Advice on buying for a newbie - tips please

[janderson3348]

All, I just bought a timeshare from the developer in Kona last month, and it was a total of only 154,000 points.

Looking around the resorts in Hawaii, it seems like this isn't much at all.

So I was considering buying more points from other owners, like on eBay.

Questions:

1) Is eBay a good source to buy previously owned timeshares?

2) What are good locations to buy from?

3) What are bad locations to buy from?

4) How much is good to pay for maintenance fees?

5) What other factors should I consider before buying those additional points?

Thanks in advance for any feedback. I really appreciate it.

Regards,

Jeff

 

[vacationhopeful]

All, I just bought a timeshare from the developer in Kona last month, and it was a total of only 154,000 points.

Looking around the resorts in Hawaii, it seems like this isn't much at all.

So I was considering buying more points from other owners, like on eBay.

Questions:

1) Is eBay a good source to buy previously owned timeshares? Yes, I have brought many weeks and points off eBay.
2) What are good locations to buy from? The better question is, Which sellers should I avoid off eBay.
3) What are bad locations to buy from? See the answer to #2

4) How much is good to pay for maintenance fees? Under $5.50 per K; but $6 per K is okay. But I have points where ARP is better (required) for the good weeks and they cost a bit more per K.

5) What other factors should I consider before buying those additional points?
Usually, you can find TUGGERS giving away Wyndham points for just about FREE.

Thanks in advance for any feedback. I really appreciate it.

Regards,

Jeff

Jeff,
Own awhile before going into "BUY THE WORLD" mode. It took me a good 3 years to figure out HOW and WHAT I liked in the timeshare world. I even suggest YOU RENT some vacation time off the LMR thread. Your Wyndham points will come with an RCI account - buy some cheap & local getaways -- got visit nearby resorts and check out their units. I have found, if you go during a SLOW times, the front desk staff (the check in staff) will walk your thru an empty unit and talk to you about the resort.. stay away from taking any sales tour.

 

[clotheshorse]

Jeff,
Own awhile before going into "BUY THE WORLD" mode. It took me a good 3 years to figure out HOW and WHAT I liked in the timeshare world. I even suggest YOU RENT some vacation time off the LMR thread. Your Wyndham points will come with an RCI account - buy some cheap & local getaways -- got visit nearby resorts and check out their units. I have found, if you go during a SLOW times, the front desk staff (the check in staff) will walk your thru an empty unit and talk to you about the resort.. stay away from taking any sales tour.

Newbie here. What is ARP?

 

[Sloane S]

Newbie here. What is ARP?

Advance Reservation Priority - a period of time when only owners of a specific resort are allowed to book, prior to it being available to all other owners. You can book your home resort up to 13 months out, at 10 months it is open to all.

 

[janderson3348]

I copied this from another posting:

ARP - advanced reservation priority. It means that you have a window to make reservation before things get opened up to the unwashed masses. Typically it refers to the home resort at Wyndham. So if I owned at Wyndham Bonnet creek I could book a reservation 12 months prior to check-in. Regular Wyndham members are only allowed to book 10 months prior to check-in.

 

[janderson3348]

Thank you Linda! When you see properties on eBay, and you are considering them as options, what factors make you feel like taking them on?

In the end if you are trying to accumulate points, does it even matter where the property is (unless you want the ARP)?

I think I will take your advice and not jump on anything right away, until I better understand my own program. I have 154,000 points, and am being told there is a program called Trading Places International, where you can get double your points by using them.

Thanks again for the information. I really appreciate it.

Jeff

 

[pacodemountainside]

Definitely hang loose and do homework here.

Questions such as who are reputable e-bay re-sellers come up regularly.

Many variables to consider: ARP, MF and if Developer subsiding. Reserves, cost over say 10 year period, exit strategy, less than 210K points POA is very high, location, points inflation, ad infinitum.

Small, say 77K free standing contracts are very expensive($1.53 POA fee and flat $299 transfer fee) hard to get rid of, and really don't have any ARP value since prime time reservations are pricey.

Many good deals here, lots of scammers on craigslist.

No one size fits all like Developer sales person would have you believe.

Stay away from sales people!

Order a copy of Directory from Wyndham web site or make on line version a favorite.

 

[puppymommo]

All, I just bought a timeshare from the developer in Kona last month, and it was a total of only 154,000 points.

Looking around the resorts in Hawaii, it seems like this isn't much at all.

Hi, and welcome to TUG!

Most newer Wyndham resorts are more "expensive" in terms of points than older resorts. Visiting them is one way to stretch your points. In some off season resorts you can get a week in a 2 bedroom for 77,000 points.

Another way to stretch your points is to avoid weekends. Travel Sunday-Thursday saves a lot of points. Of course, this doesn't always work in prime season where reservations have to be in lengths of 3, 4, or 7 days.

The last way I know of is using the credit pool. Any year, before the start of the calendar year, you can pool your credits and they will be available for 3 years. For example, say I own 154,000 points per year and I want to stay at a resort that costs 300k per week. You could pool your 2015 points before December 31st and then in 2016 you could use two year's worth of points for one week.

Of course, buying more points is another way, or renting a reservation from a mega-owner here on tug.

 

[vacationhopeful]

Thank you Linda! When you see properties on eBay, and you are considering them as options, what factors make you feel like taking them on?

In the end if you are trying to accumulate points, does it even matter where the property is (unless you want the ARP)?

I think I will take your advice and not jump on anything right away, until I better understand my own program. I have 154,000 points, and am being told there is a program called Trading Places International, where you can get double your points by using them.

Thanks again for the information. I really appreciate it.

Jeff

Jeff,
You are living in San Jose - this is not an area the Western USA) where there are MANY actual Wyndham resorts to use your points. The few resorts there - like Canterbury in SF - are VERY point expensive to us. You might want to research Worldmark and Shell points systems -- both owned by WVR (Wyndham Vacation Resorts). Your sales person most likely DID NOT truly explain that ONLY developer brought points can be USED within the "new" Wyndham system option of internal exchanges call "Club Wyndham Pass" with a $99 "exchange" fee. So all those color coded dots on the USA map - do mean something.

Read that Member Directory at least 3 times with a colored markers. If it does NOT say, 2015, on the cover ... it is the older one without any discussion of "Club Pass" and talks about the "defunked" collection of "affiliates resorts"-- now only available in "Club Pass".

I do not own in Worldmark --- many regulars here love it as their preferred system. I recently got some FREE Shell points and added some $1 points as I have relatives on the West Coast - and prefer city locations.