newbie-trying to learn timesharing

[tammy1959 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close tammy1959]

I have been trying to research the timeshare programs and I think I have decided that FF would be the right move for me. I am planning on looking on resale sights and have been watching some sales on ebay. My questions are:

Does it matter where your home resort is if your interested in the points?

Does FF have last minute discounts for timeshare points?

What are the things I will lose out on by buying resale?

How much does it cost to trade within FF?

Like I said I have been trying to read up on and learn and would love any advice before I purchased.


Thanks
Tammy

[MARQUEE-RIGHT][/MARQUEE-RIGHT]

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

I have been trying to research the timeshare programs and I think I have decided that FF would be the right move for me. I am planning on looking on resale sights and have been watching some sales on ebay. My questions are:

Does it matter where your home resort is if your interested in the points?

Does FF have last minute discounts for timeshare points?

What are the things I will lose out on by buying resale?

How much does it cost to trade within FF?

Like I said I have been trying to read up on and learn and would love any advice before I purchased.


Thanks
Tammy

Tammy:

Welcome. Your home resort will determine you MF and the chance of Special assessment. So although points are points when you just looking for making reservation, it may still matter. Also, if one of the resort is very close to you, if it is home resort, you can use all its facility. Some home resort does get higher demand when you just want to reserve a week and rent it out. But generally speaking, home resort does not matter.

FF does from time to time has discount on last min. I believe last summer, it has discount on Orlando for 35%. Some are even 1 month to 2 month before travel time. I have take a Mytel Beach trip in end of March for 45% discount.

Your resell points will not be able to count when you try to reach VIP level. It gives you some perk, but usualy not much, and if you plan carefully, you will not miss any of these perk. The plus partnership (that allow you to access RCI point inventory) will not transfer during resell, but you can add it by paying $2,395 if you really want.

Trade within FF will cost you a transaction credit. Actually everything in FF that allow you to use your point will cost you a transaction credit. Every 77k give you one free transaction credit, and if you use all your free one, you can pay $25 per transaction credit. But every transactions made in one day is consider one transactions.

Jya-Ning

[tammy1959 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close tammy1959]

FF vs RCI points does II have points also

thank you Jya-Ning for your response.

Does that mean when I bank with RCI I am only looking at week inventory for trade because I wont have the Plus partnership? How is II to trade with? Any thoughts on the advantages/ disadvantage to buying FF vs RCI points?
I thought FF because of paying to much for exchanges all the time.
Thanks, Tammy

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

Does that mean when I bank with RCI I am only looking at week inventory for trade because I wont have the Plus partnership?

correct

How is II to trade with?

FF only deal with either RCI or II not both. It depends on the 1st FF point purchase you made, if it is affliate with RCI, your deposit can only goes to RCI, otherwise your deposit can only go to II. You can deposit to other non RCI/II exchange companies yourself.

Any thoughts on the advantages/ disadvantage to buying FF vs RCI points?
I thought FF because of paying to much for exchanges all the time.

Don't own RCI points. so you need cross check what I said about that product.

But, FF point grid is very hard to change or adjust. RCI is not.
RCI points means nothing, it all depends on its underline property.
If you get inventory using RCI points and it is not underline weeks, you can not rent it out, FF can.
Don't believe you can rent out RCI point, but you can rent out FF points.
RCI points can allow you to see all its inventory on-line, FF points will not allow you to see RCI point inventory on-line, also, if you ask for a searchable deposit to RCI week, it can only see inventories bound by trading power and VEP.
FF points usually has higher MF, RCI points you can try to get some low MF.
FF resorts usually has or within certain range, RCI is not guarantee
FF does control its inventory. RCI will depend on its agreement with its affliate resorts.

Jya-Ning

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

Others will disagree, but I think Fairfield is a very complicated system for a newbie. I've been timesharing for eleven years and I'd hate to tackle it.

Personally, I'd choose something simpler to start with, but you may be a whole lot smarter than me.

Sheila

[1950bing Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 1950bing]

Whatever path you take that ends up in a timeshare purchase please please be sure to take your time. Ask lots of questions. I suggest you rent from the place you have in mind to see what they offer. Timeshares work well for a lot of people but there are many owners that feel they did not get what they paid for. There are some timeshare salesmen that feel they have a product for everyone and that timeshares are the answer for everyone. Not so.
Other means to vacation are B & B, cruises, plain old out of pocket, last minute deals at hotels,etc.......
I purchased a timeshare back in the early eighties and feel I was a victim of fraud. A lot has changed since then and most for the better but there is still work to be done. I sold it many years later after it was plain to me that it wasn't going to work for me.
I am not nor have I ever been a timeshare salesman as far as making a living. My sale was done over the internet, one on one.
If a deal is good today, it will be good next week too. Collect all paperwork and take a few days to look it over. Do not in any way sign away any of your rights just to get a better deal. Take your time.
This purchase is a legal binding contract. You need to think about this long term. If you would happen to die would your spouse/partner want it? Are there children involved ? Would they want it ? This is not like buying a pair of shoes. This is just like real estate as far as the courts are concerned.This is property! Only difference is usually you make a profit on regular real estate. Timeshares are to be viewed as an investment in future vacation time and nothing more. If you don't plan to make anything off of it then your feelings will not be hurt.
If you purchase second market, same thing again. Do lots of homework and be sure you know what you are getting.
Vacation should be a time of rest and having fun. You don't want a lot of junk messing it up.
So, check it all out,be sure and enjoy.

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

Whatever path you take that ends up in a timeshare purchase please please be sure to take your time. Ask lots of questions. I suggest you rent from the place you have in mind to see what they offer. Timeshares work well for a lot of people but there are many owners that feel they did not get what they paid for. There are some timeshare salesmen that feel they have a product for everyone and that timeshares are the answer for everyone. Not so.
Other means to vacation are B & B, cruises, plain old out of pocket, last minute deals at hotels,etc.......
I purchased a timeshare back in the early eighties and feel I was a victim of fraud. A lot has changed since then and most for the better but there is still work to be done. I sold it many years later after it was plain to me that it wasn't going to work for me.
I am not nor have I ever been a timeshare salesman as far as making a living. My sale was done over the internet, one on one.
If a deal is good today, it will be good next week too. Collect all paperwork and take a few days to look it over. Do not in any way sign away any of your rights just to get a better deal. Take your time.
This purchase is a legal binding contract. You need to think about this long term. If you would happen to die would your spouse/partner want it? Are there children involved ? Would they want it ? This is not like buying a pair of shoes. This is just like real estate as far as the courts are concerned.This is property! Only difference is usually you make a profit on regular real estate. Timeshares are to be viewed as an investment in future vacation time and nothing more. If you don't plan to make anything off of it then your feelings will not be hurt.
If you purchase second market, same thing again. Do lots of homework and be sure you know what you are getting.
Vacation should be a time of rest and having fun. You don't want a lot of junk messing it up.
So, check it all out,be sure and enjoy.

That's good advice, Bing.

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

Taking your time is the best of advice. While learning, take a look at this auction on Ebay: eBay: 84,000 Fairfield Points-Timeshare-Williamsburg, VA (item 260087489562 end time Feb-22-07 11:48:50 PST)

Note that the costs for closing are non-negotiable and very high IMHO. I think this seller possible may get a kickback from Resort Closings(who are not anywhere near the top of my list of good closing companies).

[tammy1959 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close tammy1959]

thanks everyone

Lots of good info, thank you. I am hoping timeshares will work for me as I think we need to invest in ourselves and have a few vacations a year. I know timeshares arent an investment that I will make money on. But that big 50 is getting closer and guess what.....I have worked, worked and worked too many of those without vacationing enough. This investment is mostly to force myself and my SO to enjoy more in life. thanks, Tamy

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

Join the Fairfield Yahoo User Group to learn about the system

A great forum to learn about FF is the Yahoo Group - Fairfield Timeshare:

Fairfield_timeshare : Fairfield points and fixed week owners

I second the recommendation of renting at one of the resorts you may be interested in buying into. This is a way to try out the system without having to own it. Timeshares can be easy to buy - especially resale, but sometimes very difficult if you find you want or need to sell.

Take your time, ask alot of questions and try renting one out before owning.

[Arline Member Find all posts View Profile Close Arline]

You can get Hot Deals on Trading Places.com without paying a membership fee. We own many weeks of timeshare and deposit with Trading Places for great exchanges, and even get bonus weeks to take advantage of the last minute rentals.