Renting TS vs. Buying TS

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

I think a growing number who own for exchange are moving in your direction, especially those who exchange through RCI. I have been saying ever since Cendent first started prostituting the biz plan of RCI after they took over, that these changes were a threat to the very survival of timesharing. You have primarily owned to exchange, and I have seen from your posts your own growing disillutionment with RCI's policies that have severely impacted your own exchanging. Someone in the resale business in eastern North Carolina told me that many of those selling these days cite the growing problems with using RCI as the reason for selling, and years ago virtually nobody mentioned that when selling. A European reseller posted on a European timeshare site that almost all of his buyers now were buying specific weeks at specific resorts where they wanted to go rather than for exchange. RCI is well on the path to killing the golden goose.

Own to use members, however, still seem satisfied, and in the area I am most familiar with, they are the solid majority of timeshare owners. If timeshare resorts are to survive, this is the bedrock they need to build upon and forget the exchange market.

Having been on timeshare forums for a loooonnnnnggggg time (yeah, but not as long as some a you really old people ), I am amazed that it seems the tide has finally started going out.

It seems there are as many, or more, timeshare owners on forums telling people not to buy.

Some who still like their timeshares seem to be going out of their way to announce that, as if to add balance. "I really love my timeshare!!!" Well, yeah, since this is Timeshare Forums, we assumed that . . . but you can't any more.

There is no question that what has been in disfavor with the general public now is in disfavor with many of its previous staunch supporters, myself included.

Economics and arrogance seems to be doing it in. Some big companies agree. Someone say Mariott?

They shoulda cleaned up their act a long time ago, while they had a chance.

Ya think?

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

I agree that own to use is probably OK. However that doesn't work for many people. In our case there is only one place that we would want to go every year and that is New York City. I would never own there because of the high cost and I have not had any trouble exchanging there during the summer through SFX.

[bjones9942 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bjones9942]

Keep convincing yourself

St LUCIA RENTAL Windjammer Landing TIMESHARE RENT 1 BR $350.00/7 nights

Um, when did St. Lucia and Mazatlan merge?

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

Um, when did St. Lucia and Mazatlan merge?

From Ebay travel section Saturday July 9:

Torres Mazatlan 7/N labor day mexico 1 bd rental condo $379.00

Mayan Palace Mazatlan, Mexico, 8 Days, 7 Nights $349.00

Mayan Palace Mazatlan, Mexico, 7 Days, 6 Nights $499.00

IPueblo Bonito Mazatlan Mexico Timeshare Week Rental Oceanfront 5 Star Resort September 17-24!!! 0 Bids $249.00

NO TIMESHARE PRESENTATION IS REQUIRED!

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I think a growing number who own for exchange are moving in your direction, especially those who exchange through RCI. I have been saying ever since Cendent first started prostituting the biz plan of RCI after they took over, that these changes were a threat to the very survival of timesharing. You have primarily owned to exchange, and I have seen from your posts your own growing disillutionment with RCI's policies that have severely impacted your own exchanging. Someone in the resale business in eastern North Carolina told me that many of those selling these days cite the growing problems with using RCI as the reason for selling, and years ago virtually nobody mentioned that when selling. A European reseller posted on a European timeshare site that almost all of his buyers now were buying specific weeks at specific resorts where they wanted to go rather than for exchange. RCI is well on the path to killing the golden goose.

Own to use members, however, still seem satisfied, and in the area I am most familiar with, they are the solid majority of timeshare owners. If timeshare resorts are to survive, this is the bedrock they need to build upon and forget the exchange market.

And since RCI's own surveys indicate that exchanging is a major reason for buying for better than 80% of their owners, it's not hard to connect the current dots.

http://www.rci.com/CDA/HTML/PDF_Conv...803_Ragatz.pdf

There are not enough prospects who only wanna go to the same place every vacation or enough really desireable locations worthy of being a family's only vacation destination for "Own Where You Wanna Go" to be successful. Variety was (is) the key to the success (failure) of timesharing.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

None of the six we own, and no longer use/need/want, were bought "retail". One was a foreclosure, two from an HOA, and 3 $1 eBay purchases.

The annual fees total $3000.

The most I've been able to get for the weeks I've been able to rent is $300.

I just got back from checking some folks into one of our weeks. 1200 sq ft luxury 2 Bed/2 Bath in an upscale gated community with 4 pools, tennis, planned activities, and a top-rated championship course, peak summer in a family vacation destination. I got $300 for it. That's the most I've ever gotten for it.

Two weeks from now, for the nearest resort to the Western Entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park: $250.

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

Rather than looking at surveys from a firm owned by RCI, I look at real data. When I was on my HOA board on the NC OBX, I had access to our resort's info on exchange company usage and membership. A solid majority of our members did not deposit for exchange and a solid majority also did not even belong to an exchange company. Those percentages were highest in prime summer. In talking with managers and HOA board members at other resorts in the area, I was told that they had the same patterns among their membership.

Also, at several resorts I have traded into in Europe, I have had a chance to talk shop with resort managers, and in some of them, they indicated that the percentage of weeks deposited for exchange were in the single digits at their resorts.

One pattern that seems common is that the longer a resort operates, the more its percentage of exchangers declines. Purchasers from a developer get the razzle dazzle about exchanging in the developer presentation. Most resale buyers do not.

And since RCI's own surveys indicate that exchanging is a major reason for buying for better than 80% of their owners, it's not hard to connect the current dots.

http://www.rci.com/CDA/HTML/PDF_Conv...803_Ragatz.pdf

There are not enough prospects who only wanna go to the same place every vacation or enough really desireable locations worthy of being a family's only vacation destination for "Own Where You Wanna Go" to be successful. Variety was (is) the key to the success (failure) of timesharing.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Rather than looking at surveys from a firm owned by RCI, I look at real data.

I use Raggy RCI surveys because some folks here say to buy where you wanna go, and I even have a letter from RCI saying that, which I find to be somewhat humorous considering that the surveys they use to attract business say the opposite.

I guess they just take the most advantageous position du jour, and hope folks don't know how to google.

Of course, we followed that advice.

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

There are not enough prospects who only wanna go to the same place every vacation or enough really desireable locations worthy of being a family's only vacation destination for "Own Where You Wanna Go" to be successful. Variety was (is) the key to the success (failure) of timesharing.

Which is why I think points systems will come to dominate the market.

One pattern that seems common is that the longer a resort operates, the more its percentage of exchangers declines. Purchasers from a developer get the razzle dazzle about exchanging in the developer presentation. Most resale buyers do not.

I think resale buyers also tend to be more knowledgeable overall, so they have a better idea of what they want and have probably been exposed to the idea of "buy where you want to be."

Disney Vacation Club, which I would guess has one of the higher satisfaction rates in the timeshare world, is now shifting to this "500 Kingdoms" sales orientation based on the extremely limited RCI membership DVC owners get (something like 10% of all RCI resorts available; no Extra Vacations, no Last Call). I think DVC has pretty much mined the people who have "sniffed the pixie dust" and bought in because they know they're going to hit Disney every year for the next few decades, so the DVC sales system is moving on to more standard TS practices.

It's my belief that DVC member satisfaction is going to drop, because RCI is the last reason anyone should buy a Timeshare. I also think more of the long-term members are going to clue into the fact that they bought a Timeshare, and that the Disney name isn't going to insulate them from the usual TS hassles. Might be wrong on that, though, since DVC rents out at maybe twice yearly fees and could continue to do so even with a higher percentage of owners who aren't using.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Which is why I think points systems will come to dominate the market.

RCI-wise, since there now is no other system, that would be a safe position to take.

There's Points Points and there's Weeks Points.

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

RCI-wise, since there now is no other system, that would be a safe position to take.

There's Points Points and there's Weeks Points.

. . . AKA Points and Points Lite . . . and the latter was hardly by free choice of HOA's or members.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

The most I've been able to get for the weeks I've been able to rent is $300.

I just got back from checking some folks into one of our weeks. 1200 sq ft luxury 2 Bed/2 Bath in an upscale gated community with 4 pools, tennis, planned activities, and a top-rated championship course, peak summer in a family vacation destination. I got $300 for it. That's the most I've ever gotten for it.

Two weeks from now, for the nearest resort to the Western Entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park: $250.

We sat on the dock this afternoon with a couple we met on a certain other internet forum, and bragged to each other about being able to rent our $625 main. fee weeks for $300. We just take the unfortunate situation that is reality very matter-of-factly.

I am able to get the $300 because I have built up a bit of a following on another forum, although this week's is from cl. They are a timeshare owner couple who rent more than they use their own.

One of theirs was last week, 4th of July, peak peak peak, and they did not get anyone.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

The week that we get $300 for rents for $1266 through the resort, and the week I just got $250 for rents for $1066 through the resort.

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

Two weeks from now, for the nearest resort to the Western Entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park: $250.

Wow, I want to start renting from you now. Not that I'm likely to plan a trip to Colorado soon. But if I still lived in the Denver area, I bet I could offer that at a price that would pay off your MFs and people would be fighting over it. That or my dad would go for it. They'd be happy and you'd be happy. But then I know a fair number of people who've already clued into the benefits of renting condos.

I think DVC rents out so well because people go to a Disney board to research their vacation, and everyone tells them, "Rent from a DVC owner, it's a great deal!" Which it is, compared to Disney's prices. But so is renting from owners elsewhere at yearly MFs or better. If more people were smarter, you could get a better price, is what.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Don't be timid in referring people.

Branson, MO

SilverCreek, CO