ARDA Contribution

[Numismatist]

As I said, for everyone. Both developers and owners need a healthy industry. You really cannot have one without the other.

Sure you can: You can have healthy developers sucking the life out of unhealthy owners who are trapped and can't get out.

 

[BocaBoy]

Sure you can: You can have healthy developers sucking the life out of unhealthy owners who are trapped and can't get out.

That does not sound like a healthy developer to me.

 

[GregT]

Sure you can: You can have healthy developers sucking the life out of unhealthy owners who are trapped and can't get out.

That does not sound like a healthy developer to me.

This is exactly what Wyndham does -- owners are trapped and are getting "fee"'d to death. I have a nice little Wyndham EOY package where the MF's are $233/yr -- and Wyndham just raised the annual Program Fee to $98 (it was ~$45 two years ago).

I'm giving the week away now, because I had the choice to either buy another Wyndham to average down the excessive Program Fee, or get rid of it. And I've added other systems since the Wyndham purchase, so its less important to me now. So....I give it away.

I'll free up some MF money now and buy another Starwood or HGVC (maybe a Marriott -- maybe a Disney) -- but either way, the Program Fee (the second jump in two years) killed my enthusiasm for the Wyndham system.

I'm very curious to see if Marriott goes the way of Hilton -- a high class organization that treats it owners well -- or Wyndham, where owners are viewed as captive audience to be milked. This was something I questioned in my original June 21st diatribe, after they skimmed me 13.3% for one of the best weeks in the system.

All the best,

Greg

 

[Numismatist]

That does not sound like a healthy developer to me.

Does to me. Continual income stream from trapped owners. I'd like that.

 

[BocaBoy]

Does to me. Continual income stream from trapped owners. I'd like that.

Wow. Great understanding of business!

 

[Numismatist]

Wow. Great understanding of business!

I'll assume that's sarcastic. Nonetheless, I do in fact have a great understanding of business as I have successfully run a number of multi-million dollar business.

Clearly there are two sides (aren't there to almost everything in life?), we are on opposite sides. Seems doubtful that I'll convince you, likewise.

I will agree that developers who are consistently able to build numerous resorts everywhere and quickly sell them out - are, in fact, healthy. However, doing that, does not make the individual timeshare owner healthy or unhealthy.

An individual timeshare owner who has limited means cannot continue to be nickle and dimed to death in every increasing attempts by develops/owners to extract money from them. To them, this is not healthy.

Yes, there are also many individual timeshare owners that, to them, this is a trivial amount and doesn't even come up on their radar. To them, more resorts to choose from is healthy.

We all know from reading here, that many people have been subjected to high pressure sales to buy something way out of their financial means and due to poor resale value are stuck with something horrible. Yes, that is their fault; however, it's not healthy for them, it is only healthy for that developer.

I hope this delineates more precisely what I mean.

I respect your opinion as well.