Dear Greensprings Owner

[sheilaanthony Member Find all posts View Profile Close sheilaanthony]

Silver to Platinum

Richard,
We just finished doing a similar deal you're aiming for through an update in California. We had also bought resales on eBay to go to Platinum. $5,000 was pretty much best we could do. We bought 2500 points at 1.99 a point, and with the Title charge it was just over the $5,000. Paid for with cc, so got some ff points and got a $100 Visa card and a TAC. I know we could've done a little better and maybe you could do better. I've read here that going direct to corporate, or at Las Vegas update, if that's in your travel plans, might yield a better deal. We asked for a clause to be able to bring future contracts in, but sales manager was adamantly opposed. Since platinum was the goal we backed down. Now, deciding where are we going to spend all these vacations is the new quandary. Good luck to you, and let us know how your negotiation works out.

[sb1070 Member Find all posts View Profile Close sb1070]

I have a fixed week at Polo Towers that is in the club. I noticed my points for that week did not show up so I made a phone call. I was told that my fixed week was automatically reserved for me until I called to release that week (was not going to use it). Once I did that the points for that week were deposited into my account.

Do not assume that just because your week is in THE Club that DRI did not automatically reserve that week for you to use. I know that was my assumption and they proved me wrong.

I think that's true of most things, but my balance reflects the points from weeks.

Scott

[sb1070 Member Find all posts View Profile Close sb1070]

Doug : Thanks for the information . We have in escrow from an E-Bay purchase a one bedroom week 19 in the Villas which was listed as floating & which we hope to use in November.

With that one bedroom & a couple of E-Bay Florida Trust points contract purchases we should have enough to take us from silver to platinum. It will be interesting to see what they now want to convert/join THE Club for the combination of the Polo Towers week & the Florida Trust points contracts .

It would seem to me that DRI is getting a further windfall on the increased mf's on the higher point value the weeks have once they become points in The Club[$595 for the one bedroom week at the Villas as compared with the fees on 10500 points in The Club].

Richard

The deal I received in Williamsburg April 2007 was I had to buy 2000 points for every deed I was bringing into club and the resale trust points I had came over at no cost and their MF's changed to match CLUB MF's for points and deeds stayed what they were.

Scott

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

I think that's true of most things, but my balance reflects the points from weeks.

Scott

For now this may be unique to the Suites at Polo Towers. These units were sold fixed unit and fixed week by contract. You would be in the same unit during the same week every year unless you choose to deposit your unit with an exchange company or released you unit to Polo Towers and then attempted to float your week within a 59 day window of your date of arrival.

When they started and had plenty of developer inventory, they did not enforce the way the contracts were written. When they approached sell out they started enforcing staying on your alloted week and apparently, from what I've read online, have started even putting you in the unit described on your contract.

So I guess to keep from getting crossways of the written contract they have to still assign the same week and unit to the owner each year. It's then up to the owner to call and tell DRI we won't be using that week and then they assign us our club points.

I don't know of to many resorts where you could buy both week and unit specific locations. I remember now when we decided to buy this week from the developer that I wanted the 18th floor, north corner unit but, that north corner unit was a 1 bedroom and we wanted the two bedroom LO unit. So were one unit south of the corner suite.

When they built the Villa's I'm guessing they saw the error in selling both fixed week/fixed units and went to a floating week concept. I doubt you'll ever see weeks sold the way DRI sold the Suites at Polo Towers again.

[richardr Member Find all posts View Profile Close richardr]

Silver to Platinum

Sheila & Scott

Thanks for your information. Once our purchases come out of escrow I'll probably e-mail Desert Paradise in Vegas.One of our direct purchases was there In Nov of 06.They were pushing something that was to give us a better price on future purchases.That may give us another angle to work with but probably not.One of our kids saw the same promo at Grand Beach in Jan of 07 so Iwant to check with tem as to what they recall.

I hope we can either have to pay the $2995 to convert the Polo Towers week or the 4 or 5 thousand to buy additional points to "convert" the two points contracts but not both.

We really don't need more additional points. As with you, Sheila our new problem will be how to use all the points.To date we have only taken the under 59 days option or sales within Sunterra & have had no problem finding good vacation for us.The free upgrade from one to two bedrooms looks appealing to get to some of the harder to get summer destinations like San LUis Bay without paying full price

We will report back on what deal we can get.

Thanks again fo your input.

[sheilaanthony Member Find all posts View Profile Close sheilaanthony]

The magic $5,000

Dear Richard,
Have you been to San Luis Bay? We went for Christmas and asked for an upgrade. The resort was sold out, and we were told by front desk staff they don't do upgrades. I hope this changes, as it's one of the perks we were also looking forward to. It's a very average resort by Diamond standards, and the 1-br's are very small. We've been in DRI studios that are larger. However, the location for us is prime, and we've already booked a 2-BR lockout there for next Christmas. Nowhere to upgrade from there, I'm afraid, unless they were to throw in another suite!

Also, we had been grappling with the Plat. Elite issue for awhile and turned down 2 previous offers to convert. Magically they all came out just north of $5,000. So we figured we could get another contract and a few points at $1.07 or no contract and pay 1.99/pt. We didn't need more points either. Maybe we could have gotten 3,000 pts. at 1.65, or 4,000 at 1.25, but didn't push the envelope that far.

See you at SLB.

[richardr Member Find all posts View Profile Close richardr]

The Magic $,5000

Dear Sheila,
We haven't stayed at the ts but away back in 1980 I drove up Highway 1 from L.A. to San Fransico & stopped for the night after dark near San Luis & remember waking up to see one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. So I'm looking forward to going back. Probably in 2009 & hope development hasn't spoiled the area too much.

We usually book 2 bedroom units even if its only the two of us .Sometimes the one bedrooms from lockoff units can be small compared to the other one bedroom in the main unit

As for the Plat Elite issue we have enuf to reach Plat without more at conversion .As Spence says DRI will charge whtever they can get. If their offer isn't good enuf we can live with keeping the Polo Towers unit & using the Florida Trust points within the Trust & our existing Cub Membership to travel outside the Trust Resorts.

We will let you know what happens &hope to meet you one day.

[dale7 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dale7]

The resort was sold out, and we were told by front desk staff they don't do upgrades.


See you at SLB.

Did you know that you do a up grade when making reservations.

[sheilaanthony Member Find all posts View Profile Close sheilaanthony]

Upgrade at reservation.

Dale,
Wow, learn something everytime a check in here. I did not know that. Can you request an upgrade somewhere is Web Reservations or do you have to speak with a representative? Can I request an upgrade after the reservation is made?

Richard,
Agree with you totally on that SLB beach and those views. It's still fantastic and not at all built up. What has built up are the wineries. The region is becoming quite well know for it's food and libations. The movie, "Sideways" launched the area a few years back. We're smitten. The combination of the resort lay out on the bay and the low winter sun at Christmastime gave our room am ocean sunrise.

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

Did you know that you do a up grade when making reservations.

Dear Richard,
Have you been to San Luis Bay? We went for Christmas and asked for an upgrade. The resort was sold out, and we were told by front desk staff they don't do upgrades. I hope this changes, as it's one of the perks we were also looking forward to. It's a very average resort by Diamond standards, and the 1-br's are very small. We've been in DRI studios that are larger. However, the location for us is prime, and we've already booked a 2-BR lockout there for next Christmas. Nowhere to upgrade from there, I'm afraid, unless they were to throw in another suite!

Also, we had been grappling with the Plat. Elite issue for awhile and turned down 2 previous offers to convert. Magically they all came out just north of $5,000. So we figured we could get another contract and a few points at $1.07 or no contract and pay 1.99/pt. We didn't need more points either. Maybe we could have gotten 3,000 pts. at 1.65, or 4,000 at 1.25, but didn't push the envelope that far.

See you at SLB.

Dale,
Wow, learn something everytime a check in here. I did not know that. Can you request an upgrade somewhere is Web Reservations or do you have to speak with a representative? Can I request an upgrade after the reservation is made?

Richard,
Agree with you totally on that SLB beach and those views. It's still fantastic and not at all built up. What has built up are the wineries. The region is becoming quite well know for it's food and libations. The movie, "Sideways" launched the area a few years back. We're smitten. The combination of the resort lay out on the bay and the low winter sun at Christmastime gave our room am ocean sunrise.

Depending how long you've been an owner.... the upgrade rules used to be that Elite members could call 30 days or less prior and get an upgrade if available, the resort front desk could never do it. Under the old rules, I once asked at the front desk at Ridge Tahoe and was told no, I sat there and called the Club and had it done. I've never seen an announcement and never seen it in print, but the rules changed a couple years back such that you could get your upgrade, if available, at the time you made your reservation, whenever. It is probably explained by the salesfolk.

It is a tedious process, it cannot be done online (yet). The CSR must book and cancel the smaller unit in your account to 'prove' it was available, then book the larger unit at the discounted rate. Very tedious and if you wanted RPP-Reservation Protection you have to then pay the CSR price which is more than the online price. CSRs aren't always good at this, I have several times had them ask me if I wanted RPP on the smaller unit that they were going to cancel in 1 minute, also had them insist on giving me the Res# for the smaller unit that they were going to cancel in 1 minute. Most CSRs also have to take a break and get a supervisor's approval.

Can you request an upgrade after a reservation is made? Yes, maybe.
If you want a bigger unit (and it is available) and you're still outside the 60 day window, you can cancel your reservation and rebook as above. If you want the discounted price for your unit and the smaller unit is still available, you can do the same thing. Depending on the CSR and their comfort level and abilities you might convince them to do it with no penalties under 60 days. This is all not need once you know the rules (except if you keep checking and there's a cancellation that meets your needs).

So, if the exact rules aren't in the book, other than the cost and how many each level of Elite gets, how did I stumble on it after a couple years ago after having been a member for 5 years? I saw an eBay listing for a Sunterra property and the lister was offering a 'free' upgrade to dates more than 60 days out!

[dale7 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dale7]

No matter how far out it is I always ask for a up grade being a Elite and they always have to talk to another person but I got it every time when space is available. We have asked for up grades at the front desk and always turned down.

Thank Spence "I will have to called the Club next time I am at the front desk and need a up grade."

[sheilaanthony Member Find all posts View Profile Close sheilaanthony]

We got back 2,000 points

Dale,
Maybe this should be a new thread already. Thank you so much for the upgrade advice. I called DRI Las Vegas and was able to get my 2br. Dec. vacation at SLB for 1br. price, and saved 2,000 points. I have another booked in February for a 1br. at Marquis Villas, but no 2-br. available to upgrade at this time...said I could call again and maybe still get it. The rep said upgrades are only available via phone as a supervisor must approve them. Guess I have another week to spend now. Thanks again!

[dale7 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dale7]

Dale,
Maybe this should be a new thread already. Thank you so much for the upgrade advice. I called DRI Las Vegas and was able to get my 2br. Dec. vacation at SLB for 1br. price, and saved 2,000 points. I have another booked in February for a 1br. at Marquis Villas, but no 2-br. available to upgrade at this time...said I could call again and maybe still get it. The rep said upgrades are only available via phone as a supervisor must approve them. Guess I have another week to spend now. Thanks again!

That is great I am glad that I could help you.

Maybe Spence or Frank can help making a new thread by moving the posts that do not belong on this thread to like "How maximize your use of DRI"