Friends bought Worldmark retail

[DaveNV]

I'm putting this in the Lounge because I'm more interested in your opinions on what to tell my friends.

I was at a holiday party today at the home of reasonably close friends. They sheepishly volunteered that they'd bought Worldmark retail. Not sure where they did it, or what they paid, but they said they bought 12,000 Worldmark points. I gave them the wet noodle lashing they expected, then said I'd find out how they can learn how best to use what they bought. They also promised if they ever buy more Worldmark points, they'll do it resale. I hope that's true.

So to the point: I vaguely understand Worldmark, and believe that 12K points is a lot. Is that right? They are a blended family, and have five kids, so maybe they needed that many points to get what they need for a vacation. They like going to Maui over the holidays. Is that enough to get them there? Is the Worldmark forum on Tug the best place for them to learn how they need tp use their points? Any advice I can share with them?

Mods, if this truly belongs elsewhere, please move it where it fits best.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[sue1947]

I'm putting this in the Lounge because I'm more interested in your opinions on what to tell my friends.

I was at a holiday party today at the home of reasonably close friends. They sheepishly volunteered that they'd bought Worldmark retail. Not sure where they did it, or what they paid, but they said they bought 12,000 Worldmark points. I gave them the wet noodle lashing they expected, then said I'd find out how they can learn how best to use what they bought. They also promised if they ever buy more Worldmark points, they'll do it resale. I hope that's true.

So to the point: I vaguely understand Worldmark, and believe that 12K points is a lot. Is that right? They are a blended family, and have five kids, so maybe they needed that many points to get what they need for a vacation. They like going to Maui over the holidays. Is that enough to get them there? Is the Worldmark forum on Tug the best place for them to learn how they need tp use their points? Any advice I can share with them?

Mods, if this truly belongs elsewhere, please move it where it fits best.

Thanks,
Dave

12000 credits will get them a 3 BR in one of the older resorts. A family of 7 will definitely need a 3 BR. You can look at the credit values at worldmarktheclub.com/resorts. The resorts brought into the system since Wyndham became the manager will cost more. Worldmark has the option to rent credits from other owners so they can use that to expand the number of credits they have. Note that not all resorts have 3 BR units. Kihei in Maui is the only Hawaii resort that has a 3 BR. That means those 3 BR units are going to go fast for holiday times.

If they want school holidays, they will need to reserve at 13 months out and may have to use the waitlist to get what they want, if they can.

The best info on the details of using WM is at wmowners.com/forum. There is a credit rental thread as well as tips on maximizing the usage of the account.

If they can, they should rescind, but I suspect you already told them that.

Sue

 

[TUGBrian]

brutal, how long out of rescission are they?

im not sure what 12k points currently go for at a new developer sales presentation, but Id bet its a pretty penny!

 

[DaveNV]

If they can, they should rescind, but I suspect you already told them that.

Sue

Thanks for all your good comments, Sue. Yes, they're long past the rescind period. They know they spent a lot, but they're impulsive, and got sucked in by the smooth talking salesman. Sound familiar? As they were telling me what they did, they looked at each other and said, "See, I told you Dave was going to kill us."

I gave them a good-natured ribbing for being sucked in, and to rub a bit of salt into things, I told them about my oceanfront t/s on Kauai that I got an eBay for less than $100. (They gave each other knowing glances at that.)

But then I said, "Ok, so now that you own it, let me help you learn how to get the most out of what you own. It takes planning and commitment, but if you work the system right, it can be very worthwhile." They were happy to hear that.

I'll pass your comments along to them. Thanks again!

Dave

 

[easyrider]

12000 points will get any of the resorts in red season two bedroom. The new memberships can reserve many Wyndham properties as well as all of the WM, WM affiliates and WM South Pacific.

If they live in the west they will be able to drive to many of the resorts.

WM has two resorts in Maui. Both are pretty nice.

I learned how to use my memberships using Freds site, God Bless Him.

http://fredincolorado.com/

http://www.wmtsinfo.com/

The one thing you can do is have someone claim your friend as a referral. I think you get 3000 points for referrals. I have 4 friends and acquaintances that bought at a presentation and I claimed them all. I did tell these people that I bought resale but they have enough money to buy any way they like.

Bill

 

[TUGBrian]

fantastic they swallowed the lumps and are moving forward with making the most of their purchase! Good friend you are to tell them about TUG!

 

[taterhed]

As a good friend....

You might just do a tiny bit of research and help them save money. WM points are very cheap in flex time on Interval and RCI (4k points for any exchange).
As pointed out: Fred's site has amazing tips for making a small number of points go along way. 12k is quite a bit if managed right. Lots of specials too. It might be overwhelming for the uninitiated, but if you can summarize and skim thru and pull some diamonds out. One thing you might point out to them: it's important to watch the charges and credits on point reservations and cancelations. Unlike some systems, WM/Wyndham has some clear cases of failing to credit-back points properly for reservations filled in flextime or re-booked or cancelled etc... (There is now a TUG thread too!) Also, the cancellation policy for WM is fantastic; as long as you can remember the booking-cancellation window dates. It makes very good sense to calculate the point charges, HK tokens/fees, reservation date, cancellation date (latest) and any subsequent re-bookings and write them down on the confirmation and keep the sheet handy. This way, you can be well aware of point charges/credits and monitor your account.

TUG WM section http://tugbbs.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=60

 

[vacationhopeful]

And having brought directly from Wyndham .. they should get access to vacations using their WM credits into Shell Vacation Resorts and Wyndham Vacation resorts using their Worldmark credits.

Does Worldmark have the 2 year window to use their points or is that Shell?

 

[VacationForever]

brutal, how long out of rescission are they?

im not sure what 12k points currently go for at a new developer sales presentation, but Id bet its a pretty penny!

I sat through their sales presentation 4 months ago and the worst part about their sales tactic is that pricing is not standard! They are now selling at about $5.25 a point. The salesperson pulled out a piece of paper for "existing developer bought owners" showing available discounted points and the pricing was all over the place, even for the same amount of points - something about these came from owner buy back program. They go for 1/3 to 1/2 of their rack rate. Then they said they would see if they could offer those to me as I own resale.

 

[taterhed]

And having brought directly from Wyndham .. they should get access to vacations using their WM credits into Shell Vacation Resorts and Wyndham Vacation resorts using their Worldmark credits.

Does Worldmark have the 2 year window to use their points or is that Shell?

Points doe expire. Below, stolen from WMTSinfo.com Plus, you can always place a 'deposit first' with II and extend them. Or rent them.

Unlike money in the bank, your credits expire 2 years after they are issued. HK tokens carry the same expiration date. As an example, the credits and HK tokens issued on September 1, 2010 will expire in September, 2012. You get an extra month to use them since the actual expiration date will be September 30, 2009. In other words, they are issued on the first day of the month and they expire on the last day of the same month, 2 years later.

The expiration date refers to the last day you can use the credits to make a reservation, not to when you stay has to be complete. Since you can book up to 13 months in advance a reservation may contain expired credits before you go on your vacation.

 

[PStreet1]

This forum has users who really know how to manipulate the system; they talk about Monday bargains, how to rent credits, where to buy re-sale, what the resorts are like, how to get difficult trades, etc.

http://www.wmowners.com/

 

[ronparise]

This is the best place to learn how to use Worldmark

http://www.wmtsinfo.com/

but dont waste any time, the guy that put this together (tugger Fred Greeb "Fred in Colorado") recently died and theres no telling how long it will remain available

 

[ronparise]

There is also a little book available on Amazon called "owner 2 owner, Guide to Worldmark ownership" by Rick Lawler

 

[brigechols]

This is the best place to learn how to use Worldmark

http://www.wmtsinfo.com/

but dont waste any time, the guy that put this together (tugger Fred Greeb "Fred in Colorado") recently died and theres no telling how long it will remain available

Oh no, so sorry to learn that Fred passed. He was a tremendous resource about WM.

 

[DaveNV]

Thanks, everyone. I'll send this info to them. Once again, Tuggers rock.

Brian, I don't know what they spent, or how long ago. It would have been in the last several months - probably in late Summer. They know I'm a t/s guy, and apologized for not talking to me before they signed. You folks know how persuasive some sales people can be.

easyrider, they live in Seattle. So WM was a good choice for them to buy into. I explained it was a good fit for a west coast family. They were glad to hear that.

I don't think they're especially unhappy with their purchase, but I don't know if they've tried using anything yet. I gave them a few tips about planning ahead, and how certain times of year will cost more than others, and so forth. I think they'll be a good steward of their ownership, once they figure out the nuts and bolts of making things work.

Dave

 

[LLW]

I'm putting this in the Lounge because I'm more interested in your opinions on what to tell my friends.

I was at a holiday party today at the home of reasonably close friends. They sheepishly volunteered that they'd bought Worldmark retail. Not sure where they did it, or what they paid, but they said they bought 12,000 Worldmark points. I gave them the wet noodle lashing they expected, then said I'd find out how they can learn how best to use what they bought. They also promised if they ever buy more Worldmark points, they'll do it resale. I hope that's true.

So to the point: I vaguely understand Worldmark, and believe that 12K points is a lot. Is that right? They are a blended family, and have five kids, so maybe they needed that many points to get what they need for a vacation. They like going to Maui over the holidays. Is that enough to get them there? Is the Worldmark forum on Tug the best place for them to learn how they need tp use their points? Any advice I can share with them?

Mods, if this truly belongs elsewhere, please move it where it fits best.

Thanks,
Dave

Thanks, everyone. I'll send this info to them. Once again, Tuggers rock.

Brian, I don't know what they spent, or how long ago. It would have been in the last several months - probably in late Summer. They know I'm a t/s guy, and apologized for not talking to me before they signed. You folks know how persuasive some sales people can be.

easyrider, they live in Seattle. So WM was a good choice for them to buy into. I explained it was a good fit for a west coast family. They were glad to hear that.

I don't think they're especially unhappy with their purchase, but I don't know if they've tried using anything yet. I gave them a few tips about planning ahead, and how certain times of year will cost more than others, and so forth. I think they'll be a good steward of their ownership, once they figure out the nuts and bolts of making things work.

Dave

12K points is not a lot - it's just enough for 1 week for a 2BR in Maui (Maui costs more than a normal west coast resort). In fact, for 7 people, they need a 3BR since the maximum occupancy for a normal 2BR is 6 persons, although WMowners (WMO) may teach them about some of the other tools in the WM tool bag (e.g. 2BRs that sleep 8, using exchanges, renting credits..... ).

Earlier this year I made a list of all the good things about WM:
http://tugbbs.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1725311&postcount=7
Since it's too late for them to rescind and buy resale, the next best thing is for them to be happy about what they have, be in a community, and get in on the sharing of the tips and tricks about WM, and ask questions of the experts (they will have many questions - flexible systems have steep learning curves). WMO is great for that.

 

[easyrider]

fantastic they swallowed the lumps and are moving forward with making the most of their purchase! Good friend you are to tell them about TUG!

Indeed I am.

Brian, most of the people I know will make their decision based on what they want, when they want it and have the resources to pay for it. Same goes with me. Very few people I know would take my advice and no one has ever asked my permission to purchase a timeshare. I guess it is because they really don't need it. Same goes for me.

Many people that I sent to tug did not feel welcome here. Occasionally, I feel the same way. Especially with your last comment as it seems facetious.

Bill

 

[DaveNV]

Indeed I am.

Brian, most of the people I know will make their decision based on what they want, when they want it and have the resources to pay for it. Same goes with me. Very few people I know would take my advice and no one has ever asked my permission to purchase a timeshare. I guess it is because they really don't need it. Same goes for me.

Many people that I sent to tug did not feel welcome here. Occasionally, I feel the same way. Especially with your last comment as it seems facetious.

Bill

Bill, I read it that Brian's comment was directed at me.

Dave

 

[TUGBrian]

Indeed I am.



Many people that I sent to tug did not feel welcome here. Occasionally, I feel the same way. Especially with your last comment as it seems facetious.

Bill

im lost here? I was genuinely complimenting BMW (the op) on telling his friends about TUG as they will benefit from the knowledge here.

Ive read my comment over again and dont see any part of it that would be interpreted as a dig on you? heck it wasnt even a reply to you..but I am sorry if you got offended by it unintentionally!

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

Remember ALL - approx. half of all TUG members bought retail

It is how you USE it that makes TS valuable - not how or where it was bought

The OP friend's bought a good flexible system ( learned that on TUG )
and I hope they get many great vacations.

AND - if everyone thought the same way it would be one really boring forum .

I scan ' new posts" everyday looking for interesting stuff and viewpoints .

 

[easyrider]

im lost here? I was genuinely complimenting BMW (the op) on telling his friends about TUG as they will benefit from the knowledge here.

Ive read my comment over again and dont see any part of it that would be interpreted as a dig on you? heck it wasnt even a reply to you..but I am sorry if you got offended by it unintentionally!

I see that now. I guess Im just in a bad mood as I am leaving Hawaii today and I would rather stay in the sun than go home to the snow. Sorry for thinking this was directed at me as I can see it wasn't.

Bill

 

[Ty1on]

I see that now. I guess Im just in a bad mood as I am leaving Hawaii today and I would rather stay in the sun than go home to the snow. Sorry for thinking this was directed at me as I can see it wasn't.

Bill

If you had bought resale, you could spend another week there!

(I keed, I keed)