New to TS...Just put down a deposit for WKORVN from the developer. Yikes!!!

[jarta]

broadwayblue, ... "Could it be your 3rd, 4th or 5th purchase? If you bought 4 resales and then a 5th from SVO, would they retro the first 4? I like the sound of Starwood Platinum (much better benefits than my Gold status.) I don't need the Starpoints that badly (I do quite well with my SPG Amex spending) but the idea of real upgrades at Starwood hotels is very attractive to me."

LisaRex (above) is correct: 1 purchase from Starwood; only 1 retro permitted.

And, everything Lisa says later in her post is also true.

Almost everything about the SVO Elite program is at the whim of Starwood. If the timeshare system is sold off and the hotels are kept, it is very doubtful that any Elite system for timeshare owners will survive. Starwood, like every large company, does what it feels is best for its shareholders. It can be pretty reptilian. But, IMO, it seems very well run. So, you pay your money and you take your chances. I bit!

I wanted to be 5 Star Elite. I got to 5 Star Elite last September. So far (and it's only been 6 months), it's been everything I wanted.

But, it cost me a 6-figure bundle of money since all my purchases are in Platinum season and that includes a re-sale 3-br Platinum at Harborside. My annual MF are just about $6K. I have the equivalent of 8 weeks of vacation in Platinum season each year. With the number of weeks I have, I have maximum flexibility within the SVO system and seasons, can bring friends and family along on trips and I have the ability to wait until October 1 to dump unused weeks into the starpoint system for use at hotels. (Copenhagen in June.)

So, given the expense and the "ifs," it's not for everyone. Re-read Lisa's post. She makes some very good points.

But, whatever you decide to do, do not overspend or overcommit in this economic environment. Currently, there are plenty of bargains out there. Decide well where your money will be needed. ... eom

 

[Holysmoke]

Honestly we were not looking to do another TS presentation. We were walking in Lahaina when a guy working at an activities desk asked us if we needed to get our parking validated. In fact we did, and he took care of that for us. He then asked us if we were planning any activities during our stay in Maui. We mentioned that we had just arrived the day before, and asked if he had any recommendations. He mentioned a few that were popular, and we enquired about a show and a snorkel cruise. He then told us the price, but also informed us that we could get a significantly better price if we agreed to stop by for breakfast at a Sands of Kahana where they would discuss various Disney vacation properties. I didn't fully realize that it was going to be a formal TS presentation until I looked at the bottom of the receipt I signed, which stated something to the effect of "This is a TS offer."

I did consider cancelling the whole thing at that point, having just had the SVO presentation/purchase/recission just days prior, but decided to deal with it as it was scheduled for 8am, and wouldn't ruin the whole day. To play devils advocate with you, should I simply have told him that we would rather skip the presentation and pay full price? Just curious. Seems like everyone involved on the TS side is doing the best they can to lure you into their trap, using lies, deception and slight of hand...yet we're supposed to be considerate of their time?

Anyway, we showed up at 8am as scheduled. They were welcoming a bunch of others just like us, as well as conducting an "owners update". Turns out the "breakfast" was a single tray of fruit slices and some drinks. At that point, rather than waste their time I decided to be up front with our sales guy, figuring he'd rather move on to easier prey than waste an hour or two with us. So I actually thought I was doing the honorable thing, even though it did also free up more of my time in the process.

fight fire with fire. scumbag TS salesmen deserve all the trouble they get.

how many families have they destroyed financially?