How involved is your family in TSing?

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

I'm curious to know how many of you got into TSs because of family? I have a friend whose parents have owned a TS for years which caused her to finally buy one last year. She had gone on family vacations through TS so she was familiar with the concept and advantages (although she did buy from the developer - Marriott preconstruction).

I learned about TS resales through a former boss.

How many of you got in because of parents or siblings OR have influenced your kids to get into it?

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

Our kids have gotten into it a bit by staying with us. There are other relatives also that have timeshares, so for the time being they all use up the relative's weeks. When I owned 9 timeshares it was helpful to have someone else use a few of them.

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

No one in my family had been involved in timeshares. My DH and I, got into timesharing, because we kept receiving vacation offers from Marriott, for taking a timeshare presentation.

We finally took them up on an offer, and at our very first presentation, we purchased our first timeshare. A week or so later, we purchased, sight unseen, our second timeshare, also from Marriott........

Thank God that we then found TS4M's. Who know how many more, we would have purchased from Marriott, had we not.......

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

Not an inherited thing - I come from RV folks.

Mostly the family still thinks I'm nuts for owning a timeshare, but it's funny that they never think so when they get to stay in one.

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

My whole family is along for the ride and doesn't want to be bothered with the details of how it's done or how I do it. Wife, kids, S-I-L and her family, brother and his family, sister and her family all go to my TS.

Father is too old to travel and thinks I'm crazy.

S-I-L is married to a MD, TS time gets bartered for MD time, office visits and house calls. It has turned out on many occasions to be good to have the DR along on vacation. Her next trip two weeks in the Hawaiian Islands.

Brother is happy that I got rid of his OBX winter beach week for him that he bought prior to my entry into timeshares, it had been sitting dormant for years and he only admitted having it in the last couple years. Probably because of father's opinions. His next trip, 4th of July in Williamsburg, after that, 4th of July in Williamsburg, after that probably Tahoe for Xmas.

Sister loves it that I give her a prime summer week for her Philharmonic silent auction... all the rich Philharmonic types with vacation homes only donate off/shoulder season weeks to the auction. She's enjoyed Orlando TSs. One of her daughters is along for the Hawaiian trip mentioned above and she and another daughter have also been invited.

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

I got into timesharing because of my dad. He was playing golf with a [gasp] timeshare salesman who convinced him to come down and take a look. Mom, Dad, my ex and I all went and we bought. This was back in 1974. We bought to use that resort and ended up buying another unit jointly to use as trade (the units were sold in two-week increments). After the divorce (from the ex, not the parents) I kept the half ownership with my parents. I used that timeshare for numerous trades and that's what took my current dh and I to Hawaii in 1986 where we bought our timeshare there. My younger dd has told me she wants me to teach her all about timesharing.

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

I'll chime in with a different point of view -- we are in the process of purchasing our first timeshare (HGVC, resale). We decided to take the plunge because of friends -- I have stayed at two HGVC properties with a friend, and that is what got us interested. Also, we have a 5 y.o. DD and would really like a bit more space when vacationing.

No one in either of our families own a TS. When I told my parents, they were skeptical due to hearing other people's horror stories. When I told them I did my homework and we were not overpaying, it seemed to calm their fears.

Now we just can't wait to start using our TS!

Kurt

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

Most of our family thinks we are nuts, but then again, they just sit at home on their vacations.

My sister used a week that was about to expire and paid for the exchange fee. I even gave her my credit card so she would not have to show a GC. That was through RCI three years ago. Lucky her because we lost $420 MF's on that one. She didn't offer more than the $129 exchange fee. Not that I could have taken more, according to the rules. But I thought she took advantage a bit.

Rick's older brother and his wife own at the same place we do, Twin Rivers in Fraser, CO. They have been going for their fixed week 23 for 25 years. Their membership to II expired long ago. They also own at Christie Lodge in Avon, near Vail, and go there every year in the blue/green season. Boring. Rick's oldest brother is semi-famous and married well besides, so he can afford a hotel room and loves the luxury of a hotel. When they want to go to Vegas, whom do they call?

My mom just loved our timeshares but had dogs, so they bought an RV for travel. Initially, 20-25 years ago, when our timeshares were new, we were able to bring our dogs and cats with us. That changed and suddenly we are not able to bring them.

We have found that family takes advantage of our generosity, not just about timeshare.

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

Most of our family thinks we are nuts, but then again, they just sit at home on their vacations.

My sister used a week that was about to expire and paid for the exchange fee. I even gave her my credit card so she would not have to show a GC. That was through RCI three years ago. Lucky her because we lost $420 MF's on that one. She didn't offer more than the $129 exchange fee. Not that I could have taken more, according to the rules. But I thought she took advantage a bit.

Rick's older brother and his wife own at the same place we do, Twin Rivers in Fraser, CO. They have been going for their fixed week 23 for 25 years. Their membership to II expired long ago. They also own at Christie Lodge in Avon, near Vail, and go there every year in the blue/green season. Boring. Rick's oldest brother is semi-famous and married well besides, so he can afford a hotel room and loves the luxury of a hotel. When they want to go to Vegas, whom do they call?

My mom just loved our timeshares but had dogs, so they bought an RV for travel. Initially, 20-25 years ago, when our timeshares were new, we were able to bring our dogs and cats with us. That changed and suddenly we are not able to bring them.

We have found that family takes advantage of our generosity, not just about timeshare.

Rules, what rules? What's the difference with breaking one or breaking the other, Cindy? I have broken rules just ask the moderators OY.

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

Golly, Spence, I wish you would be more specific with your comments. What in the world are you talking about, my king, your royal highness of timeshare. Are you saying that you cannot collect the exchange fee, either? Oh my gosh, I thought you could, seriously I did. Well, I guess I do break the rules, but what is a few bucks when helping family, right? I guess I could bend over and let my family use my weeks that are about to expire and collect zero for them? NO WAY! It is already bad enough.

Will you clarify, Spence. If you think I am breaking rules all over the place, then just say it outright. You won't hurt my feelings anymore than you already have of late.

[SOS8260456 Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close SOS8260456]

Mostly the family still thinks I'm nuts for owning a timeshare, but it's funny that they never think so when they get to stay in one.

This is how our families think. They also think that we are loaded with money because of our new vacationing habits and the quality of the places that we now stay in. We got into it because a tax customer of mine had just bought a week in Orlando and after he told me what he paid from the developer I thought it was a great idea financially. Then I discovered resale and ebay and then I really thought it was a great idea financially.

None of our families own timeshares and everybody always has something bad to say about timeshares. I just smile and ignore their comments and enjoy our vacations.

The worse thing about owning these timeshares is that my children are getting used to a certain vacationing style.

Lisa

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

The worse thing about owning these timeshares is that my children are getting used to a certain vacationing style.

Lisa

Oh yeah. The first time our older dd stayed in a hotel room she almost had a fit because she didn't have her own bed and her own bedroom. She was also convinced she was going to starve to death because there was NO KITCHEN!

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

Golly, Spence, I wish you would be more specific with your comments. What in the world are you talking about, my king, your royal highness of timeshare. Are you saying that you cannot collect the exchange fee, either? Oh my gosh, I thought you could, seriously I did. Well, I guess I do break the rules, but what is a few bucks when helping family, right? I guess I could bend over and let my family use my weeks that are about to expire and collect zero for them? NO WAY! It is already bad enough.

Will you clarify, Spence. If you think I am breaking rules all over the place, then just say it outright. You won't hurt my feelings anymore than you already have of late.

OK, I'll clarify. I'm not talking about you collecting exchange fees. Giving your sister your credit card to get out paying for a Guest Certificate (the exchange company has rules on this that you have admittedly broken) is no different from breaking the rule on renting which you seem to have had some very stong words and opinions about that even me with EOA can remember.

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

My DW is very wary about TSing. We are new this year to TS. We have our first trip to Arizona this Christmas. Hopefully, all will be well . No one else in our families have any knowledge of TS.

I did send my wife's dad and mom to Destin this fall to a TS there. They had a wonderful time and thought it was great. Hopefully my wife will think the same thing.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

My sister bought a TS in Puerta Vallarta from the developer on her honeymoon ages and ages ago.

They could not use a SXM exchange about 16 years ago and my not yet DH and I went. We had a lovely vacation.

The years rolled by and we had DS. and Ebay came to be. and one thing led to another and we bought our first timeshare from foreclosure. and then our second from the same company. and then I joined OY and really started learning how to manage our expectations.

My sister is completely clueless and I run her account for her. I paid a heck of a lot less for our 3 than she did for her one way back when.

I guess I'm a skinflint as they did not appeal to me at developer costs but looked IDEAL on foreclosure markets and resale.