# SVC shell vacation club affiliates and q's



## oceanvps (Sep 20, 2011)

If i buy a resale contract are the affiliates still bookable by a resale buyer? I ask this because I had bought worldmark resale and booking their affiliates is not practical if you buy your contract after 2006 so wondered if there were special rules about the shell affiliates.

If the anniversary date is March 2012 I have read that I would have to have booked the 2011 points by November 2011 is that correct? or used the 2011 points by then?

TIA


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## rickandcindy23 (Sep 20, 2011)

You have to bank your points by November, if your anniversary date is March.  You can still use them.

Booking the affiliates is something I haven't tried.  I assume I can still book Maui Schooner, though, if availability is there, and if I would be willing to take a full week.  I think Elite benefits just give you free transactions and free housekeeping fees; otherwise, there is not a whole lot of benefits to Elite that I can see.  Everyone can get the last-minute reservations with the low cost.  Everyone gets the same opportunities, as far as I know.   

Shell is going to II as of January 1st, and it was my portal to RCI Points exchanges for the higher-point exchanges I couldn't afford to take with my points:

Two bedrooms DVC Wilderness Lodge Villas for April: 118,950 points 
Two bedrooms DVC Wilderness Lodge Villas with Shell: 4,500 points

My cost per RCI point is .011, so that works out to over $1,200 with my points.

Shell was 4,500 points, and the cost of my CA points is $900

I was saving real money with that purchase.  I am disappointed, while others are happy.  I have plenty of great weeks to exchange in II.  I will be giving away our Shell points.


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## oceanvps (Sep 21, 2011)

so, you're not happy with shell? 

I'm trying to figure out it if buying shell is a mistake or not.


our main interest is hawaii so we'd buy svc hawaii club.

We have worldmark they have some  hawaii resorts but not many
we have vi but their hawaii resorts are pretty much out of the system by 2030 and i haven't figured out if or where they're going to replace them. 

i really enjoy bonus time features of my timeshares (specially worldmarks because its so flexible).  i gather svc also has something similar within 14 days?

i have an rci weeks and a II account already and I'm leaning towards keeping my II not my RCI when they renew.  

Is anyone happy with their Shell? Would they buy more Shell?


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## chellej (Sep 22, 2011)

I am happy with my shell but I bought primarily to use at shell resorts and RCI/II was just not the prime motivation.   

Shell did have an instant exchange with RCI for 700 points you could do a last minute exchange with RCI ( maybe within 14 days) but I never looked at doing it.  It was nice to be able to use the shell in both RCI weeks and RCI points but w'll see how they do in interval.


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## JohnPaul (Sep 24, 2011)

Maintenance fees at Shell are on the high end but the give services like changing your towels daily and making up your bed with existing linen.

With regards to affiliates it depends on what you mean.  Things like Puerto Vallarta and Harbor Vacations Club are available with resale points.

Things in the Shell Collections are bookable with resale points.  Things in Shell Lifestyles are not.

I'm not sure what puts it in one or the other as there are good things in both.  They just added their new San Diego hotel to Collections.

Finally, they have Select Connections which is their tie in with BlueGreen.  I'm pretty sure you can't use resale points for those.

I own 7000 developer points and 8500 resale points and how I can use them varies on the above.

Of course, you can always use resale points for Shell Resorts which is why we own.  We use the Donatello, Inn at the Opera and Vino Bello a lot.  

I think Shell has a lot of rules for things that make me a little crazy but overall I'm happy.


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## JohnPaul (Sep 24, 2011)

*Bonus Time*

One drawback to SVC bonus time (they call them Dash Away Deals) is that housekeeping is NOT included.  So if the bonus puts you over your housekeeping allocation it can be quite a bit more expensive.


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## Picker57 (Oct 10, 2011)

oceanvps said:


> Is anyone happy with their Shell? Would they buy more Shell?



Yes, we're reasonably happy with Shell. Some places are pricey (big points requirements) and we've been careful with those.  I think the MF's are close to what they would be with a deeded week at those same resorts (they're all nice places), so I'm not seeing a downside.....except for the damn mandatory RCI membership. If we needed any more timeshare 'stuff', we'd buy more Shell points.  

             -------Zach


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## unavailable55 (Oct 15, 2011)

My questions are regarding the AZ Collection.  That's closest for me to drive, I think.  If you buy resale would you be restricted to the 3 AZ resorts and what would the maintenance fees be?


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## Picker57 (Oct 15, 2011)

unavailable55 said:


> My questions are regarding the AZ Collection.  That's closest for me to drive, I think.  If you buy resale would you be restricted to the 3 AZ resorts and what would the maintenance fees be?



No, you wouldn't be limited to the Arizona resorts. I'm pretty sure (and somebody please correct me if I'm not) that the Arizona properties are part of the "West" Club, which also includes California and some other regions. HOWEVER....your booking privileges are greater in your home club - you can book a year ahead of time.  It is VERY helpful from the financial standpoint to have all your points in the same club. So if you want to use mostly Arizona resorts, make sure the points you purchase are for the appropriate "Home Club". Our points, for example, are all in the Hawaii Club.  Great resorts, but a helluva drive!

The Shell Vacations Club website should provide some additional information, even though a lot if the access is for "Members Only".  And there's always the phone and the "contact us" section.  Oh yes...maintenance fees.  They're charged on a sliding scale, X$ for the first 2500 points, etc.  I think that's also available on the website, but figure somewhere between 21 and 23 cents/point. 

              --------Zach


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## JohnPaul (Oct 16, 2011)

Picker57 said:


> No, you wouldn't be limited to the Arizona resorts. I'm pretty sure (and somebody please correct me if I'm not) that the Arizona properties are part of the "West" Club, which also includes California and some other regions. HOWEVER....your booking privileges are greater in your home club - you can book a year ahead of time.  It is VERY helpful from the financial standpoint to have all your points in the same club. So if you want to use mostly Arizona resorts, make sure the points you purchase are for the appropriate "Home Club". Our points, for example, are all in the Hawaii Club.  Great resorts, but a helluva drive!
> 
> The Shell Vacations Club website should provide some additional information, even though a lot if the access is for "Members Only".  And there's always the phone and the "contact us" section.  Oh yes...maintenance fees.  They're charged on a sliding scale, X$ for the first 2500 points, etc.  I think that's also available on the website, but figure somewhere between 21 and 23 cents/point.
> 
> --------Zach



The Arizona resorts are part of the Arizona club which is not the same as the West club that includes San Francisco and Napa.

Members of the home clubs have priority in reserving in those resorts.  You can book 12 months out in your home club.  Once you hit 9 months out you can book at any Shell Vacations Club resort.


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## Picker57 (Oct 16, 2011)

JohnPaul said:


> The Arizona resorts are part of the Arizona club which is not the same as the West club that includes San Francisco and Napa.
> 
> .



Oops.....my bad.  Good thing to know! 

             ZK


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## TSKeith (Nov 21, 2011)

rickandcindy23 said:


> I will be giving away our Shell points.



Did you have any luck giving your Shell points away? I have found 2 takers, and Shell vetoed the transfer, saying that they were "competitors". Neither of the new owners were brokers or had more than 1 Shell account, so I was just wondering if you have found the same barriers. If not, I have 3 that I need to give away....


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## JohnPaul (Nov 22, 2011)

TSKeith said:


> Did you have any luck giving your Shell points away? I have found 2 takers, and Shell vetoed the transfer, saying that they were "competitors". Neither of the new owners were brokers or had more than 1 Shell account, so I was just wondering if you have found the same barriers. If not, I have 3 that I need to give away....



Which Shell Club(s) are they?


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## chellej (Nov 22, 2011)

TSKeith said:


> Did you have any luck giving your Shell points away? I have found 2 takers, and Shell vetoed the transfer, saying that they were "competitors". Neither of the new owners were brokers or had more than 1 Shell account, so I was just wondering if you have found the same barriers. If not, I have 3 that I need to give away....



I don't understand how Shell can "veto" it.  If you own the contracts, they are yours to sell or give away.  THis does not make any sense to me.


I assume they are not willing to release you from the contract, so how can they do this


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