So I'm Now Required to Buy In to Abound? [Pay the Club Dues]

[Miner49er]

I bought Westin Princeville when it first opened and I've always been able to book at other Westin resorts without a fee (we've stayed at the Maui properties and Westin St. John.) This was touted as a benefit at our sales presentation when we bought Princeville.

Now, when I try to book those other properties on the Vistana website I'm only offered reservations at my home property. I called Vistana and they said I "hadn't paid the Abound membership last August, so your membership in that was cancelled." They're willing to make a one-time exception and reinstate me for about $250. Said that's because Princeville is a "voluntary" resort, where members have to buy in to Abound. (I've seen this term bandied about on the TUG Vistana threads over the last few years and never understood what it meant.)

Have I been asleep at the wheel, or has Vistana changed the terms of my ownership without clearly communicating that? I have to say I was mildly interested in Abound when Marriott first took over, but it sounded optional and we decided it wasn't worth paying extra to go to a Marriott resort; we'd just stick to the Westin resorts as we always have. And now I'm being told Abound membership is all but mandatory to travel to the Westin resorts we've always enjoyed.

Meanwhile, the "Introducing Marriott Abound Vacations" video on the Vistana website https://www.vistana.com/help-center#/resources says toward the end, "Not ready to elect? VSN members can continue to use their vacation ownership interests as they have in the past." Sounds reassuring, but seems it's the opposite of what I was told: Pay for Abound, or you'll never visit another Westin!

 

[Miner49er]

This is a sales person's LIE - just say NO!

Thanks Denise, but in what way was it a lie? The salesperson said we could book at any Westin resort without a fee and over the years, we've been able to do just that. Until now! I think Marriott is changing the terms of my ownership without even clearly communicating that they've changed. That's even sneakier than any salesman's lie. I wonder how many other owners aren't aware?

 

[5finny]

Is the OP talking about $250 in annual club dues?
Or something more?

 

[davidvel]

It's a lie because you do not have to convert to Abound. You can continue using your ownership exactly as you always have.

But OP is reporting that they are unable to to use it as they have in the past. (I don't know either way, but that is what they are saying.)

 

[dioxide45]

It sounds like you failed to pay the Abound Club Dues last year and were unenrolled from VSN. With Voluntary only ownership, these are billed separately from the maintenance fees on your Vistana VOI. They are paid directly through the Marriott Vacation Club portal that you access via the Vistana Dashboard.

 

[jabberwocky]

It's a lie because you do not have to convert to Abound. You can continue using your ownership exactly as you always have.

It might help to read what the OP wrote. This isn’t a sales presentation.

I suspect that they have been part of VSN for years. The VSN dues would have been billed on the same statement as the MF.

When Abound was introduced they don’t include the Abound fee on your MF statement if you only own a voluntary property - they send a separate statement. If you have mandatory property they bill the Abound fee on that.

OP likely didn’t pay the Abound invoice (which replaced VSN) and as a result lost both. They may be able to only pay the VSN - but the Abound is probably worth a few extra dollars.

 

[dioxide45]

OP likely didn’t pay the Abound invoice (which replaced VSN) and as a result lost both. They may be able to only pay the VSN - but the Abound is probably worth a few extra dollars.

I don't seem to recall an opt-out process for Voluntary owners. It was an all or nothing. They get VSN and Abound or they get just neither. I understand there was only an opt-out process for Mandatory owners. Those Mandatory owners could opt to forego Abound but retain VSN and continue to pay the lower VSN fee. They would lose the single fee structure and would revert to having to pay individual fees like guest name changes, housekeeping, banking fee.

 

[jabberwocky]

I don't seem to recall an opt-out process for Voluntary owners. It was an all or nothing. They get VSN and Abound or they get just neither. I understand there was only an opt-out process for Mandatory owners. Those Mandatory owners could opt to forego Abound but retain VSN and continue to pay the lower VSN fee. They would lose the single fee structure and would revert to having to pay individual fees like guest name changes, housekeeping, banking fee.

You’re right with respect to the opt-out. Voluntary owners will still need to pay the Abound fee separately.

 

[DeniseM]

My apologies - to @Miner49er: the wording confused me, because paying club dues is not buying into Abound, and at sales meetings, they do indeed try to convince you that you need to buy into Abound.

"So I'm Now Required to Buy In to Abound?"​

"This was touted as a benefit at our sales presentation when we bought Princeville".

 

[alwysonvac]

From the FAQs under Fees, Dues and Loans - https://www.vistana.com/help-center#/faqs

 

[alwysonvac]

Avoid the $600 charge and take the one time exception.

The following is from the maintenance fee statement

 

[dioxide45]

Avoid the $600 charge and take the one time exception.

The following is from the maintenance fee statement

View attachment 105557​

That seems to be a positive. I recall early on that verbiage indicated re-enrollment may require having to purchase additional VOI direct from Vistana. This fee matches up with the enrollment fee MVC owners paid to enroll their weeks in Abound (then Destinations Club) in 2010. I agree, take the exception and remain in VSN. The fee was being paid before, though it wasn't quite as high as it is now.

 

[alwysonvac]

My apologies - to @Miner49er: the wording confused me, because paying club dues is not buying into Abound, and at sales meetings, they do indeed try to convince you that you need to buy into Abound.

"So I'm Now Required to Buy In to Abound?"​

"This was touted as a benefit at our sales presentation when we bought Princeville".

The wording is confusing.
Can we change the title so that voluntary owners are reminded? They may have missed that rule in the original 2022 FAQs (link).

From "So I'm Now Required to Buy In to Abound?" ​

To "So I'm Now Required to Pay Club Dues after enrolling in Abound [Voluntary Owner]?"​

 

[dioxide45]

The wording is confusing.
Can we change the title so that voluntary owners are reminded? They may have missed that rule in the original 2022 FAQs (link).

From "So I'm Now Required to Buy In to Abound?" ​

To "So I'm Now Required to Pay Club Dues after enrolling in Abound [Voluntary Owner]?"​

Let's be honest here, only one person didn't read beyond the title/headline. Everyone else here read the OP's post and understood the problem. People need to stop replying without reading the post and only reading the title.

 

[alwysonvac]

Let's be honest here, only one person didn't read beyond the title/headline. Everyone else here read the OP's post and understood the problem. People need to stop replying without reading the post and only reading the headline.

Huh? Sorry, if you get upset when folks make mistakes.
Most folks are simply trying to help. I think we've all made mistakes from time to time.

To be honest, I was simply suggesting an easier way for folks to find this thread via a search.
I use the search function on TUG a lot to locate older threads.

 

[iowaguy09]

I’m still trying to figure out how after all of the deluge of emails at Abound rollout, the Abound contest after rollout, the online videos, the online popups on the webpage, and I recall even some things in the mail; that a straight up Vistana owner would be in the dark that something was changing and that it was somehow going to change the annual fee structure. And on top of that, they still had customer service reps available to answer questions about it all. I know, because I called with a question like that back in the beginning. Just sayin’.

 

[dioxide45]

I’m still trying to figure out how after all of the deluge of emails at Abound rollout, the Abound contest after rollout, the online videos, the online popups on the webpage, and I recall even some things in the mail; that a straight up Vistana owner would be in the dark that something was changing and that it was somehow going to change the annual fee structure. And on top of that, they still had customer service reps available to answer questions about it all. I know, because I called with a question like that back in the beginning. Just sayin’.

It may not have been about being in the dark about the changes. But there was a significant change to how Vistana (now Marriott) billed the Club Dues (former VSN Fees) for those that only owned at voluntary resorts. If someone wasn't watching out for it, I can see how it would be possible that it didn't get paid. I'm surprised that it didn't happen to more owners.

 

[iowaguy09]

It may not have been about being in the dark about the changes. But there was a significant change to how Vistana (now Marriott) billed the Club Dues (former VSN Fees) for those that only owned at voluntary resorts. If someone wasn't watching out for it, I can see how it would be possible that it didn't get paid. I'm surprised that it didn't happen to more owners.

Good point, and I guess it would not have been obvious to someone who was a resale buyer. We are developer buyers and we have always received separate paper bills in the mail for both the maintenance fees and club dues each year (haven’t bothered to go paperless, or look into if it’s an option). So that was another way it appeared something was different.

 

[dioxide45]

Good point, and I guess it would not have been obvious to someone who was a resale buyer. We are developer buyers and we have always received separate paper bills in the mail for both the maintenance fees and club dues each year (haven’t bothered to go paperless, or look into if it’s an option). So that was another way it appeared something was different.

I don't think it is about resale buyers though. You can be a developer purchaser and still be considered voluntary. Are you saying that prior to Abound (prior to 2022), you received a separate bill for the VSN Fee and the annual maintenance fees? It wasn't all on one bill?