Different treatment of resale buyers

Hello,
We are looking at buying resale and are wondering how/if a resale buyer is treated differently than a buyer purchasing directly from the developer.

Are there any important items that would should be worried about if buying resale?

Thanks!

Read The Deed (And The Associated Condo Association Documents.)

The timeshare sellers we've encountered have consistently made a point of emphasizing that a timeshare is Deeded Real Estate that we can use, rent out, bequeath to our heirs, or sell on the open market.

That being the case, how dare they treat resale owners as 2nd class citz.?

Whatever I buy from the original timeshare owner is exactly what the original owner bought from the timeshare company -- no more & certainly no less.

It's right there on the deed.

Case closed.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

AwayWeGo said:

The timeshare sellers we've encountered have consistently made a point of emphasizing that a timeshare is Deeded Real Estate that we can use, rent out, bequeath to our heirs, or sell on the open market.

That being the case, how dare they treat resale owners as 2nd class citz.?

Whatever I buy from the original timeshare owner is exactly what the original owner bought from the timeshare company -- no more & certainly no less.

It's right there on the deed.

Case closed.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

Click to expand...

As a resale buyer, I have never received any condo documents from any resort. And I own many.

It is already too late if you are reading the deed for your "rights"

And your answer is not correct, various developers keep various benefits from the resale buyers if not bought through the developer (such as Marriott, starwood) and in some cases, their authorized resellers.

The answer to OPs question is complicated and not as simple as "how dare they....?"

Full-Freight Perks Are 1 Thing. Deeded Rights Are Something Else Again.

sjuhawk_jd said:

The answer to OPs question is complicated and not as simple as "how dare they....?"

Click to expand...

You typed a mouthful.

The trick is to discern, before the point of no return, what's in the deed on the 1 hand & on the other hand what's just extra add-on non-guaranteed & non-transferrable VIP-style perquisites & bonuses & upgrades that may or may not be worth having.

If the un-perked deed isn't worth having, don't buy it.

The most frequently cited example of full-freight-only timeshare perks is Wyndham VIP status, which costs thousands (because it is available only via full-freight purchase) even though it is only worth a few hundred at most -- free daily newspaper, free unit upgrades when (i.e., if) available, etc.

Shux upon'm.

Buy timeshares resale. Save thousands of dollars on exactly the same thing, or the equivalent, or something even better.

Nothing that the timeshare companies sell at full freight is worth the money, period.

It really is that simple.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

bigdriz said:

Hello,
We are looking at buying resale and are wondering how/if a resale buyer is treated differently than a buyer purchasing directly from the developer.

Are there any important items that would should be worried about if buying resale?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

To answer the question " Does HGVC treat resale buyer different?"

IMHO, HGVC seems to treat resale buyers better than most ever other large TS company. Even allowing resale buyers to trade in the TS usage for Hilton hotel points. The one thing that resale buyers do not get is any credit toward "Elite Status" ( starts at 14,000 pts) Although there are reports of some people getting resale points credited toward elite.

Bill4728 said:

To answer the question " Does HGVC treat resale buyer different?"

IMHO, HGVC seems to treat resale buyers better than most ever other large TS company. Even allowing resale buyers to trade in the TS usage for Hilton hotel points. The one thing that resale buyers do not get is any credit toward "Elite Status" ( starts at 14,000 pts) Although there are reports of some people getting resale points credited toward elite.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info Bill. Yes, it seems that other than DVC, Hilton treats their resale buyers best.

From my experience so far with HGVC, is they treat their resale buyers with the same respect. I've even had several conversations with my HGVC sales guide and he was polite and non-condescending to me even offering to show me how to max my Hawaii experience. Of course he said that I might want to complement my EOY with making it an EY but he was always very professional.

On check-in at the resorts I've been offered any goodies that were offered.
Much different than my experience with Wyndham resale and their sales force. Very much like the DVC guides are. Low key and courteous.

HGVC treats the resale owner exactly the same except for the option of Elite Status. Points are points in the HGVC system. The resale owners points are treated exactly the same as the points from members who purchased directly fromm HGVC. The same cannot be said of Marriott and Starwood.

As far as HGVC is concerned you own the same account as your predecessors. Its merely been transferred. You get the same two welcome kits that a direct buyer gets...
-- a HGVC Guide + card that has the "member since" date of the first buyer; and
-- a Silver HHonors card linked to the HGVC account.
--------------------------------
BTW, coverting points to HHonors is not a good use of the points. A better way to save points is with a "rescue" to the next year's account or deposit for RCI bookings. HHonors can be augmented instead with affinity CC's from Am-Ex & Citi-Bank.

I had a saleslady get snarky wth me at an owner's update but at the resorts we're treated like anyone else who walks through the door. They have no idea who bought retail and who didn't unless they are dealing with Elites, who make up a very small percentage of owners. I guess that's why they're called Elite

I think that Hilton is getting a bit more sophisticated in the way their system codes ownership or at least makes info available to employees working their desks. I just checked in at the Hilton strip property and when I went to pick up the complementary goodie bag where they always try to talk you into an "owner's update" session -the employee looking at the computer screen says "you bought on the resale market right?" I responded that I had. "Here's your coupons and have a great stay!" That was it. Absolutely no questions about when I would be free to take advantage of an owner's update or anything else. I have to say that I didn't mind. But I did wonder about how this might play out in diminished service some day.

pianodinosaur said:

HGVC treats the resale owner exactly the same except for the option of Elite Status. Points are points in the HGVC system. The resale owners points are treated exactly the same as the points from members who purchased directly fromm HGVC. The same cannot be said of Marriott and Starwood.

Click to expand...

Is that Elite Status with HGVC or the HHonors.

What are the different point requirements for the Elite status within HGVC? Does it give you anything worthwhile?

bigdriz said:

Is that Elite Status with HGVC or the HHonors.

Click to expand...

Elite status refers to HGVC and not to HHonors tiers. [See below.]

bigdriz said:

What are the different point requirements for the Elite status within HGVC? Does it give you anything worthwhile?

Click to expand...

At 14K Points, you get...
-- HHonors' Gold tier (1 step below Diamond)
-- Reduced reservation fees (none for 7N stays)
-- 10% discount on Open Season cash rates
-- 12-month reservation windows
-- A special call-center phone #
-- A special door key!

At 24K Points, you get the above, plus...
-- Reduced transaction fees on services.
-- 15% discount on Open Season rates
-- Exclusive e-mail invites
-- Current year HGVC to HH-point conversions
-- Early check-in and late check-out times
-- Upgrades when available.

I'll spare you the details of 34K-Point benefits. While Elite status has some nice perks, in the opinion of many here, paying retail to obtain this status does not compute... unless you are fabulously well to do.