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ARDA-ROC Voluntary Contribution, not clear that it's voluntary

artringwald

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DRI: The Point at Poipu, 3 deeded weeks, 1 of which is in The Club.
For DRI owners with deeds, if you examine the 2019 statements that are going out now, you'll see a line item:

2019-ARDA-ROC Voluntary Contribution - $7.00

ARDA-ROC is a lobbying group that represents the interests of the developers, not the timeshare owners. DRI adds this to your bill, but doesn't tell you that you don't have to pay it. If you don't want to pay it, call them up and tell them to credit $7 to each of the weeks you own. They do this every year.

For points owners, you don't have a choice. The boards of the collections are controlled by DRI so they always choose to donate to the ARDA-ROC.
 

artringwald

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DRI: The Point at Poipu, 3 deeded weeks, 1 of which is in The Club.
Okay, so I called in to get $7 credit for each of my weeks. The agent said that you have to pay first, minus the $7, then call in to get the $7 credit.

What's really funny is when I asked him what the contribution was for, without hesitating, he said it was for disaster relief (total lie). After I stopped laughing, I asked what ARDA-ROC stood for. He had to look it up.
 

nuwermj

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More dishonest behavior. More evidence that the fraud goes beyond the sales division.

The Bluegreen web payment system offers a checkbox for removing the fee, before a payment is made
 

TUGBrian

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yep, its funny how that "voluntary contribution" is checked by default on millions of owners maintenance fees.
 

Fredflintstone

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For DRI owners with deeds, if you examine the 2019 statements that are going out now, you'll see a line item:

2019-ARDA-ROC Voluntary Contribution - $7.00

ARDA-ROC is a lobbying group that represents the interests of the developers, not the timeshare owners. DRI adds this to your bill, but doesn't tell you that you don't have to pay it. If you don't want to pay it, call them up and tell them to credit $7 to each of the weeks you own. They do this every year.

For points owners, you don't have a choice. The boards of the collections are controlled by DRI so they always choose to donate to the ARDA-ROC.

Yup, they even want you to pay their lobby group to keep the owners in a subservient, shut up and pay state. I hate lobby groups like this.


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Panina

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For my hgvc weeks they show $5 for the added amount. One I just got the paper bill showed $5, when I went online to pay it showed $10. Being it is voluntary I never pay it.
 

Dollie

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I, too, pay the yearly maintenance amount less the voluntary contribution. When I log onto my account is usually shows I still owe the contribution. However, after some period of time, the amount disappears, and the balance goes to $0.
 

dioxide45

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I, too, pay the yearly maintenance amount less the voluntary contribution. When I log onto my account is usually shows I still owe the contribution. However, after some period of time, the amount disappears, and the balance goes to $0.
This seems to be how Vistana works. If you pay the amount minus the ARDA contribution, it will show a balance owed but then after a while it will show a balance of $0. For Marriott, the ARDA balance disappears instantly if you pay the MF minus the ARDA fee. I prefer the way Marriott does it.
 

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Nauseating.
 
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WBP

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More dishonest behavior. More evidence that the fraud goes beyond the sales division.

The Bluegreen web payment system offers a checkbox for removing the fee, before a payment is made
Okay, so I called in to get $7 credit for each of my weeks. The agent said that you have to pay first, minus the $7, then call in to get the $7 credit.

What's really funny is when I asked him what the contribution was for, without hesitating, he said it was for disaster relief (total lie). After I stopped laughing, I asked what ARDA-ROC stood for. He had to look it up.

Disaster relief, huh?

I guess there's a bit of truth in the assertion that, Diamond Resorts and ARDA-ROC are a disaster.
 
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Fredflintstone

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Another fee to look out for is their Administration fee or collection convenience fee. This fee can range from 5 to 20 bux.

I would enquire what this fee was for and was told its a fee to send me a bill and collect my money. I told them thats fine. I dont need an invoice and will not pay a fee so you can collect my money.

After some wrangling, this fee was removed.

Pay a fee to send me a bill and collect money?? Ridiculous!

Glad i only rent now.


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artringwald

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Just spent another 15 minutes on the phone. When I called 2 weeks ago to have the $7 ARDA-ROC fee removed from each of my 3 deeded weeks, they only removed it from one of them. I almost forgot to check it. I'll have to check again in a couple of days to see if they removed the fee from the other two contracts.
 

chemteach

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Just spent another 15 minutes on the phone. When I called 2 weeks ago to have the $7 ARDA-ROC fee removed from each of my 3 deeded weeks, they only removed it from one of them. I almost forgot to check it. I'll have to check again in a couple of days to see if they removed the fee from the other two contracts.
I had this same issue. Diamond is not good about getting the fees removed - even when specifically asked...
 

sfwilshire

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I always pay the balance minus the voluntary contribution. I have never call, and have never showed up with a balance due.

Sheila
 

bobpark56

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Marriott Vacation Club lists ARDA-ROC as a separate item, when you can select to not, as you choose. This seems to me to be the right way to do it.
 

artringwald

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DRI: The Point at Poipu, 3 deeded weeks, 1 of which is in The Club.
Just spent another 15 minutes on the phone. When I called 2 weeks ago to have the $7 ARDA-ROC fee removed from each of my 3 deeded weeks, they only removed it from one of them. I almost forgot to check it. I'll have to check again in a couple of days to see if they removed the fee from the other two contracts.
It took another phone call (the 3rd try), but they finally reversed the charge on all 3 contracts. The reversals showed up online while I was still on the phone with them. I'm retired so I have the time to pester them until it's done, but it's a waste of their time too. :mad:
 

TUGBrian

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Marriott Vacation Club lists ARDA-ROC as a separate item, when you can select to not, as you choose. This seems to me to be the right way to do it.

going off the recent thread in the marriott forum, it certainly appears that for at least that example...marriott is still trying to confuse folks into paying it.
 

winger

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It took another phone call (the 3rd try), but they finally reversed the charge on all 3 contracts. The reversals showed up online while I was still on the phone with them. I'm retired so I have the time to pester them until it's done, but it's a waste of their time too. :mad:
If I don't have better things to do in retirement then pester people, maybe I shouldn't be looking forward to my 'golden years' :). I've maybe only called DRI once to remove that voluntary fee in many years of ownership, then I never bothered anymore once they informed me it automatically falls off a short time (never given a specific timeframe) after I pay off my MF. This approach has always worked for me - basically I substituted pestering a rep with something more enjoyable like reading TUG or planning my next vacation.
 
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pedro47

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How much does ARDA collect a year from all the timeshare resorts ?

Supposed just 200, 000 owners paid that $7.00 fees or what ever you called it.
That is a very nice return for someone.:wall::eek::eek::eek:
 

artringwald

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DRI: The Point at Poipu, 3 deeded weeks, 1 of which is in The Club.

winger

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How much does ARDA collect a year from all the timeshare resorts ?

Supposed just 200, 000 owners paid that $7.00 fees or what ever you called it.
That is a very nice return for someone.:wall::eek::eek::eek:
My Marriott 2BD is $10, my PLT 1BD is $7
 

mjc775

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I got this in my statement email dated 12/1/18:
As our special way of saying thanks, if you pay your maintenance fees and club dues timely we will extend a $500 retail cruise voucher to you. To redeem the voucher, it is as easy as 1, 2, 3:

1. Make your maintenance fees and club dues payments by December 31, 2018 – at the latest...

I prepay my maintenance fees each month throughout the year so that I don't get hit with a big bill at the end of the year. I just paid my 2019 balance of $169 minus $7 effective 12/31/18. Since the fee doesn't drop off for a while and I'll have a $7 balance on 12/31/18, am I going to miss out on the $500 cruise voucher since my fees won't technically fullfill condition 1 of the voucher qualification?

On another topic... now that Surepay is an option to spread out our annual MFs, since I've been prepaying on a monthly basis I'm looking forward to making NO payments in 2019, and making payment 1 of 12 of my 2020 fees on 1/1/20.
 

karibkeith

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Okay, so I called in to get $7 credit for each of my weeks. The agent said that you have to pay first, minus the $7, then call in to get the $7 credit.

What's really funny is when I asked him what the contribution was for, without hesitating, he said it was for disaster relief (total lie). After I stopped laughing, I asked what ARDA-ROC stood for. He had to look it up.
ARDA = American Resort Development Association (http://www.arda.org/)
ROC = Resort Owners Coalition (http://www.ardaroc.org/)
See anything there about representing timeshare owners?
You can get your $7.00 credited but it may not be worth the hassle.
 

nuwermj

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On another topic... now that Surepay is an option to spread out our annual MFs, since I've been prepaying on a monthly basis I'm looking forward to making NO payments in 2019, and making payment 1 of 12 of my 2020 fees on 1/1/20.

Remember the small print: "Subject to change"; and be advised that Diamond's policies are not very stable these days. For example, Diamond has modified the Europeans' payment options in three of the last four years.
 

lindaswain

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I just went to pay my Diamond Resort club and HOA fees online, but the payment form would not allow me to enter an amount that would reflect removing the $7 voluntary fees, so I called the toll-free number. The very pleasant agent went in and deducted the $7 fees for two properties, and I paid the balance. No problem! :)

I had 18,225 points that were going to expire :-( . The agent gave me the option to buy a one-year protection plan for $225 that would allow me to use those points to make reservations in 2019, but I had to make them while we were on the phone. I don't like being forced to make snap decisions, but I did it ... I'm told I can cancel the reservations in 2019 and use the points to make another reservation. Seemed like a good idea, I hate losing points!
 
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