New York Times Story on Unlimited Vacation Club - TUG quoted

[WorldT]

@Luvtoride
Thanks for the information. It seems there are some on this forum like myself who would like to learn more. Could you enlighten us on the percentage/dollar discounts when paying cash. Does the price vary by season?
Also, can you enlighten us how you came to have the free premier nights that you are exchanging (2:1 or 1:1). Unfortunately, their website has nothing useful and I don't trust much of what a sales person says during a presentation.

 

[WorldT]

I'm a member and so far am enjoying it, however it was an ebay auction that cost me a buck, so no harm done.....

Interested too. How did the purchase work out?

 

[iftravel]

This one?

Unlimited Vacation Club GoldPlus Membership All inclusive | eBay

Resorts part of the club:Hyatt Vivid, Zoetry, Secrets, Breathless, Dreams, Alua, Sunscape.

www.ebay.com

 

[TUGBrian]

It does link but doesn't say tug which is ok.

Bill

Brian Rogers, who runs an online forum for timeshare owners that his father started three decades ago after falling for a timeshare scam.

yea, certainly would have liked to have seen tug itself mentioned, but apparently this article got a ton cut from it for length and legal reasons.

 

[WorldT]

This one?

Unlimited Vacation Club GoldPlus Membership All inclusive | eBay

Resorts part of the club:Hyatt Vivid, Zoetry, Secrets, Breathless, Dreams, Alua, Sunscape.

www.ebay.com

@cheech said it cost him a dollar. This one is 35k points away.

 

[cheech]

This one?

Unlimited Vacation Club GoldPlus Membership All inclusive | eBay

Resorts part of the club:Hyatt Vivid, Zoetry, Secrets, Breathless, Dreams, Alua, Sunscape.

www.ebay.com

No, this one was mine.

 

[cheech]

Interested too. How did the purchase work out?

Just fine, no issues.

 

[Luvtoride]

@Luvtoride
Thanks for the information. It seems there are some on this forum like myself who would like to learn more. Could you enlighten us on the percentage/dollar discounts when paying cash. Does the price vary by season?
Also, can you enlighten us how you came to have the free premier nights that you are exchanging (2:1 or 1:1). Unfortunately, their website has nothing useful and I don't trust much of what a sales person says during a presentation.

@WorldT
As part of the initial membership at the level we purchased at, we received 35 premier nights (essentially free nights) plus 6 VIP weeks (a week at a resort for $1,900). These nights and VIP weeks “vest” over a couple of years which is fine as we aren’t going to use them all immediately anyway. There were several other benefits included in our membership program.
We haven’t actually booked any stays yet straight up for cash.

As an example of the “value” of the membership, we are going to the Secrets Bahia Mita Surf &Spa resort in Puerto Vallarta for a week in January with friends. We used 2 of our VIP weeks (we can use them for friends and family) to book 2 Preferred Club Ocean view Jr Suites. I checked the cash price for that week…it was $6,700 each and we are paying $1,900 per suite. Thats a pretty great savings for this type of all inclusive vacation.

I’m not trying to sell this or convince anyone that Unlimited Vacations is a good deal, but for us and the way we like to travel now (mostly without our kids and family) there are tangible benefits for us.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jwalk03]

No, this one was mine.

Can you explain more how this works with a $1 purchase? What other fees are there and what is included in the purchase?

My wife and I honeymooned at the Secrets Puerto Los Cabos, and we took a trip to Secrets Cap Cana in 2020 at a huge discount during the pandemic. The resorts are fabulous! And I would love to be able to travel to them more often if there is a way to get a great discount with some kind of cheap resale purchase?

 

[dioxide45]

@WorldT
As part of the initial membership at the level we purchased at, we received 35 premier nights (essentially free nights) plus 6 VIP weeks (a week at a resort for $1,900). These nights and VIP weeks “vest” over a couple of years which is fine as we aren’t going to use them all immediately anyway. There were several other benefits included in our membership program.
We haven’t actually booked any stays yet straight up for cash.

As an example of the “value” of the membership, we are going to the Secrets Bahia Mita Surf &Spa resort in Puerto Vallarta for a week in January with friends. We used 2 of our VIP weeks (we can use them for friends and family) to book 2 Preferred Club Ocean view Jr Suites. I checked the cash price for that week…it was $6,700 each and we are paying $1,900 per suite. Thats a pretty great savings for this type of all inclusive vacation.

I’m not trying to sell this or convince anyone that Unlimited Vacations is a good deal, but for us and the way we like to travel now (mostly without our kids and family) there are tangible benefits for us.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Are there annual or any kind of additional fees you pay year to year or to make a reservation?

 

[cheech]

Are there annual or any kind of additional fees you pay year to year or to make a reservation?

Yes, there is a "maintenance fee/annual fee" which is currently like $180 a year, and your first booking of the year is free, every booking after that incurs a $20 charge.

 

[jp10558]

Yes, there is a "maintenance fee/annual fee" which is currently like $180 a year, and your first booking of the year is free, every booking after that incurs a $20 charge.

So, like, what did you actually get? A login? Some sort of docusign thing? I'm assuming buying this way (if you can find a $1 or something listing) you don't get any of the nights or whatever (or do you get some every year?) and just get the search for discounted rates at like Secrets?

 

[jp10558]

@WorldT
As part of the initial membership at the level we purchased at, we received 35 premier nights (essentially free nights) plus 6 VIP weeks (a week at a resort for $1,900). These nights and VIP weeks “vest” over a couple of years which is fine as we aren’t going to use them all immediately anyway. There were several other benefits included in our membership program.
We haven’t actually booked any stays yet straight up for cash.

As an example of the “value” of the membership, we are going to the Secrets Bahia Mita Surf &Spa resort in Puerto Vallarta for a week in January with friends. We used 2 of our VIP weeks (we can use them for friends and family) to book 2 Preferred Club Ocean view Jr Suites. I checked the cash price for that week…it was $6,700 each and we are paying $1,900 per suite. Thats a pretty great savings for this type of all inclusive vacation.

I’m not trying to sell this or convince anyone that Unlimited Vacations is a good deal, but for us and the way we like to travel now (mostly without our kids and family) there are tangible benefits for us.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Did you buy direct? Do you ever get any more nights / weeks or once used you either have to pay $$ to upgrade or you're just booking for cash? How do the cash rates look though - like your booking for the "VIP Week" - what is that if you just had the membership and no bonus for buying?

 

[jp10558]

And one more question - it looks to me like (though maybe it's sketchy) that you could potentially use a bunch of eBay listings for access to something similar - but do you pay AI fees after the booking cost too? It does just seem like you could probably do something like this https://www.ebay.com/itm/256260987248 listing rather than getting a contract yourself.

 

[dioxide45]

So, like, what did you actually get? A login? Some sort of docusign thing? I'm assuming buying this way (if you can find a $1 or something listing) you don't get any of the nights or whatever (or do you get some every year?) and just get the search for discounted rates at like Secrets?

I am also curious if there was any kind of transfer fee to transfer the "ownership" to the buyer.

 

[cheech]

I am also curious if there was any kind of transfer fee to transfer the "ownership" to the buyer.

I only paid a $125 closing cost, plus the $1. Transfer fee is 10% of original purchase price and was paid by seller.

 

[dioxide45]

I only paid a $125 closing cost, plus the $1. Transfer fee is 10% of original purchase price and was paid by seller.

So what is the incentive for someone to want to get out of one of these to pay thousands of dollars in the transfer fee? The annual fee is only $180, that doesn't seem overly burdensome.

 

[Luvtoride]

Did you buy direct? Do you ever get any more nights / weeks or once used you either have to pay $$ to upgrade or you're just booking for cash? How do the cash rates look though - like your booking for the "VIP Week" - what is that if you just had the membership and no bonus for buying?

I bought direct from Hyatt UVC. I don’t receive any additional free nights or weeks unless I “upgrade “ my membership level in the future which I won’t do. They run all kinds of specials throughout the year such as this anniversary special below. That’s the fee per night per person at some of the AI resorts. I would still get upgraded to a preferred club suite accommodation if available.

As for the other questions be on buying a membership thru eBay, I have no idea what the terms or benefits or costs would be.

Brian


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[cheech]

I bought direct from Hyatt UVC. I don’t receive any additional free nights or weeks unless I “upgrade “ my membership level in the future which I won’t do. They run all kinds of specials throughout the year such as this anniversary special below. That’s the fee per night per person at some of the AI resorts. I would still get upgraded to a preferred club suite accommodation if available.

As for the other questions be on buying a membership thru eBay, I have no idea what the terms or benefits or costs would be.

View attachment 101653
Brian


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You might need to re-read your contract a bit if you believe by booking any type room that you will be inherently granted a preferred club suite. Upgrades are based on availability and only 1 level up, so you would need to book a preferred club suite to be moved into any level preferred. So, if you book run of the house or tropical view without preferred, you would only receive an ocean view room non-preferred if available. Sure, there are some "exceptions" but that is the contract language. If you are a silver member and above, you have "access" to preferred areas of the resorts, but not a guaranteed preferred suite and possible butler....