DC membership usage so far

[dougp26364]

I know there are those still contemplating the question to join or not to join. I'm not posting this as a statement for or against joining. I only thought that it might be of benefit to see how we've used the DC so far. Before we joined, I had the same questions of what the value might be or if we'd actually get good usage out of the program.

Originally, my thoughts were that we owned two 2 bedroom LO units and, based on past experience, the majority of savings would come from the fact we tended to pay two lock-off fee's and at least two exchange fee's per year. Since we had another resort with I.I., I anticipated we'd need to keep our individual membership and there would be no savings there.

Actual first year usage has turned out somewhat different from what we planned as I found it more advantagous to convert our 2013 Grand Chateau week into DC points. This was something I had not anticipated but, as life would have it, was more or less a necessity as our vacation planning needs changed rather suddenly.

So, FWIW, here's how we've used the DC so far:

DC usage: $695 joiner fee + $199 membership fee ($894 total)

800 bonus points: 4 nights Willow Ridge Lodge 1 bedroom (saved paying for a rental or, at the very least, an exchange fee of $139)

Change reservation @ Ocean Pointe since we needed a Thursday check in and needed to change to December instead of November (saves $79 change fee)

Reservation Canyon Villa’s 7 nights but, plan to change to 3 night reservation + 1 night reservation and utilize our DRI ownership for 3 nights in Sedona, AZ (will allow us to spend time in Sedona vs a day trip and, can put back 550 points for another short stay somewhere else)

Plan for 7 night reservation at Summit Watch Park City, UT (saves $139 exchange fee and we can check in/out on Thurs, which is needed and a check in day not offered in weeks)

3 night reservation Mountain Valley Lodge Breckenridge, CO (added to turn a Sunday to Sunday exchange thru Interval {non-Marriott exchange} into a Thurs to Thurs exchange, giving us a full week and saving paid-time-off but, this also wastes 3 nights from the original I.I. exchange {days we could no longer use})

Late deposit of Grand Chateau (cancelled vacation due to illness) used for Willow Ridge Lodge exchange ($139 exchange fee saved)

Might lock-off 3 bedroom Ocean Pointe unit and exchange studio unit ( potentially saves $79 lock-off fee and $139 exchange fee)



While I know no one will plan on using the DC in this same way, I do believe it highlights the flexability that comes with a weeks based exchange system that has the option for points flexabilty. It also helps highlight the cost factor for paying a joiner fee and annual membership fee vs ala carte pricing.

I realize our example is based on ownership of two 2 bedroom lock-off units and not everyone is in a similar ownership basis. Points recieved for our units is also going to be different than everyone else.

I'm only posting this as food for thought. Hopefully it can provide a spark to see beyond just dollars and cents or straight forward exchange thinking. You can look at this in both cost basis and flexiblity basis. In the end, the decision is always individual but, at this point, I'm glad we joined and kept all our options on the table.

As with everything in timeshare, your mileage may vary.

 

[dioxide45]

Doug, I thought you owned two 3BR lock offs? . Also, some of your fees may be off. They are as follows.

Lock Off Fee: $80 not $79
Marriott to Marriott II Exchange Fee: $119 not $139.
Change/Cancellation Fee: $35 not $79.

None the less, you have still broken even or close to it on your enrollment fee. We love the combined fee structure of DC, though we paid a hefty price to get it (two resale weeks). So our break even point will be closer to the four year mark. Maybe less with some creative accounting.

 

[dougp26364]

Doug, I thought you owned two 3BR lock offs? . Also, some of your fees may be off. They are as follows.

Lock Off Fee: $80 not $79
Marriott to Marriott II Exchange Fee: $119 not $139.
Change/Cancellation Fee: $29 not $79.

None the less, you have still broken even or close to it on your enrollment fee. We love the combined fee structure of DC, though we paid a hefty price to get it (two resale weeks). So our break even point will be closer to the four year mark.

Yes, you're correct. Sad that I can't keep track of my ownerships. The two bedroom lock-off's are with DRI.

It's also pretty sad that I can't keep track of what resort system has what fee's. Adjust the cost structure as needed to make it correct. Right now, I only keep loose tabs on cost/savings. Since we made the decision to join, it really doesn't matter to me anymore. Penny pinching often leads me to make decisions based on money alone, which usually turns out to not be the best decision I could make. For instance, trying to get the most out of that late deposit was really making vacation planning more difficult. When I finally turned loose of that stone, things fell into place a lot easier and, we still got a little value out of it by going to Branson on that week.

The problem is, we bought the three bedroom lock-off's thinking we'd have grandchildren by now and would need the room. As it is, we've been staying in two bedroom units and our luggage has had great accomadations. So I guess in my mind I'm thinking we've been staying in one bedroom units since we rarely look at the second bedroom until it's time to get the luggage and pack to go home.

I always look at things through the microscope of finances when I start but, as time goes on, I realize there is a false sense of worth if that's the only item we consider. But I thought it worth posting for those who find it important. Thanks for correcting my valuations.

Of course, you can look at finances this way. Think of all the money you saved buying resale! That extra charge to join the DC is likely still a big savings vs if you'd paid developer pricing on your weeks. I think you were ahead before you even started.

 

[NJDave]

Here is a prior thread

http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=160914&highlight=points