Mansfield Country Resort and Classic Holidays

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

This is a repost of a lost post from Saturday. I got a letter from Mansfield saying that Classic Holidays will be appointed Resort managers.

From what I have seen, Classic Holidays Club is an independent exchange company with both weeks and points systems.

Does anyone have experience dealing with this company?

I only bought this resort to get RCI points. I recommended it to others who bought there for the same reason. I don't want to believe my future use of RCI points would be affected since I paid the conversion fee but stranger things have happened.

[reddiablosv Member Find all posts View Profile Close reddiablosv]

[QUOTE=philsfan]This is a repost of a lost post from Saturday. I got a letter from Mansfield saying that Classic Holidays will be appointed Resort managers.

From what I have seen, Classic Holidays Club is an independent exchange company with both weeks and points systems.

Does anyone have experience dealing with this company?

I only bought this resort to get RCI points. I recommended it to others who bought there for the same reason. I don't want to believe my future use of RCI points would be affected since I paid the conversion fee but stranger things have happened.[/QUOTE

I also bought at Mansfield Country to get RCI points, I own four units! I had the same concern as you until I went onto the RCI website. Nearly all of the Classic Holiday Club managed resorts are RCI points resorts. CHC seems committed to RCI points. Ben

[chubby Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chubby]

Hi to both of you

As far as Mansfeild Country Resort goes it will be in good hands with classic Holidays they mannage 12 resorts in Australia and do a good job with them we have stayed some of them and found them of high standard .
They run a exchange group that you can exchange it between one and other as do some other groups over here as it happens in your country the only thing at the momment is the fact that the area around Mansfeild country resort is there is a dought over here and the lake Eildon where the resort is near is very low with water and that may put people off going there but that will change when it rains.

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

Maintenance fee increases are the real worry.

If MF's go up a lot, I will instantly regret our purchase at Mansfield. I hope that does not happen.

I read that letter twice, and as an English major, I would say that it rambled on and on without much content. I was having a hard time comprehending their message. If everything is going to remain as it has been, why send a letter to owners before maintenance fee bills are sent.

I wonder if they are preparing us for an increase.

[chubby Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chubby]

Hi Shopgirl

The chances of your M FEES staying the same are a very slim chance as most resorts are saying cost are always going up and when a new company takes over thats all they need to rise them sad to say .
Do you think M Fees are going to kill the timeshare industry with there going up and up .
We pay $ 650.00 a week for our 2 weeks at our resort it was $ 350.00 ten years ago but them years have gone

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

Reply from Derek at Mansfield

I wrote the following to Derek, the resort manager at Mansfield:

Hi Derek,
I am a bit concerned by the recent news regarding Classic
Holidays. My concern is that I purchased these units to use specifically with RCI points. I just want to know that I can continue to do that indefinitely.

Regards,
Len


His reply:

Len,
My failure! The newsletter did not mention current exchange
arrangements because it never occurred to me. The reason - it does
not change! If members want to stay with their existing holiday providers
(including points) they can. There is NO COMPULSION to change.
There's an incentive, but not an imperative.
Your answer is - stay with RCI as long as you like.
Any other concerns, let me know.
DC

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

Are fees going to go up substantially?

That is my concern now that we know the resort will keep us as RCI points.

Chubby, we have owned timeshare for 25 years and our first maintenance fees were $150. I know that timeshare fees go up and up. That same timeshare has fees of $552.

[reddiablosv Member Find all posts View Profile Close reddiablosv]

That is my concern now that we know the resort will keep us as RCI points.

Chubby, we have owned timeshare for 25 years and our first maintenance fees were $150. I know that timeshare fees go up and up. That same timeshare has fees of $552.

Change always brings uncertainty. As I stated before, I own four units at MC and it is my main vehicle to obtain low cost RCI points. If MFs go too high I will sell. As it stands right now Mansfield Country is only an average deal. For example, by using the RCI points for deposit program I yield almost as many points per dollar of MF by depositing my Paniolo Greens GC Hawaii units! If MFs go too high and it makes sense to dump the Mansfield Country units I will. I certainly did not buy them for any other purpose but use for the RCI points program. I suspect I am not alone. I suspect it is in the best interest of management to consider the interests of owners such as myself. How many owners will dump their units if MFs go to high? This whole area of Aus. has been in a prolonged drought. This lakeside resort is now literally miles away from the side of the lake! As the level of Lake Eldon has fallen because of the drought, the resort has turned to RCI points to sell abandoned units. What percentage of the units are now in RCI points? What percentage are owned by non Australians? What percentage are owned by people that bluntly, don't really care about the resort by just want the points? Fees go up too high and too fast and Management raises the MFs at their own peril. IMHO, Ben.

[Sydney Contributor - Bronze Find all posts View Profile Close Sydney]

Having been to Mansfield 3 times in the 12 mths, we love it for its spaciousness and proximity to Mt Buller, one of the best snow fields in Australia. Our kids love the mini golf and the fact that they can run and roam to their hearts content. Mansfield is also a lovely country town.

The drought does not affect our enjoyment at all.

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

Change always brings uncertainty. As I stated before, I own four units at MC and it is my main vehicle to obtain low cost RCI points. If MFs go too high I will sell. As it stands right now Mansfield Country is only an average deal.....

I know that this is an old thread, but I just happened to see it.

What are the current MFs at Mansfield? Has the falling dollar raised the cost much for US owners?

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

Approx. $350 US plus credit card fees as of January.

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

Sydney, I am so glad you love that resort! Rick wants to go someday.

I don't see us affording Australian airfare anytime soon, but we will eventually visit.

Our recent paperwork from Mansfield is $465 Australian, which is $355 U.S. dollars. That is per week, we own two of them. I was very happy to see that the fees have only gone up a little from last year. Our credit card charged us about $20 to convert. That was a pretty good deal for us. I am still a happy camper.

I am also relieved that RCI has not stopped the PFD program. I expect that to happen any time because RCI has a way of taking our expectations away and stomping on them with spiked shoes. For now, I am going to take every advantage of the PFD and wish I would have deposited my weeks last year, when it was free.

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

Thanks for the information, Philsfan & Cindy! So, Cindy, the total was US$375 ($355 plus a $20 credit card fee)? How many points do you get for that?

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

Thanks for the information, Philsfan & Cindy! So, Cindy, the total was US$375 ($355 plus a $20 credit card fee)? How many points do you get for that?

45,900 per week

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

The credit card fee was total of $20 for both weeks. $710+20=$730 for 91,800 points. I am hoping the U.S. dollar will go up so our costs for Australian points will go down.