Am I crazy to drop out of THE Club and go back to traditional?

[julieab Member Find all posts View Profile Close julieab]

I bought in 2002 as a deeded The Club member. At the time, we thought income would stay the same or go up, allowing us to actually use this new purchase.

Unfortunately, many job hardships later, he haven't managed to really USE this timeshare yet! We gave a week to my sister for her honeymoon and we managed a couple days in a town nearby.

We're Disneyland nuts and make it a priority to go every year. At the time we purchased, we never considered using the timeshare just to go to DL because we stay in cheap motels across the street. We hoped the timeshare would make a nice second vacation each year. So the fact that DRI and II have no anaheim resorts wasn't an issue. But financially these years, we're only in a position to do one vacation, and DL always wins.

I thought maybe I could make this more cost efficeint (and not feel like I'm wasting the timeshare every year) to use it for our DL trip. But as members of The Club, I read that there is no way I could trade into RCI?

And now that The Club dues have increased to $225 a year, I'm considering cancelling my membership and converting to a traditional week timeshare so I'd have the ability to exchange with any company I'd want. Fees seem comparable now, especially since there isn't much in the DRI network that I'd want to go to (in order to save the exchange fee). I think I might have a good trader (how does one determine that?) -- Scottsdale Villa Mirage in AZ, 1 bedroom, week 13 -- spring break time in a warm climate.

My concern is once I cancel, I guess there isn't an easy way of changing back -- $3000? Which I know I'd never ever pay. Just isn't and hasn't been worth it, especially after we paid full retail price for this timeshare 6 years ago.

Anything I'm missing and should be considering in a decision like this? Am I absolutely crazy?!

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

We're Disneyland nuts and make it a priority to go every year.

There's your problem!

I think I might have a good trader (how does one determine that?) -- Scottsdale Villa Mirage in AZ, 1 bedroom, week 13 -- spring break time in a warm climate.

Should trade well in Rent Condos Instead, the operative word being should.

My concern is once I cancel, I guess there isn't an easy way of changing back -- $3000?

That's right!

Am I absolutely crazy?!

Possibly, most DL nuts are.

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

I think that if you havent taken advanatage of THE Club benifits in 6 years, you probably are not going to start, and if the 225.00 is a problem, then I would go back to a deeded week.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

My concern is once I cancel, I guess there isn't an easy way of changing back -- $3000? Which I know I'd never ever pay. Just isn't and hasn't been worth it, especially after we paid full retail price for this timeshare 6 years ago.

Anything I'm missing and should be considering in a decision like this? Am I absolutely crazy?!

I don't think there is a charge to drop out of the Club - you just don't get back any of the money you paid to join.

The money you paid to join the Club is irrelevant to your analysis. It's a sunk cost. You paid the money and it's gone. There is no option available to you now that recovers any of that money.

Once you recognize that, the situation gets simpler. If the Club is of no value then you have two options:

• Option 1. Base case. Continue in the Club. No change from current situation.
• Option 2. Drop Club membership. Save annual Club fee ($225 in current year, future years ????)

If the Club gives you no value and there's no way you can recover any of that money, I don't see a reason for you stay in the Club.

The only downside of canceling the membership is the fact that the decision to cancel is irreversible. If your situation changes so that the Club would be useful, you will no longer have that option available without paying again to join The Club.

--------------

Because the decision to drop the Club is an irreversible decision, and you are not under immediate pressure to make a decision, I strongly suggest that you spend time getting familiar with Club benefits and advantages before you make a final decision.

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

Week 13 is AZ bike week, major event. 100K plus bikers in town.

[julieab Member Find all posts View Profile Close julieab]

The money you paid to join the Club is irrelevant to your analysis. It's a sunk cost. You paid the money and it's gone.

If the Club gives you no value and there's no way you can recover any of that money, I don't see a reason for you stay in the Club.

If your situation changes so that the Club would be useful, you will no longer have that option available without paying again to join The Club.

This is what my brother keeps telling me, to suck it up and get over the fact that I overpaid. And if I can't make it useful as is, to sell it and buy something that is.

I just have a bad case of the "what if's". As you mention, what if our financial outlook changes? Or what if DRI adds some resorts I would like to travel to? I consider buying that timeshare at retail price one of the only 2 regrets of my life, and it was a very costly one. It makes me sick to my stomach sometimes, and now I'm super cautious about researching everything I do. I don't want to have anymore regrets like that...hence my question to this forum...to make sure I know everything I'd be missing by cancelling.

I think I know the club pretty well now. These are the benefits as I see them:
1. points allow me to turn one week into multiple if I use them right.
Getting extra vacation time has been hard for my DH. So taking more than a week is unlikely.

2. points allow shorter vacations.
Flying is cost prohibitive and there isn't a whole lot within driving distance we'd want to go. Plus, this would most likely be on the weekend when point values are highest, thus seeming to "waste" much of our points.

3. no exchange fee within DRI club.
But membership is now $225 which is just under the membership and exchange fees of one week in II or RCI (approx $250). And there isn't much in the DRI group we'd like to go that isn't available in II or RCI anyway, especially if we're only using one week.

4. hmmm, can't think of anymore that would pertain to me. Are there any?

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

If you are not sure at this point if you want to cancel your membership you could try to rent out your timeshare in order to recover your maint fees. If you are able to rent time out that is within 60 days or less, therefore getting it at 50% off points you might be able to get 2 weeks of rental out of it which should more than make up the maint fees.

Something to think about. Renting out timeshare isn't for everyone, but thought I'd throw that option out to you since you are not sure if you are really ready to cancel or not.

Also, this way you could keep your membership and if you decide one year to go somewhere besides DL, then you would still be able to do so, or if an Anaheim resort later gets added to DRI or II, then you would be able to use it there.

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

Keep in mind that if you drop out of THE Club, you'll have to buy a personal membership into either RCI or I.I. Fee's for each vary but are around $90/year for a standard membership (you'll be giving up a Gold corporate account). In that case you're only saving $135 and, if you ever want to rejoin THE Club somewhere down the road you'll be SOL unless you want to pay whatever price they're charging at the time.

I also feel that the points are an easier commodity to exchange through I.I. rather than trying to exchange in either RCI's or I.I.'s weeks based exchange system.

IMO, unless you're absolutely desperate you're just not saving enough money in the long run to warrant dropping THE Club.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

Keep in mind that if you drop out of THE Club, you'll have to buy a personal membership into either RCI or I.I. Fee's for each vary but are around $90/year for a standard membership (you'll be giving up a Gold corporate account). In that case you're only saving $135 and, if you ever want to rejoin THE Club somewhere down the road you'll be SOL unless you want to pay whatever price they're charging at the time.

I also feel that the points are an easier commodity to exchange through I.I. rather than trying to exchange in either RCI's or I.I.'s weeks based exchange system.

Good point about the membership fees, Doug. I overlooked the II or RCI membership fees, so the savings isn't what i presented.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Keep in mind that if you drop out of THE Club, you'll have to buy a personal membership into either RCI or I.I. Fee's for each vary but are around $90/year for a standard membership (you'll be giving up a Gold corporate account). In that case you're only saving $135 and, if you ever want to rejoin THE Club somewhere down the road you'll be SOL unless you want to pay whatever price they're charging at the time.

I also feel that the points are an easier commodity to exchange through I.I. rather than trying to exchange in either RCI's or I.I.'s weeks based exchange system.

IMO, unless you're absolutely desperate you're just not saving enough money in the long run to warrant dropping THE Club.

There are other exchange companies that have no annual fees and lower exchange fees ( I think the OP overlooked those in her savings equation as well) than RCI and II.

It depends on where that ONE vacation needs to be really.

[julieab Member Find all posts View Profile Close julieab]

I considered the membership fees a wash now. The bonus being that I could exchange in whatever company I wanted, not forced into II which has no DL resorts. DRI is now up to $225/yr. If I use II on top of that, I still have an exchange fee of $125-150 (or something like that), making it well over $300. Whereas, if I went through II or RCI independently for just the one week, total out of pocket would be around $250.

[julieab Member Find all posts View Profile Close julieab]

Well, by some freakish miracle, I discovered "club select" online which is a random way to book sometimes non-DRI and non-II resorts with my points. I've seen "club select" info before, but thought it was something else, rentals only or something. Anyway, I happened upon a 2 bedroom at Peacock Suites in the week I want to go and jumped right on it! Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus!

Thanks to all that have helped me mull this over, I'm still in The Club (for now)! LOL

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

Well, by some freakish miracle, I discovered "club select" online which is a random way to book sometimes non-DRI and non-II resorts with my points. I've seen "club select" info before, but thought it was something else, rentals only or something. Anyway, I happened upon a 2 bedroom at Peacock Suites in the week I want to go and jumped right on it! Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus! Thanks to all that have helped me mull this over, I'm still in The Club (for now)!

And if you use all your points anyway... the rental charge to Club members is very reasonable, half what they charge non-members cash.