"Try before you buy" booking advice requested

[mahem]

Hi,

I am a bona fide newbie at this

We are looking to buy a timeshare in the Phoenix area within the next few years and want to ensure it is a resort we will enjoy.

To that effect we’d like to stay at a few resorts, for a week at each, kind of a try before you buy.

We’re looking to do this next summer and my question is; What is the best way to book accommodations at these resorts? Most of the TUG ads are for the non summer months (I realize that I can post an ad requesting dates)

Should I contact the resorts directly to arrange accommodation? I get that we’d have to sit through yet another sales presentation, which we have no problem with - I say “No” to people for a living <grin>. In fact, no matter how we book, we’ll probably attend a presentation anyway.

I’ve also seen ads for rentals on ebay. 5 Star rentals is the seller I've seen most often.

We are not looking to stay for free but rather pay a fair rate.

[Deleted to comply with "no advertising" rule.]

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[DeniseM]

You can usually rent from an owner for 50% or less than what the resort charges, so you are far better off renting from an owner. You don't see many Ads for summer mos. because that's off-season for the area due to the heat.

 

[tschwa2]

Do you have any friends that are timeshare owners and have access to RCI and or II? Exchange companies often get off season deposits that can be rented for less than the MF's even if you have to add a guest certificate. You can't rent them from an owner but if you have a friend, they can let you book using your cc to pay either II or RCI directly. Owners of systems like DRI and Wyndham can also make discounted last minute reservations that they can rent out.

Float week owners who plan to rent their weeks often reserve a higher season because it is easier to rent for more.

Skyauction has options to purchase resort certs which may include summer desert weeks at a fairly low price.

 

[theo]

We are looking to buy a timeshare in the Phoenix area within the next few years and want to ensure it is a resort we will enjoy.

To that effect we’d like to stay at a few resorts, for a week at each, kind of a try before you buy.

We’re looking to do this next summer and my question is; What is the best way to book accommodations at these resorts? Most of the TUG ads are for the non summer months (I realize that I can post an ad requesting dates)

Should I contact the resorts directly to arrange accommodation? <snip> no matter how we book, we’ll probably attend a presentation anyway.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Besides on TUG or eBay, you may also find owner-direct rentals that fit your location and date preferences on RedWeek.com, MyResortNetwork.com, VRBO.
Paying "rack rates" to rent a week directly from a resort (plus applicable local taxes) will always be much more expensive than is either wise or necessary.

Btw, why would you plan to bother to attend "presentations" --- even with your self-professed ability and skill at "saying no for a living"?
If you were actually able to obtain good, accurate, helpful information in a presentation, the investment of time could arguably have some inherent value, but sitting through for a minimum of 90 minutes (... and usually much, much longer) ordeal of hearing an assortment of lies, exaggerations, obfuscation and misrepresentations doesn't provide much (if any) "return on investment" (or any accurate or useful information) for that "sunk" time, regardless of any low-value "gifts" being offered.

Then again, if you're at an independent or "sold out" resort, it's highly unlikely that you'll actually be "pitched" while there anyhow. Once the original developer has sold out the intervals and is gone from a facility, the hungry lying sales weasels are generally promptly gone right along with them.

Good luck in your quest.

 

[csxjohn]

...
Should I contact the resorts directly to arrange accommodation? I get that we’d have to sit through yet another sales presentation, which we have no problem with - I say “No” to people for a living <grin>. In fact, no matter how we book, we’ll probably attend a presentation anyway.

.

Renting directly from the resort would not necessarily obligate you to attend a presentation.

They will sometimes offer you a special reduced price to attend but not if you pay full rate.

 

[mahem]

Wow, a lot of great ideas in a short period of time! Thanks everyone.

With summer being off season in the desert I figured deals would be easy to come by.

I thought I did my homework but I’d never heard of skyauctions.com or thought of asking friends with access to RCI or II…

btw, is it me or do people generally not admit to owning timeshares. Once I started telling friends that we were interested in timeshares I was surprised to find out how many owned/used them and raved about the concept. These were friends we had known for years and never mentioned it once. Although having said that, many of my other friends just can’t believe that we would even entertain the concept (for the record, I always refer them to the TUG website)

With regards to attending sales presentations, it comes down to what our time is worth. We’ve found that often before you sign up for the presentation you can negotiate fairly decent “parting gifts.” If their offer isn’t worth our time we just don’t sign up

Thanks again

 

[vacationhopeful]

Phoenix is a very nice area ... I have been the last 2 years to MLB Spring Training; staying at the Shell's Legacy Golf Resort .. a timeshare.. last year. My relatives and I are going back again using my Shell points.

Do not get confused -- Shell was brought by Wyndham Vacation Resorts -- but owning resale Wyndham points DOES NOT get you bookings there easily or it at all (Wyndham Club Pass is for developer buyers - not RESALE owners) or has very limited units cross-owned (owned by Wyndham) units.

Shell points can be found for FREE also, just like Wyndham points.

 

[tschwa2]

In II, they have 1 br at Westin Kierland Villas in a 1 br full kitchen for $427 for various summer weeks.

Same price for a 1 br at Sheraton Desert Oasis but they also have 2 br's available for $687-$727.


Marriott's Canyon Villas at Desert Ridge has similar prices for 1 and 2 br;s.

All of these are less than MF's so it is hard for owners to offer at these rates.

 

[mahem]

Thanks for the followup. It looks like II is my best bet from what I've gleamed thus far. Appreciate the help.