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Stroll down Tug Memory Lane

SueDonJ

Moderator
Joined
Jul 26, 2006
Messages
16,612
Reaction score
5,778
Points
1,249
Location
Massachusetts and Hilton Head Island
Resorts Owned
Marriott Barony Beach and SurfWatch
Just for gits and shiggles, I worked my way back on Tug to find what I think is my very first post here - from 2006, and more than 10,000 posts ago. Not sure it's the first, but probably among the very first posts I'd made, anyway. I read Tug for a long time before ever posting here, but it's kind of fun to look back and see where my timeshare babyhood began. I was such a rank newbie, and you folks were all so nice to me. It's like looking at your childhood school pictures. :)

I'd just bought my first timeshare, a resale Hawaii week on eBay (because of what I'd read on Tug), and I was trying to use a freebie week the resort gave me to match up with a second week on another Hawaiian island. Surprisingly, it worked out. Even more surprisingly, all these years later, my most recent timeshare exchange was another two-week trip to Hawaii for next year, also on two islands. If nothing else, I'm consistent. :)

Here's the thread: https://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?threads/best-month-to-search-for-exchanges.27390/

Can you find your first posting on Tug? Share it. I'd like to see it.

Dave

My first post was a laundry list of questions about how to exchange in II for two units for two consecutive weeks in Hawaii, and as the thread continued with GREAT help from the Marriott gang I worried that I was asking too much too soon: "I don't know if there is some invisible line where a person's questions cross over from "helpful information" to "Marriott pays people if this much crap is involved." Don't hesitate to knock me back if I'm crossing that line. <g>" I should be embarrassed (but I'm not) that I've been taking advantage of TUGgers ever since. :p

I remember a later thread about that same trip. With help I'd managed to get the two units/two weeks exchanges but wanted to know how to best ask the rooms controller to satisfy all my ridiculous requests, and DaveM very nicely told me I was asking. for. too. much. HAHAHA! I think I decided that day to torment him for fun, and to my everlasting gratitude he always gave as good as he got. :)
 

DrQ

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2005
Messages
5,818
Reaction score
3,802
Points
648
Location
DFW
Resorts Owned
HICV, Westgate (second cousin, twice removed)
I miss JLB. He gave the MOD's fits, but he was a hoot to read.
 

DaveNV

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2006
Messages
22,003
Reaction score
29,217
Points
1,348
Location
Mesquite, Nevada
Resorts Owned
Free Agent
I do, have been away for a while and it's been taking ages, getting back up to date on Tug.

I know, right? It's kind of like, "What do I read next?" :)

Dave
 

T_R_Oglodyte

TUG Lifetime Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
16,117
Reaction score
8,066
Points
1,048
Location
Belly-View, WA
How many remember PJ Siegel, aka, Bonzo de Kat? RIP, PJ - you are still missed and you are still an inspiration to those who remember you.
 

rickandcindy23

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
31,901
Reaction score
9,003
Points
1,049
Location
The Centennial State
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
I remember Fern, but she died pretty recently, so of course. I also remember Hatrack, who is still probably active on the WorldMark board. I remember Dave M. most of all, and he is still around, but he doesn't post much. I remember timetravel who was a woman named Vicky and had a fit every time anyone said anything negative about Orange Lake. It was fun to give her a hard time. She probably had some ownership in that place that wasn't just timeshare.

But I honestly joined right before the big upgrade in 2005. Probably about three weeks before? We went to a timeshare presentation by Wyndham on Maui (they don't even build on Maui, so strange to have them selling Hawaii based on one resort on Oahu and one on the Big Island). I am pretty sure that is all they had at that time. Anyway, it was the salesperson who told me about TUG. He was active on TUG but I didn't get his name. Would be interesting to know that. How do you sell without a unit to show? It seemed like a big waste of time to listen to the guy.

I once bought a fitness membership based on promises, and then the fitness center never opened and no money refunded, so I wouldn't fall for that again. It's called naivete, and I learned my lesson once and wouldn't do that again.
 

DaveNV

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2006
Messages
22,003
Reaction score
29,217
Points
1,348
Location
Mesquite, Nevada
Resorts Owned
Free Agent
How do you sell without a unit to show?

I agree. We once went to a timeshare presentation in Hawaii for Tahiti Village in Las Vegas. Still don't understand how they expected to sell something when all they had were pictures and fast-talking salespeople. We made it clear we were only there for the free gift (I think it was full-boat tickets to the Polynesian Cultural Center), and we weren't about to buy. They didn't give us too much hassle about it.

Then again, it must have worked - as we were collecting our free tickets at a "claim widow" down on the street, another couple we'd seen were RAVING about their great deal, and "ALL THE MONEY WE SAVED!" The wife said something about trading in two previously paid-off timeshares for one new one at Tahiti Village. Some numbers I don't exactly remember were thrown around, but the amount of $30,000 comes to mind. I'm thinking she said it "ONLY" cost them that much to "upgrade," and trade in the two weeks they already owned, and buy the new one. She was delighted. I was mortified. The mind reels at how much money they'd spent over all. I can only assume those were Developer paid-for weeks she'd traded in, as they bought a third Developer week. Egads! :eek:

Dave
 
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