Somewhat urgent- need advice

[Fatbaby52]

I hope you guys can help me out. My aunt is on a 10k points/year contract with Worldmark. She has about 20k points banked, and owes about $6k still.

I could be missing something, but it sounds like those 20k points will disappear at the end of the month.

She really signed up for more than she can handle, and I'm trying to figure out the best way to help her out of this. I think that selling it eventually could make sense, but I don't want the points to go to waste, and I know that the sale can take forever.

My plan right now is to try to get her enrolled in RCI ASAP, and then try to book something as premium as possible. I'm thinking Atlanta next year for the Super Bowl (not sure if those are all gone already), but I'm open to other suggestions as well.

My question is:
1. Does anyone anticipate a problem renting out a room booked through RCI (or directly through Worldmark)?
2. Does anyone have an suggestions for better bang/buck options? My thinking is that something like the Super Bowl inflates the cost of hotels by 10x, but a red week rate is just a red week rate.

Thanks in advance.

 

[DeniseM]

You cannot rent out any product booked through RCI - their terms and conditions forbid it. If you get caught, they can close your account and confiscate your deposits and reservations.

If your aunt rents it very quietly to a friend or family member who understands the situation, she will probably be OK. If she advertises it to strangers on the internet, she is likely to get caught.

If you want to do a rental, you should make a Worldmark reservation.

 

[VacationForever]

You can help her make bookings at WM resorts now for stays within 12 months. I call that "parking" of WM points before they expire. Bookings are free. You can make adjustments to the resorts/period but it is best to call WM to make those adjustments so that the "parked" reservations/points do not inadvertently get expired when you cancel and rebook.

You are allowed to rent out WM bookings but they have put a limit on how many guest certificates that are "free" per lot of points. It does not break the bank even if you have to pay for the guest fees.

If you thinking booking superbowl week is a good idea, I have no idea where they are held, then you can look at WM locations and book accordingly.

 

[DaveNV]

I'm fairly new to WorldMark. My experience of buying a resale contract was that it took three months, more or less, until it was in my name. So there's that.

Log into the WM site and check her account. There is a "Your Account" link on the left side, and then a "Your Account Detail" link in the center of the screen. At the bottom of that screen it says "Please click here for detailed information on your vacation credits, housekeeping tokens and expiration dates." If you click that "click here" link, it'll give you a detailed breakdown of exactly what is in the account, and when it expires.

WM credits are good for 24 months from the time they are deposited to the account to the last day of the 24th month of original deposit. If her anniversary date is March, the 10K credits put in her account on March 1, 2016 will expire on March 31, 2018. The 2017 deposit is good till end of March 2019, and the 10K available to borrow from 2018 won't expire till end of March 2020. The oldest credits expire first, so it sounds like the most she might lose is the 10K from 2016.

If the WM credits are due to expire soon, book something for next year, and that will keep the credits alive. They will expire if left sitting in her account at the expiration date. But if something is booked, even for 13 months after the expiration date, they will stay alive. Others will offer better answers to this, but that's how I understand it works.

Renting a WM reservation happens, and there is no fee for making a reservation in someone else's name. Renting an RCI exchange is against RCI's rules, and you/she could end up forfeiting the deposit, and could even end up being kicked out of RCI. (Allegedly.) YMMV.

Good luck,
Dave

 

[DeniseM]

I am experienced with rentals, but I've have had dismal experiences when trying to rent Superbowl weeks, because the market is absolutely flooded with rentals for that week. Instead, I would try to book a high season week at a popular Worldmark resort.

For example - the Anaheim, Disneyland area might be a good area to consider, if you can get a school holiday week.

 

[Fatbaby52]

I am experienced with rentals, but I've have had dismal experiences when trying to rent Superbowl weeks, because the market is absolutely flooded with rentals for that week. Instead, I would try to book a high season week at a popular Worldmark resort.

For example - the Anaheim, Disneyland area might be a good area to consider, if you can get a school holiday week.

Thank you for the reply, and to everyone for the warning regarding RCI.

It's interesting that the Super Bowl didn't work out well for you. I was on the consumer end of that a few years ago (New Orleans), and rates were ridiculous all over the place.

 

[Fatbaby52]

OK, I'm sorry for all of the questions. I found one in Anaheim that falls under "bonus time" coming up in about two weeks.

I'm a little afraid to click "book now" because I don't know how the cart works, but:
1. Do you guys know what these will cost, and
2. Can these be sold? I'm guessing it's a little late for spring break, but curious.

 

[IsaiahB]

OK, I'm sorry for all of the questions. I found one in Anaheim that falls under "bonus time" coming up in about two weeks.

I'm a little afraid to click "book now" because I don't know how the cart works, but:
1. Do you guys know what these will cost, and
2. Can these be sold? I'm guessing it's a little late for spring break, but curious.

View attachment 6010

1. It'll show you on the next page. Bonus time is $0.66 per credit with a $65 a night minimum.
2. "When a Bonus Time reservation is for a Guest to occupy the Unit without the presence of the Owner for any days of the reserved period, then the reservation must not be made until five (5) days before the first day of the reserved period."

https://www.worldmarktheclub.com/board/info/pdfs/WM_Club_Guidelines.pdf

 

[easyrider]

If you are trying to use the points wisely you would book out Anaheim in the summer if available for rental purposes. You would use cash for bonus time. I don't think bonus time is rent able.

If the points are expiring rent them out. In other words, rent the points and let some one else make the reservation they want. When do these points expire ?

Bill

 

[geist1223]

It is next to impossible to sell a WM account when there is still money owed on the purchase. For additional help and information go to www.wmowners.com/forum. This is run by WM Owners for WM Owners and is free to join.

 

[DeniseM]

I found one in Anaheim that falls under "bonus time" coming up in about two weeks.

Trying to rent something in just 2 weeks is not a good idea, and especially not if you have never rented before. Try for something mid-summer.

 

[VacationForever]

You don't want to book "Bonus Time" as it is a cash transaction, as you have indicated that expiring points is the problem. You want to book a point reservation.

 

[Fatbaby52]

Thank you everyone for all of the help. I did some digging in the account and I think she was mistaken. It looks like only about 5k points are expiring immediately. I'm not sure where she got the 20k number. So I guess there's less urgency there.

Sorry if this is just me being dumb, but does it seem to anyone else like the worldmarktheclub website is intentionally terrible? I know it's not really "public facing" (in that if you're using it they already have your money), but I think that literally every other travel site that I've ever used (AirBNB, Kayak, Hotwire, VRBO, Hotels.com, Expedia) is twice as fast and a thousand times more intuitive.

 

[bizaro86]

From your questions, I think it is very likely you would be better off to rent out the WM credits versus making a reservation and renting that out. The credits can be transferred to another WM owner, and you can get $0.06 to $0.07 per credit. The lower number would be for those expiring soon, and the higher for those with longer useful lives. So as an example, 20k on account would go for between $1200-$1400. If you aren't experienced with WM or timeshares, trying to book something and rent it has a good chance of going sideways.

There is an active market for credit rentals at the forum at wmowners.com

 

[itchyfeet]

As suggested go to wmowners.com When are the points expiring? There are always owners looking for credits for rent, even on short notice. You may find someone on that site who will want to rent the credits.

 

[Fatbaby52]

Thank you everyone, I was just poking around the wmowners.com classifieds. Another dumb question- I don't see any way to transfer credits from within the online portal. Assuming we can find a buyer, how does she go about getting the credits to the buyer?

 

[bizaro86]

The form is online, but a bit hard to find.

In the left menu, click "Online Reference Library" then choose "Forms and Information" then scroll down and under forms is "Credit Assignment"

You will need the name and owner number of whoever you transfer the credits to

 

[Fatbaby52]

The form is online, but a bit hard to find.

In the left menu, click "Online Reference Library" then choose "Forms and Information" then scroll down and under forms is "Credit Assignment"

You will need the name and owner number of whoever you transfer the credits to

Thank you so much, I see that now. I think that I probably tried every link on that left rail except for the correct one.

 

[presley]

If she owes $6K, she probably bought direct from the developer. If she bought direct from the developer, she probably already has full RCI access. You cannot rent out RCI reservations, but at least you can book something with the expiring credits.

Worldmark is a good system - one of the best. She should learn how to use it. If she would rather not travel, selling it is a good idea, but since it's one of the best timeshare systems, it's worth learning how to use.

 

[bizaro86]

It's also worth mentioning that Worldmark loans are assumable, and the accounts tend to sell for slightly more on a zero down/take over payments basis. While your aunts account is probably worth $3-4k paid off, I suspect it would sell on ebay as a zero down assumable once it is down to a $4-5k loan balance. The range would depend on whether you leave the account full or not.

 

[taterhed]

Yeah, you should consider your options to adopt/use the account--while helping your Aunt-- if you have an interest.
Not sure of your position, but just sayin.... It's a good ownership.

 

[easyrider]

Thank you so much, I see that now. I think that I probably tried every link on that left rail except for the correct one.

There is a facebook group that facilitates sales and point renting by introducing peoples profiles to each other. You have to actually join to post on the page but I think you can see it here at this link. Many questions regarding WM renting and sales have been answered here.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Wor...otif_t=commerce_interesting_product&ref=notif

Do you know when the points expire ? It kind of matters.

Bill

 

[DaveNV]

Sorry if this is just me being dumb, but does it seem to anyone else like the worldmarktheclub website is intentionally terrible? I know it's not really "public facing" (in that if you're using it they already have your money), but I think that literally every other travel site that I've ever used (AirBNB, Kayak, Hotwire, VRBO, Hotels.com, Expedia) is twice as fast and a thousand times more intuitive.

I think it depends on what you're trying to do. If you own WM and understand how it works, it's very straightforward with regards to making reservations and using your credits. If you're trying to run it as a rental business, it changes the business model, and requires better planning and effort. As a "travel site" like those you named, No, WorldMark is not in the same category. But that's because it wasn't ever intended to be. As a place for owners to reserve and use the credits they own, or for owners to connect with other owners, it's very easy to navigate once you understand the full process.

Dave

 

[ecwinch]

Dovetailing into Dave’s comments.... AirBnB, Kayak, Hotels.com websites are superior because their website really is their business, and ease of use is a dominant factor in a consumer choosing to use their product over a competitors. So they spend $$$$ on their website.

Few if any people make their timeshare purchase decision on the quality of the booking website. So it does not drive the business, and they spend less on it.

And I don’t think you will find much close enough to the Atlanta area to make a Super Bowl rental worthwhile. There are a number of timeshares in New Orleans, but not many near Atlanta.

 

[taterhed]

Honestly, you're better off just renting out the points....even if it's a fire sale. Why would you really want to start a rental business?

Also, not really sure what your 'plan' or 'goal' is here.
Are you trying to help her 'dump' her unit?
Are you trying to help her 'dump' some points for a while until she can vacation?

Selling a few points is the short term solution.
IF she can't use it, then she needs to sell it.
If she decides to sell....then she needs to carefully decide what is the best sale option (stripped, no points, or fully loaded) to sell and cover the loan.

I think you may be stabbing in the dark...without a real plan.
let us know how to help.