# Club Sunterra



## lhenriksen (Aug 18, 2007)

I sat through a timeshare presentation this weekend in which they tried to convince my husband and I to convert our 2 deeded timeshares to Club Sunterra points. This conversion plus 4000 points would cost us $14,000.  We opted not to do this until we could research points.  Since the presentation, I have been seeing Sun Options for sale at a minimal price but am unsure what this would get us.  I assume we need to purchase Sun Options with the home of where we want to typically go so we could get 13mo. reservations.  What else do we need to consider?  Do we have to become Club Sunterra members to be able to even use these Sun Options?  If so what would it cost us?


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## JoeMid (Aug 18, 2007)

While I have yet to convert my CSV-1 Florida Trust to full Club Sunterra.  I have learned a little about the system.

The Sun Options you talk about for a minimal price only get you back into the 21 Trust Resorts, you do not get Club Sunterra.  But you can go to the 21 Trust resorts and so far, that's made me happy.

There has been much talk about conversions on TUG and at TS4Ms and 4000 Sun Options for $14,000 to convert existing properties sounds very high to me.  There are many examples on the two BBSs of people who have done it with no extra Sun Options for $2995 but with 2000 Sun Options for $5000 being the more prevalent.  In the long term, I think the $2995 is a great deal and if I get lucky enough to get that 'offer' I will get a wad of CSV-1s together and do it.

Your assumption has no base because Sunterra is only selling their Trust memberships now, either the more common Florida Trust or the less common and more expensive Hawaii Trust.


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## AwayWeGo (Aug 18, 2007)

*Ins & Outs Of Club SunTerra.  (Not That There's Anything Wrong With That.)*

Click here for some recent TUG-BBS dialog on Club SunTerra & the high cost of getting in. 

Click here for even more. 

So it goes. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## dwmantz (Aug 18, 2007)

Your experience is another prime example of a salesman trying to sell something for more than its worth.  Its the same when you buy a car or an engagement ring, but I think the percent of mark-up is highest with diamonds and timeshares.

The absolute lowest I know of for a "Conversion Plus" in Sunterra Club lingo, is the purchase of 2000 extra points for $3000, and with that, at the very same time, conversion of your deeds into club.

You should study up on it.  I suggest you read everything on the Sunterra Forum - TS4MS 
http://www.timeshareforums.com/forums/sunterra-resorts/

If you decide Club Sunterra is for you, as I have and many others, then you need to call the resort sales offices and bargin with them.  I think the best results have been found in Las Vegas.

Please do not be scared away by others who claim Club Sunterra is a ripoff or something horrible.  I and many others who know how to use it, love it!


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## Kagehitokiri (Aug 18, 2007)

i was told i could convert for $1200 IIRC. was the 3rd guy i talked to though (at my home resort)

first 2 guys said i had to buy points / spend a lot more.

im not planning to convert right now, i want to see what happens if everyone else converts and i dont. plus i might try to sell to some friends.


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## Bill4728 (Aug 18, 2007)

The key thing about Sunterra, is that you should buy as much sunterra weeks ( points)  as you want resale *BEFORE* even talking to sunterra about converting you weeks into Club Sunterra. 

The most current info is you must buy more points/weeks direct from Sunterra to convert to the Club and that you can buy as little as 2000 pts  for about $5000 and get Sunterra to convert all your week into the Club points.


For anyone reading this: 
Sunterra weeks bought resale will not be part of Club Sunterra without converting the resale weeks back into Club Sunterra weeks. *All weeks* bought resale lose their affiliation with the Club untill they are reconverted.


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## timeos2 (Aug 18, 2007)

*We don't trust the trust model*



Bill4728 said:


> For anyone reading this:
> Sunterra weeks bought resale will not be part of Club Sunterra without converting the resale weeks back into Club Sunterra weeks. *All weeks* bought resale lose their affiliation with the Club untill they are reconverted.



Bill is correct. And those are the two things that now disturb me about CS. First is the inability to resale your Club membership. That means whatever you pay to join is lost and the next buyer (assuming you hold on to your week to sell) has to buy in all over again. You had better own at a good resort or else you find yourself with little of value once the repurchase cost into Club is factored in.  If you own a resort people want to use then they don't care about Club and it reduces the impact of that policy. 

The second is their move to the non-deeded trust model of ownership. It means you give up your home resort & deed and basically buy into a DVC type model without the great history of DVC.  Many of the protections that timeshare rules and regulations of various states gets you become cloudy and may even disappear under the Trust/RTU system.  I simply don't want to be in  program where I don't hold a salable deed - that even includes DVC.  It's just not the way I want to take part in timeshare and is too close to the traditionally shaky vacation club type operation for my taste. 

With all that said we have found that the voluntary Club Sunterra - the club where you keep your deed and simply place your annual use into the Club system for options (points) has worked very well for us.  We have not regretted our <$1200 buy in even though if we sold our week that membership is non-transferrable.  We feel we've gotten our value out and we still have our week to resell should that desire ever occur. We get free access to priority reservations in II through our annual Club fee and the Club system is easy to use with good to great resorts as well as whatever II can offer.  Overall it's been a positive ownership and, as long as you don't give up your deed, we recommend it if the price to buy in is right.


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## Kagehitokiri (Aug 18, 2007)

i was given the $1200 convert figure in March at Powhatan...

no one else has heard that?

or are the higher minimums for those who have bought resale weeks? (i dont have any resale weeks)


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## JoeMid (Aug 18, 2007)

Kagehitokiri said:


> i was given the $1200 convert figure in March at Powhatan...
> 
> no one else has heard that?
> 
> or are the higher minimums for those who have bought resale weeks? (i dont have any resale weeks)


They know whether your week was purchased from the developer or purchased resale for the most part.  Your low offer was probably due to the fact that yours was developer purchase.  In my research, I found conversions for as low as $1164 even for resale, but that was years and years ago.


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## Kagehitokiri (Aug 18, 2007)

gotcha, thanks!


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## fnewman (Aug 20, 2007)

JoeMid said:


> Your assumption has no base because Sunterra is only selling their Trust memberships now, either the more common Florida Trust or the less common and more expensive Hawaii Trust.


While that may be what they are pushing at trust locations, I don't think this is 100% true - I know of a recent deal where someone just bought a deeded week to add to their Club portfolio of other deeded weeks previously bought at resale.


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## fnewman (Aug 20, 2007)

Bill4728 said:


> The key thing about Sunterra, is that you should buy as much sunterra weeks ( points)  as you want resale *BEFORE* even talking to sunterra about converting you weeks into Club Sunterra.


That is the easiest way, but in addition you can also negotiate the inclusion of future purchases for some period of time when doing a conversion deal.


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## pgnewarkboy (Aug 21, 2007)

*Club Sunterra Points Conversion*

I purchased an extra week every other year at Sedona Summit at a pretty good bargained for price.  I wanted the week any way.  I was not charged any additional money and my MAUI and other SEDONA (every year) were converted to Sun Club.


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## JoeMid (Aug 21, 2007)

pgnewarkboy said:


> I purchased an extra week every other year at Sedona Summit at a pretty good bargained for price.  I wanted the week any way.  I was not charged any additional money and my MAUI and other SEDONA (every year) were converted to Sun Club.


Only your admission of what was paid for _every other year at Sedona Summit, _would let us know if the smilie is warranted.:annoyed:


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## pgnewarkboy (Aug 21, 2007)

I hardly ever make an admission because my memory often fails me.  It was, however, less than one-half the price for the every year.


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## JoeMid (Aug 21, 2007)

pgnewarkboy said:


> I hardly ever make an admission because my memory often fails me.  It was, however, less than one-half the price for the every year.


That kind of non-answer tells me that you paid way too much for your 'conversion.':annoyed:


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## dougp26364 (Aug 21, 2007)

Buying a week you really want at a price your willing to pay, even if it's from the developer, is not an evil thing.


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## JoeMid (Aug 21, 2007)

dougp26364 said:


> Buying a week you really want at a price your willing to pay, even if it's from the developer, is not an evil thing.


It obviously IS NOT a week he really wants if he turned it into points.:annoyed:


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## dougp26364 (Aug 21, 2007)

JoeMid said:


> It obviously IS NOT a week he really wants if he turned it into points.:annoyed:




Good point


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## pgnewarkboy (Aug 22, 2007)

*I know what I want*

I think I am the one to determine if I got what I wanted.  I got a deed.  I got points without any conversion charge for any of my timeshares.  That is exactly what I wanted.


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## JoeMid (Aug 22, 2007)

pgnewarkboy said:


> I think I am the one to determine if I got what I wanted.  I got a deed.  I got points without any conversion charge for any of my timeshares.  That is exactly what I wanted.


You can clap all you want.  You didn't get points without any conversion charge, believe what you want, and yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.:annoyed:


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## ouaifer (Aug 22, 2007)

Before insults start to fly here, _cool your jets!_  If someone feels they did well, do not chastise him for his investment.  

_Play nice, or don't play at all._


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## fnewman (Aug 27, 2007)

JoeMid said:


> It obviously IS NOT a week he really wants if he turned it into points.:annoyed:


Not necessarily true.  Smart Club Sunterra members sometimes buy a week because it carries a low MF vs the number of SunOptions it gives. If you are going to use points anyway, the resort location is doesn't really matter.


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## JoeMid (Aug 27, 2007)

fnewman said:


> Not necessarily true.  Smart Club Sunterra members sometimes buy a week because it carries a low MF vs the number of SunOptions it gives. If you are going to use points anyway, the resort location is doesn't really matter.


The resort being discussed is not one of those.


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## fnewman (Aug 28, 2007)

Perhaps that is true; however, I don't know the MF / points ratio for the resort mentioned as it has not been stated.  In any event the second part of my statement is still true.


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## JoeMid (Aug 28, 2007)

fnewman said:


> Perhaps that is true; however, I don't know the MF / points ratio for the resort mentioned as it has not been stated.  In any event the second part of my statement is still true.


No your statement is not true.  It has everything to do with HRA and HCA.


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## fnewman (Aug 28, 2007)

A BBS is a place for opinions.  I've stated mine based on what has worked for me.  No doubt others may have different objectives of views of the SunTerra system.


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## JoeMid (Aug 28, 2007)

fnewman said:


> A BBS is a place for opinions.  I've stated mine based on what has worked for me.  No doubt others may have different objectives of views of the SunTerra system.


Opinions can be right or wrong, in this case you stated as if it were a fact, and you were wrong.


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## Bill4728 (Aug 28, 2007)

:ignore:  There will be no more "I'm right and your wrong" posts. :ignore: 

Be nice guys!!


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Aug 28, 2007)

Resort location does matter because of home resort advantage.  Certain resorts (e.g., Hawai'i resorts in summer) get filled almost immediately after home resort advantage ends.

That is a major factor for us in considering when, how, and if we want to increase our Club holdings.


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## dougp26364 (Aug 28, 2007)

One could also make the arguement that ther is a difference between high season and peak weeks, since peak weeks are often holiday weeks. Keep in mind also the while Club Sunterra might be a points based reservation system, it has little to do with your deed other than assign the point value to that week. Should you want to sell you week somewhere in the future or cancel your Club Sun membership owning the week you want certainly could make a difference. Especially if it's a holiday week that you own.


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