Owner denied week at VVFW?

[mallarchus]

Hey all first post.
I've been an owner at VVFW (gold float)for 16 years and really enjoyed the use of my home resort. always been in good standing, never any problems. Went to reserve my 2012 week (May 20-27 gold week) and was told there was no availability. Just for grins I went to their public website and would have no problem whipping out the AMEX and buying the same unit type for the same week. Don't see anything in my contract that says they can deny if there is inventory. Anyone else have to deal with this? Thanks!

 

[Timeshare Von]

Doesn't float time just say you can have a week during that window of time, without guarantee of dates?

We own a floating timeshare, and some owners have turned over their week(s) to the POA to rent out on their behalf. So the "inventory" for rental is coming directly from the owners.

Also, it is possible that there are unsold units and thus, the resort owns some inventory that they can use for rentals. In other words, if only let's say 50 units are in the POA and there have been 50 people to book the week you want, there is no inventory available for additional owners for that specific week.

I'd contact your resort directly to inquire as to what's happening and why.

 

[mallarchus]

Absolutely, it only means that I can use a week during "gold time" if there are units available. I misspoke in the first post, I meant to say that I can rent the week that I am looking at for $800. So why can I pay to rent a week and can't use the week as an owner? (same unit type). Maybe the resort can "lock out" owners? Don't see it ion my deed. Thanks for the response, I am waiting an answer from the resort. Unfortunately, like most TS resorts, they only have a single person manning member services, so it may be a bit of a wait.

 

[theo]

A thought...

So why can I pay to rent a week and can't use the week as an owner? (same unit type). Maybe the resort can "lock out" owners? Don't see it ion my deed.

I don't claim to know a thing about your particular facility, but if there are any defined time periods or "windows" for flex / float week owner reservations, that information won't be found in the deed anyhow. The unit you seek may be the same as what you own, but is the season / demand period directly comparable?

I learned a tough and embarassing lesson in my very first resale timeshare purchase years ago, when I bought a "floating" week at a facility in coastal SW FL. I was too inexperienced to ask about any week or season / reservation restrictions and the (private) reseller was not particularly forthcoming. The restriction info was not mentioned in the deed, but I soon learned that flex / float week owners there could not reserve any weeks between weeks 5-15 (i.e., most of the winter).

That purchase was therefore worthless to me. I promptly sold it at a loss (...but I was honest with the buyer about the reservation limitations).

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I don't know much about your particular resort, but I know there are perfectly legitimate reasons why what you observe can occur.

One straightforward explanation is that all of the units for that week were reserved by owners, and some of the owners have turned their week over to the resort to rent on the owners behalf. In that case, what you are being offered by direct booking is another owners rental week.

A second possibility is that the Homeowners Association has title to some weeks via foreclosure for failure to pay annual fees. In that case many resorts will assign to the HOA specific units on specific check-in dates. Those weeks then go into the rental pool, with the revenue going to the HOA (and thereby reducing the assessments that would otherwise be charged to owners). If other owners reserve all of the non-HOA units on a given check-in day, again the unit will be available for rental, but not for owner reservation.

Finally, if there is a developer involved with the property and the developer holds unsold inventory, the developer will keep the usage right for the intervals it owns. The developer will frequently put the developer assigned inventory into the rental pool to help defray the fees charged to the developer for the units the developer owns, as well as to ensure a steady flow of people for the sales operation.

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I don't know in any of those fit your situation, but in general those are common reasons why units might be avaiable for rental but not for owner reservation.

 

[mallarchus]

Recieved my answer last night. Unbenownst to me, 25% of the resort was sold as actual townhouses and not as ts weeks. Those owners have their own rental program not affiliated with the ts program or its rental program. Suggested that the ts owners be made aware of this. thanks for the responce from everyone.