Transfer of Fairfield points to WorldMark--anyone know how??

[loosefeet]

My mother bought into Fairfield before she moved to California (they liked the East Coast resorts when they bought). Now she would like more access to WorldMark (which I own) now that they are on the West Coast. Cendant--Wyndam owns both companies--and I heard hints that one could have a small WM account, then convert FF points into WM credits, for a fee. I'm not sure how to follow-up on this idea--how to do it, cost to make the conversion, how the points would convert to credits (value to value), etc. Anyone do this before? Who could I speak with?

 

[RichM]

I know people with WM accounts have exchanged in their other, fixed-week timeshares for WM credits - I know some TW Residence Club owners do this. I hadn't heard specifically of anyone that owns both FF and WM doing it, but I suppose it might be done.. perhaps FF owner services and/or WM owner services could help.

For the record, Wyndham does not own WorldMark - Wyndham owns Trendwest which is currently the developer and management company for WorldMark. WorldMark is an independent entity.


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[BocaBum99]

My mother bought into Fairfield before she moved to California (they liked the East Coast resorts when they bought). Now she would like more access to WorldMark (which I own) now that they are on the West Coast. Cendant--Wyndam owns both companies--and I heard hints that one could have a small WM account, then convert FF points into WM credits, for a fee. I'm not sure how to follow-up on this idea--how to do it, cost to make the conversion, how the points would convert to credits (value to value), etc. Anyone do this before? Who could I speak with?

Yeah, you can do it by buying a small 5000 credit account and then use a program called exchange plus. You deposit FF points into RCI and then exchange plus them into WorldMark. But, I wouldn't do it. The exchange rate isn't good and FF maintenance fees are high. She would be better off selling her FF and buying an equivalently priced WM account and rent extra credits if needed.

 

[ausman]

Sounds a little strange to me.

Other than some very small exchange of inventory, pretty much for Puffery, there is little interaction between the two.

To me the simpliest solution is you rent, for money, your Mum's FF interests, and then rent, for money, Worldmark credits for your and Mum's use.

Most issues boil down to Rent/Sell/Use.

 

[HudsHut]

I agree with basham and BocaBum99. It is not cost-effective to turn the FF points in WM credits via "Exchange Plus".

If your Mother does not want to sell her Fairfield resort, then she should reserve the "highest-demand" week available at a FF resort and rent it out for cash. With that cash, you can "rent" one-time-use credits from other WM owners. Use those credits to reserve the days your Mother wants at the WM resort she wants.

 

[loosefeet]

Thanks for the replies--I'll pass on the advice (especially about renting). I'm still confused about how Wyndam fits into WorldMark/TrendWest. I went to an "Owner's Update" (got $75 for 30 mins. so what the heck)--and they were pushing the idea that Wyndam now owns Trendwest (WorldMark was used) and that "no one was sure what benefit we might get" but the sales staff hinted at using credits for stays at Wyndam. No one gave me specifics, so this may have been a sales point...but, any truth to this?

 

[RichM]

Thanks for the replies--I'll pass on the advice (especially about renting). I'm still confused about how Wyndam fits into WorldMark/TrendWest. I went to an "Owner's Update" (got $75 for 30 mins. so what the heck)--and they were pushing the idea that Wyndam now owns Trendwest (WorldMark was used) and that "no one was sure what benefit we might get" but the sales staff hinted at using credits for stays at Wyndam. No one gave me specifics, so this may have been a sales point...but, any truth to this?

A friend's wife just went to an update - heard the same thing - came back and her husband told me that "Wyndham just bought WorldMark and now we can use our credits at Wyndham hotels". I straightened him out on the ownership (i.e. who owns/doesn't own whom) and then told him that there's been no official announcement about any new benefits from the Wyndham spin-off/relationship to Trendwest and that, as of yet, there are no new benefits.

His wife did get suckered into buying more credits based on the salesperson's mentioning of the Wyndham relationship and possible new benefits. I explained to her husband that they could have just rented those extra credits from other owners for far less, even though they were sold these credits at the same price as when they originally purchased in 2000 (around $1.40 I believe).

Anyway, up to this point the only effect of the Wyndham spinoff seems to be more ammunition for the salespeople to use to entice people to upgrade. Just like in the software industry - all they're selling so far as far as the Wyndham relationship is vaporware.


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