# DRI - Embarc Member Update



## Jo Jo (Feb 3, 2019)

We entered DRI via their acquisition of our Club Intrawest interest (picked up on resale market, ... meaning no EE privileges for us), and rebranded to Embarc.

To date, we have only used our Embarc points at their portfolio of properties (I.e. Whistler, Tremblant, Sandestin, etc.).  This has worked for us, as the properties are nice, and we own other TS properties as well.

This coming week, we are visiting Whistler and I have signed up for a member update, which I am sure will turn into an entertaining sales presentation.

Given that I am not enrolled in their trading system, I am interested in hearing about any “pitch” (with terms and conditions) they may put in front of me => making me eligible for participation in their trading system.

The reason I am asking, is that we r starting to consider the option of visiting other properties outside of the Embarc collection.

I suspect another option is to enrol in one of the 3rd party trading organozations (RCI or II ... I am not even sure which one, nor am I currently a member of either).  Any opinions on this option appreciated as well. 

Thx.

Jo Jo


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## cindyc (Feb 3, 2019)

You might look into DRIs Destination Exchange program. It is their own program that allows deeded week owners to trade to other DRI and DRI managed properties.


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## Bill4728 (Feb 3, 2019)

We also do not belong to EE    We do trade with II   

To trade with II you must reserve a full week  starting on a Sunday at one of three Embarc resorts ( Whistler, Palm Desert or Tremblant) 
We generally reserve a late fall week which costs us only about 60 points and get great trades with those deposits.

Good luck


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## Jo Jo (Feb 3, 2019)

Thx. Cindyc, I suspect I will have to buy DRI points for this option?

Thx. Bill , great to know ... in using only 60 points, appears that you are depositing only a studio?

Cheers,


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## nuwermj (Feb 3, 2019)

Jo Jo said:


> Thx. Cindyc, I suspect I will have to buy DRI points for this option?



Embarc owners are not eligible for the Destinations Exchange program.


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## chemteach (Feb 3, 2019)

Jo Jo said:


> We entered DRI via their acquisition of our Club Intrawest interest (picked up on resale market, ... meaning no EE privileges for us), and rebranded to Embarc.
> 
> 
> This coming week, we are visiting Whistler and I have signed up for a member update, which I am sure will turn into an entertaining sales presentation.
> ...



Don't believe ANYTHING the DRI salespeople tell you.  The Embarc program has to be kept separate from DRI for some legal reason.  Don't buy directly from DRI unless you are bringing deeded weeks in with the purchase. (Embarc ownerships don't count as deeded weeks.).


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## Jo Jo (Feb 3, 2019)

Thanks for insights ... greatly appreciated.


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## fillde (Feb 3, 2019)

Jo Jo I would love to read your comments after attending the member update at Whistler. Personally it was the worst presentation/update I have ever attended and that includes Westgate. I wish you luck and hope the salespeople have changed for the better.


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## cindyc (Feb 6, 2019)

No, to use Destination Exchange you actually have to be a deeded week owner at a DRI property.  I purchased one resale last year at Sedona Summit for about $1250 on a 2 BD LO and am in the process of recording a second deeded Sedona Summit that I got free on eBay at the end of last year.  If you keep looking those deeded weeks sometimes come up and the MF are way lower than DRI points MFs.


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## Jo Jo (Feb 8, 2019)

Attended the member update, comments as follows:
- person was “straight. up”, advising that although DRI has ownership interest in Embarc, no Embarc & DRI point affiliation exists
- their initial offer of point upgrades is in increments of 200 points at an absolutely ridiculous price point of $335/point (financing offered at 19.99% ... can you imagine ???).  Isn’t this almost double of Disney Boardwalk direct from Disney
- for my investment of $67K they would enroll all of my points into EE ... which I believe to be purely II, whereby I don’t believe there were any material benefits offered by II that I couldn’t receive myself, depending upon the II membership level one enrols in?
- upon saying no ... their sales manager found a “glitch” in the system => somehow I should have been offered an upgrade offer almost 3 years ago at a price point of $224/point.  Although the price point are locked infor 18 months, apparently they could likely do me a 1 time favor, if this was of interest
- upon declining this offer, I was then offered a 100 add-on, I don’t even remember what the price point was
- upon declining this offer and coming to meeting end => they apparently wanted to do a brief update/customer satisfaction follow-up that would be very short.  I suspect this was to be a final sales push by their closer => however, their sales director returned in 30 seconds to apologize that no one was available and that we could leave.  I suspect they concluded this final push would be a waste of their time, as I find it very interesting that there was no mention of a some follow-up survey ... should they have been genuinely interested in our feedback.
- all in all, this presentation was as scripted and as cheezy as anyone that I have ever attended
- final thoughts (I) we went in advising at the beginning that we only were there for an 1 hour member update (as advertised/promoted to us) => which forced the person to rush through their 1 hour+ scripting (ii) should I ever book an update with these guys in advance, make sure you get the offered promotion confirmed in an email

Cheers,

Jo Jo


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## cd5 (Feb 8, 2019)

cindyc said:


> You might look into DRIs Destination Exchange program. It is their own program that allows deeded week owners to trade to other DRI and DRI managed properties.


That's not available to Embarc members... However here's a link to a chart with many other exchange companies that can be used (other than II and RCI).
I don't know if you are in our 4, 400 member Facebook group but I encourage you to join, you would get a lot of info from other Embarc owners. www.facebook.com/groups/ClubIntrawestOwners

Chart: www.citheownersgroup.org/exchanging


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## Bill4728 (Feb 9, 2019)

Jo Jo said:


> Thx. Bill , great to know ... in using only 60 points, appears that you are depositing only a studio?
> 
> Cheers,


A one bedroom in Oct and Nov is 63 pts.  So we exchange "2" one bedroom weeks and roll the other points in our account to the next year.


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## barb5850 (Feb 16, 2019)

I purchased 175 points with Embarc on ebay and have paid for it. It is clearly represented that I am entitled to use the points to stay at ANY Embarc resort using their points system. I don't particularly like points. My timeshares are all deeded so I know that I will actually get the week I want.  However I purchased the points because a) I only paid $1000 for 175 points plus the transfer fee and mtc fee for 2019 which deposited 175 points on Feb. 1, 2019; $1000 is not a lot for 175 points and b) Embarc has three resorts in BC Canada and I travel to BC a fair bit and will use the points more during the low season than the high seasons. I spoke with the ebay seller and he assured me that I can use ALL resorts once the transfer is done and he saw no problem with the transfer. I am totally unfamiliar with points. any TUG member who belongs to Embarc: do you have trouble using the points for times you want? If I purchases this on ebay does that adversely impact my ability to be a 'member' in the true sense of the word i.e. will I be limited in terms of being able to actually use the points? I can still cancel (the cancellation period is still open) but I checked out the ebay seller and they are reputable and I am not so concerned about that. I just do not want to have 175 points only to be told by Embarc that my use is limited because I bought on the secondary market (where I have bought all of my timeshares). Thanks for any comments people have. FYI I tried to call embarc but was told that info is only provided to persons interested in purchasing from them directly. That is not an option for me given that the price is way beyond what I can afford.


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## chemteach (Feb 17, 2019)

barb5850 said:


> I purchased 175 points with Embarc on ebay and have paid for it. It is clearly represented that I am entitled to use the points to stay at ANY Embarc resort using their points system. I don't particularly like points. My timeshares are all deeded so I know that I will actually get the week I want.  However I purchased the points because a) I only paid $1000 for 175 points plus the transfer fee and mtc fee for 2019 which deposited 175 points on Feb. 1, 2019; $1000 is not a lot for 175 points and b) Embarc has three resorts in BC Canada and I travel to BC a fair bit and will use the points more during the low season than the high seasons. I spoke with the ebay seller and he assured me that I can use ALL resorts once the transfer is done and he saw no problem with the transfer. I am totally unfamiliar with points. any TUG member who belongs to Embarc: do you have trouble using the points for times you want? If I purchases this on ebay does that adversely impact my ability to be a 'member' in the true sense of the word i.e. will I be limited in terms of being able to actually use the points? I can still cancel (the cancellation period is still open) but I checked out the ebay seller and they are reputable and I am not so concerned about that. I just do not want to have 175 points only to be told by Embarc that my use is limited because I bought on the secondary market (where I have bought all of my timeshares). Thanks for any comments people have. FYI I tried to call embarc but was told that info is only provided to persons interested in purchasing from them directly. That is not an option for me given that the price is way beyond what I can afford.



I don't own Embarc, but my understanding is that with Embarc, points are points.  Doesn't matter where/when you purchased them.


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## nuwermj (Feb 17, 2019)

barb5850 said:


> I spoke with the ebay seller and he assured me that I can use ALL resorts once the transfer is done and he saw no problem with the transfer. I am totally unfamiliar with points. any TUG member who belongs to Embarc: do you have trouble using the points for times you want?
> 
> If I purchases this on ebay does that adversely impact my ability to be a 'member' in the true sense of the word i.e. will I be limited in terms of being able to actually use the points?



The Embarc Club has timeshare interests at nine resorts. The deeds to these resorts are held in a trust fund and the points represent your share of the trust fund's use rights. So, as a point owner, regardless from whom you purchased the points, you have use rights to the properties held in the trust fund.

This right is first come, first serve, however. So you are not guaranteed the reservation you want will be filled. I'm sure the ski resorts in the winter are competitive to reserve. Otherwise you would have the same access as any other point owner. But if you wait to the last minute, you will get what no one else wants. No point owner has privileges over another point owner. Although I have seen complaints about the developer (Diamond) taking prime weeks so it can rent them. I can't say much about that problem.

Since Diamond took over, there is a supplemental program called Extra Ordinary Escapes (EE). That program offers additional locations, II membership and some other things. Your ebay purchase will not be eligible for anything offered by EE.


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## youppi (Feb 17, 2019)

nuwermj said:


> The Embarc Club has timeshare interests at nine resorts. The deeds to these resorts are held in a trust fund and the points represent your share of the trust fund's use rights. So, as a point owner, regardless from whom you purchased the points, you have use rights to the properties held in the trust fund.
> 
> This right is first come, first serve, however. So you are not guaranteed the reservation you want will be filled. I'm sure the ski resorts in the winter are competitive to reserve. Otherwise you would have the same access as any other point owner. But if you wait to the last minute, you will get what no one else wants. No point owner has privileges over another point owner. Although I have seen complaints about the developer (Diamond) taking prime weeks so it can rent them. I can't say much about that problem.
> 
> Since Diamond took over, there is a supplemental program called Extra Ordinary Escapes (EE). That program offers additional locations, II membership and some other things. Your ebay purchase will not be eligible for anything offered by EE.


The ExtraOrdinary Escapes existed when Intrawest were the developer and this is why the affiliated resorts of Embarc are not the same as affiliated resorts of THE Club.


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## barb5850 (Feb 21, 2019)

nuwermj said:


> The Embarc Club has timeshare interests at nine resorts. The deeds to these resorts are held in a trust fund and the points represent your share of the trust fund's use rights. So, as a point owner, regardless from whom you purchased the points, you have use rights to the properties held in the trust fund.
> 
> This right is first come, first serve, however. So you are not guaranteed the reservation you want will be filled. I'm sure the ski resorts in the winter are competitive to reserve. Otherwise you would have the same access as any other point owner. But if you wait to the last minute, you will get what no one else wants. No point owner has privileges over another point owner. Although I have seen complaints about the developer (Diamond) taking prime weeks so it can rent them. I can't say much about that problem.
> 
> Since Diamond took over, there is a supplemental program called Extra Ordinary Escapes (EE). That program offers additional locations, II membership and some other things. Your ebay purchase will not be eligible for anything offered by EE.


Thank you for taking the time to reply


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