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would you buy a TS without ever having been there?

optimist

optimist

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I am considering buying a timeshare at a Hyatt resort in Florida not because I want to go there necessarily but because I want to trade within the Hyatt system. I have chosen it based on desirability of the week (president's week). Does that make sense? would any of you buy where you have never been?
Thanks a lot for your input.
 
My wife and I have bought "several" weeks at different timeshare resorts without ever being to the resort(s).

We knew the area, and reputation of the various timeshare resorts, and purchased them "sight unseen". Haven't been disappointed yet !!!

Tony
 
Yes - in fact one of the ones we have owned longest we've never visited.

From doing research I knew exactly what the resort was like, and I knew the price was an outstanding price. We bought it mostly for trading, and it continues to serve that purpose admirably. We've now added it to DRI's Club Select for 5000 points, which for our purchase price and an annual fees is a great value.
 
Welcome to TUG! :hi:

I've bought 5 out of our 6 TS's without ever being there, but I did extensive online research first and had been a TS owner and on TUG for over a year before I "jumped in."

I would commit to waiting 6 mos. and hanging around TUG, before I bought anything.
 
I own four timeshares, and bought them all without seeing them. I've since seen two of them, and know they're what I expected. The other two will be seen within the next few months. I'm certain there will be no surprises with those, as well.

As Denise states, doing research ahead of time will prove to be your friend. Be smart, be patient, and buy what you want. The rest comes with experience.

Dave
 
Buying Timeshares Sight Unseen.

We bought our 1st timeshare sight unseen in 2002 via TUG classified ad (resale).

Then within a year we bought a far-off overseas timehsare (strictly for trades) also sight unseen.

Since then, 2 more of our (resale) timeshares came from eBay. The 1st of those we had already seen during a high-pressure sales tour. (That's how we knew we wanted to buy it -- but not for full freight.) When the opportunity arose to snipe in a winning bid, we did. The rest is history.

I suspect our other sight-unseen eBay timeshare is nicer in person than it looks on the World Wide Web. But that's mox nix, because we've never seen it in person & it's unlikely we ever will. We sniped in that winning bid strictly for the points. The rest of that is also history.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​
 
We bought ours sight unseen, but did research that they were what we wanted and could use in a pinch.

As to buying in Florida, if'n it was me, I'd make sure it wasn't going to be liable to big fat special assessments for hurricane damage. But that's just me.

Jim Ricks
 
Spousal Persuasion.

optimist said:
All that remains is to convince my husband !
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My wife's husband has been married long enough to know that efficiency means letting The Chief Of Staff have her own way sooner.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 
Two of ours were purchased before sight. Still haven't seen the last one. I bought it because it had a low VEP. Still wasn't quite low enough to suit my purposes. I'm going to find time to stay there someday. I hear the location is very nice.

Sheila
 
I purchased most of my TS without ever seeing them. I purchased at pre-construction prices...when I purchased through the developer
 
Most of the timeshares that I have bought and sold I had never been there which is more than 20 weeks total.

I went to the first timeshare that I purchased in Aruba in 1992 at a close out sale and still own the week. All of the weeks that I currently own I have at least been to since our purchase. :hi:
 
I bought 3 without seeing them. I just visited the 3rd last week, but I've owned it several months already.

Sue
 
I/we own three and all but one were bought sight unseeen, via the resale market. My sister transferred hers to us last year, also sight unseen. My very first purchase was direct from the developer (a 20 yr RTU) that was sight unseen, and only through an sales office located in Crystal City, VA (the resort was in the Poconos - - this was back in the early 1980's).
 
We have owned units at 8 different TS resorts. Only two of those had we seen before we bought. In fact still have never been to 5 of them and probably never will see 4 of them.
 
I have owned over 20 at various points in time and never been to one before I bought... technically. When I bought my first Fairfield ( now Wyndham) resale points, I had been to a presentation, but not where I bought my points.

All were pretty well researched, though. Some where a bit of a gamble, like my Royal Holiday Club points where at the time I bought you couldnt find anyone that had anyythingg good to say at all, but I tried it anyway....hey $85 on an auction ( no other bids) and we have loved it despite the continual ( and recent) bad press.

Know your own risk tolerance and do what research gives YOU sufficient comfort.

Good Luck,
Cheryl
 
I purchased all of my timeshares sight unseen and all from various resale places. I have been extremely happy with my purchases and have made great trades with them. Do your research and enjoy TSharing!

Allen
 
Sure, I've bought a few resales without seeing them. And I can add that in the case of Hyatt or any other 5 star resort that exchanges via Interval International, you really don't have to worry about seeing it before buying.
 
I purchased my first timeshare sight unseen. I saw the advertisement here on Tug and did some research. I contacted the owner who was not much help as she had never been there ever. I took a chance and was quite pleased when I first saw it. I could not wait until the end of February which was my week to stay there. I purchased through Sky Auction a week in the summer and went down with my son to check out my purchase. I was very pleased and have since bought a second week at the Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. I own 2 consecutive weeks and have the option of going down for 1 week or trading the second week for a summer holiday elsewhere or staying for 2 weeks. This winter I am planning on staying for both weeks
 
Frankly, that we buy sight unseen here is pretty amazing. I can't think of many other purchases for the amount of $$ involved that I would ever do so.

That said, 3 out of our 5 weeks were sight unseen...but as has been said, lots and lots of research went into all but one. That one, San Clemente Inn has been the one we've gone to the most and love. Go figure!
 
Unseen, Shmunnseen.

UWSurfer said:
Frankly, that we buy sight unseen here is pretty amazing. I can't think of many other purchases for the amount of $$ involved that I would ever do so.
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Some of us bargain hunting bottom feeders don't shell out all that much $$$ for timeshares -- as in $152.50 for a dinky eBay points timeshare in the USA heartland (not that there's anything wrong with that -- & not that $152.50 is any kind of TUG lowball record).

I think I would feel funny about laying out big bux sight unseen -- but then again, I'd feel worse than funny about laying out big bux for any timeshare.

My absolute max for a timeshare is $6,500. That's how much I was all set to pay a resale broker -- sight unseen -- for a 2BR Orlando FL fixed week resale unit at Isle Of Bali Ron Jon Liki Tiki.

After that fell through, I bought a better Orlando resale timeshare unit for $3,000 less. All the others we've bought since then were below that by at least $1,500.

Shux, when the prestige high-end timeshare people call me a bargain hunting bottom feeder, I take that as a compliment.

BTW -- Prestige & Timeshare are 2 contradictory words, eh? Something like an oxymoron -- not that there's anything wrong with that.

( I Am Not A Moron. )

( And Quit Calling Me Oxy. )

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​
 
We purchased Hilton Hawaiian Village before we had visited it. I usually research the most mundane things to death but I didn't really do much research on this TS. We were already Hilton members and I knew the Waikiki property would be awesome. Glad we got it when we did. The resale price goes for more than what we paid for it.
 
We also purchased Hyatt Florida unseen

We purchased Hyatt points in Florida without ever actually staying in the resort. Granted we live in Florida and are familar with all Hyatt properties. You really cannot go wrong if you get a good price for a Presidents week Hyatt. But, if you have to travel Presidents week - it may prove diffcult to book a Hyatt other then your owned unit. Not impossilbe but not as easy as other weeks.
 
Bought one after seeing the exterior (Sheriff's sale), one sight unseen (London and resale broker), one had seen the interior (Estate Sale), one pre-construction (Fractional ownership from Developer) and one having visited via trades several times (Mexico via eBay).

Happy with all of them but make sure you know what you are getting.;)

Cheers
 
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