and now find they can't sell for $.20 on the retail dollar. Take advantage of the bargain and don't get ripped off.  No matter what the weasels say.


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## Timeshare Von (May 21, 2007)

mshatty said:


> TSVon,
> 
> I think he is referring to the sales ploy that FF/Wyn won't take a resale contract in trade for a new developer "equity" swap.  You know where they try to get an owner to swap into a new resort that has lower MF while the developer is still building.



Thanks Mike - that would make sense.  This person's been spouting off so much unintelligent misinformation, I couldn't make heads or tails out of that comment because my head was spinning so much I think I got dizzy.


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## nushy730 (May 21, 2007)

I am not a sales rep first off.  I am a very upset ex employee of the company who knows a lot of the ins and outs of contracts, accounts and the program.  Take it for what you want but, i worked with contracts and contract standards every day.  Training was just done and you will see next month when your new directories go out.


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## Conan (May 21, 2007)

nushy730 said:


> I will also be the one to let you know that resales can not be traded at all.  Once you purchase it its yours.  you will not be able to equity trade it into a different deed for a different resort.



Don't let this discourage you from buying resale.

The above is only telling you that if you approach FF with a week that you bought resale, they won't take it from you as partial credit towards a larger full-price purchase you might be considering making from them.  

Example:  You own 154,000 points in FF Myrtle Beach that you bought on Ebay for, say, $2,000 (closing costs included).  If you wanted to be a 500,000 point VIP there or at another FF location, FF would require you to buy all your new points from them (at maybe 11 cents a point or $55,000 !!).  And they wouldn't give you any credit for your resale points in that transaction.

So here are your choices:
A.  Forget about VIP and if you really want 500,000 points at Myrtle Beach, buy another 346,000 points on Ebay for, say $4,000 (closing costs included).
Total cost $6,000.

B.  Forget about VIP and if you really want 500,000 points at another location, buy them on Ebay for, say $5,500 and sell your Myrtle Beach points on Ebay for what they're worth, say $1,500.
Total cost $6,000

C.  Or do what the person quoted above seems to want you to do.  Buy your initial 154,000 Myrtle Beach points from FF for, say $15,000.  Then if you change your mind and want to be VIP somewhere else, make that "equity trade."  FF will credit most or all of your investment so you'll only have to pay them their price for 346,000 points, say $40,000, and they'll cancel your Myrtle Beach points and issue you 500,000 points in the location where you want to be a VIP member.
Total cost $55,000

Most people don't think VIP status is worth that kind of outlay.


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## Jya-Ning (May 21, 2007)

rklein001 said:


> C.  Or do what the person quoted above seems to want you to do.  Buy your initial 154,000 Myrtle Beach points from FF for, say $15,000.  Then if you change your mind and want to be VIP somewhere else, make that "equity trade."  FF will credit most or all of your investment so you'll only have to pay them their price for 346,000 points, say $40,000, and they'll cancel your Myrtle Beach points and issue you 500,000 points in the location where you want to be a VIP member.
> Total cost $55,000
> 
> Most people don't think VIP status is worth that kind of outlay.



Actually, I believe they will charge you a little bit process fee due to equity transfer.  Since it is added on cost you pay per point, you don't realize it is added.  Some people are very good at neg.  So they did not feel it.  

There is another choice if you really want VIP. D. sell your resell point, use the money and neg with them.  Since you don't need to do equity transfer, and since you will buy a bigger package then most of the people, you can get below avg. price/point.  Say you have 154k, you sold it to get $1500 in the net proceed.  You neg to get $49,000 for the 500k package.  So out of pocket is $47,500.

Jya-Ning


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