New Mandatory Resale Owner

[travelhacker]

I just got access to my Vistana Account and I'm really excited to own in the VSN.

I know it's late in the year, but the previous owner didn't use their 2021 week, when it transferred it looks like the 2021 week as well as the points are gone.

I read through the stickies and it was a bit ambiguous (to me) regarding what would happen with 2021 points. It sounded like they would be lost upon transfer, so I was prepared for that. I was hoping at the very least I could deposit to interval, but won't be disappointed if that doesn't happen.

It looks like the interval account hasn't been set up, but I know with SDO, as long as I deposit before the end of the year, I am good to go.

A couple of questions:

1) If the previous owner didn't use the 2021 week, should I have it available?
2) If the 2021 usage shows up in the account (I know this has happened with other ownership), when would I need to make bookings by? Would I need to stay before the end of 2021?

Thanks!

 

[rad.travel.dad]

You won’t have access to any unused points from the current use year when receiving an account via transfer. The previous owner would have had to use the points for a stay, at this point, you’ll just have your points for 2022.

 

[travelhacker]

You won’t have access to any unused points from the current use year when receiving an account via transfer. The previous owner would have had to use the points for a stay, at this point, you’ll just have your points for 2022.

Thanks!

Do you know if the previous owner would have access to it?

They were great to work with and I'd be shocked if she wouldn't let me book something if I covered the expenses.

 

[rad.travel.dad]

Thanks!

Do you know if the previous owner would have access to it?

They were great to work with and I'd be shocked if she wouldn't let me book something if I covered the expenses.

Unfortunately, they don't. When the transfer goes through, the points just disappear if they aren't already used. If it was their only Vistana contract that they sold/transferred to you, then they won't have any booking access any longer anyway.

The only option that I'm still not clear if it even really works would have been to book a reservation before the contract transferred and then ideally, the reservation would have transferred to you but I've yet to hear a confirmed 100% that this works every time.

I had this exact same thing happen in a Vistana contract I purchased second-hand and the points from the first year were just a wash... Enjoy your new ownership!

 

[travelhacker]

Unfortunately, they don't. When the transfer goes through, the points just disappear if they aren't already used. If it was their only Vistana contract that they sold/transferred to you, then they won't have any booking access any longer anyway.

The only option that I'm still not clear if it even really works would have been to book a reservation before the contract transferred and then ideally, the reservation would have transferred to you but I've yet to hear a confirmed 100% that this works every time.

I had this exact same thing happen in a Vistana contract I purchased second-hand and the points from the first year were just a wash... Enjoy your new ownership!

Thanks so much.

I think this is my last question. If I were to close on a contract in 2021 that transfers in 2022. Are those 2022 points lost?

 

[rad.travel.dad]

Thanks so much.

I think this is my last question. If I were to close on a contract in 2021 that transfers in 2022. Are those 2022 points lost?

That I don't know, maybe someone else has experience on this...

I would ask Vistana support on this or see what happens and challenge it if it does happen since you officially "closed" in 2021.

When I purchased (granted that was July 2020...), me closing and getting access to VSN happened fairly quickly so it would be pretty coincidental if that were to happen like a week apart and that week happened to be week 52/53 of 2021! Fingers crossed that doesn't happen for you but if it does, I would have a pretty stern phone call in to Vistana ASAP.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Did you buy Kierland? I am considering that for me, so that is why I ask.

 

[travelhacker]

Did you buy Kierland? I am considering that for me, so that is why I ask.

Yep. I did. I’m very pleased with it.

I’m really surprised that a current use year doesn’t transfer. I can see banked points not transferring, but if you buy in January, you could potentially reimburse for dues that you may not get to actually use.

 

[rad.travel.dad]

Yep. I did. I’m very pleased with it.

I’m really surprised that a current use year doesn’t transfer. I can see banked points not transferring, but if you buy in January, you could potentially reimburse for dues that you may not get to actually use.

I don’t know that that wording is technically correct… basically when you buy a resale contract, consider that you’re going to lose one use year’s worth of points UNLESS the previous owner uses the points for themselves or for you… so when you engage an owner to purchase, you could have them book you a stay, go use that stay, and then file for the transfer and no points would be lost.

If the transfer itself happens in January, you wouldn’t have much of an option, however, so again, just consider a years worth of points lost into your purchase price. Now, for a transfer happening in January, Vistana also won’t allow for access to be had and closing to be completed until the maintenance fees are due so who becomes responsible for those fees? That’s up to you and the seller.

If I ever do purchase resale again, I’ll be sure to take the timing into account!

 

[travelhacker]

I don’t know that that wording is technically correct… basically when you buy a resale contract, consider that you’re going to lose one use year’s worth of points UNLESS the previous owner uses the points for themselves or for you… so when you engage an owner to purchase, you could have them book you a stay, go use that stay, and then file for the transfer and no points would be lost.

If the transfer itself happens in January, you wouldn’t have much of an option, however, so again, just consider a years worth of points lost into your purchase price. Now, for a transfer happening in January, Vistana also won’t allow for access to be had and closing to be completed until the maintenance fees are due so who becomes responsible for those fees? That’s up to you and the seller.

If I ever do purchase resale again, I’ll be sure to take the timing into account!

Thanks this is great advice!

I had read and reread the stickies several times and wasn’t sure what was going to happen so I was prepared for the possibility.

Could you have an owner make a reservation and then cancel that reservation? Or is it something that I would need to use?

I bought a smaller 1 bedroom at WKV since it seems to have the lowest cost per staroption in maintenance fees of the mandatory weeks. Since we have 3 kids, it’s a little tricky, but doable to get a week reservation with the 67100 staroptions.

 

[rcv82]

Having made a few resale purchases in the past, here is my experience for same year usage:

- The prior owner had home resort weeks booked in the current use year.

- Those weeks transferred to me. He put my name in the reservation, but I’m not sure if that mattered.

- I was able to cancel and rebook once I had ownerships. I used one week reserved by the prior owner and changed the other week.

Again, these were both home usage weeks, not unused StarOptions. And this purchase was early in the year.


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[Tucsonadventurer]

Thanks this is great advice!

I had read and reread the stickies several times and wasn’t sure what was going to happen so I was prepared for the possibility.

Could you have an owner make a reservation and then cancel that reservation? Or is it something that I would need to use?

I bought a smaller 1 bedroom at WKV since it seems to have the lowest cost per staroption in maintenance fees of the mandatory weeks. Since we have 3 kids, it’s a little tricky, but doable to get a week reservation with the 67100 staroptions.

Congratulations, we love our Kierland week and have used it exclusively for Hawaii so far. Enjoy!

 

[wtrjock]

When I purchased 2 SVV resales I was able to use both to vacation in the same year. Great Laguamar trip for free! The previous owner paid the maintenance fees but never used the staroptions. All the banked staroptions were lost and the previous owner lost access to them since they only owned those 2 weeks.

Basically, if the maintenance fees are paid for 2021, you get to use the staroptions, but they will expire on 12/31/21.

 

[travelhacker]

When I purchased 2 SVV resales I was able to use both to vacation in the same year. Great Laguamar trip for free! The previous owner paid the maintenance fees but never used the staroptions. All the banked staroptions were lost and the previous owner lost access to them since they only owned those 2 weeks.

Basically, if the maintenance fees are paid for 2021, you get to use the staroptions, but they will expire on 12/31/21.

That’s what’s strange. They didn’t bank and they aren’t there.

 

[wtrjock]

That happened to us too. We own at WKOR first. The SVVs did show in my account. I had to call Vistana, and they figured it all out. Took another call to get them to show in Interval....such a pain, but worth the money for resale!

 

[travelhacker]

So is everyone in agreement that banked staroptions don’t transfer but current use year staroptions should transfer? If so I’ll give them a call.

@wtrjock how long after the transfer did it take to get the interval account?

 

[dioxide45]

Current year StarOptions only transfer IF you were granted 2021 usage in the contract. I had this happen with our first resale purchase. There were still some current year StarOptions available. The seller had used some of them but not all. I bought with the contract stipulating that I got first use the following year. I called Vistana to see if they could be banked (back before you could bank online) and they said I didn't get usage until the next year. They then removed the StarOptions from my account. The prior owner didn't get them back either. They were simply gone.

 

[tomvc]

It's depends on your purchase agreement. Does it say first usage is in 2021 or 2022?

 

[travelhacker]

The purchase agreement states that I begin usage in 2021. I'll give Vistana a call. I really dread calling in these types of situations, because it usually takes multiple attempts to find an agent that understands these nuances.

Since I knew it would be close to the deadline, I was planning on just depositing to Interval. If I get this cleared up, I just have to deposit before December 31st, is that correct?

 

[tomvc]

Yes, but you can only deposit a full week into II. If the StarOptions were partially used, then you can only deposit the lock-off side that hasn't been used.

 

[dioxide45]

You would also need to have the II account setup to deposit. That should happen within a few weeks, but it does usually take a little time.

 

[intrepid18]

Yep. I did. I’m very pleased with it.

I’m really surprised that a current use year doesn’t transfer. I can see banked points not transferring, but if you buy in January, you could potentially reimburse for dues that you may not get to actually use.

I bought Kierland earlier this year (April close) and the current year’s points transferred. I have 3 WKV resales and am very happy with them.

 

[Kimberly614]

My current year staroptions have transferred on all my resales (SVV Bella) and current use year week on SDO (all stipulated in contract).

 

[travelhacker]

I thought I'd update everyone and hopefully this will clear things up for others.

Current use year does transfer as many of you have mentioned. However, it does need to be part of the sales agreement, and is part of the information that is sent by the closing company to Vistana.

I emailed Vistana and they told me to follow-up with the transfer company (I used LT).

LT Transfers made a mistake on a form and selected that the usage would begin in 2022 even though the sales contract stated that usage would begin in 2021. LT put in a request to ask Vistana to restore usage, but I haven't heard anything.

It would be a big bummer to lose out on a solid Interval deposit due to a mistake outside of my control.

Hoping for the best!

 

[dioxide45]

Good to know. The sales contract however should still stipulate first usage and that information from the sale contract should be utilized by the closing company when filling out the form for Vistana.