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Have an 'trial offer' from Somerpointe Resorts - Need an opinion please.

vexter0944

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If you look at my post history - I bought then immediately rescinded a timeshare at Tahiti Village about a month or so ago. So speed up to now. I got a call yesterday from them following up for 'feedback' on why I rescinded and so on. Which then turned into a sales pitch right behind it. Here's what the are offering:

Thank you for taking my call today.. and sharing your feedback with me...and also giving me the opportunity to share with you our TRIAL PACKAGE.
1f917.png

Total price is 1995
It's 45,000 points spread out over 3 years ..
I give you 10,000
Bonus points. So it's a total of 55,000 points.
You don't own these points, so there is no maintenance fee. You have a standard RCI membership .. the company pays for that..
you have access to all the last calls, extra vacation vacation getaways ... everything that RCI has to offer ...you have access to
Now... if you do decide to join us as an owner, they will let you use the entire amount of 1995 and put it towards your next package.. if you do decide to purchase with us!!!
Your package will end in three years but your money stays on the table an additional six months so theoretically you have 3 1/2 years to come back and join us as an owner..,
Plus I am adding the 5/4 trip back to Las Vegas...
let me know if you need any other information

So what's wrong or the catch? Anything I should be looking at or be wary of? As the agent put it 'they want to woo me so this is their offer'...

The agent is wanting me to do a screen share with them today because I want to see what the last minute/last calls look like and I don't have an RCI account, so they are planning on letting me look around RCI logged in as them a bit.

Opinions, ideas to ask for differences to make it worth etc are all accepted and I appreciate any help in advance!
 

DaveNV

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My opinion:

They don't care a whit about your "feedback." They just want to get you back in the door so they can put the pressure on you to buy again. You bought once, so they know you're an easy mark. Don't do it.

RCI Last Calls and Getaways are leftovers, after all the good stuff is gone. You may find something you like, but most often not, unless you can travel on a moment's notice. There are fees attached to accepting those getaways and last calls, and RCI just raised their rates again today. So you're paying $2000 for nothing more than the chance to get something you might want, with no guarantees, and the clock is ticking. In three years your $2000 is gone - period.

Giving you the chance to add your $2K back in IF YOU BUY AGAIN is a sneaky way to get you to buy. But all they'll do is inflate the purchase price to cover the cost, and you end up paying for it all anyway. You aren't gaining anything.

You need to look at the bottom line of what the takeaway is here. If you want the Points, go to eBay or wherever and buy the Points. You can usually get them on the resale market for pennies on the dollar, and often for absolutely free. Paying these people $2K for temporary use and the chance to book something that may or may not come up seems pretty frivolous. You can do a lot of long-term purchasing with $2000.

I'd walk away and stop taking their calls. Do your research of what you can buy for the same money, and then make an informed decision.

Dave
 

vexter0944

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Thanks DaveNV - this is exactly what I was expecting and felt like what was going on, but this is why I joined TUG, for this kind of advice, so thank you for your response!

I knew they didn't care about my feedback, but the 'trial offer' was interesting nonetheless to see what was going on. I still was not planning on buying at all even at the end of the 3 years - so no worries there, lol! I am in a position to travel on a moment's notice so, that can work for us without much issue. The rci last calls keep drawing us in - but it sounds like they are not a very good deal at all.

As to points - I need some clarification on these if possible.

so are the points specific to Somerpointe Resorts or RCI - just got a little lost here and looking for more specific. Any examples you might be able to link or screenshot for my consideration - I don't want to own a TS with crazy maintenance fees - but owning the points like they pitched would be an opportunity maybe.

Thanks again!
 

DaveNV

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Happy to try and help.

Read the forums here for the things that interest you, to get the most information. Ask informed questions in those forums, and those who know the answers will give you the best responses.

A brief explanation: Within a given system, Points are Points. It doesn't matter where they originated, but what does change is usually the Home resort the points are attached to. Maintenance Fees are paid based on that resort's fees. So Points-buyers usually want to buy where they get the most Points for the lowest maintenance fees. Think of Points as a kind of "currency" available to you to book something. If you have enough of that currency, you can book the item. But if you don't have enough, you have to either buy, borrow, or rent more to get what you want. It's not a perfect system, but it does work. The biggest advantage of Points over Weeks is you can book more or fewer days than a Week's seven nights. If you find you regularly need more than you have available, the solution is to buy more, and merge them into what you currently own.

Different systems offer different points amounts and values, and they don't usually overlap. So points at Marriott are different than points at Wyndham. RCI points are exclusive to RCI. More generic than other systems, but work only within the RCI system.

I just did a Google search for an explanation of how RCI Points works. This page explains things. Don't look at who provides the information, since it's another sales group. But the information is valid, to explain things some. It's a place to start. https://www.timesharesonly.com/blog/rci-points-and-how-they-work/

The biggest thing to do right now is not be in a rush to do something. There are no expiring deals you must buy into - every timeshare deal ever made comes around again. Do your research so you can be smart about what you buy.

Look at this Tug thread, and fill out the questionnaire. It'll help you decide how best to proceed. https://tugbbs.com/forums/threads/what-to-buy-questions-for-new-timeshare-owners.208742/

Dave
 

DaveNV

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rickandcindy23

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Grandview in Las Vegas is something you can buy on ebay with a great price per point in MF's.

I would get the 122,000 points with the $900 or so MF's at Grandview. So for $1800 in MF's, you can play with 244,000 points.
 

pedro47

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Please do not sign anything and just walk always, with your head up high.

Plus, some money in your bank accounts.

DaveNV, IMHO, have given you some excellent advice and opinions.
 

vexter0944

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As always you all have some great advice - listened and we're not doing a thing. Shout out to @tschwa2 for some DM help as well - good forum helpers all around here - glad I joined up! Thanks everyone!!
 

vexter0944

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Grandview in Las Vegas is something you can buy on ebay with a great price per point in MF's.

I would get the 122,000 points with the $900 or so MF's at Grandview. So for $1800 in MF's, you can play with 244,000 points.
Ok - this makes a LOT of sense - thanks for the example! The only question I have is do you buy 2 of those or something - I saw one listing for what you described, but how did you end up at 244,000 - sorry if the question is obvious and I missed it. Still learning! @rickandcindy23
 

DaveNV

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Ok - this makes a LOT of sense - thanks for the example! The only question I have is do you buy 2 of those or something - I saw one listing for what you described, but how did you end up at 244,000 - sorry if the question is obvious and I missed it. Still learning! @rickandcindy23

You can start with one contract, then buy others as you need more points. The points can be combined to give you the larger total to work with. But there are ways to stretch a contract by booking smartly. Don't overbuy - start with less, then add as needed, once you're completely certain you've maximized what you currently have.

Whereabouts are you located? WorldMark is a great points system, but is centered in the western part of the USA.

Glad you're finding Tug to be worth the trouble. This site is so big, and there is so much information, it can be like drinking from a firehose. But there is a TON of expertise here, from people who have lived the history they talk about. Do your research, take your time, and you'll sift through things until it will make better sense. The important thing to remember is there is no rush to buy anything. If you miss out on one purchase, a similar one will be along shortly. Timeshare resales aren't going anywhere.

Dave
 

vexter0944

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@DaveNV - thanks again as always! We live in Missouri if that helps. We generally travel by airfare (as in if we find a good flight from our airports were willing to drive to etc) - so no part of the country is somewhere we end up consistently if that helps.

One thing I thought about is just seeing if I can rent a timeshare when we find some airfare and see how that goes before buying anything.

I agree - there's no rush!
 

DaveNV

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@DaveNV - thanks again as always! We live in Missouri if that helps. We generally travel by airfare (as in if we find a good flight from our airports were willing to drive to etc) - so no part of the country is somewhere we end up consistently if that helps.

One thing I thought about is just seeing if I can rent a timeshare when we find some airfare and see how that goes before buying anything.

I agree - there's no rush!

Renting is certainly a viable way to go, especially if you aren't sure what you want to buy. The problem is one of timing. The best airfares are usually either at 330 days - basically eleven months out - or in very short-term timelines, like within the next few weeks. The best timeshares will be rented months in advance, or at the very, very last minute. So juggling airfare and accommodations that way can be tricky. It's an art form unto itself, and lots of people are very successful at it. If you're flexible, and stay focused, you can probably do quite well. But I agree, renting can be a good way to try out different systems and locations, and see what fits best. That's where I am right now.

I used to own Weeks timeshares at various places and in various systems. I eventually sold them all and went to Points, so I could book short stays, weekends, and single nights. Did that for a long time, and have just recently sold that off. So I'm a free agent at the moment, and renting will be my next phase, so I can test things out, and decide if or what I'd like to buy next. The challenges never end.

Timesharing can be a great way to increase your quality of life, but it takes effort to learn how to do it well.

Good luck!

Dave
 
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