Mass Mailing To Worldmark Owners

[PA-]

I'm preparing to do a mass mailing to ALL worldmark owners, and am looking for help. The cost will be about 40 cents per owner for a 4 page brochure, and there are 230,000 owners.

If you would like to ...help..., let me know. All money will be given directly to the mailing house, this will not benefit me in any way. The only restrictions I have on the mailing is that I can't do it for commercial gain, and I can't defame Trendwest.

If you would like to sponsor a group of owners (100, 500, 1000?), let me know, and I'll give you details on how to send the money to the mailing house.

I have the ability to target specific cities, states or zip, so you can select who you advertise to or sponsor.

Together, we can make an impact in time for the election.

I've almost got the verbage for the brochure complete, and will post it when I do. Basically, it will outline the issues that are discussed here everyday, it will ask for proxies in order to elect independet candidates, and it will refer people to the www.wmowners.com forum for more information.

Email me if you're interested in participating.

 

[jefffudge]

YES, WE WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MAILING...CALL ME...JEFF FUDGE, RPMI REALTY, 800-844-8404, jeff@jkor.com, www.resort-property.com

 

[PerryM]

Great news

PA,

Good luck on this - hopefully it will go smoothly.

Some day you'll have to tell us how you got that list.

P.S.
Don't open any packages from TrendWest for the next couple of years. This is going to be all out war.

 

[Judy]

May I ask why you're requesting proxies rather than making suggestions about which independent candidate(s) to vote for?

 

[PA-]

May I ask why you're requesting proxies rather than making suggestions about which independent candidate(s) to vote for?

Excellent question. Here are the reasons:

1) If I ask all owners to vote for Jim, let's say that Jim gets 100,000 votes (far-fetched, but possible). That gets us one seat on the board.

However, what if I get 100,000 votes, and can elect both Jim and 1 other candidate, and we immediately have a majority of independent owners on the board.

Conversely, what if I enlist support for 2 candidates, and get a total of 50,000 votes split between the 2 candidates. They both lose to the incumbents, and we've gotten no closer to having an independent board. On the other hand, if I get 50,000 proxies, I could vote them all for 1 owner and get him/her elected.

2) We don't have a list of candidates yet, so how can I recommend one? By the time the candidates are announced, the proxy forms will be in people's hands and it may be too late.

3) Trendwest sees the results of the election as the votes come in, and can use their proxies to foil any candidate you vote for. However, my intent is to also see the results at the 11th hour and vote my proxies at the same time as Trendwest. I'm still working this issue with Trendwest and Computershare (the tabulating company). But this may allow us to hide from Trendwest who we will vote for. At the very least, that may force them to show their hand and cast 100% of their votes for the Trendwest candidates. The board would no longer be able to claim that they cast the proxies the way the popular vote goes.

So the bottom line is, no matter who I recommend, it's unlikely Trendwest will let them get elected. By asking for proxies, they may not know who I'll vote for, and may have a little less chance of foiling our wishes. Also, I'll be in a better position to decide whether to split the votes or cast them for 1 candidate.

Perhaps this year, it won't make a difference. But I plan to do this for as long as it takes to throw Trendwest off the Worldmark BOD, and as more and more owners get the message from multiple mailings, the greater the chance the proxies will get done what we've failed to do with the vote.

 

[cotraveller]

Hey Philip, how about listing my WorldMark blog in your brochure? I also have some wishes for WorldMark.

 

[PA-]

Hey Philip, how about listing my WorldMark blog in your brochure? I also have some wishes for WorldMark.

I'm sure you do. How bout if you start a thread asking for donations for your ideas (whatever they are). That'll decide whether they're supported by enough owners to justify mailing costs.

 

[cotraveller]

Ok, send money everyone. Cash, check, money order, paypal, all forms accepted.

 

[PA-]

Thank you to those who have pledged money.

After Trendwest got wind of this post, they sent an email saying they wouldn't provide the list if I have advertisers. So until that issue is resolved, I want to hear from individuals (not advertisers) who will sponsor mailings to other owners. After it's resolved, I'll respond to those of you who wanted to advertise.

 

[Bill4728]

WMowners.com has a FAQ about gift cert. that WM sells. The section has an interesting idea of getting gift cert. instead of renting credits when you want to do a vacation with other family members.

One small corrections to the page is that the cost is "dollar per credit" not "cents per credit". $740/14000 credits is 5.28 cents or .0528 dollars/ credit on the site it listed as .0528 cent/credit.

 

[roadsister]

PA,

Questions:

Have you received written OK by legal regarding proxies? (I would hate to have people tell another owner to let them vote for them and then find it isn't legal - their vote would be wasted. We cannot assume here that it would be ok.)

I know that before passing off their vote or deciding WHO to vote for an owner would want to wait until they can read every candidate's statement and assess which one they think would make the best board member. This does not allow them to do that....they must go with who you pick....while I agree with some of your suggestions sometimes, some of them are SO radical that people on other forums question your motives.

Also, you are a WM timeshare/credit resaler so this would also benefit you, correct?

Informed owners need to know....

 

[LLW]

WMowners.com has a FAQ about gift cert. that WM sells. The section has an interesting idea of getting gift cert. instead of renting credits when you want to do a vacation with other family members.

One small corrections to the page is that the cost is "dollar per credit" not "cents per credit". $740/14000 credits is 5.28 cents or .0528 dollars/ credit on the site it listed as .0528 cent/credit.

WM has discontinued selling gift certificates. That FAQ needs to be updated.

 

[PA-]

PA,

Questions:

Have you received written OK by legal regarding proxies? (I would hate to have people tell another owner to let them vote for them and then find it isn't legal - their vote would be wasted. We cannot assume here that it would be ok.)

I know that before passing off their vote or deciding WHO to vote for an owner would want to wait until they can read every candidate's statement and assess which one they think would make the best board member. This does not allow them to do that....they must go with who you pick....while I agree with some of your suggestions sometimes, some of them are SO radical that people on other forums question your motives.

Also, you are a WM timeshare/credit resaler so this would also benefit you, correct?

Informed owners need to know....

I have been working these issues for over a year. Yes, the proxy form has been modified to include a blank space to allow owner's to select any proxy agent they want, as long as it's another worldmark owner.

I can certainly ask for their proxy, and I think I gave some compelling reasons why it's preferable to even an informed vote for a specific candidate. I'm sure you're aware of the problem of splitting our votes for the many independent candidates. If they choose to wait, and make an informed vote, amen.

The whole thing about proxies is that the owners DO give up their right to choose for themselves. I know this seems odd to you and me, but last year approximately 50% of the votes were by proxy. So whether we feel it's odd or not, it's reality. I guess it comes down to whether the voters trust the Trendwest dominated board or an independent owner who they may know little or nothing about. We'll see.

I'm not aware of radical suggestions. Certainly, this can't be considered radical. An owner contacting other owners to recommend the management company not be allowed to oversee the management company seems pretty consistent with American, capitalistic, and free market ideals to me.

As for being a reseller, what makes you believe that? It isn't true.

 

[PerryM]

100% support from me

As someone who does not see “eye to eye” with PA on some subjects I congratulate him for doing what no one else was able to do – get TW to cough up the WM owner’s list.

PA has my 100% support and anything I can do to help he has. I will sponsor owners and do what ever it takes to make this happen.

Let’s give Philip the time it takes to work out the bugs and offer him support anyway possible.

 

[PA-]

...
Also, you are a WM timeshare/credit resaler so this would also benefit you, correct?

...

Anyway, what the heck kind of question is that? The way it's worded, it sounds like you're thinking all of this I've done has benefitted me financially. My efforts at cleaning up the Worldmark board have cost my family many thousands of dollars in real expenses and lost revenue.

On the other hand, Trendwest, who is a BIG time seller of worldmark credits and has a HUGE financial stake, controls the Worldmark Board of Directors, and you can bet they DO benefit from this inside dealing.

Jeez.

 

[cotraveller]

Philip, you ran for the WorldMark Board of Directors last year. As you stated the candidates have not been announced yet this year. When asked if you are running this year you have declined to answer. Are you running this year? Do you intend to run again sometime in the future? I believe those are valid questions to ask an individual who is soliciting proxies.

 

[ngray]

Congratulations Philip on accomplishing a difficult feat. And thanks for the continued effort on behalf of WM owners.
wmowners.com will be providing a place for you to post your intent and answer questions if there are any.
Good luck in this endeavor
Nena

 

[PA-]

Philip, you ran for the WorldMark Board of Directors last year. As you stated the candidates have not been announced yet this year. When asked if you are running this year you have declined to answer. Are you running this year? Do you intend to run again sometime in the future? I believe those are valid questions to ask an individual who is soliciting proxies.

If I felt you had a need or right to know, or had done or would do anything constructive for worldmark, or with the information, I would have answered you previously. I have great respect for your well articulated perspectives on the issues, but I don't agree with you, so I have no inclination to confide in you. I'm certain that you would do anything to impede my efforts or make me look bad, if you could. I've not solicitated proxies yet.

 

[ngray]

Congratulations Philip on accomplishing a difficult feat. And thanks for the continued effort on behalf of WM owners.
wmowners.com will be providing a place for you to post your intent and answer questions if there are any.
Good luck in this endeavor
Nena

Oh I forgot to add.........all those who bought resale, raise your hand......
Nope I can't! Well that's not entirely true cause once or twice I upgraded with TW before I understood I was buying resale credits.....:ignore:

 

[ladycody]

I am sure that prior to actually soliciting proxies Philip will announce whether he intends to run or not....he's not out to pull the wool over anyone's eyes.

My personal opinion is that, even if Philip does announce that he is running, he would use the proxies to get either:

* 2 independents on the board if possible(unlikely to happen), or... failing that
* to try and ensure that at least 1 made it on board...and I believe he would honestly throw every last one of those votes at Jim or whomever had the best chance...even if he were in the race.

I firmly believe that his primary goal is to get an independent on board...and that for him to be that person is truly secondary in the grand scheme of things. If assigning the proxies to himself would lower the chances of another, more well positioned, independent candidate to get on the BOD...he'd never do it. It will be a leap of faith for those who choose to assign proxies...but so is handing them over to the board...

 

[skim118]

I applaud PA for taking the initiative & will happily support a fellow owner over Trendwest employees & their band of "yes-men" in Worldmark BOD.

I will financially support your mailing effort.

I am also disturbed by the fairly rude reponses you are already getting :annoyed:

 

[PA-]

I applaud PA for taking the initiative & will happily support a fellow owner over Trendwest employees & their band of "yes-men" in Worldmark BOD.

I will financially support your mailing effort.

I am also disturbed by the fairly rude reponses you are already getting :annoyed:

Thanks Skim, email me with how many mailings you want to pay for, and I'll provide the details. The money will not go to me, I don't want any questions about that, it will go straight to the mailing house that Trendwest has selected.

 

[roadsister]

I ...will happily support a fellow owner over Trendwest employees....

That is good to hear...I believe there will be 7 or 8 fellow owners running - I will become an educated owner before I vote for anyone.

FYI

1 board member - WM owner - non-paid position
1 board member - WM owner, works only for Worldmark the club - non-paid position
1 board member - retired and a WM owner - non-paid position
1 board member - WM owner, works for TW - paid by TW
1 board member - WM owner, works in South Pacific sister company - paid by TW

They are ALL Worldmark Owners...........I can't think of a reason to screw themselves

Do I think the board never makes mistakes..no...NO timeshare is flawless.

 

[kapish]

Re: Mass Mailing To Worldmark Owners > Go Philip!

I ...will happily support a fellow owner over Trendwest employees....

Me too.

Philip, you can expect an email from me shortly with my pledge. Then you can send me the details of the mailing house. Thanks again for your hard work. Let's get independent Worldmark owners elected to the board!!

 

[myip]

You may want to check on mailing the doc in bulk. It may be cheaper than 40 cent each. 230000 mail = $92,000. That is a lot of money.