VIP Platinum Offer to me from Wyndham

[jebloomquist]

I am looking for the opinions of others. Here is the situation.

Wyndham is offering me an opportunity to purchase 370k VIP qualifying points for a total price of about $14,500. The maintenance fee for these points would be about $125 per month or $1500 per year. This would move me from VIP Gold to VIP Platinum.

Is there anyone who would consider this, or should I just not even think about the idea?

 

[robcrusoe]

I am looking for the opinions of others. Here is the situation.

Wyndham is offering me an opportunity to purchase 370k VIP qualifying points for a total price of about $14,500. The maintenance fee for these points would be about $125 per month or $1500 per year. This would move me from VIP Gold to VIP Platinum.

Is there anyone who would consider this, or should I just not even think about the idea?

I've done something similar, the question is, can you use all those points and can you afford the ongoing costs.

 

[rrlongwell]

I've done something similar, the question is, can you use all those points and can you afford the ongoing costs.

Agree with the above, I restructured an inherited account voluntarily giving up all the PIC based contracts because I did not the underlying properties then brought in a new PIC contract and purchased some additional timeshares from Wyndham bring the account back to Platium. A little pricy, but a whole lot more than what they just offered you. Best of luck and do not let Chicken Little convince you the sky is falling.

 

[Ridewithme38]

The Difference between Gold and Platinum:

25% more discount off points within 60 days (from 25% to 50%)
15 more days added to the upgrade time (up from 45 to 60 days)
5 more Guest Certificates
Unlimited ARP at ASSOCIATE locations (Don't know the value of this, as per posts, it has NONE)
3 extra months of Pool time(From 6 to 9 months)

Those are the only ones i see with any value...

Now, Do YOU think these things are worth $14,500?

(Edited with correct information)

 

[learnalot]

The Difference between Gold and Platinum:

25% more discount off points within 60 days
15 more days added to the upgrade time
5 more Guest Certificates
Unlimited ARP(Don't know the value of this)
3 extra months of Pool time

Those are the only ones i see with any value...

Now, Do YOU think these things are worth $14,500?

Ride, just in the interest of accurary, the "unlimited ARP" is incorrect. Unlimited housekeeping and reservation transactions, though.

 

[timeos2]

The Difference between Gold and Platinum:

25% more discount off points within 60 days
15 more days added to the upgrade time
5 more Guest Certificates
Unlimited ARP(Don't know the value of this)
3 extra months of Pool time

Those are the only ones i see with any value...

Now, Do YOU think these things are worth $14,500?

add any or all can be ended tomorrow if they decided to. And the answer, even when those perks still exist, is "NO". No developer purchase from Wyndham is worth the price (regardless of VIP level).

 

[rrlongwell]

Ride, just in the interest of accurary, the "unlimited ARP" is incorrect. Unlimited housekeeping and reservation transactions, though.

The unlimited ARP that was made reference to are actually:

1. "Unlimited Advance Reservation Priority Bookings at Associate locations" and,

2. "Two (2) Reciporical Advance Reservation Priority Bookings per year."

Source: "The Good Life. VIP Owner Benefits" published by Wyndham.

To Ride's list I would add:

"Receive an instant upgrade at the time of booking to the next largest unit available."

Note: This would need to be done at the time of booking the reservation. For Platium, to get the discount and upgrade, this would need to be within the 60 window of the start date of the reservation. To use this feature from the begining of an eligable ARP period, the initial booking would need to be at "full frieght". A second booking would need to be made at the 60 day window or less. The first booking could then be cancelled.

 

[jebloomquist]

Using Excess Points

If I can't use all of the points, since the maintenance fee is about $4.05 per 1000 points, have any of you been able to rent points to others just to cover the mf?

What are the issues, hassles, or downside with putting points in the TUG for sale ad area offering to rent available Wyndham properties for others as guests?

 

[rrlongwell]

If I can't use all of the points, since the maintenance fee is about $4.05 per 1000 points, have any of you been able to rent points to others just to cover the mf?

What are the issues, hassles, or downside with putting points in the TUG for sale ad area offering to rent available Wyndham properties for others as guests?

Sales staff will try their best to get your guests to a sales pitch and buy a timeshare from them. If you do not want to get into the Rental Business, than credit pool the points. That pushes the problem of unused points down the road. Also, the conversion to maintance dollars, I do not think makes much sense, however, that would be an option when you get to many points. Be careful with this option. I think they only give $2.50 per thousand. You could also use the various programs that let you use your points for non-timeshare things. I am not sure how much of a benifit this is to you, if any.

 

[learnalot]

The unlimited ARP that was made reference to are actually:

1. "Unlimited Advance Reservation Priority Bookings at Associate locations" and,

2. "Two (2) Reciporical Advance Reservation Priority Bookings per year."

Source: "The Good Life. VIP Owner Benefits" published by Wyndham.

To Ride's list I would add:

"Receive an instant upgrade at the time of booking to the next largest unit available."

I am aware of the 2 RARP allowances, although holiday weeks are blacked out per the member directory. As far as the unlimited ARP at
Associate locations, that exists only on paper. In the real world, if you call in at 13 months for an ARP reservation at an Associate location, they will tell you that they haven't been given any inventory yet. I would classify that "benefit" as a useless pipedream and sales pitch.

 

[jebloomquist]

Platinum vs Kitchen

My wife will certainly appreciate all of the replies suggesting that I should forget the VIP Platinum idea. She is far more interested in upgrading the kitchen instead.

 

[rrlongwell]

I am aware of the 2 RARP allowances, although holiday weeks are blacked out per the member directory. As far as the unlimited ARP at
Associate locations, that exists only on paper. In the real world, if you call in at 13 months for an ARP reservation at an Associate location, they will tell you that they haven't been given any inventory yet. I would classify that "benefit" as a useless pipedream and sales pitch.

I will defer to you, I never tried it. There is a footnote that this feature is subject to availability. If what you said is true, there is no inventory, then it is of no use.

In response to the original poster's latest response, the 2 bedroom or more units tend to have great kitchens.

 

[jebloomquist]

In response to the original poster's latest response, the 2 bedroom or more units tend to have great kitchens.

I was refering to the kitchen in my home which my wife has wanted upgraded for some time now.

 

[SOS8260456]

I vote with your wife, upgrade the kitchen.

I always felt that the biggest difference in benefits was between regular VIP and VIP gold with not that much difference between gold and platinum.

Of course, when we purchased, we never thought any of the benefits would be taken away either.

If this is something you decide to do (and I seriously hope you dont), do you already have 2 non wyndham weeks in their PIC program? If not, I would make sure I picked up the largest size qualifiying units before going through with this in order to get more bang for my buck.

 

[Sandi Bo]

"Receive an instant upgrade at the time of booking to the next largest unit available."

For accuracy -- you do not recieve the upgrade until you are within 60 days of checkin. Once within 60 days you are eligible for 1 upgrade, if available.

 

[rrlongwell]

For accuracy -- you do not recieve the upgrade until you are within 60 days of checkin. Once within 60 days you are eligible for 1 upgrade, if available.

I use this feature on a very regular basis. If the upgrade is used at the time of booking, then there can be one unit size upgrade per reservation at the 60 day or less point. Of my 9 pending reservations, I received upgrades on 6 of them so far.

Update: Just went into my pending reservations. Clicked on the upgrade button and no updates were available, but when I went to book a reservation, the new booking gave me the upgrade. I took it and cancelled the one that the system would not let me upgrade. I guess than makes it 7 for nine pending reservations.

 

[Sandi Bo]

I use this feature on a very regular basis. If the upgrade is used at the time of booking, then there can be one unit size upgrade per reservation at the 60 day or less point.

As do I. What I was clarifying is that it is not available until you are within 60 days of the checkin date. The text originally posted read "Receive an instant upgrade at the time of booking to the next largest unit available." I would amend that to be "Receive an instant upgrade at the time of booking to the next largest unit available if you are within 60 days of your checkin date".

 

[rrlongwell]

As do I. What I was clarifying is that it is not available until you are within 60 days of the checkin date. The text originally posted read "Receive an instant upgrade at the time of booking to the next largest unit available." I would amend that to be "Receive an instant upgrade at the time of booking to the next largest unit available if you are within 60 days of your checkin date".

Would be glad to amend it, but I forgot which thread the quote came from. It is not showing on this thread.

 

[ronparise]

Would be glad to amend it, but I forgot which thread the quote came from. It is not showing on this thread.

This thread, post #7

 

[bnoble]

This question is pretty simple. Right now, the cost of those 370K points resale is maybe a few thousand dollars, tops. So, you are paying *at least* $12K for the marginal increase in benefits from Gold to Platinum. If you get *everything* out of those "new" benefits, how much do you "save" each year? How long does it take you to break even on your purchase? How confident are you that nothing will change in your life circumstances or Wyndham's rules during that time that limits the value?

It is up to you to figure this out, but personally I would not bite.

 

[jjmanthei05]

The only way this makes sense is if you are planning on starting some kind of timeshare rental business. If not then I would just stick with what you have/resale.

Jason

 

[timeos2]

My wife will certainly appreciate all of the replies suggesting that I should forget the VIP Platinum idea. She is far more interested in upgrading the kitchen instead.

Any return you'd eventually get, as well as the years of enjoyment your & your family would have from the kitchen work being done at your home, would far exceed any potential gain by wasting thousands for points (& a VIP designation) that you could get for a few dollars resale (w/o the near worthless VIP nonsense). Only you can decide but IMO there is no question where the true value would using that $14K. Think it through and you'll have your answer. I doubt that wasting more money with Wyndham will be it but decide that for yourself.

 

[ronparise]

I am a silver owner, and I use my points to make reservations and rent them out. Its not a profitable venture unless I can get certain high demand weekends. or play the cancel and rebook and upgrade game within 60 days, or both. The idea of going to Gold or Platinum, is something that would seem to make sense to me, for the additional guest certificates and the unlimited transactions with no fee and the 60 day discount. But I think You need a whole lot more points to make the expense of buying from Wyndham, (even at the price you were quoted), work financially

There have been several discussions here about changes coming to the Wyndham reservations system. If a waiting list is part of those changes than the cancel and rebook trick will be taken from us. If that happens, renting for a profit will be gone as well.

Im going to wait another year to see what happens before I talk to any more Wyndham sales people

 

[ronparise]

If I can't use all of the points, since the maintenance fee is about $4.05 per 1000 points, have any of you been able to rent points to others just to cover the mf?

What are the issues, hassles, or downside with putting points in the TUG for sale ad area offering to rent available Wyndham properties for others as guests?

renting points (actually making reservations for others and renting them at your cost) is probably pretty easy...But whats the point if you just want to break even?

Renting for a profit is a hassle and there is no guarantee and it takes some time... I do it and I make a little money. I find it easy and even fun, but Im not sure its something anyone can do.

 

[Ridewithme38]

renting points (actually making reservations for others and renting them at your cost) is probably pretty easy...But whats the point if you just want to break even?

Renting for a profit is a hassle and there is no guarantee and it takes some time... I do it and I make a little money. I find it easy and even fun, but Im not sure its something anyone can do.

When you are renting at cost, you cover your Maintenance fees and allow another person to enjoy a vacation at no cost to you, its a good deed, Good Karma the kind of thing you can do to both enrich your life and the life of others, that takes no effort and very little time for you to do...

Renting for a profit is always a nice perk when you can make it happen, but for those that just own their points to use....Why go through the hassle involved in trying to find someone to over charge and the guilt involved with taking advantage of them?

Now that i'm a little more knowledgeable about the Wyndham system i'm able to offer to rent from people at exactly their cost, this is neither them nor I taking advantage of each other....a 'Square' deal so to speak...we both gain