# First Post: Wyndham Discovery (trial) member, help? [MERGED]



## katieg (Aug 19, 2015)

Hope I am in the right place. I am completely new to timesharing.

Family and I are not new to timeshare presentations - we've attended a couple in past vacations where there was an incentive given to go (free or greatly reduced tickets to something we wanted to do or see).  At those times we went and did not purchase anything.  Got our tickets and left. 

We just got back from a vacation where we attended a Wyndham presentation for the same purpose of getting discounted tickets for our activities on our trip. This was the first timeshare presentation we've seen that was points based and not weeks based. It is also the first one we've seen that offered a trial membership without full commitment of ownership right off the bat. So we took a leap of faith and purchased a trial "Discovery membership" of 300,000 points that now must be used by 04/2017.

We didn't even take a second glance at the information about what we have purchased until we got home a few days ago. I am now going through everything and trying to acclimate myself to the culture and language of timeshares and understand how it all works.  All I have ever heard are rumors that timeshares are a "scam" and that they aren't a good deal at all due to fees, not enough availability and the fact that you can't cancel them. I don't know how true any of that is. I've caught a lot of flack so far from everyone I have told about our purchase, so I'm really hoping I didn't make a bad decision!

For anyone who is familiar with a Wyndham "Discovery" membership (or please direct me to where I would find those folks), I have some basic questions:

1.  During our presentation we were told that points can be used to purchase non-lodging items like flights, tickets to Disney and rental cars. Is this not true for Discovery members?  (The real reason I bought the discovery membership was to help offset the cost of a trip to Disney next year for our family.)  How do I find out what non-lodging items I can buy?

2. I am hoping that by traveling to Disney during off peak times, we will have enough points to use the 300,000 to get us two trips next year. It looks like this is going to be nearly impossible now that I am trying to piece together the logistics of when we can reasonably take two trips (one will have to be during peak season, requiring more points than we have).  How do most timeshare owners handle this?  Is this a common issue?

3.  How do you purchase more points if you need them?  Say you are only a few hundred short...do you have to upgrade your plan to have that many for each year in the future or can you purchase points for a one time use?

4.  If you are or were a Discovery member, how did you like it?  Did you decide to go into an ownership after?  Why or why not?

5. Any other tips and tricks for a newbie are appreciated!

Thanks in advance for the help!


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## raygo123 (Aug 19, 2015)

Book now!!!

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## raygo123 (Aug 19, 2015)

How much did u pay?

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## vacationhopeful (Aug 19, 2015)

Rescind NOW ... take the money YOU spent for the membership and RENT from a Platinum owner who get 50% discounts and unit upgrades at the 60 day from checkin mark.

And start reading MORE about all the points systems ... and then BUY RESALE.


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## Ty1on (Aug 19, 2015)

katieg said:


> Hope I am in the right place. I am completely new to timesharing.
> 
> Family and I are not new to timeshare presentations - we've attended a couple in past vacations where there was an incentive given to go (free or greatly reduced tickets to something we wanted to do or see).  At those times we went and did not purchase anything.  Got our tickets and left.
> 
> ...



Rescinding is not a bad idea if you are still within the rescission period.  Otherwise,

With points, you don't have to use an entire week at a time.  You might find two trips doable if you take a full week in a lower season and part of a week in the Prime season.  If you do a week in High season at Bonnet Creek, you can do 5 weekdays at Bonnet Creek in Prime season by only renting 2K points.  I think you can rent them, but someone who has used Disco can verify. Or you can do 6 days High and 5 days Prime and be covered by your points.

Availability-wise, the earlier you reserve, the better your chance of availability.  It may be late for some Prime periods next year.

If you wanted to go to DisneyLAND, you could easily manage two weeklong trips with those points.

There is arbitrage built into every alternative use of poiints, like for airfare.  The general consensus is that it is better to use your points for accommodations and cash for other expenses.

The most important thing to know is that if you love the experience you have with Discovery, you don't have to pay the salesmen tens of thousands to get into it permanently.  Points contracts are going for about a penny a point, give or take depending on location and bidding wars.


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## katieg (Aug 19, 2015)

OK. Total newbie here so I don't understand the lingo being used. 

Please explain: What is "rescind"?  Rent from owner?  What is arbitrage?  Penny per point, where and on what market? How do I even use points for airfare if I wanted to...I don't even see the option?  

FYI, if it matters, we are not looking to travel to Disney until December 2016, about 18 months from now and we cannot book until 10 months out per Wyndham. I'm just looking to fill in a trip for the rest of the points so I don't lose them. I'll do something else cheaper for the second trip. Or I wanted to fully use them at Disney via airfare and park tickets but cannot find this option anywhere.


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## vacationhopeful (Aug 19, 2015)

Rescind .. the act of cancelling YOUR purchase and getting your money back .. it is the return policy by the law of the state WHERE you brought.

It is required paperwork in your contract ... VERY FEW DAYS to act ... MUST ACT ASAP.

I own a lot of Wyndham points ... and post regularly here as does Ty1on .... 

You can buy exactly what you are cancelling AFTER you learn WHAT it is that YOU brought ... spending any sum of money on Wyndham's Discovery Program is just a SALES HOOK into YOU (like a fishing hook in the mouth of a fish -- so you get reeled and gutted). 

If you really think you get a deal ... go to eBay ... type in "Wyndham points timeshare" under the "real estate" catagory .... you can BUY points for LESS than your sunk cost in the Discovery Program and WAY less than a full retail purchase from Wyndham (including the first 10+ years of MFs would be like less buying resale than the original costs of the Wyndham full frieght purchase).

I have taken great friends with me to resorts or sent them using my points and THEY brought from Wyndham directly, too ... smart professionals  ... just no common sense trying to PROVE they could do and vacation like me. They spent $25,000+ ... I spent $700 and OWNED better locations for my travel plans and MORE points.


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## katieg (Aug 19, 2015)

How do you buy/sell your timeshares to other people?  Aren't they contracted to you only?  I am genuinely trying to understand.

I get that our discovery is just a sales hook and am not disappointed by that. We went with it knowing that we were throwing that money away to try something out. I do not see us becoming owners ever.


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## katieg (Aug 19, 2015)

What are MFs and what is full freight purchase?


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## Ty1on (Aug 19, 2015)

katieg said:


> What are MFs and what is full freight purchase?



Arbitrage is when a business makes the difference between the value they pay for a commodity and the value they sell it for.  In this case, they are giving you less value in airfare than you could get if you used it for room nights, and the difference goes to profit for them.

MF is maintenance fees, what you have to pay every year to "maintain" the unit.

Full Freight means paying the full developer price instead of getting it cheaper resale.

Penny a point is the going rate for a wyndham contract if you buy it resale through EBay, and you should look for a similar price if you find an offering elsewhere.  In other words, a 217,000 point contract would cost you about $2,200 on average on EBay.


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## LannyPC (Aug 20, 2015)

katieg said:


> I do not see us becoming owners ever.



Then rescind.  The instructions should have come with the package you bought.  Make sure you follow the directions carefully including the method of delivering the rescission letter (usually certified mail).

After you have rescinded, you can take your time to examine your other options and to study up about TSs.


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## LannyPC (Aug 20, 2015)

katieg said:


> OK. Total newbie here so I don't understand the lingo being used.
> 
> Please explain:...Rent from owner?



It means exactly that.  Someone else who owns a TS week or points package might not be able to (or want to) use his unit so he might rent it out to someone who can (or wants to) use it.

Check out the TUG Marketplace or TUG BBS Last Minute Rental section for owners who are offering their TS for rent.  BTW, a lot of weeks are being offered in the Last Minute Rental section for less than what the owner is paying in MFs.


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## katieg (Aug 20, 2015)

Why are you all here?  What do you like about timeshares?  Hearing all of this rescind and don't use them - clearly someone uses them or they wouldn't be in business?


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## katieg (Aug 20, 2015)

Also I intend to use our discovery points so why would I rescind?  I just need some pointers on how to use them effectively and looking for other discovery members. Can someone direct me there?  

How do ppl that rent the timeshares they own, manage to turn a profit on it, if they are renting for a penny a point and the market rate per the timeshare company is obviously much higher than that.


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## Ty1on (Aug 20, 2015)

katieg said:


> Why are you all here?  What do you like about timeshares?  Hearing all of this rescind and don't use them - clearly someone uses them or they wouldn't be in business?



I have found the members of this site to religiously love timeshare for the most part.  The reason for the knee-jerk rescission advice is that so many of them were bitten by developer prices (buying from the resort salesmen) before they discovered they could have the same experience with much less investment.

No one is trying to run you out of timeshare or even keeping the points you bought.  The reason for the urgent and repeated rescission advice is that there is a very limited time to rescind.  If you don't want to rescind, don't rescind.  Enjoy the use of your discovery points, and when you have a great experience using them, and they sit you down and try to sell you a permanent ownership, buy that too, if you want.  But you would do well to keep in the back of your mind during that presentation that 98% of the benefits they are using to sell you on their $20K package at 13%-17% interest can be had for three thousand (Cash) tops.


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## katieg (Aug 20, 2015)

BTW someone asked what we paid. We paid $2,500 for 300,000 points. This sounds like the same market price you are talking about?


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## katieg (Aug 20, 2015)

Yes thanks. I don't plan to purchase anything at all and am quite fine with saying no during the presentation at the end.  I do not plan to rescind our current points. I would like to know how to navigate the system and some first time advice about how experienced users best use their points


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## Ty1on (Aug 20, 2015)

katieg said:


> Also I intend to use our discovery points so why would I rescind?  I just need some pointers on how to use them effectively and looking for other discovery members. Can someone direct me there?
> 
> How do ppl that rent the timeshares they own, manage to turn a profit on it, if they are renting for a penny a point and the market rate per the timeshare company is obviously much higher than that.



The penny a point is the general average of BUYING a Wyndham contract on the resale market and is unrelated to rental cost.  

Rental rates range from quite lower than a penny a point to a little higher.  I would think it is typically less.  Renters have some tools available like getting reservations at half the standard point cost, free upgrades, etc.  Others may just not be able to use their timeshare that year, and rent it out to cover or offset their maintenance fees.  That means it is _possible_ to rent a timeshare for less than the person renting it to you paid in annual fees....they eat the loss, because for them, the choice is get what they can or let it go unused.

Even for the professional renters, the plan is either to use their VIP benefits to be able to make a profit while underselling Wyndham's rental rates, or in the case of highly sought after dates and locations that even Wyndham doesn't have inventory to rent out, simply get as much as they can in profit. 

Every post here has been to inform and help you.


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## Ty1on (Aug 20, 2015)

katieg said:


> Yes thanks. I don't plan to purchase anything at all and am quite fine with saying no during the presentation at the end.  I do not plan to rescind our current points. I would like to know how to navigate the system and some first time advice about how experienced users best use their points



"We just got back from a vacation where we attended a Wyndham presentation *for the same purpose of getting discounted tickets for our activities on our trip*. This was the first timeshare presentation we've seen that was points based and not weeks based. It is also the first one we've seen that offered a trial membership without full commitment of ownership right off the bat. So we took a *leap of faith* and purchased a trial "Discovery membership" of 300,000 points that now must be used by 04/2017."

This read to me like you went in intending not to buy anything when you bought the disco package.  That's the only reason I wrote what I wrote.

I don't think you got an awful deal.  If you can get the week and location you want at the 10 month point, you could have done worse as far as cost.  300K is a good size package to get into just about anywhere you would want to go, too. It's probably enough for a week in hawaii and a few days somewhere close to home on top of that, depending on what unit size your family requires.

For comparison's sake, your points would cost a Club Wyndham Access member about $1,700 in maintenance fees.


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## Ty1on (Aug 20, 2015)

katieg said:


> I would like to know how to navigate the system and some first time advice about how experienced users best use their points



This is like saying, "look, I didn't ask you any questions about aeronautics, just tell my which way to move this stick to take off."


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## raygo123 (Aug 20, 2015)

That's about right $1668 remember book as soon as you decide where to go!  8 am first day

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## katieg (Aug 20, 2015)

Thank you for taking the time to try to clarify things. I am not trying to come off as harsh in any way, just feeling lost and looking for a way to understand better.

One of the biggest turn offs to the timeshare industry to ME, was the sheer change in how I would be looking at our vacations. Hope I can explain that right. We are hotel-on-a-whim people for the most part.  We book hotels maybe 3-4 months out after a couple of weeks of research. I like variety and activity in our locations. I do not mind planning but hate strict itineraries and cringe at planning too far in advance or being locked in to something too far in advance. This is my personality. Disney is something I am going into a bit begrudgingly because of how much planning needs to go into it (i/r/t the park, dining and experience especially).  But I want to do it for my kids because they want to do it. 

Anyway I want to be clear about myself because that colors my perspective and reaction on timeshares. What sold me on a trial was 1) the accommodations appear to be quite a bit nicer than what we have been doing via hotels and 2) I was happy with Bonnet Creek for our Disney trip and the price they gave me for a discovery to get us there was reasonable to me in comparison to the places we were going to book for that trip. So in this case I took the discovery option for that specific resort. And then later found out we are looking to travel to Disney during a low period and got excited that we might be able to take 2 trips with these points instead of just one like I originally thought. 

What are Maintenance fees BTW and how do they work?  

If you are a timeshare member and you want to cancel your membership can you?  Or do you just rent it out to others for the rest of your life?

What are some destinations/resorts typically hard to get into?


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## Ty1on (Aug 20, 2015)

katieg said:


> Thank you for taking the time to try to clarify things. I am not trying to come off as harsh in any way, just feeling lost and looking for a way to understand better.
> 
> One of the biggest turn offs to the timeshare industry to ME, was the sheer change in how I would be looking at our vacations. Hope I can explain that right. We are hotel-on-a-whim people for the most part.  We book hotels maybe 3-4 months out after a couple of weeks of research. I like variety and activity in our locations. I do not mind planning but hate strict itineraries and cringe at planning too far in advance or being locked in to something too far in advance. This is my personality. Disney is something I am going into a bit begrudgingly because of how much planning needs to go into it (i/r/t the park, dining and experience especially).  But I want to do it for my kids because they want to do it.
> 
> ...



As a whim traveler, you may find that the discovery package is as troublesome for you as owning a timeshare would be.....Getting what you want where you want sometimes requires advanced planning and the vigilance to call at the first moment of the first day a check-in date becomes available to you.  I think success can also involve having back-up plans for both the resort choice and the date choice in case those who were able to reserve before your 10 month window opens have gobbled up all the availabilty you were planning on.

fortunately, you want to go to Disneyworld (I presume) which is one of the most overbuilt timeshare destinations to be found....maybe THE most.  Because you want prime dates, you still need to get in at the beginning of the 10 month mark, but I think you have a better shot than you would with other locations with competition over fewer units.

As far as Bonnet Creek, what vacationhopeful was trying to say that was that even though you could get 2 weeks for your 2300 offseason, it would be very possible to have rented the same units, same weeks in the 1500-ish range.  Of course the rental rates go up in primetime, and so does the points cost.

Maintenance fees are the dues "owners" pay every year to maintain the property:

-Cost of facilities maintenance, furniture and fixture repair or replacement, etc.
-In many (most?) cases, property taxes
-Cost of the folks who manage the resort, take your reservation, check you in, clean the unit, manage the resort activities, perform accounting, anyone you see in a suit or uniform around the resort.
-a "management fee" charged by the managing company of the resort.  In Bonnett Creek's case, Wyndham.

All these expenses are budgeted before the beginning of a year.  Once the budget is finalized, the total annual budget is divided by either the number of weeks at the resort, or the number of points in a club, and apportioned to the owners that way.  Maintenance fees are typically paid monthly, quarterly, or yearly, and sometimes have to be paid fully in advance before reserving.


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## CCR (Aug 21, 2015)

katieg said:


> Thank you for taking the time to try to clarify things. I am not trying to come off as harsh in any way, just feeling lost and looking for a way to understand better.
> 
> One of the biggest turn offs to the timeshare industry to ME, was the sheer change in how I would be looking at our vacations. Hope I can explain that right. We are hotel-on-a-whim people for the most part.  We book hotels maybe 3-4 months out after a couple of weeks of research. I like variety and activity in our locations. I do not mind planning but hate strict itineraries and cringe at planning too far in advance or being locked in to something too far in advance. This is my personality. Disney is something I am going into a bit begrudgingly because of how much planning needs to go into it (i/r/t the park, dining and experience especially).  But I want to do it for my kids because they want to do it.
> 
> ...




Hi Welcome to Tug! 
It sounds like you were offered the trial package.  They offered me one in Hawaii a couple years back that I declined.  The price you paid for the trial package is the same (probably even more) you'd pay for an actual Wyndham membership that lasts forever if purchased resale.  However having only a 3 year commitment is great.  I'm guessing you don't have to pay any maintenance fees for those 3 years or do you?

Wyndham has started an Ovation program that can take back contracts at certain resorts that may or may not be around in the future.  If Wyndham takes that away members are stuck forever owning that membership and paying annual fees that are the maintenance of keeping it nice, day to day operations.  That is if you were to buy a regular ownership.

You can buy memberships on ebay or through resalers or even here on Tug.  Before the Ovation program you could buy these memberships for a dollar.  Now the price has increased due to Wyndham buying them back from people that want out.  Right now many resale Wyndham contracts are going fast because of the new Ovation take back program.  The ones that are still selling at a dollar are probably not eligible for the Ovation program or they don't know about it.  

I generally think people like Wyndham points and feel like it is a good investment as long as you find a low maintenance fee contract such as a CWA or at a resort that is priced lower.  

I studied these quite a bit as I've wanted to buy a Wyndham membership a couple times but decided with me living on the west side of the US that Worldmark would be a better fit.
Using a timeshare takes lots of advance planning so not a good idea if you can't plan your life out 10 months to a year in advance.  Our family loves having the bigger nicer rooms now as before I'd get the cheaper room and cram all 5 of us in a room with 2 doubles, or a queen with a pull out sofa.  After our trip to Hawaii and a Wyndham tour, we said no more    I love my timeshares but beware they are addictive.  If I could travel 3 months of the year and afford it I'd buy tons more.

"What are some destinations/resorts typically hard to get into?"  During Prime time when kids are out of school it is difficult to get into many places like Hawaii, Hilton Head, West Coast, Ski resorts during ski season.  Some places are overbuilt so very easy to get into such as Vegas and Orlando.


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## famy27 (Aug 22, 2015)

I am a Wyndham owner, and I like the system overall.  We generally use our points for one or two trips to the Wisconsin Dells each year and for one or two exchanges in RCI (which is an external exchange program) into DVC.  When going to Disneyworld, we like to stay on property, so we haven't stayed at Bonnet Creek yet, but I do hear great things about it. 

Things I like about Wyndham:
1) Units are generally nice and well-maintained.  The presidential units at Wyndham Glacier Canyon are just amazing.  We stay in them every chance we get.
2) Large number of destinations, including several in reasonable driving distance for me
3) I think the online system is pretty easy to use
4) Maintenance fees are tolerable to me

What I don't like:
1) They will nickel and dime you to death.  You may pay extra for housekeeping credits, guest certificates, and transaction fees.  You can avoid most of the fees, but you have to plan your trips very carefully.  I don't know if Discovery packages are subject to the same fees or not
2) The sales staff at the resorts is ridiculously aggressive.  In the Dells, they send you to the sales room to get your parking pass.  They won't take no for an answer, so you end up having to be very firm with them, which is not how I enjoy starting my vacation.  They will call and stop by your room to try and sell more points to you.  They have done this almost every trip.  We just got back from Galena, and the cell signal was terrible, so we had to leave the unit phone plugged in.  They called at 9:30 on our first morning there.  It doesn't bother some people to have to play games to avoid the sales staff, but it really rubs me the wrong way.
3) You can probably get a better deal renting points from a VIP owner. 

You asked about using the points for airfare.  Even if it's possible to do with your Discovery package, I really discourage you from doing so.  It's an absolutely terrible value.  You are much better off using your points for Wyndham stays and paying cash for your airfare.  

I'm also not sure if you get an RCI account as part of your Discovery package.  If you do and are interested in staying onsite at a Disney resort, you would want to set up an ongoing search right a way.  Searches are filled in the order they are placed, so if you set up a search now for next December, you'd be pretty far up in line.  If you need a unit large than a one-bedroom, you'd probably be better sticking with Bonnet Creek.  

What week numbers were you looking at and what size unit did you need?

I am happy to help answer any questions you might have.  I am certainly not the most knowledgeable owner about Wyndham, but I can share my experiences, if that is helpful.


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## DeniseM (Aug 24, 2015)

A string of posts from a spammer have been removed from this thread - thank you, Ty1on!


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## Ty1on (Aug 24, 2015)

DeniseM said:


> A string of posts from a spammer have been removed from this thread - thank you, Ty1on!



Thanks for removing my responses, too!  Saved me the trouble.


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## uscav8r (Aug 24, 2015)

*I began with Discovery*



katieg said:


> Hope I am in the right place. I am completely new to timesharing.
> ...So we took a leap of faith and purchased a trial "Discovery membership" of 300,000 points that now must be used by 04/2017.
> ... All I have ever heard are rumors that timeshares are a "scam" and that they aren't a good deal at all due to fees, not enough availability and the fact that you can't cancel them. I don't know how true any of that is. I've caught a lot of flack so far from everyone I have told about our purchase, so I'm really hoping I didn't make a bad decision!
> ...
> Thanks in advance for the help!


I am likely the only former Discovery owner to answer this thread so far, but I will take your questions/comments in bite-sized chunks.

You will catch flack because people, in today's society in general, seem to feel the need to spout off about things of which they know nothing or have heard third- or fourth-hand. It makes them feel good about themselves.

The line that they are parroting is that timeshares _as a whole_ are easily gotten into and hard to get out of. This broad generalization is just as erroneous as the exaggerations/misrepresentations that come out of the developer sales departments.

While it is true that developer prices outrageously high compared to what one can buy the same things for on the open market, _no one is forcing you to buy from the developer_.

Yes, many timeshares are hard to get rid of, especially fixed weeks that have high maintenance fees in the off-season. But there are many for which there is a vibrant and active resale market. If you buy resale, you have SO much less downside risk than if you buy from the developer.

The "scam" is only truly a scam with respect to the unscrupulous resale "PCCs" or Post-Card Companies that claim to get you out from an unwanted TS. If they want up-front money? It's probably a scam. The purchase side of TS is very rarely a "scam," but you sometimes have to wade through saleperson BS and make sure you get exactly what you want in the contract. You've down well just to find TUG and do you research.


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## uscav8r (Aug 24, 2015)

katieg said:


> ...
> One of the biggest turn offs to the timeshare industry to ME, was the sheer change in how I would be looking at our vacations. Hope I can explain that right. We are hotel-on-a-whim people for the most part.  We book hotels maybe 3-4 months out after a couple of weeks of research. I like variety and activity in our locations. I do not mind planning but hate strict itineraries and cringe at planning too far in advance or being locked in to something too far in advance. This is my personality. Disney is something I am going into a bit begrudgingly because of how much planning needs to go into it (i/r/t the park, dining and experience especially).  But I want to do it for my kids because they want to do it.
> ...


I will continue with one of your later comments.

There is _nothing _that says once you have a timeshare that you _must _put all your vacation eggs in one basket. Timeshares are good for some things but not others. It does change one's perspective on vacationing, but not as much as you might think.

I find that TS can offer better accommodations for cheaper rates, especially for high-demand times. By 3-4 months out from a Christmas ski vacation, you may be paying at least 150-200% for a hotel or house than you would for a TS condo booked early on.

This is what Discovery is for! To see if you can blend in _some _planning with your current whimsical pattern of vacationing.

There are systems that are very flexible. WorldMark (Club Wyndham's sister system) is one such beast. I personally juggle a bunch of potential short trips that I may or may not ever take. But the cancellation policy is such that I can keep rolling my points back as needed. Wyndham is not quite as flexible, but recent changes to their cancellation policies may approach the WorldMark system in this regard.


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## uscav8r (Aug 24, 2015)

katieg said:


> For anyone who is familiar with a Wyndham "Discovery" membership (or please direct me to where I would find those folks), I have some basic questions:
> 
> 1.  During our presentation we were told that points can be used to purchase non-lodging items like flights, tickets to Disney and rental cars. Is this not true for Discovery members? ... How do I find out what non-lodging items I can buy? *Call the Discovery number and ask. Don't you have a Discovery guide (similar to the Wyndham Directory) that details the program features? I seem to recall using the points on a combined cruise/resort stay.*
> 
> ...


I was lured into a Discovery Package at Wyndham Grand Desert when I turned them down for a normal purchase. I used some of those points to book a combined stay at Orlando (3 days at Cypress Palms) and a Carnival cruise (4 days). You will be required to attend a presentation. I thought I was going in with NO intention of buying, but somehow came away with 308k and VIP Silver at Bonnet Creek. Then again, I had just had a windfall, was young, and looking to spend my money! 

I was fine with Discovery. It made me aware of the benefits of timesharing. But then I did not use my permanent ownership for much of the next 3-5 years. 

I found TUG in an attempt to learn how to better use it (not to buy more). Suddenly I learned about the resale market and how much one can save on the purchase price. I also learned that different resorts have widely varying MF rates. I was then in buying/expansion mode. I bought a low MF resort in Wyndham, and then learned about WorldMark and got into that system as a complementary presence (Wyndham is mostly Eastern US, WM is mostly Western US).

As long as you leave ALL your credit cards and checkbooks and any other way of paying for a developer purchase, Discovery will be a fine experience. DO NOT fall for the "credit towards developer purchase" shiny object!

Use it to get a feel for the website (if there is one), and what is needed in terms of planning. Like I said before, just because you are not a planner now does not mean it shouldn't have a place in your vacation experience.

Would I do Discovery again? Possibly. You can also rent from other Wyndham owners to see the resorts, but you won't get the interaction with Vacation Planners or the website if you go that route, so Discovery could be helpful in that regard.

Would I buy developer points again? Absolutely not.


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## Cheryl20772 (Aug 24, 2015)

uscav8r said:


> I was lured into a Discovery Package at Wyndham Grand Desert when I turned them down for a normal purchase. I used some of those points to book a combined stay at Orlando (3 days at Cypress Palms) and a Carnival cruise (4 days). You will be required to attend a presentation.


Just a note on that! You will be pressed to attend an exit presentation after you use your Discovery Package.  When you signed for it, one of the features was that the money you paid for it (the equity) can be applied to the after-the-fact purchase of retail points.  

In truth, if you do not want to buy points, just consider the money spend as the price of the vacation you went on. It was not a bad purchase if you used the points. They will press you to come in to sign a waiver of that equity clause if you don't want to buy, but you do not have to sign anything. Just refuse to do it. Don't attend. You don't have to. I know because we have bought 2 different Discovery Packages.  After the first one, we bought our first retail contract. We just wanted the Discovery Package for the second one and I refused to go to their office and I refused to sign anything. What can they do? They can't make me sign something. I didn't want to deal with their high pressure mess.

With our second one we stayed at LaCascada in SanAntonio, took a short cruise out of Galveston, stayed at Avenue Plaza in New Orleans and finished it up on the way home with a stop in Smoky Mountains. We are retired and it was a great vacation.

Wyndham points can be used for plane tickets and car rentals, but when you calculate what you pay for the points (Initial price to purchase + annual maintenance fees) it costs much more money to use points to pay rather than money. The best economic use of points is for staying at Wyndham resorts. If you use points for a cruise, it's for an inside room and you have to pay money to upgrade if you want a window or balcony.

Note above I mentioned the value of the points. You won't have to pay any maintenance fees or housekeeping fees for Discovery points. Retail or resale points require fees. If you buy retail, you will have to consider how much those points cost over a period of years in addition to the ongoing fees. If you buy resale, this amount is much less of a consideration. 

Please read the catalog that came with your contract. It looks like just a picture book of resorts, but there is info in there about how the system works. Also, that book is different from the one owners have. Everything is not in it. If you want to see the whole picture, read this one http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/wyndham/plus_membersdirectory1415/

One big difference is that you can't make reservations online with Discovery. Also Wyndham will make sure that you get in where you want with the Discovery package because they want you to have a good experience so you will buy. I suspect they reserve space for Discovery.


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## katieg (Oct 13, 2015)

*Are there ANY reasons why one should buy a timeshare at all? [merged at this point]*

Hi All -

I've been reading here for a couple of months now, trying to digest as much as I can and educate myself as much as I can. I'm still very new to this and finding the learning curve to be very steep here...not totally up on the lingo used.

My biggest takeaway so far from reading these forums is this:  timeshares are a generally a horrible idea. 

I realize this could be a wrong conclusion. So I'm here throwing myself at the altar hoping for further education. It seems like a lot of us end up here after falling for a sales pitch and then go through the baptism by fire  when we come here to try to get their bearings about what they've just committed to. Is that a fair assessment? (Not that baptism by fire is a bad thing, btw.  It's just very overwhelming.)

A little background about my situation:  I am on a Wyndham Discovery trial right now (300k points) to use by 04/2017.  We attended the sales pitch on our vacation in Myrtle Beach in August enticed by the "gifts" (heavily discounted theme park and attraction tickets that we wanted). It wasn't our first timeshare sales pitch - first with Wyndham though.  We had done similar sales meetings to get the incentives before. In those past meetings we didnt buy and went scorched earth with them at the end to get them to leave us alone and send us to the gifts.  

For some reason I was enticed by the Wyndham product - guess they got me to see the stars with their techniques - and I wanted to try it out. Discovery was something I was willing to do for a trial to see if timeshare was right for my family. 

We haven't used it yet. 

I came here to learn more about how to get acquainted with the whole process and then found myself in a sea of information about buying resale, rescind (which we didn't do) and some other people's warning stories. Scared me to death thinking we've made a terrible mistake. And maybe we did...thankfully not a "lifelong" one. This one at least has an end date. 

I realize that there are likely going to be a lot more hoops for me to jump through with Wyndham during my Discovery trial such as additional meetings and pitches. I'm not looking forward to them but planning to go in fully educated and ready for battle when we get to that point. 

Anyway - I would like to know from the group here:  Do you have any positive feedback on timesharing?  What do you find to be the "pros" of it?  Are the MFs worth it to you?  If you had the opportunity to pull people aside as they walked into their first sales meeting and give them 5 minutes of advice, what would you say to them?  

I'm trying to see who out there in the world benefits from timesharing (over other more mainstream methods of vacationing).  Obviously the sales sharks are there to sell - and it was clear to me upon walking into the Wyndham sales pitch that they must be spending many millions of dollars on marketing, which of course has to come at a hefty markup on the product they are selling. I just did not know before I went that there was an option to buy resale. Totally unaware that market existed. This timesharing has to work for someone or the industry wouldn't exist....right?

Thanks for sharing with me!


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## Ty1on (Oct 13, 2015)

You commented on your Discovery Package thread that you tend to travel on a whim, and it was noted there that you might find TS isn't for you based upon that fact alone.

Although someone will likely give you the example of the time they found a great Presidential Suite 10 days before check-in, this is the exception, and planning your vacation 10-13 months ahead for highly desirable locations and dates is the norm.

This forum is chock full of members that love their timeshare ownership, and there was a recent thread in which your very question was posed and received many responses.  The main advantage, to me,  is getting generally superior accommodations to hotels/motels at a reasonable cost, IF you bought resale.  

A lot of members here also enjoy the gamesmanship of using their knowledge of their particular system and exchange system to extract the most possible vacation value out of their ownership.


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## katieg (Oct 13, 2015)

Oh I'm sorry - I didn't mean to duplicate a thread that was already done. I'm still learning about the structure of the forums. Can you share the thread that you are referring to?  Maybe I'll delete this one?

Yes, I would like to hear from the group about which demographic the timeshares work for and what people enjoy about them. I haven't started yet but I am aware that we will have to book 10 months out to get our reservation. We are not yet 10 months out from our time of travel. For discovery members it is a max of 10 months out for reservations. I'm sure we are getting the bottom of the barrel in terms of reservations, with preference going to those who are full members...nbd, I expected that.


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## Ty1on (Oct 13, 2015)

You'll get as much priority as any other owner if you reserve at the 10 month mark.  The only ones with priority over you will be ARP that got their ressies in between 13 months and 10 months.

Your program is intended to give you an opportunity to decide you want to be a Wyndham owner.  They will not treat you like a second class citizen.


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## DeniseM (Oct 13, 2015)

What you have read here is that it's a bad idea to BUY FROM THE DEVELOPER, because the price is enormously inflated.  Buying resale can be very cost effective.

Ideally, you should be able to make firm plans 10-12 mos. out.

It also helps if you are a detail oriented planner, or you won't enjoy the planning part of timeshare ownership.

DON'T buy from the developer.


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## presley (Oct 13, 2015)

katieg said:


> Anyway - I would like to know from the group here:  Do you have any positive feedback on timesharing?  It has given us the opportunity to vacation much more than we ever imagined.What do you find to be the "pros" of it?  Since we have to pay for it, it forces us to vacation. That is something we never had time or money to do before. My husband likes the full kitchen because he has a lot of dietary restrictions and it's way easier for him to cook than to try to eat in a restaurant.Are the MFs worth it to you? In some cases they are, but when we have personal emergencies and can't use what we are paying for, then no. If you had the opportunity to pull people aside as they walked into their first sales meeting and give them 5 minutes of advice, what would you say to them?  Spend lots of time, as in months, researching all the different timeshare programs to make sure you figure out which one will work best for you. Then, buy it on the resale market. Be patient.



Answers are in red.


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## bnoble (Oct 13, 2015)

> What do you find to be the "pros" of it?


I strongly prefer the timeshare model of vacation lodging to the hotel model.  We are a family of four; our eldest will be going to college next year, and we've owned timeshares for almost nine years now.  Having two (or more) bedrooms, an equipped kitchen, a washer/dryer, and a nicely furnished living room makes for much more comfortable and pleasant vacations.  We don't often cook, but it's nice for assembling breakfast or even having proper dishes off of which to eat pizza delivery. On nearly every vacation we've taken, my wife and I look at each other and say: "Hotel rooms. How do they do it?"

On the other hand, most timeshare resorts don't have daily maid service, lots of on-site restaurants, etc. It's a more do-it-yourself vacation. We like that, but not everyone does.  Before we found timesharing, we were the sorts of people who would rent private homes, or maybe stay in a Residence Inn or equivalent.



> Are the MFs worth it to you?


We are probably not "saving money" by owning timeshares. For each of our timeshares, our annual fees are probably a shade less than it would cost to rent the same week, but not by a whole lot. We've gotten more than fair value out of them using either internal point systems or third-party exchanges. But, we are also taking more vacations than we otherwise would, because timeshare assets are use-it-or-lose-it. I view this as a benefit, but it's not a financial benefit so much as something that is good for my family's soul. Truth be told, we're now in a position where it is very hard to use them all, because the kids are both in high school with a variety of sports and other activities that limits our potential travel. I suspect this is a short-term problem though, and in the meantime I'm sending other family members on vacations that they would never take themselves.



> If you had the opportunity to pull people aside as they walked into their first sales meeting and give them 5 minutes of advice, what would you say to them?


Two things.  One: never buy from the developer.  We bought all of our timeshares on the resale market, for a dime (or pennies) on the dollar.  Two: take your time. It's easy to buy a timeshare, but it can be hard to sell one.  Make sure the thing you buy fits your needs. We've been happy with our purchases, but they were not spur-of-the-moment decisions. If I had it to do over again, I might do one or two things differently, but I don't regret any of those purchases. 

Presley's recommendations for "months" is about right. Ultimately, timeshare ownership makes the most sense if you view vacation planning as something of a hobby. You also need to have a pretty comfortable cushion of discretionary income, because even if your lodging is cheap, not much else will be while on vacation.


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## silentg (Oct 13, 2015)

I have owned a timeshare since 1981. I was totally against buying but my DH never took vacations, and he was the one who wanted it. I have become the Timeshare Guru in the family, we have 6 timeshares now, got rid of 2, trying to get rid of one more and in the process of buying another. I purchase where I want to stay, also look for good trade value, but mostly if I had to just stay at my own timeshares I would be happy. That is the best advice I have ever received, buy where you want to stay. But don't be afraid to exchange for new places!
Silentg


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## WinniWoman (Oct 13, 2015)

I don't know much about Wyndham or Discovery or Points systems. We bought our first timeshare from the developer in 1999 and don't regret it at all. We took no loans and even with the maintenance fees it has paid for itself and enabled us to travel all over the country. Our second timeshare was totally free from Timeshare Nation. In both cases, the maintenance fees are about half of what we would pay to rent the same units at the same resorts at the same time of year. We own fixed weeks (with an attached off-season floater) in specific units (top floors, views, etc.) that we wanted in resorts that we wanted to go to every year and within driving distance from our home so we wouldn't be slaves to airfare. The 2 fixed weeks are Prime Time summer, so they have good exchange value. But-when we exchanged in the past we used the attached off-season floater week(that was part of our original fixed week purchase) that has preassigned dates and varies every year. Some of the dates are stronger traders than others, but I also use the independent exchange companies (free membership/low exchange fees)where the exchanges are blind. In other words, I can look for an exchange BEFORE I deposit my week and they will take whatever week I have for the exchange. Now we mostly even use that floater week at our home resort anyway and rarely exchange it. We sometimes use the floater week to go back into one of our home resorts for different dates than the ones that were preassigned. We never exchange our fixed weeks because we like going to our home resorts and the areas they are in so much!

When we want to go on additional vacations, we rent from other timeshare owners to go other places so we don't have the hassle of dealing with trying to get an exchange. 

For our fixed weeks (and floater) there is no planning needed really. We have permanent reservations! We just show up!

I love having our timeshares. To us they are like our second homes with all the conveniences. They have provided so many memories for our family.


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## Passepartout (Oct 13, 2015)

Seems like I may have replied to your other thread. If not, here goes again. For you, rent. The commitment of having to make a decision and book something, somewhere at 10 months out is daunting, and you'll feel pressure to just book something or lose it.

So, if you are on a stable vacation schedule, and having a second vacation home appeals, buy a resale, fixed week somewhere within driving distance. You'll love it.

Or just rent.

Jim


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## vacationhopeful (Oct 13, 2015)

Actually, you will have a BETTER vacation experience with the Discovery Package than when you really buy a bunch of points. Since you do NOT have the ARP window to book reservations AND you have the "special phone line" for the Discovery group ... you can get some great vacations. PRIME vacation times held in their special inventory ... I have found Discovery participates at Royal Vista in early March .. that resort is NEVER available to the unwashed (non deeded owners) members at the 10 month mark.

Additionally,* I do not believe you will get hit with reservation transaction fees (RTs) or housekeeping credits (HKs)* ... again, minor fees but ones that a small points owners do end up paying at times.

So look at the 10 month out mark and GO BIG ... do the short stays (if you really don't have any RTs and HKs fees) and travel around difference resorts. Remember, weekends cost more points... Sunday thru Thursdays are cheaper. Stretch those points for MORE stays at more resorts.

I own Wyndham points, Shell points and several other resorts as Fixed Weeks .... but I use the vast majority of my ownership for a winter vacation "home" and associated rentals. 

Another use of my ownerships, is to FORCE my siblings to vacation as a family group. Try Spring Training in March ... did I mention *I HATE baseball*? But they LOVE baseball ... and they love me planning the SPRING TRAINING trip. They roost so much better in a studio or 1bdr condos. They like to cook and drink wine ... and work on "THE BRACKETS". Definitely NOT a trip for children ... but my goal is not to entertain the under 21yo in the family. It is to bond the far flung and overworked siblings .... and is it ever successful.


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## katieg (Oct 13, 2015)

Why were my two threads merged?


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## tschwa2 (Oct 13, 2015)

I agree that renting may be better for you right now.  You still need to use your package.  If you want a summer vacation in a high demand location, your only shot is summer 2016.  You are beyond the 10 month mark for most of the summer.  You need to decide where you want to go and book something.  Depending on where you live you may be able to make a fairly last minute trip but if you need off during school vacations, you will want to book sooner rather than later.


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## DeniseM (Oct 13, 2015)

katieg said:


> Why were my two threads merged?



Because it is TUG policy to merge topics on the same or very similar topics.


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## katieg (Oct 13, 2015)

DeniseM said:


> Because it is TUG policy to merge topics on the same or very similar topics.


Sorry. I didn't realize that the two threads would be considered that similar.  I wouldn't have started a new thread.


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## katieg (Oct 13, 2015)

When people say "high demand location" what does that mean?

Clarifying this question - is "high demand" an actual printed list I can find somewhere or is it just something people learn from experience?


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## DeniseM (Oct 13, 2015)

It's easier for everyone if we can see what's already been asked and answered.  It's all good.


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## vacationhopeful (Oct 13, 2015)

katieg said:


> When people say "high demand location" what does that mean?
> 
> Clarifying this question - is "high demand" an actual printed list I can find somewhere or is it just something people learn from experience?



PRIME season ... Myrtle Beach in July. February in Pompano Beach. NYE at Midtown 45 in NYC. Mardi Gras in NOLA.

See the pattern ... if you look in the Member Directory, it generally is during PRIME time in the points charts.


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## katieg (Oct 13, 2015)

vacationhopeful said:


> PRIME season ... Myrtle Beach in July. February in Pompano Beach. NYE at Midtown 45 in NYC.


I'm not an experienced enough traveler to know what's prime in various regions of the country. Should I just assume anything on the points chart called "prime" is going to be unavailable if I don't make those reservations 10 months to the day?


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## vacationhopeful (Oct 13, 2015)

It also is generally when the KIDs are out of school ... like summer time and major holidays. And PRIME time tends to be a bigger window in the Member Directory than the actual BOOKED solid time.

Most of us tend to travel more because we really learn to USE our timeshares. 

Last weekend, I went 65 miles from home to stay 2 nights at a Wyndham resort and soak about 4 hours in their outdoor hot tub (and in the rain ... wine was involved ). Just to vegetate. 

This coming weekend, I will go 140 miles to another Wyndham resort ... to take care of some minor business but to also float in their indoor pool. But this is MORE of a work weekend trip.


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## katieg (Oct 13, 2015)

Thank you to everyone who has replied BTW. I'll go back and reply individually in a little bit. I appreciate the insight. 

Re: why we haven't booked yet. We are in a bit of a debate in my household as to how to use these points. 

We originally planned to use the 300k for two trips. The "big" trip was going to be Disney (Bonnet Creek) in December 2016. Not Christmas week. Early Dec. Then we were just going to use whatever points were leftover to plan something for summer 2016. Our summer travel is always the 3rd or 4th week of august. Wasn't planning on changing that time frame. We wanted to get two full weeks out of the points so we would just pick something "cheap" on points for the summer 2016 trip. 

Then my husband started looking into staying on property at Disney instead of doing Bonnet Creek. Same time period - early Dec 2016. He thinks it will be a better deal to do a full package via Disney with the lodging/meal plan/tickets combined. I dunno...

Anyway, now we have 300k points and the only time we can realistically use them is late August 2016.  We have two kids in school and juggling our leave time from work. 

We already have a family visit trip booked for 2 weeks in March (spring break) where we are staying with family. It will take us until August realistically to have the leave time and discretionary funds to travel again while also saving for Disney. 

Started revisiting the discovery book to look for something in the 300k range to use all the points in a single trip. Sooo confused now and can't decide what we will do...it's of no use to us to get a bigger unit to blow the points when we don't tend to spend much time in our room.  I'm much more inclined to pick a better destination and get as sparse of a room as possible. 

And husband isn't ready to say yes or no and make a firm decision about going Disney on property or Disney via Bonnet Creek.


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## vacationhopeful (Oct 13, 2015)

Hawaii ... 2 island will easily burn thru 300K in August fast.

South Florida (Pompano Beach) for 2 weeks in August. 

Myrtle Beach is usually booked in early August ... but the southern schools start early and northern kids sports programs start in late August ... another good candidate for summer beach vacation.


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## DeniseM (Oct 13, 2015)

> And husband isn't ready to say yes or no and make a firm decision about going Disney on property or Disney via Bonnet Creek.



My experience:  Vacation planning by committee does not go well.

Tell DH - "Let's set the date and I will make the arrangements," and then do it.

Paralysis by analysis is deadly - it will delay you so much that you can't get the reservations you want.


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## WinniWoman (Oct 13, 2015)

#1- Prime time is what most would consider high demand time. As Linda said- whenever schools are closed- summer, spring break, XMAS- that is when most families can travel so that is Prime Time and books quickly. Also- the south in winter; the north in summer or ski resorts Jan- March- snow season. Anytime there is more demand is Prime time. You could even argue that even Fall in new England is in demand, although not as much as summer and winter ski season.

#2-I would do the Bonnet Creek if I were you. You already have the points so the lodging is taken care of. Anytime we have gone to Disney we have stayed at a timeshare resort nearby and it was just fine. We rented a car. We got to the parks first thing in the morning at opening time. In many ways, it was nice to get away from Disney and the overload at the end of a busy and hot day. We have stayed at Orange Lake, Sheraton Vistana- very nice resorts and I am sure it was less expensive than staying on site- again because you get away from it. We had our breakfasts in and most dinners- not all- when we got back. We could just chill in the resort pool and rest quietly later in our unit. We did a few other excursions like Sea World and some more low key things like renting a fan boat- things not associated with Disney. Went to Universal also.Just book it and enjoy. I wouldn't agonize over it.


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## WinniWoman (Oct 13, 2015)

vacationhopeful said:


> It also is generally when the KIDs are out of school ... like summer time and major holidays. And PRIME time tends to be a bigger window in the Member Directory than the actual BOOKED solid time.
> 
> Most of us tend to travel more because we really learn to USE our timeshares.
> 
> ...




Linda- those short little excursions sound wonderful!


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## paxsarah (Oct 15, 2015)

mpumilia said:


> #2-I would do the Bonnet Creek if I were you. You already have the points so the lodging is taken care of. Anytime we have gone to Disney we have stayed at a timeshare resort nearby and it was just fine. We rented a car. We got to the parks first thing in the morning at opening time. In many ways, it was nice to get away from Disney and the overload at the end of a busy and hot day. We have stayed at Orange Lake, Sheraton Vistana- very nice resorts and I am sure it was less expensive than staying on site- again because you get away from it. We had our breakfasts in and most dinners- not all- when we got back. We could just chill in the resort pool and rest quietly later in our unit. We did a few other excursions like Sea World and some more low key things like renting a fan boat- things not associated with Disney. Went to Universal also.Just book it and enjoy. I wouldn't agonize over it.



I second this. You would find a Disney on-site package more convenient (and during the holidays, more "magical"), but I doubt that it would be a better value. And I think Bonnet Creek (if you're a Disney person) is a perfect example of what Wyndham timeshares have to offer. It's a very nice resort, both inside and outside, and the location really can't be beat. It's closer to some of the parks than many of Disney's own resorts. My feeling is, you have this opportunity with the discovery points and that is the perfect time to use it.


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## travelplus (Dec 22, 2015)

I have been to Timeshare Presentations and have been offered the Discovery Package which to me is a waste of money. As others have said I did my homework and bought resale and we enjoy the resort even more. We are not with Wyndham but I have been to the Wyndham presentation a few years back.

One idea you may look into is if you purchase the Discovery Package and then find a sizeable Wyndham resale points package and rent out your points to cover the cost of the Maintenance Fee and perhaps even some of the Discovery Package.

When I added up the number for the Discovery Package I found out that we could purchase three weeks for less than the package in a 2 Bedroom. We own at Diamond Villa Mirage, Ridge Tahoe and Marriott Desert Springs.  The Diamond and Ridge were going for $1200 with closing costs and our MFs are around $1,000 for each week. The Marriott Week was inherited from relatives but that week was bought for $9,000 dollars. I would never fathom spending that much for resale.

My point is if you buy resale you at least will use weeks without feeling guilty about the cost. I feel so sorry for the couple who sat next to me at a timeshare presentation who bought a package for $25,000. I was shaking my head and told my sales person that No I will not spend $25,000 for your package. They brought it down to $21,000 and I said NO and walked away.

The couple must have heard what I said because as soon as they realized what they got into they pulled me aside outside and I told them about how to rescind and go onto TUGS and Redweek.com. I even told them if they don't want to pay MFs then to rent out a week for $900 a week or even more but at least they don't need to be on the hook for special assessments. They thanked me and went to rescind. 

Can you believe the sales people asked the couple to cover the cost of the bottle of Sparkling Wine they pop when they make a purchase? Never again.


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## ob1knorrb (Jan 17, 2016)

*Sell Discovery points?*

Is it possible to sell, or perhaps give away, the points from a Discovery package?
We bought a 200,000 point package for around $2000 last spring when we were in Maui.  
Since then my wife has gone back to school full time and the Canadian dollar has tanked.
There aren't any Canadian locations in the Discovery Directory and no US destinations within driving distance of Alberta, so we are thinking of getting rid of the package if possible.
Has anyone had any experience in doing this?
I haven't tried calling the Discovery reps yet, I thought it would be good to get some advice here first.

Thanks!


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## montygz (Jan 17, 2016)

katieg said:


> BTW someone asked what we paid. We paid $2,500 for 300,000 points. This sounds like the same market price you are talking about?


Your $2,500 would go a lot farther if you just rent stays from current owners, especially for a place like Orlando.

I suggest you look at what the resorts you want to stay at are renting for on redweek and ebay.

You may "discover" that you are paying a premium over just renting.

The good thing is that you haven't committed to buying from the developer and can research the true costs of ownership.


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## ekajun1957 (Jan 17, 2016)

One bit is to look at Bonnet Creek for Thanksgiving, even though high time for Dsiney it is not prime time for Wyndham. Check out the points for that week, we go quite often.


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## ronparise (Jan 17, 2016)

ekajun1957 said:


> One bit is to look at Bonnet Creek for Thanksgiving, even though high time for Dsiney it is not prime time for Wyndham. Check out the points for that week, we go quite often.



The early December weeks at bonnet creek are halh the points of prime time


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## Cheryl20772 (Jan 18, 2016)

Ty1on said:


> As a whim traveler, you may find that the discovery package is as troublesome for you as owning a timeshare would be.....Getting what you want where you want sometimes requires advanced planning and the vigilance to call at the first moment of the first day a check-in date becomes available to you.


This is one great feature of the Discovery package. Better than renting, it helps the user see how timeshare works when booking vacation stays before the actual commitment that comes with owning. Unfortunately I suspect Discovery might give a somewhat warped view when it sets aside inventory to enhance the Discovery experience. Discovery is not all bad.  Just remember you are not obliged to attend a sales meeting or even sign any papers at the end of the Discovery contract.


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## Cheryl20772 (Jan 18, 2016)

ob1knorrb said:


> Is it possible to sell, or perhaps give away, the points from a Discovery package?
> We bought a 200,000 point package for around $2000 last spring when we were in Maui.
> Since then my wife has gone back to school full time and the Canadian dollar has tanked.
> There aren't any Canadian locations in the Discovery Directory and no US destinations within driving distance of Alberta, so we are thinking of getting rid of the package if possible.
> ...


I'm sorry to tell you, but no, it can't be sold. If you look at your contract, unless the contracts have changed since 2007, it's the first item near the bottom of the first page under Conditions.

The points can be used by anyone in your 'immediate family'. Perhaps you have a parent or sibling who is free to travel?

You can appeal to the mercy of Wyndham (fat chance of getting any!). The only contractual legal way out was to cancel within the initial 10 day rescission period. That is unless you have some law in Canada that otherwise protects you against deals gone bad in the US.  

Best wishes for some kind of happy resolution. Glad you found TUG!


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## asista (Jun 20, 2017)

Im interesting knowing did you use your points and how was it in terms of getting the reservations in the locations you desired and the availability. Who has used the Discovery Program? 

We have been timeshare owners for years at VV but we often don't have enough points to go or get the locations we want. We decided we needed more points and wanted to purchase outside of our current resort, so we visited Wyndham. Because Wyndham owns RCI we thought this was a good choice.  We purchased the Discovery Trail Program. 400,000 points for $3500 plus tax. We have until July 2018 to use our points. Is this worth keeping? If we purchase we only plan to buy 124000 points. That may not be enough considering the trail period of 400,000 points. Feedback please. I do have time to resind, but should I?






katieg said:


> Hope I am in the right place. I am completely new to timesharing.
> 
> Family and I are not new to timeshare presentations - we've attended a couple in past vacations where there was an incentive given to go (free or greatly reduced tickets to something we wanted to do or see).  At those times we went and did not purchase anything.  Got our tickets and left.
> 
> ...


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## Jan M. (Jun 20, 2017)

asista said:


> Im interesting knowing did you use your points and how was it in terms of getting the reservations in the locations you desired and the availability. Who has used the Discovery Program?
> 
> We have been timeshare owners for years at VV but we often don't have enough points to go or get the locations we want. We decided we needed more points and wanted to purchase outside of our current resort, so we visited Wyndham. Because Wyndham owns RCI we thought this was a good choice.  We purchased the Discovery Trail Program. 400,000 points for $3500 plus tax. We have until July 2018 to use our points. Is this worth keeping? If we purchase we only plan to buy 124000 points. That may not be enough considering the trail period of 400,000 points. Feedback please. I do have time to resind, but should I?



Rescind! Immediately! Then look into buying resale. You can get a lot for $3500 and that will be permanent points not one time usage like the Discovery points.


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## asista (Jun 20, 2017)

Jan M. said:


> Rescind! Immediately! Then look into buying resale. You can get a lot for $3500 and that will be permanent points not one time usage like the Discovery points.



Thanks, for your quick response! Where should I look for resale?


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## Jan M. (Jun 20, 2017)

asista said:


> Thanks, for your quick response! Where should I look for resale?



Here on TUG and on eBay are two places to start. Keep checking the Bargain bin under the Buying, Selling and Renting forum. You can find people giving deeds away. If you see something you think you might be interested in send a private message if you have questions. It's not a great idea to alert everyone that you've found what you think is a good deal and give yourself competition for it!

I personally prefer to have deeded points CWP, Club Wyndham Plus, over CWA, Club Wyndham Access. You have a contract with Wyndham for the use of x number of points with CWA instead of owning something that has a deed like with CWP. 

There is a thread in the top about the maintenance fees at the various resorts. I also prefer to own where the maintenance fees are low. However if there is a resort you must have and will need a three or four bedroom unit there then it is probably wise to purchase a deed at that resort to have ARP, advance reservation priority, there.


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## cayman01 (Jun 20, 2017)

I would agree with Jan. Rescind as soon as possible. Then begin reading up on Wyndham. Find out where you might want to go and find out what it takes in terms of points to stay there. Then you will have an idea of what to look for in the resale market.

 Right now Wyndham is having all sorts of problems with their reservation system software. It is creating havoc. This should lead to lower prices on the resale market as people will decide to leave Wyndham. Which means an opportunity for buyers.

 Software problems aside Wyndham does have very nice resorts and lots of them. Spread out across the country it is the reason we chose Wyndham. Plenty of variety. Once we get past the software debacle I feel we will truly enjoy Wyndham.


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## asista (Jun 20, 2017)

Thanks all! Ive researched Wyndham for the last few days and the information received on this site has been the most valuable. You are much appreciated! I'm rescinding today!




cayman01 said:


> I would agree with Jan. Rescind as soon as possible. Then begin reading up on Wyndham. Find out where you might want to go and find out what it takes in terms of points to stay there. Then you will have an idea of what to look for in the resale market.
> 
> Right now Wyndham is having all sorts of problems with their reservation system software. It is creating havoc. This should lead to lower prices on the resale market as people will decide to leave Wyndham. Which means an opportunity for buyers.
> 
> Software problems aside Wyndham does have very nice resorts and lots of them. Spread out across the country it is the reason we chose Wyndham. Plenty of variety. Once we get past the software debacle I feel we will truly enjoy Wyndham.


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