# Confused about owning timeshare, need help/advice



## raj2ras (Jan 10, 2013)

Thank you TUGers. Recently on a trip to Las vegas, we got suckered into buying Wyndham 64000 points for $20,000! Fortunately I found TUG and sent in my rescind letter right from the US post at the airport. Our flight was delayed and thanks to free wi-fi, I found TUG and used the extra time to draft and send the letter by certified mail. Just yesterday I called Wyndham accounts dept. and verified that our rescission is in process.

We live in BC Canada. This was the 2rd time we attended a timeshare sales presentation and consider ourselves savvy. Though at onset we 2 had decided to not buy, they worked on our kids (used words/pics like Disney, theme park tkts, etc) and had our kids pleading us to not let go of this fantastic deal!

After perusing the TUG forum, I am convinced that owning timeshare is the best way to stretch our vacation dollars. We are confused about all the different ways of calculating the cost/benefit, what with all these forums (fora ?), exchanges, redweek, ebay, etc. Would appreciate any advice we can get.
•	Family of 4
•	1-2 weeks prime time vacation every year + 2-3 weekend getaways
•	Weeks vs. Points, Wyndham vs. RCI vs. II, etc.
•	Travel to west coast mostly (BC, OR, CA) 
•	Dream of vacationing in Hawaii and Mexico
•	Want best bang for buck

Thank you in advance.
-Raj


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## Passepartout (Jan 10, 2013)

• Family of 4
• 1-2 weeks prime time vacation every year + 2-3 weekend getaways
• Weeks vs. Points, Wyndham vs. RCI vs. II, etc.
• Travel to west coast mostly (BC, OR, CA)
• Dream of vacationing in Hawaii and Mexico
• Want best bang for buck


Congrats on the rescission. You made the right move to save thousands off the top.

In your situation and considering where you live, I'd suggest you look into WorldMark- It's a division of Wyndham, but is stronger on the West Coast. They are available on eBay and at other places,  but you won't find them for $1 like some other TSs. They hold their value. There is an active group at www.wmowners.com 

Other possibilities to look into would be vacations internationale www.viresorts.com A little lower cost alternative. You can just buy VI points, or you can buy into one of their resorts and exchange around. I own in another system that shares some of VI's resorts and find them just fine. Not Disney, or Marriott, but well managed, clean and truly- as far as I can see it, good bang for the buck. Their internal exchanges are much lower in cost than RCI or II, and they have an RCI desk right in VI's office if you want to exchange in RCI. Because it's a point system, short stays are very easy to accomplish.

Welcome to TUG. Stick around. Learn, ask questions. Save money.

When you get to exchanging, consider paying the $15 to join TUG. That gives you access to reviews by TUGgers of thousands of resorts worldwide that you just can't get otherwise.

Jim Ricks


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## Tacoma (Jan 11, 2013)

I absolutely agree buy worldmark.  You will pay more up front then a lot of timeshares (which are free) but you will be able to do short stays, or split a week into 2 resorts etc.. The waitlist system works great and as long as you stay at a worldmark resort (around 60) there are NO EXCHANGE FEES.  This will save you hundreds of dollars.  Start with a small account and you can rent one time use credits any time you like.  I often say if I had bought worldmark first it would be my only timeshare.  Another great thing is being able to chose the type of bed(s) in the second bedroom.  My kids will not sleep together so we get twin beds and they share a room and we don't have to tiptoe around the living room because someone is still sleeping.

Check out the forum passepartout sent you to.  The forum often has accounts for sale and that is where I always rent my extra points. You could enjoy worldmark for a year or more before you even have to think about joining an exchange company. The worldmark in Victoria is right on the water by Fisherman's Wharf and the one in Vancouver is supposed to be great too. 

Joan


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## raj2ras (Jan 11, 2013)

Thank you for all your kind words and advice. There is a lot I have to learn  Looking forward to it. You have helped me get started in the right direction.


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## raj2ras (Jan 14, 2013)

After some reading and price checks. I have narrowed down to 2 options for timeshares to buy in order of preference. I have a few more questions. Would be grateful to anyone who can throw in their 2 cents.

Option 1: 10000 or 15000 points on Worldmark
•	This is no. 1 on list because of Canadian presence and that it maintains resale value.
•	What is the best place to buy this resale? Ebay, TUG marketplace/forum or Redweek marketplace/forum?
•	Do you foresee this timeshare maintaining its resale value? Seems like Wyndham and others are veering closer to 0 over time.
•	Why is this one so special i.e. it commands higher resale value compare to others?

Option 2: VI Resorts 1 or 2 weeks.
•	Not too familiar with this yet. What to buy points or weeks?
•	What is the best place to buy? 
•	Approx. resale cost for 2 weeks?

Thank you in advance.


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## ronparise (Jan 14, 2013)

raj2ras said:


> Option 1: 10000 or 15000 points on Worldmark
> •	This is no. 1 on list because of Canadian presence and that it maintains resale value.
> •	What is the best place to buy this resale? Ebay, TUG marketplace/forum or Redweek marketplace/forum?
> •	Do you foresee this timeshare maintaining its resale value? Seems like Wyndham and others are veering closer to 0 over time.
> •	Why is this one so special i.e. it commands higher resale value compare to others?



My belief is that the value of a timeshare is related to the ratio between maintenance fees and fair market rental rates for similar accommodations. In other words if I can rent similar accommodations for less than my maintenance fees, than my timeshare is worthless, or worse. On the otherhand, if my maintenance fees are less than comparable rentals, my timeshare has value...Worldmark maintenance fees are among the lowest in the industry...so a Worldmark membership has value,

Regarding future value...My crystal ball is cloudy so I dont have a clear picture, but as the economy improves, and more people begin to travel, I think rental rates are likely to go up. Worldmark fee increases are capped at 5% a year.. I think its likely that rental rates will go up more than that which should be good for the value of Worldmark

Of the places to buy that you mention Id go with ebay for the best prices, but for help and advice as well as the timeshare I recommend buying your Worldmark through a broker. Two I have used are Bill Stephan at http://smartshare.com/   and Mike Murphy at Timeshare Liquidation Service   http://www.timeshareliquidationservice.com/


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## Passepartout (Jan 14, 2013)

Here's 105 VI points on eBay finaling tomorrow. So far no bids at $1. MF is $765 and it should be enough for a red season week throughout their system- including Hawaii. I have no idea if this is any more than an example. But it sure isn't $10,000. Item # is  	200877169737

Jim


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## raj2ras (Jan 14, 2013)

Thanks. Seems like VI compares well with WM in # of resorts in BC Canada. VI has just a few more than WM. Both have “many dots” on the west coast.

How do other things compare between VI and WM? :
•	Quality of resorts and booking service.
•	MFs for equivalent timevalue.
•	Ease of getting a reservation.
•	Booking fees & Housekeeping fees
•	Exchange value on RCI or II


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## DAman (Jan 14, 2013)

You mention OR as being a place you like to travel. WM has several very nice places in OR.  We spent a week at Eagle Crest last summer and enjoyed it(as did my kids). I want to go to Depoe Bay next year.

WM Eagle Crest has to be booked well in advance, as well as the other OR WM resorts, for summer travel or to get largest units.  

Also check out WM bonus time which gets you good deals on last minute reservations(you pay .054 per credit). I have managed to do quite a few BT stays in the last year. They are good for last minute getaways.

Only downside to WM-accommodations are not 5 stars(maybe 3 to 3 1/2 stars).  However I have always found them clean.  My wife, who is a little picky, will stay at WM-she just prefers Marriott or Hyatt as they have more frills.

I do recommend WM.


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## PassionForTravel (Jan 14, 2013)

Depot bay is great, you will love it, we were there over 4th of July a few years back.

Don't know much about VI other than staying at a propery that both VI and WM have units at Valley Isle, in maui. It was fine.

But WM is great and very flexible. My GF bought back in 2002 from the developer. This year we decided we are using the system enough that it was worth significantly increasing our number of credits by buying resale.

I don't know if there are many VI owners on the forum.

Ian


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## PassionForTravel (Jan 15, 2013)

Here's a Tug link I found which explains VI

http://tug2.net/timeshare_advice/vacation_internationale_VTS_program_information.html

The TUG one for Worldmark was a little dated this link is better
http://www.wmtsinfo.com/

This was my first exposure to the VI system and I've got to say there is a lot of similarities to the WM program. It seems like the VI MF might be a little higher and the initial purchase price a little lower than WM.

Ian


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## raj2ras (Jan 15, 2013)

Thanks for the tips and reading links. The VI one I have read, but the WM one is on my reading list now.

I did notice that the VI MF is higher at $7.28 / point. For 1bdrm peak week @ 105 pts, MF = ~$764. But the booking fees are only $20 and no other Housekeeping or surprise charges. I am told that with VI, RCI exchange fees are the lowest as well. 

For those in the WM system, can you tell us what are:
•	Booking fees (online and tel call)
•	Housekeeping fees
•	RCI membership and exchange fees.

I am still not super clear on how RCI works. Am I right in assuming that:
1.	for non Wyndham timeshares (VI, WM, etc.), there is annual RCI membership fee ~$89 in addition to exchange transaction fee ~$129 per instance?
2.	for Wyndham timeshare annual fees are waived, but there is still a exchange transaction fee ~$129 when you deposit you time there.


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## PassionForTravel (Jan 15, 2013)

Booking fee telephone or Internet - Nothing.
Housekeeping you get one token for each 10000 credits. So <= 10000 gets one, 20K gets two. After than it varies by unit type from $50 (hotel, studio) -90 (3 bedroom).
RCI Membership - I think it's $89 per year, it's whatever RCI charges, it's not including in your MF. Booking is $199 for Internet, $209 for Telephone. I believe these are standard. Unless you are travelshare has to be booked for a week.

Ian


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## rleigh (Jan 15, 2013)

raj2ras said:


> Thanks for the tips and reading links. The VI one I have read, but the WM one is on my reading list now.
> 
> I did notice that the VI MF is higher at $7.28 / point. For 1bdrm peak week @ 105 pts, MF = ~$764. But the booking fees are only $20 and no other Housekeeping or surprise charges. I am told that with VI, RCI exchange fees are the lowest as well.
> 
> ...




As Passepartout mentioned, wmowners.com would get you a ton of WM info. I can answer a couple:
No booking fees.
Housekeeping fees are per stay, whether a day or a week long. $48 for a studio, on up to $135 for a 4 bd Presidential.  
If you own less than 10,000 credits you still get one freebie housekeeping token per year. (More come in 10,000 blocks I think.) You can borrow next year's credits and freebie housekeeping tokens. 
Only other fees are maintenance dues. (And tax at some properties.)
WM also has ways you can pay cash for stays instead of using your credits. You don't have to pay housekeeping when doing this. But, choices and times frames are limited.
Can't answer the RCI stuff except to say I've heard WM is an excellent trader in their system.

///


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## Nolathyme (Jan 15, 2013)

*Here's my one cent:*

Here are questions you should answer that will help answer the questions; should I obtain a timeshare and if so, which one? 

Where (be specific, what cities) would you like to travel during the next three years?

How many trips per year are you planning?

*For each trip** (give specific details for three years of travel)* :

How many nights are you staying?

How many people are with you?

How big of a unit do you want? Studio, 1 BR, 2 BR

When are the trips? Be as specific as possible i.e. the week before Easter, the month of July, July 4th week, middle of September, etc.

What type of timeshare accommodations do you want?
2 star – similar to econolodge, red roof
3 star – similar to comfort inn, holiday inn
4 star – similar to Hyatt, Hilton

Finances to consider:


Can you handle the annual maintenance dues for the one time-share you will own?

For instance, over 20 years you may pay around $23,000 in dues.

Annual dues = $800
Increase in annual dues = 4%
Number of years owning = 20 years

If you want to exchange to a different resort from where you own, you may pay around $31,000 over 20 years.

Annual dues = $800 per year
Exchange fees = $250 per year
Increase in annual dues and fees = 4% per year
Number of years owning = 20 years


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## JohnPaul (Jan 15, 2013)

raj2ras said:


> After some reading and price checks. I have narrowed down to 2 options for timeshares to buy in order of preference. I have a few more questions. Would be grateful to anyone who can throw in their 2 cents.
> 
> Option 1: 10000 or 15000 points on Worldmark
> •	This is no. 1 on list because of Canadian presence and that it maintains resale value.
> ...



VI was our very first (of many) timeshares and we like it a lot.  I don't know who said you can buy VI weeks but that isn't the case.  VI is strictly points based.  Like Worldmark (their corporate offices are down the street from each other) VI is heavy in the West.

VI started out a little differently by selling 25 to 40 year packages (as opposed to forever).  This has two impacts to you.  

1)  Make sure you know whether you are buying permanent points or points with an experation date.

2)  The original structure means that some of the resorts (especially Hawaii) may not be in the system forever.  There will never be more points than availability but as some points expire some of the underlying properties will drop out as well.

The Board (owners) understand this and have been doing a lot to resolve these issues.  They have also merged very successfully with a couple of troubled assoications that have gotten those associations out of their bind while bringing new memebers and new resorts to VI.

VI is VERY well managed.  Like Worldmark the resorts aren't necessarily as fancy as some (think formica instead of granite and white appliances instead of stainless stell) although granite and other upgrades are showing up in a lot of the renovations.

I own about 450 VI points which is a LOT.  Just to give you a flavor, our favorite resort (Kingsbury of Tahoe) is mostly 2 bedroom units.  A summer week (most expensive) in a two bedroom is 129.5 points.  Winter (my time) is 112 points.  "Quiet" time - November (except Thanksgiving) and late April early May is 76 points.

Like Worldmark, the cost in points varies by season and day of the week (Friday and Saturday most expensive).

So....penthouses use up points way faster than studios.  High season much faster than low.

I like VI a lot.  If style and locations suit you it would be a goood pick.


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## PassionForTravel (Jan 15, 2013)

That was great info about VI. Are MF tied to an individual location or are they unified over the whole system like WM is?

Ian


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## Passepartout (Jan 15, 2013)

PassionForTravel said:


> Are MF tied to an individual location or are they unified over the whole system like WM is?



MF is $7.28 per point throughout this year. Subject to change by HOA. It's a good system- if you live or want to vacation primarily in the West.


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## oceanvps (Jan 16, 2013)

Hi Raj


I own Vacation Internationale and Worldmark

We love our worldmark, I'm not so in love with the VI but when i bought it i made sure that they were expiring contracts not lifetime.

Take Whistler for Example.  I like WM Cascade Lodge (pool, hot tub etc...)  The Clocktower is closer to the lifts but I don't think we could entertain the child as well there (VI)

Victoria
We really like the Wm Victoria (on the water), haven't stayed at either of the two vi's.

Leavenworth
Stayed at the black bird lodge (was nice) but walked down to the wm to check it out (more for the child to do there with the playground at the bottom of the hill, a pool and hot tub)

I love the flexibility of the booking, cancellation, the way the points shuffle for WM.  The way that VI points tie you into use year annoys me.  If you book a vacation in year 1 and year 2, then you cancel year 1 vacation you're likely to have an expiring points problem you have to deal with because they don't shuffle the points (like wm does).

Just my thoughts (as they relate to my family)

Next week we're staying at the WM in oceanside ca and the WM anaheim. We've also checked out the WM Kihei, WM Vancouver and hubby stayed at the WM San Fran.  The only wm I've stayed at so far that hasn't thrilled me is Birch Bay, the resort was okay but the area didn't thrill me (although i think it was a 15 minute car ride )

Exchange accounts with both of the above (resale accounts)
RCI
I have an RCI Weeks account that is linked to my wm account so i can log in directly to rci weeks and also through the wm site (if i wanted to use my points to exchange). rci has some good specials by using cash as well.  If i wanted to "trade" my vi points i think i have to book a week somewhere, then deposit that week then i can exchange using it - they can use my existing rci weeks account to accomplish this apparently (i haven't bothered with that - vi also has a kind of internal exchange system that you can use on their site)

II (interval)
I registered my worldmark timeshare with II and they have it listed in my units so in theory i can use it to exchange.

The one thing i do want to say about vi is that the board is owner controlled and they are trying to build the club.  WM is managed by Wyndham and a lot of the owners aren't happy about that although given that they're all i've known i don't have as big of a problem with them as more seasoned owners.

Joanne
SSurrey,Bc


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## raj2ras (Jan 16, 2013)

Thank you everyone, for the excellent info and useful opinions. This is turning into a West Coast discussion for VI vs. WM ownership 

Being a resident of BC, I want to throw in another comparison parameter i.e. no. of resorts near BC Canada.
•	VI has ~8 in BC and ~5 in WA. Total = ~13
•	WM has 4 in BC and 8 in WA. Total = ~12

Both are almost the same .To complicate it further, there seems to be some kind of affiliate arrangement between VI and WM for “some resorts” i.e. you can exchange (resort swap) between them directly without having to use RCI. Can someone shed light on this? Are there still exchange fees when you do this?


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## oceanvps (Jan 16, 2013)

Here's the VI availability (VIresorts.com) for Worldmark Availability Blurb.  (Being a WM owner this arrangement doesn't appeal to me at all  


Nightly Exchange Resort List and Availability
Exchange Fee:
A non-refundable exchange fee of $19.50 (you also have to give up points) per night and non-refundable booking fee of $20 will be collected via credit card when you confirm an exclusive nightly exchange reservation.

Cancellation Policy:
Reservations may be cancelled up to 30 days prior to the travel date without loss of points, however, your nightly exchange fee will be forfeited. If it is necessary to cancel a reservation less than 30 days prior to date of arrival, the points used for that reservation will not be refunded to your account and the nightly exchange fee will be forfeited.

Canada
WM The Canadian, BC	Resort Information	Availability
WM Victoria, BC	Resort Information	Availability
Washington
WM Birch Bay, WA	Resort Information	Availability
WM Discovery Bay, WA	Resort Information	Availability
WM The Camlin, WA	Resort Information	Availability
WM Park Village, WA	Resort Information	Availability
Oregon
WM Depoe Bay, OR	Resort Information	Availability
WM Gleneden, OR	Resort Information	Availability
WM Running Y, OR	Resort Information	Availability
WM Seaside, OR	Resort Information	Availability
California
WM Dolphins Cove, CA	Resort Information	Availability
WM Oceanside, CA	Resort Information	Availability
WM San Diego, CA	Resort Information	Availability
WM San Diego-Mission Valley, CA	Resort Information	Availability
WM San Francisco, CA	Resort Information	Availability
Nevada
WM Las Vegas, NV	Resort Information	Availability
Mexico
WM Coral Baja, MX	Resort Information	Availability


The WM booking of Vi on wm site is complicated by the fact that they will charge you an affiliate rental fee which in my opinion makes booking any of the wyndham affiliates and VI affiliates more than i want to pay for that night.  ie. 1 night in the week in a 1 bedroom at fairway villa is $175 vs. if you were booking through the vi site and converted the point value (13*$7) plus booking you'd be looking at $91 for the night plus $20 booking fee


The funny thing is we decided not to choose between the two and just bought them both.  I bought two WM contracts on Ebay for I think total $3000 (2 x 6K accounts) and two VI contracts (2 91 bi-annual contracts) on Ebay for almost free $300-500 total .


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## PassionForTravel (Jan 16, 2013)

From the WM side the affiliate rental fee only applies if your account was purchased resale after 2006. If your account existed before 2006 (either resale or developer) you have WM+A credits (Worldmark + Affiliates). If you purchased from the developer after 2006 you have TS (Travelshare) credits.

Ian


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## oceanvps (Jan 16, 2013)

PassionForTravel said:


> From the WM side the affiliate rental fee only applies if your account was purchased resale after 2006. If your account existed before 2006 (either resale or developer) you have WM+A credits (Worldmark + Affiliates). If you purchased from the developer after 2006 you have TS (Travelshare) credits.
> 
> Ian



Interesting! I just checked and one of my accounts is from 2002 (I know this because WM didn't clear the history - yikes - when they gave it to me in 2010 and i can see prior res and names) and a fairway villa night is 157.50


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## PassionForTravel (Jan 16, 2013)

I think you misunderstood. If an account was sold on resale after 2006, even if it existed before 2006 it only gets WM credits. My account which I purchased this year when I try and book a VI resort (or WYN) gives me the affiliate rental option. In my GF's account which was bought from the developer prior to 2006, when I try and book a VI resort (Or Wyndham) it treats it just like a Worldmark unit. It's easy to tell, go to the account summary page if your credits are listed as WM then you will have the affiliate rental option (expensive) if your credits are WM+A or TS then VI and Wyndham units will be treated as WM units.

Ian


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## JohnPaul (Jan 16, 2013)

raj2ras said:


> Thank you everyone, for the excellent info and useful opinions. This is turning into a West Coast discussion for VI vs. WM ownership
> 
> Being a resident of BC, I want to throw in another comparison parameter i.e. no. of resorts near BC Canada.
> •	VI has ~8 in BC and ~5 in WA. Total = ~13
> ...



Well, you could do like I did and own both.  They each offer some unique qualities.

You saw what you can book in WM from a VI perspective.  

In WM you can book VI in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Sun Valley, Kona and Oahu (2).  Not sure about any special charges.

Note that not all room types in the available resorts are available through the exchange and that the number of rooms is very limited.


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## oceanvps (Jan 16, 2013)

PassionForTravel said:


> I think you misunderstood. If an account was sold on resale after 2006, even if it existed before 2006 it only gets WM credits. My account which I purchased this year when I try and book a VI resort (or WYN) gives me the affiliate rental option. In my GF's account which was bought from the developer prior to 2006, when I try and book a VI resort (Or Wyndham) it treats it just like a Worldmark unit. It's easy to tell, go to the account summary page if your credits are listed as WM then you will have the affiliate rental option (expensive) if your credits are WM+A or TS then VI and Wyndham units will be treated as WM units.
> 
> Ian



oh okay, i guess when i originally replied to the op i had assumed he was buying resale and therefore would be subject to the same rules as myself i kind of figured that the rules pertaining to prior to 2006 wouldn't have applied to him at all.  good info though


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## Passepartout (Jan 16, 2013)

*And the winnah is.....*

Drum roll please....... VI!  Well run, lower cost into WM properties, lower cost internal exchanges, access to VRI*ety. Understandable MF schedule. No nickle and dime housekeeping charges on short stays.

Darn. Wish I'd bought VI early on. Though my VRI affiliated TSs give me most of the bang for similar bucks and RCI Points as well.


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## PassionForTravel (Jan 16, 2013)

Is there a relationship between VI and VRI? What is VRI*ety? 

Finally when you buy VI points do you buy them at a specific location ala Wyndham, HGVC, or do you buy the network at large ala Worldmark.

Thanks

Ian


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## Passepartout (Jan 16, 2013)

PassionForTravel said:


> Is there a relationship between VI and VRI? What is VRI*ety?
> 
> Finally when you buy VI points do you buy them at a specific location ala Wyndham, HGVC, or do you buy the network at large ala Worldmark.
> 
> ...



No relationship between Vacation Internationale and Vacation Resorts Int'l except some overlap at resorts. VRI has some units in VI resorts and VI has some units at VRI resorts. VRI*ety is the internal exchange at VRI, and finally VI, like WM is purely points whereas in VRI, you buy a specific resort week.


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## theo (Jan 16, 2013)

*Not arguing, just puzzled...*



Passepartout said:


> <snip> VRI has some units in VI resorts and VI has some units at VRI resorts. <snip>



I admittedly don't know much of anything about VI, but I can nonetheless certainly understand that VI, a sort of "vacation club" as I understand it, might well own some weeks at VRI-managed resorts. 

I *don't* understand how the converse could be true however (i.e., VRI owning weeks at VI resorts). 
VRI is essentially just a management company and not any form or flavor of "vacation club", per se. 
I was not / am not aware that VRI actually owns any weeks, anywhere.

What am I missing here?


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## PassionForTravel (Jan 16, 2013)

VI sure does sound interesting. Is there anything like wmowners for VI owners or anything which explains the system, point levels etc. in dedtail? Because all the interesting stuff is behind locked doors at viresorts.com

Ian


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## Passepartout (Jan 16, 2013)

theo said:


> I admittedly don't know much of anything about VI, but I can nonetheless certainly understand that VI, a sort of "vacation club" as I understand it, might well own some weeks at VRI-managed resorts.



That's correct. And I suppose you could call VI a 'vacation club' in the same way as WorldMark is. Owners own 'points' which represent a share in whatever the 'club' owns. MROP is another one that works similarly.

I mis-spoke and should have more correctly said that both VI and VRI (and MROP for that matter) all own units in some of the same VRI managed resorts.


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## oceanvps (Jan 16, 2013)

no,
not as far as i know, although there is a sticky about it in one of the forums.

VI owners don't seem to be very vocal about wanting their own forum  

When i was trying to find info on vacation internationale it was hard to come by.

It might also be though that there isn't a lot of know how required to use the system, you can't play games with it like you can with worldmark for instance so there's really not a lot of tips and tricks and advice to be given.   You get your points, they have a use year, depending on the dates of the reservation they pull from that use year unless you pull from a banked balance (uses it first). 


I don't think their inventory turns over as much as worldmark ie. most people seem to be quite serious about their reservations and keeping them for the high demand locations whereas with Worldmark  if there's no availability when you go to book it doesn't necessarily mean you won't get what you want eventually by working the waitlist.   

It would be nice to be able to reference even a resort discussion by owners.


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## Passepartout (Jan 16, 2013)

PassionForTravel said:


> Is there anything like wmowners for VI owners or anything which explains the system, point levels etc. in detail? Ian



Not that I'm aware of. Perhaps an owner might post or email you a current point chart, but I am not that guy. Occasionally I have seen them posted in an eBay ad for VI Points, so I know it's out there.


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## PassionForTravel (Jan 16, 2013)

What did you search for to find them on EBay I'm not having any luck finding any?

Ian


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## Passepartout (Jan 16, 2013)

Ian you live in San Diego, so call Marina Inn in Oceanside and ask them to mail you a point chart. I found lots of completed eBay sales at reasonable prices but no point chart.


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## oceanvps (Jan 16, 2013)

Passepartout said:


> Not that I'm aware of. Perhaps an owner might post or email you a current point chart, but I am not that guy. Occasionally I have seen them posted in an eBay ad for VI Points, so I know it's out there.




Okay I put this together...... I can`t post it any other way.... 
Current as of today Points by Resort by season for vacation internationale (VI).  I think they purposely make it hard to copy this info from their website so it took a little while - forgive its appearance didn`t wan to spend much more time on it 


VI Points by Resort Info


Here is the link to the info put together on TUG
http://tug2.net/timeshare_advice/vacation_internationale_VTS_program_information.html


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## Passepartout (Jan 16, 2013)

Thank you Oceanvps. Very helpful. Shows me I get a pretty good deal using my RCI Points to exchange into a fav Mexican VI resort.

Jim


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## PassionForTravel (Jan 17, 2013)

Thanks oceanvps that's great.

Ian


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## sue1947 (Jan 17, 2013)

I've also looked at VI and here are some further comparisons from a WM owner:
VI's resort in Central Oregon is at Sunriver which I greatly prefer over Eagle Crest where WM has a resort.  I have stayed at the VI resort there and really liked it; in fact, it is the basis for my interest in VI.
WM has far superior resorts on the Oregon Coast.  VI's Embarcadero in Newport is on the Bay and not on the ocean.  WM has 4 of them all on the ocean, though they are difficult to get into.
The WA coast resorts at Ocean Shores are a toss up. 
VI has resorts in Sedona which WM does not and Sedona is one of my favorite spots.  

I'd be interested in doing a direct exchange with a VI owner for a WM resort. 

Sue


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## raj2ras (Jan 17, 2013)

Thanks guys. I am learning a lot from you all.

Here is a hidden URL I dug out from the VIresorts.com website. It helps in understanding their point system, structure and historical MFs

http://www.viresorts.com/ptp.html  

Maybe should be cached/copied before it is removed.


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## PassionForTravel (Jan 17, 2013)

Thanks great info.

Those elite level benifits mentioned on the TUG Chart do they transfer on resale and are based upon the points you own, or are they only good for points bought from the developer?

http://tug2.net/timeshare_advice/vac...formation.html


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## Passepartout (Jan 17, 2013)

PassionForTravel said:


> Thanks great info.
> 
> Those elite level benifits mentioned on the TUG Chart do they transfer on resale and are based upon the points you own, or are they only good for points bought from the developer?
> 
> http://tug2.net/timeshare_advice/vac...formation.html



It's my understanding that leftover or transferred points go with the account to a new owner. However reservations made by an owner before the transfer is completed stay with the 'old' owner. At his discretion, that ressie could go to a new owner as incentive.

Another VI detail. Unused points have a shelf life of 3 years, so there should be some accounts with lots of vacation time out there. When a reservation is made, the oldest points in an account are used automatically.


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