TUG promotes the sale of timshares for $1

[DeniseM]

Reality is that, if one community has a chance of creating a viable market for TS, TUG is that community. I have faith in us. I would love that TUG has a vision of becoming a database source of market data, vs. just text information.

You are only looking at the seller's perspective - TUG has as many buyers as sellers, if not more. Why would buyers want to artificially jack up the prices of timeshares on TUG? The timeshare market is what it is - people just need to come to grips with it, and figure out how to do the most with what they have.

It is very possible to be successful with your timeshares today - but you have to put some effort into it. However, based on what I read on TUG, the people who complain the most are also the least likely to actually do anything about their situation. They are unhappy with their TS portfolio - but they don't want to put out any effort to change it.

I may be a moderator, but I am no different than the Avg. Tugger here: I have one TS that's a bottom feeder, I have one that I bought from the developer and paid waaaay to much for, and I have 5 that are selling for $1 on ebay. But ALL of those timeshares work very well for us....it just takes a little effort.

 

[carl2591]

funny the original poster has not come back to defend, comment or other wise agree or disagree with ANY one on his/her post..

starting to look like a con job from another "salesman" (pretending to be a owner?) that got a deal ripped away by TUG..

So sad when that happens.

 

[eleodors]

Denise - very fair point.
I still think we are looking at the "it is what it is" as the only reality that can be, and we all have to deal with.

I believe that around 1280, commodity traders gathered inside the house of a man called Van der Beursse in Brugges, Belgium and started creating a market by exchanging information. I might be naive, but TUG can be that house.
We are the largest community...if not us, then who?
TUG has a big headline on the landing page of "3 million of timeshare rentals and sales". That data being public to the TUG will help create a market overtime. Today there is no visibility of what buyers are willing to pay, and what sellers were willing to take, other than spot prices. TUG is no different than Craiglist on that - there is no institutional memory.
Creating a data driven institutional memory is the first step towards a market.

 

[aboonie]

First, my adult children cannot plan far enough in advance and wouldn't want the annual fee. In addition, timeshares just aren't "adventuresome" enough for them. I've offered the use to friends as well, and they aren't interested. I suspect they've heard too many negatives about timeshares and I'm not interested in educating friends or having to convince them to use something that I've prepaid. It just isn't worth effort. I'd consider giving them to a charity, but I don't think many charities still accept them. We used to have a TUG member that formed a charitable group of some kind....but, I don't remember her name and don't know if it's still an active charity, or not. Giving them to a stranger that could afford to pay a little something, but would rather have them for "free" just doesn't sit well with me. More deserving folks just couldn't afford the continuing maintenance fee.

As far as usage goes, there is potential liability in offering the usage of a week to an unknown individual.

I contacted "donate for a cause". They are supposedly an organization that sells timeshares and donate the proceeds to charity. First of all, they choose which time shares are worth taking. My timeshare was one of the "lucky" one that they were still taking. Then they told me that I had to pay closing costs, assessment and maintenance fees for the following year because they didn't know how long it would take to sale. The final tab was $2,000 to get rid of my timeshare. I was at a loss when I realized that I would actually have to pay in order to give something for free. I almost did it just because I was under the impression that I would need a lawyer to do all the paper work. Then I came across TUG and realized I could do it on my own. I sold my TS on Ebay for $455. I paid $179 for closing and I don't have to pay any more MF. I am a happy camper. We have a saying in my family "the biggest wastes of money we've ever had was buying a TS and going on a crappy cruise" We all wish we could sell it for what we bought it for but that's not the case. So, cutting my losses is all I could do. TUG saved me from making another costly mistake.

 

[Cary]

The sales on TUG are just a tiny fraction of the resale market - not the determining factor. You will find $1 timeshares on every timeshare website on the internet. It is the state of the economy - it has nothing to do with what TUG is or is not doing.

Besides that, TUG probably has more BUYERS than sellers. We are a group of people who like timesharing, so we are interested in good deals. When someone wants to get out from under their timeshare that is selling EVERYWHERE for $1, and they find a buyer on TUG - everyone is a winner.

It is naive to blame TUG for the current resale market. You made a bad financial decision when you bought from the developer. I did the same thing with my first purchase - but after that, I did my homework, and I've learned how to make timesharing work very well for us, so I know that is entirely possible.

Is this your real point? That your business can't compete with the prices on TUG? Are you complaining here, because our owner's prices are lower than your prices? If that is your point - then I don't think TUG is the audience you are looking for.

My wife and I in January or February of 2011 were checking for timeshare re-sales and found one for Breezy Point, MN for $400. It was a prime spring/summer week touching Memorial week. The week is classified as a "Red" week. Since we were familiar with the resort and it's facilities we did not even negotiate. We called the timeshare owner, who at the time was in AZ, and agreed to purchase for the advertised price in the bargain section of TUG. We concluded the deal by phone verbally and managed to use it this spring. Two bedroom sleep 8, log cabin, jacuzzi off the living room and on the golf course. The re-sale market is a bargain. We intend to use the unit in 2012 even though the resort is only 2.5 hours from our home. The maintenance fee is only $45 per month. This is our 3rd timeshare we have purchased on the re-sale market. This is a RCI resort. We did not wish to use the RCI point system. It's a straight deeded week we intend to use and not exchange. We love it.

 

[d2r4s]

Tug is not the only place to find timeshares for a $1 and as such you are right, however since there is no alternative market people who want to unload are willing to do it for next to nothing or nothing.

Time Sharing to Today claims to get sales at price more like a resale market, but that may be questionable.

Keep in mind if someone paid thousands and is now willing to take a $1.00 its a sizeable loss unless they can justify there use over time as receiving fair value.

I recently gave two weeks back to a developer and was happy as I felt that over 25 years I got fair value, plus credit of 16,900 for an upgrade on another time share which was more than I paid for it.

 

[kwilson]

I'd like to do business with the person who can be happy paying $25K for the same week his neighbor bought for $1.

My ex SIL once went to the mall to buy a specific pair of shoes. After looking at all the stores she went back to the most expensive store and bought them Why? You tell me.

 

[Beefnot]

What I've said is I won't give the weeks away to anyone that can well afford to pay a little something but would prefer to get something for nothing.

And you would rather let it sit idle. Boy is that du--, ahem, principled.

 

[ampaholic]

My ex SIL once went to the mall to buy a specific pair of shoes. After looking at all the stores she went back to the most expensive store and bought them Why? You tell me.

That's easy, because they were what she wanted.

 

[persia]

It isn't as if the fact that most timeshares are worthless in terms of resale was created by TUG. You have a huge supply and a far lower demand. Add to that the fact that resale timeshares are often treated differently (look at Wyndham) and the week economy in North America and the EU.

A decade ago I paid US$1500 for my Wyndham resale points, that was a good deal back then, but today I'd be lucky to have the buyer pay the closing and transfer fees. If you want to know what something is worth nowadays just go to Ebay.

 

[vegasjoet]

expert

Hello!
I am a new member of TUG, but not new to TUG nor am I new to the timeshare industry.
I appreciate that TUG offers this forum and a marketplace, but it seems pointless when TUG is sending out newsletters to celebrate the sale of a
timeshare for $1. I spent a lot of time writing to a person at TUG and this person refuses to see the sense in my points.


This is a email I wrote to TUG. Your comments please.


We just joined TUG thinking that we can find out about a more FAIR and HONEST approach to Timeshares.

We paid very big $$ for Carriage Hills (NEW! in 2003) as we knew Nothing about timeshares. I know that people need to be informed in order to make good choices and to assess the inventory of timeshares that GLUT THE MARKET since people are not informed about the great vacations they can access cheaply in their own back yard. GREAT for low income families!

I fail to see how crowing over people "buying" a timeshare for $1 helps the cause (in the TUG newsletter). Now you have people who were ripped off by the developer trying to sell a timeshare that they paid so much for and TUG creating a non-market by making a big deal over all the timeshares for sale by desperate people for a $1. Is this just and fair, if so to WHOM?

What is the point of setting up a market place to sell timeshares when people (thanks to TUG advertising the $1 timeshare) expect to get a timeshare for literally nothing? This is a swing too far the other way.
It is like people not realizing they can buy a car that is used, everyone buying new cars, then suddenly the info about good used cars gets out there. How fair is it to expect the owners to sell the car they bought for 12,000 for a $1 just to be rid of it? How does that make any sense at all!
We had someone email us from the TUG bargain basement , expecting to have legal fees included for our bargain timeshare, for sale at $299.
If more people knew about timeshares, really understood, there would be a fair resale price and much more demand.

I hope TUG will reconsider the goal that TUG has in mind and reassess how to be fair with others and to really help this horribly run timeshare industry by educating people and creating conditions to make a fair resale market, not a race to the bottom to see how low can you go in the timeshare resale!! How the heck can a fair (no upfront fee ) licenced reseller of timeshares compete with free?

let’s try to make sense here.

I have been buying and selling timeshares for 25 years. I have bought from auctions and private parties. I have never paid retail. why would you!

 

[richardm]

Be skeptical of all classified claims at this point!

Time Sharing to Today claims to get sales at price more like a resale market, but that may be questionable.

I'm a huge fan of Shep's magazine and I've been a subscriber for many years, but I'd caution people to be skeptical of claims from any classified section about higher than market prices.

If anyone who is actually associated with Timesharing Today had made such a claim- I think they'd be hard pressed to provide any proof to support it. The secondary market is currently divided into two distinct groups- online sales and onsite sales.

Shep may still have a demographic that focuses only on hard copy periodicals and isn't internet savvy- but that demographic is shrinking faster than the kid's holiday Shrinky Dinks in my oven!

To be successful now- you have to price at or below market (which means $1. for many timeshares) and advertise everywhere you can!

 

[geekette]

First, my adult children cannot plan far enough in advance and wouldn't want the annual fee. In addition, timeshares just aren't "adventuresome" enough for them. I've offered the use to friends as well, and they aren't interested. I suspect they've heard too many negatives about timeshares and I'm not interested in educating friends or having to convince them to use something that I've prepaid. It just isn't worth effort. I'd consider giving them to a charity, but I don't think many charities still accept them. We used to have a TUG member that formed a charitable group of some kind....but, I don't remember her name and don't know if it's still an active charity, or not. Giving them to a stranger that could afford to pay a little something, but would rather have them for "free" just doesn't sit well with me. More deserving folks just couldn't afford the continuing maintenance fee.

As far as usage goes, there is potential liability in offering the usage of a week to an unknown individual.

Sounds like you made your choices. I've made tons of rentals to strangers with nary a problem but I do understand your concern.

 

[geekette]

So, Flush, if you are not new to Tug, why have we not heard of you before? You can't have been here long if you think Tug is the cause of timeshares having no value.

I would be interested in hearing a bit more about your experiences with timeshares, as it would sure help in gaining perspective about your motivations for the dump n run. Top of my mind is shill...

 

[eal]

Well, the one and only post sure got a conversation going!

 

[chriskre]

Well, the one and only post sure got a conversation going!

It doesn't take much to entertain us.

 

[DeniseM]

Interestingly, Royal Flush hasn't come back to TUG, since posting on Nov. 24th...