timeshares

[Gringo]

I agree TS/VC. concept is not for everyone...............
I have a friend coming in from Toronto, Canada Tues Jan/09/07 for two weeks at Club on the green in Playa Dorada. HE and his wife paid $948.00 each Canadian $ for everything.
This man is not going the Vacation Club route anytime soon.

However the guy who lives in Tim Buck Tu with 4 kids or total of six will benefit in High Season with the Club.

 

[greyman]

Hey Snowbird, If you know you are going to come down every year, do like I did and buy a condo! Man, I really wish I could have bought mine 14 years ago! As it is it's almost paid for, they rent it out when I'm gone and I have already seen considerable appreciation.

 

[STEVE G.]

Here's a real example for you.
Right now a good AI deal to Fun Tropicale on 1/14 is $681 CDN per person.
The flight (which is the cheapest available) alone is $481 for a difference of $200.
Food and drinks for the week ($A) is $280 US or around $330 CDN.

Same package on 1/20 the AI goes up to $750 and the flight is $581 so the difference is only $169.

The cheaper AI deal actually makes the timeshare less ridiculous.

Looks pretty hard to justify any cost for the timeshare, not to mention the tourist card and airport transfers.
They would have to pay me to sign up yet somehow they want me to give them several thousands of dollars.:cheeky:

That is the reason why they close or sell so many AI Resorts in DR ... cheap deals make anybody go bankruptcy :ermm:

 

[BostonMary]

I've never beleived in timeshares, We brought one condo and inherited another in POP. I beleive both were purchsed for short money. They have appreciated and provide extra income. One is rented long term to a fellow from Denmark and the other is for our use. As we only spend one month a year in the DR we rent ours to retirees on a monthly basis for 6 months a year. I would just prefer to close the place, but my hisband likes the income.

My questions to those who have purchased a time share.
1. What were your reasons?
2. What do you get for your money?
3. How much do they cost?
4. What are the extra fees per year, i.e how much and for what?

 

[Malibook]

My questions to those who have purchased a time share.
1. What were your reasons?
2. What do you get for your money?
3. How much do they cost?
4. What are the extra fees per year, i.e how much and for what?

These questions look simple enough to me but for some reason the answers are not forthcoming.

If I got a great deal on a timeshare that makes sense, I would be happy to tell people about it.
I wouldn't have some phobia of being called a shill.

I will go on the tour next time and get the information but I doubt I will find the reasons.

 

[HOWMAR]

Here are some numbers that I am familiar with. Viva Wyndham Playa Dorada will sell 25 weeks in 1BR for $5,000. So your weekly cost is $200. (That is ignoring additional charges they hit you with at time of purchase, such as "closing fee", which if I remember is $500.) When you use a week your are charged a maintenance fee of $225.00 and must pay a mandatory All-Inclusive fee of $40.00 per day per person. So your one week cost (exclusive of airfare) for 2 people is $200.00 (cost of purchase) + $225.00 (maintenance fee) + $560.00 (All-Inclusive fee) for a total of $985.00. The current advertised hotel rate in high season is $156.00/night All Inclusive, or $1092.00 for the week. For the savings of $107.00 with the Vacation Club you have had to pre-pay them $5,000. If you invested the $5,000, the interest would more than offset the price difference, leaving your principle intact, with no long term commitment.
Chances are that any future changes in the hotel rate will also be reflected in increases in the Maintenance and All-Inclusive fees.
Savings by buying a package including airfare would probably be the cheapest.

 

[abe]

Non-quantifiable benefits of timeshare

If you are a family where one spouse resists regular vacations and the other recognizes the need for and benefit of this leisure time, change of locale, etc. buying a timeshare can "force" you to go on vacation. That can certainly be considered a good thing and is often a more important by-product of owning a timeshare than any financial savings.

In fact, it's fairly rare that they will ever save a family money.

Most honest, long-time timeshare owners will tell you that owning one has resulted in their taking more family trips together and that they value that change in their lifestyle.

Concentrating on computing every possible charge, weighing the cost versus what the money could gain by being invested (as if every potential timeshare owner is Warren Buffet, by the way), is a futile exercise and obscures the real reason why it may be good for you.

For many families, "if you own it, you will go." But don't stretch yourselves too thin--maybe a drive to the nearby lake will do the same thing for you.