Is it worth it to pay $2,995 to join TheClub

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

I am having a hard time reconciling this offer. When it comes down to it isn't TheClub just a smaller version of RCI. also I have a deeded week at Greensprings that would allow me 18,000 points the saleslady told me those points are now worth $40,000 sounds crazy to me but if I were to sell this deeded week what would be the fair market value ?

[gjw007 Member Find all posts View Profile Close gjw007]

I am having a hard time reconciling this offer. When it comes down to it isn't TheClub just a smaller version of RCI. also I have a deeded week at Greensprings that would allow me 18,000 points the saleslady told me those points are now worth $40,000 sounds crazy to me but if I were to sell this deeded week what would be the fair market value ?

$40,000 only at the developer. Here is a resale on EBay, TIMESHARE RED 11000 POINTS OPTIONS @ SUNTERRA DIAMOND - eBay (item 380008432070 end time Mar-30-08 13:30:00 PDT). Granted this only gives you access to the 19 resorts in the trust, not all the other Diamond resorts unless you pay a fee to upgrade (I think it is the $2995 fee that you mentioned but Spence and others can provide more definite answers).

[Schooner Member Find all posts View Profile Close Schooner]

The answer to your question "Is it worth it to pay $2,995 to join TheClub" really depends on what you want out of timeshare travel.

As I understand it $2995 is the going rate to convert one deed. If you want to convert more than that a small purchase of points from the developer can get the deed done. Read the conversion thread on this forum.

RCI is quite different from The Club. As a member of Club you can reserve in any of the approx 100 DRI resorts and affiliates without an exchange fee and there are real bargains available in making last minute reservations. Your 18000 points could take you a lot of places. Short stays are also possible. All this to say The Club provides the best flexibility I have seen out there and includes a paid up II membership.

You could also weigh The Club option against buying a package of say 10000 CSV1 points with your $3000 to provide travel options within the smaller US Collection.

So, back to my first point ... it really depends on what you want to do in the way of travel. Read this forum for more info. It is all here. In the end, the price is what you pay ... value is what you want to get!

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

There are certain advantages to joining THE Club that we thought were enough to pay the price.

#1 It protects your trade value. The unit we own is at Polo Towers and trades through I.I. In THE Club, points are points. It doesn't matter where you own. 6,500 points will get you a two bedroom exchange with I.I. If we wait until the flex change period it only takes 50% of those points. We also travel to Branson for 3 and 4 night stays. DRI has a resort in Branson and, if I wait until less than 60 days I can get some good deals to stay at that resort on internal exchanges, only use enough points for the days I want and get those points at a discount. Basically, I can really stretch out my usage using THE Club points rather than trading week for week.

#2. THE Club membership fee (currently an additional $159/year) covers all internal exchanges. We go to Branson for long weekends 2 to 3 times per year. If we make three exchanges that's $405 in exchange fee's. Over the course of a year we generally make up to 6 exchange's per year. If only half of those become internal exchanges, then I'm saving $246/year.

#3. Any points we don't use for exchanges can be used for other services. Either to rent out our time or through any of the other services offered by DRI. We could pay down MF's, buy AA flight certificates, rent cars, discounts on cruises et..... The additional services for points are NOT great deals but, they're better than wasted usage. Before joining THE Club I took a look at my usage of my Polo Towers units from the time we purchased them until 2007 when we joined THE Club. I we had used THE Club points, I would have had an extra 39,500 points left over through the years that could have been used for something else. At that time that was approx. 5 AA flight certificates. I would have also been 6 additional I.I. two bedroom exchanges over what I had recieved just using my weeks for exchange.

#4. Interval International Gold membership is included in your yearly THE Club fee's. Normally I.I. membership is $89/year plus, I think, another $50 for Gold membership. You're also getting a corporate membership with I.I. Others have reported that the corporate membership has more exchange power than an individual membership. I can't say that I've seen that myself but, I haven't worked the system very much yet.

If all you ever do is just use your week to stay at your home resort, I find little value in paying to become a member of THE Club. But if you exchange it can be of value because it is flexible.