Resale Benefits?

[learning_noob]

Hi, I just got out of a presentation for CWA and ended up getting 154k points for almost $25k. Realizing I got in with all the hype and emotions and did a little bit of researched too little too late. Found out you can buy these on resale for really cheap. So I'm planning to cancel it while I'm within the 10 day period. Just wondering aside from the savings, do you get any benefits from buying resale? I read you won't be eligible for VIP status. But was wondering about:

1) Does Resale have access to RCI to book internationally?
2) Does Resale have access to use points for airfare, cruises, etc?
3) I read some eBay listing that say after purchase, it takes 6 months the transfer process, is this about the estimated transfer time from everyones experience? or is that just eBay and would it be better to buy elsewhere (tug2)?

Any other experience or something I should know would be appreciated.

 

[learning_noob]

4) Also curious how I can increase the points later on. Let's say I bought a resale for grand desert for 100k points. Do I buy another resale to increase my points? but how would I pool it together? Or do I have to purchase from Wyndham to increase my points?

 

[vacation911]

Hi, I just got out of a presentation for CWA and ended up getting 154k points for almost $25k. Realizing I got in with all the hype and emotions and did a little bit of researched too little too late. Found out you can buy these on resale for really cheap. So I'm planning to cancel it while I'm within the 10 day period. Just wondering aside from the savings, do you get any benefits from buying resale? I read you won't be eligible for VIP status. But was wondering about:

1) Does Resale have access to RCI to book internationally?
2) Does Resale have access to use points for airfare, cruises, etc?
3) I read some eBay listing that say after purchase, it takes 6 months the transfer process, is this about the estimated transfer time from everyones experience? or is that just eBay and would it be better to buy elsewhere (tug2)?

Any other experience or something I should know would be appreciated.

If you're considering this purchase, I’d recommend canceling within your allotted time. It’s great that you’ve found this website and caught this during your rescission period—many people don’t realize until it’s too late, so kudos to you for doing your research in time!

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• The level you’re buying at doesn’t include VIP benefits. While the developer might offer bonus points to elevate you to VIP temporarily, those points will expire, and the benefits won’t transfer if you decide to sell later. VIP is exclusive to developer purchases.
• The price you’re paying to buy directly from the developer is usually not worth it compared to the resale market, VIP or not. It would take an unrealistic number of free upgrades or discounted rooms to make up for that price.
• If you ever decide to sell, you should be comfortable with the fact that you may not recoup any of your purchase price.

Regarding benefits:

• Yes, you’ll still have full access to RCI International and Domestic through resale.
• No, you won’t have the Plus Partners benefits, but it’s worth noting that buying those things like airefare, cruises in cash is always cheaper than using points. Points are best utilized within the resort network. Your maintenance fees on the points you use will be like 3 times the cash you would have spent to pay.

About transfer times:
While some transfers can take up to six months, most don’t take that long. If you’re considering resale, platforms like eBay or TUG are great options. Just make sure to buy from sellers with solid feedback and a good reputation.

Best of luck with your decision, and feel free to update us when you’ve made your choice.

 

[vacation911]

4) Also curious how I can increase the points later on. Let's say I bought a resale for grand desert for 100k points. Do I buy another resale to increase my points? but how would I pool it together? Or do I have to purchase from Wyndham to increase my points?

Points can be combined in the same member account, whether they’re resale or not. Only developer points have the developer perks. You choose which to use from same account.

 

[Sandi Bo]

Only buy points to use for booking rooms - any other use of points is not going to be cost effective, they might at best be a means to get rid of points that are otherwise going to go to waste. But don't buy points because of the sales pitches to use for cruises or to rent or anything else they entice you with.

It does not matter where you purchase your points (eBay or elsewhere) - all are subject to the terrible transfer times we read about (the exception to that would be if you were purchasing developer points from Wyndham, I think they are more reasonable transfer times (and I am in no way saying it's worth it).

If you are looking at purchasing resale points, the most important thing to know is you want to purchase from a resort with low maintenance fees - which is typically the higher priced overall resorts (like Hawaii, Canterbury in San Francisco, etc). Because it takes more points to stay there - the maintenance fees tend to be lower. Whatever you own, points are points - you can buy a Hawaii resale contract and use the points at Bonnet Creek in Orlando, for example. Unless you need a home resort benefit (which would be advanced reservation priviledges - which are rarely needed), buy contracts for low maintenance fees, not the resort itself.

Sometimes Wyndham offers discounted reservations (that include resale points). Not often and you can't count on it, but they throw them out there sometimes - in December they offered 50% off at a lot of places, if you booked by a certain date and the reservation started by the end of January. That's one of the better sales I've seen (ever).

 

[Floridaman76]

Yes, definitely cancel, you get NO benefits or discounts by buying from the developer at such a low level. You can always add more points later, it's cumulative

 

[learning_noob]

Awesome, thanks everyone! Glad there's such an activity community for this to help new comers!

 

[Floridaman76]

It's not an absolute requirement, but one of the things to look for when adding points later is to try to add a contract which has the same use year of your original one. And also, when making your initital purchase, getting one with a January use year will probably help not complicate things later, as January is the most common use year and also allows you to add bi-annual contracts as well without complications, which are all January use year.

 

[vacation911]

It's not an absolute requirement, but one of the things to look for when adding points later is to try to add a contract which has the same use year of your original one. And also, when making your initital purchase, getting one with a January use year will probably help not complicate things later, as January is the most common use year and also allows you to add bi-annual contracts as well without complications, which are all January use year.

I thought Wyndham doesn’t allow multiple use years anymore, but I’ve been thinking about this and still feel a bit confused.

What happens if you buy points with a different use year? Do they automatically get converted to match your original use year? I think it might depend on when the points expire. For example, if they expire in July 2026, they’d be considered 2026 points, even though they were technically issued in 2025.

That conversion process seems a little tricky—and honestly, I feel like I wouldn’t be getting all the points, even though technically I would. Does anyone else feel this way? Or can someone help clarify how this works? I’d really appreciate it.

 

[Sandi Bo]

I thought Wyndham doesn’t allow multiple use years anymore, but I’ve been thinking about this and still feel a bit confused.

What happens if you buy points with a different use year? Do they automatically get converted to match your original use year? I think it might depend on when the points expire. For example, if they expire in July 2026, they’d be considered 2026 points, even though they were technically issued in 2025.

That conversion process seems a little tricky—and honestly, I feel like I wouldn’t be getting all the points, even though technically I would. Does anyone else feel this way? Or can someone help clarify how this works? I’d really appreciate it.

You are correct on all things you mentioned. The 'rule' when they started aligning use years was they would pick the latest one to end (thus Jan - Dec is the most 'popular') although they would allow you to make different requests (and you would possibly be granted an option - say you had a reason for a Apr-March use year). When first implemented, they prorated for the "lost" months, both for what you had in your account as well as for new resale purchases. They stopped doing that and essentially now, they'll push you forward (you still pay the maintenance) and the points essentially have disappeared). They may prorate you at the time of your new (resale) purchase but if they don't, they might do it at any time. Rule #1 - Wyndham makes the rules (and may or may not tell you what they are or what they are doing - it is possible you login one day and find out you've been realigned).

Your comment about what use year something is that spans multiple years- I think a July 2025-July 2026 use year is considered a 2025 use year. If that contract were realigned in 2025 to end Dec 2025, I think you'd get your new allotment of Jan-Dec 2026 points on Jan 2026. Someone on here may have a more accurate answer on that. That's my best guess.

 

[kanerf]

I just purchased 392000 points for $1. Took awhile for the transfer, but the points are in my account.

 

[paxsarah]

Your comment about what use year something is that spans multiple years- I think a July 2025-July 2026 use year is considered a 2025 use year. If that contract were realigned in 2025 to end Dec 2025, I think you'd get your new allotment of Jan-Dec 2026 points on Jan 2026. Someone on here may have a more accurate answer on that. That's my best guess.

The use year is determined by the end date of the use year - so the use years ending on March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31 of 2025 are all "2025 use years." I've always understood this to be the case from previous discussions on TUG, but I wasn't sure of the source until I looked it up a little while back here, and it's the way it's written in the Fairshare Vacation Plan governing docs. Even though we typically refer to use years by their start month, in the governing docs they're defined by their end date. That's why when Wyndham realigns to the latest existing use year in an owner's account, (what we refer to as) January is the latest possible.

 

[Floridaman76]

I thought Wyndham doesn’t allow multiple use years anymore, but I’ve been thinking about this and still feel a bit confused.

What happens if you buy points with a different use year? Do they automatically get converted to match your original use year? I think it might depend on when the points expire. For example, if they expire in July 2026, they’d be considered 2026 points, even though they were technically issued in 2025.

That conversion process seems a little tricky—and honestly, I feel like I wouldn’t be getting all the points, even though technically I would. Does anyone else feel this way? Or can someone help clarify how this works? I’d really appreciate it.

I have no idea what Wyndham "allows" when buying new, but the existing contracts out there have a January, April, July or October use year. Whatever use year it is on the first contract you buy will be "your" use year, and going forward Wyndham will align everything you buy to that. That sometimes has issues because of where it is in the use year at time of transfer, sometimes Wyndham doesn't seem to do fair points allocations when changing use year.

That's why I recommended either buying contracts with the more common January Use Year or just buying whatever use year you end up with after your first purchase. It gives Wyndham one less mechanism to screw you over.

 

[paxsarah]

I generally have managed this by only buying January use years. As long as you know the sequence (January is the latest) you can at least prepare yourself for the number of months you'll be without points if you buy something that doesn't match. So if I were to buy an October use year, they would realign it forward 3 months to January, and you can take into account whether 3 months of maintenance fees without points is worth it (I would probably not give it a second thought for a good contract).

I made the possibly questionable move of winning a $1 (plus closing and transfer) National Harbor contract with an April use year and I'm actually just hoping that the transfer process drags out until midyear to minimize the months of maintenance I'll be paying without points. (It hasn't even been recorded yet, though it is in the hands of the courier, so by the time it's recorded, picked up by the courier, mailed back to the closing company, sent to Wyndham for processing, then actually processed by Wyndham, a lot of time could pass.) It's a great contract and I'll probably be keeping it for the long-term, so I'm okay with it but it's not my finest purchase.

Speaking of the long-term, if a contract is realigned to a different use year and then sold/given away later on the resale market, does it keep the new use year upon transfer? I assume it does, kind of like points conversions, but I can't recall ever hearing it mentioned.

 

[TUGBrian]

congrats on rescinding and saving 25k!

 

[vacation911]

Speaking of the long-term, if a contract is realigned to a different use year and then sold/given away later on the resale market, does it keep the new use year upon transfer? I assume it does, kind of like points conversions, but I can't recall ever hearing it mentioned.

I believe it just depends on what the new owners use year is. It is always converted to what the current owners use year is.....Probably not talked about because the "new owners" who would now be the "sellers" would have to disclose they bought it and the use year was converted...and I dont know they would think to do that. I think it's just based upon what the new owner's anniversary date is and won't convert back unless the new owners anniversary date happened to be the original. Good question though. Not 100% with the answer.

 

[Sandi Bo]

I believe it just depends on what the new owners use year is. It is always converted to what the current owners use year is.....Probably not talked about because the "new owners" who would now be the "sellers" would have to disclose they bought it and the use year was converted...and I dont know they would think to do that. I think it's just based upon what the new owner's anniversary date is and won't convert back unless the new owners anniversary date happened to be the original. Good question though. Not 100% with the answer.

It is a great point/question. I don't know if anyone could know the answer. I doubt the use years ever go back, I'd be surprised if Wyndham even tracks that. Fixed contracts converted to points are tracked, I think, because they have to be (they'll even revert back to the fixed week in certain circumstances (like non-payment of maintenance fees). But a points contract that has an adjusted use year is a different animal. My guess is it gets converted to the new year and the original one is no longer a consideration.

Wyndham can add or subtract points however they want. They can giveth and they can take away. It's really hard to see how these things are ever audited. You would think points would be like money and would need to balance. But that's not the case.

 

[paxsarah]

It is a great point/question. I don't know if anyone could know the answer. I doubt the use years ever go back, I'd be surprised if Wyndham even tracks that. Fixed contracts converted to points are tracked, I think, because they have to be (they'll even revert back to the fixed week in certain circumstances (like non-payment of maintenance fees). But a points contract that has an adjusted use year is a different animal. My guess is it gets converted to the new year and the original one is no longer a consideration.

Wyndham can add or subtract points however they want. They can giveth and they can take away. It's really hard to see how these things are ever audited. You would think points would be like money and would need to balance. But that's not the case.

I would bet you're right that once the use year month is changed, it would have to stick (or we would have heard of situations where unexpected things happened with a use year month that reverted back).

In terms of adding or subtracting points, what they do with use year realignments is keep the points in the same overall use year (e.g. 2026, any of the four quarters). I would guess in terms of points accounting as long as they're kept in the same overall use year, everything balances points-wise. And I just realized that's probably one reason that they stopped doing any sort of proration with cases of adjusted use years, because that really would be creating points that didn't exist. They'd be goodwill points created out of thin air. I see how points balance under the current system of realigning use years.

On the flip side of that coin, though, is the money collected - and I don't see how that balances. And in fact, my brain spins even trying to figure out how it works. For my April contract in process, let's say it hits my account April 1 (which it will surely be later, but 4/1 is the worst-case scenario). Within a couple of days of the transfer, Wyndham will adjust the use year from April to January - so the 2026 use year points in my account (UY originally starting 4/1/25) will become available for bookings 1/1/26 through 12/31/26. The previous owner will have paid 12 months of maintenance fees on their use year 2025 points (ending March 31, 2025). And I'll be paying maintenance fees for 9 months in 2025 on this contract, for what - still 2025 use year? For which I have zero points and for which the previous owner has already paid 12 months of maintenance fees? Or for the 2026 use year, for which I'll pay 12 months of maintenance fees in 2026? I hope at least the resort still gets the MFs from the dead zone of time where I don't have the points. I need Jodi Rogers to explain this to me like I'm 5. Or at least like I'm taking freshman accounting (which is the most I ever took). People always complain that when Wyndham realigns use years they're stealing points. I've always said that they're only moving points - you'll get them, just starting later - but they're stealing maintenance fee payments.

All this being said, I went into this purchase knowing all this and ready to accept it as part of the upfront cost of the contract. I don't understand it, but it's predictable and I made my choice with that knowledge. And hopefully Wyndham will really take a while to process the transfer and I'll only end up paying 6-7 months of maintenance fees for no points instead of 9 months.

 

[ShawnH]

I would bet you're right that once the use year month is changed, it would have to stick (or we would have heard of situations where unexpected things happened with a use year month that reverted back).

In terms of adding or subtracting points, what they do with use year realignments is keep the points in the same overall use year (e.g. 2026, any of the four quarters). I would guess in terms of points accounting as long as they're kept in the same overall use year, everything balances points-wise. And I just realized that's probably one reason that they stopped doing any sort of proration with cases of adjusted use years, because that really would be creating points that didn't exist. They'd be goodwill points created out of thin air. I see how points balance under the current system of realigning use years.

On the flip side of that coin, though, is the money collected - and I don't see how that balances. And in fact, my brain spins even trying to figure out how it works. For my April contract in process, let's say it hits my account April 1 (which it will surely be later, but 4/1 is the worst-case scenario). Within a couple of days of the transfer, Wyndham will adjust the use year from April to January - so the 2026 use year points in my account (UY originally starting 4/1/25) will become available for bookings 1/1/26 through 12/31/26. The previous owner will have paid 12 months of maintenance fees on their use year 2025 points (ending March 31, 2025). And I'll be paying maintenance fees for 9 months in 2025 on this contract, for what - still 2025 use year? For which I have zero points and for which the previous owner has already paid 12 months of maintenance fees? Or for the 2026 use year, for which I'll pay 12 months of maintenance fees in 2026? I hope at least the resort still gets the MFs from the dead zone of time where I don't have the points. I need Jodi Rogers to explain this to me like I'm 5. Or at least like I'm taking freshman accounting (which is the most I ever took). People always complain that when Wyndham realigns use years they're stealing points. I've always said that they're only moving points - you'll get them, just starting later - but they're stealing maintenance fee payments.

All this being said, I went into this purchase knowing all this and ready to accept it as part of the upfront cost of the contract. I don't understand it, but it's predictable and I made my choice with that knowledge. And hopefully Wyndham will really take a while to process the transfer and I'll only end up paying 6-7 months of maintenance fees for no points instead of 9 months.

This is something I failed to consider, as I have been contemplating adding a resale contract to my developer points and I see now that it should be a consideration when purchasing a resale contract.

One thing comes to mind about the maintainance fees you essentially pay during the period you don’t have access, could be a way that Wyndham recoups some of the lost revenue from the sale not being developer sales. Granted it’s still likely a lot less than you’d pay otherwise but still.

I guess you just have to chalk those fees up as a resale “tax” and move on. But I agree it seems not right unless I’m not entirely understanding the realignment process which is always possible. I find there is still things I don’t know that I don’t know about club Wyndham sometimes.