# Sick to my stomach!!! Feel taken!



## Hilton_Lemonade (Aug 20, 2014)

So I purchased over a year ago now. And we upgraded about 6 months ago and now own @ flamingo in Las Vegas. 7000 platinum week points annually, and 40k bonus points good till 2016. Everything I have been told feels like a lie.  I paid $34k for this and i see i can get it for 7-10K$???????????? WTF is going on? I mean what can I do? Am I just screwed? I mean I should be able to get my money back when I was bold faced lied to and there is a contract??? We have been taken hands down!
What can I do? Legal action?
We love the resorts and RCI exchanges but this is out of control!
Just researching the next vacation and found this site...

I feel like screaming!


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## DeniseM (Aug 20, 2014)

It may not make you feel any better, but this is the nature of timeshare sales.   When you buy from the developer, the price is far higher than the resale market - at nearly every resort on the face of the earth.

However, you are in good company - about half the regulars on TUG also purchased their first timeshare from the developer, and we like timesharing, and we are still here.

At this point, your best bet it to hang out with us, and learn how to get the most enjoyment out of what you own - WELCOME!


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## brigechols (Aug 20, 2014)

You are outside the rescission period. You cannot unring the bell at this point so continue to enjoy the resorts and exchanges. Welcome to TUG


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## Passepartout (Aug 20, 2014)

Welcome to TUG. In a recent poll, the numbers are just about 50/50% the TUGgers who bought retail and those who bought resale first. You are among friends.

It isn't so much that you were 'taken, but that the business model of timeshare developers is that their marketing requires that about 50% of the price is taken up by marketing. Commissions for salesfolks, those prizes for attending presentations, gift cards, fancy sales rooms, multiple layers of people to apply ever greater pressure to sign people up.

Hilton is a great product, and you will have lots of great vacations. Stick around TUG, learn to make the most of your ownership. No need to be sick to your stomach, just learn to use what you bought.

All the best!

Jim


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## Hilton_Lemonade (Aug 20, 2014)

I do enjoy it and loved it without any regrets until about 30 minutes ago!  I am a firm believer in when both parties are happy its a done deal but 5x the going used price? I dunno just seems out of control.


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## DeniseM (Aug 20, 2014)

takenbyhilton said:


> I do enjoy it and loved it without any regrets until about 30 minutes ago!  I am a firm believer in when both parties are happy its a done deal but 5x the price? I dunno just seems out of control.



It completely normal in the industry.  In fact, many timeshares have NO resale value, so you actually bought one that does - give yourself a pat on the back for that.

At this point, you have zero recourse, so put it behind you, hang out with us, and enjoy your ownership.


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## csxjohn (Aug 20, 2014)

It's time to take a deep breath and stop beating yourself up.  At the time you bought you thought you were getting value for your purchase.  


Do you have specifics and documentation of how exactly you were lied to?

I'm not attempting to give you false hope but we have been reading lately that there are more and more lawsuits against developers for these practices.

I don't see much becoming of them because the only thing that usually matters is what's in the documents you signed.

It might me worth looking into however, especially if you financed the purchase and have given them only a little real money.


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## alwysonvac (Aug 20, 2014)

*Take a deep breath*

Welcome to TUG 

It's water under the bridge. Enjoy your timeshare. 

You're not the only one here who bought from the developer and there are those who have paid a whole lot more. :ignore:
See this thread. It's a 50/50 split - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214613

Now you're aware that you can make any additional purchases via the resale market for much less  
Stick around and learn how to get the maximum usage from your points.


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## PearlCity (Aug 20, 2014)

takenbyhilton said:


> I do enjoy it and loved it without any regrets until about 30 minutes ago!  I am a firm believer in when both parties are happy its a done deal but 5x the going used price? I dunno just seems out of control.


The price descrepancy wasn't so great until the recent recession.  But at least now you know. If you ever want to add points you know about the resale market. Stick around and read up. You can learn to maximize your points, exchanging into different places etc.


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## Hilton_Lemonade (Aug 20, 2014)

csxjohn said:


> It's time to take a deep breath and stop beating yourself up.  At the time you bought you thought you were getting value for your purchase.
> 
> 
> Do you have specifics and documentation of how exactly you were lied to?
> ...



We were told that you cannot sell for less than the selling price because Hilton wont allow it to protect the brand.
We were told that if we bought outside of Hilton we could not book RCI.
We were told that we would only be able to stay at about 6 resorts if we bought resale. 
Plus much more I would have to ask the Wife more details.

That being said we had been to dozens of TS presentations before and never bought we just decided we wanted Hilton so we went back. Never even considered we were being lied to by the huge Hilton brand. I didn't think it was like West Gate.

Thanks for the warm welcome. It means a lot. I guess I'm a little calmer now i feel like I'm coming out of literal shock. Need a beer...


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## Talent312 (Aug 20, 2014)

Caveat emptor.

Consider a brand new car... In 5 years, it's worth ~ 37% of what you paid. _[Edmunds]_
What you're seeing is all that depreciation swooping in on you all at once.
They say a motor vehicle is a wasting asset.  Your TS is just plain wasted.

At least it will last longer than the car.


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## Hilton_Lemonade (Aug 20, 2014)

Can I rent and still use and make some money back? Is there a profitable market with 7k points to still go on some myself?
Anything else I should know that would help ease this pain? 
Can I call Hilton and raise hell and get more bonus points?


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## DeniseM (Aug 20, 2014)

takenbyhilton said:


> Never even considered we were being lied to by the huge Hilton brand. I didn't think it was like West Gate



We have a saying around here:  

How can you tell if a timeshare salesperson is Lying?  Their lips are moving...


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## SmithOp (Aug 20, 2014)

First, welcome to the club!  I paid $40K before I learned about resale.  You job now is to learn how to use your points and stretch to get the most usage.

Now to answer your questions below.
Selling Price - you can only get what you paid IF you trade it back in for another purchase, not a wise use, better to keep and buy more resale points.

RCI booking - this is a lie, resale is not restricted from using RCI.

6 Resorts - another lie, you can use resale points at any HGVC or Affiliate.

The key is that all the lies they told you are not in writing in your contract!  The only thing you or HGVC is bound by is the written, signed contract, all the verbal promises and threats are not valid!



takenbyhilton said:


> We were told that you cannot sell for less than the selling price because Hilton wont allow it to protect the brand.
> We were told that if we bought outside of Hilton we could not book RCI.
> We were told that we would only be able to stay at about 6 resorts if we bought resale.
> Plus much more I would have to ask the Wife more details.
> ...


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## vacationhopeful (Aug 20, 2014)

Yee, $34,000 for 3 weeks annually in a 1bdr in Hilton resorts -- money is gone; just look at the value you are getting from your yearly MFs.

If you owned a vacation house, how many weeks a year would you be there? You have a limited number of vacation days as you have to work. So, MAX is 3 weeks of vacations? RIGHT?

Your Hilton units are, no doubt, VERY NICE ... kept clean and updated. It is a place where you and the family can sleep and play -- without ANY maintenance work to be done. You don't like a resort, choose every year to go to another resort. Need a 1 bdr this year or a 3 bdr next, PLAN and you will have those size units. Much better than owning a fixed vacation home.

Your feelings today are that you were scammed ... you should spend more time watching info-commericals. On TV, it is hard to figure out the junk plastic or tissue paper used to make those products. You stayed and slept in a Hilton unit when you brought your first set of points; you had been a member for 6+ months, when you added on MORE POINTS. 

So start learn HOW TO USE this Hilton points - planning vacations. Including other elements of your family ... right now, I trying to figure out, SHOULD I take my 89 yo aunt to WDW for the first time in her life?  Would be a PRICELESS vacation for her to meet Mickey and Minnie ... 

Surely with 40K Bonus points you have A LOT OF PLANNING to do - 40K plus 7K (2015) +7K (2016) ... 54K --- HOW many weeks of vacations for your family? 
So, take a very deep breath, get out the Hilton picture book and move forward to enjoying the rest of your life ...... by planning great vacations your KIDS will tell their KIDS ... that you took them on when they were a little tykes. And be the family who your kid's friends say to you, "Wish my parents took us to those great places!" or "Can I be YOUR kid? You do such neat stuff!".


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## presley (Aug 20, 2014)

takenbyhilton said:


> Can I rent and still use and make some money back? Is there a profitable market with 7k points to still go on some myself?
> Anything else I should know that would help ease this pain?
> Can I call Hilton and raise hell and get more bonus points?



If you were happy before you read this website, you can go back to being happy.  HGVC is a great system with a great product.  They have a sales model that involves getting you to buy whatever they can sell you.  And, they will try to get you to buy more whenever you take another vacation.  Usually, they do not lie in the presentations, but there are times that they do.  If the lie wasn't in writing, you have no contract for whatever they said to you. 

You can rent your home week, but I doubt it would be very profitable.  You'd pay the annual dues + the guest fee.  If you book something like New Year's Eve, maybe you'd make a good profit.  Rentals are generally iffy.

Nothing will ease the pain.  When you bought/signed the contract, you were probably happy with your purchase.  Keep bringing back that feeling/memory.  Use your product and enjoy it.

You cannot get anything from Hilton.  If you ever speak to their sales department again, they will try to upsell you.  They will offer you more points for more money.  You should not talk to them.  If you are so inclined, you can document all the actual lies, mentioning the sales person and sales managers by name and file a BBB complaint as well as send it to the head of HGVC.  I doubt anything will ever come of it, but you might feel better about it.


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## alwysonvac (Aug 20, 2014)

takenbyhilton said:


> Can I rent and still use and make some money back? Is there a profitable market with 7k points to still go on some myself?
> Anything else I should know that would help ease this pain?
> Can I call Hilton and raise hell and get more bonus points?



Honestly, I won't change your usage strategy because you just found about the resale market. Yes, it stings to learn that others have bought it for less but that doesn't mean you can't continue to enjoy the resorts and RCI exchanges as you've done so far. Obviously you like the club since you upgraded and bought additional points. 

Don't lose focus on why you bought HGVC in the first place. It's a great system with lots of flexibility.


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## Hilton_Lemonade (Aug 20, 2014)

We do love it. We almost bought Disney but didn't because of the 50 year lease period.

We have 6 vacations planned with HGVC / RCI now, and more to book because we don't want to lose the 7,000 bonus points. We are looking for nice places in Gatlinburg and Key West now but no luck as of yet.


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## vacationhopeful (Aug 20, 2014)

Go read the Wyndham thread - almost all the Wyndham resorts are not near as nice as your Hilton properties - but as a much BIGGER system, a lot more people who feel _TAKEN by Wyndham_ and many for a similar amount of money. And there are some, on TUG here, who Wyndham has clean out their bank accounts for $100,000+ of developer brought points. And some were the GRANDPARENTS who thought this was a gift to their grandchildren.

I met a guy who got SOLD some Wyndham timeshares for $70,000 about 6 years ago.  He had spent that sum of money 5+ years early - it was still eating at him. He did not enjoy the vacations - was never looking forward to going to any Wyndham resort - had been paying years on his loan & then those growing MF payments every year ... his blood pressure was high as he HAD TO USE those points every year. The only joy at a resort he got, was sitting at the pool bar and drinking beer. 

Look forward ... read and learn ... plan next summer's vacation & a fall getaway. Perhaps, that Dream Trip to Hawaii (2 or 3 island for 3 weeks?) Have the grandparents tag along? Your wife's sister? Your brother?

Just keep them and yourself OUT of the sales meeting rooms. Most of us here on TUG feel the $100 bribe is too low of a payment for our vacation time...


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## thelug (Aug 20, 2014)

We paid a bunch too. Lesson learned. Sucks hard. Your not alone. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## alwysonvac (Aug 20, 2014)

takenbyhilton said:


> We do love it. We almost bought Disney but didn't because of the 50 year lease period.



You can use your HGVC to trade into Disney  
See this thread - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=206584



> We have 6 vacations planned with HGVC / RCI now, and more to book because we don't want to lose the 7,000 bonus points. We are looking for nice places in Gatlinburg and Key West now but no luck as of yet.



In the RCI Directory, I see that there are only three resorts in Key West and only 1 of the 3 is a Gold Crown (Galleon Resort) so you'll definitely want to setup an ongoing RCI search request due to the limited availability. I also noticed in the RCI Directory lots of RCI Points Resort in Gatlinburg so you probably want to start searching for those online at 10 months before check-in for the highly desireable resorts in that area during the peak travel season.

Here are some posts that you might find helpful regarding RCI.
- http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1662969&postcount=16
- http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1605364&postcount=5

Good Luck


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## Passepartout (Aug 20, 2014)

takenbyhilton said:


> We have 6 vacations planned with HGVC / RCI now, and more to book because we don't want to lose the 7,000 bonus points. We are looking for nice places in Gatlinburg and Key West now but no luck as of yet.



Since it seems you want to do some exchanging, you may want to consider actually joining TUG. Your $15/year membership gives you access to reviews by TUGgers of thousands of resorts worldwide. It also removes that pesky 'Guest' designation and replaces it with the prestigious 'Member' moniker showing that you are truly 'in the know'.  Oh, by writing reviews of resorts you visit, you can earn extra time on your membership. As few as 2 reviews a year and your membership can be free.

Jim 

P.S. I know that today, the hurt of discovering that you overpaid is a little fresh, but over time, you'll probably feel like changing your username.


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## Sandy VDH (Aug 20, 2014)

I'm assuming 40K HGVC Bonus points.  That is a lot of points.  

Can you do something big with those points, take the entire family on a trip of a lifetime, splurge on something you would have never been able to do.  At least you will feel like you got something out of that money. 

Can you even use 40K HGVC points by 2016?


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## weavershome (Aug 20, 2014)

vacationhopeful said:


> Yee, $34,000 for 3 weeks annually in a 1bdr in Hilton resorts -- money is gone; just look at the value you are getting from your yearly MFs.
> 
> If you owned a vacation house, how many weeks a year would you be there? You have a limited number of vacation days as you have to work. So, MAX is 3 weeks of vacations? RIGHT?
> 
> ...




Feel happy that you have a tone of bonus points to use. I can't remember if there are rules or not to renting your units booked with bonus points. I am sure someone on here could clarify. If the 34k was financed, renting out some units in higher priced areas/peak times could be a good way to use those 40,000 points and get some of the that Itinvestment back. Figure 5 weeks individual weeks for 2k or something to get 10k back????For me, it would be hard to use all those 54000 points in 2 years. If you can use the points in 2 years and you did not finance the 34k, I would agree to just use it for the best couple years of your life and feel good that you get to use this forever...

All of your info on what the salesperson told you was similar to what they told me. It is wild that they can say this stuff and get away with it. In fact we bought direct while in Hawaii on a vip trial trip and recsinded when we got home. Not because of any resale awareness but mostly mostly because it wasn't the right time. I was lucky to find this site and JudiKoz's site to gain clarity about resale. Anyhow, as many hve said, you are not the only one who bought direct and you have a ton of great vacations ahead of you.


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## PearlCity (Aug 20, 2014)

takenbyhilton said:


> We do love it. We almost bought Disney but didn't because of the 50 year lease period.
> 
> We have 6 vacations planned with HGVC / RCI now, and more to book because we don't want to lose the 7,000 bonus points. We are looking for nice places in Gatlinburg and Key West now but no luck as of yet.


The good news like others have said is you can use HGVC to trade into Disney, often times for less than if you bought into Disney and paid the maintenence fees.

Read up in exchanging, ask questions. The best exchange weeks go to those with ongoing searches in RCI. What you see in RCI on the website are leftovers.


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## billymach4 (Aug 20, 2014)

*What took you so long to find TUG?*



takenbyhilton said:


> That being said we had been to dozens of TS presentations before and never bought we just decided we wanted Hilton so we went back. Never even considered we were being lied to by the huge Hilton brand. I didn't think it was like West Gate.
> 
> Thanks for the warm welcome. It means a lot. I guess I'm a little calmer now i feel like I'm coming out of literal shock. Need a beer...



You have been around the block a few times and are knowledgeable about Timeshares, and you even knew enough to stay away from Wastegate... What took you so long to find TUG?


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## VegasBella (Aug 20, 2014)

I happen to think the retail prices of timeshares are inflated AND the resale prices are undervalued. Just because you can buy something for nothing doesn't mean the something's worth nothing. 

A lot of sellers are desperate (can't afford loan payments or MF) and a lot of buyers are ignorant of the resale market (thus too few buyers) so that makes the entire resale market a little off. Add in the recession and... I'm just saying you're timing was off. Probably could have saved some money but the product is still valuable.


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## RX8 (Aug 20, 2014)

You didn't throw away $34,000. 

You got 40,000 bonus points.  That is worth about six years of maintenance fees, or about $6,000.  This timeshare also has true resale value.  Some people have to PAY someone to take their timeshare off their hands.  You can sell yours for about $10,000.  

I just went through a presentation.  The salesman told me he could show me how I could "get rid of" my maintenance fees.  His whole spiel in trying to get me to buy more points was the "value" of all those vacations far exceeding my maintenance fees.  So there you have it, use RCI to spend two weeks at Disney and you will have at least five years of "value" considering the cost to rent at Disney.


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## pianodinosaur (Aug 20, 2014)

Welcome to TUG and welcome to the club.  Make lemonade and have some great vacations.


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## silentg (Aug 21, 2014)

A timeshare is just that a share of time. Look at it this way, you bought the vacation of a lifetime. Timeshares are not like other real estate, they are buying a week of time to use as a vacation, better than a hotel. Enjoy the timeshare, you will learn how to trade it  rent it, or stay at it. Remember the reason you bought it. We bought our first timeshare in 1981 and still have it. No regrets, just have to stop buying more weeks and enjoy what we have. You will get a lot of advice from all of us! Join TUG and enjoy Timesharing!
TerryC


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## FatPedro (Aug 21, 2014)

*Gift cards!*

Hello Tuggers and takenbyhilton!

I've been reading all the posts from our Tuggers over the last year and a bit and they have great pointers, especially alwaysonvacation, pigsdad, Greg, and Presley, just to name a few, and to all of you, a big thank you!

Our fellow Tuggers are right - learn and use the system to your advantage and take fantastic vacations!  No point in stressing out on what could have been.  This is a great system and I'm already planning my 2016 vacations!

We too bought from the developer (KL2 - 1 BR gold) which DH and I decided to keep, even though we knew about the resale market.  We then decided to get more points via the resale market and added 2 more deeds (Flamingo and Sea World 2BR's).  We have since gone back to the developer and upgraded to a Lagoon 2BR Plus platinum as we wanted to be able to book home week.  This all happened over the course of 12 months.

Yes we paid a bucket load of $ to HGVC both times.  Yes we are still happy.  Yes it is a great system.   Yes we look forward to our vacations.  Yes we smile every time we think of HGVC.   We've never had high pressure sales people; in fact we found them to be quite pleasant and cheerful - perhaps it's the Hawaiian aloha...?:whoopie:

We now have 3 vacations booked - just booked our third vacation tonight - our first RCI exchange - for 1 week in Manhattan; we are pumped!   Waiting to book 2 weeks at Lagoon for latter part of next year, for a family reunion.  

As for the bonus points, you can also change them into gift cards - car rental, spa, shopping, etc.  I'm thinking of a nice spa gift card right about now, for a nice massage!. My other thought is to convert to Hhonors points to go towards my dream vacation in the Maldives at the Conrad.  

I hope you keep enjoying HGVC's system and have many fantastic vacations!!


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## mclyne (Aug 21, 2014)

Don't feel too badly. We purchased , from the developer, a 3 bedroom villa in St. Thomas for $42,000!! You can now buy them for half the price. Our only saving grace is that we use it yearly and enjoy it very much. It is our family vacation. Our kids and grand kids love it. But, I must admit, I do get annoyed every time I see a villa for sale at such a reduced price.


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## Hilton_Lemonade (Aug 21, 2014)

billymach4 said:


> You have been around the block a few times and are knowledgeable about Timeshares, and you even knew enough to stay away from Wastegate... What took you so long to find TUG?



I have no good answer. Never thought about a timeshare community before the other day. I thought maybe i would find a HGVC forum or something, ran by Hilton or hgvc owners.


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## Hilton_Lemonade (Aug 21, 2014)

VegasBella said:


> I happen to think the retail prices of timeshares are inflated AND the resale prices are undervalued.



I agree 100%


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## Hilton_Lemonade (Aug 21, 2014)

weavershome said:


> All of your info on what the salesperson told you was similar to what they told me. It is wild that they can say this stuff and get away with it. In fact we bought direct while in Hawaii on a vip trial trip and recsinded when we got home.



We got almost all our incorrect information from Hawaii as well. That is where we purchased originally. Then we upgraded at Parc Solei.
We bought from a "high up" salesman. Middle aged clean cut black guy.


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## Hilton_Lemonade (Aug 21, 2014)

vacationhopeful said:


> Go read the Wyndham thread - almost all the Wyndham resorts are not near as nice as your Hilton properties - but as a much BIGGER system, a lot more people who feel _TAKEN by Wyndham_ and many for a similar amount of money.



Can you give me a link? I cant find anything really? Maybe i am just looking in the wrong place.


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## chriskre (Aug 21, 2014)

takenbyhilton said:


> I have no good answer. Never thought about a timeshare community before the other day. I thought maybe i would find a HGVC forum or something, ran by Hilton or hgvc owners.



Don't feel bad, I purchased Disney from Disney directly before I found TUG.
No regrets because once I'm at a Disney resort it makes the pain go away.  
You will feel the same way once you start enjoying the HGVC club which is a great system just like Disney.   
It's only money and life is short.
Enjoy your luxury purchase, you're worth it.


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## Ron98GT (Aug 21, 2014)

takenbyhilton said:


> We do love it. We almost bought Disney but didn't because of the 50 year lease period.
> 
> We have 6 vacations planned with HGVC / RCI now, and more to book because we don't want to lose the 7,000 bonus points. We are looking for nice places in Gatlinburg and Key West now but no luck as of yet.



Check out the HGVC TS's in Marco Island, FL (all 2-Bdrms) or even Miami Beach.  Marco Island was an interesting & fun place to stay. It's straight West out of Ft Lauderdale, South of Naples, and next to the Everglades.  Although there are a number of HGVC TS's in Marco Island & Captiva (harder to get into), check out Eagle's Nest and Charter Club. If you book Marco Island thru the HGVC portal, you'll use a MAX 4800 points instead of the full 7K, and depending upon the season it could be as low as 2400, but with 40,000+ points to use I guess that's not a problem.


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## Hilton_Lemonade (Aug 21, 2014)

Ron98GT said:


> Check out the HGVC TS's in Marco Island, FL (all 2-Bdrms) or even Miami Beach.  Marco Island was an interesting & fun place to stay. It's straight West out of Ft Lauderdale, South of Naples, and next to the Everglades.  Although there are a number of HGVC TS's in Marco Island & Captiva (harder to get into), check out Eagle's Nest and Charter Club. If you book Marco Island thru the HGVC portal, you'll use a MAX 4800 points instead of the full 7K, and depending upon the season it could be as low as 2400, but with 40,000+ points to use I guess that's not a problem.



Yeah we are struggling to use our points. But I think we will just make it. We have 1 big trip planned and a bunch of small ones.


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## RX8 (Aug 21, 2014)

First step in your recovery is to change your user name!


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## presley (Aug 21, 2014)

takenbyhilton said:


> Yeah we are struggling to use our points. But I think we will just make it. We have 1 big trip planned and a bunch of small ones.



Remember that they will expire 2 years from date of issued and need to be used by then.  Seems many think they can book something in the future, past expiration, if the booking is done prior to expiration and that is not the case.   You may want to mark on your calendar about a month before they expire to call in and have any leftovers used towards hhonors (hhonors won't expire).


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## Hilton_Lemonade (Aug 21, 2014)

RX8 said:


> First step in your recovery is to change your user name!



I figured that was a good idea. But I cannot find out how. Can a Mod give me some guidance?


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## presley (Aug 21, 2014)

takenbyhilton said:


> I figured that was a good idea. But I cannot find out how. Can a Mod give me some guidance?



You need to message a moderator and ask if they can/will do it for you.  Chances are that they will since it looks like you chose your user name out of frustration, but now would like to stay and learn.  I don't think they are fond of changing user names in most situations.


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## 1Kflyerguy (Aug 21, 2014)

Welcome to TUG,

If it makes you feel better, you may have received a better deal than we did, you certainly ended up way more bonus points than the 10K we received.. 

We did not plan to buy either, but really like the program after the presentation... I still love the HGVC program, just not thrilled by the 29K for 5000 annual points...   But now i can look back and can honestly say the two HGVC timeshare vacations have been some our best trips..


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## Sandy VDH (Aug 21, 2014)

FatPedro said:


> My other thought is to convert to Hhonors points to go towards my dream vacation in the Maldives at the Conrad.



That is exactly what I did this year.  I spent 10 day at the Conrad Maldives.  It is divine.  If you are a diver it is even better. 

With Hilton Gold or higher Status you get free breakfast and there is a free cocktail hour every evening except the night of the managers party. 

Even the entry level Beach Villas are fantastic.  If you have to have an overwater bungalow they offer paid upgrades, which seem to work out better.  You could also split your time and do some days at beach villas and them move up for some night to an overwater bungalow.  

I loved my beach villa, large, and just a short walk to the beach.  Mine was just across from the dive shop which was great, because that I all that I did when I was there. 

Fellow Canadian, go for it.....make super good use of those bonus points.


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## LisaH (Aug 21, 2014)

takenbyhilton said:


> We bought from a "high up" salesman. Middle aged clean cut black guy.



Where did this happen? In HHV on Oahu?


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## Hilton_Lemonade (Aug 21, 2014)

LisaH said:


> Where did this happen? In HHV on Oahu?



Yes. He said he had a wife just bought a high dollar house etc. etc.


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## bastroum (Aug 21, 2014)

DeniseM said:


> It completely normal in the industry.  In fact, many timeshares have NO resale value, so you actually bought one that does - give yourself a pat on the back for that.
> 
> At this point, you have zero recourse, so put it behind you, hang out with us, and enjoy your ownership.



This is the best advice you're going to get. I bought more than one timeshare from a developer (and spent much more than you did). Now that I'm semi-retired we spend about 6 months a year in timeshares (right now in Boston at the Marriott Custom House) and never have enjoyed myself more.

If this is something you like to do there are many timeshares you can buy on eBay for almost nothing and you can chalk up the developer purchase to experience.

BTW...your Hilton purchase will have more value when you sell then most timeshares.


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## Ron98GT (Aug 21, 2014)

presley said:


> Remember that they will expire 2 years from date of issued and need to be used by then.  Seems many think they can book something in the future, past expiration, if the booking is done prior to expiration and that is not the case.   You may want to mark on your calendar about a month before they expire to call in and have any leftovers used towards hhonors (hhonors won't expire).


That's a good idea. Not sure what the current conversion ratio is, but at 25:1, 40,000 Bonus Points * 25 = 1,000,000 HHonors points. With an average Hilton nite requiring 30K to 50K HHonor points per nite, that's about 25 nites, which is worth at least $5,000. 

Could also apply the bonus points towards a cruise (12,400 Bonus Points per cabin) and/or airfare.  You probably have enough points for a Mediterranean cruise (or Caribbean, Alaska, or Hawaii), airfare (R/T about 7,200 bonus-points/person), and a couple nites at Hilton hotel. We just did an Eastern Mediterranean cruise out of Venice to/from Greece and stayed at the Hilton Molino Stucky in Venice (50K points/nite or $400/nite): it was fantastic.  

https://www.hgvclub.com/hgvclub/pdf/CRP-MKT-0090BonusPoint.pdf

http://www.2013clubprogram.com/content/2013-Club-Program_v31.pdf

Some different ways to turn your lemons into Limoncello, or lemon-aide.


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## Zeethee (Aug 21, 2014)

DeniseM said:


> It may not make you feel any better, but this is the nature of timeshare sales.   When you buy from the developer, the price is far higher than the resale market - at nearly every resort on the face of the earth.
> 
> However, you are in good company - about half the regulars on TUG also purchased their first timeshare from the developer, and we like timesharing, and we are still here.
> 
> At this point, your best bet it to hang out with us, and learn how to get the most enjoyment out of what you own - WELCOME!


I am a newbie too. IS that all we can do ... just hanging on? sucked in the pain? I dont fully understand what you guys are talking about nor why you guys ahve 3 or 4 resorts up your sleeves.


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## DeniseM (Aug 21, 2014)

Zeethee said:


> I am a newbie too. IS that all we can do ... just hanging on? sucked in the pain? I dont fully understand what you guys are talking about nor why you guys ahve 3 or 4 resorts up your sleeves.



Nah - we only talk about this when newbies start a thread like this.  Most threads are about our travels, and how to get the most out of our timeshares.

Some people own 3 or 4 timeshares because they travel a lot, and some people rent them.


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## Ralph Sir Edward (Aug 21, 2014)

Zeethee said:


> I am a newbie too. IS that all we can do ... just hanging on? sucked in the pain? I dont fully understand what you guys are talking about nor why you guys ahve 3 or 4 resorts up your sleeves.



I think i'll phrase it this way...

Whether we got a great deal or a bad deal, we are learning from each other how to get the most enjoyment from our timeshares.

No matter how the deal, the product is a satisfying way to stay on one's travels.

I'm already planning to buy some more, in a couple of years...


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## letsgosteelers (Aug 21, 2014)

1Kflyerguy said:


> Welcome to TUG,
> 
> If it makes you feel better, you may have received a better deal than we did, you certainly ended up way more bonus points than the 10K we received..
> 
> We did not plan to buy either, but really like the program after the presentation... I still love the HGVC program, just not thrilled by the 29K for 5000 annual points...   But now i can look back and can honestly say the two HGVC timeshare vacations have been some our best trips..



I don't know how , well I do but we were sucked in  not once but twice!!  

Once in 2010 and then again in 2013.  I didn't even remember the first go around but as I said, we got sucked in again.  

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127290

We were looking at buying an interest @ KL. 10,500 pts, 2BR every even year w/ 24k bonus points. cost is appx 25k, maint 1,500 every other year

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=194117

We started out much higher but they wore us down and we ended up with this one...

Bay Club
it was appx $13,000 for 4800 pts EOY
Maint fees were appx $1,100 incl membership EOY, and $125 member fee EOY
Bonus pts of 14,400

We were also told some of the same *lies*...

They also mentioned that Hilton was considering no longer offering benefits such as resale buyers NOT being able to enjoy membership benefits, etc. 

Also you could upgrade in the future as a direct owner and that maint fees would not go up vs buying multiple resale properties you would be saddled with multiple maint fees.

Really liked the cash price benefit of the membership, which seemed may not be available if you dont buy direct ??​
Luckily, TUG was there for us both times!!   which reminds me, I will be upgrading to member status as a way of saying thank you to all who have helped us along the way, in all seriousness, many thanks everyone.


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## bastroum (Aug 21, 2014)

The lesson here is you should not spend thousands of dollars without knowing what you are doing. I was guilty of this. People feel cheated, however, the courts have ruled against them when they brought lawsuits. The value of a timeshare is what one get's out of it. The resale market doesn't always reflect this. The developers have a great story, with numbers to back this up. They are not obligated to educate the customer on the resale market. With just a simple google search you can find TUG. Spend a few days reading and save yourself a lot of money and heartache. If you find TUG afterwards just consider your money spent the cost of your education.


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## PigsDad (Aug 21, 2014)

Hilton_Lemonade said:


> I figured that was a good idea. But I cannot find out how. Can a Mod give me some guidance?



*Love *the new user name!  Hope you stick around and participate in TUG.  This is a great community and I have learned 95% of what I know about timesharing from this site.  It is great!

Kurt


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## csxjohn (Aug 22, 2014)

Zeethee said:


> I am a newbie too. IS that all we can do ... just hanging on? sucked in the pain? ....



No, that's not all you can do.  Just like any other financial decision, you have choices.

You can quit paying on your timeshare and it will eventually get taken back by the HOA.

Of course you will suffer the consequences of a move like this in the way of a hit against your credit, higher interest rates when you do get credit and all the hounding you will go through from them trying to collect.

It's still another option.


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## LisaH (Aug 22, 2014)

Hilton_Lemonade said:


> Yes. He said he had a wife just bought a high dollar house etc. etc.



We must had the same guy. He is very smooth. He told us that he used to sell for Marriott at Ko Olina, and started by trashing the DC program.


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## PearlCity (Aug 22, 2014)

Zeethee said:


> I am a newbie too. IS that all we can do ... just hanging on? sucked in the pain? I dont fully understand what you guys are talking about nor why you guys ahve 3 or 4 resorts up your sleeves.


Be careful. Once you learn about what you can do with timeshares to change your vacations you might start collecting them too!  I came here to learn about hgvc. I ended with Marriott. DVC and world mark.


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## alwysonvac (Aug 22, 2014)

PearlCity said:


> Be careful. Once you learn about what you can do with timeshares to change your vacations you might start collecting them too!  I came here to learn about hgvc. I ended with Marriott. DVC and world mark.



LOL, this is so true. 

Especially when you start reading the other forums and seeing what's available on the sightings forum then the wheels start turning on how to get access to those resorts :rofl: 

So far, I've manage to wean myself off of ebay (I still peek from time to time ) and I've manage to resist the urge to  buy Marriott  (especially when three bedrooms villas pop up occasionally on the sightings forum under Interval International's priority preference for Marriott owners )


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## Hilton_Lemonade (Aug 22, 2014)

LisaH said:


> We must had the same guy. He is very smooth. He told us that he used to sell for Marriott at Ko Olina, and started by trashing the DC program.



That sounds exactly what I experienced!

I do plan on sticking around! There seems to be a great group here!


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## weavershome (Aug 22, 2014)

Hilton_Lemonade said:


> That sounds exactly what I experienced!
> 
> I do plan on sticking around! There seems to be a great group here!



I just started here as well. Love the vibe. I guess it's hard to be down when you are thinking vacation


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## Ron98GT (Aug 22, 2014)

LisaH said:


> We must had the same guy. He is very smooth. He told us that he used to sell for Marriott at Ko Olina, and started by trashing the DC program.


That sounds like the guy I saw when we did an owner update at the Grand Waikikian in December with the DW. Said he used to work for Marriott before they changed to the new points system and bad mouthed it quite a bit. Badmouthed HGVC affiliates including the Bay Club also. Stated the usual BS about affiliates losing HGVC benefits etc. With me owning 3 resale TS's, he knew he wasn't going to make a sale and was in a bad mood: glad I made his day.


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## Ron98GT (Aug 22, 2014)

Zeethee said:


> I am a newbie too. IS that all we can do ... *just hanging on* sucked in the pain?  I dont fully understand what you guys are talking about nor why you guys ahve 3 or 4 resorts up your sleeves.


That's not what Denise said. What she said was "your best bet it to *hang out with us*, and learn how to get the most enjoyment out of what you own", not hang on and suck up the pain. Follow the threads, current & past, and learn to make the best of what you have or learn how to improve it.

I may not like the 3 Maintenance Fees that I have to pay, but I sure luv the trips that we get to make. We get to go to Hawaii for 3 or 4 weeks every year, stay in a nice 1 & 2 Bdrm condos on the beach (HGVC, Marriott, or Westin), with a full kitchen and washer/dryers, for a lot less than renting a hotel room or studio would cost, plus we save a ton of money on food by not eating out 3 times a day. So I'm not hanging on, I'm looking forward to a week at the Marriott Ko'olina on Oahu (2-Bdrm) and a week at the Marriott Waiohia (2-Bdrm) on Kauai. Since I secured both weeks by locking-off my Marriott 2-Bedroom, I'm getting 2 weeks for the price of one yearly MF, about $1,200.  I used some of my RCI Points to get a 2-Bdrm TS at the Jockey Club, next to the Bellagio, over New Years, which is only costing me about $400 in MF's for the whole week: there's people paying that or more for 1 nite at hotels on the strip.   I learned which TS's to purchase and how to use them from reading and following TUG. So don't hang-on & suck up the pain, start having fun.


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## LisaH (Aug 22, 2014)

Ron98GT said:


> That sounds like the guy I saw when we did an owner update at the Grand Waikikian in December with the DW. Said he used to work for Marriott before they changed to the new points system and bad mouthed it quite a bit. Badmouthed HGVC affiliates including the Bay Club also. Stated the usual BS about affiliates losing HGVC benefits etc. With me owning 3 resale TS's, he knew he wasn't going to make a sale and was in a bad mood: glad I made his day.



Yes Grand Waikikian is the place. We met him there in May


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## Hilton_Lemonade (Aug 22, 2014)

LisaH said:


> Yes Grand Waikikian is the place. We met him there in May



That's him. I must stop thinking about it, blood is reaching 212 again 

I think things will be better once I get it paid off and don't think about it.

Were going to Parc Solei next week for 5 days. Thinking about that


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## LisaH (Aug 22, 2014)

Hilton_Lemonade said:


> That's him. I must stop thinking about it, blood is reaching 212 again
> 
> I think things will be better once I get it paid off and don't think about it.
> 
> Were going to Parc Solei next week for 5 days. Thinking about that



On suggestion: if you are taking Hilton's financing for this purchase, you may want to look into taking a home equity line to pay it off. The interest rate from Hilton or whoever they are using is astronomical.


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## Poolvixon (Aug 23, 2014)

Hi Everyone,

I'm also a newbie...just bought this week. I was sort of happy with our purchase before I found this site!!  We couldn't afford a lot so we got 1600 points for a studio in gold season and 4800 bonus points. We knew the points would not be enough but we thought as our situation changed we could upgrade. 

But I am so confused!!  Can I buy resale also?  Would the points add together?  Can I only get a studio with my 1600 points?  Or I just use my 1600 on anything I want?

Please help me!!  Lol!


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## Ron98GT (Aug 23, 2014)

Poolvixon said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> I'm also a newbie...just bought this week. I was sort of happy with our purchase before I found this site!!  We couldn't afford a lot so we got 1600 points for a studio in gold season and 4800 bonus points. We knew the points would not be enough but we thought as our situation changed we could upgrade.
> 
> ...


Check your contract ASAP. If your within the rescission period, follow the instructions immediately and to the letter.  Buy resale.

If your out of the rescission period, Yes can can buy additional HGVC points on the resale market.  They all get combined into your account. Take a look at some of the previous HGVC threads for some ideas, but currently the cheapest way to get more points would be purchasing a Vegas TS, one of the affiliates in SW Florida, or the Bay Club at Waikoloa in Hawaii. The cheapest place to purchase them would be on eBay.    

Lol


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## Poolvixon (Aug 23, 2014)

Thanks...I'm going to go look ASAP. We're still on vacation!

Buying resale has all the same access as buying direct from Hilton??  Does it really matter what size unit I buy?  I just want as many points as I can get, right?


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## falmouth3 (Aug 23, 2014)

Poolvixen,
Glad you found us.  I hope you have enough time to rescind.  BTW, if they ask you to come in or call to cancel, don't do it.  They will only try to break down your resolve.  Follow the instructions in your packet.

Good luck!

Sue


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## alwysonvac (Aug 23, 2014)

Poolvixon said:


> Thanks...I'm going to go look ASAP. We're still on vacation!


If you just bought this week then RESCIND and RESEARCH. 

Don't have a discussion with the sales office. They will only try to scare you away from Resale 
See this old thread "Eight Reasons NOT to buy Resale" - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97652



> Buying resale has all the same access as buying direct from Hilton??


 Yes, the only thing you don't get is HGVC ELITE status but you have to buy at least 14,000 HGVC points to obtain the lowest status level.



> Does it really matter what size unit I buy?  I just want as many points as I can get, right?


In general no, but it really depends on where you want to go and your travel flexibility. Keep in mind that ongoing annual maintenance fees will vary by location. Don't rush into another purchase. Hang out here and spend some time learning about the system and other timeshare options as well.

Good luck and Welcome to TUG


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## vacationhopeful (Aug 23, 2014)

falmouth3 said:


> Poolvixen,
> Glad you found us.  I hope you have enough time to rescind.  BTW, if they ask you to come in or call to cancel, don't do it.  They will only try to break down your resolve.  Follow the instructions in your packet.
> 
> Good luck!
> ...



You MUST send your rescind via written format - legally via Certified Mail & regular mail. It can be hand written - keep copies. Some post offices have coin copy machines; I would just go to Staples-like store to get copies. Today is SATURDAY --- do it today. Most states DO NOT EXCLUDE WEEKENDS OR HOLIDAYS from their number of days in counting RESCIND WINDOWS. USPS have fewer LONG HOURS anymore .... and almost NO SUNDAY hours. I live near Philadelphia - the main POST OFFICE used to have WINDOW SERVICE open 24/7; now it is ALWAYS closed by 11PM (might be earlier) and early on Saturdays. I believe it is closed totally on Sundays now. Email and FAX usually does NOT count.


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## presley (Aug 23, 2014)

Poolvixon said:


> I'm also a newbie...just bought this week. I was sort of happy with our purchase before I found this site!!  We couldn't afford a lot so we got 1600 points for a studio in gold season and 4800 bonus points. We knew the points would not be enough but we thought as our situation changed we could upgrade.
> 
> But I am so confused!!  Can I buy resale also?  Would the points add together?  Can I only get a studio with my 1600 points?  Or I just use my 1600 on anything I want?



I did see that you are rescinding, which is the best choice for you at this point.  1600 points is a terrible amount and gets you nearly nothing at all in HGVC.  It would get you whatever you bought, but using those points for Club reservations won't go far at all.  Hilton has a sales model where they will sell you anything that you can afford, even if it is worthless because they plan on upselling you every time that you take a vacation.  

If you added a resale contract to what you have (which would be horrible since you can still cancel your purchase) all your points would combine in one account.  You would pay annual dues on both accounts.  That's what we would suggest if you were too late to cancel the sale, but you aren't too late and you don't have to waste thousands of dollars on a worthless contract.  

You can cancel your sale and buy a resale contract that will give you a week in a one bedroom or a week in a 2 bedroom for around what you paid.  I have no idea what they are selling studios for, but you can plan on doubling or tripling your points by buying resale.  Look on the reseller sites to see what things are listed for and remember that they often sell below listing price.  Look also at Ebay pricing.  There are some really bad sellers on Ebay, so don't start bidding until you research the seller and the closing company.


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## RX8 (Aug 23, 2014)

Poolvixon said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> I'm also a newbie...just bought this week. I was sort of happy with our purchase before I found this site!!  We couldn't afford a lot so we got 1600 points for a studio in gold season and 4800 bonus points. We knew the points would not be enough but we thought as our situation changed we could upgrade.
> 
> ...



If you are within the rescission period but thinking of holding onto your 1600 points and buying resale to compliment please reconsider.

Yes you could buy another resale BUT you would then have two maintenance fees.  Your best bet is to rescind and buy enough resale points in one deed that works for you.


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## weavershome (Aug 23, 2014)

RX8 said:


> If you are within the rescission period but thinking of holding onto your 1600 points and buying resale to compliment please reconsider.
> 
> Yes you could buy another resale BUT you would then have two maintenance fees.  Your best bet is to rescind and buy enough resale points in one deed that works for you.



Rescind. Rescind. Rescind. 

You will be relieved and get much more bang for you buck in the resale market. 

We listened to 3 separate presentations at HGVC and they all bad mouthed buying resale. Even told us we that Hilton would not allow the sale, lied about hgvc privileges claiming we would not get some of them if we bought resale, etc.
It simply isn't true. 

 Long story short, rescind immediately and take your time researching resale. As many said, ebay is the cheapest but I was more comfortable with an agency which I am told may be a little more. The truth is, either of these options will get you a ton more points for allot less money. Enjoy your vacation but take a quick break to rescind .....that way you will be able to go back at a huge value. The hgvc people are good at scaring you so steer clear. Good luck.


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## presley (Aug 23, 2014)

weavershome said:


> The hgvc people are good at scaring you so steer clear.



I just want to clarify that it is only the sales department who lies about stuff and acts rudely.

Once you are a member, any call you make will be answered by someone who is cheerful and helpful.  They couldn't care less if you bought from the sales department or paid $1. to get your membership.  They treat everyone exactly the same.

Same at the resorts when you vacation.  Everyone will be very kind and very helpful who works at the resorts.  There will be a "concierge" desk that is designed to get you to go to a sales presentation.  I haven't had a pushy experience, when I say no, they accept it.


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## Ron98GT (Aug 23, 2014)

Poolvixon said:


> Thanks...I'm going to go look ASAP. We're still on vacation!
> 
> Buying resale has all the same access as buying direct from Hilton??  Does it really matter what size unit I buy?  I just want as many points as I can get, right?


What is the name of the HGVC TS that you purchased?

What date & time did you purchase the TS?

What state is the TS in?

What state did you purchase the TS in?

Time Shares, which includes the sales and rescission of, is regulated by the state and state law (statutes) within which that TS is located, so the rescission period varies greatly.

As previously stated follow the rescission instructions to the letter.  Do not wait until you get home, do not put it off till later, do it now.  If your are staying at a Hilton property, there should be a business center there, use it as needed. Mail the rescission to the address as specified in the rescission instructions, using the regular United States Postal Service, Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested.  Today is Saturday, so post offices are open.  I don't know what state you are currently in, but here in Las Vegas, NV, we have full service remote/satellite US PO locations scattered thru-out the valley, many in gas stations.  

Good Luck


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## Poolvixon (Aug 23, 2014)

I do have 10 days so I'm well within the time period to rescind.  I'll be back in NY tomorrow and we have a post office in the mall that's open. 

Thank you everyone for all your help!


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## bentlew (Aug 24, 2014)

*Welcome, you are not alone*

I originally owned two timeshares, Vistana (Starwood) and Powahatan, bought from developer.  After joining Tug, I sold my Powahatan and used those proceeds to buy 7,000 annual points resale at the Flamingo.  I love HGVC and Hilton, with the use of the Hilton credit card, I have been Diamond for years.  Between the many Hotel points that I earn and the HGVC system, I am able to get about 4 weeks of lodging covered per year, which includes gifts of Honeymoons to family members.

Hilton and Disney are good premier systems, where you are treated with respect and have excellent vacation opportunities.  This is not the same for Starwood, even though we had owned since the early 80's and upgraded to the Starwood system, we never received good rooms or service.  Since the timeshare had no resale value, we donated the timeshare to Charity.

You have bought into a Great system and will enjoy many years of vacations.


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## Wonka (Aug 25, 2014)

*It's hard to help*

Hilton Lemonade - It's too bad you didn't learn about TUG earlier and how to avoid the high costs of your timeshare.  As others have said, learn how best to get your value in usage here on TUG.  There are so many saavy, smart folks here to help you (excluding me...I've lost touch).

In "the olden days of TUG", I often met folks after their initial purchases.  I would suggest they read TUG and reconsider their purchase before leaving the resort indicating they could purchase the timeshare at a much lower price with a little research.  Most often, the reaction was skepticism and disbelief and I don't think I changed many minds at the resorts and it's often too late when they return home.  I gave up.  It just didn't seem worth the effort and the looks of disdain from those I was trying to help.  People want to believe the salesman.  It's that simple.


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## falmouth3 (Aug 25, 2014)

Wonka said:


> It just didn't seem worth the effort and the looks of disdain from those I was trying to help.  People want to believe the salesman.  It's that simple.



You're right.  How many people come here and ask if they got a good deal.  When they are told to rescind, they argue and tell us they really did get a great deal.

Lemonade has the right mindset and is going to have wonderful vacations.


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## travelplus (Aug 25, 2014)

vacationhopeful said:


> Yee, $34,000 for 3 weeks annually in a 1bdr in Hilton resorts -- money is gone; just look at the value you are getting from your yearly MFs.
> 
> If you owned a vacation house, how many weeks a year would you be there? You have a limited number of vacation days as you have to work. So, MAX is 3 weeks of vacations? RIGHT?
> 
> ...



Linda what you said is spot on. We own 3 weeks(one Marriott that we inherited from my Grandparents, one Scottsdale and one at the Ridge in Tahoe all 2 bedrooms high season) we  did not pay 30,000 for it. In fact with all Maintanance Fees its around 3k per year and with the RCI/II Memberships and exchange fees figure more but I got a special with RCI for 199 for 3 years so I took advantage of that.

Last year I split our weeks and got us a 2 bedroom for 2 weeks at the Lawrence Welk Resort. Our Studio and 1 bedroom traded for 2 bedrooms which is the only unit size the LW has.

This year I split the weeks again and got one week at the Grand Pacific Resort in Carlsbad, one week at the Hilton Mar Brisa in Carlsbad and anther one at the Welk all in 2 bedrooms in January. Yes its off-season but we are trying to max our weeks.  With the leftover TPUs I paid to combine it as it was worth doing so to get the extra Welk Week that we were not planning on.
With our Ridge week we banked the Marriott Week and will most likely again piggyback off the Marriott week and either use it at The Ridge or perhaps the Tahoe Marriott or Hyatt properties.  We find that piggybacking our weeks really works well.

I try to find the same resort and call in and have them make a Do Not Move comment so we can stay in the same unit or in our case this year in Carlsbad a resort that is next  to each other and the Welk is a 20 minute drive away. Not only are we maximizing our weeks we're saving on gas having to drive up and down the state to each resort.

I would NEVER buy from a developer since it seems like most of the fees go to marketing. I do however like going to the Timeshare Presentations to learn about the program and get the gifts. If I'm so inclined I'll go to the resale market and buy there.

We are happy campers especially since in the 90s we had timeshares and they were not working and I did not know the system like I did today.  Heck we would be spending more at hotels with smaller rooms and no kitchens. We have a Costco Membership and will use it in Carlsbad to get supplies.  

My point is you can have  a vacation at some nice resort like the Welk or spend $400 a night to stay at a nice hotel but stay for less time.   

I saw a 1 bedroom at the Welk during our time going for $200 per night and at the Grand Pacific a 1bedroom was going for around $200 as well. Now for one night at this resort we can get a week for the exchange fees.  

I found our week at the Ridge for $900+$200 transfer , Arizona was for $650+$200 transfer and the Marriott we did not pay anything except the MFs . 

I could not imagine a life without a timeshare resort. We truly loved the Welk last year so we are going again.

I took a tour of the Hilton Elara in Las Vegas and liked what I saw so it was a no brainer selecting the Hilton Mar Brisa after reading many positive reviews. The Grand Pacific Pallisades is also a nice resort and they offer a free shuttle as well within  a 5 mile radius. 

All in all great memories are being made. Timesharing forces us to take a vacation and its not an investment but just a lifestyle change. Too many people don't understand this.


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## travelplus (Aug 26, 2014)

Hilton_Lemonade said:


> I do enjoy it and loved it without any regrets until about 30 minutes ago!  I am a firm believer in when both parties are happy its a done deal but 5x the going used price? I dunno just seems out of control.



So how would you feel if you bought a 4K TV for $30,000 at Best Buy and Fry's was selling it for $25,000 the same exact model?  My point is its best to shop around and do searches on Ebay, Redweek.com and TUG BBS before putting down lots of money.

Lesson learned for the future.


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## travelplus (Aug 26, 2014)

SmithOp said:


> First, welcome to the club!  I paid $40K before I learned about resale.  You job now is to learn how to use your points and stretch to get the most usage.
> 
> Now to answer your questions below.
> Selling Price - you can only get what you paid IF you trade it back in for another purchase, not a wise use, better to keep and buy more resale points.
> ...



I agree with you Dave. If people buying on the resale market were blocked from using RCI or Interval they would be out of business or fighting with the resort


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## letsgosteelers (Aug 27, 2014)

all these stories makes me want to hang out near the sales center and wait for people to come out with their balloons and contract bags and hand out TUG business cards next time we are at a resort.  :hysterical:

Wonder what they (Hilton) would do??


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## Ron98GT (Aug 27, 2014)

letsgosteelers said:


> all these stories makes me want to hang out near the sales center and wait for people to come out with their balloons and contract bags and hand out TUG business cards next time we are at a resort.  :hysterical:
> 
> Wonder what they (Hilton) would do??



We have business cards?


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## csxjohn (Aug 27, 2014)

Ron98GT said:


> We have business cards?



I have printed my own on my computer to pass out at timeshares.  TUGBrian has given his OK to use the red TUG logo as long as it's not for a commercial undertaking and is used to promote TUG.

I include both TUG web addresses, my user names, and the trading company I use.

I've passed a few out to interested people.  As far as I know, none of them have joined as a direct result of the cards.  I am giving them the opportunity to educate themselves.

I also wear a TUG T shirt and hat that I purchased from cafe press.


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