PLease help

[Susan3tripp Member Find all posts View Profile Close Susan3tripp]

I am new to the BG life. As I told people before the first time I went was to St Augustine, Fl, we had a great time

We joined in July '07, with 8000 points a year.

I have learned I have 2000 saved points I must use before July 31, 2009 or I lose them.

My problem is I teach school, meaning it will be real hard to use them in a red, blue or white occasion.

Any help would be most appreciated.


Any ideas????



Ron Graham
ronaldgraham319@yahoo.com
susan3tripp@yahoo.com

[jmc Member Find all posts View Profile Close jmc]

Not knowing where you live, you could try to book a long weekend using bonus time and points, but you need to catch a red season to do that. Maybe a relative could use (or rent from you) a three to 4 day stay Monday thru Thursday at a place that is still in off season and has availability. You might get lucky.
I am not too familiar with points for cash in Travelors Plus- but you might find something there that you could use your points for- if you have that option.
Good luck. Others might be able to think of something else. I am still learning from this site.
jmc

[Susan3tripp Member Find all posts View Profile Close Susan3tripp]

sorry



I should have said I am from SE Arkansas, monticello, AR

[jmc Member Find all posts View Profile Close jmc]

I still think you might want to look at resorts that either you or friends/family might be able to travel Monday thru Thursday that still offer red seasons. BG Reservations would be able to give you options of where open time is that would have aavailability and you could use your saved points. Sometimes I use online bonus time to poke around and see what might be open and then call for for point stay the next day. If your into camping and have access to Travelors Plus- coast to coast campgrounds at Mountainview has RV sites for 550 per night. There were 5 other campgounds in Arkansas. Family might be able to stay if your not interested- you may have to check their rules for that option.

[swirg53 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close swirg53]

Hi Ron,

How many people travel with you? Would a studio for a weekend work for you in Branson? You can "rent" points from Bluegreen--I'm not sure if there is a minimum # you have to rent and/or if they come in blocks and you can't just say, "I would like to rent 300 points."

Falls Village: Weeks 12-22 are red season. A studio on Friday/Saturday in red season is 1150 points per night and sleeps 2. You would be 300 points short to do this but could rent them with your traveler's plus benefit.

Big Cedar: Weeks 11-23 are red season. A lodge studio on Friday/Saturday in red season is 800 points per night and sleeps 4. (King size bed and a queen sofa sleeper)

Weeks 11-23 is approximately March 13 - June 14. You might also be able to catch some weekdays after school gets out still in red time and get some more "value" (nights) or a larger unit out of your 2,000 points but there may not even be any availability now. If you think you want to do this, then I would make plans immediately and call immediately as summer weeks book up all too fast but you might be lucky that close to school getting out.

I just chose these two resorts as they would be the ones closest to Arkansas. Christmas Mountain and Shenandoah Crossings: all the weeks are at most red time--nothing higher.

I hope this helps.......the ideas from JMC are valuable possibilities also.

Susan

[tigger296 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close tigger296]

"Please help"

Sometimes I use online bonus time to poke around and see what might be open and then call for for point stay the next day.

I too have done this....in the past. Learn just today that my home resort, Mt. Loft, no longer allows owners to use points to book what is considered bonus time. Sounds confusing to me too. I was told that there are now two codes that are used when a CS rep is looking for availability. One code is for bonus time and the other for points reservations. Since Mt. Loft has 20% of it's space that is unsold there is a block of availbility that the only way a member can use it is by paying the bonus time rental amount. I have 4,800 saved points, almost half my yearly points, that have to be used by the first week of June. I looked around using the bonus time search feature and found exactly what I was looking for. There were actually three units available but all under the bonus code. I spoke with someone higher up in CS and was told that Mt. Loft made the decision and there was nothing Bluegreen can do about it. I've already paid for the points and refuse to pay bonus fee so here I sit waving bye to my points.

Ginger

[jmc Member Find all posts View Profile Close jmc]

Wow! This is concerning for those needing/wanting to use their points. If they are holding those units back can you book those units more than 45-48 days out? What would be the point waiting for the 45 day window to open??? Maybe someone has more on this...

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

I believe that all Club inventory is broken into points-available and bonus time-available. it's not new and not resort-specific. and not interchangeable.

I might suggest booking any available red or below week you can get and depositing it to RCI to save some value from your points. Or find something you or a friend, co-worker or relative could use.

[tigger296 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close tigger296]

[QUOTE=BoardGirl;314044] it's not new and not resort-specific. and not interchangeable.

We orginally bought at Mt. Loft nine years ago and the way they are working bonus time and points is new. According to the BG rep. it was passed Feb. of this year. Prior to this change we have never had a problem getting a reservation. What ticks me off is that there is space just sitting there and we're not allowed to use it unless we want to spend more. Check in dates are 4 weeks away so it's not like something way down the road. My husband and I wanted a three day stay for our anniversary. We're driving so wanted something near by. I actually have 5,800 but only 4,800 are about to expire. I've tried to get a reservation for over a month now and have been open to any Thursday-Sunday availibility. I've even tried to book a week, anywhere, to exchange but was told nothing is available for the amount of points we have.

[tigger296 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close tigger296]

Wow! This is concerning for those needing/wanting to use their points. If they are holding those units back can you book those units more than 45-48 days out? What would be the point waiting for the 45 day window to open??? Maybe someone has more on this...

From what I was told you can not book this time except through bonus no matter when you try to reserve. When the CS rep searches for space using points the the space doesn't show. Only shows when they are searching for bonus time.

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

I too have done this....in the past. Learn just today that my home resort, Mt. Loft, no longer allows owners to use points to book what is considered bonus time. Sounds confusing to me too. I was told that there are now two codes that are used when a CS rep is looking for availability. One code is for bonus time and the other for points reservations. Since Mt. Loft has 20% of it's space that is unsold there is a block of availbility that the only way a member can use it is by paying the bonus time rental amount. I have 4,800 saved points, almost half my yearly points, that have to be used by the first week of June. I looked around using the bonus time search feature and found exactly what I was looking for. There were actually three units available but all under the bonus code. I spoke with someone higher up in CS and was told that Mt. Loft made the decision and there was nothing Bluegreen can do about it. I've already paid for the points and refuse to pay bonus fee so here I sit waving bye to my points.

Ginger

First of all, this is the first time I've heard of this as well. I'll ask my contacts at Bluegreen what the official policy is and report it back.

The policy has always been that any Club inventory is available for Points reservations OR Bonus time reservations any time within 45-days from check in (48 if online or 90-93 if Pono Kai or La Cabana). I believe this policy to continue to be true. Since it is owner inventory, Bluegreen won't block such reservations.

What Bluegreen can do is offer Developer inventory at bonus time rates only or rent it through other outlets such as Expedia or its own rental website called www.bluegreenrenals.com. When Bluegreen puts it's inventory into the bonus time pool, that is an added benefit to owners. They are NOT taking anything away by disallowing the use of points to pay for such inventory. That's because it isn't owned by Club members yet.

I know it is disconcerting to see bonus time inventory that you cannot book with points. But, that inventory is not owned by us. There is a finite amount of inventory we own at MountainLoft and unfortunately, it filled up before you tried to book it.

[jmc Member Find all posts View Profile Close jmc]

Thanks Boca for clearing some of this up. I read over at the Yahoo Bluegreen postings more on this topic of Bluegreen own inventory versus owner inventory. There is much to learn about the program. Another peice of the puzzle is found- not knowing it ever existed. Us younger members of Bluegreen and TS4MS will continue to read-on........
Thanks for your help again.

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

Thanks Boca for clearing some of this up. I read over at the Yahoo Bluegreen postings more on this topic of Bluegreen own inventory versus owner inventory. There is much to learn about the program. Another peice of the puzzle is found- not knowing it ever existed. Us younger members of Bluegreen and TS4MS will continue to read-on........
Thanks for your help again.

My pleasure. In timesharing, there is plenty enough to get upset about. So much so, that it is very tempting to get angry over anything that doesn't seem right.

I've found that it is most effective to learn exactly what is true and what isn't and have the right expectation for how the Club works before potential owners make a purchase. When they do have the right expectation, I've found that these owners tend to be the most satisfied. Of course, this assumes that the owners actually vacation.

The great thing about Bluegreen is that they want us to know the policies of the Club. The happier we are, the fewer calls they get into owner services and the better the Club operates.

[Susan3tripp Member Find all posts View Profile Close Susan3tripp]

Thanks for the help folks

I am learning. I have learned there are resorts in Arkansas I did not existed. Some in Hot Springs I will be using.

I did not know this. It is my fault, but I am learning. Some told me of these resorts, thank you all of you. There is so much to learn, I thought I was limited to east coast stuff.

To anyone that is learning like me, just do not give up, read everything on the web page and ask people on this board, your help is much appreciated.

now how do I get the happy face to appear?

[swirg53 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close swirg53]

Just click on whatever smilie you want to include, where you want it to appear! (These are in a box to the right when you are writing your post. There's also a menu of them at the bottom and I'm not sure where those post to in your message......I came back in to edit my message to add this line and now those parts are no longer available to me, so I can't play around with it this time.......the icons/smilies at the bottom of the posting screen.)



Have fun learning, posting and especially vacationing!

Susan