# Home Advantage - Using Wyndham Points



## BillandSusan (Jun 8, 2010)

Is there a minimum amount of points you need to have to get home advantage?  For example, If I owned 154,000 points in Williamsburg, I understand that I can reserve 12 months out in Williamsburg.  However, what if I only owned 49,000 points in Williamsburg and another 105,000 in Las Vegas.  Would I have the 12 month advantage at both resorts?


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## vacationhopeful (Jun 8, 2010)

Your ARP (Advanced Reservation Priority) is limited to the number of points which you own for that resort that are in the same Use Year.

Here is the EXCEPTION: Myrtle Beach - all resorts there share ARP among their points which are deeded there. It is a regional ARP.

2nd Exception (for all resorts): deeded FIXED WEEKS which have been converted to Points. The ARP is ONLY for the week number and unit number of the underlying week.

Same USE YEAR: Definition - Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct are the 4 start months of Use Year (when your points are renewed/freshed/expire).  ARP is about the only restriction on not being able to combine different use years. So UDI points Bonnet Creek with a Use Year of April can NOT be combined with Bonnet Creek UDI Points with a use year of July. At the 10 month mark before checkin, Points are Points.

Hope this helps.

APR starts 13 months before checkin, not 12 months.


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## BillandSusan (Jun 8, 2010)

*Thanks for the response*

Ok, so you're saying that I can reserve at the resort 13 months out, but only up to either 105k or 49k points, except in Myrtle Beach where I can combine the two contracts to get the full 154k.  

I always get confused.  When I go online to look for reservations, I think I should be able to see what's available up until to July, 2011, since that is 13 months out from June, 2010.


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## jjmanthei05 (Jun 8, 2010)

BillandSusan said:


> Ok, so you're saying that I can reserve at the resort 13 months out, but only up to either 105k or 49k points, except in Myrtle Beach where I can combine the two contracts to get the full 154k.



You can only combine those 2 contracts to get ARP if they were both myrtle beach contracts. The 2 contracts you have would not qualify. Your ARP would be for 105K at Las Vegas for 10 -13 months and 49K at Williamsburg from 10-13 months. At the 10 month mark they could be combined together to go to any resort. 

If you own 2 contracts which were both at Williamsburg for example with the same use year (ie jan - dec) then those 2 can be combined for ARP.

Jason


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## BillandSusan (Jun 8, 2010)

*Got it, thanks.*

Just when I thought I had it all figured out, a new question comes to mind.  I've been TS for years, but learn something new every day on TUG.


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## Goofyhobbie (Jun 8, 2010)

Bill and Susan,

As others before me have explained, your Wyndham point ownership is for 154,000 points and right now on the Wyndham website (www.wyndhamvacationresorts.com) you should be able to see your  information regarding each of your contracts and, on a different page, you should be able to see your current point status.

When looking at the point status page, depending on your Use Year for each contract, you should see the points available in your account for 2010, 2011 and 2012. 

*IF* both of your contracts have the same Use Year the combined total will show as one total number under each calander year total.

But, if each contract has a different Use Year, as described by vacationhopeful, in her post above, the number of points for each will be separated under the "Total" for each calendar year.

On the first day that is exactly ten months from your desired check-in, you can request a reservation using all of your 154,000 point allotment, *IF* the points show-up on your point status page as available for a reservation that literally begans ten months from the date that you make the request.

After that tenth month out date, your chances of getting exactly what you desire diminish because of reservation requests of other members of Club Wyndham Plus.

*Meanwhile,* it is possible that you have an ARP privilege at a Wyndham Resort other than the Las Vegas resort and/or other than the Williamsburg, VA resort.

The following TIP will soon be available to all Wyndham Owners who access the New TUG Advice series of Articles  entitled: *Wyndham Points* which Brian Rogers is currently up-loading to the TUG Advice Section in the section for  Wyndham Resorts.

The following is an excerpt from the Wyndham Points Article VIII entitled: *How to Maximize Your Points (“The Nuts & Bolts”):* 



> *TIP:*  A re-sale contract specifying the previous owner’s home resort may have originally been created while the previous Wyndham owner was at a totally different resort from the one that ultimately became that purchaser’s “home” resort. If so, it is possible that an eleven month ARP at the resort where the sale took place was attached to the original contract in the Wyndham computer. Whether this situation applies to a contract can be determined by contacting a Wyndham employee in the Research and Transfer of Ownership department: (866-812-9798).
> 
> *Example:* One of my contracts for points at Wyndham Ocean Boulevard in North Myrtle Beach, SC that was originally purchased at Wyndham Old Town Alexandria had a Wyndham computer notation that confirmed an 11 month out ARP advantage at Wyndham Old Town Alexandria as well as the 13 month out ARP for Wyndham Myrtle Beach, SC.  Always consider your ARP advantage when shopping for your contract(s).


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## jjmanthei05 (Jun 8, 2010)

Goofyhobbie said:


> *Meanwhile,* it is possible that you have an ARP privilege at a Wyndham Resort other than the Las Vegas resort and/or other than the Williamsburg, VA resort.
> 
> The following TIP will soon be available to all Wyndham Owners who access the New TUG Advice series of Articles  entitled: *Wyndham Points* which Brian Rogers is currently up-loading to the TUG Advice Section in the section for  Wyndham Resorts.
> 
> The following is an excerpt from the Wyndham Points Article VIII entitled: *How to Maximize Your Points (“The Nuts & Bolts”):*



Goofy,

       Awesome info. I just have one question about the added arp possibility. Is that only possible on UDI contracts or could it be available on coverted weeks as well?

Thanks,

Jason


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## Goofyhobbie (Jun 8, 2010)

> Awesome info. I just have one question about the added arp possibility. Is that only possible on UDI contracts or could it be available on coverted weeks as well?



Jason,

Normally, I would think the eleven month ARP would not apply to the "converted week contracts;" because the original purchaser of the "fixed week" at the time of the original purchase had no expectation of what we now refer to as "Advanced Reservation Priority."  

As an owner of the fixed week, that owner's expectation regarding what was then Fairfield was the expectation that his specific week and unit would be available when he showed-up.

Yes, such an owner did have the expectation that they could  exchange their "fixed week" through what was then known as "FAX" (Internal Fairfield Exchange Program); but that privilage, to the best of my knowledge gave preference to the Fairfield/Wyndhm owners using it equally, regardless of where they owned. 

But, let's suppose that the underlying contract for the 49,000 points or the 105,000 points became a point contract as the result of a conversion of the "fixed week" and the conversion took place at a resort like Wyndham Ocean Boulevard while the original purchaser was undergoing the stress of a Wyndham Update.

Theoretically, if the original owner of your points at Williamsburg purchased "retail" points, say at Wyndham Ocean Boulevard; but the points were say for a "home resort" at Wyndham National Harbor; that owner might have, at the time, "converted" a fixed week at Williamsburg or Las Vegas.  

Theoretically, because the conversion took place at Wyndham Ocean Boulevard, it may be possible that an eleventh month ARP privilage attached to the Williamsburg and/or the Las Vegas associated underlying contract for those points as well as to the National Harbor associated "retail" purchase.

Such a scenerio may have been possible if the enire package was given an eleventh month ARP at Ocean Boulevard.

My recommendation is to contact Wyndham at the phone number provided and simply ask whether or not either contract has an attached eleven month ARP at a different Wyndham resort;simply because the underlying contract may have been written at a resort different from the "home resort."

As they say, "nothing ventured, nothing gained!"


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## ausman (Jun 8, 2010)

But if you do an equity trade, which this sounds like, don't you simply surrender your current ownerships, for a new and improved ownership.

In which case all you would have, which presumably was the reason for doing the deal in the first place, would be the privileges associated with the new and improved ownership.


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## BellaWyn (Jun 9, 2010)

Depends on how and where you do the deal. Even in an equity trade you can get an RARP (Reciprocal Advance Reservation Priority) depending on where and how you do the trade.  Often, the resort you are visiting may not have new product to sell at that location.  So, they will try to sell another resort location.

Example:  You're in Daytona Beach, you do an equity trade with your Tahoe location for Bonnet Creek.  You now own X# of points in BC that have ARP for BC but you also get RARP for Daytona.

Gold VIP can "invoke" an additional 11-month RARP one time a year.  Plats can invoke twice a year.  When a VIP opts into invoking an additional RARP, it doesn't have to be at any location they own or purchased from.  It can be for any Wyndham Managed property in the system.


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## Goofyhobbie (Jun 9, 2010)

*Home Advantage Using Wyndham Points*

*Hi Bellawyn,*

Thanks for the reminder. The operative words to describe the "eleven month" ARP are "Reciprocal Advance Reservation Priority" (RARP) which, as you pointed out, is given as an incentive to close a deal at a sold out resort where there is no longer the opportunity to sell the prospect points other than at a New resort still with symbolic points available.

*Mark*,

What I referred to above would not have been an “equity trade.” 

Unless Bellawyn, or someone else with experience on the question being discussed can clarify more precisely, I believe that sometime around December, 2006 or maybe January 2007 Fairfield Resorts, Inc./Wyndham was still offering "equity trades.” But, as far as I know, they stopped offering “equity trades” sometime between 2007 and 2009. 

Back then, if you were the original owner of fixed week(s) and you were also buying "retail" points from the developer, Wyndham would take your deed(s) at the older fixed week resort and issue a new deed at the new UDI resort.

The New Deed would spell out the total UDI points at the NEW resort; but part of those points would be what you purchased “new” and part would include UDI points that were the result of the “equity trade.” 

The "equity trade" paperwork would have identified the New Contract Number and the Existing Contract Number(s) followed by a statement something like what you see below:



> Equity Trade Addendum​
> In exchange for the execution of the New Contract, Wyndham Vacation Resorts, Inc. ("Seller") agrees to apply Buyer's equity in the Existing Contract(s) toward the New Contract.



It would be interesting to know exactly what happened to the underlying fixed week timeshare(s) that were “traded-in.”  Did Wyndham dispose of those “contracts” by re-selling them as point contracts at the old resort? If they did, the contract(s) would have, no doubt given ARP to that particular “old” Fairfield resort and probably NOT with an attached eleven month ARP at the resort where the transaction took place between Wyndham and the UDI point buyer.


What I was referring to is the situation where a “conversion” as opposed to an “equity trade” takes place.  When a “conversion” takes place the underlying fixed week timeshare property remains in the name of the owner making the “conversion.”  No “equity trade” takes place.

The Use Year is established as a January 1 to December 31 Use Year; and, if the owner has NOT notified Wyndham ten months before the check-in date that he is not going to use his ARP privilege and reserve his Unit Week, the equivalent points are available for his use until they expire on December 31.

In my example above, I assume that an original owner goes to an older resort Wyndham Sales office (example:  Wyndham Ocean Boulevard) and purchases NEW “retail” UDI points tied to a “home resort” such as Wyndham National Harbor.  I also assume that the Buyer takes the opportunity to convert one or more fixed weeks that he originally purchased from Fairfield many years ago (possibly at Williamsburg or Las Vegas).

Upon conversion he retains the contract number and the original deed, if there was one, with the “maintenance fee” obligation at the old Fairfield resort.  But, in my hypothetical, because the transaction including the conversion, took place at a resort different from either the Old resort or the New resort, the Buyer may have received an eleven month ARP advantage at the resort where he signed the contract (in my example:  Wyndham Ocean Boulevard) that was equal to the points acquired at the New resort and equal to the points received for the conversion.

IF, and only IF, my theory is true, it may have resulted in an “orphan” fixed week contract converted to points, entering the re-sale market with the hypothetical eleven month ARP privilege attached at the “selling point” resort (Wyndham Ocean Boulevard.) 

It is just a theory thrown out there for anyone who may have experienced a transaction like the one described to jump in and share their personal experience.


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## BellaWyn (Jun 9, 2010)

Goofyhobbie said:


> It would be interesting to know exactly what happened to the underlying fixed week timeshare(s) that were “traded-in.”  Did Wyndham dispose of those “contracts” by re-selling them as point contracts at the old resort? If they did, the contract(s) would have, no doubt given ARP to that particular “old” Fairfield resort and probably NOT with an attached eleven month ARP at the resort where the transaction took place between Wyndham and the UDI point buyer.


Dave:
The POA may get to decide what to do with those contracts at the time of resale.  For prime seasons, some FW product still has value.  We've flipped several re-sale FW's (pre-2007), some of which were acquired privately, and others acquired via WYN sales.  I've gone back and done deed searches on the contracts we flipped (because I had the same curiosity).  Some remained FW's and were re-sold as such.   Others were converted and sold as points.  In order for Wyn to convert a FW contract to a point contract, there still has to be "valuable consideration" in the conversion between WYN and the POA, which then becomes public record.

As to any RARP attached to those contracts, no idea.  

Caite


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## vacationhopeful (Jun 9, 2010)

Dave,
I went to several HOA Annual Meetings in Pompano this winter.  The HOAs are selling all the foreclosed Fixed Weeks to Club Access - as I was told for $1 total price. I was informed that Owners would only "cherry pick" the best units and Wyndham was willing to take all, but not the leftovers. And then Club Access would start to pay MFs.

So the HOAs foreclose, pay legal fees, absorb the unpaid MFs and whenever, Wyndham Club Access *needs* more inventory, pay $1 for the number of units they want --- and Wyndham accuses the current owners of cherry picking? How much of a profit is Wyndham making off inventory that they paid pennies for when they sell Club Access?

Bet the cherry picking owners would pay more immediately.


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## jjmanthei05 (Jun 10, 2010)

vacationhopeful said:


> Dave,
> I went to several HOA Annual Meetings in Pompano this winter.  The HOAs are selling all the foreclosed Fixed Weeks to Club Access - as I was told for $1 total price. I was informed that Owners would only "cherry pick" the best units and Wyndham was willing to take all, but not the leftovers. And then Club Access would start to pay MFs.
> 
> So the HOAs foreclose, pay legal fees, absorb the unpaid MFs and whenever, Wyndham Club Access *needs* more inventory, pay $1 for the number of units they want --- and Wyndham accuses the current owners of cherry picking? How much of a profit is Wyndham making off inventory that they paid pennies for when they sell Club Access?
> ...



...and the left over weeks would sit there and still be nonperforming deeds putting the HOA in the same position as if they never foreclosed in the first place. The HOA would pay all those costs to foreclose anyway and then they don't have to raise everyone else’s maint fees as much because they are holding x% of their units and still need the maint fees. I think I am sounding like a wyndham apologist and am not trying to be but I would think if the HOA can move most of their nonperforming inventory and start getting maint fees for it, any of them would jump at the offer.


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## vacationhopeful (Jun 20, 2010)

jjmanthei05,
Yes, I know the HOAs have to pay the legal fees and forego the MFs until a new owner is put onto that deed.  IMO, Club Access is not the "white knight" that Wyndham Vacation Resorts toutes at the HOA meetings.  One resort where there has a very high percentage of nonperforming units due to excessive Special Assessments under Wyndham's watch, had 10 (ten) deeds transfer just a few days before the HOA meeting (so as to say at the meeting that transfer of deeds was happening now - untold as to the actual number).  Also, there was no planned or forecasted future occurance - just when and if more deeds were requested by Club Access.  And Club Access was not being "sold" in that area.

That is why I asked about the foreclosed being sold to current owners by the HOA.  "Cherry picking" was the term Wyndham personnel used; yet that same person was picking the weeks being turned over to "Club Access". And told me that Wyndham paid $1 as the transfer price to the HOA.

One of my non-Wyndham resorts regularly sells weeks to current owners. They even have a placade in each unit and an ad on the cable TV running in the units (activities & select units for sale at discount).  They accept trades (upgrades or downgrades for a total cost of $250 per transaction -- I did one, as have several other owners that I know). And we have a much lower nonpaying history at that resort than any of the 4 local Wyndham resorts within 6 miles. And this resort is an older resort where Wyndham has newer condos at some of the resorts.

When I discussed the above resort selling to current owners, I was told Wyndham would discontinue buying _any weeks _at the distressed resort if the HOA sold to anyone else. The HOA board is controlled by Wyndham management.

So the HOA is literally paying for holding onto inventory for the Wyndham sales group.  I say, if you want the inventory, Wyndham, take it within 10 business days of clean title. All of it. And pay the MFs starting then, too.


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## jjmanthei05 (Jun 21, 2010)

vacationhopeful said:


> That is why I asked about the foreclosed being sold to current owners by the HOA.  "Cherry picking" was the term Wyndham personnel used; yet that same person was picking the weeks being turned over to "Club Access". And told me that Wyndham paid $1 as the transfer price to the HOA.



Linda,

I guess I didn't understand the whole situation. I thought they were taking ALL of the inventory from the HOA. This is completely out of bounds if they are taking only 5% or less of the inventory and not letting the rest be moved. It even seems like bad business sense on Wyndham’s part because in that scenario the MF would be going up at the resort increasing the MF cost for Club Access. I think a fair solution is to offer right of first refusal in package terms to Wyndham. So say every month or every quarter the HOA packages all foreclosed deeds and offers them all to Wyndham. If Wyndham refuses the whole set then those all become available to the other owners. That way you wouldn't have "cherry picking" being done by either side. For that to work Wyndham would be required to act in a fair rational sense and I think we know how well they have done that in the past.:hysterical: 

Jason


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## learnalot (Jun 25, 2010)

*About Wyndham ARP*



BillandSusan said:


> Ok, so you're saying that I can reserve at the resort 13 months out, but only up to either 105k or 49k points, except in Myrtle Beach where I can combine the two contracts to get the full 154k.
> 
> I always get confused.  When I go online to look for reservations, I think I should be able to see what's available up until to July, 2011, since that is 13 months out from June, 2010.




Hi.  We just joined TUG and this is my first post, but we have been Wyndham owners for 7 years and I just wanted to clarify a couple things if I can.  

First of all, I think people have adequately explained that your regular ARP privilege is limited to the amount of points you have that would give ARP where you want to book, ie., if you own 105K at Myrtle Beach, and want to book something at Myrtle Beach 13 months out, you can only book something that uses 105K or less, (although you can access any of the resorts in Myrtle Beach at that time - you just can't use more than the 105K you own at Myrtle Beach).  The Smoky Mountain Properties also make no distinction for ARP whether you own at Governor's Crossing or the new Wilderness Lodge, if you own at either one, you can access both at 13 months.  

Second, people have also explained the Reciprocal ARP that comes with Gold or Platinum VIP status, which gives you an booking privileges at 11 months out (once per year for Gold members, twice for Platinum).  4th of July, Easter/Spring Break, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's are all excluded from this option, as is Myrtle Beach for June through August.  Also, it looks like it does not apply to resorts where Wyndham (or Fairfield prior) did not sell the UDI originally.  (The Pahio resorts in Hawaii, for example, are not included in this benefit).  But the majority of resorts in Wyndham's system are part of their UDI inventory.  

Additionally, 11 month reciprocal ARP is often added on a developer contract being written for a different location than where it is being purchased.  For example, a purchase contract is written in the Smokies, but they don't have inventory, so they deed the contract for somewhere else, say Bonnet Creek, and they attach an 11 month ARP for the Smokies to the contract.    The purchaser of this contract would have 13 month ARP at Bonnet Creek and 11 month ARP at the Smokies.

Further regarding ARP stuff, I believe Wyndham has "Collections" of resorts - currently the Legacy Collection (the original resorts - Fairfield Bay, Ocean Ridge, Pagosa, Flagstaff, Glade, Fairfield Harbour, Fairfield Mountains, Fairfield Plantation, and Sapphire Valley), and The Avenue Collection (urban locations and decor, less "resort" than location - currently properties include Waikiki Beach Walk, San Diego Harbour Lights, New Orleans Belle Maison, San Antonio Riverside Suites, Atlantic City Skyline Tower and San Francisco).  It is my understanding that a contract purchased in one of these locations (from the developer - not sure if this would apply to resales, I would assume not, but I don't know) gives you 13 month ARP at your "home" resort and 11 month ARP at the other locations in the collection to which you belong.  For example, if I purchased in San Francisco, I would have 13 month access at SFO and 11 month access at all the other Avenue Collection properties.  

Finally, just to let you know, you won't be able to see ARP online.  Online only shows you the 10 month window available to everyone.  To utilize your ARP, you have to call in.  I think a lot of people don't know that.

Hope this is helpful.  I am happy to have found such a great forum for sharing information.


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## BellaWyn (Jun 25, 2010)

*All about the contract!*

Really well done learnalot! 

Bottom line is that ARP and RARP are what are written into the contracts (developer & resale alike). Most UDI's locations are somewhat standardized.  But some contracts do have unique conditions. 

We were recently presented an offer when visiting a Cali location for purchase into a WYN HI location.  They were offering ARP on *ALL FIVE* of the HI locations as a condition of the purchase contract.  Of course the RARP would have been at the Cali location where we were visiting.  It was reminiscent of the MB ARP conditions.  But it surprised us because we had never been presented a HI location at a state-side resort.


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