# Buyers Beware-even experienced owners



## Volfan (Sep 20, 2007)

We have owned Fairfield/wyndham vacation resorts for over eight years and have purchased additional points to get to the Gold level and have always been more than satisfied. Three of our friend have become owner thru us. 
    This spring while at Wyndham Plantation near Atlanta (a beautiful place) we went in to get the usual update, free gift, sales pitch.  We had not gotten any info on the wyndham takeover.  While there we got a really good deal to go to the Platinum level with some foreclosed properties they just had to get rid of.  Our Lucky Day?  NOT.  We got scammed.  We asked why the contracts did not show ALL the points we  wereto get, and then Anthony said they will be combined into one, plus we were to get some free points as well. WE GOT 126,000 POINTS INSTEAD OF THE 400,000 POINTS WE WERE PROMISED AND NO FREE POINTS.  We thought we asked all the right questions but we were stupid!!!!! We thought we were being careful but Fairfield has always done what they promised even when we didn't completely understand the contracts. I appealed to the customer relations but they told me to wait and they were working on it.  Then in August after four months they say there is no record of the other transactions so if I can't prove it, I AM OUT OF LUCK.  Of course, Anthony is gone and now there is a new sales manager Dean who says it didn't happen on his watch so I'm SOL.  THANK YOU WYNDHAM RESORTS. Don't take anything for granted, Treat all your purchases more carefully than the last.  WYNDHAM CANNOT BE TRUSTED.  GET IT IN  WRITING AND IF NOT RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN.  I WISH I HAD BEEN MORE CAREFUL.


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## Sandy (Sep 21, 2007)

Very unfortunate for you.  And I always thought that Wyndam/Fairfield was a reputable company.

Why would they try to scam a loyal customer?  The money for the sale must have been so tempting for a salesperson to trick a customer by verbal promises.  You had no reason to doubt what they said. 

But the lesson is correct for any and all purchases: get it in writing. 

It is also sad that corporate is not doing anything for you to rectify this situation.


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## EAM (Sep 21, 2007)

Experiences such as yours are the reason that some people bring tape recorders with them to timeshare sales presentations...

You might try contacting the consumer protection divisions of the Attorney General's offices in Georgia and Michigan, and sending a complaint to the Better Business Bureau.


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## Volfan (Sep 21, 2007)

The new salesmanager Dean Spicer at Wyndham Plantation in Villa Rica, Ga. said he wasn't there when I was, but he could sell the additional points (308,000) at "a rock bottom price" for another $5,000. That must be the commission.  If that is all they are worth, I really paid too much.  I plan to contact the Attorney generals office and I am a member of the BBB, but I wanted to give them a chance to work it out. Anthony Glasper was the salesman and Kevin Mehan was the salesmanager I was scammed by, but of course, they have moved on the greener pastures.  They had the nerve to send me further documentation on the other points I supposedly purchased, when I called and questioned the contract details, but it was just meaningless paper. Customer relations won't accept it.  I would remember those names.  There are no Wyndham timeshares in Michigan. Maybe there is a reason.   I know they sell a lot to Michigan residents.  I hope I can help people avoid a costly mistake.


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## timeos2 (Sep 22, 2007)

*Fairshare Points are worth around $.02 on average*



Volfan said:


> The new salesmanager Dean Spicer at Wyndham Plantation in Villa Rica, Ga. said he wasn't there when I was, but he could sell the additional points (308,000) at "a rock bottom price" for another $5,000. That must be the commission.  If that is all they are worth, I really paid too much.



The real value of FS Points is what they sell for on the open market. $5000 for 308,000 is around 1.5 cents per point - that is almost exactly what a resale goes for so, yes, that is really what they are worth.  If you can buy them from Wyndham at that price those are a great deal as they would carry all retail rights as well. But that REALLY says is, as you guessed, you seriously overpaid for all your other FS points. Except for this it sounds like your ownership has been good so maybe it's best to not worry too much about it now. Take whatever steps you feel necessary to try to get what you were promised, decide if the $5000 is one you want (if you wnat retail points that is as good as it gets) and then get back to enjoying your ownership.  And don't sign anymore contracts that don't reflect exactly what you were told you were getting.


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## EAM (Sep 22, 2007)

And be sure the 308K points are deeded points, not bonus points that expire after a few years.


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## Volfan (Sep 25, 2007)

The points were to be fixed weeks converted to points but they still are considered fixed weeks and are not considered UDI, like my other points at Smoky Mts.  A rep at Smoky Mts said that the fixed weeks a subject to special accessments if they decide to upgrade my unit  where as in a UDI the maintainence and renovation is shared by all, but I know they can have special accessments, too, like in Florida for hurricane damage.  Apparently in a fixed week, it can be unit by unit and not necessarily shared by the overall maintainence fees. Is this true.  I know some of the Plantation units looked like they needed work and they were gutting one of the duplexes while we were there, but were were staying in a three level building on the lake.  Wyndham may have made me a proud owner of a slum and make me fix it up for them.
     I am just really disgusted that they would do this to me and not make a serious effort to rein in or supervise their sale offices.  If they can,t make the deal, they should cancel it all together.  I paid $17,000 and ended up with only 126,000 points.  No one would pay that much unless they were promised more than what I received. It certainly wouldn't be considered a great deal!!


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## johnmfaeth (Sep 25, 2007)

On St. Thomas, they charge $13,200 for a week with 105,000 FSP at the Wyndham Elysian Beach Resort.

No developer sale is ever a great deal IMHO - OK, maybe a preconstruction Marriott, the other 99% no way...


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## Time4aVacation (Sep 27, 2007)

*Never bought from Fairfield or Wyndham*

I never bought any deed from the Developer, Fairfield or Wyndham sales offices yet was able to become VIP Gold, have recentely purchased a 500,000 point package on the resale market in the hopes of obtaining Platinum status.  Have they changed their policy?  I've owned since 2003 and became VIP Gold in 2004, all through the resale market.


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## Jya-Ning (Sep 27, 2007)

the requirement happened in 2003-2004 period.  If you own enough points before that, you will be grandfather in.  If not, the new rule is all the VIP status will only count the number of points purchased from developers.

If you have fixed converted week or PIC that is counted toward purchased from developer currently if you own the week before Wyndham.

Jya-Ning


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## Timeshare Von (Sep 28, 2007)

Time4aVacation said:


> I never bought any deed from the Developer, Fairfield or Wyndham sales offices yet was able to become VIP Gold, have recentely purchased a 500,000 point package on the resale market in the hopes of obtaining Platinum status.  Have they changed their policy?  I've owned since 2003 and became VIP Gold in 2004, all through the resale market.



You may want to join the FF/Wyndham Owners' Group to learn more about how Wyndham is affecting VIP with existing owners, many of whom have some number of resale points in their total portfolios, and they are now losing their VIP status.  You can join by going to:  http://forums.fairfieldowners.org/ .

(I actually think we've had a private e-mail discussion about this, but can't be sure since you didn't sign your first name   )


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## jtridle (Sep 28, 2007)

*grandfathered*



Jya-Ning said:


> the requirement happened in 2003-2004 period.  If you own enough points before that, you will be grandfather in.  If not, the new rule is all the VIP status will only count the number of points purchased from developers.Jya-Ning



Is there someplace that FF/Wyndham stated that if you bought resale in 2003-2004 period you would be allowed to have and keep VIP status?  Or are you just surmising this from something else?   If you know this for a fact from Wyndham, where does it say that and what is the exact cutoff date?


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## Jya-Ning (Sep 28, 2007)

jtridle said:


> Is there someplace that FF/Wyndham stated that if you bought resale in 2003-2004 period you would be allowed to have and keep VIP status?  Or are you just surmising this from something else?   If you know this for a fact from Wyndham, where does it say that and what is the exact cutoff date?



Since you are owner and sounds like before 2003, look at the yearly directory wording on VIP.  Since I am not in market to this, so I could not say for sure when is the actual cut off day.  But I believe it is 2003.  Compare the wording in 2003 and 2004 directory and 2005's one.  If you don't have any contract or wording in writing, that probably will be the only statement in paper you can based on.

If you are member of Yahoo group, then you probably want search the post over that period you may know the exact day it happen.   If not, that group is closed for any new member, but you may want to try ask in the new forum.  Not lawyer but I guess anything in internet probably will not help you in any court.

Jya-Ning


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## Volfan (Oct 6, 2007)

*Wyndham Fairfield Bad Sales And Resales*

I know I have some friends that used my Wyndham timeshare and then bought some resales and wyndham would let them use the points but could not be part of VIP so a lot of the benefits are void like advance reservations.  They had a lot of points that were hard to use. Then they make you a GREAT!! deal to become VIP so you can use your points and not treated like a second class owner.  They are so nice for a price.
  I am still fumming over the fact that I went through the high priced Wyndham sales office and was totally fooled by the old "BAIT AND SWITCH" where they offer a great deal on enough points to go PLATNIUM but the papers did not reflect what I was promised.  They stalled until the time to recind was past. They are very dirty at Wyndham Plantation in Villa Rica, Ga.  They even have a way of getting rid of the bad comments that appear on google. The corporation covers for their bad sales offices, and cleans up their dirty laundry.  It all about the money.   You will probably will never see this on GOOGLE!


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## Volfan (Nov 17, 2007)

*The Wyndham Plantation Georgis saga continues*

I have been a dispute with a "BAIT and Switch" deal where they tell me about all the points I am buying but when the paper works comes thru, mysteriously the other points were not there, but they assure us that they will be there.  Now it my word against THERE'S.   NOW I received a bill for a special accessment past due!  Can the home owners association bill time share owners fees on top of wyndham fees?


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