2011 "Program Fee" Assessment Increase on Biennial Contracts

[massvacationer]

[Moderator Note: The issue about doubling of the "Program Fee" against Wyndham Owners who owned Biennial Contracts first came up on December 18th in a Thread started December 17th by Regatta333 entitled: "Just got my Wyndham 2011 Assessment--13% Increase." That particular thread got the attention of many Tuggers who own Wyndham Points. As the thread progressed it turned out that there were many reasons that may have accounted for a significant increase in the 2011 Annual CLUB WYNDHAM PLUS Assessment Summary. In order to put together threads that address the different reasons for the increase, posts were removed from the original thread and new threads were created that separetly focused on a different issue. This thread is one that focuses on what we now recognize as the "2011 "Program Fee" Assessment Increase on Biennial Contracts."



Arnie

I have the same issue with my EOY contract at Ocean Ridge and I think it is an error in the way they are calculating the Program fees on EOY contracts....I think I am going to call the Financial Services department on Monday

 

[Arnie]

Financial Services

I did call on friday and fear i got someone that was giving a canned response. They said that i was paying too little for the last 5 years. And now they are catching up with it. I do plan on calling myself again either today or Monday. Please keep in touch on it and I will do the same.
Thanks

 

[hjtug]

I am interested in the doubling of EOY fees since our ownership consists of one odd-year contract and one even-year contract. It seems to me that if we pay double the current program charge we would be paying double, for no additional services, what someone else would be paying who owned the same number of points in a single every-year contract.

 

[vacationhopeful]

The benefit is Wyndham collects double the fees and will have the sales staff offer a $15,000 purchase as a way to reduce your CWA fees. :ignore:

And I too own even/odd year of 2 deeds. One of which is a fixed converted week.

 

[markel]

My program fees exactly doubled for my EOY (even) contract. HOA fees increased $23.13. This takes my monthly fee up $5.59, an overall increase of 18.5% !!!

Is this doubling of programs fees correct??????

Mark

 

[Arnie]

Double Fees!

I would think if you own odd and then buy even for the same amount of points, the fee should remain the same. I guess we have to make a few calls Monday. If anyone has any luck let us know.
I found this statement in the details section of my contract.

"The Home Owners Association (HOA) portion of your Assessment is divided in half and billed every year on either an annual or monthly basis so the payment amount is conveniently spread over 2 years."

 

[vacationhopeful]

Yes, that is your HOA fees. The CWA or old FSP fees pay for the computer system, call center, book of resorts, billing system for the HOA collection.

 

[Arnie]

I am interested in the doubling of EOY fees since our ownership consists of one odd-year contract and one even-year contract. It seems to me that if we pay double the current program charge we would be paying double, for no additional services, what someone else would be paying who owned the same number of points in a single every-year contract.

Did you get your MF summary statement yet? Does it have a double fee on it? I own at Grand Desert and spoke with a person that told me that you would have a double fee if you owned 2 EOY packages unless you have a yearly contract in excess of 300k points. I got this quote from the Wyndham web site.
"The Home Owners Association (HOA) portion of your Assessment is divided in half and billed every year on either an annual or monthly basis so the payment amount is conveniently spread over 2 years." Not really sure this means Program fee or not.

 

[hjtug]

Did you get your MF summary statement yet? Does it have a double fee on it?

It came in the mail today. The program fee didn't double. It went up only 79%!

"The Home Owners Association (HOA) portion of your Assessment is divided in half and billed every year on either an annual or monthly basis so the payment amount is conveniently spread over 2 years." Not really sure this means Program fee or not.

It does not mean Program fee. Your total fee consists if the HOA portion plus the program fee.

 

[janej]

Same here, I also have two contracts, one for even year and one for odd year. My HOA increase was not too bad. But my program fee doubled too from last year. On the bottom of the statement, it did say " the program fee listed for each contract is for informational purpose only and is subject to change based on the total number of points assigned to the member." Has anyone contacted Wyndham about the program fee doubling for EOY contracts?

 

[janej]

I read my statement more carefully now and found the program fee must be a mistake. The third column on my statement says Contract Points Value, and the 4th column is the Points Determining HOA Billing. These two should be the same, but my contract values were listed as full points value, while Points Determining HOA Billing was half. I am pretty sure my contract value is half of the full points value for EOY contract. That is why I only get one free transaction per year for my 154k EOY contract.

 

[hjtug]

I am pretty sure my contract value is half of the full points value for EOY contract.

I don't think so. I have my statement for this year and the previous two. They are consistent in that the contract value seems to refer to the value on the contract, e.g. 105,000 point every odd year, while the annual point value is 1/2 of that to reflect the fact that the fees are paid over a two-year period. The only inconsistency on my statement for this year is the large increase in the program fee.

 

[janej]

Here is what my Deed states. The contract size is half of my even year allocated points. My program fee doubled from last year.

Contract Number 13-0502628. representing an undivided 84,000/ 490,299,000 tenant-in-common fee simple interest in the real property commonly known as Phase III of Fairfield Orlando Star Island, together with all appurtenances thereto, according and subject to the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions for Fairfield Orlando at Star Island as recorded in Official Records Book 1709, Page 1701 et seq., Public Records of Osceola County, Florida, together with any and all amendments and supplements thereto (the "Declaration").

TOGETHER with all the tenements, hereditaments and appurtenances thereto belonging or in anywise appertaining. The Property described above is an BIENNIAL ownership Interest as described in the Declaration and such ownership interest has been allocated 168,000 Points (as defined in the Declaration) for use by the Grantee in Even year.

 

[markel]

I only have ONE contract, even year pts. only and my program fee doubled.

I will be calling on Monday, but am thinking things will not change. If this stands (in relation to the RCI changes that don't look to benefit me) I will most likely give away my ownership. It looks like a complete screwball and I'd rather rent at my leisure than play this stupid A** game.

Mark

 

[hjtug]

Contract Number 13-0502628. representing an undivided 84,000/ 490,299,000

That is interesting but I still think that those two columns is not where the problem lies since mine have been done the same way for the last three years.

 

[janej]

I too has no faith at all that Wyndham would be fair to us owners. After all, they took away points transfer last year, just announced that now a blue studio is 74k instead of 28k. They could very well decide to double the program fee for EOY contracts too. I'd like to get out too. But I am not sure how.

It's not even funny how much they changed the program since I read the Wyndham Points Primer before I purchased two years ago.

 

[hjtug]

I too has no faith at all that Wyndham would be fair to us owners. After all, they took away points transfer last year, just announced that now a blue studio is 74k instead of 28k. They could very well decide to double the program fee for EOY contracts too. I'd like to get out too. But I am not sure how.

It's not even funny how much they changed the program since I read the Wyndham Points Primer before I purchased two years ago.

There have been many threads on whether they could raise the points in the point charts for existing, older Wyndham resorts. The consensus seems to be that that would be next to impossible for them to do. But I wouldn't be surprised if they could figure out a way to make those point requirements more "fair and equitable".

 

[ststewart]

Double Program Fees

I am contacting Wyndham about the program Fees. I own 2 Even year contracts, and the calculation should be .53 per 1000 owned based on the "Points Determining HOA Billing" for each billing year. The new assessment charges exactly double (1.06) per thousand points based on your biennial points each year. It must be an accounting error.

 

[Debbyd57]

We own one contract that is every other year (168K even years). This is not our year to get the points yet we have to pay a full program fee for 168k. We own a total of 798K yearly points. That means we are paying a full program fee every year even though we can only use them eoy.

 

[timeos2]

Now collections is taking on sales attributes (not good)

We own one contract that is every other year (168K even years). This is not our year to get the points yet we have to pay a full program fee for 168k. We own a total of 798K yearly points. That means we are paying a full program fee every year even though we can only use them eoy.

But you have access to the system all years. Since they have chosen to bill the system as an identifiable charge there is a case to be made (and it appears they are implementing it) that it is fair to bill for the services annually even if your points are only assigned EOY. It is very apparent that Wyndham is going after every dollar they can. They have suddenly gone from virtually ignoring collections to a new, high intensity push along with some seriously hefty late fees and penalties.

Better stay up to date with this group as they aren't prone to fix any errors in their favor and they are nearly impossible to reach if you want answers. The contact is virtually all auto-call based to beat you into submission while actual contact with a rep is near impossible if you initiate the call.

 

[carl2591]

I too has no faith at all that Wyndham would be fair to us owners. After all, they took away points transfer last year, just announced that now a blue studio is 74k instead of 28k. They could very well decide to double the program fee for EOY contracts too. I'd like to get out too. But I am not sure how.

It's not even funny how much they changed the program since I read the Wyndham Points Primer before I purchased two years ago.

just another good reason to stay away from Wyndham and RCI (cendent.)
when will this fee increase game end .. when everyone bails on their units. ??

I predict in 4-6 yrs they are going to file for bankruptcy due to the mass mitigation away from them.. you can only screw over people so many times till they learn and move on. when does timeshare ownership get too expensive to have??.. with these recent rate increased SOON.. hell at this rate with what Wyndham and RCI are doing I suspect the whole timeshare scene will be different..

 

[markel]

I just got off the phone with financial services and was told that Wyndham is now billing EOY contracts in advance for the Program Fee.

She said in the past that I was paying 1/2 of the fee each year and that they just started billing the entire fee upfront.

She verified that on next years assessment notice that I would NOT see a program fee (since I'm paying it all throughout 2011). For 2012 it's just the HOA fee divided out monthly.

I will believe this when I see it !!! Anyone else heard this from financial services??

Mark

 

[Arnie]

I just got off the phone with financial services and was told that Wyndham is now billing EOY contracts in advance for the Program Fee.

She said in the past that I was paying 1/2 of the fee each year and that they just started billing the entire fee upfront.

She verified that on next years assessment notice that I would NOT see a program fee (since I'm paying it all throughout 2011). For 2012 it's just the HOA fee divided out monthly.

I will believe this when I see it !!! Anyone else heard this from financial services??

Mark

WOW!!! Mark that is the best one yet. I guess we can all believe that and that will make us happy for all of 2011. I hope you got her name and office number. Thats surely much better than the answer I got from Alex(FS person) that we skated all these years and didn't pay enough. Now we are paying the right amount.

 

[janej]

I called Wyndham Financial services and I was told starting 2011, bi-annual owners will no long receive "discount" program fee. I asked if we will at least receive twice as many transaction credits and the answer is no. When I look online, my contract size is clearly stated as half of points I own. I don't know how they can get away with charging us double and give us half of the credit. The rep I spoke to said she listened to the same complain all day today.

 

[rickandcindy23]

The rep I spoke to said she listened to the same complain all day today.

And we should all harass the heck out of Wyndham over this, in a concerted effort to get a change of policy.

Doesn't a lot of complaints from customers, causing Wyndham employees to have to deal with "the same compaints all day" make them think about how horrible this policy is?

We own a few EOY contracts, so I will be complaining. Merry Christmas from Wyndham Scrooge Corporate.:annoyed: