Complete Newbie-Looking for Info

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

Hello Everyone: I happened upon this site by accident but it seems like a great place to get info from people who have much more experience with timeshares than I do! I'm hoping to get some basic information. We bought a timeshare (junior suite) in 2006 at Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Mazatlan, a place that we really loved. We purchased a week every other year - odd years. I'm trying to figure out all the benefits available to us. We bought the Pueblo Bonito Premier membership, which gives us discounts on resort stays and cruises, etc. They paid for our initial RCI membership. Our salesperson told us we would have a "bonus week" every year that was free. He said he personally sells his buy week and just uses his bonus week every year. I'm a little embarassed because I'm otherwise usually business savvy, but I can't find any information on the "bonus week" mentioned. Does anyone else have any experience with this "bonus week?" Also, I know theoretically we're supposed to be able to deposit our buy week with RCI and trade for other locations, but I'm not sure how that works exactly. RCI just billed us for our dues, and I'm wondering if that is even something we'd use or get any benefit from. I know this is a long post - sorry. I'm just hoping to get some advice.

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

Hi,
Welcome to TS4Ms! I'm not sure what type of bonus week you're talking about. RCI has bonus weeks, but I and a lot of others have never been able to use one. They are usually for off season, obscure places. Some are good for a short period of time, but really they are quite useless. Also, I don't believe you would get one every year as you only have an EOY week. You only receive one when you deposit (bank) your week into RCI. If it's not an RCI bonus week then, someone else will have to answer you about a Pueblo Bonito bonus week.

As far as banking your Pueblo Bonito week, do you know if it is a fixed week or floating week?

If it is a fixed week, you can pay your maintenance fee, deposit your week and request another resort in a location you would like to go.

I own a few floating weeks and when I deposit mine, I pay my maintenance fee, request/reserve my week with my resort and then bank it. If I am banking one of my Caribbean weeks, I always reserve somewhere between Jan-April.

I am not sure if the Pueblo Bonito works the same way. I know there are people on this board who could probably help you with that specific resort. But the above process is how it usually works.

I hope this helps. If not, keep asking questions.

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

Not such a long post. Timeshare salesmen lie or at best exaggerate the truth and don't tell the whole story. What you get is what is in the paperwork and not what the salesman said. I hope he wasn't lying about the bonus week- but then if it's an RCI bonus week- no great loss.

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

to TS4Ms.

Even if you are supposed to get a bonus week in RCI as others have mentioned in the prior post they are relatively worthless. In 15 years I have never been able to use one.

So you own a studio equivalent every other year at Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Mazatlan. Very very nice resort from all reports I've seen. Which weeks can you reserve?

If you plan on going there EOY you do not require an exchange company.

If you'd like to travel elsewhere you have a few options available to you. RCI is one of them (I hope you have not paid the membership fee yet), there are quite a few others. Many are represented here and you can ask questions of them. Determining which will best suit your purposes depends on where you would like to travel.

and please don't rule out a direct exchange. I'm sure there are plenty of people who would trade a week at a resort that they own at for your week and of course you can rent your week as well.

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

Thanks!

Thanks to everyone for the helpful information. We can use our week anytime during the odd year, so I guess that's a "floating week." And yes, Emerald Bay is a very nice place so it wouldn't be a hardship to go there EOY The idea of a direct trade is a nice option too, because I'm sure plenty of people would like to go there. So, it sounds like RCI is an option but certainly not necessary. I believe we can trade in our week through Pueblo Bonito and stay and other locations as well, so I'm thinking RCI might be a waste of money for us. I'm curious if there are any other Pueblo Bonito owners out there who might have some advice about trading in their week to go to other locations?

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

I believe some club will allow owner to pay cash to get some weeks. Don't know if it even economic benefit (sometimes, owner may found they can get to similar type of stay for less, but one could always argue it has better view, better quality, or just feel upset). Sounds like your saleman is talking about this type of bonus week. Don't know anything about that club, so can not tell if that is the case. You should have some either a club owner directory, your contract, or login access to their web-site, hopefully, there has more information there.

I don't believe it is RCI bonus week, since the saleman mentioned he/she rent the original week out.

Jya-Ning

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

Thanks to everyone for the helpful information. We can use our week anytime during the odd year, so I guess that's a "floating week." And yes, Emerald Bay is a very nice place so it wouldn't be a hardship to go there EOY The idea of a direct trade is a nice option too, because I'm sure plenty of people would like to go there. So, it sounds like RCI is an option but certainly not necessary. I believe we can trade in our week through Pueblo Bonito and stay and other locations as well, so I'm thinking RCI might be a waste of money for us. I'm curious if there are any other Pueblo Bonito owners out there who might have some advice about trading in their week to go to other locations?

Exactly.

OK next question.

If you are not going to use the PB week in 2009 where would you like to go and do you have any preferences as to when you would like to go?

Once we get some criteria we can take a look at which exchange companies would best suit your needs.

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

Welcome to the forum!

It sounds like you are getting some good ideas for how to use your Mexico EOY week. The bigger question, though, is "How do you like to travel?" Many of the people here are very into timesharing and own multiple timeshares. Timeshares can be purchased very, very inexpensively on the resale market. The big problem for most buyers is that they don't know this. Now that you have found this forum, you can learn how to get great deals on timeshares, if that's what you want.

I concur with the other posters that say you probably have a bonus week in RCI, assuming that the salesman wasn't just lying. And, like the others, I'd say that a bonus week in RCI is worth next to nothing.

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

I don't know, I was thinking as Jya-Ning was, that it's bonus weeks at that resort. The renting out is the detail I was latching onto also. As he said, you need more info. From the resort ("Owner services"?), resort website, owner manual, maybe there is a Yahoo Group for that system? It would certainly be best to find other owners that have been there and done that to tell you how it really works.

The other aspect of where do you want to go is When. If you can travel offseason you will have more options available to you. Still, different exchange companies are better for different things. You do not have to do business with Only One, assuming that your resort allows deposit to other websites. For that information, I would call up several different times. Often one rep is not fully informed, but among several, you should be able to glean the truth.

I would not rely on discount cruises being a real feature. Many systems say they have thrown in with an outlet of sorts ("ICE Gallery" is one). If cruising is really something you want to do, certainly consider the "benefit" of your ownership, but run the numbers. You usually have to give up your week and pay an exchange fee, often on top of the regular retail price of the cruise. This is not hard and fast, but do run the numbers. A favorite check point of mine is vacationstogo.com for cruise pricing. Also consider that a travel agent can give you onboard credit and other discounts or freebies (free cruise insurance is often a perk they provide).

At any rate, welcome to the wonderful world of timesharing!!

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

Everyone is so helpful!

Thanks for the info. I meant to respond sooner, but we had some computer issues this week! As to where we would like to go for an exchange, we really like all parts of Mexico, and would be interested in going to Cozumel or Playa del Carmen instead of Mazatlan for something different. We also like the Caribbean in general, so anywhere there would be nice. We're really not all that interested in cruises. Europe would be interesting too because we've never been there (Italy, Greece, Ireland). Any helpful ideas about direct exchanges or a good company to go through instead of RCI?

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

One other vital point that a newbie may not be aware of is that when a salesperson says you can stay "anytime you want", he neglects to say, "If you reserve early enough". It's generally first come-first serve, so you need to plan ahead.
It may have been mentioned, but if so, I missed it. Happy timesharing! Jean

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

Thanks for the info. I meant to respond sooner, but we had some computer issues this week! As to where we would like to go for an exchange, we really like all parts of Mexico, and would be interested in going to Cozumel or Playa del Carmen instead of Mazatlan for something different. We also like the Caribbean in general, so anywhere there would be nice. We're really not all that interested in cruises. Europe would be interesting too because we've never been there (Italy, Greece, Ireland). Any helpful ideas about direct exchanges or a good company to go through instead of RCI?

As long as you are not locked into specific weeks, such as a school schedule, there are other exchange companies you can use for where you'd like to go. Their caribbean destinations are more limited than RCI's but still can get you to Grand Cayman, Aruba, Barbados, Puerto Rico and St Maarten. The europe opportunities are not limited to but regularly include Greece and Ireland.

I'd be inclined to join DAE it is free and you can request before giving up the rights to your week. If they match you you deposit your week, if they don't no harm done. Dial An Exchange Timeshare, Vacation Ownership & Points Clubs Exchange Service