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  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

First Post, Help from a Newbie

Lazy8

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Hello everyone,
As the title says, I'm a newbie here and get ready for lots of questions.
We just came back from holidays and stopped by a booth at one of the resorts we where at in Whistler,B.C.

We are thinking about joining a timeshare and would like to learn about the Pro's and Con's first.

Should we or should'nt we.

That's the million dollar question.
Any help is much appriciated.
You can send personal emails to bevue@hotmail.com
if that works for you.

First question is how much is a timeshare worth when I go to the 90 minute interview.

Also how much do I pay each year for a timeshare.

The place is called Club Intrawest:
www.clubintrawest.com


Thanks:)
 
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DaveNV

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Welcome to TUG. You'll find a lot of information here.

My strongest advice would be for you to join TUG first, so you'll get full benefit of all parts of the website. Then read everything here you can find. There is a TON of information available on this site. Use the search features and read the "sticky" threads at the top of the topic forums pages. Many newbies such as yourself have asked these questions many times. There are threads that talk about how to decide whether timesharing is right for you, and how to get the most from what you want to buy.

The most important thing is for you to NOT get in a rush about buying a timesahre They are everywhere, and there is no hurry to buy anything. If you do your research before spending your hard-earned money, you'll save yourself a tremendous amount of heartache later on.

So relax, put on your reading glasses, and have fun. It's good to have you here!

Dave
 

Jya-Ning

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First question is how much is a timeshare worth when I go to the 90 minute interview.

Also how much do I pay each year for a timeshare.


Depends on the size of your contract. At the time you attend the 90 min interview, it usually costs you from $60,000 to $10,000.


If you go resale, you may get it from few thousand to someone just gives you for free.

As to how much you pay, it depends on the size, for a North American Timeshare usually range from $300 to over $1000 per year. And sometimes, you may need to pay one time special assessment, range from couple hundred to few thousands. It is adjusted by the management company's salary's structure, house keeping fee, utility bill, regular mainatance cost.

If you decides to exchange it and not through CI but through one of the exchange companies, you will pay the membership fee (some are free), exchange fee (from $100 to $200 to $1000), other different fee.

How much you want to spend on your vacation lodging, and where and what qulaity you want your resort stay like?


Jya-Ning
 

Passepartout

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Hello everyone,
As the title says, I'm a newbie here and get ready for lots of questions.
We just came back from holidays and stopped by a booth at one of the resorts we where at in Whistler BC

I see from several posts today you have been bitten by the bug. You are in good company. There are a few 'rules' or the infection will be terminal to your work life and financial well being.

Rule #1 ALWAYS buy resale. You can acquire TS for 10-25% of developer cost. As you can see here, many of us have a portfolio.

#2 If you attend a 'presentation' at a resort, use it ONLY for information and tour of the property- take all the goodies they offer. Buy nothing.

#3 RCI (and other big exchange companies) are expensive. If you are planning to use your TS week for trading, it's gonna cost you. There are also hidden fees that you will discover. Oh, and in most timeshares, if you like your bed made daily, make it yourself. No daily maid service.

#4 When you buy, get one you will USE at least 2/3 of the time you own. Make it within driving distance so you are not dependent on ever increasing air fares.

#5 Read read read here in TUG. There are centuries of combined wisdom here. You can't possibly make all the mistakes we already have.

I read that you have a motorhome to dispose of. Do it. You will also find another truism- RVs and timeshares are a lot easier to buy than to sell.

Best wishes. The TS bug is one of the most pleasant of all the maladies I have.

Jim Ricks
 

AwayWeGo

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[triennial - points]
Timeshare Realities That The Timeshare Sellers Won't Reveal.

Click here for a crash course in the Timeshare Realities that the full-freight timeshare sellers will never own up to.

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

Lazy8

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Great information from all of you
Thank you very much

I spent all day cataloging all the information I have found in the last 8 hours.

Most of the information that you all gave me was not available from the "Go Search" button.

If you can think of anything else for me to ask in the 90 minuite grilling I'm gonna get, please add it to this thread. I'm going to need all the info I can get.
Thinking of taking in there about 6 pages or more of questions in there.

:)
 

vacationhopeful

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"ASK"??? at a 90 minute grilling ... You will be attending a hard core and well scripted sales presentation. These are professional salesmen and women. They are commissioned agents for the developer. Their goal is NOT to educate you but to get YOUR money. A good T/S will pull in $150,000+ and get the attendee to pay $30,000++++ for something that can be brought for less the $2,000 on the resale market. Different sources have told me that T/S sales staff can SELL 20-40% of attendees who attend these "informericals" ... as many of us can personallly attest to.:eek:

If you want an education and to learn about timesharing, stay reading here as where the MOST you will pay is the voluntary $15 yearly membership fee.;)

JMHO,
 
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AwayWeGo

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[triennial - points]
Buy Resale. Save $10,000

If you can think of anything else for me to ask in the 90 minuite grilling I'm gonna get, please add it to this thread.
If you are referring to the so-called "90-minute" high-pressure timeshare sales pitch administered promotionally by the professional timeshare sellers who arm-twist & guilt-trip & psychologically manipulate prospects into buying full-freight timeshares for big bux, I think it is safe to say there is a major serious gap between what you may be expecting & what's going to happen.

Anything the full freight timeshare sellers can sell you for big bux you can buy on the secondary market (i.e., resale) for thousands less, possibly for just nickels on the full-freight dollar -- the exact same thing or the equivalent or something even better.

Everything they tell you about bonus weeks & extra vacations & Platinum Plated Premium V.I.P. Priority Membership Status is sizzle, not steak. Those fancypants add-ons may not be completely worthless, but for sure they're not worth anything like the thousands more (i.e., over resale prices) that the timeshare companies get for'm.

The main benefit you can expect for subjecting yourself to the timeshare sales pitch is the freebies. Any actual information gained is secondary, & in fact is conditional & suspect until you verify it independently later on -- and "later on" is a major serious problem in the eyes of the timeshare sellers, because whatever Deal Of The Century they're putting before you is Today Only --- Hurry Hurry Hurry --- Act Now Before It's Too Late --- Don't Miss Out --- Cash, Check, or Charge ?

Shux, that insistence on haste is enough all by itself to get your Baloney Detector to start pinging bigtime. (And above all, have that Baloney Detector with you at all times during the sales pitch, loaded with fresh batteries, & switched to the "on" position any time the timeshare sellers' lips are moving.)

Also, if you're out of there after only 90 minutes, you'll be doing better than most rookie timeshare sales pitch attendees. A more realistic expectation is 2 - 3 hours.

Good luck.

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

 
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Lazy8

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How can I get out of it in 90 minutes. They never mentioned any freebies either.

Sounds like I've already been taken.

high-pressure timeshare sales pitch administered promotionally by the professional timeshare sellers who arm-twist & guilt-trip & psychologically manipulate prospects into buying full-freight timeshares for big bux, l, have that Baloney Detector with you at all times during the sales pitch, loaded with fresh batteries, & switched to the "on" position any time the timeshare sellers' lips are moving.)

Also, if you're out of there after only 90 minutes, you'll be doing better than most rookie timeshare sales pitch attendees. A more realistic expectation is 2 - 3 hours.
 

AwayWeGo

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[triennial - points]
Heebie-Jeebies Over Freebies.

How can I get out of it in 90 minutes. They never mentioned any freebies either.

Sounds like I've already been taken.
Keep looking at your watch & asking how much longer. Plus, it's OK to whine.

Also, if your accommodations at the timeshare are comped or discounted, that is the freebies -- you're "pre-gifted."

Those other freebies are offered to people who are already in town, as a way of inducing'm to take timeshare tours while they're there.

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

 
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Lazy8

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OK, I guess if you say I got a room for a couple of nights at a discount, then that applies.
At least they think I have a discount, have to wait and see if I think it is a discount.
There web site does not show the rooms or what is available at their TS.
I guess they like to keep us in the dark and feed us BS. :eek:
 

AwayWeGo

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[triennial - points]
Fungus.

I guess they like to keep us in the dark and feed us BS.
That is also known as getting The Mushroom Treatment.

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

 

Talent312

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How can I get out of it in 90 minutes.

The sad fact is that we have been taught since childhood to be polite and treat others with respect, no matter how dispicable their behavior. Its that old "golden rule." Thus, most of us find it near impossible to behave in ways that are intentionally annoying, irritating or offensive, or to stare someone down with their arms folded, or ask inappropriate questions.

Instead, like unwitting fools, we try to be patient, appear interested and accept our part in this farcical dance. So, unless you are prepared to act like an ass who yells at the opposing players in your child's sports team, you must simply steele yourself to spend half-a-day and keep your eye on the prize -- a cold one at a nearby pub.

-- Although I did once tell a Chevy salesman that he had no clue how to sell a car and walked out.
 
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Chrisky

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Intrawest website

There web site does not show the rooms or what is available at their TS.
I guess they like to keep us in the dark and feed us BS. :eek:

Unless I missed something, if you go to their website you can click on each of their venues, and get a virtual tour of the area, and the rooms that they have in that venue.
 

Lazy8

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Thanks for the tip, First off,I didn't spend a whole lot of time on their site, Yes there is virtual tours on the resort.
I was only looking for info on the discovery tour presentation that they mentioned that I had to attend.

Thanks

http://www.clubintrawest.com/

Unless I missed something, if you go to their website you can click on each of their venues, and get a virtual tour of the area, and the rooms that they have in that venue.
 
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