flysoftware
TUG Member
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2017
- Messages
- 14
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I never will get over the many crazy rules and unnecessary complexity for this system that you don't find out about until they bite you. And as an already a dissatisfied customer from combinations of declining service, significantly escalating fees, and eroding trading power, the combination makes be grumpy, so please bear with me.
I have 3 Welk contracts (all paid off), two for fixed 2BR weeks in February @ Escondido, and the third a points membership.
We get a bill for each in November, and since I pay my maintenance when due (by end of December for points, end of January for fixed weeks), I have never had a payment plan.
I have a reservation booked for next March for a 1 Br in Cabo (made at 12 months out with points). In a perfect world, I would like to use that reservation as a deposit for searching for another Cabo property where friends will be staying that same week, so we could stay with them, rather than across town. I see the Cabo unit is no longer as highly rated on Interval as it once was (only getting 4s rather than consistent 4.5 or higher).
In my experience, exchanges into top properties usually require placing an exchange request (using a deposit) at least 6 months in advance, flexibility in dates and offering a high-value reservation in exchange.
I learned 3 months ago that I could not deposit one of my fixed weeks to use for a search for a different reservation next year until I paid for next year's maintenance using current year rates (i.e. 6 months in advance); once next year's rates are finalized in November, I would then owe a supplement for the difference. I did that for one of the fixed weeks so I could use it in a search (which hit in 7 days), so that was good.
Welk has told that once the bills are available for next year (in November of this year), I can set up a payment plan and spread the payments out quarterly, or pay all up front, but as soon as I have a payment plan, I will be able to use next year's points for interval searching. It is my understanding that payment plans can continue year to year, so once set up, I'll be able use points (or fixed weeks) based upon the payment plan. But apparently one cannot setup a payment plan until there is a bill. I have talked to several agents about this, and was offered other options "if I would consider buying more points" by at least one.
So one can make a reservation next year in the system, but not use that reservation outside the system, without paying far in advance (or setting up a payment plan, which isn't offered until searches will no longer have enough time to work).
Is this really how the system has always worked? I've made plenty of trades in the past, and thought I'd been able to use out-year points without paying up front. Anyone else hit this?
I have 3 Welk contracts (all paid off), two for fixed 2BR weeks in February @ Escondido, and the third a points membership.
We get a bill for each in November, and since I pay my maintenance when due (by end of December for points, end of January for fixed weeks), I have never had a payment plan.
I have a reservation booked for next March for a 1 Br in Cabo (made at 12 months out with points). In a perfect world, I would like to use that reservation as a deposit for searching for another Cabo property where friends will be staying that same week, so we could stay with them, rather than across town. I see the Cabo unit is no longer as highly rated on Interval as it once was (only getting 4s rather than consistent 4.5 or higher).
In my experience, exchanges into top properties usually require placing an exchange request (using a deposit) at least 6 months in advance, flexibility in dates and offering a high-value reservation in exchange.
I learned 3 months ago that I could not deposit one of my fixed weeks to use for a search for a different reservation next year until I paid for next year's maintenance using current year rates (i.e. 6 months in advance); once next year's rates are finalized in November, I would then owe a supplement for the difference. I did that for one of the fixed weeks so I could use it in a search (which hit in 7 days), so that was good.
Welk has told that once the bills are available for next year (in November of this year), I can set up a payment plan and spread the payments out quarterly, or pay all up front, but as soon as I have a payment plan, I will be able to use next year's points for interval searching. It is my understanding that payment plans can continue year to year, so once set up, I'll be able use points (or fixed weeks) based upon the payment plan. But apparently one cannot setup a payment plan until there is a bill. I have talked to several agents about this, and was offered other options "if I would consider buying more points" by at least one.
So one can make a reservation next year in the system, but not use that reservation outside the system, without paying far in advance (or setting up a payment plan, which isn't offered until searches will no longer have enough time to work).
Is this really how the system has always worked? I've made plenty of trades in the past, and thought I'd been able to use out-year points without paying up front. Anyone else hit this?