Postcard companies: How the transfer takes place between original owner and new buyer

[Dave M]

Ease up, Cindy. In this particular case, I can confirm that it's extremely likely that Jaemsd84 is employed by a major corporation that is totally unrelated to the timeshare industry.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Okay, Dave.

I still always give people the benefit of the doubt.

 

[bruwery]

Okay, Dave.

I still always give people the benefit of the doubt.

Benefit of the doubt? JMAES284 (JM) posted a viewpoint that differed from yours, and you attacked him. How is that giving him the benefit of the doubt? The poor guy is probably lying in a pool of blood, trying to pull the knife out of his throat, wondering what he did to deserve such a beatdown.

Part of your assertion that JM is a postcard pusher was that he had knowledge of the postcard companies without ever posting here. I'm not sure it's reasonable to rely on postcount as an accurate indicator of a person's timeshare knowledge. JM's post was intelligent and well constructed.

For what it's worth, I had knowledge of the postcard companies prior to my first posting merely from perusing this site before joining.

I think you owe our guest a beer to heal any hurt feelings. Note: In the event our guest doesn't drink - I'll take the beer!! I'll be in Colorado in November - I'll get it from you then.

Onward and upward,

Mark

 

[rickandcindy23]

Mark, I didn't attack him. The history of the shill posters from Timeshare Relief is cause enough for me to suspect him. The first post is about this company? This is typical behavior. Why choose that one thread? I already admitted I have purchased from them and have also admitted in other threads that Thomas Ochoa was very nice. Companies that sell timeshares on eBay have to do a good job or their bottomline will suffer. Negative feedback is something they cannot afford.

Search for older posts by these guys by typing Timeshare Relief in the search and you will see that a pattern is there.

We still don't know for sure who he is, we are just giving him the benefit of the doubt for now. I am going to wait and see. I will apologize if he adds more posts to this site that have more merit than the defense of the postcard companies. One thing you can count on, the postcard companies do not establish a relationship with TUG, they move on, then they come back with new usernames and start up as new people who either used Timeshare Relief or know someone who did and is so relieved to be done with their timeshare. Moderators caught these guys using the same computers, so all they have to do now is change where they post to look innocent.

As for the beer, would you take an iced tea? I don't drink, neither does hubby. We will be happy to meet you somewhere near Denver, if you are on the way to the mountains.

 

[wbtimesharer]

I find the discussion on this thread very interesting. While I find the moral high ground that some here preach from unworthy and misplaced in an industry that is built on some fundementally flawed principles.

We hold these truths to be universal - buying resale is the best (only) way to get a bargain in the timeshare marketplace. eBAy is the best marketplace to sell or buy a timeshare (including the TUG Classified Ads).

I've recently purchased 3 timeshares, one from a charity and two from a proclaimed "post card" company and all found on eBay. Without a doubt, in every measureable way my buying experience with the post card company was superior, these are honest hard working people who are committed to quality customer service. They truely are setting the standard for resalers within the timeshare industry and no place else is even close.

Further, let me add that I like to get a bargain when I shop and these are the best deals in the industry. Now when you can buy something for $500 that originally sold for $20,000 and is in near equal condition you are getting a bargin. You accept this bargin knowing full well that one or more person(s) in the ownership chain got taken to the cleaners and you are glad you are not one of them.

I feel just as bad for the person who couldn't say no to the developers high pressured sales tactics, as I do for the person whose been convinced to pay several thousands of dollars to rid themselves of that same timeshare. I can't protect them from themselves and I'm affraid neither can you.

I also feel bad for the owner who pays the same maintenance fee for his worst week unit as the owner who has the best week. The owner with the worst week has been supplimenting the ownership of others sometimes for decades. I don't hear anyone suggesting maintenance fees be alligned to the real value of the week owned (here it's not about size it's about how you use it) but of course that would be fair. This would create a market for those difficult weeks that you currently can't give away. Oops, I wasn't supposed to bring this up to those preaching morals in this game.

For all the wonderfull vacations and experience that this industry can provide (and they are very real) there are equally horrible financial ripoffs that people endure (and they also are very real).

Education and information availability is the best way to let people help themselves. Be happpy that you are informed and reap the benefits.

I completely agree on all points. There are a number of tuggers who want to run the postcard companies out of business, but really don't offer any solid replacement for the void left if these companies are shutdown. I have always contented that timeshare buyers who get in through the developer and then get out selling resale get shafted both directions.

With regards to MF's, I own a couple Door County units that I believe are going to hit rough ground down the road. I say this because they are charging the same MF year round for the same unit. Now this may be acceptable in Florida or warmer climates as they are usable year round.
At one of my resorts, they have all the outdoor amenties closed and then scale back the hours of operations for the indoor amenities during the non-prime season.

However, in colder climates with MF climbing ever closer to what the resort charges for weekly rental, people are going to start pushing back. It will get very hard for developers to sell existing inventory and it will become almost impossible for owners to sell dead weeks(Blue and Blue/White). Eventually when the MF's hit a certain level where you can't rent it for the MF, owners will start finding ways of dumping their units back to the resort or just stop paying the MF. The smart resorts will start to figure out how to tier the MF's while the not so smart will have to jack up all MF's to compensate for all the unmovable units they have in inventory. That or incur large legal fees chasing the owners not paying.

Not sure when the break even point will be, but with MF going up 10 - 20% a year it will happen fairly soon.

Bill

 

[JMAESD84]

The moderator is correct

Ease up, Cindy. In this particular case, I can confirm that it's extremely likely that Jaemsd84 is employed by a major corporation that is totally unrelated to the timeshare industry.

I do in fact work for a major corporation in the defense industry. I have no affiliation with the timeshare industry except to be a customer.

To assure Cindy my intentions are only to provide and honest opinion, I will list below a couple of posts I made last month in a "buying resale" thread at www.redweeks.com. Also, I did join and become a "tugger" before making my first post here. Evidently, my membership status is not reveled by my posts.

She and others can also consider the post I offered within the "What would you tell a friend" thread here on the TUG BBS.

I appreciate all the people who have made the many posts and reviews I've read about the industry before I choose to become an owner. It helped to educate me about this industry and shaped the opinions that I have formed and now share with others.

From www.redweeks.com

Buying timeshares (my experience)

I've recently purchased three deeded timeshare properties and will list total costs (which includes all closing, deed recording and resort transfer fees):

Each through eBay sellers.
Each a 2 bedroom lock-off unit.
Each an RCI Gold Crown or II 5 Star Resort.

One is an annual, fixed week 13, at V & V Bonaventure in Weston, FL a resort I stayed at as a rental last in 2006 and that I plan on using each year and not exchanging. RCI points resort this unit has not been converted. Total Acquisition Cost $889.

One is an annual, 75000 RCI Points, fixed week 44, at Sunrise Ridge in Pigeon Forge, TN a resort I have not visited and purchased for the RCI Points to be used as my exchanger for various destinations. RCI points resort this unit has been converted. Total Acquisition Cost $2172.

One is a biennial (even), floating week 1-51, at Club de Soleil in Las Vegas, NV a resort I have not visited and that I plan on using and perhaps splitting the lock-off to allow for annual use. Trades with Interval International. Total Acquisition Cost $804.

I vacation 5-6 weeks a year. I like nice accommodations and at a bargain price. These timeshares were acquired to provide high quality accommodations for at least three weeks vacation during peak travel seasons, with two fixed desired destinations and one flexible destination (not that each couldn't be exchanged).

I've been a regular timeshare vacationer to gold crown resorts for the past several years, mostly during off peak season at rates far below the maintenance fees charged for the units in which I've stayed. This is something that I will continue to do at a total cost between ($50-$150 a week).

My view is that the only timeshare worth owning is peak season/prime time ownership and that these purchases should only be made on the resale market. Off peak season should not be owned, as the same use can be obtained at a cost below the maintenance fee and there is little to no resale market should you decide to sell once acquired.

Just my experience and opinion.

**********************************************************

There are RCI based promotional products in the form of a certificate that provides the certificate owner a 7 night stay at an RCI resort based on availability. You can visit www.getawayweeks.com to review availability and when you find a place that you would like to stay you just call the 800 number provided and reserve. You get your VACATION CONFIRMATION letter directly from RCI.

I presume that this is excess inventory that they list at this site, but I've used them to stay at very nice locations such as Valdoro Mountain Lodge, Breckenridge, CO (2 BR, MAY); Fairfield Ocean Walk, Daytona, FL(2 BR, NOV); Fairfield Skyline Towers, Atlantic City, NJ(2 BR, both New Years and Thanksgiving week); and even Imperial, Honolulu, HI(Studio, JULY) on a return from a Japan business trip.

These certificates can be acquired at www.skyauction.com usually coupled with $100 dining certificates, future cruise discounts or future auction discounts. SKYAUCTION has effectively increased the cost of these by about $100 this year by charging a $195 tax and service fee. Before this fee was added, you could win one of these auctions between ($125-$150), now with the additional fee you can win one between ($5-$35) and get as many as 5 sets of certificates for the winning bid (plus fees).

Under the old fee structure I've won many certificates at the $125-$150 price range and received full use of the companion $100 dinning or discount coupon. So if I've paid even $150 and use a previously acquired $100 discount coupon on this purchase, then I've effectively paid $50 for my 7 night stay.

I try to always have at least one 7 night certificate at the ready in case I see something I'd like to book, but they do expire, so there is the element of use it or loose it when you purchase them.

This is a great deal if you can make use of it.

I'm currently booked into Fairfield Skyline Towers, Atlantic City, NJ (2 BR, Thanksgiving week 11/18-11/25/07) using a certificate and have (1) certificate at the ready.

I'd love to have these same accommodations in July or August (anyone want to hook me up) but that's extremely unlikely with the certificate approach. I did like the half price via email approach that a poster described in this thread, I just might have to give that a try sometime. I hope this information is helpful.

 

[bruwery]

As for the beer, would you take an iced tea? I don't drink, neither does hubby. We will be happy to meet you somewhere near Denver, if you are on the way to the mountains.

Iced tea sounds great. I'll be in Denver (with my DS, and another couple) on the morning of Nov 23 for lunch at one of the downtown brewpubs (probably Wynkoop - the food and beer are outstanding). After lunch, we'll be heading to SMV in Avon. Let's chat closer to that time and see if we can arrange a rendezvous...

Mark

 

[rickandcindy23]

JMAESD84,
Welcome to TUG and I do apologize for jumping to conclusions. You don't really have to go to such measures to convince me that you are genuine. I am not an important person here at all, but I do post here often and love this site. I hope you stick around.

As I explained, I am pretty suspicious of new posters. I agree that the postcard companies have a great product to sell and do a good job of selling the product for unbelievably low prices. The little bit of profit they make selling the units and closing them is nothing compared to what they get from the other end of the deal, unless they have something very valuable, like some Hawaii and other nice places.

I am also not trying to put the postcard companies out of business. I have no power to do that, nor do I have the desire. I just want to make a difference for the resorts we own by offering alternatives to these companies. I am encouraging others to do the same. We can all affect the companies by giving them less victims at our resorts. :whoopie:

 

[Spence]

I am also not trying to put the postcard companies out of business. I have no power to do that, nor do I have the desire.

WOW, quite a turnaround in your stance on PCCs!

 

[Carolinian]

The solid replacement for postcard companies in many cases is simple honesty. These scam artists do not reveal to their marks that many resorts will take a simple deedback without paying anything more than the prepartation cost of the deed. In fact the slugs at the postcard companies sometimes do those deedbacks themselves to the HOA after someone has paid them thousands to take the week off of their hands. I would love to see a state AG's office take them out with a consumer protection lawsuit.

I completely agree on all points. There are a number of tuggers who want to run the postcard companies out of business, but really don't offer any solid replacement for the void left if these companies are shutdown. I have always contented that timeshare buyers who get in through the developer and then get out selling resale get shafted both directions.

With regards to MF's, I own a couple Door County units that I believe are going to hit rough ground down the road. I say this because they are charging the same MF year round for the same unit. Now this may be acceptable in Florida or warmer climates as they are usable year round.
At one of my resorts, they have all the outdoor amenties closed and then scale back the hours of operations for the indoor amenities during the non-prime season.

However, in colder climates with MF climbing ever closer to what the resort charges for weekly rental, people are going to start pushing back. It will get very hard for developers to sell existing inventory and it will become almost impossible for owners to sell dead weeks(Blue and Blue/White). Eventually when the MF's hit a certain level where you can't rent it for the MF, owners will start finding ways of dumping their units back to the resort or just stop paying the MF. The smart resorts will start to figure out how to tier the MF's while the not so smart will have to jack up all MF's to compensate for all the unmovable units they have in inventory. That or incur large legal fees chasing the owners not paying.

Not sure when the break even point will be, but with MF going up 10 - 20% a year it will happen fairly soon.

Bill

 

[rickandcindy23]

WOW, quite a turnaround in your stance on PCCs!

Okay, Spence, this is not a turnaround. I love timeshare, which is the product they sell. I LOVE TIMESHARE! They sell the product on ebay and do a good job of selling said product because they need positive feedback to get as much cash as they can squeeze out of every sale.

Conmen are nice, as so many victims will attest. I watch those nighttime news shows like 20/20 and all victims say the people who conned them were as nice as can be. The con takes place before the eBay sale, as we all know.

 

[Jya-Ning]

We hold these truths to be universal - buying resale is the best (only) way to get a bargain in the timeshare marketplace. eBAy is the best marketplace to sell or buy a timeshare (including the TUG Classified Ads).

I don't believe that is univeral truth. I know several people will tell you in few situations buying resell is not the only way to get a bargin in the timeshare marketplace. However, IMHO, in most case, if you don't familar with the system or/and the local market, it is much much safe financial wise to buy resell.

As to eBay, At least I know I have said before, and I know at least there are few people said the same thing, it is the place if you really want to get rid of your TS quickly. It does not mean it is the best bargin place (since you know you are purchase from a company that get owner pay them $3000 plus the MF to get rid of their TS, that make any eBay purchase not the best bargin) or the best place to get the value when you try to sell (since you know you believe you can get bargin at eBay, so that make it a place not to get the best value). Since I said it before, it can not be universal.

Jya-Ning

 

[wbtimesharer]

The solid replacement for postcard companies in many cases is simple honesty. These scam artists do not reveal to their marks that many resorts will take a simple deedback without paying anything more than the prepartation cost of the deed. In fact the slugs at the postcard companies sometimes do those deedbacks themselves to the HOA after someone has paid them thousands to take the week off of their hands. I would love to see a state AG's office take them out with a consumer protection lawsuit.

I would imagine that many resorts will take back prime weeks rather quickly, but I am not so sure on the non-prime weeks as there is a significant cost to reselling them. It is funny though, I have never had a timeshare salesperson tell me that if I didn't like it their resort will take it back refund or not. Seems to me if that were the common practice, the salespersons at the resorts would be telling potential buyers that "hey if you don't like it down the road, we will take ownership back". I would think that it would help sales dramatically.

It also appears that many people just aren't into the game deep enough to understand the ins and outs of calling the resort and asking to give back their unit. The PCC's end up fleecing these individuals who were shorn in the first place by the resorts sales staff. Come to think of it, why would I want to pad the pockets of the very same people who took the greehorns in the first place. I say spread the dirty money around.

Just my thoughts.

Bill

 

[rickandcindy23]

Most of us here were taken in by developers and overpaid for our weeks.

I just don't want to see the same people, ten or twenty years down the road, regretting their purchases and paying these postcard companies more money.

As far as inventory weeks go, I am advocating for the resorts to GIVE THEM AWAY. We had the developer abandon our resort 24 years ago or so, then people just stopped paying their fees, the HOA took back weeks and gave them away for nothing. It was highly successful. If the resorts just attempt a take back of deeds, for a year of paid maintenance fees, I think many resorts could bring up their own resale values. Our values really suffer with eBay sales.

 

[JMAESD84]

Happy to be here

JMAESD84,
Welcome to TUG and I do apologize for jumping to conclusions. You don't really have to go to such measures to convince me that you are genuine. I am not an important person here at all, but I do post here often and love this site. I hope you stick around.

As I explained, I am pretty suspicious of new posters. I agree that the postcard companies have a great product to sell and do a good job of selling the product for unbelievably low prices. The little bit of profit they make selling the units and closing them is nothing compared to what they get from the other end of the deal, unless they have something very valuable, like some Hawaii and other nice places.

I am also not trying to put the postcard companies out of business. I have no power to do that, nor do I have the desire. I just want to make a difference for the resorts we own by offering alternatives to these companies. I am encouraging others to do the same. We can all affect the companies by giving them less victims at our resorts. :whoopie:

I understand your disdain for those that would take advange of timeshare owners (often elderly) and it is a shame that such a practice happens. I've never defended the practice and never will. What I had hoped to point out in my original post was simply that there are many owners who've been taken advantage of in several ways within this industry, no need to single out one method as being more obscene than the other.

I think you get the point that I was trying to make that from a buyers persepctive the PPC's offer terrific value. They do at least deserve credit for the fact that for each unit they transfer, one owner who wants to be rid of a timeshare is out and replaced by an happy owner thrilled with with his/her purchase.

 

[rickandcindy23]

To my mind, postcard companies are far more disgusting than the developers, but only equally as disgusting as the upfront-fee companies.

Nothing makes you feel better about timeshare than a presentation, especially when you have traded into something really grand with something the salesperson thinks that trade should be impossible. (Vistana salesperson Todd told us we would never get into Vistana Orlando again, we were just lucky. ) (Embassy Poipu Point guy said it was a fluke we were in Hawaii with a Colorado summer week, too )

The developers overcharge by 50%, some would say higher, but if you take the postcard companies out of the business, perhaps timeshare would only be worth half and not 10% of their original values. If eBay is going to determine the market, then eBay is the problem WITH the low market prices. Right?

I hope you forgive me for jumping to conclusions.

 

[bruwery]

Nothing makes you feel better about timeshare than a presentation, especially when you have traded into something really grand with something the salesperson thinks that trade should be impossible. (Vistana salesperson Todd told us we would never get into Vistana Orlando again, we were just lucky. ) (Embassy Poipu Point guy said it was a fluke we were in Hawaii with a Colorado summer week, too )

I find it amusing that during the same presentation they'll tell you how easy it is to trade to anyplace you want to go if you buy THEIR timeshare.

 

[taffy19]

I don't know how many of you have attended one of the Post Card Company's get togethers. Well I have, and here are my observations:

# Most attendees are old; many successfully used their Week in years
past; some have unsuccessfully tried to sell their week; most are
not interested in using it anymore; and almost all are tired of the
escalating MFs

# The presenters tell two big lies which are very effective, (1) that your
heirs will be saddled with the MFs forever (I think in many states a will
can state that an heir may refuse to accept a bequest), and (2) that
the one disposing of the Week may deduct the sum of their original cost
plus the disposition fee paid to the Post Card Company on Schedule D
of their tax return by stating that they purchased the Week for "Invest-
ment" purposes.

# From the percentage of the attendees who stayed for a private consulta-
tion, I suspect the Post Card Company has a pretty good success rate.

# I also suspect that those paying the Post Card Company to take their
Week are satisfied. They are looking at it as (1) cleaning up their estate,
(2) paying 3 years of MFs up front to get out from under them forever;
and (3) getting a large Income Tax Deduction

GEORGE

Our experience was the same as yours. They were mostly older folks in the room because it was a workday afternoon. They succeed because they use fear tactics mainly and the older folks want to leave a clean estate to their children so they fall for it and sign up for the deal.

I challenged and contradicted him a few times and nobody signed up that afternoon which had never happened to him before, he told us. He was very frustrated but he must have made up at the next meeting, I am sure. It is a very lucrative business with hardly any outlay at all except hiring a room and getting to the different cities but the more of these companies sprout up, the lower the fees will go.

If you are a TUGger and have time to go to a presentation, go and listen for yourself but have a business card handy and give it out with a note on the back that you may have a better and cheaper solution for them. Do it before the meeting starts and ask the folks to contact you later if you have no time to discuss it then. They may or may not but you have tried and it is their loss if they don't contact you.

The problem is that they also offer you a special deal if you make your decision while you are there just like the sales pressure the timeshare developers give you too. I asked him if we could contact him later with the same supposedly good deal and he said yes. He wouldn't give us the paperwork to take home but he gave us his business card. I wanted to read the paperwork but you have to sign the dot to see it.

Cindy, why don't you contact a TV station and see if you can find someone to do a story on this how ignorant or older folks are taken advantage of or write a letter to one of the larger metropolitan papers? Someone may cover the story for you.

 

[Carolinian]

While one or two resorts are back and forth on this issue, most resorts on the OBX, at least, accept deedbacks of ALL weeks, and the reason is really quite simple. Taking a deedback is a whole lot cheaper for the HOA than foreclosing, which is the alternative from their standpoint.

I would imagine that many resorts will take back prime weeks rather quickly, but I am not so sure on the non-prime weeks as there is a significant cost to reselling them. It is funny though, I have never had a timeshare salesperson tell me that if I didn't like it their resort will take it back refund or not. Seems to me if that were the common practice, the salespersons at the resorts would be telling potential buyers that "hey if you don't like it down the road, we will take ownership back". I would think that it would help sales dramatically.

It also appears that many people just aren't into the game deep enough to understand the ins and outs of calling the resort and asking to give back their unit. The PCC's end up fleecing these individuals who were shorn in the first place by the resorts sales staff. Come to think of it, why would I want to pad the pockets of the very same people who took the greehorns in the first place. I say spread the dirty money around.

Just my thoughts.

Bill

 

[JMAESD84]

To my mind, postcard companies are far more disgusting than the developers, but only equally as disgusting as the upfront-fee companies.

Nothing makes you feel better about timeshare than a presentation, especially when you have traded into something really grand with something the salesperson thinks that trade should be impossible. (Vistana salesperson Todd told us we would never get into Vistana Orlando again, we were just lucky. ) (Embassy Poipu Point guy said it was a fluke we were in Hawaii with a Colorado summer week, too )

The developers overcharge by 50%, some would say higher, but if you take the postcard companies out of the business, perhaps timeshare would only be worth half and not 10% of their original values. If eBay is going to determine the market, then eBay is the problem WITH the low market prices. Right?

I hope you forgive me for jumping to conclusions.

Your forgiven.

I don't see any difference between the PPC's and the developers. The redeaming value of developers is that they actually develop the inventory for the marketplace, but they take advantage of everyone they can in sales without remorse. The redeaming value of PPC's is they treat customers great on the sales side and take advantage of everyone they can to create their inventory. Each use similar techniques to when taking advantage, in fact they are almost always people of the industry that know both aspects extremely well.

When a developer changes the resort from a weeks resort to a points resort and thereby eliminating the option of owners to take advantage of RCI's PFD program. Then holds those same owners hostage for $3000 to $6000 conversion fees if they want to convert weeks to points, while the underlying RCI cost is $199 for this conversion. How is this any less disgusting than PPC's $3000 fee to rid an owner of a timeshare.

To my mind these are equally disgusting rip-offs.

 

[rickandcindy23]

The timeshare sales presentation for a newbie is such a positive experience; the postcard companies provide a negative view of timeshare.

The developer spent millions of dollars developing the resort and enthusiastically sell the product; the postcard companies "tear down" the illusion of the vacation experience that is timeshare, and they spend very little to get your money.

Huge contrast here. Different lies are told, but postcard companies lead people to believe they can deduct the timeshare from their income taxes and claims they have guidelines. I don't know what they say exactly, because I have not gone that far during a presentation. I just saw the constant negatives. The ugly people on the Timeshare Relief postcards of a few months ago (they recently changed the pictures) were enough to make anyone feel bad. One guy looked like the Hunchback of Notre Dame in a bad mood.

You are right, the developer did provide the product. That makes them okay in my eyes. The prices they charge are high, but the way they sell is the cause. Too much money for gifting and not enough honesty at the table. After all, how can you sell a product like timeshare at the exorbitant prices, unless you lie a little. We all know that timeshare, as we know it, is not perfect. Orlando resorts tell the biggest lies of all, IMO. All weeks are red, you can get anything you want in trade because, "we are the number one vacation destination." True that Orlando is number 1, no lie there, but the number of resorts in Orlando are keep it from being highly tradeable.

They sell these weeks with high marketing costs, that is for sure. How do you sell timeshare, then? They do the best they can in marketing, but I admit that the lies are despicable. Postcard companies are so much worse. THEY ARE NEGATIVE!

 

[JMAESD84]

When a developer changes the resort from a weeks resort to a points resort and thereby eliminating the option of owners to take advantage of RCI's PFD program. Then holds those same owners hostage for $3000 to $6000 conversion fees if they want to convert weeks to points, while the underlying RCI cost is $199 for this conversion. How is this any less disgusting than PPC's $3000 fee to rid an owner of a timeshare.

To my mind these are equally disgusting rip-offs.

You keep making excuses for the developers business practices. What justification do give for the RCI Points conversion fee rip-off I presented above. The developer has already sold the unit and now is grossly overcharging owners for membership in an improved trading system, for no other reason than..... because they can!!

Is it ok because they say timesharing is good? Wake up please!

 

[rickandcindy23]

I don't defend developers, but at least they are positive.

The points conversion fees are highway robbery. The developers pay almost nothing for the conversion and overcharge the customer. I agree on that one. I am fully awake.

 

[Jya-Ning]

I remember when I first attend a sale pitch. It is a ski resort. The week around the shoulder is asking for 20K. The week in the mud is around $10k. Of course, I have no idea about these value. But this just to tell you, if I am buying $10k, after 5 years, even if I am paying the same MF as the other owner, I may still ahead if we all buying from developer if I just bought for my own use.

On eBay, a beach summer week 2BD is around $4000, white season has no bid. If I bought for my own use and if I like to visit beach in the white season, I can subsidy my MF by $300 per year for 20 year and still ahead assume I put the $4000 difference in a 5% CD.

That does not mean the same person bought $1 White week will not regret 2 years later and think the person that bought the red week robbed him(her).

Now, the RCI point may not survive 20 years down the road if competeitor like redweek success. Will you be there 20 years later? Or will you even care at that time?

Each person probably will make his(her) own judgement. But in both case (developer sales department and post card exit company) are operated by the same people, and they are sell things that has very little cost but hugh overhead so what can you expected.

Jya-Ning

 

[rickandcindy23]

We rescinded a Fairshare Plus developer purchase and thought it was an excellent value, considering they were converting our weeks. I have had my doubts about rescinding, actually. Jya-Ning even thought it was pretty good!