HGVC Another newvous newbie

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

Hello all and thank you in advance for your replies!

Like so many other I located this forum a few days after returning home from purchasing a timeshare. I own now for 6 days and I have 10 days to rescind.

I purchased 3,600 points for $16,800 and 8,500 bonus points. We previously turned down their sales pitch in Vegas but bought 7,000 points for $1,650 which we used towards a 2 bedroom week long vacation at the Tuscany. They took the $1,650 off the $16,800 which left us paying only $15,150 and they took around $2200 in a deposit.

I really like the idea of owning a Time Share but hate the idea of paying way more than I should have!

I am pretty sure I should rescind but I also want to be an owner.

Thanks for any reply!

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

I am not familiar enough with HGVC to know the specific advantages, if any, of buying from the developer, but generally you save a lot of money buying resale. I would suggest rescinding since time is short, and then do your research so you are buying what you should, at the right price. If it turns out to be the deal you walked away from (doubtful), you will be able to get it again.

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

Hello all and thank you in advance for your replies!

Like so many other I located this forum a few days after returning home from purchasing a timeshare. I own now for 6 days and I have 10 days to rescind.

I purchased 3,600 points for $16,800 and 8,500 bonus points. We previously turned down their sales pitch in Vegas but bought 7,000 points for $1,650 which we used towards a 2 bedroom week long vacation at the Tuscany. They took the $1,650 off the $16,800 which left us paying only $15,150 and they took around $2200 in a deposit.

I really like the idea of owning a Time Share but hate the idea of paying way more than I should have!

I am pretty sure I should rescind but I also want to be an owner.

Thanks for any reply!

Rescind if you still can.
Follow the instructions on how to rescind in your package.

There are definitely cheaper ways into HGVC than buying direct.
Once you rescind, come back and we will help you find a better way in.
There are HGVC resales and affiliates that work almost like a direct purchase.
You lose very little benefits buying an HGVC on the resale market.

I'm a very happy HGVC resale owner.
HGVC is a great system if you like to vacation within their club resorts.
Did you look at the club resorts? See if they are places that you want to visit.
It's quite limited as far as timeshare clubs are concerned.
Although limited they just happen to be perfect for a Florida ownership.

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

3,600 points is considered to be a low amount of points. You can easily buy that on Ebay for less than $1,000.

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

Definitely rescind! You can get a MUCH better deal resale, plus (as was previously mentioned) you will find that you won't be able to do much with 3600 points and you will need more to be useful in the HGVC system.

And no matter what some salesperson might tell you, the ONLY benefit you don't get buying resale is that the purchase doesn't count toward "elite" status. However, elite status starts at 14,000 annual points, and even though I personally have elite status, I would be the first to tell you it is not worth the extra $$$$ you would pay to obtain elite (I actually got in before the current resale exclusion rules applied).

After you rescind and you are still interested in the HGVC system, you can get additional information at the TUG HGVC forum (nothing against this forum, but that forum has at least 20X the HGVC activity vs. this forum).

Kurt

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

3600 may be a small number of points but you'd be surprised what you can do with that small number. I own even less than that.
I only own a biennial 5000 contract and I've had more than 17 nights of stays and one 7 day RCI reservation in the past two years.
That included studios, 1,2 and 3 bedroom stays.
If you can travel on short notice and use the open season benefit you don't need to own a ton of points IMO.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I will toss out the idea of not owning anything, anywhere . . . not having any investment or ongoing obligation . . . and going just about anywhere you want to go for less than a maintenance fee. Not always, but often.

Below is Orlando Craigslist Vacation Rentals, just one of jillions of sources:

http://orlando.craigslist.org/vac/

Here's Vegas, since it was mentioned:

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/vac/

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

This may be true for other Vegas & Orlando resorts but not necessarily for Hilton Vacation Club.
Not saying that you can't trade in cheaper than owning there, but renting at Hilton is usually much higher than owning & renting within the club.

[timeos2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close timeos2]

This may be true for other Vegas & Orlando resorts but not necessarily for Hilton Vacation Club.
Not saying that you can't trade in cheaper than owning there, but renting at Hilton is usually much higher than owning & renting within the club.

We've never owned a HGVC yet have stayed at many through exchange or rental FAR below the annual fees (not even considering any purchase price resale or retail). Especially since they are SO concentrated in a few areas there always seems to be inexpensive offers regardless of season. We stayed over 2 weeks in LV for Spring Break / Easter first at HGVC then the Marriott GC. Both were renayal specials and neither week cost us over $300 for a 2 bedroom. The most expensive part of the trip was 3 additional nights in an Embassy Suites. I cannot recommend buying into Hilton OR Marriott when it is so easy to get what you want through non-ownership methods. The same is true for a system we used to own (and liked) Wyndham. It is so easy to rent that ownership today is a total waste and an unneeded commitment to expensive annual fees. We've also rented Bluegreen, Shell and others. And every one has sales that will tell you "you can't get in here without owning" even as you are THERE without owning!

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

timeos2, I agree with you for the most part.
I don't own Marriott but can easily trade into the resorts that interest me fairly regularly,
but I have not found that to be the case with HGVC if you are interested in their niche affiliates like SW Florida.
Marco, Sanibel, Ft. Myers all difficult trades as JLB can attest to.
That is one of the best benefits that I can suggest to someone interested in purchasing into HGVC.

If you just want to go to Vegas or Orlando then I guess it's not as valuable.
I personally like having the open season available to me because if I decide at the last minute during
high season that I want to go to Orlando and need a 3 bedroom it's very possible thru the club.
Not always possible with RCI. I have tried.
Actually RCI had nothing available during spring break unless you wanted to rent for their high prices.
Same with the other exchange companies.

So HGVC is definitely not for everyone but for a few select owners who live within their resorts
& affiliates and can maximize the open season opportunities.

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

If you want to only stay in Orlando or Las Vegas, then yes, you can probably rent cheaper than owning most of the time. However, if you need to travel during peak times, fit in with school breaks, or if you are not very flexible on your vacation plans, then it can be difficult to rent exactly what you need at a HGVC property. Also, if you want to stay in a HGVC in Hawaii, Breckenridge, Park City, Carlsbad, Miami Beach, Myrtle Beach or one of the many other affiliates and HGVC-owned properties, it would be difficult to find great bargains.

Another great HGVC benefit that I use very often is the ability to reserve something other than the timeshare-standard 7-day stay. Up to 9 months out, you can reserve as small as a 3-night stay -- great for weekend getaways, or to stretch your points by eliminating one or two weekend nights (which cost more) and shorten your stay. It goes the other way as well -- perhaps you want to stay in Hawaii for 9 nights -- very difficult to do with most other timeshares, but just another standard reservation with HGVC. At thirty days out, you have the option to cash-rent rooms (2-night minimum). I have used that numerous times at Valdoro (Breckenridge, CO); since I am close, I can get first-class accommodations during prime ski season for a fraction of renting anywhere else. If you are close to a HGVC property, this is a huge benefit, IMO. All of this flexibility is very valuable to us, personally.

In any case, decide how you want to vacation, and research what will work best for you. After 7 years of ownership, we have had no regrets and have make great use of the HGVC system.

Kurt

[timeos2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close timeos2]

The only reason to own in any system is that it has resort(s) you want and can't reliably get without owning. For us HGVC (and Marriott, DVC, Wyndham, etc) do not offer anything we MUST have if the cost is even a reasonable resale purchase & a commitment to an annual fee. Even the toughest trade (such as SW FL you mention) is a relatively easy rental and, if you do the math, the one or two times we'd use it work out to be far less renting than owning. Plus by renting we can assure that we get the dates & resort desired - something owning and definitely trading cannot do.

We were long time advocates of owning multiple timeshares in different systems and resorts - over 20 years. Now we are even stronger advocates of owning only a very narrow type of timeshare (Owner controlled & specific areas we know we want to visit without involving trades or risky carefully timed 1st opportunity reservation requirements) and a broad use of the glutted rental market for the vast majority of our stays. We have trimmed our timeshare budget to less than 1/2 of what it was and we are traveling more than ever before. Still timeshare fanatics just with a different approach.

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

The only reason to own in any system is that it has resort(s) you want and can't reliably get without owning.

.................................................. ........... and a broad use of the glutted rental market for the vast majority of our stays.

And that's the main reason that I own in HGVC because for the times that I want to visit SW Florida or plan short stays at any of the HGVC resorts, owning works for me.
Of course I'm only minimally committed to HGVC with a biennial unit so if things change I won't be greatly impacted but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

And as for the glut of rentals & cheap exchanges in Vegas & Orlando I agree with you.
I am going next month to Vegas in a 3 bedroom Marriott Grand Chateau that I got relatively cheap on exchange thru II.
I doubt an owner would have rented me the unit for the total that it cost me in II for that unit which is only $400.

I use those great rental & exchanges too when I'm going off season, but peak season isn't as easy to do and still stay in the nicest resorts.
Yes you can get something last minute in the older resorts cheap if that's your only goal, but I've become pickier as I get older and would rather pay a little more to be in a nicer place.
Sometimes you can also get lucky and score something real nice on ebay.
I've done that too but it's not reliable either.
I guess I'm paying a little more to be an "owner" so that I don't have to spend my time trying to rent from internet strangers.
There is something to be said for dealing with the known rather than gambling with the unknown owner who you never really know, may or may not be a scammer.