I just got our Platinum VIP cards in the mail. They don't know we rescinded?

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

So we just got the cards in the mail, with 1,800,600 points listed on the card. I would have such fun with those points, if I didn't get cold feet. I don't know if we made the right decision. I guess they don't know we rescinded at wherever those cards came from.

We did get our CC refund, so PAHIO/ Wyndham Bali Hai knows we rescinded. That is a crapload of points. Too bad we can't get those Fairshare Plus points for free.

The price we were paying was not that bad. I think my feet are warming up again, especially after getting the cards in the mail, with all of our points listed. Why oh why did I have to rescind.

Don't you just hate that, when you make a decision and no matter what it is, you cannot be happy and always wonder whether it was the right one to make? I hope I don't lose any sleep over it.

[Laser1992 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Laser1992]

Rescinded?

What kind of price did you pay? and how many points were you buying? All the quantity you mentioned at one time, or were you adding to get there?

Laser

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

Wyndham has no customer service as far as we can tell

Cindy - You can get the "deal" anytime - you can only back out for those few days. You made the correct choice.

As for them sending things out in error thats not news. We STILL get our second week of Wyndham points mail sent to our address but the original owners name. Thats after over 10 years & uncounted attempts by us, including numerous faxes of the recorded new deed in our name, and numerous, varying levels of Wyndham (FF) employees efforts to "get that corrected right away". Yeah, right. Their customer service when it comes to any type of billing error or title transfer is the worst. We gave up on it long ago and love the confused looks the sales weasels get when they try to figure out our account during our "updates". They don't have a clue and certainly no answers which just adds to the fun of asking why we would pay 90% more for points we can purchase resale since we have less than ZERO interest in ever having to deal with the convoluted and ever changing VIP status malarkey. Then we go to the nice restaurant they paid for and spend the $$ they give us. Nice folks those weasels.

[Arline Member Find all posts View Profile Close Arline]

They don't have a clue and certainly no answers which just adds to the fun of asking why we would pay 90% more for points we can purchase resale since we have less than ZERO interest in ever having to deal with the convoluted and ever changing VIP status malarkey. Then we go to the nice restaurant they paid for and spend the $$ they give us. Nice folks those weasels.

LOL

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

What kind of price did you pay? and how many points were you buying? All the quantity you mentioned at one time, or were you adding to get there?

Laser

We were converting our PAHIO units. We own a two bed Shearwater, a three bedroom Bali Hai, a 2 bedroom Bali Hai, and an EOY one bedroom Bali Hai, so we were converting a few of those, plus we had to purchase 308,000 EOY to convert the others, so we were paying about $18,100. We already have a lot invested in our PAHIO weeks, but all were purchased resale.

We were using two weeks as PIC, too, for an additional 308,000 points total.

We are now in escrow with two points purchases, one is a 154K Angel Fire and the second is 287,000 points at Kingsgate. That one is two contracts with high fees on the smaller and low fees on the 203,000 part.

I just wanted to see how the system works, before we sell everything else and use Fairfield exclusively. That may be our decision, but you never know. Fairfield may not be so good in the long run. I am hearing some pretty negative stuff from the Yahoo Usergroup.

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

Cindy,

Don't let the Yahoo group discussions dissuade you. Understand that some of those folks are experienced FF/Wyn owners who have been able to use their point programs to the fullest. Even though the real veterans may complain about changes, when the group takes a poll of whether the group likes the FF/Wyn vacation resorts and program, the satisfaction is 80% plus and has been for many years.

The value of different levels of VIP is always a hot topic and it is really a personal point of view as to the value of it to the individual owner. Many think that from a strictly financial comparison, resales will normally trump buying from the developer.

The deal you cut with FF/Wyn was a reasonable one. I think your canceling the deal was good for you to step back and see if you can do even a better deal without the time pressures.

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

We are now in escrow with two points purchases, one is a 154K Angel Fire and the second is 287,000 points at Kingsgate. That one is two contracts with high fees on the smaller and low fees on the 203,000 part.

I just wanted to see how the system works, before we sell everything else and use Fairfield exclusively. That may be our decision, but you never know. Fairfield may not be so good in the long run. I am hearing some pretty negative stuff from the Yahoo Usergroup.

Cindy,

I hope you mean by sell everything else your TS weeks other than the Kauai weeks. Those BHV and maybe even the Shearwater fixed/floating week units are very attractive to FF to get you to convert into their points system.

You may be able to take all the Kauai units plus your resale UDIs that are in escrow and do a similar deal as before. Except you should try to do an "equity trade" of the Angel Fire and Kingsgate contracts for either a large Bali Hai Villas or Waikiki Beach Walk UDI contract. You should still get to VIP Platinum even without trying to PIC two units, but make sure they guarantee it in writing with a site VP sign off and the VIP form filled out showing the eligible Platinum points indicated.

Remember that if you convert your BHV and Shearwater fixed weeks, you'll still own them. You're simply entering into an assignment contract with FF to exchange the annual usage of those weeks in exchange for annual/EOY UDI points.

If you can make a deal to get Platinum, try out the FF system for a year. Then you can decide to sell off everything else if FF fits your needs.

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

After reading OY of the recent, arbitrary devaluation of Starwood Elite program, I have doubts as to the value of any of these VIP programs. You can spend alot of money buying into these programs, but they can be changed at a whim. Here today, gone tomorrow.

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

I agree.

The key is to take advantage of the VIP discounts and upgrades to get a partial return on that upfront developer purchase ASAP. Much easier to do if the kids are out of the house and you have greater flexibility to travel in Spring, Winter and Fall.

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

I know you are Platinum, CC_dad, but do you think it is worth the extra money? I am in a quandry, as I see the value in VIP Platinum but see the privileges of that status being jerked away by Wyndham. I would have been very upset to have gone through the process of purchasing that package from PAHIO, only to discover less than two months later that all of the promises made at the table of unlimited housekeeping credits and unlimited free guest certificates were being taken away. I would have felt royally gypped.

It makes me angry that we signed in the first place, because we thought the system looked great at the time we signed, as those benefits were a large part of what made Platinum VIP special. Now what do the salesmen have to sell?

I wonder how long it will be before upgrading units is no longer a possibility for VIP? What benefits will be left?

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

VIP is a ripoff because it requires retail purchase with no guarantees

I wonder how long it will be before upgrading units is no longer a possibility for VIP? What benefits will be left?

Cindy - Thats exactly why we stopped worrying about VIP of any flavor 5 years ago. It is an expensive trap as once you've bought in you "need" to keep buying more as they change the rules invariably raising the total points required. It is the one nearly sure thing Wyndham has found to keep the money pump from owners primed. We refuse to play that game. If we're being shortchanged on our available trips we don't know it as we've obtained the resort/dates we've wanted for over ten years as points are points while VIP is ????.

Buy Wyndham points to use, buy what you feel you need and buy them resale. The retail/VIP game will cost you plenty and get you very little value. Until Wyndham changes how they treat resale it is perhaps the greatest bargain in points based timeshare while retail Wyndham points may be the biggest ripoff. How much longer they can sustain retail sales with the tremendous price gap - which they have purposely created - is anyones guess but it would be foolish to buy at retail prices while it exists, VIP or not.