HELP! Many questions!

[SunSandGirl]

We own 3 different contracts. The first one is 126k points on the odd year, the second one is 168k on the even year and the third is 168k on the odd year. First is at Governor's Green-Williamsburg, VA, second is at Atlantic City, NJ and third is at National Harbor, MD.
Last summer (August 2010) was the last purchase. I took my sister and niece to National Harbor and I really wasn't familiar with Wyndham's owner update scheme. My husband wasn't with me at the time, but they still tried to sell me more points. We were having financial difficulty and they said that we were paying the highest MF's out of all the resorts and it was due to go up. They said that National Harbor was going to have the lowest MF's b/c they have no grass, new resort, & retail stores/restaurant on ground level to help off set the fees. Sounded good to me! I was trying to save money on MF's. They said that I really needed to consolidate points, but couldn't b/c hubby wasn't along. Their solution was for me to purchase a contract to "lock in" the low rate & also before they sell out out, then come back with hubby and consolidate it all. We haven't been back yet, but are ready to do this very soon. They said to consolidate it all at National Harbor. Now I have heard from someone that we should consolidate it all to Bonnet Creek. WHAT SHOULD WE DO????
This anyway to find out which resorts have the lowest MF's?
Also, when we first purchased at Governor's Green they put us in II now I have been getting conflicting info as to whether we should stay with II or switch to RCI. Any thoughts on that? Very confused & frustrated!
Thanks!

 

[John P]

WHAT SHOULD WE DO????

First don't believe anything that the sale staff says. Second read everything on TUG about Wyndham. Third go to the Wyndham Owners Forum @ http://forums.atozed.com/ucp.php?mode=login&sid=07e8a8a89274ab08de3a063242e92753
register and start reading there. There is a primer on Wyndham and a spreadsheet on MFs for pretty much all of the Wyndham/Fairfield resorts with history going back to about 1994. Don't sign anything and, if you did sign something, rescind.

 

[SunSandGirl]

I think it is too late to rescind since the last time I signed something was Aug. 2010.
Thanks,
Tara E.

 

[ronparise]

You posted this same question on the wyndham owners forum. They have a spreadsheet available there with the mf for each resort. National Harbor and Bonnet Creek are both on the low side, but I think National Harbor is lower one. You might look at San Francisco too.

You said your purpose is to reduce your mf. You didnt mention a mortgage payment. Are you financing your purchases or paying cash?

Im betting that the total payment you are making to Wyndham has gotten larger since you started talking to their sales force, not smaller. Dont make it worse by buying more points.

 

[massvacationer]

If you are having financial difficulties, don't buy points directly from Wyndham. Period. The cost will be too much. Your best strategy is to use what you have - and if you can't afford the maintenance, perhaps start trying to give-away, what you have.

BTW , the blend of resorts that you now own produces average maintenance fees that are right in the middle of the range, so you are really okay as is. Don't meet with the sales team - as no good will come of it. Don't change your ownership (i.e. buy new points) just to shift from II to RCI, either (I'm sure the Sales folks will also try to use that to get you to make a purchase. Read a lot more on this forum.

 

[SunSandGirl]

You posted this same question on the wyndham owners forum. They have a spreadsheet available there with the mf for each resort. National Harbor and Bonnet Creek are both on the low side, but I think National Harbor is lower one. You might look at San Francisco too.

You said your purpose is to reduce your mf. You didnt mention a mortgage payment. Are you financing your purchases or paying cash?

Im betting that the total payment you are making to Wyndham has gotten larger since you started talking to their sales force, not smaller. Dont make it worse by buying more points.

Thanks! I found the MF chart. Now I am slightly more confused. Our first contract is completely paid off. (126k odd year use @ Gov. Green) The second one was refinanced onto a home equity loan along with an adoption. So it is paid off through Wyndham and we have the deed, but we are still paying for it on a home equity monthly loan payment. (168k even year use @ Atlantic City) and this last one is financed on them still with a monthly payment of 240.90. (168k odd year use @ National Harbor, MD-which I don't see on the MF spreadsheet, I guess because it is so new.) All of these were purchased from Wyndham and sales field.
I feel so stupid after reading everything online now. I feel like I was double dooped! The Atlantic City one was presented to us using some of the tactics that they speak of in the lawsuit against Wyndham. The "owner declined" and he told us that the one contract that was an odd year was only meant to be a starter. Then he told us that Atlantic City was a buy back type of thing that they had just gotten and that it was a really good one to own b/c it was ocean front etc. Then he said he was throwing in some bonus points from "HIS" discretionary account.
Then this last one was done at an owner update and I really wasn't in the right frame of mind. My husband had just lost his job and was in need of going into a 30 day treatment center. They played on my weakness and told me that I was paying the highest MF's out of all of the resorts and that I should consolidate contracts. They told me to purchase & come back later with my husband and then we would consolidate it all into one contract for National Harbor, MD because maintence fee's were low and would stay low because they had no grass to mow, retail stores on ground level that would share in the cost, & new resort not needing anything new for awhile....which all made sense.
If you can't trust the sales staff then how can you trust any of the information???
Right now we are paying Wyndham $109.49/month for MF's on all 3 contracts, but remember these aren't annual contracts.
Thanks so much for all responses!
Tara E.

 

[SunSandGirl]

and this last one is financed on them still with a monthly payment of 240.90. (168k odd year use @ National Harbor, MD-which I don't see on the MF spreadsheet, I guess because it is so new.) All of these were purchased from Wyndham and sales field.

And not to mention that I told them my husband had just lost his job and we weren't sure how we were going to pay for anything and they told me to just write down what he used to make annually. So....they told me to LIE on my application!
Tara E.

 

[ronparise]

So to get your maintenance fee down, you committed to an additional eoy contract (more fees plus a mortgage) so now you are paying Wyndham $350 a month plus the equity line

I would say you are stuck, but recently I have heard of folks telling Wyndham that they cant continue, that the sales person lied to them, or told them to lie on the application and Wyndham has taken contracts back I cant tell you who to talk to but I know this has happened

I dont know your financial situation beyond what you have said here, but it doesn't sound like you can comfortable handle over $4000 a year for your vacations. Id get on the phone to Wyndham and keep at it until you find someone to listen. My goal would be to get them to take back at least the National Harbor deal. Id let them know that if they dont you will stop paying for the whole mess. let them know (whether its true or not) that you are speaking to a bankruptcy attorney. ask for the person in Wyndham that your attorney needs to speak with...Thats who you need to talk to.

 

[massvacationer]

OP
Sorry for your situation - sounds like the salesperson was disgustingly unscrupulous to say the least.

 

[am1]

How was the future consolidation explained to you? Did you get any of that in writing?

This should be a good warning to people to not attend owner update meetings or whatever they are disguised as unless you want to buy retail. The sales people are very good at what they do.

 

[rrlongwell]

How was the future consolidation explained to you? Did you get any of that in writing?

This should be a good warning to people to not attend owner update meetings or whatever they are disguised as unless you want to buy retail. The sales people are very good at what they do.

A buy another timeshare and we will reduce the total monthly maintance fee is not an uncommon sales pitch at Wyndham. When I went through the numbers, it was never true.

 

[SunSandGirl]

How was the future consolidation explained to you? Did you get any of that in writing?

That they would buy back my other 2 contracts and issue all the points in National Harbor because their MF's were lower.

I did not get anything in writing, but I did get both my sales lady & the manager's cards.

 

[JimMIA]

As I understand your situation, it's very doubtful whether you have actually purchased the National Harbour countract yet, because you and your husband have not completed the paperwork. If that's the case, it may not be too late to get out of that deal and you should certainly do so.

Real estate laws vary greatly from state to state, but I think if you contract Wyndham member administration and explain that your husband has never signed and that the sales personnel told you to falsify the credit application after being told your husband was unemployed, I'd bet they'll let you cancel with no penalty. Not only did they falsify the credit application, but they probably also falsified the mortgage documents in order to get the deal financed. That's fraud, and I'd bet Wyndham will let you out of that contract.

If you have used any of those NH points, you may have to pay something, but other than that I think you may be able to get a full refund of everything you've paid in.

I would try that first, and if that doesn't work, possibly talk to an attorney who is familiar with the timeshare sales laws and regs in Maryland. Or contact the police there in Maryland and file a complaint. It's sometimes amazing what a simple "courtesy call" from a police agency will shake loose!

Good luck.

 

[SunSandGirl]

As I understand your situation, it's very doubtful whether you have actually purchased the National Harbour countract yet, because you and your husband have not completed the paperwork.

They put my name only on this contract/deed.

We have several weeks booked for this summer with the points and I kind of like the VIP status.

I know other people on here say they don't think VIP is worth it, but we have taken a lot of long weekend trips in the past and we always run out of housekeeping credits. With VIP you don't have a limit on housekeeping credits. Plus I didn't have to pay for any of my guest confirmations last year and I was able to upgrade the units for my guests too.

 

[SunSandGirl]

On a totally different note...I just signed up to be a TUG member. How do I change it from guest to TUG memember?

 

[Shelbyd95]

I always thought that if you are married, both you and your spouse must attend.

My husband and I went to two of the owners updates last year alone (even though we explain to them that my MIL owns the timeshare) We go and then meet with the salesperson and then of course they send their manager along. We bore them with how we can't even use all the points my MIL has and once they are totally drained, we ask if we used up enough time to collect our "prize"....they usually give us some paper with some "fantastic" last chance deal (not!) to consider and then we leave and collect our stipend. My husband actually enjoys those things...me...not so much.

 

[Karen G]

On a totally different note...I just signed up to be a TUG member. How do I change it from guest to TUG memember?

Scroll down about midway to Part II of this post to find out how to change your status from guest to member.

 

[JimMIA]

They put my name only on this contract/deed.

I'm pretty sure that would not be legally-binding in Florida. I don't know what the law is in Maryland.

However, you don't want to get rid of the contract anyway, so the legalities don't matter.

 

[rrlongwell]

I'm pretty sure that would not be legally-binding in Florida. I don't know what the law is in Maryland.

However, you don't want to get rid of the contract anyway, so the legalities don't matter.

VIP status is nice but not essiential. The savings do not come in a financial context. They come in getting more rooms at less points than non-VIP status. If you like the VIP status the above may sound harsh, but value is the eye of the beholder. I enjoy the use and VIP status. I also have many more points than I can ever use for at least five years. I do not regret it.

 

[JimMIA]

If you like the VIP status the above may sound harsh, but value is the eye of the beholder.

If my comments above seemed harsh to the OP, I apologize -- they certainly were not intended that way.

My original impression of OP's situation was that she was trying to get out of the contract, and I was suggesting that she might be able to because of the misrepresentations they used against her. However, her later comments indicate that she's pleased with her membership, so I was just saying any legal alternatives she might have are irrelevant as long as she's happy.

 

[SunSandGirl]

So to get your maintenance fee down, you committed to an additional eoy contract (more fees plus a mortgage) so now you are paying Wyndham $350 a month plus the equity line

I would say you are stuck, but recently I have heard of folks telling Wyndham that they cant continue, that the sales person lied to them, or told them to lie on the application and Wyndham has taken contracts back I cant tell you who to talk to but I know this has happened

I dont know your financial situation beyond what you have said here, but it doesn't sound like you can comfortable handle over $4000 a year for your vacations. Id get on the phone to Wyndham and keep at it until you find someone to listen. My goal would be to get them to take back at least the National Harbor deal. Id let them know that if they dont you will stop paying for the whole mess. let them know (whether its true or not) that you are speaking to a bankruptcy attorney. ask for the person in Wyndham that your attorney needs to speak with...Thats who you need to talk to.

So I called Wyndham on Friday and spent several hours on the phone with owner relations explaining how National Harbor was presented to me and how they told me to lie on the financial contract. I forgot the advice about threatening the lawyer part so maybe I will give it one more go with that and see what they say. I talked with several people on Friday and the last one gave me these suggestions to get out of the contract.
1. Sell the timeshare
2. Give it away
3. Donate it

I told her that wouldn't make any sense because there is no way I would be able to sell it for what I owe on it and I would still need to pay my $240.90 a month on something that I didn't even have. I said why would I do that?????

 

[SunSandGirl]

They put my name only on this contract/deed.

We have several weeks booked for this summer with the points and I kind of like the VIP status.

I know other people on here say they don't think VIP is worth it, but we have taken a lot of long weekend trips in the past and we always run out of housekeeping credits. With VIP you don't have a limit on housekeeping credits. Plus I didn't have to pay for any of my guest confirmations last year and I was able to upgrade the units for my guests too.

Ohhhh, and as it turns out I will be losing my VIP status next year anyway b/c I am only VIP due to the bonus points they gave me when I purchased at National Harbor.

That is what made me decide to try and get out of the National Harbor contract.

I wish I knew about TUG and resale a long, long, time ago!!!!

 

[rrlongwell]

The Better Buisness Bureau of Central Flordia handles all complaints against Wyndham Vaction Resorts and Wyndham Vacation Ownership. You may want to file with them. Sometimes Wyndham does resolve these complaint. If not, then the consolation prize is that you have recorded their sales tactics for a three year period.

You may also want talk to a bankrupcy attorney, if all of your real assests are in both your husband and your name and this contract is not. Bankrupcy may be an option.