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VIDANTA AMBASSADOR PROGRAM AND OTHER QUESTIONS (2017)[merged]

T-Dot-Traveller

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... was trying to get my next 10 certificates when the VLO told me this........She implied it wasn't working for them the way they had it, thus "modifying" it for new contracts, but not giving any new certificates for existing contracts.
.

For Vidanta the whole Ambassador Cert concept is / was -another way to get new prospects for the Vida Sales Machine .

I wonder if they are adding resort fees to the cost to redeem the certificates.

Anything is possible / here is an opinion/ guess .

IMO - the Ambassodor Program was “invented “ by Vidanta for 2 reasons .
1) get new prospects for the Vida Sales Machine.

2) increase the revenue* (especially to their “hotel side” ) in this cost of finding prospects .

* (ie) prospects going to Vidanta through the big exchange companies (RCI & II ) probably generate very liimited $$ to Vidanta from the actual exchange .The weeks deposited are primarily developer weeks . The exchange fee goes to RCI or II and the TPU or similar “virtual currency “ is likely split in a manner that limits $$ generates back to Vidanta per reservation .
< the lower resort fee of $75 on SFX exchanges is likely (IMO)because of a different contractual split of revenue between Vidanta & SFX .

The resort fee structure is likely a way of balancing the cost of running the resort vs. the cost of finding prospects for sales .( for example when someone goes to a “presentation” ; (IMO) - the 10% off resort restaurants etc comes from the “hotel side” / the free cabs etc comes from Vida Sales promotional budget)

The Ambassador Certs. reservations are booked directly with Vidanta reservations - so 100% of the revenue goes to them - and then a portion ($ 300/ approx) was rebated to the owner via a pre-loaded credit card . IMO -this is likely to be closer to the SFX style split of revenue .

history:
15/year’s ago : Grupo Mayan / Vidanta upped transfer fees (to non-family) to get their product off eBay . I see Ambassador Certs.as a part of ebay “rentals” regularly . If I were guessing - that could be a reason the program is being revised .

*******

interesting history:
Vidanta does still use local OPC’s to get folks - “at the airport or on the street”.to go to presentations . They seem to do a lot less of it than 10 or 15 years ago . It is a “legacy business “ that operates on cash .I am sure there are still local families that “pay the rent” from this income . Vidanta seems aware of the role , they as a company play in the local economy(s); and have continued to have local OPC’s get funded to find them prospects .
 
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pittle

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T-Dot is right - I have seen what I think is Ambassador Certificates on eBay. The prices are too cheap for real rentals and some are by organizations that must have been given them.

Sales tries to entice new buyers/up-graders to do this by saying that if one of their certificates is used by someone who purchases, their MF for the year will be paid. We told Vidanta that if we did upgrade, we did not want to give them to friends or family and subject them to the sales presentation! We were not going to give them to organizations that we are affiliated with either.

I am glad to know that this is being discontinued. If any of my friends want to reimburse me for MF, I will be happy to make them a reservation. I will also tell them NOT to take the presentation for any reason.
 

Eric B

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I’m right there with Tom and Phyllis on the Ambassador certificates. We had been getting them and dumping them on charity websites that were recommended by the sales staff, though I never really believed the pitch about them being sold at auction. My guess is that they generally don’t wind up being used because they have shorter reservation windows and probably won’t work in high season. I’m more likely to get an exchange week and a guest certificate for friends than do the usage fee for them with my own week there; as long as Vidanta continues dumping good inventory on the exchanges it’s less expensive even with the resort fees.
 

MoPops

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We were talking with another couple at the pool in RM in Feb. They had just endured a sales presentation and had upgraded to a 2BR GL. The story they had been told about the Ambassador Certificates made me sad and mad at the same time. They were at their fourth closer, supposedly a sales manager. He gave them a “really rare” opportunity to get in on a “super secret” sell back opportunity for their Ambassador Certificates. This sales manager was making a killing on selling unused certificates. He was going to take all the Certificates the couple had, and future ones, and sell them. He said the old ones were still good, somehow. He was going to dump the couple’s share of the proceeds into a prepaid credit card. It was going to for sure pay them back for the money they just spent to upgrade, and would easily pay for additional upgrades for years to come. We talked for quite a while about it. They were reluctant to share the story because they’d been sworn to secrecy by the sales manager. They were willing to share the manager’s name, but we couldn’t reveal where we heard it. I didn’t pursue it, nor did I tell them my real thoughts on this “incredible opportunity”.
Just solidified my vow to not go to any more sales presentations.
 

Meryl Wiernik

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We have 10 Ambassador certificates. We have never used them. We got them in 2017. We were told we could give them to charity auctions with a minimum bid of $3000. If someone bid on them and used it , we would get $300. They did not tell us if the donor had to also pay for the vacation. Also, we were told, if the person used the cert and bought, we would revive some amount of money from the sale. We didn’t give them to friends because we thought they would be charged.
did you ever find out if the receiver of the certificate had to pay for the unit, and if so, is it the typical MF or something discounted?
 

Eric B

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The way the Ambassador certificates work is that the user (or someone) has to pay the usage fee plus a transaction fee. When I was picking them up, the transaction fee was $50, but I've heard that it's now $299. I'm not really sure if that's true, but the usage fee (Vidanta equivalent to MF) is not discounted. I haven't used them for people I know because it's much less expensive to go there using an exchange.
 

T-Dot-Traveller

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.....certificate ......... is it the typical MF or something discounted?

I compared it a few years ago to my MF (2006 Mayan Palace 1 bedroom- extra MF / reno every 5th yr)
The usage cost for a certificate was equivelant to my amortized yearly cost . The $50 booking fee was
an extra cost / but minimal .
I believe the Ambassador Cerificates have (at most) a 5 month booking window . My contract has. 6 months .
 
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StructureGuy

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I also received 10 Ambassador certificates in April 2018 with my original purchase of a Junior Suite Deluxxe Club Level unit (1 bedroom, 1 bath, no kitchenette). The Ambassador agreement states:
=> I am not allowed to sell the certificates
=> I am not allowed to use the certificates myself
=> If someone actually uses a certificate I get a VISA debit card for $300 on my next visit to a Vidanta resort
=> The certificate user gets a 5 month reservation window
=> The certificate user can stay in a unit equivalent to the one I payed for in the same red season I have
=> The certificate user must pay the usage fee plus $50 (between $900 to $1,050 + $50)
=> Neither the user nor any member of his/her immediate family may ever
use more than one certificate for a one week stay.
=> If any of my certificate users buy into Vidanta I get a monetary reward in proportion to the purchase price (I was given a chart)
The salesman stated that the certificate user did not have to commit to attending a sales presentation which I believe is true.

In other words, I become a part of the Vidanta sales force by attracting new potential buyers to the resort.
 

pittle

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In other words, I become a part of the Vidanta sales force by attracting new potential buyers to the resort.

Yep - that is why we said we did not want them! If my friends want to go, I will happily make them a reservation and they can reimburse me for my MF. I tell them NOT to go to the presentation for any amount - it will waste an entire day and will not be pleasant.

The resorts are lovely but the sales force is not!
 

VirginiaKat

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I just joined this group (and the world of Vidanta), and I am staring at my 10 certificates now. As I said to the sales person, basically this certificate just gives the bearer the right to be at a Vidanta resort. They still have to pay the usage fee and $299. Not a great deal, BUT I am thinking of using them at a silent auction fundraiser if a donor would fork over the $1000--then the person could get a week at a resort for $300. I would definitely add the caveat to say a polite but firm no to the sales presentation.
 

StructureGuy

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BUT I am thinking of using them at a silent auction fundraiser if a donor would fork over the $1000--then the person could get a week at a resort for $300.

I'm confused. Who is paying $1000 so that the silent auction winner only pays Vidanta $299? I would never pay much at a silent auction to vacation at a place I know next to nothing about.
 

pittle

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I just joined this group (and the world of Vidanta), and I am staring at my 10 certificates now. As I said to the sales person, basically this certificate just gives the bearer the right to be at a Vidanta resort. They still have to pay the usage fee and $299. Not a great deal, BUT I am thinking of using them at a silent auction fundraiser if a donor would fork over the $1000--then the person could get a week at a resort for $300. I would definitely add the caveat to say a polite but firm no to the sales presentation.

Not a good deal - don't do that to your favorite charity. I agree with StructureGuy.
 

jssquared

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We donate weeks of use to charities. We have a four bedroom residence and people have donated $4,000 - $5,000 for the right to use the week. We have in the past used Ambassador certificates, but now will just generally use a contract week. We obviously have to spend our maintenance fee, the "winner" of the auction is making the bid to help the charity. This is not done as a way for us to make money using the ambassador certificates, but rather to help the organization. Ironically, it is how we got involved with Vidanta in the first place. We "won" a week in the Grand Mayan in Riviera Maya way back when.
 

Pzazueta

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I have a few questions I would like to ask my fellow TUGGERS concerning some of VIDANTA's so called " incentives". My sister is in Nuevo Vallarta right now. She is in her late seventies and tends to believe everything the sales people tell her. Yesterday she told me that the lady she was dealing with said that VIDANTA has changed their sales tactics and they are much more honest and straight forward with their clients. She went to the presentation and told me that she " gave back" four of her weeks to VIDANTA ( but told me that she could still use the weeks if she wanted to......which I find kind of a contradiction). She told me that she has the Ambassador Program now......what exactly is that? She said that she could give a week to a charity eg NHL, NFL etc ( like she is ever going to do that ) and was told that she would get several thousand dollars in return. What? She told me that she was being taken to the restaurant on top of the 5th Grand Luxxe building for dinner and the sales lady was joining her and her friend who is travelling with her. I told her to be careful because the sales lady isn't going with her just because she likes her or something......she is going to try to sell her something and I am worried that my sister may fall for it. She already owns the Grand Luxxe Villa two bedroom and that is plenty for her needs.
So my question are about the Ambassador Program and what is the giving back four weeks all about????? Thanks everyone....
Merry Christmas

Yes they do have incentives and do take some of your weeks if you signed them off to them so they can use them to bring ambassador certificate holders. We have to understand this ambassador programa its not for members to make money. Its for them to make more sales and they do give you the money because they dont have a hotel division so the only way they can make more sales is if members donate or give away those certs. Simple math. If Its good for members, OF COURSE its 100 times better for them!
 

ETC

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Hello fellow timeshare owners!

I was in Mexico last week on a trip I had purchased at a charity auction, I got there a day late due to the snowstorms here in the US so when they offered to give me an extra night at the resort to make it up in exchange to attend their sales meeting I gladly accepted, I was never going to buy anyways, right?!

Long story short, they kept me for about 8 hours with their gimmicks of lower the price or throwing in more perks every time I said no, I was heading to the door when they offered me two years of Ambassador certificates which would in two years pay for much of the cost of the timeshare, that paired with no maintenance fees convinced me to sign.

Now I'm back home (after the 5 day rescind period I did not know about) and looking farther into the ambassador certificates they are not what I assumed they were, I thought they were for a free stay at their resorts only having to pay a booking fee ($299) but what I didn't read (and they were not explicit about it) is that on top of that fee the person using the certificate has to pay for the usage fees which makes the certificates much less attractive and difficult to move.

They told me the ambassador rewards would be paid in the form of a prepaid visa card but that that I have read the terms I signed it says that the form of the ambassador rewards will be established at the sole discretion of Vidanta. This makes me nervous because this means they have the choice of paying the rewards however they choose to like some funny vidanta money in my travel account or in free stays or a "discounted" membership upgrade.

Has anyone here participated in the Ambassador program? Have you been paid in real money?

Thanks!
 

CaliSunshine

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The Ambassador program is "real" but it's really about finding friends and family who you can convince to be sales prospects for Vidanta (much like the charity auction you won, which was probably an Ambassador certificate itself).
 
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geist1223

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In Mexico you have 5 Business Days to rescind. Saturday is a Business Day. Sunday is not.
 

ETC

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Can you rescind still? The Ambassador program is "real" but it's really about finding friends and family who you can convince to be sales prospects for Vidanta (much like the charity auction you won, which was probably an Ambassador certificate itself).
That's good to hear the program is real! But I would also like to know if they pay in real money and not in some resort cash funny money. It's been more than 5 days so I can't rescind and get my deposit back but I'm better informing myself about the payback from the Ambassador program, if I don't get cash from that then owning this TS is not viable for me and I will just cut my loses and let them keep my deposit (about $3,000)
 

ETC

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In Mexico you have 5 Business Days to rescind. Saturday is a Business Day. Sunday is not.
I wish I would have read that in the contract but I was distracted enjoying my vacation and the time had lapsed by the time I got home. That was a big mistake by my part but I guess that's how they get you, they run a well oiled machine down there
 

ETC

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The Ambassador program is "real" but it's really about finding friends and family who you can convince to be sales prospects for Vidanta (much like the charity auction you won, which was probably an Ambassador certificate itself).
What bothered me was that I was under the impression these certificates were for free stays but in reality with the usage fee and booking fee they cost about $1,100 to $1,200. I won mine at an auction for $2000 thinking I donated all that money but in reality only about $900 went to the cause
 

CaliSunshine

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What bothered me was that I was under the impression these certificates were for free stays but in reality with the usage fee and booking fee they cost about $1,100 to $1,200. I won mine at an auction for $2000 thinking I donated all that money but in reality only about $900 went to the cause
Yup, the setup is a bit dishonest. Cheaper for Vidanta than offering people discounted stays like the other guys though!
 

ETC

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I just joined this group (and the world of Vidanta), and I am staring at my 10 certificates now. As I said to the sales person, basically this certificate just gives the bearer the right to be at a Vidanta resort. They still have to pay the usage fee and $299. Not a great deal, BUT I am thinking of using them at a silent auction fundraiser if a donor would fork over the $1000--then the person could get a week at a resort for $300. I would definitely add the caveat to say a polite but firm no to the sales presentation.
I just joined TUG after buying into Vidanta and the Ambassador certificates is what convinced me, how has your experience giving them out been? Have they been hard to be given to people who use them? Has Vidanta paid you with real money (in a prepaid card) and not in resort credit?

Thanks!
 

ETC

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pittle

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You could try calling Customer Service. They are the ones that can help you out. They are NOT the Sales group that will do anything to convince you to keep the contract. Mexico says 5 days not counting Sunday, but sometimes Customer Service will let you out of the contract after the 5 days. It is worth trying.

Their number should be in your packet of information.
 
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