# ARDA-ROC Voluntary Contribution, not clear that it's voluntary



## artringwald (Oct 27, 2018)

For DRI owners with deeds, if you examine the 2019 statements that are going out now, you'll see a line item:

2019-ARDA-ROC Voluntary Contribution - $7.00

ARDA-ROC is a lobbying group that represents the interests of the developers, not the timeshare owners. DRI adds this to your bill, but doesn't tell you that you don't have to pay it. If you don't want to pay it, call them up and tell them to credit $7 to each of the weeks you own. They do this every year.

For points owners, you don't have a choice. The boards of the collections are controlled by DRI so they always choose to donate to the ARDA-ROC.


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## artringwald (Oct 27, 2018)

Okay, so I called in to get $7 credit for each of my weeks. The agent said that you have to pay first, minus the $7, then call in to get the $7 credit. 

What's really funny is when I asked him what the contribution was for, without hesitating, he said it was for disaster relief (total lie). After I stopped laughing, I asked what ARDA-ROC stood for. He had to look it up.


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## nuwermj (Oct 27, 2018)

More dishonest behavior. More evidence that the fraud goes beyond the sales division.

The Bluegreen web payment system offers a checkbox for removing the fee, before a payment is made


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## TUGBrian (Oct 27, 2018)

yep, its funny how that "voluntary contribution" is checked by default on millions of owners maintenance fees.


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## Fredflintstone (Oct 27, 2018)

artringwald said:


> For DRI owners with deeds, if you examine the 2019 statements that are going out now, you'll see a line item:
> 
> 2019-ARDA-ROC Voluntary Contribution - $7.00
> 
> ...



Yup, they even want you to pay their lobby group to keep the owners in a subservient, shut up and pay state.  I hate lobby groups like this. 


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## Panina (Oct 27, 2018)

For my hgvc weeks they show $5 for the added amount.  One I just got the paper bill showed $5, when I went online to pay it showed $10.  Being it is voluntary I never pay it.


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## Dollie (Oct 28, 2018)

I, too, pay the yearly maintenance amount less the voluntary contribution.  When I log onto my account is usually shows I still owe the contribution.  However, after some period of time, the amount disappears, and the balance goes to $0.


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## dioxide45 (Oct 28, 2018)

Dollie said:


> I, too, pay the yearly maintenance amount less the voluntary contribution.  When I log onto my account is usually shows I still owe the contribution.  However, after some period of time, the amount disappears, and the balance goes to $0.


This seems to be how Vistana works. If you pay the amount minus the ARDA contribution, it will show a balance owed but then after a while it will show a balance of $0. For Marriott, the ARDA balance disappears instantly if you pay the MF minus the ARDA fee. I prefer the way Marriott does it.


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## WBP (Oct 28, 2018)

Nauseating.


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## WBP (Oct 28, 2018)

nuwermj said:


> More dishonest behavior. More evidence that the fraud goes beyond the sales division.
> 
> The Bluegreen web payment system offers a checkbox for removing the fee, before a payment is made





artringwald said:


> Okay, so I called in to get $7 credit for each of my weeks. The agent said that you have to pay first, minus the $7, then call in to get the $7 credit.
> 
> What's really funny is when I asked him what the contribution was for, without hesitating, he said it was for disaster relief (total lie). After I stopped laughing, I asked what ARDA-ROC stood for. He had to look it up.



Disaster relief, huh?

I guess there's a bit of truth in the assertion that, Diamond Resorts and ARDA-ROC are a disaster.


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## Fredflintstone (Oct 29, 2018)

Another fee to look out for is their Administration fee or collection convenience fee. This fee can range from 5 to 20 bux. 

I would enquire what this fee was for and was told its a fee to send me a bill and collect my money. I told them thats fine. I dont need an invoice and will not pay a fee so you can collect my money. 

After some wrangling, this fee was removed. 

Pay a fee to send me a bill and collect money?? Ridiculous!  

Glad i only rent now.


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## artringwald (Nov 14, 2018)

Just spent another 15 minutes on the phone. When I called 2 weeks ago to have the $7 ARDA-ROC fee removed from each of my 3 deeded weeks, they only removed it from one of them. I almost forgot to check it. I'll have to check again in a couple of days to see if they removed the fee from the other two contracts.


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## chemteach (Nov 14, 2018)

artringwald said:


> Just spent another 15 minutes on the phone. When I called 2 weeks ago to have the $7 ARDA-ROC fee removed from each of my 3 deeded weeks, they only removed it from one of them. I almost forgot to check it. I'll have to check again in a couple of days to see if they removed the fee from the other two contracts.


I had this same issue.  Diamond is not good about getting the fees removed - even when specifically asked...


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## sfwilshire (Nov 15, 2018)

I always pay the balance minus the voluntary contribution. I have never call, and have never showed up with a balance due.

Sheila


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## bobpark56 (Nov 15, 2018)

Marriott Vacation Club lists ARDA-ROC as a separate item, when you can select to not, as you choose. This seems to me to be the right way to do it.


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## artringwald (Nov 20, 2018)

artringwald said:


> Just spent another 15 minutes on the phone. When I called 2 weeks ago to have the $7 ARDA-ROC fee removed from each of my 3 deeded weeks, they only removed it from one of them. I almost forgot to check it. I'll have to check again in a couple of days to see if they removed the fee from the other two contracts.


It took another phone call (the 3rd try), but they finally reversed the charge on all 3 contracts. The reversals showed up online while I was still on the phone with them. I'm retired so I have the time to pester them until it's done, but it's a waste of their time too.


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## TUGBrian (Nov 24, 2018)

bobpark56 said:


> Marriott Vacation Club lists ARDA-ROC as a separate item, when you can select to not, as you choose. This seems to me to be the right way to do it.



going off the recent thread in the marriott forum, it certainly appears that for at least that example...marriott is still trying to confuse folks into paying it.


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## winger (Nov 28, 2018)

artringwald said:


> It took another phone call (the 3rd try), but they finally reversed the charge on all 3 contracts. The reversals showed up online while I was still on the phone with them. I'm retired so I have the time to pester them until it's done, but it's a waste of their time too.


If I don't have better things to do in retirement then pester people, maybe I shouldn't be looking forward to my 'golden years' .  I've maybe only called DRI once to remove that voluntary fee in many years of ownership, then I never bothered anymore once they informed me it automatically falls off a short time (never given a specific timeframe) after I pay off my MF. This approach has always worked for me - basically I substituted pestering a rep with something more enjoyable like reading TUG or planning my next vacation.


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## pedro47 (Nov 28, 2018)

How much does ARDA collect a year from all the timeshare resorts ?

Supposed just 200, 000 owners paid that $7.00 fees or what ever you called it.
That is a very nice return for someone.


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## artringwald (Nov 28, 2018)

pedro47 said:


> How much does ARDA collect a year from all the timeshare resorts ?
> 
> Supposed just 200, 000 owners paid that $7.00 fees or what ever you called it.
> That is a very nice return for someone.



According to their Federal Form 990, they received $3,773,496 in contributions last year.

https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.profile&ein=461457252


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## winger (Nov 28, 2018)

pedro47 said:


> How much does ARDA collect a year from all the timeshare resorts ?
> 
> Supposed just 200, 000 owners paid that $7.00 fees or what ever you called it.
> That is a very nice return for someone.


My Marriott 2BD is $10, my PLT 1BD is $7


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## mjc775 (Dec 20, 2018)

I got this in my statement email dated 12/1/18:


> As our special way of saying thanks, if you pay your maintenance fees and club dues timely we will extend a $500 retail cruise voucher to you. To redeem the voucher, it is as easy as 1, 2, 3:
> 
> 1. Make your maintenance fees and club dues payments by December 31, 2018 – at the latest...



I prepay my maintenance fees each month throughout the year so that I don't get hit with a big bill at the end of the year. I just paid my 2019 balance of $169 minus $7 effective 12/31/18. Since the fee doesn't drop off for a while and I'll have a $7 balance on 12/31/18, am I going to miss out on the $500 cruise voucher since my fees won't technically fullfill condition 1 of the voucher qualification?

On another topic... now that Surepay is an option to spread out our annual MFs, since I've been prepaying on a monthly basis I'm looking forward to making NO payments in 2019, and making payment 1 of 12 of my 2020 fees on 1/1/20.


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## karibkeith (Dec 22, 2018)

artringwald said:


> Okay, so I called in to get $7 credit for each of my weeks. The agent said that you have to pay first, minus the $7, then call in to get the $7 credit.
> 
> What's really funny is when I asked him what the contribution was for, without hesitating, he said it was for disaster relief (total lie). After I stopped laughing, I asked what ARDA-ROC stood for. He had to look it up.


ARDA = American Resort Development Association (http://www.arda.org/)
ROC = Resort Owners Coalition (http://www.ardaroc.org/)
See anything there about representing timeshare owners?
You can get your $7.00 credited but it may not be worth the hassle.


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## nuwermj (Dec 23, 2018)

mjc775 said:


> On another topic... now that Surepay is an option to spread out our annual MFs, since I've been prepaying on a monthly basis I'm looking forward to making NO payments in 2019, and making payment 1 of 12 of my 2020 fees on 1/1/20.



Remember the small print: "Subject to change"; and be advised that Diamond's policies are not very stable these days. For example, Diamond has modified the Europeans' payment options in three of the last four years.


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## lindaswain (Dec 27, 2018)

I just went to pay my Diamond Resort club and HOA fees online, but the payment form would not allow me to enter an amount that would reflect removing the $7 voluntary fees, so I called the toll-free number. The very pleasant agent went in and deducted the $7 fees for two properties, and I paid the balance. No problem! 

I had 18,225 points that were going to expire :-( . The agent gave me the option to buy a one-year protection plan for $225 that would allow me to use those points to make reservations in 2019, but I had to make them while we were on the phone. I don't like being forced to make snap decisions, but I did it ... I'm told I can cancel the reservations in 2019 and use the points to make another reservation. Seemed like a good idea, I hate losing points!


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## TUGBrian (Dec 28, 2018)

pedro47 said:


> How much does ARDA collect a year from all the timeshare resorts ?
> 
> Supposed just 200, 000 owners paid that $7.00 fees or what ever you called it.
> That is a very nice return for someone.



dang, maybe weve been doing it wrong all these years and need to change the TUG fee to $7...call it ARDA-TUG  =D


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## Fredflintstone (Dec 28, 2018)

TUGBrian said:


> dang, maybe weve been doing it wrong all these years and need to change the TUG fee to $7...call it ARDA-TUG  =D



You need the resorts to put it on MF bills and make it hard to get off....wait a minute....you promote dirty resale for people right?  No cooperation then unless you start going retail only. 


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## TUGBrian (Dec 28, 2018)

thats true, absolutely no chance an organization that actually helps owners would be promoted by the industry


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## Fredflintstone (Dec 28, 2018)

TUGBrian said:


> thats true, absolutely no chance an organization that actually helps owners would be promoted by the industry



 it’s to their benefit to encourage sites like this. I wonder how many times TUG has found a new paying owner that otherwise would have been another foreclosure?  Not only has this site saved owners money but saved resorts from foreclosure costs. 


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## TUGBrian (Dec 29, 2018)

sadly if saving foreclosure costs was the goal of resorts in general, they would all have very popular and well used deedback programs.

its much more profitable to scare owners into threatning collections/delinquencies/credit hits/foreclosures than it is to work with owners who have reached the end of their ownership lifetime.


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## dandjane1 (Dec 29, 2018)

*We have owned since 2010 with DRI, points only. From day one, we have NEVER paid the $7 ARDA fee. I questioned it from the get-go, and each year, have to call and get it removed. The new Balance shows up on your DRI "Dashboard" very quickly - in a couple of days. It was really nice to see that the Price-Per-Point  MFs for 2019 are the same as 2018 - maybe to keep owners happy for when Apollo spins off DRI  later in 2019 with an IPO?*


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## mjc775 (Jan 8, 2019)

mjc775 said:


> ...I prepay my maintenance fees each month throughout the year so that I don't get hit with a big bill at the end of the year. I just paid my 2019 balance of $169 minus $7 effective 12/31/18. Since the fee doesn't drop off for a while and I'll have a $7 balance on 12/31/18, am I going to miss out on the $500 cruise voucher since my fees won't technically fullfill condition 1 of the voucher qualification?



UPDATE: I just checked my online account history. My final 2019 payment minus the "ARDA-ROC Voluntary Contribution" was made on 12/31/18, and I received a $7 credit on 1/2/19. No contacting DRI necessary.


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## dioxide45 (Jan 8, 2019)

mjc775 said:


> I got this in my statement email dated 12/1/18:
> 
> 
> I prepay my maintenance fees each month throughout the year so that I don't get hit with a big bill at the end of the year. I just paid my 2019 balance of $169 minus $7 effective 12/31/18. Since the fee doesn't drop off for a while and I'll have a $7 balance on 12/31/18, am I going to miss out on the $500 cruise voucher since my fees won't technically fullfill condition 1 of the voucher qualification?
> ...


Will the cruise voucher really be worth $500, or is it otherwise not really worth the paper it is printed on?


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## artringwald (Oct 1, 2019)

For deeded week owners, here's a reminder. The statements for 2020 maintenance fees are out now, and, as always, they include a $7.00 fee for the "ARDA-ROC Voluntary Contribution". ARDA-ROC is a lobbying group for developers, not for owners. If you don't want to pay, call them and ask them to credit $7 from each of your deeded week contracts. Or as I discovered this year, I was able to log in and use the chat line to ask for the credit. They say it takes 7-10 days before the credit shows up on the account, so check to make sure. They don't always get it done the first try, so call again if it doesn't show up.


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## pedro47 (Oct 2, 2019)

Can someone named the best practices for timeshare owners by ARDA ?


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## R.J.C. (Nov 9, 2019)

artringwald said:


> For DRI owners with deeds, if you examine the 2019 statements that are going out now, you'll see a line item:
> 
> 2019-ARDA-ROC Voluntary Contribution - $7.00
> 
> ...



Of course you have a choice. I've been a points owner for 12 years now and have never paid the fee. When I call in to pay my annual maint fees I tell the person to deduct the fee. No problem in 12 years.


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## csalter2 (Nov 10, 2019)

pedro47 said:


> Can someone named the best practices for timeshare owners by ARDA ?



No, there are none for owners.


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## dioxide45 (Nov 11, 2019)

csalter2 said:


> No, there are none for owners.


One that I am aware of is fighting property taxes and other fees that may target timeshare owners. They fought this in Hawaii and USVI. So there is some benefit for the timeshare owner. Though that is about the only one I can think of.


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## artringwald (Nov 8, 2022)

Maintenance fee statements are going out now, so if you look at your statement, you'll see:

2023-ARDA-ROC Voluntary Contribution $7.00

Since ARDA-ROC is a lobbying group for the developers, and not the timeshare owners, you may not want to pay the fee. If you don't, you have to call them and tell them to subtract it from your statement. This year I went on line and used a chat window to ask them to subtract it. The conversation went like this.


 4:49:30 p.m.Me:How do I remove the optional $7.00 ARDA-ROC fee from my maintenance fee?4:50:02 p.m.Agent:I can request it for you. Just make the payment, minus $7.004:50:45 p.m.Me:I already did that, and it hasn't been removed yet.4:51:10 p.m.Agent:Did you speak with an agent to have it removed?4:51:22 p.m.Me:no4:52:38 p.m.Agent:It will not be removed unless an agent requests it.4:52:56 p.m.Agent:I requested it for you. It should take 7-10 business days.4:53:24 p.m.Me:did you request it for all 3 of my deeds?4:53:52 p.m.Agent:Off the HOAs4:54:18 p.m.Me:for all 3?4:55:19 p.m.Agent:Yes.4:55:37 p.m.Me:thanks, I'll check again in a couple of weeks


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## artringwald (Nov 30, 2022)

Didn't get the fees removed, so I had another chat. He promised to file a ticket to waive the $7, and this is how the conversation ended.

1:29:50 p.m.me:It shouldn't be so much trouble to opt out of donating to a lobbying group that benefits timeshare developers.1:30:14 p.m.agent:I agree


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## Duh (Dec 1, 2022)

artringwald said:


> Didn't get the fees removed, so I had another chat. He promised to file a ticket to waive the $7, and this is how the conversation ended.
> 
> 1:29:50 p.m.me:It shouldn't be so much trouble to opt out of donating to a lobbying group that benefits timeshare developers.1:30:14 p.m.agent:I agree


I've always called in to pay my miant fees and have never had an issue getting the $7 removed.


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## artringwald (Dec 1, 2022)

Duh said:


> I've always called in to pay my miant fees and have never had an issue getting the $7 removed.


I used to call too, but they often wouldn't remove it the first time. I'd have to call back 2 weeks later and ask again. Not too different that the chat window, except now I can save a transcript of the conversation. My hearing and my memory aren't as good anymore, so I prefer chat windows to voice calls.


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## artringwald (Wednesday at 8:13 PM)

Finally, my optional $7.00 ARDA-ROC fee got removed from each of my contracts! 

This all started on November 8. After two chat sessions, two phone calls, and an email (all separated by more than the amount of time they said it would take), this finally showed up in each of my transaction histories.


Transaction DateAssess YearDescriptionTypeDue DateDebitCreditBalance10-Jan-20232023ARDA-ROC Voluntary ContributionInvoice10-Jan-2023$7.00$0.00


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## winger (Yesterday at 1:28 AM)

artringwald said:


> Finally, my optional $7.00 ARDA-ROC fee got removed from each of my contracts!
> 
> This all started on November 8. After two chat sessions, two phone calls, and an email (all separated by more than the amount of time they said it would take), this finally showed up in each of my transaction histories.
> 
> ...


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