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[5/2009] Raintree vacation club

itgrafix

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Does membership to Raintree Vacation Club (all their resorts) seem like a good deal or not?

I'm contemplating upgrading and was told that I would have to get a whole new membership, and I'm not very clear as to if that means purchasing it for a lot of money.

If anyone knows about this ownership please get back to me.
 

rlblack

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We have membership in the Raintree Vacation Club. A good deal? Maybe, maybe not- depending on amount a person normally spends-

Well, we enjoy the Mexican resorts, we can get flexible size units depending on when we travel and our needs- we normally plan ahead and have not had too much trouble getting in, where and when we want to go.

I have found the management in Texas, responsive to any complaints the few we have had. And changed some things to accomodate their members.

They continue to associate with other resorts- but have found that the key to it all is either planning far in advance- or short notice. The only real complaint I have is that we do not have the ability to reserve on line- have to call in- and it is not a full RCI membership - so we have to call in for trades. It does not appear that we have any ability to have a on going search- but that could be the representatives I have talked with.

Bottom line- we enjoy the Mexican Resorts- so if you enjoy where you go- guess it is a good deal for us.
 

sjuhawk_jd

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I also own two contracts with Raintree. Lack of being able to book online is a major issue. Lot of reps are "Snappy" on the phone. you can book 1 year in advance, but you have to call 365 days before exactly. So, if you want to reserve a saturday check in resort, 365 days in advance, you have to be available near a phone on a Saturday morning to get your desirable week (such as prime summer in Mountain areas or prime ski weeks).
 

itgrafix

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RVC

I only have Cancun and a couple of other resorts to trade to without exchange but I see they have 21 resorts and when I went to Cancun last year - concierge set up a breakfast, but it was too early and I declined and then she said at noon.. but when I asked for what I finally found out it's to upgrade my account. I finally just said no, since the first week I was sick.

I'm not clear how much it will be to upgrade and from the sounds of it seems like should just leave it the way it is... Are the other resorts good?

Can they really be exchanged into RCI points? Do you know and can you trade to Europe?

Thanks for replies, look forward to more info.
 

Bill4728

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Please be aware that there are several different kinds of ownerships within the "raintree system.

There are fixed week owners at a single resort, floating weeks and then point-based ("gem based" weeks). This makes Raintree pretty confusing to most people here on TUG.

Good luck getting the info you need.
 

boatnut

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Hi TGRAFIX, I now have four units within the Raintree Club. Been studying Raintree for last 6 months. As Bill said, there are numerous ways to "own" within the system. Bottom line is it all comes down to how many points you have. I bought my first deeded unit that came with a "platinum" level membership (80,000 points)for $2,500. Everybody here said: Good deal. I was given my next deeded unit at no charge. It was a 130,000 point membership. Better deal. I just bought a 160,000 point, week 13 (holiday week) at Whistler,deeded, for $3,000. They were asking $12,000!!
My point is that you can "upgrade" for ridiculously low dollars so long as you are ok with the maintenance fees. What do you want? Where do you want to go? How many people? This will determine how many points you need. As an aside, the maintenance fees for any of the Mexico locations and or pure RVC points are WAY higher than owning elsewhere within their system.
 

Corman

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I too have experienced the snotty attitude from the representatives on the phone. How dare we trouble them :confused:
As far as the club is concerned, we purchased after market and we haven't regretted it . I wish we had the ability to book online instead of having to phone in.
 

karma23

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Raintree good deal? NOT! New Assessment

Following the thread asking whether membership in Raintree is a good deal. Absolutely not in my opinion. We've been members (originally with Westin Regina) for over 10 years. We orginally purchased one "Gold" week and one "Silver" week. At that time, the Gold week was good for all Westin/Regina resorts anytime except during Christmas week. Our buy-in was over $21K and annual maintenance was $700.

Since then, Regina merged with (or was acquired by) Raintree Vacation Club. Our maintenance has increased to $1170 and our weeks devalued. We had one assessment and just received another assessment (received today). Raintree is requesting (demanding) an additional $1170 along with a legal document that the ADDITIONAL $1170 MUST BE PAID BEFORE making any reservations to use our paid weeks. Our maintenance is current through 2009.

We now have one week deposited with RCI, one week from last year that we didn't use, and two weeks that we paid for this year. Conveniently, this note came out in June before people could use their weeks set aside for summer vacation.

This is Extortion! I can't believe this is legal.

Statement deleted--ads not permitted on this forum.
 
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geoand

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Have been an owner since 2000 or 2001. My experiences with the RVC counselors have always been positive. They have been polite, courteous, and helpful.

In addition, my week has been upgraded both in gem level and in points value since I have owned it.

I use my week within Raintree and always receive a minimum of 2 weeks of 2br unit for my 1 week of 2br unit. I travel to the sun during the winter.

I couldn't be happier with my ownership.

Maintenance fees? Yes, they have gone up.
 

MrD1

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Geo

So Geo,
How happy are you now that Raintree has just emailed their new Special Assessment charge to members? Read what they are doing with the money- the same s**t they are supposed to be doing with the hefty annual maintenance fees they charge us. The truth is Raintree is utterly and completely mismanaged and now they want good paying members to pay for their incompetence.
TO ANYONE THINKING OF BUYING A RAINTREE VACATION CLUB MEMBERSHIP: RUN LIKE HELL AWAY OR YOU ARE SCREWED FOR LIFE!!!!!!!!!
 

itgrafix

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wow I guess I will not upgrade at all

I already own in Cancun, but I guess I will avoid their presentation on upgrading my membership for all their 22 resorts.

Seems many of you are not happy with it and I just unloaded my Wyndham rather impulsively now I have got better offers on it from others, ugh :( now I will resort to trying to rid myself of this one as well after I go to Cabo and then hopefully just rent or go anywhere I please.

I like the idea of timeshare but it seems so complicated and now I have weeks deposited with RCI that I can't understand how to use well to get to Austraila or New Zealand.. now I'd be happy to sell my weeks to someone since I'm not interested to go anywhere but NZ or Austraila at this point.

I've spent well over $4000 for these, so if anyone wants a couple weeks let me know.

As for Raintree I will just let it be, I haven't heard about SA but I don't have any other resort so I'm sure they would've let me know by now.

Thanks all for your help.
 
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thegortons

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SA for all Raintree owners?

So does anyone know whether this new special assessment is only for certain resorts (like the old Club Regina ownerships) or is it being assessed on all Raintree Vacation Club owners?

Thanks
 

geoand

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So Geo,
How happy are you now that Raintree has just emailed their new Special Assessment charge to members? Read what they are doing with the money- the same s**t they are supposed to be doing with the hefty annual maintenance fees they charge us. The truth is Raintree is utterly and completely mismanaged and now they want good paying members to pay for their incompetence.
TO ANYONE THINKING OF BUYING A RAINTREE VACATION CLUB MEMBERSHIP: RUN LIKE HELL AWAY OR YOU ARE SCREWED FOR LIFE!!!!!!!!!

Sorry,

Haven't received any email or any other correspondence concerning a special assessment. Can you post a copy of the email for all of us to see?

Is the special assessment for all members of RVC? Is the special assessment for Club Regina members?

I checked the website and there is nothing on the website that discusses any special assessments.
 

PamMo

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SOME of us still like Raintree!

I have a Raintree Platinum membership and am quite happy with it! We've always gotten the weeks we wanted and have thoroughly enjoyed our vacations at their resorts. I guess we've been lucky with them on the phone, because they've always been great to deal with.

Unfortunately, their different memberships can be horrendously difficult to figure out. A lot of people don't know what they are selling (or what they own). We think Raintree is pretty flexible and have been able to make it work for us. It's great to have a nice "family" of resorts to go to without paying RCI exchange fees. We just have to plan ahead and we take advantage of their special offers.

We got our notice of the special assessment in the mail today - so it's on it's way if you don't have it already! I'm not thrilled about paying it, but I'll be happy to see the upgrades. I've been hit with special assessments from some of my other resorts in the last couple of years, some were much worse than Raintree's one year's MF amount. I'm wondering if more resorts won't need a special assessment in this economy? If a lot of owners default on their payments, and people cut back on their vacation time, lost revenue has got to be made up somewhere just to keep a resort running...


***The assessment came by snail mail and it looks like it's for all RVC. The upgrades are for 12 resorts (no Whistler resorts on the list, though). Mostly Mexico, but Birch Bay, Palm Springs, and Miner's Club are getting upgrades. The letter stated that you can go on their website to pay it, but there's nothing mentioned there yet.
 
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geoand

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I called Raintree and they told me that Whiskijack owners will not be getting the special assessment notice.

I have truly enjoyed my time within Raintree. So far, I have not had the temptation to go outside of the RVC system.
 

CbearBBS

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Raintree "Special Assessment"

I just received my $820.00 special assessment and agree with many of the perspectives expressed above. While the Raintree facilities have been pleasant to stay at in the past, the economics of the RVC/Club Regina relationship are making it less and less attractive.
In my mind, there are three options on the table that can be taken to respond to the special assessment:
1. Consider your investment in the Club Regina/RVC a sunk cost and walk away. They can take your "asset" back and cancel your membership. It is hard to imagine they would have any recourse to one's credit rating given that the time share has been fully paid for.
2. We should encourage every Club Regina/RVC member to register their thoughts and feelings about the special assessment on this website and www.complaintsboard.com, and invite RVC/Regina "leadership" to review the comments and reconsider their decision and seek other sources of funding.
3. Pursue the class action lawsuit avenue...long and arduous, but perhaps the best way to recoup some of our investment.
One gets the sense that this organization is going down...and in my mind it would be foolish to, in all probability, throw good money after bad
 

itgrafix

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agree to do something about it

I agree for complaints and would go in to do a class action lawsuit, I barely just got this and have only been once and it was not anything special and then got sick from their a/c system and couldn't go anywhere so... contact me through here or email.

I also have a reservation, does that mean I won't be able to go now?
 

bettelou

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I received my assessment and will refuse to pay it. I am not the government and am not bailing them out! They do not have the right to make me cover their management errors! I'm willing to do whatever it takes to refute this charge!
 

cdn_traveler

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I'm sorry, can someone please clarify if the assessment is for members who own resorts in Club Regina or Raintree. When is this assessment due?

I just checked my online account and other than an increase to $883 from last year's maintenance fee of $775 for year 2009/2010, I don't see anything about a special assessment for $820.

Sorry, I went back and re-read the thread. Thank you PamMo for the clarification. Guess I will be looking forward to this letter from Raintree.
 
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PamMo

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1. Consider your investment in the Club Regina/RVC a sunk cost and walk away. They can take your "asset" back and cancel your membership. It is hard to imagine they would have any recourse to one's credit rating given that the time share has been fully paid for.

Read your contract. You agreed to pay maintenance fees. If you don't pay, they can (and will) report your nonpayment to a credit agency. What you paid for the 30-year (or remainder, if you bought resale) RTU contract is only part of the contract. MF's are essential to running the property. That's true with ANY timeshare.

3. Pursue the class action lawsuit avenue...long and arduous, but perhaps the best way to recoup some of our investment.

Realistically, no one would take this case, unless you want to pay a lawyer money up front. But what is the complaint? That you don't want to pay a special assessment for improvements - that RVC has the right to issue? Regardless, you will not recoup your initial "investment" for your timeshare purchase - especially if you bought from the developer. Hasn't TUG taught us all that "Timeshares are not financial investments!"

One gets the sense that this organization is going down...and in my mind it would be foolish to, in all probability, throw good money after bad[/QUOTE]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I respectfully disagree.
 

jazzboat

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Raintree Special assement fee

I agree with Karma23. This special assesment fee is outrageous. I have one week and they are charging me a $883 special assesment fee, therfore the cost of special asseement for 1 unit is $45,916 ($883 x 52 weeks). I could own a condo in Mexico for $45,916. Why aren't these items covered in the maintenence fee?:wall::wall:
 

itgrafix

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what about if have a paid reservation?

Can anyone tell me what may happen if I have a paid reservation for late August plus plane tickets that are not refundable.. what may happen if SA can't be paid? I definitely want to fight this because I got ill from their air conditioner on my stay last summer and had to take antibotics and vacation was cut short... this is just horrible

I am in no position to pay this at this time but have already paid them for the reservation and paid plane tickets earlier this year.


This is crazy and no warning at all!:crash: :wall:
 
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sjuhawk_jd

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Raintree

Can anyone tell me what may happen if I have a paid reservation for late August plus plane tickets that are not refundable.. what may happen if SA can't be paid? I definitely want to fight this because I got ill from their air conditioner on my stay last summer and had to take antibotics and vacation was cut short... this is just horrible

I am in no position to pay this at this time but have already paid them for the reservation and paid plane tickets earlier this year.


This is crazy and no warning at all!:crash: :wall:

You have nothing to worry about. They are not going to do anything to your vacation at this time. They are offering a 6 installment plan, with first installment starting in July. Even if you do not pay in July, it will not affect you August vacation.
 
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