# Canadian timeshare owners



## saskskippy (Feb 27, 2021)

I am wondering how Canadian timeshare owners who own timeshares outside of canad are being treated by their timeshare companies during this pandemic border closure? We own Tahiti Village in Las Vegas and when I requested help last year I was offered a six month extension and if I wanted a year extension it would cost me over a hundred dollars and since my maintenance payment are now due again I again requested some help. This time they offered to set up payment over a few months! The border now has been closed for over a year making it almost impossible  to use tis unit. Banking it is not a very good option as I already have seven banked! What’s happening out there??


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## moonstone (Feb 27, 2021)

We have a floating week in St. Augustine Florida that we had booked (in July 2019) to use last fall.  With the borders being shut and then extended just over 2 weeks before we were to check-in, I contacted the resort and RCI and was able to get the week banked with full TPUs restored.  We also have RCI Points. We had 3 vacations booked last fall which all had to be cancelled. One 13 night stay (preceding our week) was cancelled 4 days before check-in when the border closure extension was renewed.  Again I spoke (aka complained) to RCI many times, and they eventually refunded all our points as well as added a year to the use year as they would have expired before the border opens up. I explained that it was not that we didn't want to travel but it was illegal for us to cross the border at that time. Also, we live less than an hour from the timeshares in Ontario and I did not want to waste our points by exchanging so close to home. I explained that we use the timeshares to go to sunnier, warmer destinations in our lousy weather and going elsewhere in Canada wouldn't accomplish that. As well the Western Canada resorts are much farther and way more expensive for us to get to than the east coast of the USA.  The RCI Customer Care Specialist that phoned us last fall said that RCI was concerned about it's Canadian customers and wanted to help them out. RCI also added (without me asking) an additional year to our membership as a good will gesture. 

When the borders finally open up we will be going on a lot of vacations! 


~Diane


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## CanuckTravlr (Feb 27, 2021)

HGVC has been great. HGVC has had no locations in Canada since the Club Intrawest affiliation terminated, after they were acquired by Diamond.

We own in Myrtle Beach, so could not get there or anywhere else in the USA last fall, nor this spring, since we drive down.  We had some points saved (banked) from 2019 that had been used for reservations that we cancelled in 2020, due to the border closure.  Those points, plus all our 2020 points, were rolled over automatically by HGVC to 2021 at no charge.  We will have to use them all by the end of 2021, unless they extend them further, but I am not expecting that to happen.  I hope to use them up in the 4th quarter, if the vaccine rollouts make some sufficient changes to allow the border to reopen by then.  If for some reason we are unable to use them this year, we can transfer them to RCI (for a fee), where they will be good for a further two years.

We have been very pleased with how proactive and responsive HGVC has been during the pandemic.  No complaints here.


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## saskskippy (Feb 27, 2021)

CanuckTravlr said:


> HGVC has been great. HGVC has had no locations in Canada since the Club Intrawest affiliation terminated, after they were acquired by Diamond.
> 
> We own in Myrtle Beach, so could not get there or anywhere else in the USA last fall, nor this spring, since we drive down.  We had some points saved (banked) from 2019 that had been used for reservations that we cancelled in 2020, due to the border closure.  Those points, plus all our 2020 points, were rolled over automatically by HGVC to 2021 at no charge.  We will have to use them all by the end of 2021, unless they extend them further, but I am not expecting that to happen.  I hope to use them up in the 4th quarter, if the vaccine rollouts make some sufficient changes to allow the border to reopen by then.  If for some reason we are unable to use them this year, we can transfer them to RCI (for a fee), where they will be good for a further two years.
> 
> We have been very pleased with how proactive and responsive HGVC has been during the pandemic.  No complaints here.


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## saskskippy (Feb 27, 2021)

Nice to hear wish I could say the same!


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## Tacoma (Feb 28, 2021)

I own 2 every other year timeshares in Kelowna which we basically always use. They are different resorts and the opposite years so it's perfect. One we own with friends and 2 years ago had to cancel at the last minute due to a family emergency. Since our maintenance fee was less than $400 Canadian we just let our friends invite others. Hoping to be able to go this year. I also own a 2 bedroom at BRMR prime summer. Last year the American we had rented it to cancelled but since we are in Calgary we just enjoyed a week in Banff without many tourists. It was heaven. My main timeshare is worldmark where I own 20000 points or basically 2 weeks in a 2 bedroom prime time. Since they have 5 locations in Canada we have been using a lot of points for us and family at these resorts. I never really get tired of going to Canmore, Vancouver or Victoria. Unfortunately we don't love the skiing at Whistler so rarely go there.  My biggest issue is I had to cancel II reservations for myself and my sister. II gave us replacement weeks which was kind but it has been reasonably hard to use them. I have 2 back to back weeks booked in March for these, one to Canmore and one at Sun Peaks. Ironically the Sun Peaks is almost identical to the one we had to cancel last year when ski resorts closed down. I really don't need the week in Canmore but I will go and stay most of the week to get some value out of the week. I am hoping my BRMR rents to a Canadian this year as I am thinking the border will not be open yet. So yes it has been some work and manipulation to use everything up but I have managed it. I almost forgot I also have an EOY resort in Mexico. I have shifted my week to early Dec this year and hope to be able to go. Not sure if they'd let me move it to next year if I can't go. I was definitely glad this was not an every year unit.


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## saskskippy (Feb 28, 2021)

Thanks for the info.


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## clipper (Feb 28, 2021)

We use our timeshares mostly for exchanging.  We have cancelled 3 reservations in the last 12 months due to COVID.  I have an autoimmune disease(in remission) and diabetes so we are extra careful.  All of them were exchanges with II.  II offered/gave us a replacement week for each of them, even for one we cancelled a day before check-in just as COVID was starting to spread in March 2020.  For 2 last-minute cancellations, we received replacement weeks that can be booked only 30 and 60 days before check-in.  We have not found any desirable locations for these so we are willing to let them expire rather than pay another US$209 exchange fee for a week we don't like that much at a time when COVID is still a concern.  We were able to place an ongoing request for the 3rd replacement week so we are waiting on that with fingers crossed.  

We are okay with losing our replacement weeks because more weeks are coming up for 2021/2022 and we can't use them all anyway.  We consider them write-offs as we continue to pay our maintenance fees and our II membership fee.


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## saskskippy (Feb 28, 2021)

Thanks for letting us know how you made out.


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## Crafty71 (Mar 8, 2021)

We own Wyndham points. Our "home" resort is an hour away...across the border in Vermont. We haven't been able to go in the past year (we usually went 2-3 times a year in the past). Last year, I banked our points forward to 2021 and 2022. I know that the border will reopen some day...haven't lost any points (yet) and don't expect to, but will likely be disgruntled and make noise if it gets close to that...

Cheers!


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## saskskippy (Mar 8, 2021)

Thanks


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## bruno belanger (Mar 16, 2021)

We are Canadian but own all our timeshares in the US and use strictly for exchange through both RCI and II. Today I called RCI as we have 253,000 points that will expire in August. We had to cancel
4 exchanges this year and our points were put back into our account. We also cannot travel prior to August as there is nothing available in British Columbia and even then it would be frowned on as non essential travel. There are a few single days here and there but we are an 12 hour drive from the closest possible resort if it were available. I put in for several waitlist requests but nothing has come available. RCI said the points expire August 31st, the only option is to use the points for hotels, using 2000 points a night to lessen the hotel cash rate to 30% less. What value is that? 
We also have 166,000 points that will expire in August of 2022....so if things continue....   II has been great and was willing to be flexible. Has anyone  had any luck with flexibility with RCI?


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## saskskippy (Mar 16, 2021)

We are somewhat in the same boat but do not use points! We have four units coming due on sept first with IL! Plan to call to see if we can get extensions.


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## CanadianGuy (May 8, 2021)

I own HGVC Flamingo in Vegas.   2020 they carried forward my points for free but unsure what will happen in 2021?    There was property they jointly owned in Vancouver but no longer affiliated with this property anymore.


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## saskskippy (May 8, 2021)

That’s good! Contacted Soleil Management about our Thaiti Village property and the best they would do is a three month extension! Could not get through to any upper management to discuss problem! Our Prime Minister refuses to acknowledge the successful vaccination in the US and has said our border will remain closed indefinitely!


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## T-Dot-Traveller (May 8, 2021)

saskskippy said:


> That’s good! Contacted Soleil Management about our Thaiti Village property and the best they would do is a three month extension! Could not get through to any upper management to discuss problem! Our Prime Minister refuses to acknowledge the successful vaccination in the US and has said our border will remain closed indefinitely!



The USA  and Mexico etc. will let you visit
.
Canada has implemented  the triple Covid test & quarantine maze  upon return- designed to discourage travel  (due to PM's failures)..
-essentially if your not going for multiple weeks ,it is likely not worth the headache ( which is their plan).

IMO- once a Canadian is  fully vaccinated - travel should be fine & all the "gov-speak" falls under the concept that:
"you should brush your teeth everyday"

********
We have 4 weeks booked in Puerto Vallarta Mx in Feb 2022


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## saskskippy (May 8, 2021)

T-Dot-Traveller said:


> The USA  and Mexico etc. will let you visit
> .
> Canada has implemented  the triple Covid test & quarantine maze  upon return- designed to discourage travel  (due to PM's failures)..
> -essentially if your not going for multiple weeks ,it is likely not worth the headache ( which is their plan).
> ...


We have been trying to book 2022 in PV with no luck! Only Vidanta(?) available and will never stay there again!


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## T-Dot-Traveller (May 8, 2021)

saskskippy said:


> ... 2022 in PV with no luck! Only Vidanta(?) available and will never stay there again!


Vidanta properties are well run / is it the scale of the Nuevo property / or Vida sales 
that gave you indigestion ?


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## saskskippy (May 8, 2021)

T-Dot-Traveller said:


> Vidanta properties are well run / is it the scale of the Nuevo property / or Vida sales
> that gave you indigestion ?


Neither! We were treated very badley! I have a bad back and there was no chair in our room and after many requests...still no chair! We were lied to about their meal package! The pool was very cold,no heat! When we asked for a ride to the restaurant we were told it was a short walk as there were no carts available! People at front desk were not very helpful and rude.we have stayed at many resorts in Mexico and were treated very well at all of them! Also they have a ridicules resort fee!


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