Latest Conversion info

[JACK1365 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JACK1365]

Hello Spence,
I am one who purchased a CSV-1 Florida Trust. Am I to understand correctly that I can only use my annual allowance of 23000 points at the 19 trust resort locations or can I book at all of their 100 or so locations? I'm sure this has alraedy been covered but I am looking for a straight answer. Do I have to buy the $3-5k membership to book outside the 19 trust resorts or not? I called Sunterra yesterday and told them that I was a CSV-1 member and asked if I could book at any of there resorts and was told that was correct and that the only limiting factor that I had by not being a full memeber was that I couldn't use II. I called twice spoke to two different people and got the same answer.
Were they both mistaken? Any light you can shed on this would be great.
Thanks!

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

Hello Spence,
I am one who purchased a CSV-1 Florida Trust. Am I to understand correctly that I can only use my annual allowance of 23000 points at the 19 trust resort locations or can I book at all of their 100 or so locations? I'm sure this has alraedy been covered but I am looking for a straight answer. Do I have to buy the $3-5k membership to book outside the 19 trust resorts or not? I called Sunterra yesterday and told them that I was a CSV-1 member and asked if I could book at any of there resorts and was told that was correct and that the only limiting factor that I had by not being a full memeber was that I couldn't use II. I called twice spoke to two different people and got the same answer.
Were they both mistaken? Any light you can shed on this would be great.
Thanks!

Tell me how you purchased you 23,000 CSV-1 SunOptions. If it was from Sunterra, you're set. If it was resale you're (probably) not. Club Sunterra membership does not (normally) transfer on resale, so you would have to pay to convert to have access to more than the Trust.

[JACK1365 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JACK1365]

Spence,

Sorry for the delay. I purchased the points online not through Sunterra.
I was told by the seller that I would only be able to use the points at the 19 trust resorts unless I converted to Club. As I said earlier I was told otherwise when I called Sunterra on last Monday. I'm guessing at this point that the two people I spoke with at Sunterra were both mistaken and that if I actually try to book at one outside the 19 it would be kicked back. I would like to give it a try just to see what happens but I've rolled my remaining points into next year.

Any thoughts?

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

Spence,
Sorry for the delay. I purchased the points online not through Sunterra.
I was told by the seller that I would only be able to use the points at the 19 trust resorts unless I converted to Club. As I said earlier I was told otherwise when I called Sunterra on last Monday. I'm guessing at this point that the two people I spoke with at Sunterra were both mistaken and that if I actually try to book at one outside the 19 it would be kicked back. I would like to give it a try just to see what happens but I've rolled my remaining points into next year. Any thoughts?

I'd say give it a try, now. You can do it with no cost and no risk by reserving anything for next year, anywhere. You have until 60days prior to the reservation to cancel, so there is no risk. You'll find the answer and let us know.

[JACK1365 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JACK1365]

Spence,

Well I guess it was worth a shot. They couldn't see that I wasn't a full club member until they actually tried to book the reservation I had chosen outside the nineteen trust. I was put on hold for a lengthy stay and finally told that I was sub-species Sunterra (not his exact words but implied) and that If I wanted to move up the food chain I would need to contact a certain individual and have my credit card handy. They assured me that if I "stepped up" the rest of my life would be grand, my wife would fall in love with me all over again, my kids would start visiting me more often, my lost dog would come back, my gas mileage on my SUV would improve to over 40 MPG and that I would live happily ever after. I must admit I was really tempted... but then I woke up and realized it was just a dream.

I will just have to enjoy my lonely 19 resorts until I can afford to pay the big conversion fee.

Oh by the way... when I was checking on some of their 100+ resorts outside the 19 trust resorts for availability I kept getting the same answer "sorry nothing available, this isn't a Sunterra owned resort and our rooms a very limited there." (Mexico in June was one of three I picked) Is it really worth the $3-6k investment if everywhere I want to go is booked?

Will I have the same problems when I have II availability?

Thanks

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

Spence,

Well I guess it was worth a shot. They couldn't see that I wasn't a full club member until they actually tried to book the reservation I had chosen outside the nineteen trust. I was put on hold for a lengthy stay and finally told that I was sub-species Sunterra (not his exact words but implied) and that If I wanted to move up the food chain I would need to contact a certain individual and have my credit card handy. They assured me that if I "stepped up" the rest of my life would be grand, my wife would fall in love with me all over again, my kids would start visiting me more often, my lost dog would come back, my gas mileage on my SUV would improve to over 40 MPG and that I would live happily ever after. I must admit I was really tempted... but then I woke up and realized it was just a dream.
I will just have to enjoy my lonely 19 resorts until I can afford to pay the big conversion fee.
Oh by the way... when I was checking on some of their 100+ resorts outside the 19 trust resorts for availability I kept getting the same answer "sorry nothing available, this isn't a Sunterra owned resort and our rooms a very limited there." (Mexico in June was one of three I picked) Is it really worth the $3-6k investment if everywhere I want to go is booked?
Will I have the same problems when I have II availability? Thanks

Jack,
Got a chuckle out of your dream. I've seen a lot of erroneous eBay ads that say you can 'rent' SunOptions, so to be sure I asked the CSR at Sunterra and she told me to call 'Ownership Enhancement.' When you call 800-966-1392, you almost never get an answer, just a recording. If you do get a live body, they tell you they'll have the right person call you back. Bottom line, Ownership Enhancement is all about selling you more SunOptions... probably the same people you were directed to.

The Mexico for Jun08 is there, you just get that error because you're really not Club Sunterra. Many of there errors don't indicate the real reason.

In I.I. you can only get what other people deposit, as long as you understand that...

[JACK1365 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JACK1365]

So... When I beg, borrow and steal enough $ to buy into the red blooded true blue Sunterra Club membership your saying I won't have issues with the 100+ resorts being booked up?

How can you tell there is availability in Mexico in June? Are you able to see what dates are open online somehow?

Can I also access this mysterious window into the future?

One of the problems I face as a used timeshare buyer is I suffer from acute cluelessness about what options I have and what the package includes.

Is there anywhere to easily find out (web page etc.) what my used "Florida Trust" CSV-1 23000 annual points package with four speed manual and custom dual exhaust can do for me?

Thanks,
Jack

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

What Spence is telling you is spot on.

He is a full club member as am I (he alot longer and with lightyear's more knowledge and experience). With full club membership, comes online access and the ability to do web reservations on both sunterra club and II.

I think its quite worthwhile to convert to club. I would just purchase at resale any additional points or property I wanted/needed before doing so. I would then call a few sales centers and bargin with them. We've heard recent conversions have been done without point purchase for as little as $1400. Conversion plus points have been done (I know for a fact) at 2000 points for $3000. Apparently, Las Vegas has been the best place for these deals.

Sunterra is not going to make it easy to do any of this. They want their salesman to sell you 4000 points at their sales centers for $10,000.

Always buy resale. Learn from others. Act when you know what you're doing. Use the system to your advantage. Its a wonderful system!!!

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

Jack,
I can see Mexico in early - mid June right now because it's within the 10month booking window for Club Sunterra. I believe I am looking at the same screen you were talking about, it's just that I have Club Sunterra access and you do not.

I have faced the same problems that you're having, just 9 years ago, and there wasn't anyone to help me back then.

Will there be availability for you? Depends. Right now I want Sunterra in Italy for 5Jul08, so 5Sep07 is when it comes to within 10months... there is already no availability as European owners have a 12month window for Europe properties, their Home Club Advantage.

You have read the SunOptions Directory and the SunGlances Guide, right?

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

So... When I beg, borrow and steal enough $ to buy into the red blooded true blue Sunterra Club membership your saying I won't have issues with the 100+ resorts being booked up?
...Jack

Jack. To give you a flavor, almost all the Hawaiin resorts listed in Sunterra's brochures except for maybe two (KBC and Point at Poipu) are of the 'limited' variety...in other words, it would be hard for the Sunterra member to reserve due to only 1-5 units per year (per resort) to split amongst all CS users. This is just a sampling based on my looking into availability in Hawaii... a Sun CSR informed me there is some blue handbook (???) that lists each sun resort and how many units it has available to CS members.

So, you MAY have issues with the 100+ resorts being booked up

[JACK1365 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JACK1365]

You have read the SunOptions Directory and the SunGlances Guide, right?



Nope, where can I get 'em.

Will this information tell me anything about CSV-1 or will the information be solely CLUB? Btw I really appreciate the education from you both. Thank you. I think it's going to save my wife and I a lot of time and money. Italy sounds exciting, can't you just book it through II if Sunterra isn't available? Is II more difficult to use? I Had Sunterra send me the II book but of course I'm not a member so when I called to ask II questions I got the boot.

[JACK1365 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JACK1365]

Thanks

Thats good information Winger. Do you have the same difficulty booking through II?

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

Thats good information Winger. Do you have the same difficulty booking through II?

I have been with II for about 10 yrs but just became a CS member, so if you are asking me about whether it would be difficult booking II weeks with CS pts, I do not know . I've been advise by other CS vets that booking II resorts with CS pts (thru a corporate II acct) gives higher trading pwr than if having just a normal-joe II acct which I have had all along.

That said, I have had wonderful trades through II...IMO. I think it really depends on the resorts you want to go to and how far in advance you plan and how flexible you are. also, what your expectations are in this who TS/exchanging thing. remember also, trading thru II requires exchange fees of at least $139 (or is it $149 now?) whereas trading within CS resorts is 'free' (included w/ your CS membership)

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

I've never seen or heard of a Blue Book. Maybe it's some inventory book they have, it's certainly not promulgated to members.

You can't get the week you want from II unless someone else has deposited it and you're first in the queue to get it with an ongoing request (or you get lucky and see it online).

[JACK1365 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JACK1365]

You have read the SunOptions Directory and the SunGlances Guide, right?

Where can I get these publications? Are they online or do I need to go to Sunterra?