What did I get myself into...

[Passepartout]

Oh! And what are the best places to buy resale if you still think the Travel club can be supplemented another way? Especially if i'd want RCI points and to maybe have a place in the Ohio, Indianapolis or Tennessee region (Kentucky is close too but I'm not seeing much desirable real estate there)?

No Travel Club can 'invent' resorts in places where there are none. I'd try VRBO or Airbnb. Or register with 'nicer' hotels in those areas' loyalty plans. You get perks and on some sort of schedule, a room is awarded to you. Beats the heck out of a $15,000 buy-in that will be worth exactly zero 15 minutes after you sign the contract, and costs you $50 a month to throw more money at. AND RCI or the 'club' gets to ding you a fee to book a room.

There is NO upside to this purchase. RESCIND NOW!

Jim

 

[Egret1986]

I'm wondering how this turned out. I'm in the same boat, but the reason I purchased was VERY specific. I wanted the travel club, which is a new offering. You can transfer their RCI points to the club and vacation at some pretty obscure places in the midwest, which is what I want. I've found the timeshare on Ebay for MUCH less than i paid for it, but it says nothing abou the travel club or platinum RCI membership, which I also want. Any thoughts? Can you buy into those things one you own form an Ebay purchase?

When did you purchase this "new offering?" If it is still in the period that you can rescind, then you need to get busy taking care of business. As has been stated, you will only have one opportunity to do this and the window is very short and specific. You say you found the timeshare on eBay for MUCH less than you paid. That's because the one for much less is probably closer to the actual value of what you bought. You say it says nothing about the travel club or platinum RCI membership, which you want. Not all listings have complete information. Most all timeshare salespersons don't tell the truth in order to sell their overpriced and over-hyped product to uninformed buyers like yourself.

As stated previously, there are no timeshares through RCI in Ohio, only one in Indiana and several in Tennessee. An RCI platinum membership is an add-on product through RCI that anyone can purchase as part of their RCI Points membership. You most likely bought something (with the same supposed benefits offered by the developer) that can be purchased for thousands less, if not for a $1 or free.

I hope you bought this very recently and can rescind in time and then, and only then, research and ask questions in order to be an informed buyer and determine if this timeshare will indeed meet your vacation wants and needs. Waste no more time trying to make this purchase into something that it really isn't.

 

[Cedarvillelady]

When did you purchase this "new offering?" .

I still have five days to rescind and am leaning that direction. The only reason I bought the product is because that travel club works in Ohio. It's not RCI. You can roll the points over into places in small towns in the midwest. So I know I can get a $1 or free timeshare on Ebay, tho i'm leery of giving my personal info out over Ebay.

However, It's worth a lot to me to be able to stay in the midwest at a discounted rate. That's the one thing I'm left wondering about. If I get a "free" TS on Ebay with an RCI points system, I may not be able to use it for what I want, which isn't hawaii or somewhere halfway across the planet. Because if this club is the only way to "timeshare" in Ohio, it's worth it to me.

 

[jwalk03]

I still have five days to rescind and am leaning that direction. The only reason I bought the product is because that travel club works in Ohio. It's not RCI. You can roll the points over into places in small towns in the midwest. So I know I can get a $1 or free timeshare on Ebay, tho i'm leery of giving my personal info out over Ebay.

However, It's worth a lot to me to be able to stay in the midwest at a discounted rate. That's the one thing I'm left wondering about. If I get a "free" TS on Ebay with an RCI points system, I may not be able to use it for what I want, which isn't hawaii or somewhere halfway across the planet. Because if this club is the only way to "timeshare" in Ohio, it's worth it to me.

I think you have been sold a bill of goods. Where can you use these points in Ohio specifically? Some timeshares like Marriott and Hilton for example will let you convert timeshare points to hotel stays, but it is NEVER a valuable proposition. The cost of using timeshare points for hotels stays is often significantly more than just paying cost for a hotel stay. Same with using timeshare points for other partner offers like cruises, flights, car rentals, etc.

I am not aware of any transfer-ability of RCI points to hotel stays.

 

[Passepartout]

I still have five days to rescind and am leaning that direction. The only reason I bought the product is because that travel club works in Ohio.......
Because if this club is the only way to "timeshare" in Ohio, it's worth it to me.

I don't know how many people need to tell you that THERE ARE NO TIMESHARE RESORTS IN OHIO! The best they can do is discounted hotel rooms and you don't need to pay a travel club to get those.

 

[Cedarvillelady]

No Travel Club can 'invent' resorts in places where there are none. I'd try VRBO or Airbnb. Or register with 'nicer' hotels in those areas' loyalty plans. You get perks and on some sort of schedule, a room is awarded to you. Beats the heck out of a $15,000 buy-in that will be worth exactly zero 15 minutes after you sign the contract, and costs you $50 a month to throw more money at. AND RCI or the 'club' gets to ding you a fee to book a room.

There is NO upside to this purchase. RESCIND NOW!

Jim

No, you're right. They're not inventing places, they're allowing you to use points on places that already exist, some of which are very nice. But perhaps a loyalty program or Airbnb is a better way to go.

My family puts down like 3,000 a year for cabins that don't seat enough and don't sleep enough, though we still have fun. I thought this would help everyone out. But maybe 3k is just the price of Thanksgiving with a bazillion kids.

 

[Cedarvillelady]

So I guess my question is, users with many thousands of posts on a timeshare site...do you think timeshares are a bad idea? I mean, aside from the inflated sales prices at these presentations. Maybe its best to just use them for resorting? Maybe just buy a week somewhere you like and go there every year?

Hotels suck for families who cook. finding units for multiple people is painful. It seemed like this might just work...but maybe the old fashioned way is best. or heck, I like Airbnb. Maybe the matriarch should give it a whirl.

 

[Passepartout]

OK. Now the nuts & bolts of rescinding. First, look through the contract, the instructions HAVE to be included there, they just don't have to make them easy to find. If you find the instructions, follow them to the letter. If you can't find them, don't sweat it.

Write a simple letter, like:
To whom it concerns,
I/We wish to cancel contract #_______________ Dated 12/XX/2017 governing the purchase of vacation ownership.
Signed______________Husband_____________Wife

It really doesn't need to be legalese or more complex than this.

Send it USPS ( not FedEx) Certified/returned receipt to their business office (not a resort) Include a COPY of the contract's signature page (KEEP ORIGINALS)

They MUST process the rescission, it's not a courtesy, It's the LAW. You'll be released and get ALL your money back.

Beware, they may try to call you to change your mind. Just don't answer

This will give you some breathing room. You can look at the options, and (while I don't think it will happen) if your studies show you that this is a good deal (it isn't) you can always buy it again.

Good Luck, and Welcome to TUG!

Jim

 

[VacationForever]

So I guess my question is, users with many thousands of posts on a timeshare site...do you think timeshares are a bad idea? I mean, aside from the inflated sales prices at these presentations. Maybe its best to just use them for resorting? Maybe just buy a week somewhere you like and go there every year?

Hotels suck for families who cook. finding units for multiple people is painful. It seemed like this might just work...but maybe the old fashioned way is best. or heck, I like Airbnb. Maybe the matriarch should give it a whirl.

Timeshares are a great idea when you pay fair market value, usually it means resale, and when you buy a right one that meets your needs. They can be a really bad idea for someone who does not spend time to understand the ins and outs of what they should buy before buying and how to best utlize it. We just came back from Westin Mission Hills in a 1BR, booked through the Vistana internal booking system, for less than $100 per night.

 

[Passepartout]

So I guess my question is, users with many thousands of posts on a timeshare site...do you think timeshares are a bad idea? I mean, aside from the inflated sales prices at these presentations. Maybe its best to just use them for resorting? Maybe just buy a week somewhere you like and go there every year?

Hotels suck for families who cook. finding units for multiple people is painful. It seemed like this might just work...but maybe the old fashioned way is best. or heck, I like Airbnb. Maybe the matriarch should give it a whirl.

We LIKE timeshares, most of us own several. I have 3. But we own where there are timeshares. About half of us bought their first one from a developer- then learned about resale. I have 1 in RCI Points that I go all over with, 1 is a mini system with 30ish resorts to choose from at low cost, and one mid-summer week just outside Yellowstone that I use every year. Many of us own in point systems that feature low cost exchanges. And some have high-end hotel branded (Marriott/Hilton/Hyatt) timeshares because they like luxury accommodations in places like Hawaii or Las Vegas or the Caribbean or Mediterranean or Orlando and they don't want to own the whole condo and worry about finding renters for the time they can't be there.

Yes, and we like more space than hotels and the ability to cook our own food and have washer/dryer in the unit. So that's why many of us timeshare.

 

[Egret1986]

No, you're right. They're not inventing places, they're allowing you to use points on places that already exist, some of which are very nice. But perhaps a loyalty program or Airbnb is a better way to go.

My family puts down like 3,000 a year for cabins that don't seat enough and don't sleep enough, though we still have fun. I thought this would help everyone out. But maybe 3k is just the price of Thanksgiving with a bazillion kids.

Unless you actually buy a deeded fixed week timeshare for the size and time you want and need (seat enough, sleep enough), then exchanging can be a futile attempt to accomplish your vacation wants and needs for the most part. There's no guarantees. Yes, I think that unless you buy a timeshare week for Thanksgiving in a unit that will accommodate a bazillion kids that you will be sorely disappointed in timeshare ownership. Larger units for peak weeks through exchange are not ever a guarantee no matter how much you pay or what the salesperson may have told you.

Timeshare ownership doesn't work for everyone. Rescind! Glad to hear you still have the opportunity.

You have very specific wants and needs. Timeshare ownership may not have the ability to meet your vacation goals and renting may continue to be your best option to guarantee those wants and needs are met.

 

[Cedarvillelady]

We LIKE timeshares, most of us own several. I have 3. But we own where there are timeshares. About half of us bought their first one from a developer- then learned about resale. I have 1 in RCI Points that I go all over with, 1 is a mini system with 30ish resorts to choose from at low cost, and one mid-summer week just outside Yellowstone that I use every year. Many of us own in point systems that feature low cost exchanges. And some have high-end hotel branded (Marriott/Hilton/Hyatt) timeshares because they like luxury accommodations in places like Hawaii or Las Vegas or the Caribbean or Mediterranean or Orlando and they don't want to own the whole condo and worry about finding renters for the time they can't be there.

Yes, and we like more space than hotels and the ability to cook our own food and have washer/dryer in the unit. So that's why many of us timeshare.

Thank you all. It sounds like there are ways to do what I'd like to do, but a MUCH better way to do it. I'm glad I fired up the interwebs right after I purchased. You've saved me a lot money.

 

[Passepartout]

Thank you all. It sounds like there are ways to do what I'd like to do, but a MUCH better way to do it. I'm glad I fired up the interwebs right after I purchased. You've saved me a lot money.

Good. We've saved thousands of people millions of dollars just by spreading the truth. Get your letter in the mail, and go pour yourself a nice adult beverage. You earned it by finding us and reaching out.

Jim

 

[Egret1986]

Thank you all. It sounds like there are ways to do what I'd like to do, but a MUCH better way to do it. I'm glad I fired up the interwebs right after I purchased. You've saved me a lot money.

Ahhhhh.....another one saved in a nick of time!

 

[Cedarvillelady]

Is email sufficient to cancel in your experience? The contract just says "in writing" and "ten days."

 

[HudsHut]

Is email sufficient to cancel in your experience? The contract just says "in writing" and "ten days."

no. USE THE POST OFFICE.

 

[vacationtime1]

Use certified mail at the post office.

So you have proof of mailing.

 

[jwalk03]

I love staying in timeshares. I don't own any myself. My in-laws are Wyndham owners and I handle their account for them. (After I convinced them to rescind their developer purchase and buy resale instead.) There are absolutely numerous advantages to timeshares over hotels. You have to really understand the systems and how to work them to your advantage to make time sharing work for you.

 

[Cedarvillelady]

I love staying in timeshares. I don't own any myself. My in-laws are Wyndham owners and I handle their account for them. (After I convinced them to rescind their developer purchase and buy resale instead.) There are absolutely numerous advantages to timeshares over hotels. You have to really understand the systems and how to work them to your advantage to make time sharing work for you.

So I've seen one RCI connoisseur in this thread. They seem to be relatively easy to use. Would you say they have an easier point of entry than traditional week swapping?

 

[Cedarvillelady]

oh...and how many ways are there to get shafted by a timeshare deal on Ebay?

 

[Passepartout]

oh...and how many ways are there to get shafted by a timeshare deal on Ebay?

I've bought on eBay, so I think that with due diligence it can be a safe and money saving way of buying. Look at how many sales the seller has. Positive feedback is a positive. I don't know that I'd buy from a first time private party. You can certainly ask on TUG if we have purchased from (?) and what experience they had. Most sellers will do their own title transfer, but there are good ones who are TUGgers that can do it and they are reasonable. I would require an estoppel letter from the resort to ascertain exactly what was being sold was what I wanted to buy (unit size, season, view, is unit current on maintenance, MF price, taxes, etc. Sometimes the eBay seller hasn't done due diligence and just took the former owners' word on the listing. Then, of course, know that on eBay, Real Estate sales are not final. You CAN back out, but that won't make the seller happy and they might not deal with you again, so just be sure before you commit.

 

[WinniWoman]

So I guess my question is, users with many thousands of posts on a timeshare site...do you think timeshares are a bad idea? I mean, aside from the inflated sales prices at these presentations. Maybe its best to just use them for resorting? Maybe just buy a week somewhere you like and go there every year?

Hotels suck for families who cook. finding units for multiple people is painful. It seemed like this might just work...but maybe the old fashioned way is best. or heck, I like Airbnb. Maybe the matriarch should give it a whirl.

This is the way we do it. We bought where we could drive (5.5 hours), like to go every year, where we also like to explore the states they are in, same week and same unit, and we rent when we want to go elsewhere IN ADDITION to that. We don;t belong to RCI or II. We have free memberships at the small independent exchange companies, but we rarely exchange if at all.

Our timeshares are kind of like our second homes.

 

[LannyPC]

I love staying in timeshares. I don't own any myself....There are absolutely numerous advantages to timeshares over hotels. You have to really understand the systems and how to work them to your advantage to make time sharing work for you.

I am in the same boat as you.

Unfortunately, people who fall for the hard sell at developer presentations realize later that what they bought wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Because they lost so much money in the "deal", they go dissing TSs and the TS industry.

And as regards to your point about really "[understanding] the systems and how to work them to your advantage to make time sharing work for you", that's also correct. That's why many here on TUG emphatically advise people who come on here admitting that they just purchased a TS to rescind their purchase (if they are still within the rescission period) and do months of research before buying any TS (or vacation club) even if it is low-priced or free.

 

[valbo97]

oh...and how many ways are there to get shafted by a timeshare deal on Ebay?

I have purchased about 7 timeshares through ebay-- and never had a problem. Only I recommend you deal with professionals-- people who have sold at least 100 and have excellent ratings on ebay-- one complaint which everyone has is how long it takes-- it can take 6 months in hawaii - most of which is caused by the resorts dragging everything out and being incompetent.

 

[Cedarvillelady]

These are excellent tips. And now I have plenty of time to shop for what I'm looking for. I do like the idea of a hybrid TS. Points + fixed place. Exploration is fun, but so is having a second home of sorts.