# Worldmark 1st Purchase



## RIMike (Apr 14, 2011)

After months of looking and attempting to buy on Ebay I finally managed to get my first 6,000 points/credits for $1,250. Now I need the experts to help me better know the system.

RIMike


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## brigechols (Apr 14, 2011)

Congratulations! You can go to the Wyndham forum on TUG to learn more about WM.  You should also checkout www.wmowners.cI'm

I'm still learning but would be happy to answer questions.


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## rhonda (Apr 14, 2011)

RIMike: *Congratulations!*


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## LLW (Apr 14, 2011)

RIMike said:


> After months of looking and attempting to buy on Ebay I finally managed to get my first 6,000 points/credits for $1,250. Now I need the experts to help me better know the system.
> 
> RIMike



Great purchase - congrats! As has already been said, wmowners. Almost 10K members share their knowledge, experience and the latest and newest there.


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## GregT (Apr 15, 2011)

That is a terrific price, and Worldmark is a great timeshare to own -- both for the network that you've bought into as well as its tremendous value as a trading timeshare.

It was my first timeshare purchase and one that I've never regretted (but, I've never regretted any of them..... )

In any event, congrats, spend some time over at wmowners.com, and enjoy your new purchase!

Best,

Greg


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## Steve (Apr 15, 2011)

Does anyone have suggestions on where to find a good price on WorldMark credits?  I know there are a lot of resellers that specialize in WorldMark, and there are a lot of eBay auctions, but the prices are pretty high.  I would love to find a great deal (as I'm sure most of us would).

Thanks,

Steve


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## LLW (Apr 15, 2011)

Steve said:


> Does anyone have suggestions on where to find a good price on WorldMark credits?  I know there are a lot of resellers that specialize in WorldMark, and there are a lot of eBay auctions, but the prices are pretty high.  I would love to find a great deal (as I'm sure most of us would).
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Steve



Somebody on WMO found many great deals on Craigslist. But he had to sift through (and educate) a lot of advertisers who didn't know what they were doing.

I may not remember correctly, but you were a WM owner before, correct?


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## Steve (Apr 15, 2011)

LLW said:


> Somebody on WMO found many great deals on Craigslist. But he had to sift through (and educate) a lot of advertisers who didn't know what they were doing.
> 
> I may not remember correctly, but you were a WM owner before, correct?



Thanks for the Craigslist suggestion.  I'm sure that is a lot of work, but it might be worth it.  

You are correct.  I used to be a WorldMark owner.  I sold my credits a couple of years ago, but now I am considering another purchase.

Steve


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## RIMike (Apr 15, 2011)

*Follow up*

"





Steve said:


> Does anyone have suggestions on where to find a good price on WorldMark credits?  I know there are a lot of resellers that specialize in WorldMark, and there are a lot of eBay auctions, but the prices are pretty high.  I would love to find a great deal (as I'm sure most of us would)".
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## cotraveller (Apr 15, 2011)

RIMike said:


> After months of looking and attempting to buy on Ebay I finally managed to get my first 6,000 points/credits for $1,250. Now I need the experts to help me better know the system.
> 
> RIMike



If you haven't already done it, you should download a copy of the Owner Education Handbook from the WorldMark web site.  It contains a lot of useful information.

Welcome to WorldMark!


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## jdunn1 (Apr 15, 2011)

Hi Mike.  Welcome to WM.  I too bought a WM contract recently.  In my case, I bought last October but it took WM nearly 2 months to complete the transfer.  WM is very easy to work with in my oppinion, but boy, are the behind the times in handling contracts. 

I want to encourage you to look at wmowners.com, like another tugger suggested.  That is a great board but there is not as much recent activity on there as on this board.  Still, wmowners.com is invaluable in terms of renting points from other owners and/or buying and selling.

In my oppinion, wmowners.com is the best place to buy a contract.  You won't snag a contract for $1,250 on that site, more like $2k for a 6k contract but there will be no closing fees and you are dealing directly with the owner so the transfer will/should be handled more efficently.  When it comes time to rent points, and I guarantee you will want to do that with only a 6k point contract, this site is where all the action is.  Very innexpensive to rent from other owners, about the same and sometimes even cheaper than owning the extra points.

I also own a 6k contract but recently, I sold 1k of my points for $400 plus the $150 transfer fee to another owner.  There is a big benefit to both the buyer and seller for doing this as my dues went down over $100 a year by shedding 1k unnecessary points and the buyer got more out of his dues for a higher point contract.  I'm throwing this option out to you because as you discover more about WM, you may come to the same conclusion as I did - that for the extra $130 or so a year in dues the extra 1k points costs, it would be better to sell those points, reduce your maint. fees and rent more points whenever you need them.

WM is really flexible and I love how well the points trade in RCi and II.

If you or anyone else has questions about making your 6k contract 5k points feel free to send me a message.  I'm happy to share my expereince doing this.

-Jim




RIMike said:


> After months of looking and attempting to buy on Ebay I finally managed to get my first 6,000 points/credits for $1,250. Now I need the experts to help me better know the system.
> 
> RIMike


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## pianodinosaur (Apr 15, 2011)

cotraveller said:


> If you haven't already done it, you should download a copy of the Owner Education Handbook from the WorldMark web site.  It contains a lot of useful information.
> 
> Welcome to WorldMark!



I downloaded the Owner Education Handbook.  We have had an excellent experience every time we traded into a Worldmark property. I am very impressed with the flexibility the manual describes.  Thanks for the link.

pianodinosaur


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## RIMike (Apr 15, 2011)

*Thanks*



pianodinosaur said:


> I downloaded the Owner Education Handbook.  We have had an excellent experience every time we traded into a Worldmark property. I am very impressed with the flexibility the manual describes.  Thanks for the link.
> 
> pianodinosaur





I printed it off and beginning my learning process.


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## brigechols (Apr 15, 2011)

I started researching Worldmark after renting a reservation at WM Anaheim.  While I am not overly enthused with the number of credits required to book at newer resorts that I plan to visit (WM Anaheim and WM New Braunfels), I like the affordability and flexibility of the system.  So last year, I acquired a 7K fully loaded contract on eBay. Quickly booked a summer week at New Braunfels, wait listed for New Braunfels for Thanksgiving weekend, and learned the ins and outs of booking bonus time   Used it to book a couple of nights in New Orleans around New Year's Eve.  

Before purchasing the WM credits, I did not fully appreciate the flexibility of searching or requesting first with II.  An II week during flexchange is 4000 credits or about $220 + exchange fee. Not bad IMO. For online searching, the search uses a dummy three bedroom so you have the maximum ability to see high power weeks. For the actual exchange, you relinquish the standard credits for a studio, one bedroom, two bedroom, or three bedroom.   If you want to increase your chances for obtaining a two bedroom exchange during a high demand period at a resort that offers lock-off units, you can setup three separate search requests using the single WM account: (1) a studio, (2) a one bedroom, and (3) a two bedroom. If the first confirmation is the one bedroom, then you can cancel the request for the two bedroom, wait to receive a confirmation for the studio, then ask the resort about combining the two reservations.

I recently joined RCI. The WM portal for RCI leaves a lot to be desired and you cannot setup or view a request first online - you have to go through an RCI representative. You can breathe life into expiring credits by space banking the credits with RCI. I have not done this but from what I understand, you relinquish the credits, and receive a week that must be exchanged within two years. From what I've read, if space banking 5000 credits offers the option of a one bedroom in red season or a two bedroom in blue/white season, you are better off taking the two bedroom to ensure a match on like-for-like exchanges.

I've just about exhausted my limited knowledge.


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## LLW (Apr 15, 2011)

brigechols said:


> From what I've read, if space banking 5000 credits offers the option of a one bedroom in red season or a two bedroom in blue/white season, you are better off taking the two bedroom to ensure a match on like-for-like exchanges.
> 
> I've just about exhausted my limited knowledge.



Actually, a 1BR in red would cost 9K credits, whereas a blue 2BR would cost only 6K. A better example would be for 6K credits, you could get a white studio, or a blue 2BR,
http://www.wmowners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10111&sid=341827d169eddb410b4306bb9649a384

and a blue 2BR would trump a white studio most of the time, _if they were at the same resort._ With WM Deposit First, you don't get to pick your own resort, you may only choose the size and season. There's a lot of difference between trade power of WM reosrts. That's why a deposit is always a gamble with WM, you may win big time, but also may lose big time. Request First (the Float unit) has the collective trade power of all WMs, and is the way to go for beginners and casual exchangers.


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## LLW (Apr 15, 2011)

RIMike said:


> I printed it off and beginning my learning process.



The Club Guidelines, Exhibit 4 of the OEH, starting on p.21, is where you especially need to focus your reading. Most of the operating procedures stem from it. I read it for 3 times when I first bought, then have referred to it probably more than 50 times since.


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## Tacoma (Apr 15, 2011)

I also bought worldmark about a year and a half ago but just got it up and running last fall.  I love it!  If you know what you want in advance and read the tips on worldmark by owners you will be able to maximize your usage.  One of the things I love is being able to split a week and still book 13 months out.  For example I booked 3 days in Vancouver and 4 nights in Victoria for this summer.  I do pay an extra cleaning fee but I just buy extras on ebay or worldmark by owners  for around $60-65.  
I also joined II for the first time and quickly got an exchange for Christmas week in Kaui.  Maybe I should have been more picky but I love knowing I can plan a year out.
The wait list system seems to work well too.  I am still waiting for one night in Maui around New Year's to totally complete my holiday reservation.  I am told I'm a #1 priority on the waitlist but it has not come through in a couple of months.  When I called they said I might not match for a while but that it was still almost a for sure.
Enjoy your new timeshare.

Joan


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## sun starved Gayle (Apr 16, 2011)

RIMike said:


> After months of looking and attempting to buy on Ebay I finally managed to get my first 6,000 points/credits for $1,250.
> 
> RIMike



Wow. Wow.  You are my new idol.  Fantastic price.  I watch craigslist, but need to start paying more attention to ebay.  Congratulations on such a wonderful deal!


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## LLW (Apr 16, 2011)

Was there any closing fees, convenience fees, or any other fees other than the $150 Wyndham charges?


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## RIMike (Apr 16, 2011)

*Yes*



LLW said:


> Was there any closing fees, convenience fees, or any other fees other than the $150 Wyndham charges?



All Inclusive just about 2K


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## Rent_Share (Apr 16, 2011)

RIMike said:


> All Inclusive just about 2K


 
Which makes saying 1,250 irresponsible your price was $ 1,850 since anything above $ 150 Worldmark  was part of the point cost regardless of how the seller described it


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## jdunn1 (Apr 16, 2011)

I just assumed the price he originaly posted did not include all the extra fees like closing, back dues, wm fee, etc...

All those extra fees, plus the fact that most, if not all ebay sellers require a closing company is why I think wmowners.com is the best place to buy a wm resale.  There are some great deals on that site.  There are also a lot of owners who ask too much but you can get a 6k point contract for aroud 2k fairly easy.  Even if you can get a contract cheaper than that on ebay, after all the fees and such, you won't come ahead any more than $100 or so.  For that exta money, I would much rather deal directly with the owner because the sale goes through soooo much faster.

I would rank his ebay deal as above fair and puts him in a position where he could sell his contract for about the same price that he bought it for, assuming prices do not fall. Not saying that he will want to sell any time soon, but...


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## RIMike (Apr 16, 2011)

*Pretty Tough Comment*



Rent_Share said:


> Which makes saying 1,250 irresponsible your price was $ 1,850 since anything above $ 150 Worldmark  was part of the point cost regardless of how the seller described it




The bid was for 1,250, plus the 150 transfer fee by WorldMark, plus MF for the property and the closing fee. AND NO I DO NOT FEEL I WAS IRREPONSIBLE!


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## rrlongwell (Apr 16, 2011)

RIMike said:


> The bid was for 1,250, plus the 150 transfer fee by WorldMark, plus MF for the property and the closing fee. AND NO I DO NOT FEEL I WAS IRREPONSIBLE!



Welcome to the club, if what is expressed to some's disliking, the the bad remarks start.  Do not let it bother you to much.


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## RIMike (Apr 16, 2011)

rrlongwell said:


> Welcome to the club, if what is expressed to some's disliking, the the bad remarks start.  Do not let it bother you to much.



I should not have reacted...each one to his own opinion. Thanks for the reminder.


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## LLW (Apr 17, 2011)

jdunn1 said:


> I would rank his ebay deal as above fair..........



I agree - I think $1,850 is a great deal, regardless of whether there was any banked credits.


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## Rent_Share (Apr 17, 2011)

By leaving the closing fee (totaling unecessary with a WorldMark purchase) out of the pricing discusion you are staing a discounted price which doesn't help the aleeady declining price

650/6000 or $.10/point 33%  

The competion discounted the maximum bids by the bogus closing costs, memberships without the closing fee trade for $ 650 the net price to the buyer is the same.

Stating you paid $1,350  versus $1,350 + $650 is the irresponsible act . . . IMHO


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## jdunn1 (Apr 17, 2011)

I do not think irresponsible is the right word.  The original poster was probably just excited about his purchase.  It sounds like he was waiting to become a WM owner for a while.  I for one love finding out how much people paid for their purchase and would hate for others to feel shy about posting this info.

It might have come off as unintentional bragging a bit by originally just stating his winning bid price but he probably had no idea all those extra fees were only something ebay bidders paid and not something most (if any) other companies charge.

The thing to keep in mind is that people/companies who sell WM points on ebay charge fees that are not necessary and are not paid by other buyers who purchse on wmowners.com or a handful of WM point resellers.  Ebay is certainely a good place to by WM credits and even with all the extra fees, the price typicaly comes out to just over or uner $2k for 6k points.  

What most people do not realize is that for the same price, they can buy directly from WM owners and not have to put up with the stress of having to be the highest bidder and in dealing with the owner directly, the sale can go through a lot faster.   

Definately, some owners try to sell their points for way more than market price on wmowners.com but more times than not, you can find some good deals, nothing under $2k per 6k points but then again, that's what ebay prices end-up being after all is said and done.  The odds of getting a fully loaded contract on wmowners.com are much higher than on ebay, however and that is where the $100 or $200 more you might pay on wmowners.com than ebay really comes into pay.  For example, when I bought my contract on wmowners.com, my contract came with 18k points and 2 HK tokens and then in January, I got another 6k points and a house keeping token.  I paid 2,100 for this contract and that included evertyhing, including the $150 WM fee.  





Rent_Share said:


> By leaving the closing fee (totaling unecessary with a WorldMark purchase) out of the pricing discusion you are staing a discounted price which doesn't help the aleeady declining price
> 
> 650/6000 or $.10/point 33%
> 
> ...


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## LLW (Apr 18, 2011)

jdunn1 said:


> I do not think irresponsible is the right word.  The original poster was probably just excited about his purchase.  It sounds like he was waiting to become a WM owner for a while.  I for one love finding out how much people paid for their purchase and would hate for others to feel shy about posting this info.
> 
> It might have come off as unintentional bragging a bit by originally just stating his winning bid price but he probably had no idea all those extra fees were only something ebay bidders paid and not something most (if any) other companies charge.
> 
> ...





So Jim how much time did you spend on Wmowners before you made the purchase? How much since? Sounds like you learned about purchases, banked credits, housekeeping tokens, exchanges....., did you also learn how to make best use of the internal resorts (there are some resorts that might be of interest to you) and all the ways of booking without your points, through renting points, bonus time, inventory specials, Monday Madness, etc.?


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## jdunn1 (Apr 19, 2011)

Hi LLW.  I just saw your post, today.  I spent about 5 months reseraching on WMowners.com.  I nearly bought from that guy Henry who sells points on wmcredits.net but luckily, I found wmowners.com and found out just how easy and cheaper it was to buy directly from owners.  I also got in touch with a WM owner who also owns HGVC points and we spoke on the phone and he explained how much better WM points were than HGVC points.  He shared his trade stories (which included several 3 bedroom DVC's) and some deatails about ownership and that is what really sold me on WM.

I wanted to buy from Henry because he just seemed so safe and quick but he was often $1k more than the owners on wmowners.com sell for.  I asked Henry for a price reduction but he said his contracts sell so fast, he couldn't do that. About the same time I discovered a guy who goes by something like southdaytona on the wmowners.com site who was offering a great deal on a fully loaded 6k point package.  It really took a leap of faith for me to buy from him but I figured if anything went wrong, I could use small claims court to make him play fair.  Turns out he was wonderful to deal with and I almost felt guilty for even doubting him.  

As far as additional WM information you have, I would love to know more.  I'm not so sure I can stay at very many WM resorts because I live in Ohio and vacation along the SE Coast and Florida, mostly.  I do have relatives in AZ and if there was any way to make a reservation for them without using my credits (i.e. that monday madness thing you talked about, etc...), then I would especially be interested in knowing how.

I rented one time from wmowners.com.  I actually plan to rent quiet a bit as I only have a 5k point contract.  The fact that you can rent as many points as you want for about the same cost as the dues would be for owning those points is one of the things that made me have to buy WM.  I mostly plan to use WM as a trader and as long as I can rent points, I can share my WM membership with my immediate family easier than I could if I was locked into only 5k points a year.  I absolutely LOVE that about WM.





LLW said:


> So Jim how much time did you spend on Wmowners before you made the purchase? How much since? Sounds like you learned about purchases, banked credits, housekeeping tokens, exchanges....., did you also learn how to make best use of the internal resorts (there are some resorts that might be of interest to you) and all the ways of booking without your points, through renting points, bonus time, inventory specials, Monday Madness, etc.?


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## LLW (Apr 20, 2011)

jdunn1 said:


> As far as additional WM information you have, I would love to know more.  I'm not so sure I can stay at very many WM resorts because I live in Ohio and vacation along the SE Coast and Florida, mostly.  I do have relatives in AZ and if there was any way to make a reservation for them without using my credits (i.e. that monday madness thing you talked about, etc...), then I would especially be interested in knowing how.



You will if you continue to read WMO, especially the stickies in Timeshare Tips & Tricks & Vacation Exchange Info. Looking at the WM map of resorts,
https://www.worldmarktheclub.com/resorts/
I can totally see you using the southern and West Coast resorts periodically, not to mention the East Coast ones. Adding relatives and friends would make that even more frequent.


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