# Polo Towers Maintenance fee



## jeffox (Dec 12, 2007)

Has anyone had success paying their 2008 maintenance fee for Polo Towers online? The Polo Towers website no longer works and don't have the correct information to sign up at the DRI website. If I call the DRI phone number, what should I tell them and will they have a clue? Ever since the Polo message board folded we don't have a place to discuss these types of problems.


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## dougp26364 (Dec 13, 2007)

The easiest way to pay your MF's this year is to just call CS and pay them over the phone. Right now both the DRI site and Polo Towers site seem to be in a state of flux. It is unfortunate that, with the buyout of Sunterra PT's owners who have choosen not to join THE Club are feeling as if they're being treated like orphans.


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## jeffox (Dec 13, 2007)

*Polo Towers Maintenance fees*

Which CS do I call, DRI or PT?


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## dougp26364 (Dec 13, 2007)

Either one should be able to help you.


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## jeffox (Jan 7, 2008)

*Update to Polo Towers Website*

I just wanted to update this, I found yesterday that they updated the links on the the Polo Towers website to pay the 2008 MF. Also, the account number works to set up the payment on the diamond resort site.


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## cherokee_villager (Jan 7, 2008)

*Even the new site sucks*

If you try to deduct the $5.00 arda "contribution" via the online payment method, it won't work. They will record the $5.00 not paid as a Past Due Account balance. Had to call cust serv, wait 40 minutes, and make a cc payment for $5.00 to get a zero balance. The $5.00 arda fee would have "eventually" been removed, but who can trust what cust serv say's?


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## Hoc (Jan 7, 2008)

I bought a Polo Towers unit in 2007, with the seller paying the maintenance fee and Special Assessment.  When I called to make the reservation, they said that there was a $5 balance due and owing on the 2008 maintenance fee, and that I could not use my unit unless it was paid.  They said that it was probably the ARDA contribution, but that they could not remove it, so I was forced to pay it in order to use my unit for next month.


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## dougp26364 (Jan 7, 2008)

Hoc said:


> I bought a Polo Towers unit in 2007, with the seller paying the maintenance fee and Special Assessment.  When I called to make the reservation, they said that there was a $5 balance due and owing on the 2008 maintenance fee, and that I could not use my unit unless it was paid.  They said that it was probably the ARDA contribution, but that they could not remove it, so I was forced to pay it in order to use my unit for next month.



Now that is complete bull puckey. ARDA is a voluntary contribution and is not a mandatory part of the MF. For PT's to be forcing people to pay this to use their unit is absolute BS. They should have looked it up to see what that $5 was. It shouldn't have been that hard to do. 

Polo Towers is a nice resort in a great location but the CS still seems to be lacking in a lot of ways.


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## Hoc (Jan 7, 2008)

dougp26364 said:


> Now that is complete bull puckey. ARDA is a voluntary contribution and is not a mandatory part of the MF. For PT's to be forcing people to pay this to use their unit is absolute BS. They should have looked it up to see what that $5 was. It shouldn't have been that hard to do.



I absolutely agree, and I knew that when I paid.  But what am I to do?  Give up the use of my unit for the year over a $5 BS fee?  Sue for the $5 back?  I was kind of stuck here, and given that they were refusing to do anything, I had no choice but to pay the fee.


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## cherokee_villager (Jan 7, 2008)

dougp26364 said:


> Now that is complete bull puckey. ARDA is a voluntary contribution and is not a mandatory part of the MF. For PT's to be forcing people to pay this to use their unit is absolute BS. They should have looked it up to see what that $5 was. It shouldn't have been that hard to do.
> 
> Polo Towers is a nice resort in a great location but the CS still seems to be lacking in a lot of ways.


 
Doug, I was told twice that the $5.00 "past due" would eventually be removed once they ran the "program" to update the arda final figures. But my new owner expects a zero balance when they are recoded as the new owner, and I just decided to pay that 5 bucks.  I really couldn't depend on cust serv, or know when it would be removed. They did say I would not be charged a late fee on Jan 11. But then again, I wouldn't trust anything they say.  

They have some great people working at cust serv, but they also have some losers, sorry to say. *I luved Polo Towers during my 3 stays* these past 13 months, but dealing with cust serv, and their management company, Diamond Resorts,   has left some really bad feelings. Their track record of election extensions to secure favorable results, no election results being reported for over 1 year,  late mf mailings, God, I'm so glad to finally rid of them.


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## dougp26364 (Jan 7, 2008)

Hoc said:


> I absolutely agree, and I knew that when I paid.  But what am I to do?  Give up the use of my unit for the year over a $5 BS fee?  Sue for the $5 back?  I was kind of stuck here, and given that they were refusing to do anything, I had no choice but to pay the fee.



I agree that I'd have just paid the fee. What I would do is keep calling and going up the ladder until I got the problem resolved to my satisfaction reminding them at every step of the way that ARDA is voluntary.

I've had issues in the past but have always had them resolved favorably. It just to a little persistance and staying on the line until I got the problem fixed. 

Most of the problems I've had in the past were with depositing my unit for exchange. Twice I've almost had exchanges canceled because PT's wouldn't release the unit to I.I. Once they changed my reservation date once they found out that I was depositing it. It took a phone call and reminding them of their obligation to me as an owner. With the date change it took a little more persitance and a manager to get my original reservation date back but it was done. With the resort not releasing my unit for exchange it took having the confirmation number from my MF payments to get that resolved. They called I.I. while I was on the phone to make sure it was straightened out in all cases. 

However, an owner should not have to go through this or feel that they have to watch every move they make. There should always be a feeling of trust between owners the resort. Over the last few years, DRI has not promoted or earned this feeling of trust. I'm really hoping that with Stephen Cloobeck taking a more active interest in the operations again that these things will change.


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## Aussiedog (Jan 8, 2008)

*Too busy at the Polo Towers?*

I just bought a biennial 2 bedroom on eBay - great price.  When I asked the closing company to double check the MFs before I send them any money they said that they had left numerous messages but are having a "heck" of a time getting a call back.  The normal staffers seem to be underwater in work.

So does anyone reading this thread happen to know if biennial MFs are collected 50% per year or EOY?

Thanks!

Ann


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## cherokee_villager (Jan 8, 2008)

They would be collected every other year. Polo Towers cust serv currently has a waiting time of about 40 minutes to one hour to get through to them. Goodluck.


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## Aussiedog (Jan 8, 2008)

_They would be collected every other year. Polo Towers cust serv currently has a waiting time of about 40 minutes to one hour to get through to them. Goodluck_.

ugh - thanks....

Ann


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## MAZxxx (Apr 27, 2008)

*Polo Towers - Annual Useage*

Dougp26364, this is for you because you seem to know everything on the timeshare front.  I'm a new owner at the Polo Towers suites and, after purchasing my unit 2 years ago, I have received nothing from Polo Towers to explain the annual useage or terms and conditions of owning a unit.  I have a deeded 2 bed unit in Tower 1, wk 40, and have used it just once.  I didn't use it the first year I owned because I'd already booked another holiday.  

Can you please explain something - if I don't use my week for any reason am I able to carry the days over?  If so,for how long?  For instance, can I add days to the following years or do the carry over days have an expiry date?

Also, if I decide just to use the 1 bed side only, how do I utilise my second week, do I have to book it as float time and am I guaranteed a room if I choose that option?

I've loads of niggling questions but, like I said, I would have thought that PT would have had some kind of 'bible' for newbies like me.


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## cluemeister (Apr 27, 2008)

*Usage*

Hi Maz,

Here's the information you're looking for:

http://www.polotowers.com/owner-time-usage.html


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## dougp26364 (Apr 27, 2008)

MAZxxx said:


> I have a deeded 2 bed unit in Tower 1, wk 40, and have used it just once.  I didn't use it the first year I owned because I'd already booked another holiday.
> 
> Can you please explain something - if I don't use my week for any reason am I able to carry the days over?  If so,for how long?  For instance, can I add days to the following years or do the carry over days have an expiry date?
> 
> ...




The Suites at Polo Towers (towers 1 and 2) are a fixed week ownership. The basic usage of course is that you reserve and use the week you own, which in this case is week 40. If you elect to exchange your interval you'll reserve and deposit week 40 and deposit it with I.I. You deposited unit will then be avaliable for exchange for up to 2 years from your usage date. You will need to pay the MF's for the year you want to deposit before PT's before they will release that week to I.I. To do that I've always just called customrer service, told them what I wanted to do, paid the MF over the phone using a credit card and then had them transfer me to reservations, where I told them to reserve my week and ten deposit it with I.I.

Other options you have:

*Float you week*

If you do not want stay during your owned week 40, you can elect to "float" your week. In order to do this you are allowed to reserve any week that has been released by another owner or, wait until 59 days or less before your desire check in date and call for a reservation. This is a space available option and is dependant upon a unit being available at the time you call. 

There are many owners from CA that I've conversed with online that indicate this hasn't been a problem in the past. Since we have to plan our vacations a little further in advance and since we are not within easy driving distance, this has never been an option we have used. 

*Split week option*:

 You can split your usage of your full unit into two different stays. One weekend stay or Fri, Sat, Sun and one mid week stay of Mon-Thurs. 

The problem with this is that you actually own a fixed week. So to use this option you'll have to use the float option mentioned above for at least a portion of your reservations.

*Lock-off option*

All 2 bedroom units at PT's have the lock-off option. You can call the resort and tell them to "lock-off" your unit. You will then have one studio unit to use or exchange and one 1 bedroom unit to use or exchange. If you choose to take two weeks vacation at PT's then you'll be using the float option mentioned above for at least one of your stays. 

Typically, what we would do is to lock-off the unit, deposit the studio for exchange with I.I. and use the 1 bedroom unit for personal usage. The studio always exchanged well with I.I. Many times we would trade up to a 1 bedroom unit somewhere else using the studio. Since we live close to Branson, MO, that studio has been exchanged into Branson several times for either a 1 or 2 bedroom unit. We have also used the studio unit to trade into a 1 bedroom Ridge Crest unit in Lake Tahoe in July on two occasions. Ridge Crest is not a 5 star resort but it was nice to get a larger unit during the summer season rather than being in a studio unit. 

*Save your week*

I haven't looked at this option for some time but, you use to be able to save your week into the next year. If you couldn't use your week this year, you could call and release your week and tell them you wanted to save it to next year. Again, to use your saved week you'll be back to the float week provisions of calling for a reservation 59 days or less before check in. I believe you can use the split week option and save the unused portion to next year but, I have never checked into this. I have seen people post that had purchased resale units to find they had unused time of 3 or 4 days that came along with the purchase. Based on that I assume you can save the unused split week portion to next year. It would be best to confirm that with PT's reservations first.

*THE Club* 

Since DRI, the developer of PT's, has purchased Sunterra just a little over a year ago, one more option has become available to PT's owners. You can now convert your unit to THE Club points system.

To join THE Club you would have to call the sales dept. and make arrangements for the conversion. They have been charging a $2,995 joiner fee plus, there is an additional Club fee that has to be paid on top of your MF's. It has been reported that next year THE Club fee's will be in the $250 range. Presently I believe they are $159.

Joining THE Club converts your unit to points. These points are exchangable through I.I. 6,500 points gets you a 2 bedroom exchange and 5,500 points will get you a 1 bedroom exchange. At the moment I don't have the points chart in front of me and can't recall how many points are required for a studio.

This option will also make your unit a floating week. This means you can reserve any week available 1 year in advance of your check in date rather than waiting for that 59 day window. So, if week 40 doesn't work for you this year you'll have the option to reserve any available week 1 year in advance. 

You will also have internal exchange options with the 110 resorts affiliated within THE Club. There is no exchange fee at this moment for internal exchanges. 

As part of THE Club's membership dues you are given an I.I. Gold membership. That means you don't have to pay to belong to I.I. in addition to your MF's and THE Club dues. I.I. Gold membership offers a few more choices, options and discounts that the standard membership doesn't offer. For me, this really isn't a big deal but others enjoy the additional benefits. 

I believe 2 bedroom units are assigned 14,500 THE Club points if converted. This is enough to get you an exchange into any resort in THE Club's list of member resorts. Comparing the number of points given PT's units to other DRI THE Club member resorts, it's really a pretty strong number of points. Keep in mind that it only takes 6,500 points to make a 2 bedroom exchange through I.I. With 14,500 points, you can exchange for two 2 bedroom units, no questions asked. 

THE Club has several other options available including saving your points into next year, using your points for cruise exchange, using a portion of your points to pay down your MF's or Club dues, car rentals, freq. flyer miles or air travel certificates on American Airlines. There are more benefits but that would take an entire other post to run through many of them.

Hope this answers more questions than it creates.


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## dougp26364 (Apr 28, 2008)

Opps, tower 1 Suites at Polo Towers 2 bedroom units convert to 12,000 points. The Villa's at Polo Towers 2 bedroom units are the units that convert to 14,500. 

Still, 12,000 THE Club points with DRI would get you a 2 bedroom exchange and a 1 bedroom exchange and still leave 500 points left over.


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## MAZxxx (Apr 29, 2008)

*Thanks!*

Thanks all, especially Doug, for your comprehensive answers.


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