ACCOR'S Premier Vacation Club

[kristo]

Just enter "timeshare resales" on google and up will pop hundreds of sites or just go initially to timeshare resales australia.
There are more resales than ever before and keep in mind a lot of their timeshares DO NOT own the land freehold they just lease part of the land and sometimes own the buildings which do depreciate. Even more so as these timeshares are mostly close to the coast and as such suffer from the effects of salt spray and its damaging effects including high incidence of concrete cancer. In any case most land in Australia is likely to reduce in value in real terms, if not compared with other assets over the next few years. As we have seen such a high increase lately in land values.

 

[Rick93]

kristo,

If I passed basic psychology, I would say, that you have been 'stung' in the past by a 'timeshare' scheme? You seem to absolutely hate these bast*rds for some reason!

On your point about 'ownership'... this ACCOR scheme DOES own the land. If the scheme is wound up... all properties are to be sold, and profits equally distributed amoung current shareholders. At present, there are approx. 8,700 odd Members, owning some tens of millions in property.

Once again... this ACCOR scheme IS NOT like ordinary 'timeshare' schemes. It isn't even a 'timeshare' scheme!

As for myself... I DON'T have a current Membership to it... but next year I am likely to join.

I will have a good look at those sites you mention (via Google search etc.) Thanks for the tip....

regards,

 

[kristo]

No I havent and wouldnt consider timeshare at any more than 50% of the properly audited NTA.

I just think a lot of people get ripped off by some such schemes. I hope that through us swapping info on this site about this and other matters eg Credit Cards Reward Schemes, FF points etc etc we will educate each other so we are not amongst the victims and are as well informed as we can get from this rescource.

 

[Rick93]

kristo,

I fully accept your point on swapping info etc.

Thank you for your perspective on this topic (and the few others)...

I think we should close off on this one, and find another topic to discuss.

Not that things were getting 'out of hand'... like on another thread on this BB...

But, I think we have well and truely voiced our opinions etc.

I will look much closer at the ACCOR product, plus, I'll get onto that site you recommended.

Thanks to all....

regards,

 

[davem]

Does anyone know anything more about the cruise part of the program

my parents went to one of these and were interested but the person sellign it had no idea what the product was

 

[Rick93]

I thought I'd 'revisit' this thread...

After all was 'said and done' here... I've now gone out and BOUGHT INTO
the TRENDWEST scheme!

OK, why the coughK did I do that for???

1. Because I had the funds to do so,
2. Because, this time around (sitting through the presentation), I actually thought the Trendwest scheme was better than the ACCOR one.

Same sought of deal basically... points based; flexibility to use points for just about anything travel related, eg. accommodation, airfares, sea cruises, car / campervan rental, and apparently even restaurant bills at the Trendwest properties.

I bought into the absolute minimum entry level, at 6,000 points per year, for 80 years (a willable asset) Got a bonus 2,000 points for 'umming and arrrhing' at the end of the presentation..... hell, nearly got a set of steak knives thrown in! (just joking...)

So, with my 8,000 points + 6,000 each year for the next four years (you can pool them for up to four years), my wife and four kids will have two weeks in the top Disneyland resort, entry each day, all meals included, with a drinks tab, and my 600k QFF points will get us there and back!

Plus, regarding the issue of "secondary market"...

I have seen one reseller of points at 7,000 points for $7,700. recently in the 'Trading Post'.

This would be good value, if you can pool them into your 'authorised' package.

Trendwest invite their 'owners' to free seminars to 'explore' the best way to use your points, and maximise your 'investment'. I'll ask about buying other Member's points, and if they can be assimilated into our package.

Trendwest have a Forum on their website, similar to this one.... however, it is a condition of use, that you DO NOT advertise your points for sale, or even engage in dialogue regarding secondary market options etc.

So, this Forum is a good place to hear from others who are owners of the scheme, plus from those who are looking to 'get out'.

Anybody for or against this time?
regards,

 

[kristo1]

Just re read my previous comments on this issue with particaular reference to the NTA backing of the units. If you do you will realise you probably paid 4 times the value of the units. As there should be a cooling off period of at least 2 weeks , just do your sums and you decide.
I am only trying to help.

 

[drron]

Dont worry gordon just do your own sums based on what you want to do.4 years ago I bought into the hilton new york time share because my son was going to work there and probably will be there for another 6-8 years.As an investment it did not make much sense at that time but it suited my needs.
Since then(beginning 2002) NY has come back into favour.I get a week in a 1 bedroom suite in the hilton club which all up now costs $US2000 a year.I have just booked again for a week before easter and if booking the hilton itself a studio suite will be $US480 a night.
Added to that I am guaranteed hilton gold status for another 26 years.Also the price for new "succers"has nearly doubled.Turned out to be a reasonable investment even though only made for lifestyle reasons.
No point going through life rich and miserable.

 

[kristo1]

Yes, I agree rich and miserable is not the aim of this site.
But richer , smarter, well informed and happier are surely 3 of many aims.
If you buy something for 2 to 4 times its actual value when on this site you had been advised/warned of the facts then you have basically wasted the time you have spent on this web site, at least on that particular subject, and wasted the hours of work you have done somewhere else to earn that money. Hours that you could have spent enjoying in some way rather than working.
You also have learned nothing on that subject which is one of the aims of this site, learning and imparting valuable knowledge to others.
Please read the PDS before you buy something big like what we have been discussing.
Sure you are free to do what you want, but why give your hard earned money away to someone for 1/2 to 1/4 of its value!
Just trying to help!

 

[Rick93]

kristo1,

One of the points made during the 'presentations' that you attend for these schemes, is that, you need to be a 'registered' or 'bona fide' Member or 'owner' of the units / points / shares etc.

If you buy a parcel of points (or whatever) on the 'secondary' market, my understanding is, that you lose 40 years of usage (down from 80 years), and they (the points) MAY NOT BE transferrable with the original benefits offerred.

I know this is part of their 'sales' pitch, but they make it quite clear, that if you 'buy today'.... and today only, we will give you these additional benefits etc. etc. If points are purchased 'after today'..... you DO NOT get these benefits etc. etc.

So, buying on secondary market must surely mean, NO ADDITIONAL benefits..... such as additional 40 years Membership, and 'willable' to family; 'international' partnership scheme worldwide; exchange scheme with 'world cruiselines' etc. etc.

I'm still happy with the concept... even at the 'entry' price I've paid. I reckon, I'll get my money's worth! I might even live out the blo*dy 80 years myself!!!!

regards,

 

[redseason]

I thought I'd 'revisit' this thread...

Plus, regarding the issue of "secondary market"...

I have seen one reseller of points at 7,000 points for $7,700. recently in the 'Trading Post'.

This would be good value, if you can pool them into your 'authorised' package.

Firstly I want to state up front that I own a resale business that buys and sells Trendwest (Worldmark) and Accor memberships.

There is absolutely no difference between the packages we sell and what you would purchase directly from Trendwest (except, of course, we would have saved you at least $5000 off what you paid from Trendwest). When buying on the secondary market you do need to be sure that you are buying an Australian membership (not a US one), that there is no finance or levies outstanding and that the membership is a premier (Trendwest) or Charter (Accor) membership. We guarantee all these things and give a full 30-day money back guarantee (compare this to the 5 day cooling off period from Trendwest/Accor!).

To answer your question yes you can combine points from an existing membership with the one you purchased and you end up with a single larger package (not two smaller packages) - so you get the advantage of the reducing fee scale.

If anyone has any questions at all on the Trendwest or Accor systems please have a look at my website which is www.redseason.com.au - if this doesn't answer your question then send me an email (my email address is on the website).

 

[Rick93]

Well, I'll have to eat my hat, and whatever else I can digest!

I wish I new about your website / service prior to buying 'full price' TrendWest credits.

I'll certainly keep you in mind, when considering adding more credits some time in the future.

Thanks for the info,
regards,

 

[kristo1]

As this is NOT an "I told you so forum" but a "i learnt from you" forum I must say that you must do your self due dilegence checks before you make any reasonable size purchase.
Its not logical or sensable to say "I do not want to die rich" or any one of those ignorant rationalisation sayings, these are only excuses for not doing DD, not checking first.
check the Product Disclosure document before you buy(in the case of TWest it clearly shows that they are selling assets/ shares at 4 times the asset backing with no retuns/dividends just more fees like maintenance
check the price, is it cheaper elsewhere
if its done in a fancy room by salesmen in suits, what is paying these extravegant overheads, probably the purchaser
if lots of people around you are buying, is it because they are ignorant of the facts and have not analysed the data correctly
Lets all learn from each other and profit both materially but more important mentally.

 

[Rick93]

Yep! You warned me alright...

I tried a 'search' for resale of "time share" credits, and I just didn't find anything related to TRENDWEST at that time (certainly not REDSEASON)

It would have been an absolute bargin to get 'double credits' for the same money I paid directly to TW.

Anyway, as you say, we can only 'advise' others of what we know / have experience of.

best regards,

 

[JohnK]

I have now been to 2 trendwest presentations. Totally not interested in their product but I can see why some people have an interest.

The first time was about 6 years ago and they offered a "free holiday" for anyone attending. It turned out that the free holiday, had to be two people going on holiday, by buying the compulsory breakfast and dinner would have cost more than me paying for a room somewhere else and buying my own meals.

They sent me a letter about 12 months ago to attend another presentation. But the offer this time was for some other gifts other than a free holiday. So I bored myself silly through the presentation and walked straight out with a digital camera.

I can't wait for the next invitation to attend a presentation. They have this silly rule about not attending a seminar if you have been to one in the last 1-2 years. Would love to pick up some of the other gifts on offer.

 

[Kiteflyer]

Mostly covered but for anyone considering purchase I will add my two cents.

I went to a seminar and was interested in the product however not at the price. Did a google and found a resale that I purchased at less than 50% of the retail cost.

If bought this way it can represent good value however still not for everyone.

The downside for me is that I have not been able to secure a reservation at all for times that suited at Cairns, Port Stephens or Cape Schank. I have not been able to secure a reservation AT ALL through Interval International. Also have reserved 2 bedrooms a few times at higher point cost when we only really needed a 1 bedroom or studio (however many 2 bedrooms have their own laundry which is nice).

Another downside is that they do not have enough staff in their head office to take reservations and a wait is common. They need to move to an online booking system.

Upside is that when they purchase a new property you can reserve at heavily discounted point costs prior to renovation. I have taken advantage of this in Tasmania and Sydney properties.

Bonus nights need to be taken advantage of to get great value. You may pay the same as a cheap motel but far nicer accommodations.


I am recommending to those you can pay upfront (borrowing to buy is a mistake imho) to look into the resale market if you can plan holidays in advance, also have the flexibility to take advantage of bonus times and have a preference or requirement for 2 bedroom apartments. You can resell without huge capital losses and know for the cost of maintenance and housekeeping you have some nice accommodation each year.

 

[redseason]

The downside for me is that I have not been able to secure a reservation at all for times that suited at Cairns, Port Stephens or Cape Schank. I have not been able to secure a reservation AT ALL through Interval International. Also have reserved 2 bedrooms a few times at higher point cost when we only really needed a 1 bedroom or studio (however many 2 bedrooms have their own laundry which is nice).

Another downside is that they do not have enough staff in their head office to take reservations and a wait is common. They need to move to an online booking system.

Kiteflyer,

If you are calling reservations the best time to do it is early morning - they generally have staff there from 7am to handle the New Zealand market and I have found that if you call before 8:30 you usually get straight through.

Port Stephens always books out well in advance as they don't have a lot of units at that resort and as it is close to Sydney it is a popular destination. Cairns is also popular during the winter months but a bit of forward planning should get you a unit - I booked a 10 day holiday in the June/July school holidays this year without any problems by booking in November last year (if you can avoid school holidays then you can book later than that). The Cape Shank resort is no longer available to Trendwest members and has been replaced with a new option at Lakes Entrance - there are a lot more units available at this resort so you shouldn't have too much trouble getting a reservation there.

If you are looking to do exchange holidays then I would recommend you join RCI rather than Interval International - I did a comparison of the two recently by ringing up to check availability at a couple of locations - II had no availability (and wanted to charge me to put me on the waitlist) but RCI had several different weeks to choose from in both locations for the month I specified. I will be covering this in more detail in my next newsletter. RCI has roughly double the number of resorts available to II members and claims to do four times as many exchanges as all the other exchange companies combined.

 

[straitman]

Whilst I have no personal knowledge of II I am more than happy to recommend RCI at this time. Having said this there was a period about 10 years ago when RCI was suffering from the same problems that you now alude to from II. 8)

 

[ABCDiamond]

We just got back from an Accor presentation, and were quite impressed, although not keen on having to sign up on the day, or lose out on the Charter benefits.

So we didn't sign up.

Having searched for info today I found this site, and am interested in anyone elses comments.

I may try the trendwest one, and check out the redseason offers.

 

[Simon Purser]

My wife and I went to a trendwest presentation 2 weeks ago. The premier membership was only available on the night. They were very cagey about the "secondary market" when I asked. Knowing about the cooling off period (5 days) we signed up for 7000 points at $2.14 a point. As soon as we got home we checked google and looked at timeshares.com.au. Among lots of Trendwest and Accor memberships for sale was a Trendwest 10000 point membership at $1.10 neg per point. We called the guy who said it had been on the site for a year and hadn't sold, so he gave up and sold it to Redseason.com.au for $0.80 a point. We called Terry Bradford at redseason (who has posted on this thread) and bought it (or another the same) for $1.00 a point We don't begrudge him his margin as it came loaded with 11000 points and another 10000 to accrue in Sept. He also organised all transfers and paid all fees (including maintainence levy till 1/07)! You essentially get a new product with all the priviledges at a secondhand cost (no scratches, unlike a car!) We exercised our cooling off period with trendwest without problems.
Points clubs such as Accor and Trendwest do not have directly comparable points. An average week in a 2 bedroom top class resort apartment (which both TW and Accor have many of) in high season will need about 5000 Accor points but about 10000 TW points, but even on the secondary market Accor points cost $3.40 to $5.21(!) a point compared with TW $1.00 to $1.14 per point. Maintenance levies are between $400 to $600 per week, with Accor towards the top end. We also went to an Accor presentation last night but successfully resisted (Got a nice Vivitar digital camera though). Don't ever sign up on the night! You will always be able to get exactly the same thing later on the secondary market for far less.