Questions, Questions, Questions......

[amyb396]

Hello All-
My husband and I recently bought a 1 bedroom timeshare unit at Pueblo Bonito Sunset Resort.....my hubby felt really good about the deal and still does.....I don't have the heart to tell him that so far all the "extra's" the salesman told us have yet to pan out.... (who by the way told us he "is here for you to answer any questions anytime" 3 emails later and I've yet to hear back from him. Lesson learned. I am still excited about getting the most out of this. It really is a pretty place and I am hoping that when we don't go there we'll be able to visit other beautiful places........We have yet to recieve our final info from them or RCI so I can't get some of my questions answered hoping you can help.

We are booked for the first week in Feb next year so that makes me feel better although I did it as a knee jerk just cause I'm freaking out and I'd actually like to either stay at the Pueblo Bonito's in Mazatlan or one of the RCI's all inclusives around Playa. But now I don't even know if that is an option if I booked a room.

So here's a FEW of my questions:

If we "give up" our week at our home resort to RCI before the maintenance fee is due will we still have to pay it and hope to get it back?

Is it true that if you give back your week in Cabo to RCI they will give you 2 weeks for that 1 week you gave them (the salesman said this, he said it is only done in Cabo and Hawaii because they are such prime spots).

Do you really think our contract will be for 90 years as he said it will be? I've seen most are 30 years and cannot find anything on our papers thus far with an end date and this was one of my non-returned emails.

For you Pueblo Bonito owners if I want to stay at one of the other PB resorts do I go through PB directly or do I have to give the week back and then go through RCI to get into the other resort.

I'm scared, I feel like I got taken advantage of, I just sent a huge check off and I don't even know fully what I'm getting in return!! Yikes. Any info would be greatly appreciated

 

[Karen G]

So here's a FEW of my questions:

If we "give up" our week at our home resort to RCI before the maintenance fee is due will we still have to pay it and hope to get it back?

You will most likely have to pay the maintenance fee on the week before you can deposit it with RCI. You are not "giving up" your week to RCI--you are depositing it and then should be able to make an exchange to another RCI resort if you do so within the specified time. Once you deposit it to RCI, you won't likely get it back, though

Is it true that if you give back your week in Cabo to RCI they will give you 2 weeks for that 1 week you gave them (the salesman said this, he said it is only done in Cabo and Hawaii because they are such prime spots).
not sure of this--you might get a bonus week from Sunset Beach the first year but I doubt this would happen every year

Do you really think our contract will be for 90 years as he said it will be? I've seen most are 30 years and cannot find anything on our papers thus far with an end date and this was one of my non-returned emails.It should be specified on your certificate of ownership. Maybe that will come in the mail soon.

For you Pueblo Bonito owners if I want to stay at one of the other PB resorts do I go through PB directly or do I have to give the week back and then go through RCI to get into the other resort.You have to go through RCI and you have to give your week in exchange.

 

[amyb396]

Thanks Karen

Thanks Karen for the info-I know that in time things will get sorted out and I'll get in the swing of things. I really do think once I sink my feet in and learn the ropes it will be a great thing......I just want all the answers right now, but will learn patience and try to just enjoy what comes, cause if I end up on a beach somewhere with a margarita it's better than a snowbank with hot chocolate.....

I see you're from Henderson....my sister lives in Summerlin! I head out there a few times a year, love the heat!!! and my nephews, can't stay away.

 

[wyobean]

Amy.....I feel very sad that you have gotten into this with so many questions. I would think that your paperwork would have some specifics. By now you know that anything they told you may or may not be true. This is a very nice resort. I certainly hope you enjoy it in the years to come and that it isn't burdensome. You will get a lot of help on this site.

 

[nazclk]

PB Sunset

I have owned there for 8 years. Lovely resort. Karen basically answered your questions and when I was there in February (we go for two weeks every year) I heard a salesman tell someone what they told you about getting 2 weeks for your one week deposit through RCI. That is an out and out lie. I have never gotten two weeks for one in 8 years.
On a more positive note however the resort is wonderful, the staff is great and we love it there. We have found that all the Pueblos have fantastic service. They have their own phone number in RCI and the people that help you are wonderful. They also have a reduced rate for trading into other Pueblos. Someday go to Emerald Bay in Mazatlan, wonderful place.

 

[amyb396]

Thanks

Thank you for the honest answers. We were there in February......the 9th to be exact Maybe it was us you heard the salesman talking to....sigh....oh well. Like I said we're making the best of it. Right now, we are booked for the first week in February of next year and are excited. We may call RCI and change to Mazatlan just to change it up early on before we start bringing the kids along.

If I switch to Emerald Bay is the reduced rate on the maintenance fee? Once I get my RCI number I'll call and be abel to figure it out. I can't wait for it to arrive!!!

 

[jtpindc]

I heard a salesman tell someone what they told you about getting 2 weeks for your one week deposit through RCI. That is an out and out lie. I have never gotten two weeks for one in 8 years.
QUOTE]

actually, I heard of this 2 for 1 and 90-year rumor also, so I went to the presentation at SB last week(Feb.22th to be exact) thinking it could be a good deal.
They told me the same thing so I re-verified with the supervisor. He said the promotion is due to the current weak economy, and currently the 2 for 1 is true but for the first 3 years ONLY and the bonus week is for a suite one grade smaller than what you buy(so if you buy a 2BR, your bonus week is for a 1BR, etc).

for you PB owners, does RCI have an easier way to exchange into other PB resorts than non-PB owners?
I'm a points owner and we have a Home group option that we can use.

and if you sell your timeshare contract, can you transfer all the promotions you were given ?

 

[Karen G]

If I switch to Emerald Bay is the reduced rate on the maintenance fee? Once I get my RCI number I'll call and be abel to figure it out. I can't wait for it to arrive!!!

No, you are obligated to pay the annual maintenance fee for your Sunset Beach week no matter how you end up using it for the year--you can use it, rent it to someone else, or exchange it for somewhere else through RCI.

 

[Karen G]

for you PB owners, does RCI have an easier way to exchange into other PB resorts than non-PB owners?
I'm a points owner and we have a Home group option that we can use.

and if you sell your timeshare contract, can you transfer all the promotions you were given ?

Yes, there is one advantage PB owners have: all deposited inventory is held for owners to exchange for up to 120 days of the start date. It is then released to everyone else in RCI for exchange.I think you can also do a "search first" deal where you don't have to give up your PB week unless there is another PB week you want to trade it for.


As far as any promotions transferring to a new owner, I believe it would have to be something that is written into the ownership document. I'm not sure about bonus weeks transferring. What other promotion were you thinking about transferring?

 

[amyb396]

No, you are obligated to pay the annual maintenance fee for your Sunset Beach week no matter how you end up using it for the year--you can use it, rent it to someone else, or exchange it for somewhere else through RCI.

That's the part I don't get. It doesn't seem like a good deal to ever go anywhere else if you have to pay the maintenance at Sunset plus the cost of where ever else you trade to. What's the point then of being able to have all the options of going somewhere else if you are basically paying double.

 

[amyb396]

I heard a salesman tell someone what they told you about getting 2 weeks for your one week deposit through RCI. That is an out and out lie. I have never gotten two weeks for one in 8 years.
QUOTE]

actually, I heard of this 2 for 1 and 90-year rumor also, so I went to the presentation at SB last week(Feb.22th to be exact) thinking it could be a good deal.
They told me the same thing so I re-verified with the supervisor. He said the promotion is due to the current weak economy, and currently the 2 for 1 is true but for the first 3 years ONLY and the bonus week is for a suite one grade smaller than what you buy(so if you buy a 2BR, your bonus week is for a 1BR, etc).

for you PB owners, does RCI have an easier way to exchange into other PB resorts than non-PB owners?
I'm a points owner and we have a Home group option that we can use.

and if you sell your timeshare contract, can you transfer all the promotions you were given ?

THANK YOU!!! I do hope it all comes out as they told me and as you clarified.

 

[Karen G]

That's the part I don't get. It doesn't seem like a good deal to ever go anywhere else if you have to pay the maintenance at Sunset plus the cost of where ever else you trade to. What's the point then of being able to have all the options of going somewhere else if you are basically paying double.

You don't pay the maintenance fee of the place you are trading in to. You pay only your own maintenance fee plus an exchange fee (around $179) to make the exchange. Whoever owns the unit you are trading in to has paid the maintenance fee on that unit.

I agree, though, that it's not a great deal if you exchange into a place that is not equal to what you are trading. That is why we usually always use our PB Rose unit instead of exchanging it.

 

[pittle]

That's the part I don't get. It doesn't seem like a good deal to ever go anywhere else if you have to pay the maintenance at Sunset plus the cost of where ever else you trade to. What's the point then of being able to have all the options of going somewhere else if you are basically paying double.

I do not own at Pueblo Bonita resorts, but that is the way the exchange thing works. You pay your MF, then if you do not plan to go to your home resort, you have a couple of options - rent it to a friend (or someone you find on the internet) or deposit it with one of the exchange companies - RCI or SFX, and then pay them close to $200 so that you can go somewhere else. (You also must realize that with RCI, you pay them an annual fee to be a member. With SFX, you can opt for a free membership.) In my opinion, this is the best reason to buy where you really want to go each year. Sometimes, you are willing to pay extra to go somewhere else, but if you own somewhere that you want to go every single year, it is not such a bad deal. From what I have seen of the Pueblo Bonita resorts, these are good places to go back to every year.

We bought our first timeshare in 1991 and then bought several others via resales on eBay. We have sold most of those and now, we just own at the places that we really want to go to (even most of those were purchased resale on eBay). While the Grupo Mayan (Mayan Palace/Bliss/Grand Mayan/Grand Bliss/Grand Luxxe/Grand Luxxe Villas) is not at the top of many lists, we love their resorts and do own a lot of weeks there and they are one of the few places that write into your contract that if you do not go, you do not pay MF. (Yes - these contracts do have the once every 5 year fee for renovations, but we can live with that.) We own a total of 15 weeks of timeshare each year, but must pay MF at 8 and those are the ones that we want to go to each year. When we want to take friends or family, we use the ones that we do not have to pay for unless we go and have the others reimburse us for their share of our MF. It works for us.

We often deposit a week or two with RCI and use those for friends or family too, or to go some new location, but have "forfeited" those weeks on occasion because we could not go somewhere during the allotted time.

 

[geekgirl512]

We bought at Emerald Bay last year and got the same 90-year deal. It is for 90 years, however, you have to renew it after each 30 year period by paying extra maintenance fees (I think it was 5 years of maint. fee). I can't find our contract at the moment but that's what I remember.

We also received a bonus week when we bought, which we were able to use to spend a week at PB Sunset Beach in January of this year. Be aware that it is not always easy to use the RCI bonus weeks but since you got one from you SB purchase, maybe you could use it to spend a week at Emerald Bay.

To find out more about how to make reservations, etc. if you have your contract number, you can go to http://timeshare.pueblobonito.com.mx/ and log in to see the FAQ. That tells you a lot of good information on how to get the most from your PB timeshare.

 

[amyb396]

We bought at Emerald Bay last year and got the same 90-year deal. It is for 90 years, however, you have to renew it after each 30 year period by paying extra maintenance fees (I think it was 5 years of maint. fee). I can't find our contract at the moment but that's what I remember.

We also received a bonus week when we bought, which we were able to use to spend a week at PB Sunset Beach in January of this year. Be aware that it is not always easy to use the RCI bonus weeks but since you got one from you SB purchase, maybe you could use it to spend a week at Emerald Bay.

To find out more about how to make reservations etc. if you have your contract number, you can go to http://timeshare.pueblobonito.com.mx/ and log in to see the FAQ. That tells you a lot of good information on how to get the most from your PB timeshare.

Thank you!!! That PB website helped out a lot!! I think once we get our contract it will help as well. I'm glad to hear that you got the 90 year deal as well. I figured there was something else tied into it, but hopefully it is in there somewhere! We did get a bonus week when we bought and are going to try to use that this year as well, but have we have to wait for our RCI number....wait, wait, wait I am so not a patient person....unless on vacation!!

 

[nazclk]

Just an FYI

Amy there is an old saying "two wrongs don't make it right" or something to that effect. So just because two salesmen lied, doesn't make it so. Also one comment you made about trading. You don't pay double, you deposit your week with RCI and then "when you trade" you pay a trade fee which I think is $189 dollars. You don't pay a "double" maintenance fee.

To jtpin
Actually the 90 deal is correct. But will the resort be standing in 90 years, don't think so. Will I be alive in 90 years, I doubt it. They gave us a promotion a few years back that for $1500 we could change our ownerships to the year 2100, don't know how many people bit on that one. I just think the resort needed an infusion of cash.