# Fairfield and VIP status



## DaveR (Jul 31, 2006)

I have seen 2 resort presentations in the last 2 months @ Fairfield resorts.

I am also looking seriously at the reslae market. When I told the rep at Fairfield that they were much higher cost for the same amount of points they of course did there best to "sway" my thoughts.

What they said does concern me. I have to make a decison soon on this reslae purchase so I am looking for quick replies.

308,000 points qualifies me for VIP status. Nice benefits but i will not go into them all. IU was told that Farifeild does not recognise my resale points purchse as qualifying for the VIP status - only the same amount of points purchased from them at a MUCH higher cost is good enough.

Can that be true? Would that not be very discrimanating? Almost a blackmail to purchase from them.

The reps also told me that I would be "flagged" as  resale purchaser and be treated "as such." This statement really bothered me and makes me very sceptical of Fairfield as a whole if they treat people differently based on who they make a purchase from. 

I know that theses reps could just be saying things to scare me into purchasing from them, but I need to hear from someone with experience what is right and what was scare tactics.

Thanks.
DaveR


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## Jya-Ning (Jul 31, 2006)

DaveR said:
			
		

> 308,000 points qualifies me for VIP status. Nice benefits but i will not go into them all. IU was told that Farifeild does not recognise my resale points purchse as qualifying for the VIP status - only the same amount of points purchased from them at a MUCH higher cost is good enough.
> 
> Can that be true? Would that not be very discrimanating? Almost a blackmail to purchase from them.


DaveR:

That is true, your resell point is not counted toward VIP.  Is it discrimanating?  Not it just says the company has no interest to protect the interest from whoever bought from it (maybe the company just can not).



			
				DaveR said:
			
		

> The reps also told me that I would be "flagged" as  resale purchaser and be treated "as such." This statement really bothered me and makes me very sceptical of Fairfield as a whole if they treat people differently based on who they make a purchase from.



Yes, they can flag you as a resale purchase.  No, I have not hear anyone reported been treated as such.  If that happen, I believe someone will sue, and ask the FF to open their full accounting pratice on VIP program, and the result may not be good for FF.  

By the way, what is the retail price they offer you per point?  7 year ago, when I purchased, it is close to $120 per 1000 point.  Regular VIP does not have too many benefit, glod + has better benefits.

But if you purchase resell, you can always sold them and go back to buy all the retail points in the future if you really like it and undetsand all the feature.  And you can sell it if you don't like it and suffer much much less risk.

Jya-Ning


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## timeos2 (Jul 31, 2006)

Some VIP features might be nice to have BUT, as noted above, they vary by what level you are at. Its basically a game to make you buy more and at reatail prices. It works as resale prices are depressed to unbelieveably low levels. 

That should make your decision really easy.  Pay $.15/point to be a minimal value "VIP" (Very Important Payer) or save your money, buy resale for 1/4 of the cost and laugh all the way to the bank.  FF is a great system and your resale points spend just like the retail ones at 5 times the cost.  The only time the resale/retail even comes up is during sales pitches. I smirk all the way through them, ask why I'd pay up to tens of thousands of dollars to buy my way into the ever rising VIP tiers, take the perks and walk. Someday they will wake up and start supporting resales rather than depressing the value of what they just sold but until then resale is the only way to buy - forget the VIP nonsense.


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## DaveR (Jul 31, 2006)

Thanks for your quick reply.

I guess not qualifying for VIP status with a 308,000 purchase does not bother me that much. It does tell the new purchaser that his purchase will not be worth much on the rseale market - not good for FF to portray to their new people.

I had a $47,000 offer placed in front of me for 308,000 points at Bonnet Creek. That's about 15 cents a point!

The purchase I am looking at is 154,000 at Willaimsburg Kingsgate and 154,000 at Orlando Int. resort for 10,000. Total maintenance fees without taxes are at $90 per month.

We plan to use many of the points in Wisconsin as it is close to home and we can get our older children and grand children to use the resort with us more often and with easier planning.

Does this sound like a good purchase? I think it is but am looking for advise.
Thanks agian.
DaveR


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## Conan (Jul 31, 2006)

I'm not sure what "flagging" resale owners could accomplish.  

Certainly it can't affect your ability to use your Fairfield points to reserve available weeks, either by phone or at efairfield.com
Nor do I think it'll get you any different visible or generic week deposited to your RCI Weeks account if that's how you choose to spend your points.

So at most, they can flag your status at the check-in desk.  And what's the consequence of that?


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## Pit (Jul 31, 2006)

DaveR

Before you buy anything, I would recommend you spend alot of time reading posts here on TUG and the Fairfield group on Yahoo. 

From what I have read, the salesman gave you half-truths (to be expected). I don't think you are treated any different as a resale owner (after all you are still paying annual fees, the same as any other owner). It is true that you cannot attain VIP status with resale points. However, you can turn this to your advantage with a resale purchase. One consequence of the VIP status limitation is that resale points are further devalued. If you buy from the developer and later want to sell, you will find that your points are worth pennies on the dollar (as you have already discovered). Buy resale and you can later unload those points without incurring a big loss. Sure, you will forego the VIP benefits, but they are not worth the 5x price multiple, IMO.


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## Pit (Jul 31, 2006)

If you're looking to use your points in the Dells, Fairfield has a new construction project underway. Before making a purchase, you may also want to look at Bluegreen points, as they have a nice resort in the Dells also (Christmas Mountain Village).


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## DaveR (Jul 31, 2006)

Thanks for the replies. 

I thought that many of the things being said at the sales pitch were "tactics" and half truths, but I needed to hear that from people like you-IE people with nothing gain except the knowledge of helping someone else.

I am told that FF will chnage my use years of the 2 different homes resorts I may purchase for free. Can I assume that I should do that to make my vacation planning and trading with RCI easier?

One of my resorts has special assesment fees for the 2007 and 2008. How often does that happen with FF? 

Would any one recommend a title search with the purchase or is that just an added expense? I would never purchase a home without it but have been told that it is not necessary with time shares.

DAVER


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## DaveR (Jul 31, 2006)

Pit said:
			
		

> If you're looking to use your points in the Dells, Fairfield has a new construction project underway. Before making a purchase, you may also want to look at Bluegreen points, as they have a nice resort in the Dells also (Christmas Mountain Village).



I have been to the Wilderness Resort in Wis. Dells. It is absolutely fabulous! I rented a 4 bd rm condo and used the indooor pool and activities-it was great!

Thanks for the info. I was told that the rooms would be available this fall, but it did not seem even close to that when I took a personal look at the construction site my self.

I don't much about Bluegreen points, but I have been to Christmas Mountain and a sales pres. there some 8-10 years ago. Do you have an opinion and/or experience with BG points or Christmas Mountain?
DaveR


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## Jya-Ning (Jul 31, 2006)

DaveR said:
			
		

> I am told that FF will chnage my use years of the 2 different homes resorts I may purchase for free. Can I assume that I should do that to make my vacation planning and trading with RCI easier?
> 
> One of my resorts has special assesment fees for the 2007 and 2008. How often does that happen with FF?
> 
> ...



Daver:

Slow down.  You may want to look around to see if these price is reasonable.  

Just pure discussion, if you don't mind two different use years, it is actually benefit, not a problem.  You can play with them by joint points together, so you will have less chance to have waste points.  But slow down a little, unless you purchased retail, you probably will need 2 to 3 month to get the transfer, so you may not have to worry about next summer's vacation, I do suggest you try to find out the resell price first.

As SA, FF has over 60 resorts, so every year, there will be a good chance to have SA on some resorts.  However, your resort may not hit SA.  I do own Kingsgate, and they (HOA) claim it was underfunded, and they remodel it, so here comes the SA for 3 years, and they claim they will keep the reserve funds, and remodeling in 10 year span, but if all the rserve is funded, there is very little nature disaster, so it should not get SA that frequently.  But it really depends on the HOA.  Know nothing about Orlando.

Depends on how much it cost you, you can request a title search, usually, you will pay the cost, but usually, TS does not worth too much, and FF does try its best effort to depress the resell, thus it is seldom anyone will put a lien on that deed.  It is your choice, if you do your own due diligence, it maybe good enough.

Yahoo group currently has tech problem to accept new member, you can just stick here or try www.timeshareforum.com also.

Jya-Ning


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## Pit (Jul 31, 2006)

You have mail.


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## rickandcindy23 (Jul 31, 2006)

What always bothers me about sales pitches and the reality of owning and reselling is that Faifield, PAHIO and other resorts always promise inheritability.  When I die, what happens to my ownership?

So with VIP status, that "special VIP" ownership as such would not be inheritable because they won't change the name on it if you died five years from now.  So the buyer thinks they are giving something more valuable to the kids, but really they will just inherit the regular points and not be VIP.  Is that right?  Why would anyone buy if they were honest and told you that, upfront?

PAHIO will not transfer RCI points, even if we died, our kids would have to pay $2,495 to get them transferred to their accounts.  Not only that, but resale buyers cannot convert their weeks into points, for any price.  Is that fair?  It is not RCI policy, it is PAHIO's policy.  I asked these questions at the sales table three weeks ago.  Of course, that is at the sales table.  I have had other private email discussions with salespeople that are saying differently.  Why is that happening? Because they want your money and will take it after you are back home.  They know they lost a sale.  They will not say you can convert your points during the sale presentation because this admission may ruin their chances of selling you another week.  

RCI gives too much leeway for resorts to make their own rules on RCI points and charge whatever they want.  It is a sleazy operation.  There are no set rules, not even within the sales department.  It is doomed to fail because RCI has no control over any aspect of the sale process.

No wonder timeshare has a bad reputation.  It is the salespeople that create it.  It's like cutting off your nose to spite your face.


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## Jya-Ning (Jul 31, 2006)

Cindy:

FF VIP can inherit, it just can not be transferred through resell.

Jya-Ning


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## CaliDave (Jul 31, 2006)

DaveR said:
			
		

> Thanks for your quick reply.
> 
> I guess not qualifying for VIP status with a 308,000 purchase does not bother me that much. It does tell the new purchaser that his purchase will not be worth much on the rseale market - not good for FF to portray to their new people.
> 
> ...


Since no one else is coming out and saying it..

These are AWFUL deals.. 
You can get these easy for .02 cents per point or less.
Williamsburg for $3K or the 308K points for $7K or less..

Buying Fairfield from the developer is one of the biggest drops in value the second the ink dries.

Your $47K purchase, drops to a $7K or less asset in a matter of minutes.


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## sycamore (Aug 1, 2006)

Dave,  

Don't forget to figure in the Florida property taxes if you buy there.


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## jrv331 (Aug 2, 2006)

Dave,
             I am a VIP FF member (308K) and can tell you at that level it is not worth buying from the developer. There are very little perks at that level. Most will agree that it is better to skip  VIP and just buy resale, you'll save thousands.
I agree that you need to slow down before making a quick decission, another auction will come around. You need to research the system before making a purchase. You need to under stand the "points are points" vs home resort ARP concept before purchasing.
John


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