# Newbie to TS, questions about SA



## pauldogg (Feb 11, 2009)

Hello all.  New to the TS game.  Looking at a Dik unit (1Bd, Red, Float).  Any sage advice from the collective wisdom on the board?  Anyone had bad luck with Trading_Time and Sc0tt Ridd!e?  Better luck with SA resellers?

This would be my first purchase, looking to trade into Mex or Disney mostly off peak.


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## AwayWeGo (Feb 11, 2009)

*What We Did.*

Shux, South Africa timeshares were so cheap when we bought (2003 -- $750 for 2BR standard-grade fixed week with 6 years of RCI thrown in) that we didn't bother to dope out how well it would trade. 

Dikhololo & Lowveld Lodge, etc., were such outstanding values back then that we felt we could afford to spring & then just see how well it worked out.  I mean, the risk was minimal in case it didn't work out well.  Some folks risk more than that during just 1 Las Vegas vacation, & no doubt they have just as much fun as we have.  

By our reckoning, our 2BR Lowveld Lodge week would pay for itself after 3 exchanges into nice USA timeshares, & any trades after that would be gravy.  

That's exactly how it worked out.  The risk going in was minimal & the use up to now has been satisfactory. 

Obviously, we don't over-analyze around here. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## pauldogg (Feb 11, 2009)

Thanks for the reply Alan.  Since it's my first toe in the water of TS, and we just got back from Cabo (so I've been all lathered up by the local TS salesforce), my "Chief of Staff" is understandibly apprehensive.  I've been offered 1BR floating for $1500 at Dix, which seems a little high.  Good to hear that it sounds like a solid investment even at the higher price point.


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## rwroth (Feb 11, 2009)

*SA Purchases*

I agree with Alan's experience -- bought in at Sudwala & Glenmore Sands back in 2003 for something like $1500 & $900, the MFs (levy, in SA) have been low and I've had reasonably good exchanges. One chaveate (?) I have to mention is that SA units are a devil to get rid of. Although several brokers have been mentioned on TUG, and I've dealt with them, I haven't been able to sell units in a couple years. Also, when/if sold, fund transfer takes a long time -- I'm told.


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## jdetar (Feb 11, 2009)

rwroth said:


> I agree with Alan's experience -- bought in at Sudwala & Glenmore Sands back in 2003 for something like $1500 & $900, the MFs (levy, in SA) have been low and I've had reasonably good exchanges. One chaveate (?) I have to mention is that SA units are a devil to get rid of. Although several brokers have been mentioned on TUG, and I've dealt with them, I haven't been able to sell units in a couple years. Also, when/if sold, fund transfer takes a long time -- I'm told.



Interesting about dumping the units. I haven't heard much about trouble before.. I guess it depends what you own though. Some SA is just more valuable than others, just like Florida, or anywhere for that matter.


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## readyalready (Feb 12, 2009)

I think that price is too high.  I tried to sell one of my weeks last year for a reasonable price and had no takers, I think like anything it is timing though.  My most recent weeks banked have been really strong, even pulling the DVC deposits.  I wonder if the trading power is coming back...


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## Art4th (Feb 12, 2009)

I bought from Scott Riddle many years ago and paid too much then. He's still charging too much. You should be able to buy a SA week for about $400-$500 or less. I'm sure there are some for sale right here on TUG.

I've owned at Mt. Amanzi and still own at Sudwala. They've always done alright by me for my exchanges. I've also sold three of them without too much trouble to friends who wanted an inexpensive entry into the TS world.


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## cr4909 (Feb 12, 2009)

pauldogg said:


> Looking at a Dik unit (1Bd, Red, Float).  Any sage advice from the collective wisdom on the board?  Anyone had bad luck with Trading_Time and Sc0tt Ridd!e?  This would be my first purchase, looking to trade into Mex or Disney mostly off peak



Yes, I did buy from him a few years ago and found him easy to deal with.  The best part about his company is he'll give you access to his RCI account.  Just call him up and ask him about access to his test account.  Then go to Florida->LakeBuenaVista and look at the DVC's.  Just remember this . . . Not all Diks are created equal.

He has several Dik weeks deposited and you can see the difference.  Most can pull all the DVC weeks and you should be able to see anything you want.  But there are others that can't pull any DVC.  Make sure you ask him what you're looking at so you can compare apples to apples. 

A few points about SA timeshares:
1) Conversion rate is variable and could increase.  In the past year, the dollar is 30% stronger against the Rand, but don't expect this trend to continue.  Go to www.iccfx.com for past history.
2) Trading power can be variable.  A few years ago RCI "adjusted" the trading power for SA resorts and many took a hit.  However, Dik still seems to be a great trader.
3) In general, MF's are cheap.  For comparison, my 2 BD GC Castleburn week was 2088 Rand this year (about $210) and can pull anything I want.
4) If you choose at a later point to join RCI Points, then you can convert the week into points each year for a small (slowly increasing) fee.  With low MF's, this is usually a good deal.

I do agree that $1400 is probaby too high for a 1 BD.  Try to make him an offer.  It is a buyer's market afterall.  If you do look at other resellers or owners, just be sure you know exactly what you are getting so you can compare.  If you get the wrong Dik, you could be S*O*L for getting DVC exchanges.


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## AwayWeGo (Feb 12, 2009)

*Minor Quibble.  (Picky, Picky.)*




cr4909 said:


> If you choose at a later point to join RCI Points, then you can convert the week into points each year for a small (slowly increasing) fee.  With low MF's, this is usually a good deal.


Same goes if you're already a member of RCI Points. 

When an owner converts a timeshare week annually (& optionally) to points that way, RCI calls it _Points For Deposit_.  When RCI & affiliated timeshares refer to points "conversion" of a timeshare week, they mean permanently changing its RCI status by taking it out of RCI Weeks & putting it into RCI Points. 

The only reason for raising such a picky quibble over the terminology is that before I got the 2 terms straight, I had a devil of a time grasping what the timeshare sellers & others meant in their discussions of points & conversions, etc.  Since it made my head spin, I reckon chances are others could get semi-confused as well. 

_Points For Deposit_ is up to the timeshare owner to do or not do in any given year.  It is not automatic.  

_Points For Deposit_ started out free.  Then RCI added a $26 charge for each instance of _Points For Deposit_.  Then lately RCI jacked that up to $27.  Where it will end nobody knows. 

Once when I called up RCI to get'm to deposit my banked SA fixed week into points (i.e., do _Points For Deposit_ with it), the RCI person said that particular week won't work for _Points For Deposit_ because the timeshare resort where it's located is on the points system & only straight-weeks at weeks resorts can be used for _Points For Deposit_. 

What's going on is that apparently within South Africa there is some kind of timeshare points system in place that applies to owners who live in Africa & possibly in Europe & maybe some other places too, but that "points" system (whatever it is) does not apply to owners in North America -- not to USA owners, anyhow.  

I called RCI back once or twice till I connected with an RCI person who understands that, for USA purposes, South African RCI timeshares work the same as straight weeks & are OK for _Points For Deposit_.  

The various ins & outs of timeshares & timesharing & weeks & points & deposits & conversions & I don't know what-all are so complicated that I don't think I could ever have caught on all at once.  I've had to figure things out bit by bit even to reach the semi-knowledgeable state I'm in today.  Right now, I know just enough to be dangerous.  So it goes. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## philemer (Feb 12, 2009)

I've read good things on these boards about Scott Riddle. If he can help you pick good trading weeks each year it 'may' be worth paying more upfront. There are a number of legit places to buy SA weeks but not sure how much help you'll get after the sale.  Do your due diligence, of course. And, as someone said above, asking prices are not necessarily firm.


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