Latest Conversion info

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

Latest info from Sunterra Corporate is that ALL conversions of resales, deeds or Trust, to full Club Sunterra must be done through a Sunterra Sales Center. This means you have to dicker with them. I believe the ultimate bottom line could still be $2995 and no additional points but my guess is that will be hard to get and the 2000 extra SunOptions for $5000 will be the 'norm.'

Always try to find a conversion source other than a salesperson or sales manager. If you physically go to a sales center that's all you'll be able to talk to. If you let your fingers do the walking you might be able to talk to a contracts person or a contracts manager; that'd be your best bet for getting a $1500 or $2995 conversion. You're going to have to do some work yourself and maybe you'll get lucky. I do not have any phone numbers.

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

Conversion

Having just converted my week to points in November, I will give you my experience.
I purchased my Scottsdale Villa Mirage floating week on E-bay for $900. When I went to the resort to use my week, I was told my week was only good at Scottsdale Villa Mirage. The resort is nice but I wanted to visit different resorts. They would convert my existing week if I purchased SunOptions. I had to buy then and there. The deal would not be good the next day. I hate that sales tactic but I wanted options.
They tried to sell me 10,000 SunOptions for $30K. No deal. We finally got down to 3,000 points. That is the fewest points they would sell and convert my existing week to points. I tried walking away but they said they couldn't sell less than 3,000. I just wanted my existing week converted but they wanted my money. Guess who won?
I now have 8,500 SunOptions. Wohoo! Lucky me!

Overall we are excited to vacation different locations in the years to come.

[Eileen A. Member Find all posts View Profile Close Eileen A.]

You will enjoy your SunOptions!! Can I ask how much you paid for your 3,000 pts.? I was there yesterday as a repeat customer trying to bring pts into club and they told me the minimum was $6,000. For the $6,000 they were going to sell me 4,500pts. The deal went sour when they pulled one of the incentives at the last minute. We were willing to sign but they let us walk away. We will need to try again maybe at another sales center.

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

We finally got down to 3,000 points. That is the fewest points they would sell and convert my existing week to points. I tried walking away but they said they couldn't sell less than 3,000. I just wanted my existing week converted but they wanted my money. Guess who won? I now have 8,500 SunOptions. Wohoo! Lucky me! Overall we are excited to vacation different locations in the years to come.

And the price was?

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

Conversion

They let us buy 3,000 for 10K. It was a long document where they started at 22K then gave us trade-in value blah blah blah. I was confused with the paperwork but ultimately got to the bottom line of 10K.
Reading some of the posts it sounds like I paid too much but I didn't go into it informed.
The sales person did have the manager write in the contract I can buy more points or weeks and convert into my SunOptions for free.
I've been looking around e-bay for an EOY or 1,500 to 2,500 to get to the 10K SunOptions.
For now 8,500 is enough.

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

The sales person did have the manager write in the contract I can buy more points or weeks and convert into my SunOptions for free. I've been looking around e-bay for an EOY or 1,500 to 2,500 to get to the 10K SunOptions. For now 8,500 is enough.

I hope that means you can convert more resale properties for free. 10K means nothing, you should buy a 6500 Trust membership from eBay or Holiday Group so that you're up to the Silver Elite level.

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

Any amount would be free conversion. Silver Elite is 15,000?
My problem is the MF. My 8500 is already $900. I'm new to this but what I've read that sounds high.

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

Any amount would be free conversion. Silver Elite is 15,000?

Yes

My problem is the MF. My 8500 is already $900. I'm new to this but what I've read that sounds high.

Your $900 is probably broken down into three (or more) figures
A Club Sunterra dues of about $149
A MF on your original SVM deed if you still have that
A MF on the TRUST points that you own of 7.3¢ on each point, 3000=$219
that's the only way I can figure your fees being so high

but you mention trade-ins blah, blah, blah so maybe you have only TRUS now
A TRUST base fee of ~$220
A MF on the TRUST points that you own of 7.3¢ on each point, 8500=$620
that's $840

I can only guess without knowing more.

The way I bring MF/pt down is to buy Sunterra deeded weeks with low MF/pt ratios.

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

Wealth of knowledge...

Wow, I could pick your brain for a long time about this stuff.
When I decided to convert the week I had pruchased from e-bay it was a deeded floating week. I was told I had to convert it to SunOptions if I wanted flexibility on locations. I didn't know so I said 'Ok, let's convert.' That is when the sales pitch went into high gear on how many points can I get this guy to buy!
My old contract no longer exists. I now have a new contract with the whole 8500 points in the Trust. I didn't think about all the different fees folded in.
I pay $151 for Club Sunterra fees and $119.00 in Base (admin) fees. $50 higher than your fees. They tacked on $3.00 for Timeshare-something dues. Grand total of $893.50.
If I could find a 6500 point cheapie and fold it in then I would only pay 7.3 cents per point for the extra 6500? I'm starting to get it! Thanks for the lesson.

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

Wow, I could pick your brain for a long time about this stuff.
When I decided to convert the week I had pruchased from e-bay it was a deeded floating week. I was told I had to convert it to SunOptions if I wanted flexibility on locations. I didn't know so I said 'Ok, let's convert.' That is when the sales pitch went into high gear on how many points can I get this guy to buy!
My old contract no longer exists. I now have a new contract with the whole 8500 points in the Trust. I didn't think about all the different fees folded in.
I pay $151 for Club Sunterra fees and $119.00 in Base (admin) fees. $50 higher than your fees. They tacked on $3.00 for Timeshare-something dues. Grand total of $893.50.
If I could find a 6500 point cheapie and fold it in then I would only pay 7.3 cents per point for the extra 6500? I'm starting to get it! Thanks for the lesson.

Your fees are correct $151 + $119 +7.3¢/pt. I don't have that one memorized as I don't pay it for various and sundry reasons. When you add more with your free conversion option, the only additional fee will be the 7.3¢/pt. The $3.00 nuisance fee was probably for ARDA that's a voluntary fee.

I've bought 6500ish TRUST for as little as 12¢/pt. eBay normally goes for around 20¢/pt or so. They are a bargain at that price.

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

Follow-on to the conversion question

Spence,

First off, you're a great resource. Thanks.

My question: do all sales offices have access to the $5000/2K option package? Is there any office for sure that will honor it? I saw in another thread you had a name & # of someone at a corporate office, but it appeared that office was closed. Bottom line: if they don't offer it at a resort near me, where else can I go?

Also, I see a few adverts on Ebay for SunOptions. Based on the discussions about non-transferrability, I assume those SunOptions could only be used at the resort that is being purchased. And that I wouldn't be able to use them to trade at other Sunterra properties. Is that correct?

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

My question: do all sales offices have access to the $5000/2K option package? Is there any office for sure that will honor it? I saw in another thread you had a name & # of someone at a corporate office, but it appeared that office was closed. Bottom line: if they don't offer it at a resort near me, where else can I go?

Yes, the corporate connection has been 'closed' they are no longer 'doing end runs' around the sales effort. I believe that all sales offices could offer you anything that they want... that being said, the best deal I've seen of late is the $5000/2000 and the most recent ones reported have been a little more.

Also, I see a few adverts on Ebay for SunOptions. Based on the discussions about non-transferrability, I assume those SunOptions could only be used at the resort that is being purchased. And that I wouldn't be able to use them to trade at other Sunterra properties. Is that correct?

There are a couple variations in deeding/ownership that exist and therefore make their way to eBay.

The most common right now is the newest 'product' the TRUST ownership. When you buy resale you get access to only the 21 resorts in the TRUST unless you pay the sales center to convert.

The previous product sold at many resorts is a UDI (UnDivided Interest) which is deeded interest based on a percentage of some units that works out to be the number of SunOptions. It was designed to be used in the Club but if you get it resale, it can only be used at that specific resort unless converted back to the Club. There is a large one of these for sale in the Beta classifieds on TUG maybe here, too, I haven't looked.

Prior to that it was just a standard deeded floating or fixed week that was sold.

[Y-ASK Member Find all posts View Profile Close Y-ASK]

Hi Spence,

Saw that you were successful in a recent 8000 point purchase. Congrats on what appears to be a great deal. Man you must have some serious point totals by now.

I think I need to read some more before I ask another question so I've edited my post and removed my questions for now?

Thanks,
Y-ASK

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

Congrats on what appears to be a great deal. Man you must have some serious point totals by now. Y-ASK

No, this was a great deal, twice as many points for less money!

[Y-ASK Member Find all posts View Profile Close Y-ASK]

Ok, I think I'm ready to ask. I keep seeing these e-bay auctions for Sunterra points. The information provided states that these are Club Sunterra II memberships. Is this the trust that I've been reading about? As I understand it, purchasing one of these allows me to use the points within the 21 resorts listed. If I purchase more than one of these auctions will I be able to combine the points for use of a full week at one of the 21 resorts listed? Last question, I just recently converted a sedonna timeshare over to club sunterra, will I be able to combine those points with one or two of these auction points and get a week reservation at one of the 21 resorts listed? I think the sedonna conversation points allows me to stay at several other resorts as well and as I understand it I would have to pay the $5,000, get 2,000 points, and convert the auction purchases in order to use them at more resorts than just the 21 listed, correct?

Y-ASK