# Newbie and looking to rent a timeshare in orlando for March 12-19, 2022



## Head2077 (Feb 18, 2022)

Hello, I am new to this site and to timeshares. I am interested in purchasing a week. I have done a little research but I am still very confused. We usually vacation with my cousin and her boyfriend at least once a year. She has a timeshare at vacation village but doesn't know a lot about depositing or exchanging either. She usually gets a week in orlando that we use in April. This year she has a week in Westgate Lakes resort and spa for March 12-19, 2022. We were going to go but it is only a studio and do not want to spend a week on the pullout sofa. If anyone has a rental available please let me know. If anyone has some do and don't advice as to buying a timeshare please feel free to give your opinions. Thanks in advance!


----------



## theo (Feb 18, 2022)

A better place to express interest in renting a timeshare just a very few weeks from now would be the "Last Minute Timeshare Rentals" forum. You can easily look through all the weeks posted as "Offered" there to see if anything fits your needs *and* you can also separately post your own "Wanted" listing. A moderator may see your inquiry and move your post over to that forum.

P.S. As far as "anyone having some do and don't advice as to buying a timeshare", you really should first spend a *lot* of time (many hours, probably) reading and researching on your own (right here on TUG), so that you can better understand the many and widely varied timeshare options available --- and also more precisely clarify for yourself exactly what your goals, seasonal objectives, budget, geographic area(s) of interest,  space requirements, intended frequency of use, etc. might be. No offense intended, but you won't get many truly useful answers by just vaguely asking for "some dos and don't advice". Planet Timeshare is a bit too complicated to answer that question as posed.

Read and learn. Then read and learn more.  Ask specific questions arising from what you learn. Knowledgeable folks here will always respond and try to help you.


----------



## Head2077 (Feb 18, 2022)

Sorry I thought I did some research and was looking for a more personal experience. It is hard navigating these forums. Thanks for making me feel like I don't belong here.


----------



## bizaro86 (Feb 18, 2022)

Welcome. You'll get lots of excellent, personalized free advice here. I'd recommend starting a new thread with the answers to these questions:









						"What to Buy" Questions for New Timeshare Owners
					

Here are some questions you can answer to focus your timeshare wants/needs.   Suggestion - copy the questions below, and start a new thread entitled "My Survey" or "What should I buy?," or something similar, and answer the questions in a NEW thread.  1) Is there a vacation destination you wish...




					tugbbs.com
				




That way you'll get answers relevant to your specific situation.


----------



## CPNY (Feb 18, 2022)

Head2077 said:


> Sorry I thought I did some research and was looking for a more personal experience. It is hard navigating these forums. Thanks for making me feel like I don't belong here.


I didn’t take @theo reply to mean you don’t belong here. Quite contrary, I think they were giving you sounds advice. There is so much to learn about different systems and which resort chain you want to own in. The forums will offer a ton of insight and personal experience. Also, when looking for a last minute rental, posting in the LM rental forum is the best place to start, or search the TUG marketplace. Welcome to TUG, stick around.


----------



## CPNY (Feb 18, 2022)

Head2077 said:


> Hello, I am new to this site and to timeshares. I am interested in purchasing a week. I have done a little research but I am still very confused. We usually vacation with my cousin and her boyfriend at least once a year. She has a timeshare at vacation village but doesn't know a lot about depositing or exchanging either. She usually gets a week in orlando that we use in April. This year she has a week in Westgate Lakes resort and spa for March 12-19, 2022. We were going to go but it is only a studio and do not want to spend a week on the pullout sofa. If anyone has a rental available please let me know. If anyone has some do and don't advice as to buying a timeshare please feel free to give your opinions. Thanks in advance!


Do and don’t advice, DO figure out how you want to use the ownership.DO set a budget and realistic expectations on annual fees, exchange company membership fees, etc. DO buy where you want to go most of the time just in case you don’t exchange and want to use your home resort. DO research as much as you can on Tug. DO fill out the first time buyers survey and post it so people can guide you in the right direction.

DONT buy Westgate. DONT just take someone’s TS because they tell you it’s amazing. DONT rush into buying since you can always rent.


----------



## theo (Feb 18, 2022)

Head2077 said:


> Sorry I thought I did some research and was looking for a more personal experience. It is hard navigating these forums. Thanks for making me feel like I don't belong here.



WOW! --- I certainly did not see  *that* coming. 

I am sorry that you apparently misinterpreted the intent of my response and my suggestions. My intended point was  (and still remains) that there is lots to learn. There are many different timeshare "systems", with very different associated costs, locations, operating methods and nuances (and widely varying resale values) --- not to mention various different "points" based systems, the option for non-chain (independent) timeshare property ownership (an alternative to owning within the "chains"), "fixed" week ownerships vs. "floating" week ownerships, annual/ biennial/ triennial use, etc., etc. It's a whole lot to learn and developing a solid knowledge base is important --- *before* purchasing.

If you knew all of this already, my apologies for pointing out the obvious (and / or for supposedly "making you feel like you don't belong here", which was certainly not my intent or my objective). If you perhaps knew little or nothing about *any* of the above mentioned different topics (you very specifically indicated being "new to timeshares"), my intention was (and remains) to encourage you to invest some time and effort to develop a background knowledge base in order to then become much better able to "drill down" to the details and nitty gritty of your particular personal interests, asking specific and directly pertinent questions that folks here will always be glad to try to answer.

Timeshares are very easy to acquire, but often very difficult (sometimes nearly impossible) to get rid of later. Becoming a well informed buyer is important, in order to ensure that you don't inadvertently hang a stinking albatross around your own neck (as I certainly did in *my* first under-informed timeshare purchase, years ago). You're welcome.

I do not understand what you mean by "looking for a more personal experience", but I hope that you can obtain from others here whatever it is that quest means for you.
Good luck.


----------



## chapjim (Feb 19, 2022)

theo said:


> WOW! --- I certainly did not see  *that* coming.
> 
> I am sorry that you apparently misinterpreted the intent of my response and my suggestions. My intended point was  (and still remains) that there is lots to learn. There are many different timeshare "systems", with very different associated costs, locations, operating methods and nuances (and widely varying resale values) --- not to mention various different "points" based systems, the option for non-chain (independent) timeshare property ownership (an alternative to owning within the "chains"), "fixed" week ownerships vs. "floating" week ownerships, annual/ biennial/ triennial use, etc., etc. It's a whole lot to learn and developing a solid knowledge base is important --- *before* purchasing.
> 
> ...



Some people didn't like it before so I'm not going to say anything about another snowflake.


----------



## Paumavista (Feb 19, 2022)

theo said:


> A better place to express interest in renting a timeshare just a very few weeks from now would be the "Last Minute Timeshare Rentals" forum. You can easily look through all the weeks posted as "Offered" there to see if anything fits your needs *and* you can also separately post your own "Wanted" listing. A moderator may see your inquiry and move your post over to that forum.
> ...............


I thought you provided some excellent, well stated advice.   This is a perfect place to research....everyone can start by reading the many information posts under each heading & learning to navigate the page and then asking specific questions in a category that applies....... TUG members are super helpful with personal experience and information.


----------



## Head2077 (Feb 20, 2022)

Do I have to be a member to buy or find out information of the timeshare marketplace? If I buy a resale with say vacation village do I get the same trading power or points as someone who purchased directly from the resort?


----------



## Passepartout (Feb 20, 2022)

Head2077 said:


> Do I have to be a member to buy or find out information of the timeshare marketplace? If I buy a resale with say vacation village do I get the same trading power or points as someone who purchased directly from the resort?


Generally speaking a resale acquired TS gets virtually ALL the benefits of one bought from the developer. A noted difference is Westgate. They strip virtually all the owner benefits from resales. Sometimes, resale purchasers are not allowed to get VIP type benefits from owning many weeks. Most of us feel that loss is not worth the cost anyway. 

You don't have to be a paid member of TUG to use the marketplace- except if you want to place ads. And at $15 a year, it's not a huge cost anyway and that can be defrayed by posting reviews of TSs you stay at.

Please feel welcome at TUG. And if anyone here EVER says anything in any way disrespectful or hurtful, click on the 'report' button at the bottom of every BBS post.


----------



## chapjim (Feb 21, 2022)

Passepartout said:


> Generally speaking a resale acquired TS gets virtually ALL the benefits of one bought from the developer. A noted difference is Westgate. They strip virtually all the owner benefits from resales. Sometimes, resale purchasers are not allowed to get VIP type benefits from owning many weeks. Most of us feel that loss is not worth the cost anyway.
> 
> You don't have to be a paid member of TUG to use the marketplace- except if you want to place ads. And at $15 a year, it's not a huge cost anyway and that can be defrayed by posting reviews of TSs you stay at.
> 
> Please feel welcome at TUG. And if anyone here EVER says anything in any way disrespectful or hurtful, click on the 'report' button at the bottom of every BBS post.



On the other hand, OP easily could have found out about the TUG Marketplace by trying it!  I don't think saying that is disrespectful or hurtful.  Just accurate.


----------



## Head2077 (Feb 21, 2022)




----------



## CPNY (Feb 22, 2022)

Head2077 said:


> Do I have to be a member to buy or find out information of the timeshare marketplace? If I buy a resale with say vacation village do I get the same trading power or points as someone who purchased directly from the resort?


Marketplace is free, The tab is at the top of the page. Some Resale vacation village are better than others. Buying resale will give you the same trade power in Interval or RCI. You may get other perks for buying from the developer but the perks don’t justify the high price. There are other systems besides vacation village to trade with.

have you seen the first time buyers survey? I suggest filling it out and posting it in the new to timeshare thread.


----------



## CPNY (Feb 22, 2022)

@Head2077 here is the post with the survey. Copy and paste the survey then fill it out. Post it in the new to timeshare or the buying timeshare threads









						"What to Buy" Questions for New Timeshare Owners
					

Here are some questions you can answer to focus your timeshare wants/needs.   Suggestion - copy the questions below, and start a new thread entitled "My Survey" or "What should I buy?," or something similar, and answer the questions in a NEW thread.  1) Is there a vacation destination you wish...




					tugbbs.com


----------



## Head2077 (Feb 22, 2022)

CPNY said:


> Marketplace is free, The tab is at the top of the page. Some Resale vacation village are better than others. Buying resale will give you the same trade power in Interval or RCI. You may get other perks for buying from the developer but the perks don’t justify the high price. There are other systems besides vacation village to trade with.
> 
> have you seen the first time buyers survey? I suggest filling it out and posting it in the new to timeshare thread.


Yes I filled the survey out but have not had any replies. It said start a new thread with the title "What should I buy" I am still getting the hang of this forum (It can be overwhelming) so I might have posted in the wrong place....? I did start a new thread and answered the questions. I am looking at a annual vacation village week 11 unit 6104 2bd L Red season. The other auction for Regal Vistas 4bdL red season ended. Both are gold crown resorts.


----------



## TXgalSAM (Mar 2, 2022)

Head2077 - 
 Regarding your search for Westgate Lakes Resort and Spa for March 12-19 ...Did you find someplace near Orlando?,:

Regarding, "Hello, I am new to this site and to timeshares."
We've owned time shares since the 1990's.  I am most familiar with "Weeks" but have switched to "Points" a couple of years ago.
If you just want someone to talk with, I'd be happy to try to help you.  I am new to points and renting them out, but I am learning!  
There are people who love their time shares but there are definitely two sides to the topic.


----------

