Wyndham Fairfield Fairshare question?

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

I agree with Mike, be patient they will come up sooner or later.
I also have Grand Desert, fees aren't too bad.
Have you joined the Wyndham Forums group? They have listings of all the current MF's for all WYN resorts.

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

Wyndham Fairfield Glade, Nottingham Village section
Wyndham South Shore (Tahoe)

THanks Mike, I've looked at a few listings to get an idea of who has the cheapes maintenance fees. So far it looks like Tahoe & Vegas are the cheapest ones available at this moment on ebay. I'll keep checking the listings.

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

I agree with Mike, be patient they will come up sooner or later.
I also have Grand Desert, fees aren't too bad.
Have you joined the Wyndham Forums group? They have listings of all the current MF's for all WYN resorts.

I joined the A to Z website for owners but I find the forums a bit difficult to follow but I guess I just need to get used to it. Thanks.

[Lisa P Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Lisa P]

I'll probably stay within Wyndham mostly but judging by others great trades using the 28K deposits maybe I should be looking to do that more than I was thinking. What do you think? The external trade document says she got a Manhattan Club for 28K deposit. Granted it was in March but I still think that was a good trade. I'd go to New York any time of year. And her 28K deposit for HGVC in Marco is one of my top choices for vacationing so I'd go anytime there too.

Chris, if you're reading about exchanges that were made 10 years ago, tread lightly. We traded 28K into these places several years ago but RCI has been repeatedly downgrading the trade power of Wyndham points' generic weeks deposits. Where 28K used to be able to snag almost anything bulk spacebanked, it's much harder today, even back into a Wyndham if it's a popular resort.

Recently, 28K was not sufficient to confirm an off-season trade into Wyn Bonnet Creek with a bulk deposit and 42K worked. If it was a more popular time (but not a prime holiday, which doesn't get deposited with RCI), then it likely would have required 70K at a minimum. 42K could not snag a shoulder season (early June) week with Wyn Ocean Blvd's bulk banking but 70K worked. These are still good deals but who knows how much harder it will get to upgrade through RCI. It may get so that it's not worth the exchange fee.

28K will still work for offseason at second string Orlando resorts or offseason at quieter Wyndhams. Only a year after we got into Manhattan Club with 28K, we could not get back in with the next bulk spacebanking. Trade power has definitely suffered. That said, Wyndham resorts are nice and a good resale on Wyndham points is still a great way to get to stay at them, with much flexibility.

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

Chris, if you're reading about exchanges that were made 10 years ago, tread lightly. We traded 28K into these places several years ago but RCI has been repeatedly downgrading the trade power of Wyndham points' generic weeks deposits. Where 28K used to be able to snag almost anything bulk spacebanked, it's much harder today, even back into a Wyndham if it's a popular resort.

Recently, 28K was not sufficient to confirm an off-season trade into Wyn Bonnet Creek with a bulk deposit and 42K worked. If it was a more popular time (but not a prime holiday, which doesn't get deposited with RCI), then it likely would have required 70K at a minimum. 42K could not snag a shoulder season (early June) week with Wyn Ocean Blvd's bulk banking but 70K worked. These are still good deals but who knows how much harder it will get to upgrade through RCI. It may get so that it's not worth the exchange fee.

28K will still work for offseason at second string Orlando resorts or offseason at quieter Wyndhams. Only a year after we got into Manhattan Club with 28K, we could not get back in with the next bulk spacebanking. Trade power has definitely suffered. That said, Wyndham resorts are nice and a good resale on Wyndham points is still a great way to get to stay at them, with much flexibility.

Thanks Marge,
I know it's probably not going to last too long but if I am able to get a few exchanges into Pompano during summer it's worth it to me. I live in Miami and if I can get anything on the beach with 28K it's worth it, I think?

I'm also probably going to do internal exchanges to places like Branson, Texas, Vegas, Tahoe, during the shoulder season. I hardly ever travel in peak season so I think I might do alright. I don't have any kids of my own so when I do travel with the nieces & nephews we usually go to Orlando or the beach which is why I bought DVC but I think Wyndham will do good for me when I visit places like DC, San Anton, San Fran etc. At least that is what I am hoping to do with it with the internal exchanges.

So what do you think about this?
I was looking at biennial units with about 154K to 168K but now I am thinking that maybe I should get an annual with 77K to 84K instead since the pooling thing seems like a pain thru Wyndham. I hate having to decide before your use year whether to deposit or not. I can't plan that far in advance. 6 months maybe but to commit 12 months ahead is a bit of a stretch for me since I travel so much and kind of do alot of opportunistic traveling.

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

If you can not plan 6 mths in advance and 12 mths is a challenge then for new people the advice is to forget about timeshareing, but you are not.

Doesn't matter if Wyndham or something else.

You seem to favour the newer urban locations, generally for better times you will need to use points and not RCI/II deposits to access. The point level you are considering will be inadequate.

Shoulder times, trading in Branson should work well.

Think you need to rethink.

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

If you can not plan 6 mths in advance and 12 mths is a challenge then for new people the advice is to forget about timeshareing, but you are not.

Doesn't matter if Wyndham or something else.

You seem to favour the newer urban locations, generally for better times you will need to use points and not RCI/II deposits to access. The point level you are considering will be inadequate.

Shoulder times, trading in Branson should work well.

Think you need to rethink.

Well maybe I didn't word it correctly. I can plan 6 months in advance and I even plan all my vacations in November-December for the next year but my job limits my firm committments until after February's deadline for seniority. I work where we have a union so everything is by seniority. Anyway that is why I can't plan totally 12 months in advance but need a little flexibility. For the most part I get my vacations as planned but sometimes not. The school schedule is not a problem though so I usually pick off peak times to have no competition.
So having to decide in December of say 2008 for vacations for 2010 for the following year is kind of a pain. That is the only thing I don't like about Wyndham. They should let you deposit up to 6 months into your use year like DVC. I think that is a more fair system but I guess it's not about the customer. That is why I think I might end up booking those 28K studios just to use up my points before they expire in case I don't get what I need off.

[Jya-Ning Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Jya-Ning]

Get 168k EOY, you can deposit few 28k if you like. At least if you want to make internal exchange, you don't need to deal with pool and all those method for a while. If you travel at shoulder or off-season, chances are, you can get it even after seniority. For those you don't sure, if you use Wyndham internal, you can always cancel it so, you should make your plan as far as you like, than if you have problem, you can try to see if you can get some cancel week, the worse is to either take a short trip of deposit all to RCI. for RCI exchange, you may need to add the insurance. With Orlando on your driving range, Disney is always a possibility.

After you get comfortable, than you can determine if you want to add more points or different company.

Jya-Ning

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

Get 168k EOY, you can deposit few 28k if you like. At least if you want to make internal exchange, you don't need to deal with pool and all those method for a while. If you travel at shoulder or off-season, chances are, you can get it even after seniority. For those you don't sure, if you use Wyndham internal, you can always cancel it so, you should make your plan as far as you like, than if you have problem, you can try to see if you can get some cancel week, the worse is to either take a short trip of deposit all to RCI. for RCI exchange, you may need to add the insurance. With Orlando on your driving range, Disney is always a possibility.

After you get comfortable, than you can determine if you want to add more points or different company.

Jya-Ning

What do you mean by seniority?

Do you think I'm better off with a 168K EOY or 84K every year?

Thanks Jya-Ning.

[Jya-Ning Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Jya-Ning]

What do you mean by seniority?

Well maybe I didn't word it correctly. I can plan 6 months in advance and I even plan all my vacations in November-December for the next year but my job limits my firm committments until after February's deadline for seniority.

If you just deposit to RCI, does not matter if you get 84k EY or 168k EOY.

If you want to play internal Wyndham reservation, and don't plan to bother to move points from one year to the other, to have more points in one year is better, in that case, 168k EOY is better, especially consider Wyndham now did not let you rent point from other owner.

168K EOY also give you a chance to make 13 month reservation, while 84k you will have to be in older resort for 1 BD.

Jya-Ning

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

If you just deposit to RCI, does not matter if you get 84k EY or 168k EOY.

If you want to play internal Wyndham reservation, and don't plan to bother to move points from one year to the other, to have more points in one year is better, in that case, 168k EOY is better, especially consider Wyndham now did not let you rent point from other owner.

168K EOY also give you a chance to make 13 month reservation, while 84k you will have to be in older resort for 1 BD.

Jya-Ning

Can I borrow from my future year if I get an every year without paying a fee?
Instead of pooling and paying a fee? That way I could get an every year use? I'm always using next years points in my other timeshares so I'll probably be doing it with Wyndham too. Thanks.

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

You can borrow for reservations within 90 days of check in date.

Since all the good stuff goes earlier, that will limit you to mainly off season stuff within Wyndham.

For shoulder and off season smaller RCI deposits work well, for an additional cost of $164 per. As well there may be additional transaction fees to Wyndham.

I generally have been a Wyndham Trader finding the most value there for me.

I think at the outset there needs to be some inclination as to how you would prefer to use the points. Within Wyndham or trading, because that usually determines how you position the points owned, additional charges involved and to a degree what you look for in ownership. Jya Ning's advice of if want to use within Wyndham, a 168K biannual is the better of the choices presented, as an example.

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

You can borrow for reservations within 90 days of check in date.

Since all the good stuff goes earlier, that will limit you to mainly off season stuff within Wyndham.

For shoulder and off season smaller RCI deposits work well, for an additional cost of $164 per. As well there may be additional transaction fees to Wyndham.

I generally have been a Wyndham Trader finding the most value there for me.

I think at the outset there needs to be some inclination as to how you would prefer to use the points. Within Wyndham or trading, because that usually determines how you position the points owned, additional charges involved and to a degree what you look for in ownership. Jya Ning's advice of if want to use within Wyndham, a 168K biannual is the better of the choices presented, as an example.

Honestly, the problem with me is that I do both city stays and resort stays. I travel about 10-12 times a year so honestly I think I'll use it both ways although my idea of buying was to use it in the cities that they had resorts in trying to save me having to use hotels.

In the study of Wyndham I also like the 28K deposits for possibly snagging a few Orlando units or Ft. Lauderdale beach in the summer. From what I've read it looks like I can do both and since I usually don't go to cities for a week I won't have to necessarily use all my points for stays.

I'm also thinking that I don't want to buy somewhere that if Wyndham goes bankrupt like some people on a to z seem to think might happen that I won't have a valuable week. I don't see how a week in say Fairfield Glade in Arkansas will be such a good buy if this happens. Maybe I'm adding another variable that is a moot point but I'm trying to make a good decision.

What are your thoughts on the negative comments about possible insolvency of Wyndham?

[Jya-Ning Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Jya-Ning]

What are your thoughts on the negative comments about possible insolvency of Wyndham?

You read post that happen at few months ago. During the economic downturn, nobody know which company will be survive. All mortgage bank are under. A lot of banks are in the process going under. And the 3 car makers are next. Company like Circuit City is out. So can Wyndham be one of them? Could. But that was few months ago. Now, we have government borrowing money like crazy to pump into bank, and bank trying to return those money. So the chance of Wyndham go under is much less than that period.

In theory, trust and Wyndham are 2 separate entities. Can trust operates on its own? Based on the financial statement, yes, the trust is operating on its own. Unless its members stop paying like crazy (if unemployment rate continue go up and stay up, or the inflation rate goes like 20% every year), then the trust will have good chance end. When that happen, it probably does not matter what you own, it just can not be sold (no buyer).

There are 4 places the trust and Wyndham has complex relationship.
1. Wyndham suppose paying trust some fee to maintain the VIP program. If Wyndham go under, it can not pay, than the VIP program will end. If you buy resale, it is not your issue.
2. Wyndham hold 20% of inventories. And those, in theory, is actually trust's inventories. When thing gets tough, they may try to steal it away and sell it. In theory, each resort needs to keep 10% at least. When that happens, you will feel difficulty to make reservation. But in theory, every week should be account for, so if you start from week 1 to week 52, you should be able to get your reservation. But when people feel the chance of shortage, they usually try to accumulate stuff and not willing to release it. It would not be pretty, but if they sell it, it usually will be in news headline.
3. Wyndham developing and pumping new inventories to the trust. But there is no relation says Wyndham has to be the only developer, in fact, Wyndham has usually open the trust to other developers.
4. Wyndham manages the trust. You may see the trust's service quality become unbearable.

But that are too many if. IMHO, Wyndham will not be the 1st one goes out, not in Timeshare, not in traveling business, not in hotel business. It is similar to worry stuff like some country invade USA, or USA get broke. It may happen, but the chances are very slim. If it does happen, unless you are stock or bond hold, your loss is very limited.

Jya-Ning

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

Thanks Jya-Ning,
I try not to be pessimistic because there are alot of people fearing that "the sky is falling" and I'm not one of them. It's hard to tell reading the forums on Wyndham what to think. Some are extremely happy and some not. I think overall though most people seem happy even with all the changes. They still are getting value except of course the mega renters whose business suffered. Since I don't ever plan on renting that really doesn't concern me at all. I think I'll look for what you suggest an EOY and 168K. That should be good for me. Thanks.