# New Owners Grand Mayan Resorts



## cydart (Aug 18, 2009)

Is anyone familiar with this Group?  Good or Bad would be welcomed.  We were highly pressured into buying in and do hope it works out.  We also can trade with RCI and HSI.  We are familiar with RCI but looking for any info HSI.


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## Tacoma (Aug 18, 2009)

You've come to the right place for information.  RESCIND if you are within the time allowed.  Follow the directions in the packeage to the letter.  If you are beyond the time limit to rescind then at least learn how to make the most of yopur purchase.  Check e-bay redweek etc for resale prices on the one you bought. You won't like the information. Good luck and let us know what happened.

Joan


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## DeniseM (Aug 18, 2009)

Hi and welcome to TUG! 

If you are within the 5 day limit, you should absolutely rescind ASAP.

You can buy the same thing for pennies on the dollar in the resale market.

Please read this FAQ about rescinding - it was written for another resort system, but besides that, everything applies to you. - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74493


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## pittle (Aug 18, 2009)

Yes - if you are within the 5-day window, rescind and buy on eBay for a LOT less.  Most of us do not find that out until it is too late.

If it is too late to rescind - welcome to not only TUG, but a great place to vacation.  As you can see by my list of resorts on the side, I own 2 grand Mayan weeks plus 4 Mayan Palace weeks.  Once we started taking Grupo Mayan vacations, we have not been disappointed.  We take our extended family and friends to these resorts every year.

Do a search on this site for HSI.  We have had a couple of threads running this year.  Same with Mayan Palace, Mayan Palace Regency, and Grand Mayan.  A lot of the information overlaps.  I know I was very busy posting about the Mayan Palace Regency to another "Newbie" around July 4th.  You can find the answers to a lot of your questions there.


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## pianodinosaur (Aug 19, 2009)

Pittle is right.  The Grand Mayans are an excellent place to vacation.  The resale usually goes for less than $100.  However, there is a resort transfer fee that can be several thousand dollars.  However, you would then end up with a two bedroom ownership for about $4000 -$5000.  Good Luck.


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## MuranoJo (Aug 20, 2009)

And sometimes the resort transfer fee can be much less, just depends on if you get an older contract or a newer one.  Resale, like almost all timeshare now, is at rock bottom.

If you are too late to rescind, just enjoy and explore other ways to benefit from the RTU which spans multiple locations.  There's a Yahoo group for MP or Grupo owners that can also help.


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## John Cummings (Aug 21, 2009)

I agree with rescinding ASAP. We have stayed at the Grand Mayans 5 times for 2 consecutive weeks each stay. We did these by exchanging rather than owning there. The Grand Mayans as all Mexican resorts, are quite easy to exchange into. I would buy a decent resort in the US that you can use and then exchange into the Grand Mayans when you wanted to. The Grand Mayans are excellent resorts to stay at. They are our favorites by far as can be seen by the number of times we have stayed there.


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## mikenk (Aug 22, 2009)

I think John's strategy is excellent. I also love the Grand Mayan resorts; we go twice a year but we decided to own. We bought resale and have negotiated a lot of amenities and an upgrade through Grupo Mayan; in other words, we traded cash for vacation goodies that add value to us. Was it the right financial decision - probably not. But we feel that it was the right personal decision: we like the sense of owning; we like easy vacation planning; and we like to host family and friends to really nice vacations.

The bottom line for me. Once you understand the real value of any timeshare, then you are in control - but it is not just about lowest cost, it is about the quality of vacations to your personal goals.

Mike


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## oldngrk (Aug 23, 2009)

*I just found this thread ...*



pianodinosaur said:


> Pittle is right.  The Grand Mayans are an excellent place to vacation.  The resale usually goes for less than $100.  However, there is a resort transfer fee that can be several thousand dollars.  However, you would then end up with a two bedroom ownership for about $4000 -$5000.  Good Luck.



It would have saved some people on this board who own at the GM an email from me ... I'm interested in buying there for a place to take the family when it gets cold in NY.  

PianoDinosaur am I understanding that correctly when you wrote that resales go for less than $100 + the $4-5000 transfer fee?  Is that resale for a 2BR lockout?!?!?  

There is a listing in the marketplace for a 2BR lockout (good for all but XMAS,NY and Holy week)for $7500 at the GM NV, Is that priced $7400 too much?  

Just asking?
The New Guy (Mark)


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## MuranoJo (Aug 23, 2009)

Too much, especially now and for non-holiday weeks.  Heck, I own holiday weeks at Grupo Mayan and in this ecomony I don't think I'd get close to  that.  

Yes, resale can be much lower so you should shop around. Older contracts don't have the higher transfer fee as some of the newer ones (older contracts have transfer fees closer to one year's maintenance fees).


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## oldngrk (Aug 23, 2009)

*Thanks*

If you notice any fairly priced resales in a resort like the GM please post the link in this thread.  I haven't seen anything in price that resembles what was described above.


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## mikenk (Aug 23, 2009)

Out of personal interest, I have been following the closed ebay listings off and on for a while. Including transfer fee, they have ranged from about 5-8K for 2BR with VF week. The last one I saw recently was $5500 but didn't seem to have the VF week. Grupo Mayan has frequently changed the rules on transfer fees and whether the VF week transfers; if you buy resale, be careful on what is excluded. 

I have a couple that we frequently take; they are starting to look for one on their own as they keep having trouble exchanging in (RCI) on their own. 

Mike


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## oldngrk (Aug 29, 2009)

mikenk said:


> Out of personal interest, I have been following the closed ebay listings off and on for a while. Including transfer fee, they have ranged from about 5-8K for 2BR with VF week. The last one I saw recently was $5500 but didn't seem to have the VF week. Grupo Mayan has frequently changed the rules on transfer fees and whether the VF week transfers; if you buy resale, be careful on what is excluded.
> 
> I have a couple that we frequently take; they are starting to look for one on their own as they keep having trouble exchanging in (RCI) on their own.
> 
> Mike



I've been going back and forth with several eBay sellers (greattimesharebargains and sellingtimeguys).  They are apparently connected with, if not PCC (postcard companies -  see I'm learning).

One doesn't have even a mention on any of the message boards (go figure, 28,000 tuggers and 197 positive feedbacks on eBay and no one has a good or bad thing to say about them here ?!?).  They are partnered with Preferred transfers llc (I found a complaint filed with the BBB on the internet) which they insisted handle the closing. 

The other seller had thread devoted to him which seriously read like a horror movie script.  And he also insisted on using their in house closing agent.  
Believe or not I even offered to offset some of their lost revenue from the closing costs by offering $100 to them for overnight fees and they still said they would only proceed using their closing agents.  Being uncomfortable with the "captive'" agent holding on to my money I told them I was passing. 

I am currently speaking to some people who have posted classified here ... I'll let you know how it goes.

-OldnGrk


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## pianodinosaur (Aug 30, 2009)

oldngrk said:


> It would have saved some people on this board who own at the GM an email from me ... I'm interested in buying there for a place to take the family when it gets cold in NY.
> 
> PianoDinosaur am I understanding that correctly when you wrote that resales go for less than $100 + the $4-5000 transfer fee?  Is that resale for a 2BR lockout?!?!?
> 
> ...



Check out www.ebay.com and search under timeshares for sale and grand mayan.  You will quickly find out than when the Grand Mayan is for sale on ebay, you can pick it up for the prices I quoted.  Be carefull about the seller.


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## dude-luv (Sep 3, 2009)

*Try SFX*



mikenk said:


> I have a couple that we frequently take; they are starting to look for one on their own as they keep having trouble exchanging in (RCI) on their own.
> 
> Mike



I have exchanged into the Grand Mayan and the Mayan Palaces about ten times in four different locations through SFX.  I buy a resort that SFX accepts for a good price on e-Bay and make a deposit.  They give me a regular week, a Bonus week and a Bonus Mexico week.  I am getting three weeks for one.  I must use a regular week to trade into a Grand Mayan.  Otherwise, Bonus weeks are good for the Mayan Palaces.  

Forget any 1 in 4 rule.  It doesn't apply with SFX.  I have been able to get back-to-back weeks at the same location for two families.  That is four simultaneous weeks (which even Groupo Mayan owners have difficulty doing).  SFX has a strong working agreement with Groupo Mayan.

I attended a presentation at the Grand Mayan in Nuevo Vallarta and took a list of the exchanges that I had made into their resorts.  Once the pressure was on, I showed the list to the salesperson and he went nuts telling me that I "shouldn't be allowed to exchange in."  Why buy when it is easy to exchange in.  I'm sure many SFX members have had the same experience.  Often it is a simple phone call.

The secret of course is to get a timeshare off e-Bay that is a place that you would prefer to stay at once in awhile and at the same time has decent maintenance fees.  Make sure it is a strong trader that is accepted by SFX.  I use Powell Place in SF which can be obtained for a song if you are patient (A friend of mine won an auction on a studio unit for $2.25 after I pointed out the auction to her).  You could argue that maintenance fees are expensive ($900) but you are getting three weeks for one with a deposit.  With a studio you can easily upgrade to a two bedroom unit for a cheap price if you are a Platinum member.

This method has worked for me time and again.  Getting into the Mayans is relatively easy.


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## John Cummings (Sep 3, 2009)

dude-luv said:


> I have exchanged into the Grand Mayan and the Mayan Palaces about ten times in four different locations through SFX.  I buy a resort that SFX accepts for a good price on e-Bay and make a deposit.  They give me a regular week, a Bonus week and a Bonus Mexico week.  I am getting three weeks for one.  I must use a regular week to trade into a Grand Mayan.  Otherwise, Bonus weeks are good for the Mayan Palaces.
> 
> Forget any 1 in 4 rule.  It doesn't apply with SFX.  I have been able to get back-to-back weeks at the same location for two families.  That is four simultaneous weeks (which even Groupo Mayan owners have difficulty doing).  SFX has a strong working agreement with Groupo Mayan.
> 
> ...



It is scary how much we think alike. You do exactly what we have done. Not only have we done 5 visits to the Grand Mayans at 2 consecutive weeks per visit but we have also gotten 2BR units sometimes for free without even asking for them. One big difference is we NEVER do presentations nor have we been pressured to do so. My advice has always been to never buy any timeshare in Mexico. It is too easy to exchange into Mexican timeshares.


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## Conan (Sep 6, 2009)

Loose lips sink ships!  Let's not go out of our way to educate Grupo Mayan salespeople, etc.


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## John Cummings (Sep 6, 2009)

rklein001 said:


> Loose lips sink ships!  Let's not go out of our way to educate Grupo Mayan salespeople, etc.



That statement doesn't make any sense. The purpose of these forums is to discuss timeshare topics and things of mutual interest. Just what are these salespeople going to learn that will change anything?


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## jmusci (Sep 11, 2009)

Tacoma said:


> You've come to the right place for information.  RESCIND if you are within the time allowed.  Follow the directions in the packeage to the letter.  If you are beyond the time limit to rescind then at least learn how to make the most of yopur purchase.  Check e-bay redweek etc for resale prices on the one you bought. You won't like the information. Good luck and let us know what happened.
> 
> Joan



We're faced with an "opportunity" to upgrade my parent's Mayan Suite with lockout (2 Bedroom) in to the  Grand Mayan of the same configuration - grandfathereing our current "no maintenance fees for the life of my parents" (80 and 74 years old).  Of course they paid way too much for this inititially, but the upgrade cost of less than $10,000 - closing cost and taxes and all fees included, is enticing.  Given that we don't have much time to make a decision - I am looking for quick advice!

Thanks


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## jmusci (Sep 11, 2009)

*upgrading from Mayan to Grand Mayan*

We're faced with an "opportunity" to upgrade my parent's Mayan Suite with lockout (2 Bedroom) in to the  Grand Mayan of the same configuration - grandfathereing our current "no maintenance fees for the life of my parents" (80 and 74 years old).  Of course they paid way too much for this inititially, but the upgrade cost of less than $10,000 - closing cost and taxes and all fees included, is enticing.  Given that we don't have much time to make a decision - I am looking for quick advice!

Thanks


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## pittle (Sep 11, 2009)

jmusci said:


> We're faced with an "opportunity" to upgrade my parent's Mayan Suite with lockout (2 Bedroom) in to the  Grand Mayan of the same configuration - grandfathereing our current "no maintenance fees for the life of my parents" (80 and 74 years old).  Of course they paid way too much for this inititially, but the upgrade cost of less than $10,000 - closing cost and taxes and all fees included, is enticing.  Given that we don't have much time to make a decision - I am looking for quick advice!
> 
> Thanks



The GM is very nice (I have 2) and any new contract will surely have the no maintenance fees if you do not go feature, this is nice if you plan to use it yourself in the long run.  I would think that would be in addition to the Senior Certificate plan.  There are no transfer fees charged when a contract is transfered to an heir. New contracts have a 1-1/2 times 5 year renovation fee and if you ever do transfer it to someone other than an heir, you lose the VF week.  Maintenance fees are higher on the new contracts and your 25 year renewal starts with the new date.

That said - watch eBay.  Grand Mayan 2-bedroom units have been going for less than $7000 for 2-bedroom units - some as low as $5000.  These prices include the transfer fees.


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