Disadvantages of HGVC resale [2006 thread]

[cmh284]

This is my first post. I attended a HGVC sales presentation last Wednesday in Orlando.

I was very impressed and we are extremely interested. In fact, we did their VIP program to try the system out. We got 5000 points for $1600 and have 15 months to use them. If we end up buying, all this money will be applied to our purchase price.

However, I asked my sales rep why I should purchase from him instead of resale. He told me that if I buy resale that I can't participate in the last minute vacation program (30 days or less).

Does this sound true? If so, this is a big negative as we often like to take last minute trips.

Also, we wouldn't be able to upgrade through Hilton. If we purchase from them, they will apply 100% of our existing purchase to a new unit.

Thanks for your help!

 

[timeos2]

The 30 day sounds bogus

The "no 30 day deals" sounds bogus as those are times they WANT to get reserved - why would they prohibit owners from getting at them?

As for the full credit toward future "upgrades" why would you pay more now in order to pay more later for what you could buy for much less either time? Why would you think you need to "upgrade" later if you buy at the correct level of ownership for your foreseeable needs now? It's easy to do that, at a reasonable cost, by buying resale. Why would you want to pay retail price if they are basically telling you they are trying to devalue resale prices? It is very obvious that resale must represent the best value if they are using tricks and puffery to make retail somehow seem "better" despite an outrageously high price tag. Look through the hype (and the commissions) and you will see that the closer you come to paying the price you could most likely resell for at some future time the lower your total cost will be. Remember that the real cost of any timeshare is the ongoing annual fees not the upfront expense. That just gets you into the door. Overpay for the upfront and you'll never see a good monetary value out of your purchase. Pay resale (low) price, average out the annual fees over the time you own and resell someday for close (or more if you're really lucky or own a great resort) to what you paid and timesharing can be a truly great deal. That will not occur if you purchase retail. Period.

That you are smart enough to come here and ask the question tells me you already realize that a retail purchase does not make sense regardless of what that sales weasel, er, nice, smilely representative told you.

 

[derb]

Balony, I bought resale and used the "open Season" often.

 

[Blues]

Ditto what Derb said. I bought a resale affiliate resort, and have used open season often. I'm disappointed to hear that the Hilton salesperson lied to you. In my experience, they've been among the most honest timeshare salespeople out there (d*mning with faint praise?). Perhaps you should report him to the corporate offices.

 

[Seth Nock]

However, I asked my sales rep why I should purchase from him instead of resale. He told me that if I buy resale that I can't participate in the last minute vacation program (30 days or less).

Does this sound true? If so, this is a big negative as we often like to take last minute trips.


Thanks for your help!

That is not true. Hilton has been notified and the sales rep will be "retrained".

 

[cmh284]

Seth and I have talked via phone since I posted this.

I don't understand why the rep would say this. He really seemed like a nice guy. He wasn't a "Mr. Smiley" type - that would have driven my wife nuts.

Man, I just can't believe he lied to me, I am ticked and really don't have any need to talk with him again.

 

[PigsDad]

Seth and I have talked via phone since I posted this.

I don't understand why the rep would say this. He really seemed like a nice guy. He wasn't a "Mr. Smiley" type - that would have driven my wife nuts.

Man, I just can't believe he lied to me, I am ticked and really don't have any need to talk with him again.

You aren't the only one who was lied to by Hilton. I recently went through trying to find out the real story of Hilton resales, and I was lied to by the sales person (Valdoro Lodge, during a sales pitch), and over the phone when I called their direct sales department.

The sales pitch I can forgive, because it was more overstating / exaggerating some points (how much $$ you could get to rent out your week, how points can be saves for later uses, etc.). However, the direct sales person I talked to over the phone told me some of the same things you were told regarding resales -- not available for open season, resales had a "second-class" membership in HGVC, affecting reservation opportunities, etc.

BTW, you did a smart thing in contacting Seth. He is very knowledgeable regarding HGVC.

Kurt

 

[AwayWeGo]

All Timeshares Are Used.

If we purchase from them, they will apply 100% of our existing purchase to a new unit.

The 1st breakthrough realizaton we had about timeshares is that there's no such thing as a "new unit." The unit I get to stay in if I pay 100% full-freight big-bux developer prices is the same as the unit I get to stay in if I buy for nickels on the dollar via, say, eBay.

That is to say, in the timeshare biz, there is no such thing as "new" & "used." Moreover, all timeshare condos & suites & units are used by the time anybody after the very 1st Grand Opening customer checks in -- just like hotel rooms.

We didn't catch onto that by ourselves. It took point-blank exposure to a big Orlando billboard that said...

TIMESHARES -- BUY RESALE.
SAVE THOUSANDS. ​

...for the realization to hit us & sink in. It sank in & it stuck. We went home, called up a resale broker, nearly bought, canceled, found a better timeshare for less via TUG, & the rest is history.

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