Question about Diamond Resorts

[glandiu]

The Club Membership

I am considering purchasing a summer week at Powhatan (resale). Do I understand correctly that if I purchase resale, Diamond does not allow me to purchase "TheClub" membership? I need to purchase another week or points directly from Diamond in order to become a member of "TheClub"? If that is the case, how much should I expect to pay to purchase additional points or week?

My main reason for purchase is for the occasional visit to Powhatan and to trade to other Diamond Resorts. From a points standpoint, Powhatan would trade well for me to other Diamond resorts I'd like to visit. Is it worth purchasing the extra week or should I just join II and trade with them? Thanks for your time for this newbie.

G

 

[pgnewarkboy]

I am considering purchasing a summer week at Powhatan (resale). Do I understand correctly that if I purchase resale, Diamond does not allow me to purchase "TheClub" membership? I need to purchase another week or points directly from Diamond in order to become a member of "TheClub"? If that is the case, how much should I expect to pay to purchase additional points or week?

My main reason for purchase is for the occasional visit to Powhatan and to trade to other Diamond Resorts. From a points standpoint, Powhatan would trade well for me to other Diamond resorts I'd like to visit. Is it worth purchasing the extra week or should I just join II and trade with them? Thanks for your time for this newbie.

G

There is always a great deal of discussion about what you can and can't do on purchase of a re-sale and DRI points. TUG members are often knowledgeable and give you the best information they have. Their answer, however, is not definitive or binding on DRI.

I think you need to get a definitive answer from DRI - preferably in writing as to whether you can purchase points or not after buying a re-sale. A points member can exchange within the DRI system without exchange fees. You also have other options to use points for airline tickets, maintenance fees, and vacations. I have found the point system in The Club to be extremely flexible and useful.

 

[dougp26364]

Even when you ask DRI, the "definitive" answer may change daily. The last post I read, the cost was close to $6,000 to join THE Club. At that price I wouldn't do it. I had a tough time deciding to put my two units, which total 26,500 points, into THE Club when the price was $2,995.

 

[AwayWeGo]

What's Wrong With T. H. E. Club.

By me, T.H.E. Club is a non-starter. I would not touch it with a 10-foot pole.

What's wrong with it?

Where to start...

Every time they've given us their sales pitch, they've wanted a minimum of $8,500 plus our timeshare deed(s) that we already own, just to put us into the "club." More typically they want $22,500 + deed(s). That gets us not just "club" membership, but also more timeshare property somewhere (as if we wanted any more) -- except that they'd keep the deed & stick it in their (pardon the expression) "trust." Sheesh.

We only paid $1,925 for our 3BR every-year lock-off unit in the 1st place -- & only $500 for our similar EEY unit. We'd be have to be way off our nut to pay more for conversion than we paid for acquisition.

Not only that, if we pay the big bux & then get tired of our "club" membership at some time in the future, we can quit paying & drop out -- but we can't resell the membership we paid so much to acquire. Plus, with no deed(s) in our own name any longer, we can't ever quit or we lose our rights to what formerly was deeded to us. Good grief! If we say, "We'd like to quit the 'club' & get our old timeshare deed(s) back," I'm pretty sure they'll tell us to go whistle.

I like timeshare points all right (RCI), just not Diamond/SunTerra "club" points because (a) they're too expensive & (b) they take away my deed. No way I'm going for that.

Lately, there have been reports on TUG-BBS to the effect that people in the "club" are paying lots more in annual fees than stand-alone owners pay. Apparently that's because of "management fees" the timeshare company adds on top of the costs of operations & maintenance & taxes & reserves. Reportedly, 1 guy ponied up $1,500 or so in fees for his 3BR unit in the "club" -- side by side with standalone owners (like me) who pay just under $800 in fees for a comparable unit at the same timeshare.

I believe that the "club" arrangement is something timeshare company cooked up as a way of pushing back against timeshare resales. When I said that 1 time to a SunTerra timeshare seller, his response was, "That's about the size of it." (Or words to that effect.) (Later on, Diamond bought out SunTerra -- but it's still all the same thing, "club" & all.)

I would never buy a timeshare from a timeshare company. Ditto timeshare points. Buy resale. Save thousands.

That's just my opinion based on my experience. No doubt there are thousands of perfectly satisfied full-freight timeshare owners out there who belong to the "club" & love it. More power to them. I wish them well.

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

 

[pgnewarkboy]

I think there is some confusion, as usual, about the Club and the Trusts. The Club does not take away your deed. You continue to own your own property if you have a deed to that property.

Away We Go was quoted hallacious prices to join the Trust. I assume it was a trust since he would have to give up his deeds.

4 years ago I paid nothing to get into the Club. I bought an EOY timeshare, deeded, and had my other timeshares converted to points as well for no additional costs. I retained all my deeds. I am not saying that can be done today for no cost.

There is no list price, apparently, to get into the Club program. Unfortunately, you have to negotiate your way to the best deal you can get. This is an inherent problem with timeshare sales and marketing. I have never had a sales pitch by a timeshare company that did not involve variable pricing depending how well or poorly you could negotiate as well as the need of the salesperson to make a sale at the moment.

I recommend that all transactions and promises with a timeshare company ( or any other business) be obtained in writing. Without a written promise you can get stuck.

If the events of the last year have taught us anything it should be that oral representations and "hand-shake" deals are worthless in the world of business.

 

[Bill4728]

Since this isn't about the FAQ of Diamond, I'm moving this to it's own thread.

 

[Sunterra]

I am considering purchasing a summer week at Powhatan (resale). Do I understand correctly that if I purchase resale, Diamond does not allow me to purchase "TheClub" membership? I need to purchase another week or points directly from Diamond in order to become a member of "TheClub"? If that is the case, how much should I expect to pay to purchase additional points or week?

My main reason for purchase is for the occasional visit to Powhatan and to trade to other Diamond Resorts. From a points standpoint, Powhatan would trade well for me to other Diamond resorts I'd like to visit. Is it worth purchasing the extra week or should I just join II and trade with them? Thanks for your time for this newbie.

G

The price to join THE Club and its predecessor Club Sunterra has always been $2995. Some have negotiated down and wonder of wonders it's waived if you buy from DRI first day. The most common answer these days from a sales weasel is "It can't be done" or "$5000 for 2000 points and free entry into THE Club." They (DRI) try to keep you as confused as possible.

If you are saying above that you'd like to trade a Powhatan week that you purchase through II, it cannot be done. THE Club is affiliated with II; Powhatan is not. If you own a week at Powhatan that has not been converted to THE Club, you can trade it with RCI or any independent exchange company that will accept it.

 

[dougp26364]

The price to join THE Club and its predecessor Club Sunterra has always been $2995.

This isn't factual. The price to join SunOptions or THE Club was only $2,995 for a relatively short time. Before that, Sunterra wanted you to buy additional points at developer cost. That deal also came with an increase in your MF's. The $2,995 deal hasn't been heard of for some time. There is a thread over at Timeshareforums that chronicals what people have paid to join THE Club or convert deeded properties into THE Club with a decent history.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Non-Starter.

Sunterra wanted you to buy additional points at developer cost.

That's our experience.

We just say No Thanks.

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

 

[dougp26364]

See this thread http://www.timeshareforums.com/foru...nterra-epic/27531-latest-conversion-info.html at Timeshareforums for conversion information dating back to January 1st of 2007. That's nearly 2 years of history from 1/1/07 to 1/1/09 to sift through.

The first post references the $2,995 price so perhaps I was wrong. It sounds as if you had to fight for that price as a few posts down there a report of being required to buy additional points at a cost of $10,000.

 

[Sail7seas]

can you deposit a week in the club after membership?

Most of the comments here have been about people having units and not belonging to the Club of DRI. I already belong to 'the club' by virtue of having bought one of their outrageously priced units a few years back. Does anyone know that if a buy a private resale unit in one of the DRI resorts, can I deposit that in The Club for additional points? Would that cost anything to do?

Karen

 

[csalter2]

Most of the comments here have been about people having units and not belonging to the Club of DRI. I already belong to 'the club' by virtue of having bought one of their outrageously priced units a few years back. Does anyone know that if a buy a private resale unit in one of the DRI resorts, can I deposit that in The Club for additional points? Would that cost anything to do?

Karen

The best answer for this will be with DRI. However, I believe that even as a member of the Club, you will still have to pay DRI in order to have the resale unit you purchased be available for points into the Club. I could not tell you the amount because as you have heard from many here on TUG that the prices seem negotiable depending on the day you ask or with whom you speak.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Hard To Negotiate That Retroactively.

Does anyone know that if a buy a private resale unit in one of the DRI resorts, can I deposit that in The Club for additional points? Would that cost anything to do?

Some years ago I met somebody who, via negotiations, got DRI's forerunner (SunTerra) to allow him to add all the SunTerra resales he already owned at the time and all the ones he acquired thenceforward to be included in his "club" membership, giving him lots& lots of additional annual points from then on out.

Anything can be negotiated, I suppose, but unless someone sweetened the offer for DRI -- e.g., by agreeing to buy more full-freight DRI timeshare(s) -- it's hard to imagine why the timeshare company would go for something like that.

I once told a SunTerra timeshare seller that I think the SunTerra "club" system was something the timeshare company thought up as a way of pushing back against timeshare resales. "That's about the size of it," the guy said. (Or words to that effect.)

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

 

[Sail7seas]

adding to DRI

Thanks for the answers. I also read the thread about conversion and am better educated about the conversion issues now. It seems like you have to push to get a good deal. I also discovered the option of depositing a week into Club Select and have variously heard that there may be a limit to how many times that can be done. They never have weeks from their own resorts in Club Select which seems to me that they just add them to their own inventory. So if I bought a DRI resort resale they should be able to refuse it, right?

The thing that really burns me about DRI is the difficulty in doing searches. It was even worse under Sunterra but it is now only marginally better. I want a search system like II (or even their own Club Select) where you can put in a whole year and look at what is available, then you can plan around it. They have this weird system where it will sometimes not give you things that are actually there even if you say your times are flexible.

Karen

 

[csalter2]

Thanks for the answers. I also read the thread about conversion and am better educated about the conversion issues now. It seems like you have to push to get a good deal. I also discovered the option of depositing a week into Club Select and have variously heard that there may be a limit to how many times that can be done. They never have weeks from their own resorts in Club Select which seems to me that they just add them to their own inventory. So if I bought a DRI resort resale they should be able to refuse it, right?

The thing that really burns me about DRI is the difficulty in doing searches. It was even worse under Sunterra but it is now only marginally better. I want a search system like II (or even their own Club Select) where you can put in a whole year and look at what is available, then you can plan around it. They have this weird system where it will sometimes not give you things that are actually there even if you say your times are flexible.

Karen

Hi Karen,

When I became an Elite member, I was able to use the Club Select program. I don't know if that is a requirement but that was when it was offered to me. With Club Select, you take a property that you own outside of DRI and deposit it into the Club Select program for additional Club points. I own a Marriott and they offer me points if I deposit it as a two bedroom and then separate points if I deposit it to them separately. I have never deposited it as of yet, but I like the option.

You really have to work with the reservation system. I don't know where you want to go but I notice that when I want to go to most places and am in my appropriate time frame, I seem to be able to get what I want on most occasions.

 

[Sunterra]

This isn't factual. The price to join SunOptions or THE Club was only $2,995 for a relatively short time. Before that, Sunterra wanted you to buy additional points at developer cost. That deal also came with an increase in your MF's. The $2,995 deal hasn't been heard of for some time. There is a thread over at Timeshareforums that chronicals what people have paid to join THE Club or convert deeded properties into THE Club with a decent history.

It is factual. It was the price quoted by Club Sunterra since 1998 and is the price you see on paperwork at a retail sales presentation that you go to today that they waive when you buy from them.

 

[glandiu]

Thanks!

WOW! Thanks for all the information! Just a followup, I decided to pass on the purchase based on the information posted here and my own experience thus far trying to get an answer from DRI directly. Basically got the run around from them and decided that I shouldn't purchase. Sounds like DRI is NOT the best company to do business with. Thanks again! (Oh, yeah...M/F's for 2009 went up for that resort as well from $950 a year for a 4 bedroom lockout to $1152 a year.)

 

[dougp26364]

WOW! Thanks for all the information! Just a followup, I decided to pass on the purchase based on the information posted here and my own experience thus far trying to get an answer from DRI directly. Basically got the run around from them and decided that I shouldn't purchase. Sounds like DRI is NOT the best company to do business with. Thanks again! (Oh, yeah...M/F's for 2009 went up for that resort as well from $950 a year for a 4 bedroom lockout to $1152 a year.)

I own 7 timeshares with 4 different companies. You're correct, DRI is not the best. Of the 4 companies I own it's at the bottom of my list for both customer service, resorts in their system and cost.

There's a reason why you got the run around. Either no one knows the rules or no one wants to admit to or inform you of the rules. They'll try to insist that you need to buy more points in order to convert a resale into THE Club. Most of the time they're going to try to tag you for a minimum purchase of $10,000 while denying that the conversion for $2,995 ever existed or that it still exists.

lt won't end there either. Right now, DRI is showing me with $700 past due that is not past due. So far I'm two phone calls into this and it's not corrected. The last time they demanded money that wasn't due, I ended up paying it for fear of being kicked out of THE Club. Once I proved that I did not owe the money, DRI would not refund that payment in cash or credit on my credit card. Instead they issued a credit to my account.

So, they take money they don't deserve and then refuse to return it to the customer in a manner requested by the customer. Instead they hang onto the sum of money for an additional 5 months until the next bill is due.

DRI's motto is simplicity yet, to date, I have found nothing about this program that lives up to that motto. I hear promises but I'm not seeing results.

 

[TheWizz]

DRI The Club positive experiences

I noticed a lot of negative feedback regarding DRI's The Club. I thought I would provide a different perspective. I have purchased 14+ timeshares over the past three years, all of which were resale, and most of those were on EBay. Seven of these timeshares are RCI Weeks/Points resorts in Argentina and Texas, so I won't discuss them in this topic.

I would say I have received some excellent properties for low purchase prices overall. I started a few years ago with a 2BR at Polo Towers Suites. Independently I added two 2BR units from Sunterra Fall Creek and some Sunterra SunOption FLA points (7000) for the 19 associated resorts. Shortly after the acquisition of Sunterra by Diamond, I had the chance to go to Maui and talk to them about converting my Sunterra timeshares and points to "Full Club". Of course they tried to get me to buy a Maui deeded timeshare and "give me" The Club, but that was an extra $8000 I didn't want to pay. So they reluctantly processed the conversion to The Club ($2995) and I became a Silver Elite with The Club points.

Then about a year later, Diamond/Sunterra Ownership Enhancements Dept. contacted me about my Diamond (Polo Towers) holdings and wanted to know if I wanted to convert it to Club. Of course it would be another $2995. I didn't bite at first, but then they said they would allow me to include one future Diamond property in the deal and convert it to points as well for no additional charge. I had already considered selling my Fall Creek timeshares, so I did the deal and instantly went to EBay to find a Polo Towers Villas 1BR for sale as I would need an additional 10K points after I sold the Fall Creek resorts to remain a Gold Elite member with The Club. So I converted my Polo Towers Suites and new Polo Towers Villas units I bought on EBay to The Club and have 40K+ points now each year to use.

I have been VERY happy with both the ability to get the resorts I wanted within Diamond, e.g. Maui, as well as some excellent exchanges via II with my points. I carried over some of my 2008 points into 2009 and here is what I was able to book via Diamond or II in 2008 and 2009:

1. Book via DRI in Maui 1BR deluxe ocean front at DRI Ka'anapali Beach Club
2. Get $$ cash back on 20K points for cruise options
3. Book via II in Orlando last November a 1BR at Gold resort
3. Book via II in Virginia Beach for New Year's week 2008/2009 at Gold resort
4. Book via II in Orlando this August a 3BR, 2BR, and Studio unit at Gold resort
5. Book via DRI in Williamsburg a 2BR unit at Powhatan for Christmas week
6. Book via DRI in Williamsburg a 2BR or 1BR unit at Powhatan for five months straight (save New Years) for my son and his wife while he is in USCG training at Yorktown and needed a furnished place to stay for five months

I still have ~15K points left for 2009. So as you can see, I was able to maximize my investment in Sunterra and Diamond via The Club. I find the trading power within II for Club Points (not weeks!) very good and can also do short stays in II with reduced Club Points (3-6 days). And of course if I can book something in DRI or II within 45 days, the points required for the stay are reduced by 50%. I hope DRI continues to acquire quality timeshare companies and that the list of Club resorts continues to grow.

 

[pgnewarkboy]

Ditto. I have been very happy with the DRI Club. They offer many options and great flexibility. My financial dealings with DRI have been flawless. They have lived up to every one of their agreements.

 

[RIMike]

Glad someone is having luck with DRI

Ditto. I have been very happy with the DRI Club. They offer many options and great flexibility. My financial dealings with DRI have been flawless. They have lived up to every one of their agreements.

I consider DRI my one Timeshare mistake. While I like having the ability to get into some really unique locations that are hard otherwise by RCI or II, it has been a challenge working with DRI.

My first exchange turned out to be my worst one ever on a "short stay" with DRI/II. They(DRI/II) never managed to get me a confirmation certificate which pissed off the resort. DRI handles the II requests through them in a special relationship with II.

I have sent a very negative review to II for my TS experience in Orlando over the weekend. WE LEFT early. While the resort was not a DRI one, it costs a lot in points for a short stay. It does not, in hindsight, look like a good deal. But I had points that I must use or lose this year.

I would never buy another DRI property until they prove that can actually do customer service. In addition to this most disappointing experience, DRI was terrible about getting me set up with II in the first place and took MONTHS to ge this done.

They have also already added additional fees for "more options" since I bought from them in January of last year. They are part of the people that give Timesharing a really bad name.

 

[pgnewarkboy]

I consider DRI my one Timeshare mistake. While I like having the ability to get into some really unique locations that are hard otherwise by RCI or II, it has been a challenge working with DRI.

My first exchange turned out to be my worst one ever on a "short stay" with DRI/II. They(DRI/II) never managed to get me a confirmation certificate which pissed off the resort. DRI handles the II requests through them in a special relationship with II.

I have sent a very negative review to II for my TS experience in Orlando over the weekend. WE LEFT early. While the resort was not a DRI one, it costs a lot in points for a short stay. It does not, in hindsight, look like a good deal. But I had points that I must use or lose this year.

I would never buy another DRI property until they prove that can actually do customer service. In addition to this most disappointing experience, DRI was terrible about getting me set up with II in the first place and took MONTHS to ge this done.

They have also already added additional fees for "more options" since I bought from them in January of last year. They are part of the people that give Timesharing a really bad name.

In my experience, and my understanding of the DRI policy and practice, confirmation certificates are sent via e-mail and available to be printed from their website. I have made numerous reservations with points through II and DRI - each time I got a confirmation "certificate". I have never had a reservation where there was any kind of problem.

There is always the potential for a foul up. There are foul-ups in $2000 a night hotels and resorts. I am sure that DRI makes mistakes. The fact that a problem occurs does not forever smear the reputation of the company where it happens much less the industry it is in.

 

[RIMike]

In my experience, and my understanding of the DRI policy and practice, confirmation certificates are sent via e-mail and available to be printed from their website. I have made numerous reservations with points through II and DRI - each time I got a confirmation "certificate". I have never had a reservation where there was any kind of problem.

There is always the potential for a foul up. There are foul-ups in $2000 a night hotels and resorts. I am sure that DRI makes mistakes. The fact that a problem occurs does not forever smear the reputation of the company where it happens much less the industry it is in.

I am sure that is true...that one foul up does not smear a reputation forever. However, in my case, it is not just this one...it is nearly everything. This is in contrast to my Royals where I have had NO Trouble ever. DRI took MONTHS to get me set up with II in the first place. Then raised my fees and then when I finally did use them the experience was not good. Again, I will not buy again until they prove that they have indeed improved customer service.

I own several times shares...they are the least customer friendly of my holdings with no way to get out of their timeshare.