On the fence

[Darkwolf62]

This is a long one. I both apologize for the length and thank you for your time and advice in advance.

I broke this up into parts so people who are tired of reading the same story can skip it and get to the questions.

Long Story Portion:

My wife and I received a few free stays and a $250 gift card to go see a tour of Massanutten in Virginia. We live in Richmond so it's less than a 2-hour drive and we figured why not.

We both went with the intention of simply doing their tour and saying we do not want to buy, because everyone we knew told us not to, so we didn't do any research on timeshares.

Once we stayed there we really liked the location and what they had to offer, so we opened up slightly to the idea of having a timeshare as a way to kind of push ourselves to take a vacation. We constantly talk about starting to put money aside in savings for travel and almost never put anything away.

When they gave their pitch they offered us a week in a 2 bedroom annually for ~$25k with a big payment. It was an immediate no. Then they asked us what we did for a living, we told them. My wife is a teacher and they said they had a special program and to hang on a minute.

They came back in with another person, thanked my wife for being a teacher and the resort wanted to thank her for being essential and offer us a timeshare that someone allegedly upgraded out of and into a bigger one. It was a one-bedroom and we would continue where they left off. $14k for a 1-week timeshare during week 7 in a 1 bedroom unit with $425/yr Maintenance. Which worked out well because we don't have kids and that week is the same week as presidents day and RPS is closed for presidents day and that meant we wouldn't need to take as much PTO or unpaid time. They also said they were throwing in an extra yearly week to any size unit and no additional maintenance fees.

We took some time away from them to discuss things.

Some of what we decided:

• We like the idea of having a set week every year to look forward to and push us to take a vacation and another week we could use to bring our family out in a bigger unit.
• Price didn't seem too outrageous when it was explained. (Again, we didn't do research because we originally figured this wasn't something we would ever be interested in.)
• The ability to trade the week into RCI and take a week at another resort pretty much anywhere in the world sounds amazing.
• We want to make vacationing a priority, I get a bit of seasonal depression and a getaway, even small ones, seems to help around that time of year.
• We could easily see ourselves going to Massanutten once a year for a long time and using the bonus week elsewhere.

When all was said and done we took it and felt happy with the decision we had made, then fear over making a decision on something we knew nothing about and why did so many people have a fear of timeshares and say "Don't do that" despite having no first-hand knowledge, only things they've heard through the grapevine.

Before I get to questions and doubts I want to share a summary of costs and what we got.

COSTS

• Purchase $13,990.00
• Down $1,399.00
• Closing $325
• 1st-year RCI Member Fee $99 (Needs to be maintained to keep our free week)
• Maintenance Fee $425.50 - We don't pay the first-year maintenance fee.
• Monthly payment $226/mo for 10 years (Have no intention of paying on it for more than 3 years but wanted the flexibility of a smaller payment if things hit the fan)

WHAT WE GOT

• 1 bed/1 bath annually on week 7 (Tradeable on RCI for a fee)
• 1 Free week any size up to 4 bed/4 bath (Tradeable)
• Lifetime Gold Membership at the resort, Access to the rec center and indoor pools, 20% discounts on lift tickets, rentals, water park, and discount on hotel/short term stay at the resort. They initially sold us the gold card as though it got us access to condos at cheap rates as long as we book for at least 3 nights. We later found out that was actually through RCI under some last-minute bookings. This part of the meeting is where things really started to make me second guess everything, because what else were they unclear about.

Questions for other owners

Finally, my wife and I have questions before we make our final decision to keep what we got, or submit the letter to backout.

Why is there such a stigma towards timeshares? We have friends and family that found out we were going for the tour and they all told us not to get one despite none of them ever having one or knowing any immediate friends or family members that went through having one.

What amenities might we be losing if we decide to back out but go buy one resale on eBay or here? We already know we'd lose the gold card. and the free week through RCI.

How long does it normally take to finally get the deed in a resale, and how often do resorts exercise their ROFR? Are they still tradeable on RCI? Can I still rent them out in any given year where we might not make it out there?

Just how bad of a deal did we get? I know there are resales out there that are practically given away for free but how much more work is it to get them vs. what we just went through? Avoiding frustration and wasting time are valuable to me.

A few things that are pushing us towards keeping what we just got:

• The week we got is ideal for us
• We fully intend on using it for a long while.
• The free week - Sure I could buy two weeks of a timeshare but based on what I see I would be paying two maintenance fees as well. How long before that adds up and costs more than what I just got?
• We liked the ease, the resale market makes me a little nervous since I read on eBay listings that it can take 120 days to be finalized and the resort has ROFR so they could just take our $1 or whatever timeshare and we're stuck starting the process over again.

I am sorry it's so long, thank you for any assistance.

 

[rboesl]

General viewpoint from members here will be to rescind your purchase. $14k is a lot of money that could be better spent elsewhere.

We've been to Massanutten and agree it's very nice. Your apprehension about resale is understandable. But MANY people here have used that method successfully to acquire timeshares.

Rescind and do your research. Maybe ever rent a week or 2 from owners here via the marketplace or Redweek at Massanutten or some other resorts. There's some other really nice locations in Virginia, North Carolina, etc. Then decide what really fits your needs now and in the future.

I wouldn't worry too much about possibly losing that $1. Better to be ahead that $14k you just signed up to spend.

 

[Jan M.]

You can easily find the Massanutten resorts selling really cheap on the resale market if it's important to you to own there. Of course you don't get any developer benefit if you buy resale but you'd be saving thousands of dollars.

There's typically availability at the Massanutten resorts when I look. We have an RCI points account not a weeks account so I'm seeing more availablity.

I've repeatedly recommended looking for a points week at Grandview at Las Vegas. A two bedroom points week for either 122,000 or 98,000 points with maintenance fees of $877 for 2022. Or a one bedroom points week for either 61,000 or 49,000 points with 2022 maintenance fees of $438.50. There are also every other year and every third year weeks. Check out the Free Timeshare Giveaways Bargain Deals under the Buying, Selling, Renting forum. Also check the TUG Marketplace ads. Check eBay too.

Grandview at Las Vegas is part of the Vacation Village family of resorts. That gets you two Extra Weeks a year within 45 days of the check in date with no points needed for approximately the exchange fee. There's typically better inventory in those Extra Weeks than in the Last Call weeks.

Vacation Village also periodically has special offers that require no points. In March of 2021 they had a special offer for $99 for a week. I booked a one bedroom/full kitchen at Grandview at Las Vegas for the week of September 3-10, Labor Day weekend, for my husband's birthday. In October there was another special offer for $159 for a week. I booked a one bedroom/full kitchen week at Vacation Village at Parkway in Orlando for the week of January 7-14, 2022. There were two bedroom units available for other dates but I wanted those specific dates and we only needed a one bedroom.

 

[folgema]

I agree with rboesi. Rescind and do your research. Although I can't speak to the specifics of Massanutten, with a little time and effort, you will find something that works for you for FAR less than $14,000. $14k pays for a lot of time and effort And that deal with ALWAYS be there... I went on countless little "free" timeshare weekends, and each time they sweetened the deal because they knew I was interested. Then once I finally felt I understood everything, I bought resale.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

Developer $13,990.00 with a downpayment of $1,399. Ebay $1.00. Need I say more?

RESCIND immediately.

Welcome to TUG.



.

 

[travelhacker]

First off, don't feel bad at all that you signed a contract for a timeshare. The sales people are excellent at describing the benefits of timesharing. Most of the people on these forums originally purchased from the developer and have since found resale timeshares.

The good news is that you can rescind your purchase, essentially like it never happened. You will want to read through your paperwork and you should find instructions to rescind.

What you bought can be found for free on the resale market. If you like staying at Masannutten, there are plenty of ways that you can get access to Massanutten for a very low cost. For example, a few years back, I purchased a week on eBay at Woodstone at Massanutten for $7.50 (including closing fees). It gives me 137,000 points per year. If I use my home resort every year I can do a week in a 4 bedroom, or I can split it into two separate 2 bedrooms. However, I have ended up just using RCI points to trade into other great locations.

Please don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions.

Please don't stress about your decision to buy. You did the right thing researching more.

If you like the idea of timesharing, you can get priceless advice. Good luck!

 

[Passepartout]

@Darkwolf62
At the risk of going against the usual and customary TUG advice, I'll go out on a contrary limb here.

We usually make a knee-jerk reaction whenever someone asks an opinion on a developer purchase. We simply pile-on with RESCIND! BUY RESALE! SAVE THOU$AND$!

If I read what you found attractive about the offer you accepted correctly, I caught that you foresaw using the exact week in the exact unit, and that it met your needs and desires. Youn wrote of using that week year after year and it being only a couple hours from home.

We have such a week adjacent to Yellowstone Park. We treat it almost as a second home that we don't have to worry about when we aren't there. It's well maintained and refurbed as needed. I get the idea that your Massanutten is like that in it's way.

So I'll say that while you can save $14K by buying resale, there's no guarantee that you'll find the exact fixed week you want. Oh, sure, you can get a floating week that you can book the desired week the better part of a year ahead, and always get assigned a different unit when you arrive. I think that if you can afford this week, without hardship, out of cash you don't have committed to other purposes, you shouldn't feel badly about buying something you want for your family, with the understanding that the minute the ink on the contract is dry, that money is gone and the ownership is likely worth a dollar or less. You might have to pay someone to take it, or your kids will not want it after they've grown up and have families of their own.

Good Luck with the decision. I support you either way.

Jim

 

[geist1223]

When we first bought in Worldmark (Credit/Point System) in 2002 most of our friends to include Patti's Financial Advisor told us we were nuts. I admit Timeshares are not for everyone. Also when you do not have a locked in Week it takes preplanning. After several trips (Hawaii and Australia) Patti's Financial Advisor changed her tune. She said it was obvious we used our timeshare to its maximum benefit and was good for us. We have traveled to Ireland, Wales, Scotland, France, Mexico (many times), Hawai'i (many rimes), Canada (many times), Fiji, New Zealand (several times), Australia (several times), and all over the USA.

It would have been very hard to travel to New Zealand and Australia without Developer purchased Credits/Points. So savings on resell Market may not always be the best choice for an individual. We have Developer and Resell Credits/Points. Resell purchasers in Worldmark are limited to the 90+ Primary Worldmark Resorts. These do include Canada, Hawai'i, Fiji, Mexico, and the Mainland USA.

 

[silentg]

If you feel this deal is a good fit, keep it and enjoy. You may find a week cheaper but sounds like a good deal if you are just going to Massanutten every year. We bought OL from the resort and are happy with it. All others we have were resale on TUG. Good Luck, welcome to TUG.

 

[dioxide45]

When they gave their pitch they offered us a week in a 2 bedroom annually for ~$25k with a big payment. It was an immediate no. Then they asked us what we did for a living, we told them. My wife is a teacher and they said they had a special program and to hang on a minute.

They came back in with another person, thanked my wife for being a teacher and the resort wanted to thank her for being essential and offer us a timeshare that someone allegedly upgraded out of and into a bigger one. It was a one-bedroom and we would continue where they left off. $14k for a 1-week timeshare during week 7 in a 1 bedroom unit with $425/yr Maintenance. Which worked out well because we don't have kids and that week is the same week as presidents day and RPS is closed for presidents day and that meant we wouldn't need to take as much PTO or unpaid time. They also said they were throwing in an extra yearly week to any size unit and no additional maintenance fees.

Realize that these were psychological sales tricks and nothing more. Everything from thanking your wife for being a teacher and an essential employee to the "special program" of offering you a week that someone previously traded in. To be honest, they probably don't give a whiff about you or your wife's job. Though it made you and her feel special. The special program is bogus and the week they sold you they would otherwise sell to someone else for the same price. The special program was to make you think you were getting a deal. People won't buy a timeshare unless they think they are getting a deal. If you want insight into how the sale operation works. Watch this short video from The QUeen of Versaille.

Realise their goal was to sell to you THAT DAY. Not to let you leave there without buying something. You certainly need to follow the other advice and rescind. Then take the time to do the research you should have done before you went.

 

[rboesl]

I will second @Passepartout and @silentg if what you purchased is a great fit for you and will be used again and again. Our first 2 purchases were developer buys. But, with different reasons for each.

Our first purchase was with Divi Golf & Beach Resort. We fell in love with the island of Aruba. We've returned every year, except last year, and are very happy we bought.

Our second was with Grandview. I have an annual event in Vegas every year. But, we bought Grandview for trading purposes. I trade to stay for my event. With the extra points I get rooms for friends going to the same event. And use the bonus weeks for other vacations.

Don't regret paying what we did for either one. We believe we get excellent value. BUT, if what you signed for isn't a perfect fit, then rescind. What I said earlier still holds true if you think it may not be right for you.

Either way you should still do your research so you can understand what you have and what your options are should you decide that one year you would like to go somewhere else.

 

[DaveNV]

A fisherman can only claim to have caught a fish if he lands it. Hooking it and reeling it in is one thing, but landing the fish is another. Timeshare sales people don't earn a nickel unless you sign on the bottom line. The rest is just sales technique. They will say and do anything and everything to get you to sign the contract. And while you're basking in the glow of how good they made you feel, they're laughing and counting their commissions all the way to the bank. It's the nature of the industry.

If you are happy with what you bought, then stick with it, and enjoy what you've paid for. But if you are having second thoughts, there is probably a good reason for it. You wouldn't have come looking for advice from Tug if you were completely happy. I think you're getting cold feet, and likely for good reason. So here's my considered opinion:

Rescind, while you still can. Do your research, explore purchasing options and benefits, and decide, WITHOUT BEING PRESSURED, whether the Developer deal was a good one for you. If it was, go back and buy it again. I have no doubt they'll sell you the same thing again. But if it isn't a good deal, then you will have dodged a bullet, and you will have gained valuable knowledge that will make you a better-informed consumer if you choose to buy again. You have nothing to lose, other than $14,000 of your hard-earned dollars.

Dave

 

[Ty1on]

By the way, regarding thank you for being a teacher, here is your discounted price, if it were me in front of them it would be a veteran discount. They use college grad discount, red shoes discount, whatever they need to say to make you feel like you are special and only you are getting this price. The only ones not offered this price are the ones who say yes to the ridiculously higher first offer.

 

[Beach57]

A fisherman can only claim to have caught a fish if he lands it. Hooking it and reeling it in is one thing, but landing the fish is another. Timeshare sales people don't earn a nickel unless you sign on the bottom line. The rest is just sales technique. They will say and do anything and everything to get you to sign the contract. And while you're basking in the glow of how good they made you feel, they're laughing and counting their commissions all the way to the bank. It's the nature of the industry.

If you are happy with what you bought, then stick with it, and enjoy what you've paid for. But if you are having second thoughts, there is probably a good reason for it. You wouldn't have come looking for advice from Tug if you were completely happy. I think you're getting cold feet, and likely for good reason. So here's my considered opinion:

Rescind, while you still can. Do your research, explore purchasing options and benefits, and decide, WITHOUT BEING PRESSURED, whether the Developer deal was a good one for you. If it was, go back and buy it again. I have no doubt they'll sell you the same thing again. But if it isn't a good deal, then you will have dodged a bullet, and you will have gained valuable knowledge that will make you a better-informed consumer if you choose to buy again. You have nothing to lose, other than $14,000 of your hard-earned dollars.

Dave

I think this is excellent advice. Chances are the resort will sell you the very same deal if you go back to them in six months. YOU’RE in the driver’s seat. I do believe, however, that you may have trouble finding that exact fixed week.

 

[susieq]

For what it's worth, I guess I'm in the minority here and feel that if you're happy with the deal, then it's a good one. We only have 1 timeshare, an hour away from where we live, It's a good trader, and we've been to some fantastic places. However when we purchased, it was with the intention that if for whatever reason we couldn't exchange or fly anywhere, we could go just an hour away. We've only been to our resort a handful of times in twenty five years. I think if the deal fits, and you're both happy, go for it.

BTW ~ one of the fantastic places we've exchanged to was Massanutten ~ Great resort and a wonderful vacation!!

 

[BJRSanDiego]

There are a couple of dozen Massanutten timeshares on ebay right now and most are asking $1. I looked at the completed listings and about 90% appear to have had no bidders. So, if at some time you wanted to get rid of your timeshare, you are likely to have to PAY someone to take it.

I bought 3 timeshares on ebay. Here is my technique:
1. Only buy from a seller who has sold a LOT of timeshares. Never buy from someone with limited experience. You need someone who knows how to manage the sale and closing.
2. Only buy from a seller with AT LEAST a 95% satisfaction ratings and read the complaints of buyers who were unhappy. A near "100%" rating indicates that if there are any "glitches" in closing that the seller will stand behind you to ensure that his rating isn't affected.

Another thought - - is week 7 really a nice time to be there? I think that the typical temps in Feb/March are in the upper 40's or low 50's.

 

[DaveNV]

Another thought - - is week 7 really a nice time to be there? I think that the typical temps in Feb/March are in the upper 40's or low 50's.

OP lives in Richmond, VA, so weather that time of year will be similar. I suspect the specific week is more important than the weather that week.

Dave

 

[Darkwolf62]

OP lives in Richmond, VA, so weather that time of year will be similar. I suspect the specific week is more important than the weather that week.

Dave

The week is great because of the holiday working in our favor.

That said I think we are canceling to do more research, but I think timeshare is still how we want to go.

 

[Passepartout]

That said I think we are canceling to do more research, but I think timeshare is still how we want to go.

That's excellent. You only get one chance to reset back to before you signed the contract. We think you can find a resale that will suit your needs and desires and give you and your family a ton of great memories for a LOT less outlay. Stick around TUG. The education is free.

Jim

 

[easyrider]

The week is great because of the holiday working in our favor.

That said I think we are canceling to do more research, but I think timeshare is still how we want to go.

For us, the perfect week and the perfect location has changed many times over the years. I think you made the right decision by canceling.

Bill

 

[Darkwolf62]

I sent the letter out today.