[2008] Festiva is now managing my resort, how bad is it going to get?

[FestivaRep]

Now that I've had a chance to look through all of your responses since my first two posts, I would like to take the time to tell you a bit about why I'm here. I am a (female) employee of Festiva Resorts' corporate office. The reason I am here is because (1) we are looking for ways to expand and improve our customer service and (2) our executives believe that it's important for us to become more involved in Online discussions about Festiva and timesharing in general, and we are looking for ways to utilize different Web media that are available today. Me joining this forum is one of our first steps in this endeavor. The goals we hope to achieve through this forum include listening to your concerns and providing factual information to help you better understand where we are coming from as well as dispelling any rumors or 'gossip' that may surface. I worked in customer service for Festiva for a year and a half before taking a new position in a different department, so please trust that I do not take your grievances personally, and I certainly do not expect "warm fuzzy" answers.

Also please know that if I do not respond right away to questions or posts, it is not because I am ignoring them or hiding from them. Truthfully, at this time this is one very small (and very new) part of my job, and much of the time I'm spending on this project is in my 'personal' time because it is important to me (and those above me) to be able to participate in such informal conversations with members and owners. Also, there are several issues and questions that do not fall within my area of expertise in the company, so rather than giving you an answer that may or may not be entirely accurate, I think it's important for me to take the time to research the issue(s) and post a reply with facts that have been confirmed by our executives. So for this, I ask for your patience.

Currently I am reading through the issues and organizing them so that I can direct them to the correct people/departments and get accurate answers that I can share with the forum. I look forward to being active on TUG and helping any way I can while balancing my other duties and responsibilities. TUGBrian, I thank you for your support and appreciate you taking the time to jump in on the board here and help out a 'newbie.'

I look forward to many robust discussions!

 

[FestivaRep]

RE: Windjammer & Sandyport

For what it is worth, I have visited two other Festiva resorts in the past two years and I have to say I WAS NOT impressed at all. We were at Windjammer Landing fall 2006. ...

We just returned from SandyPort Beach in Nassau. VERY POOR. I understand that the ownership has recently kicked Festiva out. ...

Can't help but wonder if this is representative on all Festiva Resorts. At this point I will not trade into any of their resorts in the future.

This one I can answer. The Windjammer Landing was not, nor has it ever been, managed by Festiva Resorts. We simply provided sales and marketing services for them. The condition of the resort was therefore not under our control.

Festiva has not been affiliated with Sandyport since early 2006. Basically, the contract expired and we did attempt to negotiate a new contract; however, Festiva and the developer at Sandyport were unable to come to terms on a new management agreement. The developer resumed management of the resort in April 2006 so anything that has happened there since then does not reflect Festiva's management.

One thing that may help many of you is an explanation of the different divisions of Festiva Resorts, as we have our development company, and we have our management company. Sometimes both are involved in one resort, sometimes it's one or the other, and it seems that the responsibilities and duties of each may not always be clear to members or outsiders. If anyone is interested in understanding more about that aspect of our company, I can begin working on an article for TUG's advice section about just that.

Thank you.

 

[rickandcindy23]

FestivaRep, that would be very helpful, if you write an article for TUG.

Of course, the questions here are never meant to be an attack at all. I do have questions.

I actually did buy at Blue Ridge Village, where Tombo owns. I wanted a week that has a high quality rating with Interval, and that is what Blue Ridge will do for me. I know the trading power is good with the week because an owner let me log in to her II account to see what I can get in trade. I was very impressed. So I bought a two-bedroom summer week from eBay for $1.00.

My question is basic. I just want to know how a resort can not belong to owners and be turned over to another company so easily. It seems like it isn't in the best interests of the owners, who believe they are being managed fairly by one entity, then suddenly a different company comes in with a high-pressure sales pitch, and the need to take over the HOA because they own more votes. This isn't in the best interest of current owners of an older resort, and Blue Ridge Village is older.

I was hoping that this resort would be exempt from developer lies and the endless calls to come to the sales tour. Yet tombo had to deal with this at his beloved home resort.

I am all for new resorts, but as an HOA board member of an older resort, Twin Rivers in Fraser, CO, I am starting to worry about changing management companies for these reasons. Of course, there is no way that our resort can expand that I can see, but what if a new company came in and decided to develop the land on the other side of the road, which is vacant. They could make our resort a literal ghost town by selling something better on the other side of the road. Some HOA's might think that going along with the conversion of Twin Rivers at the same time would be a good thing, but to me, that would be bad for us. I am afraid that an HOA has too much power and can literally push itself aside by making a decision to turn current deedback inventory to this developer for conversion, then other owners will follow suit, and pretty soon you have a resort that is in a points system that savvy owners know is not worthwhile at all. It is amazing how many owners can be duped into buying something that is "better."

Again, this isn't personal at all toward you, and I appreciate that you are taking on a tough job here.

 

[FestivaRep]

RE: BRV Gold Crown Status

When it was Peppertree (and then Wyndham), the resort was rated Gold Crown and the MF's inc taxes were around $500 per year for a 2 bed room. Since Festiva came last year the resort was lowered to Siver Crown and Festiva has already said that they need to do some renovations and assessments will be necessary. ...

RCI's crown ratings are based on the resorts' performance and standards for the previous year. RCI's crown rating went from Gold to Silver in 2007, so that was based on the resort's ratings for 2006, prior to Festiva acquiring the resort as the acquisition of the Wyndham/Peppertree resorts did not occur until the end of July 2007. Thus the need for renovations is a result of the loss of the Gold Crown status under the previous management company.

Further, while the resort's Gold Crown category was lost by 1/10 of a point, RCI made it clear to Festiva when we took over the resort that this resort would not be able to win Gold Crown status back without proper renovations.

Please let me know if you have further questions about this.

 

[elaine]

welcome festiva rep

I am glad that you are here. We welcome your putting together an info sticky about Festiva. Elaine

 

[FestivaRep]

I certainly hope that the developer rep doesn't take things personally. Everything I see in this thread is directed towards Festiva business practices not towards the rep. An official voice is appreciated and welcomed. I encourge FestivaRep to address the other concerns/issues raised in this thread.

Thanks, Gravity...again, working in customer service in the past, I know better than to take things personally. I'm here to help, and in order to do that I have to hear all sides of it.

 

[somerville]

I for one am very suspicious of any developer participation in these forums. I am a Festiva Adventure Club points owner and a former Equivest Vacation and Travel Club points owner. I converted my EVTC points to Festiva last year.

I have participated in the Yahoo Equivest - Peppertree Owners group for several years. Earlier this year, a Festiva employee joined our group. The user was later banned from the group. It was also reported by one of our Yahoo group members that Festiva's General Counsel contacted his employer about the employee's use of the employer's e-mail to send a complaint to Festiva. I found this rather petty conduct for the general counsel of a company.

As a company, I find Festiva very poor when it comes to communication. Communication to owners is almost non-existent. When Festiva first acquired Equivest last year, I signed up for Festiva's e-mail list. I can count on one hand the number of e-mails that I have received. Most have been trying to sell me something.

Festiva customer service has been very difficult to reach in the past. I have spent an hour on the phone before. At the end of the hour, I received a message that the call would be terminated, but that I could leave a message for someone to return my call. When transferred to the voice mailbox, I received a message that the mailbox was full and my call was terminated. I haven't tried calling back lately.

It has taken Festiva several days to respond to e-mail messages. However, I have made contact with a few Festiva reps who do provide responsive service. I have also found Festiva's management responsive to my e-mail messages.

Festiva Adventure Club IT systems are obviously dated. There is no way to check inventory or make reservations online. It can take several days to obtain a week to deposit in II. This is a downgrade from EVTC, where you could initiate an II exchange online.

With respect to the issue of Festiva employees serving on resort HOA boards. I find this to be an inherent conflict of interest, since the employee board members have an interest in keeping Festiva as resort manager. If the developer does not own a majority of the timeshare units, the majority of the board should be owners, and management/developer employees who are directors should abstain from voting on matters involving Festiva's management or development of the resort.

 

[JLB]

Dear Ms Festiva:

I welcome you also. Let me explain myself, and a bit about Internet forums. I have been here around 10 years, have been and am on other forums. I'm in the neighborhood of 30,000 Internet posts.

Whatever forum I've ever been on, when someone new comes along, with a I'll call it suspicicous name, and their first two posts are self-serving, it is customary on most forums to challenge them. I did that, and you have told us more about yourself.

Although Brian got a little testy with me, challenges like mine serve a purpose as they normally ferret out uncredible posters.

If Ricardo Montaudon showed up as RCIRep and his first two posts said, "We never rent weeks from the Spacebank," and "Our fees will never go up again," he would be challenged.

So, having gotten that out of the way, and since you are requesting topics to address, how does Festiva stand regarding the situation with the Missouri AG and Cabins at Green Mountain?

 

[FestivaRep]

As a company, I find Festiva very poor when it comes to communication. Communication to owners is almost non-existent. When Festiva first acquired Equivest last year, I signed up for Festiva's e-mail list. I can count on one hand the number of e-mails that I have received. Most have been trying to sell me something.

Festiva customer service has been very difficult to reach in the past. I have spent an hour on the phone before. At the end of the hour, I received a message that the call would be terminated, but that I could leave a message for someone to return my call. When transferred to the voice mailbox, I received a message that the mailbox was full and my call was terminated. I haven't tried calling back lately.

It has taken Festiva several days to respond to e-mail messages. However, I have made contact with a few Festiva reps who do provide responsive service. I have also found Festiva's management responsive to my e-mail messages.

Regarding Owner Communication, we typically send resort-specific e-mail newsletters and FAC newsletters on a quarterly basis in the winter, summer and fall. In the spring of each year, we mail our Annual Report in place of e-mailed newsletters. These were mailed the first week of May 2008, and the next round of e-mail newsletters will be sent out at the end of June/early July. Other than those regularly scheduled updates, we send out any urgent announcements or specials that resorts wish to advertise for our owners on an as-needed basis. If you are not receiving the above, you can send an e-mail to myemail@festivaresorts.com with your name, address, home resort, and current e-mail address to ensure that your contact information is up to date in our system. Please keep in mind that the above e-mail address is not for customer service or account issues, only for updating contact information.

In January 2008, we sent an e-mail to all of our members about our Owner Services department experiencing an extremely high call volume, resulting in hold times that were exceeding 30 minutes.

Fortunately, over the last month they have seen a dramatic decrease in the wait time for callers trying to reach their department for account information, maintenance fee payments and reservations. They have increased their staff, and during the first half of May, the average hold time for calls was less than four minutes.

 

[FestivaRep]

Festiva IT

Festiva Adventure Club IT systems are obviously dated. There is no way to check inventory or make reservations online. It can take several days to obtain a week to deposit in II. This is a downgrade from EVTC, where you could initiate an II exchange online.

Just a quick response to this - our reservations software is actually just over a year old. The software company we use is creating programs for us based on our club product, what we need to be able to do, and what we want our members to be able to do. With our recent growth over the last year, there have been many changes in our IT department and they are working with the software company towards having account information and reservations available in real time Online.

 

[FestivaRep]

RE: Equivest Yahoo! Group

I have participated in the Yahoo Equivest - Peppertree Owners group for several years. Earlier this year, a Festiva employee joined our group. The user was later banned from the group. It was also reported by one of our Yahoo group members that Festiva's General Counsel contacted his employer about the employee's use of the employer's e-mail to send a complaint to Festiva. I found this rather petty conduct for the general counsel of a company.

While I do not know who the Festiva employee was that joined your group, I am aware of the group member who 'reported' the information about our General Counsel going to members' employers, and I would like to provide the facts about that situation.

This was a member of Peppertree/Equivest who was approached for an upgrade and ended up demanding back the money he had spent with Peppertree/Equivest years ago. Obviously, Festiva could not compensate for his purchase with another company; however, he chose not to accept our answer.

While he didn’t directly threaten physically harm to anyone, he threatened to “report” us and engaged in personal attacks against several employees, mostly via e-mail. He threatened to have the government monitor all of our communications with him. He claimed our e-mails were being monitored as he works for the government in his county of residence. His complaints escalated, and he complained to the NCAG and the MOAG making outlandish and incorrect statements.

In response, we provided factual information to the member and both AG offices in writing. Both the Missouri and North Carolina AG offices consider the complaints ‘closed’ or resolved. Our General Counsel wrote a letter to both the County Manager and County Attorney in county where the member resides and works. The County Attorney was very concerned about what the member was doing, particularly using county property and threats, and they did a secret investigation of him. We do not know what, if any, disciplinary action has been taken against him, nor are we involved in any legal actions or disputes with him. It was shortly after this that the post in the Yahoo! group about our lawyers going to members' employers appeared.

 

[FestivaRep]

...Whatever forum I've ever been on, when someone new comes along, with a I'll call it suspicicous name, and their first two posts are self-serving, it is customary on most forums to challenge them. I did that, and you have told us more about yourself. ...
...
So, having gotten that out of the way, and since you are requesting topics to address, how does Festiva stand regarding the situation with the Missouri AG and Cabins at Green Mountain?

I certainly appreciate the challenge, and my intentions were not to make my first two posts self-serving in any way, just to provide the facts and information related to posts on the forum. Those two posts jumped out at me because I had quick access to the press releases and/or letters sent to members about both of those situations.

I'm sorry if my name sounds 'suspicious,' FestivaRep is actually the name Brian suggested when i was talking to him about joining the forum. I personally think it's better than using a generic name and responding to posts without anyone knowing that I do represent Festiva.

Regarding the Missouri AG, I will do research and provide an update, but it may not be until next week. I just want to make sure you don't think I'm avoiding your question.

 

[somerville]

... While I do not know who the Festiva employee was that joined your group, I am aware of the group member who 'reported' the information about our General Counsel going to members' employers, and I would like to provide the facts about that situation. ...

His complaints escalated, and he complained to the NCAG and the MOAG making outlandish and incorrect statements. ...

Our General Counsel wrote a letter to both the County Manager and County Attorney in county where the member resides and works. The County Attorney was very concerned about what the member was doing, particularly using county property and threats, and they did a secret investigation of him. We do not know what, if any, disciplinary action has been taken against him, nor are we involved in any legal actions or disputes with him. It was shortly after this that the post in the Yahoo! group about our lawyers going to members' employers appeared.

The individual is not here to defend the allegations that you made. However, even if true, I still consider the action of your general counsel to be petty. The dispute was between you and the member, not his employer. You stated there was no harm threatened.

Given many timeshare owners experiences with timeshare salesmen, outlandish statements appear to be the norm, not the exception. So statements that you consider outlandish may in fact be true.

 

[somerville]

Just a quick response to this - our reservations software is actually just over a year old. The software company we use is creating programs for us based on our club product, what we need to be able to do, and what we want our members to be able to do. With our recent growth over the last year, there have been many changes in our IT department and they are working with the software company towards having account information and reservations available in real time Online.

Information regarding improvements to reservations systems are the things that owners want to hear about. I have no recollection of receiving any communication from Festiva that such improvements are in the works. If you really want to provide information to Festiva owners, why don't you go out on a limb and describe in detail the features of the upgraded reservations system and provide a date for when the new system will be up and running.

 

[somerville]

... In the spring of each year, we mail our Annual Report in place of e-mailed newsletters. These were mailed the first week of May 2008 ....

In January 2008, we sent an e-mail to all of our members about our Owner Services department experiencing an extremely high call volume, resulting in hold times that were exceeding 30 minutes....

I did not receive the annual report. Several Equivest owners mentioned the annual report on the Yahoo group. I assumed that it was something just sent out to Equivest Vacation and Travel Club members, and since I converted to Festiva Adventure Club last year and didn't get one, I was not surprised. The group comments I read about the report were that it provided very little financial information. Is there a reason that Festiva cannot provide detailed financial statement to members, so that they can understand how their maintenance/membership fees are being spent?

My long waits on the phone occurred well after January. I can't remember the exact dates. I recall the e-mail you mentioned, but I thought it promised improvements long before May.

FYI, Festiva should have my correct contact information. Nothing has changed since I became a Festiva Adventure Club member. In fact, nothing has changed since I became an Equivest Vacation and Travel Club member.

 

[Mel7706]

Festiva hopes to get you into their points scheme

and turn over your deeded weeks buy joining the enhanced benefits of points.
I suspect you will go from a deeded week to RTU via their points. Have a bad finacial year and your deeded week and RTU could be gone. They were very obnoxious all three times they have called. Too few people want to get involved that is why peppertrre's mf are already $200+ more than a comparable resort in Atlantic Beach. Plus they probably scoop up the delinquent weeks(mostly off-season) and sell them as points. Soon they have the weeks peppertree had, foreclosed weeks and converted weeks. A majority of votes eventually gives them total control. Just MHO!

 

[tombo]

I received a PM from Festiva rep telling me they would point me in the right direction to answer my concerns (customer service etc). I tried to respond in a PM in kind, but was blocked from sending my response by PM. So here is my response which I copied and pasted:

I am not shooting the messenger, thanks for responding. I have concerns for a resort I really like. If the assessments come I might have to sell because this resort is never going to be worth prices close to Marriotts or Hiltons. It is like my old Honda, I drive it every day and like it, but putting $2000 or $3000 into my old car would be foolish because after the investment I would have a car worth $2000 or $3000.

I would also like to know why the president (or one of the heads of Festiva) stood at the BRV annual meeting and said it doesn't matter if we have a majority of the board employed by Festiva in phase 2 or not, we can do whatever we want to because we have 80% of the vote in Phase 2. Do points owners not get to vote in Festiva? Is Festiva saying that there is not going to be a proposal submitted to the owners for the renovations that Festiva would like to do, estimated costs per owner sent to the owners for the proposed renovations, and then the owners (who will have to pay for the renovations )won't get to vote on whether we want to renovate the resort or not?

How can Festiva anounce at the meeting that an assessment is not going to be necessary at first because you are going to use the money from the reserve account. I have read a copy of Festiva's letter to Atrium owners when you purchased it (I will be glad to e-mail you a copy)stating that the Atrium has operated without a reserve and Festiva was going to have to assess to establish a reserve fund as no resort can operate without one. Yet the first thing to do at BRV is raid the reserve to fund renovations (that the owners haven't even agreed that they want done), when by Festiva's own statements it is acknowledged that a reserve fund is needed to be fiscally responsible. Next of course will come the assessment because we need to establish a reserve fund as ours has been depleted.

Festiva made it sound at the annual meeting like the owners will not have any vote or say in Festiva's planned renovations, new building plans, or any financial decisions including assessments and MF's. It sounded like Festiva is simply going to do what they want. This country went to war over taxation without representation (remember Mother England and the Boston Tea Party). To come in to a resort that is running fine and announce at the annual meeting that Festiva can do whatever it wants in Phase 2 to the people who have paid for years to maintain and upgrade the resort has 2 probable outcomes, a war between the owners and Festiva will begin, or there will be a mass exodus of owners giving their weeks to Festiva raising the costs to keep the resort operating in the black for those that remain.

Can owner's services tell me that the president was mistaken when he announced that Festiva can do whatever it wants in phase 2 regardless of what the owners want? Can you tell me that man mispoke?
Can owners services tell me that there is going to be a vote on whether the owners want to renovate or not? Can you? Can owners services assure me that the reserve funds will not be touched as was stated at the annual meeting? Can you? Can owners services tell me that we aren't going to have a MF increase? Can you? Can owner's services assure me that Festiva will not charge more for MF's to weeks owners than they charge for Festiva Points owners? Can you?

Thank you so much for responding to me, but unless I am mistaken owner's services can't answer these questions, and because of your job you probably can't either. Please direct me to the correct place or person to have my above questions answered.

Thanks again for responding. The easiest thing would have been to ignore our comcerns, but you haven't done that.

Sincerely,
Tom

 

[somerville]

...
I would also like to know why the president (or one of the heads of Festiva) stood at the BRV annual meeting and said it doesn't matter if we have a majority of the board employed by Festiva in phase 2 or not, we can do whatever we want to because we have 80% of the vote in Phase 2. Do points owners not get to vote in Festiva? Is Festiva saying that there is not going to be a proposal submitted to the owners for the renovations that Festiva would like to do, estimated costs per owner sent to the owners for the proposed renovations, and then the owners (who will have to pay for the renovations )won't get to vote on whether we want to renovate the resort or not?...

Points owners have absolutely no vote in Festiva. That is the downside to many points systems. Festiva Adventure Club members have to accept all decisions made by club management, which is controlled by the same group that develops, sells and manages most of the resorts.

It doesn't inspire much confidence in Festiva management when they make an announcement at the HOA meeting, which you attended, that Festiva can do whatever it wants.

 

[tombo]

Wow, no vote, that is depressing. I own in Phase 2 which apparently was 80% equivest points which are now Festiva points (I own a fixed summer week and never knew the points owners were that much of a majority). So the owners of Phase 2 now have to put up with any assessments, refurbishments, or increased MF's that Festiva feels like imposing. Festiva club members might have known that they didn't have a vote and that they had to accept whatever the mgt/developer wants to do, but I owned a fixed week before they showed up and I had no clue that I would be in this predicament.

I assumed that the man wouldn't have stood at the annual meeting and said that they owned 80% of the vote and could do whatever they wanted to if it wasn't true, but I was hoping he was blowing smoke or mistaken. To own at a resort which I as an owner have no say in is unbelievable. If they assess, pay it or sell. If they raise MF's, pay it or sell. I have never even heard that owners at points resorts didn't have any vote in the resort or company.

The fees owners have to pay and quality of the resort are now totally up to what the developer wants to do. Why do they even have a Home Owners Association if they are going to do whatever they want without even consulting the owners at the resort? I guess it makes uninformed owners like me feel like somone is looking out for us. Actually no one can do anything to protect the owners from the developer/mgt group because they have all of the power and all of the votes.

I hate to do it, but depending on the increases they impose in MF's and assessments, I might have to sell a week I love because as an owner I will have no other recourse.

It looks like Westgate can learn some things from Festiva.

P.S. I called Festiva customer service's 800 number today at 12 noon central time and I stayed on hold until right at 12:30 before I spoke to a live person. I would have just hung up but I became curious to see how long it would take. The person I finally spoke to was friendly and helpful but I don't think that they have solved their problem with wait times.

 

[timeos2]

It looks like Westgate can learn some things from Festiva.

I doubt it. Wastegate DOESN'T hold the votes but goes ahead and does whatever they please anyway. Plus the resort was supposed to be turned over to owner control after 5 years or so - but to date they have never done so (its nearly 20 years old!) I'm afraid Festiva may still have some tricks to learn from the slime at Wastegate.

 

[somerville]

P.S. I called Festiva customer service's 800 number today at 12 noon central time and I stayed on hold until right at 12:30 before I spoke to a live person. I would have just hung up but I became curious to see how long it would take. The person I finally spoke to was friendly and helpful but I don't think that they have solved their problem with wait times.

So much for last month's drop in hold times to less than 4 minutes as reported by FestivaRep in an earlier post.

 

[jercal10]

So---does anyone have something good to say about Festiva??

 

[timeos2]

Anything good to say?

Sort of. I've never had to deal with them or stay in one of their resorts. So I'm neutral about the good or bad they represent. They are not on my list to try so my opinion should remain as is. I don't know if thats really positive but at least it isn't negative.

 

[somerville]

So---does anyone have something good to say about Festiva??

FestivaRep does, but she has been absent for several days. Will we hear from her again?

 

[bnoble]

Given the her reception so far, I wouldn't think so.

And, that's too bad. It can be useful to have someone like that willing to participate, but we tend to run them off with torches lit.