[2008] Vacation Village Voyages

[shmuggee]

Soooooooooooooo...

...while we are here in Fort Lauderdale at the TS, we kinda got roped into having breakfast and listening :zzz: to a presentation from Vacation Village Voyages. The lady said it was for a travel website with "add-ons" like airfare, car rentals, etc...

Anyone have a clue as to what we have gotten ourselves into? She said an hour...are we in for the 3 hour pressure special?

 

[vacationhopeful]

My friend got roped into the "free breakfast" to at a Ft Lauderdale TS. There was a earlier thread start on May 5, 2008 - regarding what sounds similiar.

Cost about $4-5,000? Fancy picture booking? Get a week's stay for around $300 a week fee? At that high rise building you were staying at?

RESCIND

The building you are staying at was SOLD as individually owned T/S weeks in 1992-1993. There are 7500 individual owners, whom that Club may or may not own a minor number of weeks. But the true question is: How can they charge you only $300 to stay there for a week when any owner (including them) has a timeshare maintenance fee of $787-873 per week for 2009 to the Home Owners Association.

It ruinned my vacation week as I had to listen to my friend tell me what a great deal he had OVER me and my owning a deeded winter timeshare week in south Florida. I spent the better part of the week educating him that the HOA doesn't charge different MF to different owners & it was totally unlikely that a February week in Ft Lauderdale would NOT be occupied by its owners so he could rent it for $300 from Vacation Voyages.

But that is just my humble opinion...

 

[shmuggee]

Wow!!!

The things you can get...for a measly six thousand dollars, in todays day and age: :whoopie:



Unlimited booking from over 30,000 available weeks (for 2 weeks)

Cruises on every cruise line

Hotel, air and car specials

10 friends/family exchange certificates


All for only an annual fee of $189 plus $299 week (2-45 days) and $499 to $799 for 45+ days.


What a great deal!!! :hysterical:


If you put down 50% TODAY, they'll even finance the balance at 0% interest!!!!



BUT...they are NOT a TS company selling TS. This is better!!!!







SO...we had breakfast...took our $75 and said thanks.





Nice guys...but I think it's time for a nap.:zzz:

 

[rnette428@juno.com]

miss annette

I have used the Vacation Village Voyages Program twice this year and had no problems while booking both weekly reservations for $299.00 on each weekly stay.One in Orlando, One in Las Vegas.Go Voyages Program!!

 

[shmuggee]

I'm glad that you are making the most out of your membership. One of the reasons for this great forum, is that there are multitudes of people out there, experiencing and living new adventures every day. Their knowledge and advice (to me, anyways) can be invaluable.

If you completely ignore the interest component (or the time value) of your money - the value of your plan over, let say 20 years, will be $300 a year.

Add to that your annual $189 fee and $600 for your two weeks - and you've just spent $1089 or $545 a week...not even taking into account the interest on your money.

If you book a 3rd week - that drops to $462 a week. Use it only once and you pay $789 a week.

If you go on Skyauction - you can get an RCI vacation certificate for usually around $1-10, plus a $20 fee, plus a serv chrg of $195...and you also get $100 in restaurant certificates - in the area, thrown in. I know...I have done it about a dozen times...

So for about $225 or so - you can really make out like me (a bandit)
(or even less if you really want to)


If you read some of the advice around here - the is a common theme (also known as rule #1, #1a, #1+...or the Golden rule)

"NEVER BUY FROM A DEVELOPER" or the from slick salesperson driving the sexy car. You are paying their bills with your hard earned money.

 

[baakfamily]

Waste of time.

My wife and I sat through a Vacation Villages Voyages sales presentation while at Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort this month. The lady who signed us up took $20 to assure our attendance (refundable with attendance) and indicated we'd get $55 more ($75 total, $20 of which was our money to start with). You get the $55 and return of your $20 in a prepaid Visa card. They also toss in a $4 breakfast buffet. We were assured the presentation would take no more than an hour, but it took over two before they took our "no" for an answer. The saleslady explained that "we had breakfast" and that didn't count towards our one hour. I was trying to push her to cut to the chase after 90 minutes.

We had doubts the post sale availability of units would be as good as they suggested so we didn't buy. Plus we hate the "buy now or never return" high pressure sales (the sales lady actually wrote "no return" on our interview form to underscore the opportunity we were blowing). From what we understood, this wasn't a timeshare ownership, but more of a very costly club that would give you the right to book vacations through them. The cost to join was about $12K, dropping to about $8K if you have a current or former military or government employee somewhere in your family tree.

I should have went with my gut. Two hours of our time on vacation was not worth the $55 remuneration.

 

[vacationhopeful]

My wife and I sat through a Vacation Villages Voyages sales presentation while at Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort this month...

As an owner at FLBR, I share you pain. The rooftop floor is selling a vacation club - yes, they own a few units at the resort. But the math just doesn't add up ($350 for a week where the MFs are close to $800 at FLBR). And I am on the DO NOT TOUR list with both of the hangtag girls.

So, how did you like FLBR? Which floor and view did you have? Did you eat at the restrauant off the lobby? How is Ashlee (activities directory)? I will be back there in a month - last visit was 6 months ago.

 

[chriskre]

They're also offering this at Enchanted Isle.
Somehow they rooked my Mom and 84 year old Aunt into going to the "free" breakfast. It's of course sponsored by the Berkley Group. I already own an RCI points week at one of their TS's but somehow they told Mom that she'd never have to pay a MF again so she thought it was a good idea.

Needless to say I had to rescind for her.
Mind you, she's 74 and lives on only her social security so in no way could afford this, but they made if affordable for her by putting it on her credit card. :annoyed:

She's now forbidden from accepting anything FREE at a TS and I go over the drill with her everytime I leave her alone for even one minute cause it's almost like the TS weasels know she's alone.

When I first purchased at Ft. laud beach resort I did the TS tour one morning. In the car on the way to the free breakfast, the salesman asked me how long I'd owned my TS. When I told him less than a year he asked me where did I buy it. When I told him that I bought it on ebay he smiled and said "Do you want your check now". :rofl: He was very nice about it and we ended up chatting real estate instead of TS's.

 

[theo]

Wise words...

I should have went with my gut. Two hours of our time on vacation was not worth the $55 remuneration.

It never ceases to amaze me just how much irreplaceable time from their vacations and lives people are willing to just throw away in exchange for a few dollars or some coupons and trinkets.

 

[gelinasrj]

Vacation Village Voyages

We too just sat through a presentation at FLBR. No we did not buy and for the following reasons

1. I will not buy a 'buy now or never have the opportunity again' offer. I also suggest noone else does either. Impulse buying is usually a bad decision.

2, The first offer was over $11,000 for six weeks per year of reservations. Then the supervisor came over with the 'OH you are an owner an XYZ resort, They are a partner so the cost will only be just over $8,000' Then the third offer came - 'We don't usually offer this but we can offer you three weeks of vacation bookings for just under $6,000' My answers were No, No, No and they finally backed off.

3. I agree with another post, their numbers do not add up. Maintenance fees pretty much run over $600 per year - and most of mine are over $700. They are offering weeks for $299 per week if booked within 45 days. Unless developers are somehow giving them a better rate on maintenace fees than we owners pay, over time they will not be able to continue. As we got our $55 visa card, they told us they were buying up foreclosed units from developers. Again, hard to believe - and if they are actually buying, they have to pay the maintenance fees. My guess is thir business model is built on the assumption that buyers into this program will drop out after a few years.

4. The last reason was used after telling them I own enough vacation time already and we all know they have no or little value. They suggested just abandoning the units. I reminded them that this just increases the annual fees by owners in the resort association. I know at most of mine, the owner board of directors are making us aware of how much we are already paying to cover units where owners are not paying maintenance fees. Their recommendation to further burden legitimate owners was really upsetting to me.

I view this as just another twist by the industry to make money at the expense of the gullible public.