# What would get you to write a review of your last Timeshare vacation?



## TUGBrian (Oct 18, 2018)

This has always been a question I ask myself when I see that more than 50% of TUG members have never actually submitted a review of their stay.

Now I realize that many of the popular resorts have tons of reviews and a good % of folks simply dont feel their review would add anything of value that hasnt already been mentioned by another TUG member.

But surely there are folks out there who have traveled to resorts that have review awards available or havent been reviewed in many months, what prevents you from submitting that review?

Is it just a lack of time to write up a decent review?
is the review submission process too cumbersome?


what say you the community?  both those that write tons of reviews and those that have never written any.  What do you feel would encourage or otherwise convince TUG members to submit their first review?


----------



## pedro47 (Oct 18, 2018)

Suggestion Only...How about a free TUG’S t-shirt for the best review of the month and the second one for a review from a resort that have not had a review in the past year or two years.
Suggestion Only.


----------



## AnnieBets (Oct 18, 2018)

I’m not seeing how to write a review as a guest.  When I try to log in to where I think I’m supposed to start, I get a failed log in message.


----------



## mjm1 (Oct 18, 2018)

I like to share insights of resorts, so I submit reviews most of the time. There have been times when I have been too busy and I just forget.

I don't recall if there is currently an incentive, but you could consider providing an extension of one's TUG membership by one or two months for each qualified review. You could provide the required parameters to qualify for the extension to ensure members are providing reasonable reviews.

TUG is a great resource and resort reviews are part of that. Thanks for asking for feedback.

Best regards.

Mike


----------



## DavidnRobin (Oct 18, 2018)

I have multiple reviews/reports on my resort stays - but I post them in the VSE forum as they are more conducive to my writing style and photo uploads.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## DeniseM (Oct 18, 2018)

> I’m not seeing how to write a review as a guest. When I try to log in to where I think I’m supposed to start, I get a failed log in message.



They Ratings and Reviews forum is a member's only feature - but it only costs $15 to become a member.


----------



## b2bailey (Oct 18, 2018)

How about an option to either use the format you provide -- or the ability to post "freeform" so the remarks could be cut and pasted. I guess that means I feel it is a bit cumbersome to use TUG format.


----------



## TUGBrian (Oct 18, 2018)

AnnieBets said:


> I’m not seeing how to write a review as a guest.  When I try to log in to where I think I’m supposed to start, I get a failed log in message.



one cant currently submit a review without being a TUG member, but we have considered allowing non member reviews (and for those to be public) in the review system.

this is more of a technological hurdle than anything as it requires us to make a good number of changes to allow random folks/guests to submit reviews and have those differentiated from member/owner reviews.


----------



## TUGBrian (Oct 18, 2018)

mjm1 said:


> I like to share insights of resorts, so I submit reviews most of the time. There have been times when I have been too busy and I just forget.
> 
> I don't recall if there is currently an incentive, but you could consider providing an extension of one's TUG membership by one or two months for each qualified review. You could provide the required parameters to qualify for the extension to ensure members are providing reasonable reviews.
> 
> ...



we do currently offer this yes.  review credits are available for most all reviews, we even include that as a reminder in all membership renewal emails as well!


----------



## TUGBrian (Oct 18, 2018)

DavidnRobin said:


> I have multiple reviews/reports on my resort stays - but I post them in the VSE forum as they are more conducive to my writing style and photo uploads.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



absolutely nothing wrong with writing reviews on the forums.

would you copy paste the review content on the resort review pages as well?  you are also welcome to include a link to the original forum post if you so desire within the body of the review!


----------



## TUGBrian (Oct 18, 2018)

b2bailey said:


> How about an option to either use the format you provide -- or the ability to post "freeform" so the remarks could be cut and pasted. I guess that means I feel it is a bit cumbersome to use TUG format.



not sure what you mean here, but I would like to know more to address any issues that revolve around anyone feeling its difficult to submit a review!

is it the drop down boxes at the top for all the resort features?  do you just want a single box to type in the details?  perhaps after submitting the bulk of the review a page would pop up with those drop down options to fill out or not?


----------



## b2bailey (Oct 18, 2018)

Been awhile since I have posted a review, but my recollection is that it was 'tedious'.

also would like to vote NO regarding non-member access to reviews.


----------



## TUGBrian (Oct 18, 2018)

no problem, if you want to go in and try to submit one without actually submitting it and let me know if it still feels cumbersome, id love to get feedback!

we wouldnt provide member review access to non members...but simply considered providing a way for non members to post public reviews (like making a post on facebook etc)...but those posts/reviews WOULD be open to the public.

with member only reviews of course remaining visible only to those who are logged in as members.

or that was the idea anyway.


----------



## DeniseM (Oct 18, 2018)

> also would like to vote NO regarding non-member access to reviews.



I think this is an important safe guard against spammers.


----------



## b2bailey (Oct 18, 2018)

I will go ahead and write a "real" review soon. Think the price of $15 is minimal gateway to read or write a review.


----------



## pedro47 (Oct 18, 2018)

I would vote no also. You must be a member of the website to posts Resorts  Reviews.  Difference reason to avoid inflating a resort score (either higher or lower).

Next a guest would ask to have the privilege to view TUG’s timeshare Resort Reviews because they have posted  a resort review.

A guest can go to TripAdvisor and post their reviews for free.
Let them post their resort review on that website. No Harm, No Foul.

You must have rules and you must support your written rules. IMHO.


----------



## Passepartout (Oct 18, 2018)

I'm also a 'no' on guests writing reviews, and the notation that writing them extends that $15 membership period. 

The reason I haven't submitted any recently is that our timeshare stays have become fewer, and we just go back to the same locations and resorts. Aging does than to ya. 

Jim


----------



## Panina (Oct 18, 2018)

To increase participation

1)What if you email registered guests and offer a free membership if they do a review. 

2)A visual counter usual is a encouraging factor like the trophies.  Whereas the reviews you did are listed, you have to manually count to know your total.  Knowing your are closer to the next Tug review crew level or that extended membership and/or ads are there might nudge a few.  Can offer trophies too since they have great value.   Show number of reviews next to Tug Review Crew title is a visual that would be  seen often.

3)Create special for members, such as

   A) do a review by (date) receive double credit

   B) do (number) review in (year) receive free t shirt (or something else)

   C) every month or quarter give some type of reward for best review with pictures and feature it in a post

   D) hold a raffle each month for all submitted reviews


----------



## TUGBrian (Oct 18, 2018)

Panina said:


> To increase participation
> 
> 1)What if you email registered guests and offer a free membership if they do a review.



we do offer this =)  sadly we've only gotten maybe a dozen folks take us up on the offer!  most were actually expired members who wanted to come back so we simply applied that review credit to extend their expired membership!





> 2)A visual counter usual is a encouraging factor like the trophies.  Whereas the reviews you did are listed, you have to manually count to know your total.  Knowing your are closer to the next Tug review crew level or that extended membership and/or ads are there might nudge a few.  Can offer trophies too since they have great value.   Show number of reviews next to Tug Review Crew title is a visual that would be  seen often.



unfortunately there is no actual live "link" between the review section and the forums.  we could implement that counter on the member only page however!  (and there is an existing feature on the member only page that lets you view all of your submitted reviews, but it does not show your review crew level...thats merely something I implemented here on the forum to recognize those that submit reviews!



> 3)Create special for members, such as
> 
> A) do a review by (date) receive double credit
> 
> ...



these are all good ideas!


----------



## DaveNV (Oct 18, 2018)

If non-members can write reviews, (and presumably read what they wrote), what is the reason to be a member? I vote No on non-member reviews. Fifteen bucks isn't too much to pay to be a member.

As to writing those reviews:  I've written a review for every timeshare I've ever stayed in.  I don't find it tedious, although I do find the pre-filled options limiting.  I try to provide the best options from the choices I'm given, and then I'll elaborate in the text for anything I want to say that wasn't previously asked.

I usually write the review offline, then log in to Tug, check the appropriate boxes, then cut and paste the text.  It's fairly easy, if you pay attention to the choices.

Dave


----------



## pedro47 (Oct 18, 2018)

You are right Passepartout, we find ourselves going back to Our home resort more and more each year. I do not like to drive more than five (5) hours any more and the cost of flying have more than double. Flying is becoming hard on my rear end and the leg room on plane is less than I am able to tolerate. Plus, the airlines industry are not serving meals any more on short flights.

Finally, our home resort by Marriott is always  rated four stars  or better by TripAdvisor, AAA and the majority of all hotel websites.

Plus, TUG’S have always rated our home resort 8.5 or higher since it was built over twenty (20) years ago in Williamsburg,VA.

I agree on this point we need more current reviews on timeshare resorts from the Mid Atlantic, up North, the Mid West, Coastal California, North Carolina, the Caribbean, Canada, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, etc.,


----------



## TUGBrian (Oct 18, 2018)

I believe we implemented the drop down boxes a few years back based on owner feedback...if they need to be updated or more options provided as drop down selections, that should not be difficult!


----------



## DavidnRobin (Oct 18, 2018)

TUGBrian said:


> absolutely nothing wrong with writing reviews on the forums.
> 
> would you copy paste the review content on the resort review pages as well?  you are also welcome to include a link to the original forum post if you so desire within the body of the review!



I am not a TUG member...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## PrairieGirl (Oct 18, 2018)

When I first joined TUG (many years ago) I faithfully wrote my reviews.  I found the easiest way was to first compose them in Word so that I could can save them if partly finished and I needed to move on to something else or if I just wanted to read a review over and tweak it a few times.  Then I copy and paste it into the submission box.

I have no idea why I don't write many any longer - not as much trading perhaps or just plain laziness.  And in one case I found a true hidden gem that is very small with limited trading availability and I didn't (and still don't) want to kill the goose that lays the golden egg!  Selfish of me perhaps, but so be it.

Just reading this thread has made me more determined to pull up my socks and write a review of my next exchange.  After all, we need to do this for each other!


----------



## Luanne (Oct 18, 2018)

DavidnRobin said:


> I am not a TUG member...
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Your profile says you are a member.


----------



## amycurl (Oct 18, 2018)

Here's the thing: people thrive on feedback. So, folks are more likely to post a trip report or review here on the forums, because people will see it and give feedback in more-or-less real time. You don't get that with a review--at all.

It would be nice (I have no idea if it is possible) for there to be a button at the bottom of a post that would say, "Click here to submit this post as a resort review," and it would automatically post it as a review. 

I know that I have been guilty of posting fairly extensive reviews here, but not ever getting around to posting it as a real review, and I think it's the feedback factor.


----------



## DavidnRobin (Oct 18, 2018)

Luanne said:


> Your profile says you are a member.



That is because I haven’t signed out and then signed back in...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## TUGBrian (Oct 18, 2018)

if someone has paid to be a member in the past, the user title will show forever.  it basically just indicates the individual was a paid TUG member at one time or another.  although id imagine most folks that still regularly visit the forums and are/were TUG members are still TUG members.


----------



## silentg (Oct 18, 2018)

I usually write reviews, when returning home and while the trip is fresh on my mind.
It’s good to do them on all the resorts, because some places have very old reviews.
I also check Trip adviser and RCI sends us surveys to fill out so I do that too.
Silentg


----------



## Panina (Oct 18, 2018)

TUGBrian said:


> if someone has paid to be a member in the past, the user title will show forever.  it basically just indicates the individual was a paid TUG member at one time or another.  although id imagine most folks that still regularly visit the forums and are/were TUG members are still TUG members.


Is this because of the limitations of the system?


----------



## TUGBrian (Oct 18, 2018)

its just that the forums are completely separate from the membership...and in order for someone to NOT be displayed as a TUG member someone would physically have to remove the member code from their forum profile (after realizing their membership had expired).

Im actually ok with someone keeping the tag on their forum profile if they have supported TUG in the past even if they dont maintain their paid membership.  they are still a part of the community!


----------



## DavidnRobin (Oct 19, 2018)

TUGBrian said:


> its just that the forums are completely separate from the membership...and in order for someone to NOT be displayed as a TUG member someone would physically have to remove the member code from their forum profile (after realizing their membership had expired).
> 
> Im actually ok with someone keeping the tag on their forum profile if they have supported TUG in the past even if they dont maintain their paid membership.  they are still a part of the community!



For me personally - I only use the forums and don’t need the other benefits of the membership (don’t need reviews or use Rental section anymore).
I would be okay with writing reviews (although I mainly only go to TSs I own), but don’t want to repeat input already on forum in effectively another site (and pay $15 to do so...).
I think TUG is great - and tell all owners to check it out. Wealth of info.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## alwysonvac (Oct 19, 2018)

I was about to write a review the other day then remembered losing reviews due to system timeout. So I abandoned it thinking I should compose offline first and then copy & paste.

Does it automatically save your review while you’re composing (or can you manually save it similar to the “saved draft” feature while posting in the forums)?


----------



## b2bailey (Oct 19, 2018)

Say what?
This is confusing.



DavidnRobin said:


> I am not a TUG member...
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## dioxide45 (Oct 19, 2018)

I usually write reviews, more so to save on the TUG membership fee. I am cheap, and don't want to spend the $15. I can see however where a $15 annual fee is a hurdle that is not high for many and saving that isn't enough to entice someone to write reviews. Reviews take time, lots of time. Some of mine an hour or more, but even a basic review is an investment in time. I also think the clear separation of the forums and the paid side of TUG makes the reviews an afterthought for those that frequent the forums. I rarely read reviews now since we tend to go back to the same properties and we often do research on other sites for things to do and places to eat when we venture somewhere new.



TUGBrian said:


> its just that the forums are completely separate from the membership...and in order for someone to NOT be displayed as a TUG member someone would physically have to remove the member code from their forum profile (after realizing their membership had expired).
> 
> Im actually ok with someone keeping the tag on their forum profile if they have supported TUG in the past even if they dont maintain their paid membership. they are still a part of the community!


I think this is something where you could perhaps get some more reviews, perhaps from more of the cheap people like me . The "TUG Member" moniker is more of a badge (of honor?) that people see every day. I see it and think this person is doing something extra to support the cause. It also provides access to the members only Sightings/Distressed forum which is an incredible resource. However, given the information provided above, I don't really understand why I continue to take the time to write reviews. Until recently, I haven't really used any of the paid benefits of TUG. I only occasionally read reviews and only recently sold a few weeks on TUG that I was able to do so for free with the ad credits. However absent of selling on TUG, I don't see any major benefit of membership outside of the "TUG Member" badge and access to the Sightings/Distressed forum. However, since I can get access to both of those for free and without having to invest my time writing reviews to maintain that badge, I might forgo the effort and cost and ride it for free as long as I can. That isn't what anyone wants to think.

I continue to be a member and maintain my membership with reviews because it, I thought, allows me to continue to access the Sightings/Distressed forum and maintain my "badge". I suspect there are many others out there that do the same because they thought the same. It seems like a disservice to me that others can ride along and potentially use this valuable service without any extra investment of time or money.

Perhaps striping the "TUG Member" badge from non paying members will see more people willing to write reviews to get it back and/or maintain it in the future. We know very well that people see when that "TUG Member" badge goes missing. That TUG Member badge also shows loyalty to the community (just like people who boast about their reward status with hotel and airline brands). I am certainly not saying that people who aren't TUG members don't participate in the community because there are many that do, but why should they continue to get the added benefits while others over here are putting in extra time by writing reviews. I wish not think I have been going about it wrong all this time by investing my time with reviews when I could have used that time in other ways. There certainly is no shame in showing up as a "Guest" in the forums. If you aren't willing to continue to put in the extra effort (or money) like the rest of us, why should you be able to pin that "TUG Member" badge on proudly?

ETA: Enticing people with free membership, and extensions, when they already get the added benefits of membership in the forums doesn't really get people to write reviews.


----------



## b2bailey (Oct 19, 2018)

Aha! This is why I stopped writing. Awhile back I was travelling with only my Kindle. Wrote and 'lost' entire review. This is why I was thinking I need to use my desktop computer to do one.



alwysonvac said:


> I was about to write a review the other day then remembered losing reviews due to system timeout. So I abandoned it thinking I should compose offline first and then copy & paste.
> 
> Does it automatically save your review while you’re composing (or can you manually save it similar to the “saved draft” feature while posting in the forums)?


----------



## TUGBrian (Oct 19, 2018)

the new review system actually has a countdown "timeout" timer now displayed right on the review page so you know exactly how much time you have left before the page would time out etc (and of course can copy paste elsewhere if you need to or are running out of time).

I personally still suggest typing up a REALLY lengthy review to yourself in an email, that way you can spend however long you like on it (and edit it repeatedly) etc etc to simply just copy and paste it whenever you are done.


----------



## TUGBrian (Oct 19, 2018)

> I don't see any major benefit of membership outside of the "TUG Member" badge and access to the Sightings/Distressed forum.



well that is certainly disappointing to hear


----------



## PrairieGirl (Oct 19, 2018)

Wow, I am really surprised by the comments about not seeing the value in a TUG membership or not wanting to pay a measly $15 per year (and I'm sorry, but it really is a pittance in the big scheme of timeshare ownership).  Even if you don't use the sections that require membership to access, how about remembering that there would not BE a bulletin board community for you to exchange ideas with and get information from if lots of the rest of us also took that approach.  And although there is now advertising to help offset some of the costs, there certainly ARE costs associated with running this platform, not to mention the time and effort put in by many volunteers.  I would pay my $15 out of respect for all that they do even if I didn't need or use the members only section.

If you don't want to be a member, fine that is your decision but unless it causes a ton of extra work/cost, I totally agree that the moniker of "member" should be removed from a profile if someone has chosen to no longer be a member.  

I've been a member since we were only about 2,000 strong and can remember us all being absolutely thrilled and amazed when we hit 20,000!  I've gotten far more than MY money's worth out of TUG over the years.


----------



## TUGBrian (Oct 19, 2018)

before this takes a far left turn down the threadjack offramp....the goal of this thread was to get feedback on what would entice existing TUG members who have never submitted a review (like ever) to write one.

more than half of EVERYONE who joins TUG never submits a single review, I was just curious as to some of the more common reasons (and im sure many of them are shared by owners who submit many reviews, so that feedback is certainly valid as well!).


----------



## Panina (Oct 19, 2018)

More members versus guests and the more likely reviews will increase.

How about a membership drive emailing registered guests and having a posting to encourage guests and lookers to join, possibly with an incentive,  pay for 1 year get 1 year free. Within the email/post write someting like

“For 25 years Tug has been a platform to give current and potential timeshare owners a place to learn and share.  We have always allowed guests to view and post for free and we will always continue to.

Would you consider becoming an official member of Tug for only $15 during our membership drive?”   ........ and whatever else you want to convey.


----------



## TUGBrian (Oct 19, 2018)

we do send out email reminders to members who have never submitted a review.

we also send out those reminders to members who renew and have yet to submit a review, sort of a "thank you for continuing to support TUG, have you been on a timeshare vacation recently you want to tell us about?" type deal.

all great ideas!

I certainly dont want to bash people over the head with reminders to submit reviews (figuratively of course)...as I always find that the best reviews are ones that owners submit of their own free will when they sit down and have the time to write it...vs the ones that come from suggestions or reminder emails tend to be much less detailed etc as if they felt obligated to submit something.  

I certainly dont want members to feel that way under any circumstances!


----------



## dioxide45 (Oct 20, 2018)

TUGBrian said:


> well that is certainly disappointing to hear


I went over to the TUG membership website to see what possible benefits there were that I may be missing. It looks like perhaps just the resort ratings and reviews are what is additionally included with paid membership? I see the free advice articles, but I suspect "free" means those are open to anyone. For me, the main benefit so far is the free ad credits, but those may not mean much to others that don't buy and sell. While I try to write reviews for others, I am not a big reader of them. I do read them now and then and try to read up on reviews when I am looking at a new resort we have never been to. I am not really a review writer for other products we buy, but try to contribute to the reviews here.

For me at least, the main benefit to TUG Membership is access to the Sightings/Distressed forum. I guess the "TUG Member" badge, really isn't a benefit per say, but it seems to show that I provide something additional toward the community in addition to the efforts I put in on the boards. It seems however that the "badge" can simply be had buy paying a $15 membership one time. Or one could have taken advantage of the review promo you offered a while back where if they wrote a review you gave them a short membership for free. From that they could simply enter the BBS Member Code and then show as "TUG Member" for life.


----------



## northwoodsgal (Oct 20, 2018)

_we do send out email reminders to members who have never submitted a review.

we also send out those reminders to members who renew and have yet to submit a review, sort of a "thank you for continuing to support TUG, have you been on a timeshare vacation recently you want to tell us about?" type deal.  _I probably should have received one of these reminders, but haven't...

I find the reviews on TUG invaluable because they are written by timeshare travelers, not renters.  We don't travel a lot, but twice now, I've gone to the Resort Review section and the timeshare I was planning on writing a review for isn't listed.  Even if no information has been submitted yet, I would think the review area would have the resort listed.  I know you can add it in, but the block of time (and writing mood) will have passed by.


----------



## WinniWoman (Oct 20, 2018)

DavidnRobin said:


> I have multiple reviews/reports on my resort stays - but I post them in the VSE forum as they are more conducive to my writing style and photo uploads.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



What is VSE?


----------



## WinniWoman (Oct 20, 2018)

TUGBrian said:


> absolutely nothing wrong with writing reviews on the forums.
> 
> would you copy paste the review content on the resort review pages as well?  you are also welcome to include a link to the original forum post if you so desire within the body of the review!



I know when I write reviews- which I always do- I write them in WORD and then I copy and paste on TUG and Trip Advisor.

Even though we rarely exchange, I will still write reviews on my home resorts each year, though I am sure a lot of people who never trade rarely do write reviews on every stay at the same places.


----------



## qwerty (Oct 20, 2018)

TUGBrian said:


> This has always been a question I ask myself when I see that more than 50% of TUG members have never actually submitted a review of their stay.
> 
> Now I realize that many of the popular resorts have tons of reviews and a good % of folks simply dont feel their review would add anything of value that hasnt already been mentioned by another TUG member.
> 
> ...


I have submitted a few reviews but don't remember the exact reward. 
I learned very quickly to write the review, checking for clarity and spelling, then cut and paste.
Although being timed out at first, I find leaving a review is not very complicated. 
Also, I think an owner can submit a review. 
P.S. Can you look at reviews on Facebook?


----------



## Panina (Oct 20, 2018)

mpumilia said:


> I know when I write reviews- which I always do- I write them in WORD and then I copy and paste on TUG and Trip Advisor.
> 
> Even though we rarely exchange, I will still write reviews on my home resorts each year, though I am sure a lot of people who never trade rarely do write reviews on every stay at the same places.


I write a review too every time I stay somewhere I previously stood whether things change or not so others know.


----------



## Amadeus51 (Oct 20, 2018)

I would like to say "members only" for posting reviews. What I love (and think is great) about TUG is the impartiality of the reviews. I have a lot of evidence that TripAdvisor is "gamed" as are many (if not most, maybe virtually all, other "sources of information"). TUG is the only place I can be sure of getting "the real deal". Opening up reviews to non-members is opening up the ability of places to "game" the information (and they will! .. TripAdvisor, at its start long ago, WAS a good source, and has now been thoroughly gamed for a long time).

I am a long time TUG member, and (embarrased to say) a non-reviewer till recently. I was prompted by an automated message from TUG on log in one day which mentioned reviews. I have since posted two reviews and now will always review at the end of a stay wherever I am.

I think most people would review, but human nature makes us think "should review, next time I am on" and make up some internal excuse to not do it now.

Given human nature being what it is, the site could be programmed to send a gentle non-obtrusive nudge on each login, along the lines "been anywhere lately you would like to comment on? with maybe carrots ("credits") attached to the message. Keep it very simple. The constant reminder will do a bit to counteract human nature.


----------



## controller1 (Oct 20, 2018)

mpumilia said:


> What is VSE?



VSE = Vistana Signature Experiences (Westin, Sheraton)


----------



## artringwald (Oct 20, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> I'm also a 'no' on guests writing reviews, and the notation that writing them extends that $15 membership period.
> 
> The reason I haven't submitted any recently is that our timeshare stays have become fewer, and we just go back to the same locations and resorts. Aging does than to ya.
> 
> Jim


We used our timeshare points to do scouting. After years of research, we mostly stay at the places we like best. I'll write a review if something has changed much, but a cut and paste of the last review won't really help anyone.


----------



## Panina (Oct 20, 2018)

artringwald said:


> We used our timeshare points to do scouting. After years of research, we mostly stay at the places we like best. I'll write a review if something has changed much, but a cut and paste of the last review won't really help anyone.


How about a line just saying for example “since the last review nothing new to add, all is the same”. This way the review date is current and there is no guessing, are things still the same?


----------



## northwoodsgal (Oct 20, 2018)

I agree, it's much better to add a short review even if the resort hasn't changed.  I also agree that the timeshare review section should be limited to paid members since it's a valuable resource.


----------



## TUGBrian (Oct 20, 2018)

also reviews dont have to contain new info about the resort itself...so many folks come to TUG to get ideas to do while on vacation but not at the resort.

new resturaunts to try, things off the beaten path to visit or experience, or maybe just a small mom and pop breakfast/food truck that serves the best biscuits and gravy youve ever tasted etc!

even something tiny like that would get me to seek that out if I ever traveled to that resort after reading the review!

anything to enhance a week long Timeshare vacation experience, thats what people come to TUG for!


----------



## sdhakala7 (Oct 20, 2018)

I agree that limiting reviews to members is important in terms of controlling content and part of what we pay for, which is pretty marginal.  I often end up staying at or exchanging for weeks at lesser resorts due to the cheaper trading units I own and last minute or short horizon searches.  This is helpful for splitting up my unused points about to expire  in the next year and to give weeks to family or friends (who are not so picky or demanding, and are quite happy to get something better than a hotel room).  Thus, I find that the amount and quality of reviews at many places I am looking at on RCI (especially for last minute or late RCI exchanges) are often quite limited, lack specificity, or are relatively spaced out over time  and dated such that I cannot be assured that the review reflects the current state of the resort.  

I, therefore, emphasize as well that we, as a community, need to each take the time to write reviews for others and also be objective and fair in our reviews and ratings, not promote the resort we own or pan a resort with a 1 or 2 rating just because one thing did not meet our expectations but that one thing is unlikely to matter to someone else or unlikely to reoccur, a honest mistake.  

I often end up going on RCI and reading reviews, which are more plentiful.  I find them useful but they often contain misleading or inaccurate reviews based on the peculiarities of the people submitting reviews.  Also, people are more likely to submit a review if they are upset about something like, for example, did not deliver the right number of towels midweek or upon entiry, had a noisy neighbor, or something else minor that did not meet their expectations or did not deliver the high end value or luxury they are accustomed to receiving and demanding.   Thus, I end up getting more information from the RCI and even sometimes Tripadvisor reviews but have to take them with a large grain of salt and read between the line.


----------



## rickandcindy23 (Oct 20, 2018)

This thread makes me feel pretty guilty because I write reviews for almost every stay (12 weeks/ year), and I forget to post them.  I don't write them for anything else besides TUG.  I just have this long document with lots of reviews I never have posted.  I just forget to post them.


----------



## Luanne (Oct 20, 2018)

rickandcindy23 said:


> This thread makes me feel pretty guilty because I write reviews for almost every stay (12 weeks/ year), and I forget to post them.  I don't write them for anything else besides TUG.  I just have this long document with lots of reviews I never have posted.  I just forget to post them.


You're doing better than I am.  I just plain forget to write them.


----------



## WinniWoman (Oct 20, 2018)

I do find it helpful to write them very soon after coming back from vacation or maybe towards  the end of the vacation because the more time that lapses after check out, the less likely I am to write the review.


----------



## TUGBrian (Oct 20, 2018)

for me, i type up an email to myself with a summary of the days events while on vacation, gmail and such saves drafts so i can just go back and add to it every day making it super easy.

saves so much time vs having to sit down and type a big long detailed summary of what I did all week while at a resort!


----------



## rapmarks (Oct 20, 2018)

I am currently reading reviews to choose a resort. I was shocked to read one which was obviously copied from the resort website with no attempt to add any personal content


----------



## TUGBrian (Oct 20, 2018)

please report those to tug@tug2.net  especially if the rating is clearly to either artificially inflate, or deflate the overall rating.


----------



## overthehill (Oct 20, 2018)

At last count I completed 70+ reviews since joining TUG in 1999. Before writing a review, I read reviews completed by others and try to avoid writing about what others have written about the Resort amenities, etc. There’s no point unless some of the features, activities, unit maintenance or other aspects about the resort have changed for better or worse.
I look for both positive and negative comments and suggestions from fellow Tuggers. As an example, years ago we confirmed a last minute stay at Westgate Villas in Orlando. One reviewer cautioned others about expecting a mid- week phone call inviting the guest(s) to come to a maintenance meeting which was actually a sales pitch. Sure enough we got the call and I responded that I had already informed the front desk of the items needing attention in the unit. The caller told me I couldn’t do that and had to come to the maintenance meeting. I hung up. With advance warning, I avoided the ‘meeting’. Very helpful suggestion.
Reviews don’t have to be long but should reflect the reviewers experience.
In response to a non member comment about being able to submit reviews,
I believe only members should be able to read and/or submit reviews.  I see no reason non members should be able to enjoy the benefits of TUG without being a member.
Mark Beales
Lifetime member
Seattle


----------



## bankr63 (Oct 21, 2018)

I actually headed over to the TUG site to see how many I had written; a whopping 2, although it feels like I have written more.  We've probably stayed at 10 or so resorts over the years, so I am certainly missing some.  We do tend to return regularly to same 3 resorts that we are most comfortable at.

For me it is probably an issue of timeliness.  We only timeshare a couple of weeks a year, and I will hit the reviews when researching where to stay, but don't venture over there for quite some time once I return.  By the time I am back there researching our next stay, I've forgotten about writing a review of my last stay.

What would work for me is some sort of trigger to actually go over and get it done.  Easy for RCI to get my feedback because they know when I was travelling, and send me the comment card at just the right time.  Perhaps there is an opportunity to use the advertising features of the BBS software to run "internal" ads reminding people to write a review?  And yes, the carrot of a reward would probably help.

One more vote to keep the reviews member only however.  IMO a public forum for reviews would become a lot like TripAdvisor (hopefully without the censoring), and most non-owners (non-members) will base their overall experience on the timeshare sales pressure; at least that's been my experience on TA.  I find that owners understand that the sales desk is not really a part of the resort experience, and give a much more honest review of the experience as a timeshare resort.  The resort reviews on TA seem very biased, and not rooted in what makes timesharing so special.

I guess one other thought; is there a statute of limitations on submitting a review?  I think that submitting a review 10-12 months after the visit would make it look out of place in the flow.  How far back could one go in submitting a review before it becomes out of step?


----------



## TUGBrian (Oct 21, 2018)

all reviews have both a submitted date, and a "date of visit" field so folks can see when reading it.


----------



## tomt73 (Oct 21, 2018)

I try to review each resort we visit, especially if it's our first time there, and I see it as s TUG duty to review a resort if it doesn't have a recent (within a year) review posted. I use TUG's text outline format for consistency and completeness, and save the initial draft in MSWord for ease of editing. I like the drop-down boxes since they cover the basics in a consistent fashion. If we re-visit a resort I will update an earlier review only if something has changed that merits comment. I think that as members we have a duty that goes beyond our annual dues to help support the good work TUG does.

I would offer one suggestion: If a review writer wins an award like a membership time extension, sending the member a quick congratulatory email and listing their name next to the "Latest Resort Reviews" section of the Newsletter might spur the team on. I rarely see the resorts I review listed in "Latest Reviews..." and that sort of recognition would be appreciated.


----------



## TUGBrian (Oct 21, 2018)

sadly the newsletter only picks a random 5 reviews from those submitted within the last week.  we always have far more than that submitted in the course of a week so it would be difficult to include them all


----------



## JudiZ (Oct 23, 2018)

+1 on members only. 

I, too have spent much more time at my home resorts than anywhere else these past few years. I just went in and checked and both resorts have recent reviews. Since we only just bought into the Wyndham system and won't make our first trip until February, I still can't help with reviews. But, all is not lost. We are staying at South Mountain in November and there hasn't been a review since 2016. I got it on the summer sale from RCI and was thrilled because we can never seem to get in there on exchange when we want one.

Brian, I think you do a fabulous job keeping track of this all and appreciate your commitment to all timeshare owners.


----------



## somewhereoutthere (Oct 28, 2018)

This thread inspired me to finally write reviews of our three different timeshare stays this past summer. We really appreciate reading the TUG reviews, but I don't always sit down to write one myself. I'll try to do better in the future!


----------



## Jason245 (Nov 26, 2018)

Personally, I write my review the day of check out. I like the map feature where I can track my travels (when it is working... which it isn't at least for me now but I find it a nice add on).  I do it for every resort I stay at if for no other reason that to have a vacation history log with dates etc . It is something to look back on fondly. I also feel that it is the most important benefit of TUG. The downside is that your competition is free and has outpaced you and outspent you from a platform and usability perspective .   When TUG started there was no YELP, TripAdvisor, google reviews etc. 

In my experience, the 20/80 rule usually applies to services like this where 80 percent of reviews are written by 20 percent of users.

That being said, one of the first questions I have on your 50% no review statistic, is how many TUG members who have no reviews have active listings on the marketplace?

e.g. could it be that a large chunk of your membership are people who are paying just to be able to advertise their listings on the site?

If you take all your paying members and divide them into few buckets:

1. Those who have no listings or reviews - (people who paid but are "inactive")
2. Those who have no listings but make reviews - Active members
3. Those who have or have had less than 2 listings in a year and have a review - Active member (I chose 2 or less to try to identify non-commercial you may have a better stat)
4. Those who have less than 2 listings a year and no review - Active member, non commercial
5. Those who have more than 2 listings a year and reviews
6 those who have more than 2 listings and no reviews

Maybe you will get a better perspective on the population because Those in bucket 1 are not using the service for anything other than the forum (if that) and somehow need to be engaged to go to the main website (maybe check their traffic patterns). I would guess that they will be very difficult to get to, especially if like me they generally use their cell phone (and as of now there is no TUG App for the main site that I am aware of).

Bucket 4 is probably the only audience you can actively target with benefit.

Bucket 6 will never be got as they are only using your service to gain access to potential buyers.


----------

