# Survey: Who uses and who does not use VIDA dollars with Vidanta resorts



## seema (Dec 10, 2016)

I am interested in the answer to this question.

If the answer is yes, please answer what you bought, what you paid out of pocket and what were the value of the vidanta dollars used for the purchase.

I am wondering whether the vida dollar "credit" or "discount" is really a marketing strategy to buy their items; perhaps the prices of their items (products/services) in the open market might not be much less than the out of pocket expenses you incurred when buying that product/service (with the vida dollars being added on to your out of pocket cost).


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## pianoetudes (Dec 28, 2016)

I never use Vida dollars because they already expired before I have the chance redeeming. At one point I was interested in redeeming Vida dollars to get discounts of timeshare exchange. But then I had to finish RCI points first.


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## seema (Mar 18, 2017)

I am wondering if they are really a deal. Right, left, and centre (center), they give you bonus vida dollars. Obviously, they are making money by the custsomer using the vida dollars. But I am not sure if vida dollars are cost-effective for the customer


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## James Mathews (Apr 23, 2017)

We have found genuine cruise deals, paid 20% of that price with vida$, the rest with our own. So, final cost to us was 80% of best deal we could find!

Problem is that you easily have more $ than you will use. Ignore them, concentrate on the discount you got on all travel you did book.


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## LBolon (Dec 10, 2018)

I thought Vida Dollars are issued based on what you spend on your paid MF but they expire in one year. Is this correct?


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## pittle (Dec 11, 2018)

We refused to take them because knew that we would never use them.


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## Johnsp (Dec 14, 2018)

We have used them to buy cruises. We have checked each time to make sure the prices are the lowest and without exception they are always the lowest.

We also use them on First Friday. We are lucky at times and have been able buy items with Vida dollars. The only out of pocket costs on Vida dollar purchases we have made is shipping. 

We haven't attempted to use them for anything else.


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## Johnsp (Dec 14, 2018)

LBolon said:


> I thought Vida Dollars are issued based on what you spend on your paid MF but they expire in one year. Is this correct?


Yes. They expire one year after they enter your account. We go to Grand Luxxe every year so new dollars from our maintenance fees are added to our account yearly. We always have more than enough Vida Dollars for the purchases we make.


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## Eric B (Dec 14, 2018)

We use them predominantly on First Fridays as well.  Mostly We've gone for the wine, where we get stuck with the taxes as well as shipping, but it still winds up being a decent return on the vacation dollar.  

Haven't done a lot of cruises lately, but the prices via Vida Lifestyle seem competitive with the other discount ones.  Haven't actually tried using them for that yet, but will probably due so in the future.

Same experience on the expiration; we keep going down there so it doesn't really matter that they expire.  It's tough to find enough stuff that I'd like to spend them on.


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## rboesl (Dec 14, 2018)

We've used Vida Dollars to discount hotel stays. Usually worked out to be a discount of 15-20%. Interestingly enough, purely by accident, I found out that RCI Vacations is using the same inventory of specials for their Savings Dollars program. I was on a call with an RCI Vacations rep when I mentioned what he was trying to sell me was very similar another program I had, Vida Vacations. And, he says "Yes, I can see your Vida Vacations membership ID."


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## Eric B (Dec 14, 2018)

Both are run by ICE.  They also run the travel store for SFX.


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## hurnik (Dec 17, 2018)

If it's the same SFX Travel Store (I think it is), sometimes you can get a really good deal on last minute (60 days or less) getaways/vacations.
Or sometimes longer-term.

About 2 years ago we stayed at the El Cid Puerto Morelos.  They've since built a newer portion called Ventus.
I got a 1 BR WITH the AI fees included for TWO people for a week (granted it's in June) for $800
If you go in January, it's about $1250

Which really isn't bad, IMO, considering that's everything all-in.  Since we've stayed before, I know it's not a 5-star resort, probably a 3.5-4 star, but I considered it a good deal.

And sometimes with the cruises (not always) they have good deals.  I've sometimes gotten better deals direct with the cruise company or "cruise compete".  but not always.


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## MoPops (Dec 26, 2018)

Vida dollars are pretty much worthless, in my opinion.  We were told the pricing using Vida dollars, would be fantastic, but when we actually looked at buying something, we could easily find the same pricing or better locally.  The first Friday auctions are a joke. Unless you have a very high speed connection you have no chance. I tried for a few months. I did “win” six bottles of wine and a purse for my wife. It was not worth the time spent bidding etc.. We are not cruisers, so if there is a savings there, it was no value to me.


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