Timeshare Points vs. Weeks

I know this thread of e-mails is old, but is anyone still watching it?

I have a friend who bought 5,000 points/yr several years ago. She has since realized that there's not much she can do with those 5000 points.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Are they worth anything to someone who might want to increase their points ? Any idea of what these points are worth ?

Are you still speaking of points at Summer Bay or some other company? The value of a point is not the same from company to company just a the basic money unit is different in different countries. The 5000 points your friend owns, for example, would get her a week in a studio unit in Ormond Beach, FL, during the off season if she owns with Bluegreen. (Or a partial week in a larger unit or better season.) A roughly comparable week with Wyndham resorts would be about 84,000 points. The 5000 should still get her a week at the resort where she originally purchased in the size & season originally promised. She should check with the company with which she owns to learn exactly what it can get her, though I would guess that this would probably be no more than a week in a studio or 1 bedroom at best. Many of us started by buying a small package of points and later added more as we learned what our actual needs would be. I hope your friend has actively used what she has and not let that go to waste. MD

We own Wyndham (fixed weeks) in two resorts for many years. I contacted Wyndham to ask how I could convert to points (without buying more timeshare). I was told the charge to convert was $2395 for the first resort and $999 for the second resort if I converted both at the same time. I am interested in hearing from anyone who has converted fixed weeks into points and general feedback regarding Wyndham points versus fixed weeks. Thank you.

We own points with Wyndham and have enjoyed using them in many different Wyndham resorts. Were you able to exchange your fixed weeks within Wyndham at all or you were "stuck" at a single resort during specific weeks unless you used an exchange company such as RCI or II?

The advantage of fixed week ownership, of course, is that you are guaranteed that time and location--an advantage for hard to get locations and dates. However, that could get tiresome and your unit size needs could change as well as the dates on which you are available to travel.

Would you now be able to use more than two weeks each year for yourself and family? One possibility would be to buy Wyndham points on the resale market and also keep the fixed weeks you now have. (Remember the additional maintenance fees.) If you do, be sure you understand exactly how many points you would need to secure what you expect to want in the season you would be likely to go. You would also need to start thinking in terms of making reservations as far in advance as possible when using points.

On the whole, Wyndham has not offered you a bad deal if two weeks worth of points will be enough for you. With points, you would be able to break your vacations into more shorter stays, use two weeks in a row, or use them both at the same time to share vacations with family or friends. If you can go to a place you like in the off season, you would have points for more than two weeks or a larger unit. Points simply offer you many new options in how and where you vacation. MD

I own points at Diamond Resorts International. I loved it when it was Sunterra. Diamond Resorts International has taken what was a wonderful timeshare investment, and turned it into a living nightmare! If you value your time and money, do not invest in Diamond Resorts International! My maintenance fees have gone to over $7500.00 in just a few short years from less than 2500.00, and they will continue to rise with the quality going steadily down!!!!!!!!!!!!! and the price going forever up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The salespeople will tell you the points value can't change. It does!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And they aren't willing to help you!!!!!!!!! Please don't invest in Diamond Resorts International!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RIght now I have 4 days with Planet Holloywood Towers (Westgate). Even weeks

When I purchased it , I didnt know that I needed a week to exchange!

I was totally pissed and Just ended up hating the timeshare business.

We havent used it as yet. But after finding this website, I am in love again.

I just need to get a week, so I can exchange.

I was thinking of keeping my Westgate PH for 4 days, but purchase another timeshare maybe weeks or points, so I can exchange, deposit.

Redweeks has some realy great offers. I wish I would have purchased my first here!

Because right now the only way that I can travel is using the getaways and rent times shares on II. the rentals are really really cheap on II

But sometimes I would like to exchange my TS for others withougt having to pay (only pay the exchange fee) That will be so nice

Now I can only exchange my 4 days for a week with Westgate. They dont have TS all over the place like Marriot and others..

Like I would love to go to Hawaai and other places with the family..

Please advise what I should do and if what I want to do make any since.

nadiag12 wrote:

RIght now I have 4 days with Planet Holloywood Towers (Westgate). Even weeks .

Gosh I've never known any resort to sell 4 days only .... the vast majority sell weeks or points. You might do well to look at all the point systems out there .... points came about after our timeshares were sold, so I really don't know the ends and outs of the different point systems, but if we were to ever get back into timesharing it would be some type of point system.

I'm sure you could buy them (whatever point system you choose) for pennies on the dollar in this economy.

BTW, there are several Westgate locations across the USA.

jayjay wrote:

BTW, there are several Westgate locations across the USA.

Yes, yhey do have some accross the state, But the times shares they have are all Dated except for the on in Vegas.. From the pix that I see on Trip advisor.

.

Speaking about the Marriott Points System:

I like the flexibility in regards to check in days, and length of stays. I also like the fact that you can rent any excess Marriott Vacation Points so that another Marriott Vacation Club Member is able to snag a reservation if they are short of points.

I have more points than I can use each year, so I've been able to rent them out on multiple occasions and will continue to do so.

nadiag12 wrote:

jayjay wrote:

BTW, there are several Westgate locations across the USA.

Yes, yhey do have some accross the state, But the times shares they have are all Dated except for the on in Vegas.. From the pix that I see on Trip advisor.

Actually, Westgate has done a good job of maintainenance at all of their properties I have stayed at, including Town Center, Park City, Smokey Mountains and Branson. Also, they have built or expanded many properties in the last five years.

Silly question. This is just an example

If I purchase 80,000 worth of points, and I use all if it.

Will i still have 80,000 points to use next year?

YES, at least in the Marriott system. Can't speak for the other operators.

Agreed. Usually based on when you made your purchase,you have an assigned renewal date when all of your points magically reappear! Isn't that nice? You might lose unused points from your previous Use Year or a particular company may have some provisions for carryng them over. If you have enough old points for a full week in any size unit, you can also deposit such a week with RCI Weeks, II, or some other exchange company. In that instance, you would normally have up to two years in which make an exchange. Consult your own resort company for details. MD

Greetings,

I'm new to this forum particular forum and need some input on what the members views/experiences on Diamond Resorts Inc (DRI) continued push to get deeded owners to convert/upgrade to the Points program. I own six deeded Diamond units in Williamsburg, VA and Tahoe. I expect to sell or surrender half of my units and only retain the deeded dates I can use annually or rent out easily.

DRI sales staff propose greater flexibility and choice by using points at any of their collection properties. The cost to convert is very high though considering deeded owners have already spent large sums to purchase the deeded property. DRI has also increased maintenance fees drastically especially at former Sunterra properties making continued ownership difficult.

Should I sell the extra weeks and rent via RedWeek for additional vacations? Convert to DRI points? If so why?

You say you expect to "sell or surrender half your units". Do you mean the Diamond will buy these back from you or apply their value to the conversion to points? MD

adahiscout wrote:

You say you expect to "sell or surrender half your units". Do you mean the Diamond will buy these back from you or apply their value to the conversion to points? MD

DRI will take deeded weeks and points units off your hands as a surrender (no negative impact to credit etc) for a fee. Points deeds are $225 and deeded weeks are $85, if my memory holds. The fees are the cost to do the closing and deed/membership transfer fees. This helps if you don't want to go thru the process of selling the unit and finding a buyer who will pay the fees, etc. BTW maintenance fees need to be current. Contact the DRI finance department.

Have members had good luck selling RCI points on Red Week---now DAE? They deal with just weeks. How do I move points that I am unable to use. One drawback I found to points is that we were told/sold on the program allowing us to use our points for air, car rental etc. As it turns out the number of points that can be used this way is limited by RCI rules. Just another gotcha .

Actually, I think there was a RedWeek rule against putting up for rent a property in an RCI Points related resort, but this may not apply to your deeded week. As I understand it, you can reserve that for your use by a certain date. After that, it goes into the RCI's Points pool automatically and you use those points to get some other time or unit. Does that sound right? You would need to check also with your resort to see whether you can put your own week into the name of a guest (renter). I trust we all understand that an RCI Points resort is not the same as a resort that is merely affiliated with RCI for the purpose of exchanges in the Weeks system. MD

Wow. A lot of folks would like that DRI option to give back the timeshare. MD