• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Looking for information on a possible Branson, MO timeshare

Passepartout

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2007
Messages
28,462
Reaction score
17,213
Points
1,299
Location
Twin Falls, Eye-Duh-Hoe
My maximum spend would be $2,000 to buy in and maybe $1000 a year maintenance. I could go a little higher on either one, but would prefer not to. I live 7 hours from Branson in Oklahoma City. I have 2 children and a wife. I make a modest income at $60k. Just looking to get there by whatever means makes sense. Might be nice to invite mother and father also.
This is VERY do-able. And living in OKC would also give you many other options within a day's driving range. There are timeshares along the Gulf coast and upper mid-west as well as ski resorts in Colorado. Not every time share owner is a millionaire- far-from it. Most are just like you family people striving to have just a taste of 'the good life', and share it with family.

Welcome to TUG. You've come to the right place to learn. Just resist the urge to jump too soon into the deep end of the pool. DO NOT even consider buying ANY time share until you fully understand the whole concept. It is far too easy to buy one (especially in an overbuilt place- like Branson) and find out that you own something you'd have to pay someone else to take off your hands.

Jim
 

shellmo1

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2013
Messages
76
Reaction score
21
Points
218
Location
st louis mo
My maximum spend would be $2,000 to buy in and maybe $1000 a year maintenance. I could go a little higher on either one, but would prefer not to. I live 7 hours from Branson in Oklahoma City. I have 2 children and a wife. I make a modest income at $60k. Just looking to get there by whatever means makes sense. Might be nice to invite mother and father also.
We live in MO and go to Branson every year for boating. If you can go in May or middle of Aug through Sept. you can get some great deals. Summer weather but kids are in school and places are cheap. I also agree with renting. There is a rental forum here on TUG or look at Redweek.com. There are also a couple facebook pages that offer rentals and you can request what you want. If your kids are school age, go right when they get out our right before they go back and again, you can get a good deal. After renting is a few different timeshares, then make a decision long term. Once you commit you are locked in for life so begin cautiously.
 
Joined
Jan 8, 2019
Messages
799
Reaction score
475
Points
73
Location
St. Louis
Resorts Owned
Welk Resorts
We live in MO and go to Branson every year for boating. If you can go in May or middle of Aug through Sept. you can get some great deals. Summer weather but kids are in school and places are cheap. I also agree with renting. There is a rental forum here on TUG or look at Redweek.com. There are also a couple facebook pages that offer rentals and you can request what you want. If your kids are school age, go right when they get out our right before they go back and again, you can get a good deal. After renting is a few different timeshares, then make a decision long term. Once you commit you are locked in for life so begin cautiously.

All good information. But when you can buy a TS/VO for $1-5k instead of $40k, it's much more tolerable and less stressful. Wish I had found TUG as early as the OP.....
 

truckinusa

Guest
Joined
Mar 10, 2019
Messages
60
Reaction score
15
Points
18
Resorts Owned
none
All good information. But when you can buy a TS/VO for $1-5k instead of $40k, it's much more tolerable and less stressful. Wish I had found TUG as early as the OP.....
I guess I'm just looking for advice as to what a good deal vs a bad deal is for Branson. I noticed there are some very cheap Welk points memberships on ebay, but the reviews seem pretty bad for Welk but I can't tell if its the sales tactics from the developer or the actual resort that is bad. Information isn't very clear.
 

VacationForever

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2010
Messages
16,196
Reaction score
10,607
Points
1,048
Location
Somewhere Out There
I guess I'm just looking for advice as to what a good deal vs a bad deal is for Branson. I noticed there are some very cheap Welk points memberships on ebay, but the reviews seem pretty bad for Welk but I can't tell if its the sales tactics from the developer or the actual resort that is bad. Information isn't very clear.
There are happy Welk owners out there. You have to stay at Welk vs. Marriott vs. XXX to figure out what works for you. For us, we have sworn off ever staying at a Welk resort again.
 
Joined
Jan 8, 2019
Messages
799
Reaction score
475
Points
73
Location
St. Louis
Resorts Owned
Welk Resorts
There are happy Welk owners out there. You have to stay at Welk vs. Marriott vs. XXX to figure out what works for you. For us, we have sworn off ever staying at a Welk resort again.
That makes me sad. Cuz I am a very happy Welk owner, even after buying from the developer. What went so wrong for you?

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
 

truckinusa

Guest
Joined
Mar 10, 2019
Messages
60
Reaction score
15
Points
18
Resorts Owned
none
There are happy Welk owners out there. You have to stay at Welk vs. Marriott vs. XXX to figure out what works for you. For us, we have sworn off ever staying at a Welk resort again.
What did you find that you are happy with? What went wrong at Welk?
 

Passepartout

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2007
Messages
28,462
Reaction score
17,213
Points
1,299
Location
Twin Falls, Eye-Duh-Hoe
Welk are nice resorts. Not over the top, but nice. Others have better trade ability. Welks sales practices are predatory. I think that's one thing I have against them. Personally, I would avoid owning at any resort that is in active sales and the HOA is controlled by the developer. Give me one where owners more like me make the decisions and spend the money.

Jim
 

truckinusa

Guest
Joined
Mar 10, 2019
Messages
60
Reaction score
15
Points
18
Resorts Owned
none
Welk are nice resorts. Not over the top, but nice. Others have better trade ability. Welks sales practices are predatory. I think that's one thing I have against them. Personally, I would avoid owning at any resort that is in active sales and the HOA is controlled by the developer. Give me one where owners more like me make the decisions and spend the money.

Jim
Which ones are the owners in charge? I guess I assumed they were all that way. Where are you currently an owner?
 
Joined
Jan 8, 2019
Messages
799
Reaction score
475
Points
73
Location
St. Louis
Resorts Owned
Welk Resorts
Welk are nice resorts. Not over the top, but nice. Others have better trade ability. Welks sales practices are predatory. I think that's one thing I have against them. Personally, I would avoid owning at any resort that is in active sales and the HOA is controlled by the developer. Give me one where owners more like me make the decisions and spend the money.

Jim
In late 2016 the new CEO went through and fired 90% of the sales team at every resort for being unethical, lying, sharks. As owners we do get to vote on who is on the board is directors or whatever every few years.
Welk trades extremely well in RCI and I can trade the amount of points for a studio at Welk Branson for a Large one bedroom villa. Granted, that doesn't include the exchange fee but that exchange gets me another AC every time. So there's that.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
 

VacationForever

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2010
Messages
16,196
Reaction score
10,607
Points
1,048
Location
Somewhere Out There
That makes me sad. Cuz I am a very happy Welk owner, even after buying from the developer. What went so wrong for you?

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
First stay was in Palm Springs. It was rundown and when we checked into the room, water dripped down from the ceiling onto me with a pool of water on the wet carpet. I called front desk and we were given a different room. New room was fine but closer to an old motel.

We then went on to stay at Esconddido. We stayed there for a total of 4 times as we like the location. First 3 times were fine, not a Marriott or Westin but fine. Fourth time was 2 years ago. We unloaded our stuff and closed the door. While still trying to get settled, the door opened and housekeeping came in. The person spoke no English and insisted on being in there, holding a mop. We called front desk which then finally located housekeeping which said that the floors were not mopped yet. OK, we let her proceed and when she was done she left. What is wrong with the room?
- For the entire week we were bouncing in and out of internet and never had a connection for longer than 30 minutes until the last day. We called several times and each time we were put to their 3rd party internet support staff. They asked us to reboot the router which was located in the unit. Did that for at least a dozen times and did not help a thing. We told them that they needed to fix it at their gateway. They tried to say it was our devices. We had the same issue laptops, phones and tablets but their internet support staff useless. We assumed that on day 6, finally after getting enough complaints from guests that they rebooted their main router.
- Thick cobwebs filled many corners of the unit at both floor level and ceiling level. Eek.
- There was very low water pressure coming out of the main bathroom shower head - think a very slow stream of water coming down. We went on to use the one from the 2nd bathroom instead.
- We called to speak with the supervisor with our frustration with the internet. Finally a supervisor called back and my husband told him about the issue with the internet and that we would not be back to the resort. The supervisor thanked my husband for not wanting to come back.
 
Joined
Jan 8, 2019
Messages
799
Reaction score
475
Points
73
Location
St. Louis
Resorts Owned
Welk Resorts
Damn. I've heard some bad things about Palm Springs. And that sucks that the fourth Escondido stay didn't work out. We've only stayed in Branson but have sent friends to Escondido and Palm Springs without complaint.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
 

VacationForever

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2010
Messages
16,196
Reaction score
10,607
Points
1,048
Location
Somewhere Out There
Damn. I've heard some bad things about Palm Springs. And that sucks that the fourth Escondido stay didn't work out. We've only stayed in Branson but have sent friends to Escondido and Palm Springs without complaint.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
My husband reminded me that we were there for 2 weeks on our final stay, which meant 13 days of internet suffering and 14 days of cobwebs and unusable shower in the master bathroom.
 
Joined
Jan 8, 2019
Messages
799
Reaction score
475
Points
73
Location
St. Louis
Resorts Owned
Welk Resorts
My husband reminded me that we were there for 2 weeks on our final stay, which meant 13 days of internet suffering and 14 days of cobwebs and unusable shower in the master bathroom.
That is horrendous..... They weren't able to get you a different room? And just out of curiosity, cuz it doesn't excuse the lack of customer service, but we're you in the older section?

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
 

VacationForever

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2010
Messages
16,196
Reaction score
10,607
Points
1,048
Location
Somewhere Out There
That is horrendous..... They weren't able to get you a different room? And just out of curiosity, cuz it doesn't excuse the lack of customer service, but we're you in the older section?

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
We were in the original section with the 2BR unit.

We did not ask for a different room.

The other problem was that we requested for room cleaning at the end of the first week to be around noon, when we got back to the unit at around 5pm, housekeeping had not come through. Yet another phone call. Geez.

It just felt like they were unstaffed with housekeeping and maintenance. Any complaints about internet issues went straight to a 3rd party vendor, with no oversight. It did not matter how many times you call about internet issues.
 
Joined
Jan 8, 2019
Messages
799
Reaction score
475
Points
73
Location
St. Louis
Resorts Owned
Welk Resorts
We were in the original section with the 2BR unit.

We did not ask for a different room.

The other problem was that we requested for room cleaning at the end of the first week to be around noon, when we got back to the unit at around 5pm, housekeeping had not come through. Yet another phone call. Geez.

It just felt like they were unstaffed with housekeeping and maintenance. Any complaints about internet issues went straight to a 3rd party vendor, with no oversight. It did not matter how many times you call about internet issues.
To me, even just being 31, that wouldn't bother me much. I also have a massive data plan in case I need data and don't have wifi.
I've been told by owner services that they're renovating the old part now. But yeah, that seems to be a common complaint about Welk, lack of housekeeping. Although I have not had that problem.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
 
Joined
Jan 8, 2019
Messages
799
Reaction score
475
Points
73
Location
St. Louis
Resorts Owned
Welk Resorts
Anyway, not to hi-jack the OPs thread, sorry: I have had nothing but good experiences with Welk, others have had less than satisfied experiences and some downright awful ones. This is norm for all resort chains. I still highly recommend staying at a few and picking for yourself. Once you get it narrowed down to which one or two resorts, there are separate forums on here for all the major ones. If Welk is in the running, just shoot me a message and I'll answer any question you have.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
 

truckinusa

Guest
Joined
Mar 10, 2019
Messages
60
Reaction score
15
Points
18
Resorts Owned
none
Anyway, not to hi-jack the OPs thread, sorry: I have had nothing but good experiences with Welk, others have had less than satisfied experiences and some downright awful ones. This is norm for all resort chains. I still highly recommend staying at a few and picking for yourself. Once you get it narrowed down to which one or two resorts, there are separate forums on here for all the major ones. If Welk is in the running, just shoot me a message and I'll answer any question you have.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
Seller on ebay is selling one. Bids are at $400 or so for 240,000 points and first year MF paid which would get me into a 2 bedroom at Branson. I'm not sure what else I would get with that Welk points membership. Does that still have the ability to get AC weeks? The maintenance fee is $1500 which seems a little high. Not sure if that is the norm.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jan 8, 2019
Messages
799
Reaction score
475
Points
73
Location
St. Louis
Resorts Owned
Welk Resorts
Seller on ebay is selling one. Bids are at $400 or so for 240,000 points and first year MF paid which would get me into a 2 bedroom at Branson. I'm not sure what else I would get with that Welk points membership. Does that still have the ability to get AC weeks?
Yes. Your RCI platinum membership is included with your MF(maintenance fees). RCI will give you an AC for every stay you book through them with you Welk points. I would not go through or be extremely careful about going through eBay. There have been numerous reports of... Questionable sellers on there. I've been recommended to and have had great communication with www.calresorts.com there website is very basic and straight forward but I've heard nothing but good things about them from other TUG members.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
 

Passepartout

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2007
Messages
28,462
Reaction score
17,213
Points
1,299
Location
Twin Falls, Eye-Duh-Hoe
Truckin'. You're losing your focus. Now I see you making offers to take free, but distressed timeshares. STOP IT! Just because it's free, or even cheap doesn't make it a bargain. I am sticking to my advice to at least rent a few times. Attend a couple of sales presentations. There are (I hear) 90,000 TUGgers, and darn near all of us have a dog or two we'd love some newbie to take on the MF for. I'm trying to keep it from being you.

After you've tried a couple of different systems, and feel like you have a handle on the difference between II and RCI, and know.which resorts will let you go where, and feel.like you want to commit look for a quality TS- in the size that fits your family, in the season you want to go. And buy that one. Not someone else's freebie. TSs are a hundred times easier to buy than they are to sell. Don't forget that.

Jim
 
Joined
Jan 8, 2019
Messages
799
Reaction score
475
Points
73
Location
St. Louis
Resorts Owned
Welk Resorts
Truckin'. You're losing your focus. Now I see you making offers to take free, but distressed timeshares. STOP IT! Just because it's free, or even cheap doesn't make it a bargain. I am sticking to my advice to at least rent a few times. Attend a couple of sales presentations. There are (I hear) 90,000 TUGgers, and darn near all of us have a dog or two we'd love some newbie to take on the MF for. I'm trying to keep it from being you.

After you've tried a couple of different systems, and feel like you have a handle on the difference between II and RCI, and know.which resorts will let you go where, and feel.like you want to commit look for a quality TS- in the size that fits your family, in the season you want to go. And buy that one. Not someone else's freebie. TSs are a hundred times easier to buy than they are to sell. Don't forget that.

Jim
^^^ what Jim said.
 

DrQ

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2005
Messages
5,818
Reaction score
3,802
Points
648
Location
DFW
Resorts Owned
HICV, Westgate (second cousin, twice removed)
Jim has very solid advice to rent before you buy.

HICV will lock you into weeks on the resale market. If it is an old Silverleaf contract, you will only be able to trade internally to the original Silverleaf resorts. I don't know how much HICV can modify an original Silverleaf contract on resale.

If it were me looking to purchase, I would want a property which I could trade internally for some variety.
 

truckinusa

Guest
Joined
Mar 10, 2019
Messages
60
Reaction score
15
Points
18
Resorts Owned
none
Truckin'. You're losing your focus. Now I see you making offers to take free, but distressed timeshares. STOP IT! Just because it's free, or even cheap doesn't make it a bargain. I am sticking to my advice to at least rent a few times. Attend a couple of sales presentations. There are (I hear) 90,000 TUGgers, and darn near all of us have a dog or two we'd love some newbie to take on the MF for. I'm trying to keep it from being you.

After you've tried a couple of different systems, and feel like you have a handle on the difference between II and RCI, and know.which resorts will let you go where, and feel.like you want to commit look for a quality TS- in the size that fits your family, in the season you want to go. And buy that one. Not someone else's freebie. TSs are a hundred times easier to buy than they are to sell. Don't forget that.

Jim
I won't lose focus. I'm thinking the best bet would be to buy a points membership or whatever you call it. Something similar to the Welk 240,000 Platinum Points so I can use the points at Branson but possibly use them elsewhere? I don't know how realistic it is to book with points and get the weeks you request though. I'll probably rent something this summer. Ideally I need something for the 24th of May thru the 5th of June.
 

Passepartout

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2007
Messages
28,462
Reaction score
17,213
Points
1,299
Location
Twin Falls, Eye-Duh-Hoe
You DO seem to be pulled in different directions. I don't understand Welk points compared to any others, and no point systems equate with others. There is no commonality. If you want to rent a unit for a week in May, you better get to posting a request, because timeshares, unlike hotels, book up early. Almost a year in advance.of line-up is not uncommon with school vacation weeks. This timeshare thing is family oriented, and people have learned to book early. You're also aiming for more than a week, and timeshare occupancy is generally 7 nights Freday-Friday or similar. I wish you success, but the time is running out.

Jim
 
  • Like
Reactions: DrQ
Top