Free upgrade to points???

[shannahan14shannahan14 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close shannahan14shannahan14]

I have a tri annual week time share in vegas. I am getting. Phone calls from them to upgrade to a points program. They are "willing" to wave the 6500 cost to do so and i do not know much about the points programs. What should I ask before making a decision?

[Jya-Ning Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Jya-Ning]

It will usually come with a direct developer purchase. It is not very cost effective. You should first ask them what kind of gift package they give to you since it is very clear sale pitch. If you like your week, don't need to ask too much, your goal is to get your gift, and left in a gentleman term. If you don't like your week, tell them you want to give your week back to them for free, see what they say.

Jya-Ning

[shannahan14shannahan14 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close shannahan14shannahan14]

I like what we have. I pay 112 a year for maint. And 178 per week on our off years. I don't see a need to hange other than the flexability that points offer. They have been calling for months and every time the offer wont last. I see its a sales pitch. But I do like the flexibility. But I don't want to get hosed on the deal.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

Something doesn'r sound right and the word is "free". Since RCI charges $ 100-200 for a conversion, my guess is that thery want you to have points and no longer have a deeded property. I would be concerned. Then again, it could just be a come-on lie.

[shannahan14shannahan14 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close shannahan14shannahan14]

They did not use the word free but "waived". I think I will just stay with what I have. I don't know of any company that waives 6500 in upgrade costs if it don't benefit them at all. Any other opinions?

[Presley Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Presley]

Upgrades sound expensive. If they are waiving one fee, they are making it up another way.

[shannahan14shannahan14 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close shannahan14shannahan14]

It started off discounted to 6500 with great financing options. A few months later it turned to waived. They are supposed to call me later today so I will ask a lot of questions. How hard is it to exchange a week?

[dcwojo Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dcwojo]

What company is calling? Do they want you in RCI or their own system? Would your yearly fees go up?

[Jya-Ning Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Jya-Ning]

How hard is it to exchange a week?

Exchange a week is not an issue, exchange a week you want to use at a location and when you think about that and find all the route to get the trip planned is usually need some work.

What resort, unit and week you have?

Jya-Ning

[shannahan14shannahan14 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close shannahan14shannahan14]

What company is calling? Do they want you in RCI or their own system? Would your yearly fees go up?

Those are all valid questions that I don't have answered to. I know they are based in florida. I have a bunch of questions to ask. Im not going to give an answer today and I will post the questions and answers later. Im interested in why they waive the fee. Seems like I would have to give up my ownership or something.

[JoshA Member Find all posts View Profile Close JoshA]

Those are all valid questions that I don't have answered to. I know they are based in florida. I have a bunch of questions to ask. Im not going to give an answer today and I will post the questions and answers later. Im interested in why they waive the fee. Seems like I would have to give up my ownership or something.

It has been explained here that timeshare has evolbed from fixed weeks-to floating - to points and the main reazon is because developers want to "maximize" the use of the inventory they have, think of it like this the year only has 52 weeks so that is the maximum they can sell at a resort, but when they convert you to "points" there really is no limit or "inventory control" for them to keep so... I would ask them if they want to convert you to points and waive 6,500 in cost, Whats in it for them?

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

This is complete timeshare sales-weasel BS. Timeshare did NOT ''evolve'' from fixed weeks to points. It STARTED as points. The very first timeshare developer in the world was Hapimag of Switzerland, and their system has been a points system from the very beginning. The weeks concept was a later improvement from a French timeshare developer. The overlay points concept like RCI Points was devised in South Africa by a former loan shark (or ''tallyman'' as they are called there) named Andrew Davies. The whole idea of an overlay points system is to squeeze more money from existing members to make them buy what they already own.

If they are lying through their teeth to you about the history of timeshare, how much more are the sales weasels lying to you about? The best way to tell if a timeshare sales weasel is lying, BTW, is to look to see if his lips are moving.

It has been explained here that timeshare has evolbed from fixed weeks-to floating - to points and the main reazon is because developers want to "maximize" the use of the inventory they have, think of it like this the year only has 52 weeks so that is the maximum they can sell at a resort, but when they convert you to "points" there really is no limit or "inventory control" for them to keep so... I would ask them if they want to convert you to points and waive 6,500 in cost, Whats in it for them?

[JoshA Member Find all posts View Profile Close JoshA]

This is complete timeshare sales-weasel BS.

If they are lying through their teeth to you about the history of timeshare, how much more are the sales weasels lying to you about? The best way to tell if a timeshare sales weasel is lying, BTW, is to look to see if his lips are moving.

Wowww Ok let me rephrase that... when a new timeshare development or resort starts they typically start as fixed weeks, then they move on to floating weeks and then to points (in order to play with inventory and availability) all I was recomending is for them to check on why is it a free "upgrade" thats all, I didn't know about the actual history of timeshare thanks for the info

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

Wowww Ok let me rephrase that... when a new timeshare development or resort starts they typically start as fixed weeks, then they move on to floating weeks and then to points (in order to play with inventory and availability) all I was recomending is for them to check on why is it a free "upgrade" thats all, I didn't know about the actual history of timeshare thanks for the info

I would hardly say this is ''typical''. Many resorts are never anything but fixed weeks. Most floating week resorts start as floating week resorts instead of being changed mid-stream. Some developers have tried to overlay points on some other type of ownership, largely to try to squeeze more money out of their members. As to being an ''upgrade'' that is debatable, and depending on what you own going in and how the points are structured, can, in fact be a downgrade.

As to playing with inventory and availibility, I would say you may have hit the nail on the head. Several developers have essentially sold out their resorts as fixed weeks, then moved to points to keep selling at locations where there is a good tour flow but building new inventory is expensive. They then tell buyers that ''points are points'' and deed them an underlying week somewhere else, where it is cheaper to build new inventory. Equivest / Peppertree did that with Outer Banks Beach Club I and II after they were largely sold out as fixed weeks. They toured people at those resorts, which they still managed, then deeded buyers weeks in Wisconsin or somewhere, assuring them they could use those points to book weeks on the Outer Banks. Of course, the local resorts being largely sold out, there was no room at the inn when those people wanted to use their weeks on the Outer Banks, leading to many very unhappy buyers. Bluegreen does the same thing in Charleston, where building new inventory would be quite expensive. If they can con some existing members into switching to points, then they can at least give some inventory to those unhappy masses. But someone who converts exchanges their assurance of going to their home resort with a fixed or floating week for unlikely odds of being able to get back in with points.

[JoshA Member Find all posts View Profile Close JoshA]

I would hardly say this is ''typical''. Many resorts are never anything but fixed weeks. Most floating week resorts start as floating week resorts instead of being changed mid-stream. Some developers have tried to overlay points on some other type of ownership, largely to try to squeeze more money out of their members. As to being an ''upgrade'' that is debatable, and depending on what you own going in and how the points are structured, can, in fact be a downgrade.

As to playing with inventory and availibility, I would say you may have hit the nail on the head. .

I knew I couldn't be that far off!! I read somewhere (maybe on here) that the future of timeshare will be going back to basics which is the fixed unit fixed week thing, and I totally agree for the consumer it would be a lot better to have a secure reservation each year... Now as far as how easy would that be to sell I'm not so sure....