buying fairfield points thru resale or from fairfield

[babu]

hi everyone,

i'm a brand new member. thanks to joining i am not $25,000 in the red. yesterday was my last day to cancel my contract for fairfield grand desert in las vegas.

the sales rep offered us 154,000 pts. annually at fairfield grand desert for $20,000 and then to really try to get us to sign, she offered us 189,000 pts. at fairfield flagstaff for only $5000.

that would give us VIP status since we would have over 300,000 pts..

i asked the sales rep why i should buy from her rather than ebay or some other way and she said that VIP status only transfers with family.

does anyone really know that has bought fairfield points resale?

curiously interested in all this,
babu

 

[AwayWeGo]

Buy Resale

I'm not into FairField timeshares, just miscellaneous non-branded timeshares that are affiliated with RCI, but even so I dare say buying FairField resale is lots cheaper than buying FairField from FairField.

Put another way, I'd look for FairField timeshares on eBay & TUG & other resale outlets before I'd pay full freight for them from FairField.

To overcome the sales resistance of resale purchasers, timeshare developers will point out that you can't get into the highest levels of platinum-plated VIP status unless you buy "new" from the developer.

No doubt the highest levels of FairField VIP membership are worth something -- but not as much as you'd have to pay to get to those levels by paying full-freight developer prices as contrasted with bargain-basement resale prices.

I like to stay in luxury timeshare vacation accommodations at Motel 6 & Super 8 prices -- which is only possible if I buy my timeshares "used" (resale).

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.

 

[John&Laurie]

Why is there 10 cents/point difference from FF?

the sales rep offered us 154,000 pts. annually at fairfield grand desert for $20,000 and then to really try to get us to sign, she offered us 189,000 pts. at fairfield flagstaff for only $5000.

Would someone comment on FF offering 154,000 points at 12.99 cents/point at Grand Desert but only 2.64 cents/point at Flagstaff? Why is there a difference of 10 cents /point from the developer?

Thanks,

John

 

[timeos2]

Yes, buy resale

That 300,000 points you would have paid $25,000 for can be had for $9000 or less easily through resale. Plus by buying resale you can carefully shop the type of points you purchase (UDI or deed based) as well as the associated annual fees. Is it worth over $14,000 to potentially save a few housekeeping fees (we have never paid one in over 10 years of FF use) or to get a possible early reservation someplace (That benefit seems to keep rising as new levels of VIP are created each year. Don't play that game). In our use we have obtained every FF resort we desired even the newest with our "old" points and without VIP.

We really like the FF system and feel it is one of the greatest bargains in timeshare provided you purchase resale not retail. I assume that someday FF will wake up (maybe every smart buyer like you that tells them they will buy resale as the cost differencial is too great even with the extra of the trumped up VIP will spur them to change) and stop devaluing the resale market and instead support it like Marriott and others do. When that finally occurs the resale value will skyrocket as well and then the bargains will be gone. But, for the foreseeable future, resale is the ONLY way to buy into FF. It is a great system.

 

[timeos2]

Loss leader

Would someone comment on FF offering 154,000 points at 12.99 cents/point at Grand Desert but only 2.64 cents/point at Flagstaff? Why is there a difference of 10 cents /point from the developer?

Thanks,

John

Easy. They want the annual fees for Flagstaff and the profit is SO great at Grand Desert they can use Flagstaff as a closer without appearing to devalue GD. But it does say something about what they feel the bottom price for a point is, doesn't it?

 

[Bill4728]

the sales rep offered us 154,000 pts. annually at fairfield grand desert for $20,000 and then to really try to get us to sign, she offered us 189,000 pts. at fairfield flagstaff for only $5000.

This show why not to buy FF from FF. Resale is so much cheaper and the VIP that you give up isn't worth the massive amount you'll pay extra. On the other hand, I'd might buy FF from the developer, if they'd sell us the FF flagstaff at 189,000 pts for $5000. (or 378,000 for $10,000).

 

[babu]

timeos2,

what are UDI and deed-based points?

babu

 

[jjking42]

Would someone comment on FF offering 154,000 points at 12.99 cents/point at Grand Desert but only 2.64 cents/point at Flagstaff? Why is there a difference of 10 cents /point from the developer?

Thanks,

John

See if the will sell you 308000 points in flagstaff and give you vip. Thats the cheapest vip i have heard of buying from FF.

308000*.0264- 8131.20

they need to sell something vegas is sold out.

 

[jjking42]

timeos2,

what are UDI and deed-based points?

babu

udi based fee are a maint fee that is calculated by the number of points you own. for example if you own 308000 points and the fee is 4.25 per 1000 points than the annual fee is 1309.00

if it is a an older fixed week resort than not all the owners have points only the ones that converted to points. they have fixed maint fee like every other time share .

my flagstaff week is fixed fee 497.00 no matter how many points its worth so if you own red season the maint fee is usally less than udi . if you own blue season then it is higher because the maint fee is the same but the point values change. When buying resale i only look at fixed converted weeks.

always buy prime season at a fixed week resort

 

[babu]

thanks jjking! that helps.

babu

 

[Alig8ter]

Let me ask a related question -

I've seen several Fairfield deeded week resorts for sale by owners who did not covert them to points. I understand I have the option to do that myself at a later date. Two questions:

(a) Does this make sense? Can I trade a week within Fairfield or must I have points to trade internally?

(b) Any clue what it costs to convert a week to points. I made several phone calls and no one at Fairfield seems interest in discussing the cost.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Jya-Ning]

Let me ask a related question -

I've seen several Fairfield deeded week resorts for sale by owners who did not covert them to points. I understand I have the option to do that myself at a later date. Two questions:

(a) Does this make sense? Can I trade a week within Fairfield or must I have points to trade internally?

(b) Any clue what it costs to convert a week to points. I made several phone calls and no one at Fairfield seems interest in discussing the cost.

Thanks in advance for your help.

They have a FAX program for fix week owner. But most people stay in the program owns white and blue week. Your best bet is to exchange company.

Some of the FF fix week can not be converted. So you need to check with resort to make sure it can be converted. It is considered the same as purchase from FF at least for now.

Most resorts don't do conversion now, if they do, you need to buy certain retail points (forget about the min requirement) It then charge $189 per week to convert. I heard the corp still do conversion without buying more point. But it is $2,395 1st week and $995 each following week.

Jya-Ning

 

[timeos2]

Converting fairfield fixed to points thru resale

Let me ask a related question -

I've seen several Fairfield deeded week resorts for sale by owners who did not covert them to points. I understand I have the option to do that myself at a later date. Two questions:

(a) Does this make sense? Can I trade a week within Fairfield or must I have points to trade internally?

No. Every time I have looked into converting a non-converted FF fixed week into FF points the resulting costs & limitations on use made it a bad deal compared to just buying an equal - or more - number of existing points for the same amount or less than conversion. Those weeks are practically worthless unless you can use them at the resort as a fixed time.

(b) Any clue what it costs to convert a week to points. I made several phone calls and no one at Fairfield seems interest in discussing the cost.

Exactly. There is no money in it (!!??) for them compared to the wealth of a regular, points based sale of retail priced points. When I have been able to get a price it was in the thousands (as in $2500-$3500) and often also required a purchase of more points to make it happen! When there is no set procedure or pricing you can be fairly certain it isn't a good value as they seem to make it all up as they go along.

Like the bottle return plan from Seinfelt converting fixed FF weeks to FF points doesn't make sense anymore. The economics don't work. Those owners had a chance years ago to do the conversion for a reasonable rate and erred when they didn't take it. Don't buy into their problems - just buy existing points. They are readily available and a great bargain IMHO.

 

[Jya-Ning]

Re: Converting fairfield fixed to points thru resale

Those weeks are practically worthless unless you can use them at the resort as a fixed time.

IMHO, That pretty good advice. I think you need to do an assumption. Assume that today, FF failed, another company took over, or it sold its FF TS branch to another company and rip a big gain, however the new company is more interesting in the land or project they have, what will happen?

The trust still run for a while then get dry.

If you have UDI, the resort can run itself like an all floating week resort. If you have fixed converted week, that probably the only week you will get. Can you just sold it at that time? Or will you be happy to use that week? Or will you be upset to pay another conversion fee again to the new company for their own program?

Jya-Ning

 

[outofthewoodwork]

I believe the standard cost for converting is $2395 for the first week and $995 for every week after that. Conversions can make sense depending on what you are trying to accomplish with your ownership. I believe you definitely need to have a very good understanding of the system before you buy weeks with the idea of converting. It is much easier to buy weeks that have already been converted or UDI.