Desperate Help/Advice Needed

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

I hope someone would be able to help or point me in the right direction.
I am in the UK, whilst holidaying in Orlando one year, I brought 10,500 sunterra points in Florida in 2003 (Platinum season, floating, week No 24, 3 Bedroom Lock-off) at Grand Beach Resort, Orlando. (It is registered as week 24, but can be taken any time).
Since this time I was going to the resort once a year, however I have now become a full time carer for my father, therefore I will not be going away in the forseeable future. I have been using my points to pay my fees, however, there is always a shortfall. Fees due Jan 1 2008 are Club Fees $155.00 and maintenance fees $973.60 roughly translated total about £ 564.30. After using my points I am left to pay approx $600.00/£300.00 which being on carers allowance is impossible. I obviously am gonna pay the fees this year, so the account will be up to date but I do not want to be in the same situation next year as I just cannot afford to keep it
How therefore, can I get out of this??? Can I sell my timeshare as I would rather just get out of the whole thing now. Obviously I would rather sell it than just give it away, as its cost me alot of money overall. I understand that because I bought it in USA and I am from the UK this makes things more complicated???
Can anyone please help or advice
Kind Regards
Sioux

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

Best bet is to sell it, but you can expect to get very little for it in comparison to what was paid. I'm not familiar with the resale values for Grand Beach points, but expect them to be worth $ 5,000 or less. There should be no major problem with the foreign ownership (one or 2 of my resale purchases were from UK owners) in a resale. The biggest problem you will find is the resale sharks who want an upfront fee and will promise the moon. Anyone charging a fee upfront (other than nominal or an in-resort resale listing) can assumed to be a scam artist who will never sell your timeshare for you. Best bet is to sell it yourself and if a closing service and escrow is required, go through Timeshare Transfer.

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

I hope someone would be able to help or point me in the right direction.
I am in the UK, whilst holidaying in Orlando one year, I brought 10,500 sunterra points in Florida in 2003 (Platinum season, floating, week No 24, 3 Bedroom Lock-off) at Grand Beach Resort, Orlando. (It is registered as week 24, but can be taken any time).
Since this time I was going to the resort once a year, however I have now become a full time carer for my father, therefore I will not be going away in the forseeable future. I have been using my points to pay my fees, however, there is always a shortfall. Fees due Jan 1 2008 are Club Fees $155.00 and maintenance fees $973.60 roughly translated total about £ 564.30. After using my points I am left to pay approx $600.00/£300.00 which being on carers allowance is impossible. I obviously am gonna pay the fees this year, so the account will be up to date but I do not want to be in the same situation next year as I just cannot afford to keep it
How therefore, can I get out of this??? Can I sell my timeshare as I would rather just get out of the whole thing now. Obviously I would rather sell it than just give it away, as its cost me alot of money overall. I understand that because I bought it in USA and I am from the UK this makes things more complicated???
Can anyone please help or advice
Kind Regards
Sioux

To learn more about your Diamond/Sunterra ownership read the Diamond/Sunterra forum.

Unfortunately, when you sell, you can only sell your ownership in Grand Beach and not your Club membership, that does not transfer. The new owner can only use the points at Grand Beach and not throughout the Diamond/Sunterra system. The new owner must pay Diamond/Sunterra more money to get back into the Club. That can make your ownership worth even less than the majority of Diamond/Sunterra points sales which go for 20¢ to 30¢ per point, meaning your ownership is worth $2000 - $3000 US$ on the resale market. Do up a really good eBay listing and you might get more, but I doubt it.

[billymach4 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close billymach4]

Spence,

How much would it cost someone to get into the Sunterra system once the points were purchased?

Bill

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

Spence,
How much would it cost someone to get into the Sunterra system once the points were purchased? Bill

It's always a moving target and maybe moreso now with new ownership by Diamond. The 'norm' has been $5000 with purchase of ~2000 extra points, some have done it with no points at $2995, and some have done it for less though I have no details. It's all what you can bargain for and the whim of the salesman/manager.

[billymach4 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close billymach4]

Spence,

Can you educate me on this? What is the attraction? Why would anyone in their right mind pay 3K to 5K to get into the Sunterra system? What is the advantage?

Thanks,

Bill

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

Spence,
Can you educate me on this? What is the attraction? Why would anyone in their right mind pay 3K to 5K to get into the Sunterra system? What is the advantage? Thanks, Bill

You have to educate yourself by reading every post on this site and even older posts on that other site. If you want copies of the SunOptions Catalog and the SunGlances Guide, PM me your email. I can tell you that I paid $1995 in 1998 and have been happy ever since.

[brucecz Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close brucecz]

Spence,

Can you educate me on this? What is the attraction? Why would anyone in their right mind pay 3K to 5K to get into the Sunterra system? What is the advantage?

Thanks,

Bill

So you can try to become as rich as Spence is becoming with Sunterra.

Bruce

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

Would just like to thank you for advising me on my options.
I think now fees are paid, I have a year to sell on, ideally to
a Sunterra/Diamond member already.

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

Would just like to thank you for advising me on my options. I think now fees are paid, I have a year to sell on,ideally to
a Sunterra/Diamond member already.

Your comment about someone being an owner already, I believe, stems from some sort of twist on the European side where a buyer of used points must be an owner already. On the US side it makes no nevermind.

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

The weird thing is when I brought it, when I was in the USA, they had picked me up from my hotel on the wrong day (it was for USA residents only), they were gonna send me back and collect me the following day, but I said no as my holiday time was very precious. I think not to loose a customer they signed me up even though the laws and everything are slightly different. On there website I even have to log in as a USA resident. I have rang the sunterra/Diamond offices in UK and they will not deal with me as I am resigered to the USA. I tried to sort it out though emails to no avail, and cant afford to keep ringing the USA, of which there is a terminology difference on words and laws, contracts, deeds etc are different than here in the UK.
So really I think I need to sell to an existing member in the USA to make things as easy as possible??

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

The weird thing is when I brought it, when I was in the USA, they had picked me up from my hotel on the wrong day (it was for USA residents only), they were gonna send me back and collect me the following day, but I said no as my holiday time was very precious. I think not to loose a customer they signed me up even though the laws and everything are slightly different. On there website I even have to log in as a USA resident. I have rang the sunterra/Diamond offices in UK and they will not deal with me as I am resigered to the USA. I tried to sort it out though emails to no avail, and cant afford to keep ringing the USA, of which there is a terminology difference on words and laws, contracts, deeds etc are different than here in the UK.
So really I think I need to sell to an existing member in the USA to make things as easy as possible??

Doesn't matter where YOU live. If you owned Europe points, my understanding is that there is no way for the new owner to use them unless he/she is already a member. This is not the case with USA. ANYONE can buy your US ownership but no matter who does, they will only be able to use the points at Grand Beach, NOT in the Club unless they pay Diamond more money to re-join.

[fnewman Member Find all posts View Profile Close fnewman]

Spence,

Can you educate me on this? What is the attraction? Why would anyone in their right mind pay 3K to 5K to get into the Sunterra system? What is the advantage?

Thanks,

Bill

I think you just have to add the purchase price (resale) and membership fee together to see where you come out, but in almost all cases, the total will be considerably less than purchasing a week (with membership) from a developer. As mentioned above, there are many benefits to being a member of THE Club (formerly Club Sunterra) just as with other points-based systems. You just have to evaluate which one best fits your potential vacation needs.