new TS owner , not sure if I did OK

[2959tahoe]

Just got back from FL and visted Vistana Villages. We stayed in the Amelia Phase and loved the facility. When I got home I was researching and came upon this site. I saw a lot of talk about voluntary and mandatory and not sure what the difference is. Bought in the High season 2 bedroom Biennial floating unit for 8 in the Bella 67100 staroptions and 22 starpoints and 50000 starpoints incentive. paid a total of 12,050. any thoughts

 

[clsmit]

Welcome! Read the stickies at the top of the forum and that should help explain the Starwood system. Mandatory and Voluntary have to do with the treatment of StarOptions on resale of the property from one person to another (not the developer/Starwood to a person).

The timeshares in Orlando are a lot cheaper resale, so if that's where you want to go a lot of the time you can get something much cheaper elsewhere. If you want to go within the Starwood system and not just to Orlando, you might want to rescind your purchase, do some research, and purchase at another location that gives you more flexibility with more StarOptions.

Others on this board might also suggest that you rescind your purchase, if you're still within the recision period, so that you can take some time to make a more informed decision. The lure of the timeshare salesguy is very strong, and getting away from it can give you some perspective.

Good luck!

 

[falmouth3]

Yes, if you can still rescind, please read your contract and follow the directions exactly. Don't talk to your salesman or ask him for advice. He or she will try to talk you out of rescinding. Then take a look at eBay. If you can't rescind, don't go to eBay.

Stay here and learn how to make the most of timesharing.

Welcome.

Sue

 

[capjak]

I will be the first to say "Rescind"

For less you can buy this http://cgi.ebay.com/SHERATON-VISTAN...ryZ15897QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

or this
http://cgi.ebay.com/2BR-SHERATON-OR...ryZ15897QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

(of course you do not get to trade for starwood hotel stays) but you do get the other benefits (i.e. trade within starwood timeshares and outside via II)



I agree that the Orlando resort is very nice just stayed there this summer had a blast.

 

[gmarine]

Rescind, Rescind, Rescind. Oh, and btw, RESCIND. Buy resale and save thousands.

 

[LisaRex]

The only real advantage that you get from buying from the developer is the ability to use your StarOptions to trade to another property within SVN. However, you're not getting a lot of SOs to work with. The most 67,100 StarOptions will get you is a studio during platinum season in most other locations. (See the StarOptions Chart in the sticky above)

While 12k isn't a huge amount of money to pay, you can buy an EOY platinum 2 bdrm villa at Westin Kierland for the same or less. Why Westin Kierland? Because it's a mandatory resort, which means that SVN membership transfers to resale buyers so you can use StarOptions to trade to other SVN properties. In other words, you get most of the benefits of buying from the developer for a fraction of the cost! And if you buy platinum season, you'll get 148,100 StarOptions, which will give you a LOT more flexibility.

For instance, armed with 148,100 StarOptions, you can:

Trade into Amelia and get a 3 bdrm in platinum season for 139,700 SOs.
Trade into Amelia and get two 2-bdrms in gold season for 134,200 SOs.
Trade into a 2 bdrm in Cancun or Hawaii during platinum season for 148,100 SOs.
Trade into a 2 bdrm in Amelia during gold season and a studio in Arizona during platinum season for 148,100 SOs.
Trade into a 1 bdrm premium in Amelia during gold season and a 1 bdrm in Hawaii during platinum season for 125,000 SOs.

WKV platinum will also be a lot stronger trader if you ever want to venture out into II.

So, buying resale gives you two great alternatives:

You can buy a resale at Amelia for far less money and enjoy your biannual visit to Orlando.
OR
You can buy a resale at a mandatory resort such as Westin Kierland for the same amount of money and have a wide variety of options open to you in the future.

P.S. Welcome to TUG!!

 

[AwayWeGo]

Rescinda-Sinda-Sinda.

Get out of it while you still can.

Then buy the same thing -- or the equivalent, or something even better -- on the secondary market, for thousands less.

Keep in mind that there is no such thing as a new timeshare no matter how much you pay.

By the time you show up & check in, all timeshares are used-used-used no matter how much the timeshare company charges you.

So therefore, why ever pay the new full-freight price for a product that's no such thing?

Buy timeshares resale.

Save $10,000 (or more).

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[pointsjunkie]

the purchase was in the bella section so it is mandatory so the staroptions will be transferred if sold.

 

[DeniseM]

Welcome to TUG!

As the others have posted, you can buy this for a fraction of the cost on the resale market. You should rescind immediately - here's how: Rescinding

You only have a few days to do this, so don't delay.

 

[2959tahoe]

new owner , not sure how I did

I just wanted to thank all of you who responded. I was able to cancel and decided to read alot more about TS and even decided to join. Thanks for your advice.

 

[DeniseM]

I just wanted to thank all of you who responded. I was able to cancel and decided to read alot more about TS and even decided to join. Thanks for your advice.

Good for you! And you came to the right place to learn more about timesharing!

After you join, you will get an email that tells you how to change your status to "Member." It's a password that you have to add to your profile.

1) Click on User CP in the blue bar at the top of the page
2) Then click on Edit BBS Member code and
3) Type the password in the box.

 

[Toughbeat]

I just wanted to thank all of you who responded. I was able to cancel and decided to read alot more about TS and even decided to join. Thanks for your advice.

I'm also new at this ad would like to both welcome you and congratulate you on rescinding your TS purchase. In DENISE's previous post she gave a link on how to RESCIND....it was VERY informative and to think that just by reading here and benefitting from others' experience, one could literally save THOUSANDS of dollars!!!!!!!! (more than well worth the TUG membership!!)

It was also suggested that once rescinding, you should wait about 6 months, read up on TS ownership and then go ahead and buy. Very sage advice I will say...and if within the time you're taking to better inform yourself, you find the need to travel to some great TS resort, you can always rent one from these boards, Redweek.com, etc. All that information is also available here.

As I said, I'm new to this also, but had been reading these boards prior to my recent TS purchases. I feel because of TUG members, I'm already better informed than most TS buyers who take a resort TS tour and end up paying THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of $$$ for those "free" dinners or whatever incentives they give.

Soooo, good luck with your future TS purchase(s)! Don;t forget to check out some of the resale classifieds here or ebay for those deals.

 

[Toughbeat]

....just out of curiosity....did you tak to any representative/salesperson when you rescinded?....Just wondering what they may have had to say about it.

...I'm thinking one only needs to say something like, "I became a TUG member immediately after purchasing and now you can have your TS back!"

 

[DavidnRobin]

After you have researched and if you still decide that the Starwood System works for you and your family - then your decision on where to buy becomes very important and that depends on the type of resort and vaactions you want. As it stands now - unless you can only travel during Easter break (and similar high demand times) - then your decision becomes easier. If you need a resort like WSJ or HRA (or can only travel during paek times), then buy where you want to go (RESALE). If you are more flexible, then either buy a Mandatory resort (RESALE) if you want to use SVN which leaves you with SVV or WKV, or buy a cheaper Voluntary resort and exchange via II. Remembering however, that buying a V resort resale does not get you entry into SVN.

There is a lot too consider - but rescinding is a great start - many do not find TUG in time. Treat yourself to a nice vacation with all the $ you just saved.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Easier Said Than Done.

It was also suggested that once rescinding, you should wait about 6 months, read up on TS ownership and then go ahead and buy.

Good advice for sure, but not so easy to do once the imaginary light bulbs over our heads flash into illumination.

Once bitten by the bug, it's very hard not to scratch the itch.

Fortunately, buying resale timeshares for nickels pennies on the full-freight dollar means risking little if anything -- by contrast with tying up thousands of dollars for some timeshare company's "new" timeshare that's no such thing. (All timeshares are used-used-used by the time the new owner shows up & checks in.)

We tried to buy a (resale) timeshare within just a few days of catching on that "new" & "used" are meaningless in the timeshare biz. We came this close to buying a $6,500 2BR fixed week Orlando timeshare. When that fell through, we actually did some Internet research & discovered TUG & bought an even better floating 3BR lock-off Orlando timeshare for $3,500.

It took another 6 months or so for us to spring for an el cheapo 2BR far-off overseas timeshare, strictly for trades.

Two more years went by before we caught on to timeshare points solidly enough to spring for our dinky eBay points timeshare with our winning manually-sniped bid of $152.50.

With that we felt we were set for life on timeshares. That didn't stop us for buying another 3BR lock-off Orlando timeshare, EEY, when it virtually fell into our laps for next to nothing in 2006.

In addition to luxuriating in timeshare vacation accommodations for roughly Motel 6 & Super 8 rates, we enjoy timeshares & timeshare vicariously year-round via Internet -- mainly right here at TUG-BBS.

So hold off & study up if you must. But if you're just itching to get your own bargain-basement timeshare, why wait? Just pick a favored destination where you actually like to go, choose a timeshare resort you'll be happy with, & go for it -- resale, of course.

If I were the 1 taking an initial foray into the resale timeshare market soon after rescinding a full-freight timeshare purchase, I'd start by looking on eBay (etc.) for a resale unit at the same timeshare where I just did the rescission. If I liked it well enough to pay big bux for it, chances are I'll like it even more if I can get it el cheapo.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[DavidnRobin]

While Alan makes a great point - I tend to disagree somewhat when it comes to owning our SVO (Westin) VOIs - I just wrote in another thread that is probably more appropriate here...

How we make owning 5 1/2 SVO TSs work for us...
{because we are Westin 'Eliteists'... lol}

WKV 1Bd Prem/Plat (x2) - 81K SOs - Resale: Stay (great resort), Rent (covers MFs plus - 2x now), Exchange (low MFs)
WKORV OF Dlx 1Bd - 81K SOs - Resale: Stay only (paid premium, high MFs, unique TS, great resort)
WKORV OF Dlx Studio - 67.1K SOs - Resale: Rent (cover MFs - 3x now, unique studio), Stay (extend vacation by a week - unlikely since we can SVN exchange into WKORV), Exchange (unlikely)
WSJ 2Bd/3Ba - 2 weeks - 81K SOs - Resale: Stay and Travel with Friends (most likely - 3x now, great resort), Rent (cover MFs plus), and now exchange with increase in SOs (unlikely)
WPORV 1Bd - 81K SOs (EOY): Stay (most likely) - bought from SVO, but got lots of SPs and some other perks (requal, 3*), Rent? (unlikely), Exchange (nope), convert to SPs (nope)
WPORV studio - 67.1K SOs (EOY): Stay (likely), Travel w/ Friends (likely), Rent? (hard to know at this point), Exchange (nope), convert to SPs (nope)

yes - we did not spend pennies, nickels, or dimes... in fact we spent alot... however, we are very happy - especially when we are at these fabulous resorts - or using the rent money to cover MFs plus.

 

[RLOGO]

Just for comparison, I purchased my annual VV Bella section, 2 BR lockoff platinum season, 95700 annual staroptions for 13500.

 

[Politico]

Just for comparison, I purchased my annual VV Bella section, 2 BR lockoff platinum season, 95700 annual staroptions for 13500.

And I was just outbidded for the same property and points which auctioned for just under $8,000.

 

[James1975NY]

Rescind!

I am not sure if anyone else has told you this but I would rescind (I know that you already have):rofl:

 

[Toughbeat]

AWAYWEGO....

I fear that now that I've been reading these boards, I'm gonna understand this points system all too well and then run with it....hmmm maybe I too should self-impose a 6 month moratorium on ebay purchases.

 

[RLOGO]

And I was just outbidded for the same property and points which auctioned for just under $8,000.

Ouch!!!!!!!

 

[calgarygary]

The only real advantage that you get from buying from the developer is the ability to use your StarOptions to trade to another property within SVN. However, you're not getting a lot of SOs to work with. The most 67,100 StarOptions will get you is a studio during platinum season in most other locations. (See the StarOptions Chart in the sticky above)

As the OP stayed at Amelia but purchased Bella, that is not accurate. Bella is mandatory and the OP would have had the ability to have staroptions and trade within SVN if purchased resale.

While 12k isn't a huge amount of money to pay, you can buy an EOY platinum 2 bdrm villa at Westin Kierland for the same or less. Why Westin Kierland? Because it's a mandatory resort, which means that SVN membership transfers to resale buyers so you can use StarOptions to trade to other SVN properties. In other words, you get most of the benefits of buying from the developer for a fraction of the cost! And if you buy platinum season, you'll get 148,100 StarOptions, which will give you a LOT more flexibility.

For instance, armed with 148,100 StarOptions, you can:

Trade into Amelia and get a 3 bdrm in platinum season for 139,700 SOs.
Trade into Amelia and get two 2-bdrms in gold season for 134,200 SOs.
Trade into a 2 bdrm in Cancun or Hawaii during platinum season for 148,100 SOs.
Trade into a 2 bdrm in Amelia during gold season and a studio in Arizona during platinum season for 148,100 SOs.
Trade into a 1 bdrm premium in Amelia during gold season and a 1 bdrm in Hawaii during platinum season for 125,000 SOs.

WKV platinum will also be a lot stronger trader if you ever want to venture out into II.

So, buying resale gives you two great alternatives:

You can buy a resale at Amelia for far less money and enjoy your biannual visit to Orlando.
OR
You can buy a resale at a mandatory resort such as Westin Kierland for the same amount of money and have a wide variety of options open to you in the future.

P.S. Welcome to TUG!!

Both Bella and Key West in Vistana Villages are mandatory and available for much less than WKV but the mf is likely higher and the trading power lower if the OP wants to use II. The OP has to decide where they are going to travel the most and which is most important, lower original cost or lower ongoing costs/greater trading power.

OP, it's great that you found TUG in time and saved yourself thousands. Take your time getting a ts education and you will eventually find that ts that fits your needs and economics perfectly. BTW, I'm willing to bet that eBay is going to have a flood of timeshares this Dec./Jan. as the economy and mf combine to bring a perfect storm to the ts industry.

 

[LisaRex]

Both Bella and Key West in Vistana Villages are mandatory and available for much less than WKV but the mf is likely higher and the trading power lower if the OP wants to use II.

My point was that he should get the most SOs he can if he wants the most flexibility in trading with SVO. 67100 SOs won't get you far.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Points, Shmoynts.

AWAYWEGO....

I fear that now that I've been reading these boards, I'm gonna understand this points system all too well and then run with it....hmmm maybe I too should self-impose a 6 month moratorium on ebay purchases.

We got attracted to timeshare points because of the possibilities for partial-week reservations & even more for those 9,000-point (maximum) Instant Exchange full-week reservations into RCI Weeks timeshares when the check-in date is coming up within 45 days.

Since taking the points plunge in 2005, we've never made a partial-week reservation & we've made a straight-points exchange exactly once. But we've made several Instant Exchange reservations, & we plan to make lots more.

We actually wrapped ourselves around the axle to a degree by going with points. That is, we're so highly aware of the 9,000-point Instant Exchange bargains that now we consider it extravagant to make a straight week-for-week exchange. If the straight week has a points-value of, say, 35,000 points, then we feel we've overspent by 26,000 points or so if we do a straight-weeks exchange instead of going with Instant Exchange for only 9,000 points.

But that's our problem, & hard-core thrifty as we are, we still are realistic enough to go ahead with a straight-weeks trade now & then -- e.g., we exchanged a banked 2008 week at our far-off overseas timeshare for a January 2009 week at Club IntraWest Sandestin in Florida.

Meanwhile, my self-imposed eBay moratorium is holding firm.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​