Found TUG First then went to a Sales Presentation

[4TimeAway]

Thank you all for the information you openly share.

My wife and I sat through a HGVC Vegas 3 Day Weekend sales pitch. It wasn't that bad an experience as we didn't purchase and other let us leave quickly.

The price got down to the low, low prices (sarcasm) and only 12% interest. It was really bad, 5,440 EOY, $1,002 MF+Club, at only..... $20,800. TUG made me know that was a terrible deal, and I was able to mention the resale on that is terrible.

My main answers to their cost questions were it depends on, and I don’t know. Then gave examples that we have a lot of travel options, and the costs are all over the place. For example, we stay with family at a vacation home, camping, but then sometimes spend a couple weeks flying and driving couple days, so I can predict. Then they pressed a bit more and I said it costs what to costs. They seemed to like this, but I did have to mention the resale prices were basically $0.

I'm an engineer by training and a quant guy... They tried every contorted means to justify their costs, but even their math didn't work.

At the end, we bought the VIP package $1,600 for 11,200, max stay 7 nights and a sales presentation or we pay $500 more. MF seemed descent and it is an excuse for another vacation!

What stood out to me, was that taking time for vacations is important to us and I do like knowing the places are well run. We have had a couple issues with AirBNB’s quality, the locations seem to be very vague and can be in seedy places. I like knowing Hilton or some other reputable name is affiliated and will spend a bit more money if we must.


Fastforward a few weeks:
For about $10,000, we are now waiting on two ROFR's. Kohala 2BR Prime, Plat 15,360 and Mar Brisa 2Bd Plat 11,200. If they close, I'll post my thoughts in case it helps someone else. We took a shot at one on eBay and one with a preferred broker. So far, I like the experience with the broker better as it more closely fits and an “extra” $1,000 or two for service and getting the best option for us is worth it. I can only imagine the developer cost for those to shares.


I recommend people listed to Sold in 60 Podcast to get an idea of what's going on during the sale’s process. It was enlightening the level of games they use to pull people in.

For new people, Dr Cory Fawcett is also someone to listen to.



Thank you all for your posts.

 

[TUGBrian]

congrats on finding TUG and then buying a much more usable and valuable ownership on the resale market for less than you would have paid for the intro package pitched to you during the sales presentation!

 

[chapjim]

Too often, the sequence is reversed!!

 

[GT75]

Congratulations and welcome

 

[Dori]

Welcome to TUG! Stick around and you will learn so much from our knowledgeable and generous members!

Dori

 

[DaveNV]

This is why Tug exists. Congratulations on your more reasonable purchase!

Dave

 

[ARN SEA]

Are the "VIP package $1,600 for 11,200" considered a good deal?

We're about to go to our first timeshare presentation in Oahu i early April. Booked the HGVC 5 night $799 package. Just got the confirmation and it's the Hilton Garden Inn. Meh. Will call in every week to see if the HHV opens up.

But obviously won't be buying from the developer. But I am curious about the 11.2k points for $1,600. Seems this is offered 'last' after the other sales pitches.

 

[rapmarks]

Are the "VIP package $1,600 for 11,200" considered a good deal?

We're about to go to our first timeshare presentation in Oahu i early April. Booked the HGVC 5 night $799 package. Just got the confirmation and it's the Hilton Garden Inn. Meh. Will call in every week to see if the HHV opens up.

But obviously won't be buying from the developer. But I am curious about the 11.2k points for $1,600. Seems this is offered 'last' after the other sales pitches.

That is for a one time use, basically rent, and they get another try to sell you

 

[ARN SEA]

That is for a one time use, basically rent, and they get another try to sell you

Yes, understood. It's a one time 1 week vacation. And have to go thru a 2nd sales meeting.

Just curious if it's considered a good deal or not? Price per point is $.143 roughly

Also, are there additional 'booking fees' etc when you go to use these points?

I think I recall reading a thread where another poster had purchased these points, but couldn't find availability...

Appreciate the help!

 

[rickandcindy23]

It's a little late to be wondering if your VIP Package is worth the price you paid. I would say it is worth it, but the biggest cost will be if you buy a timeshare at full retail. Just say no.

I would be a hard no. I have never attended a Hilton presentation and never plan to.

 

[RX8]

Are the "VIP package $1,600 for 11,200" considered a good deal?

It could be a good deal, or maybe not. You may find no availability for a two bedroom and have to settle for something less. For example, if you have to settle for a one bedroom in gold season you would be using only 5440 points. Is that worth $1,600? I would argue not (you do not get credit for using less than 11,200 points). The VIP inventory itself is limited. I suspect that they also have very few two bedrooms, especially in Platinum season.

If anyone is past the VIP rescission period and want an idea on how to potentially cancel the contract, send me a PM

 

[4TimeAway]

Yes, understood. It's a one time 1 week vacation. And have to go thru a 2nd sales meeting.

Just curious if it's considered a good deal or not? Price per point is $.143 roughly

Also, are there additional 'booking fees' etc when you go to use these points?

I think I recall reading a thread where another poster had purchased these points, but couldn't find availability...

Appreciate the help!

Please be aware you are asking the right questions, but nobody can tell you this is right for you or the absolute cheapest options or best value. I bought one and have plans to use this summer for a week in Hawaii in a 2 bedroom. I would rate this as it depends on how you plan to use it.

I think its descent deal for me, but I probably won’t buy one again. You can look at the MF listings for HGVC and many people pay more for point MF on owned weeks (me included). The extra meeting is about a $250-$500 hidden cost on your time and you don't get full HGVC scheduling viewing.

There are cheaper options, but if you are on the fence, it should help answer the question is a Timeshare with HGVC interesting to you. I would NOT BUY RETAIL.

There are Scottland Units that I would lean towards buying if I wanted extra points now that I was not as interested in before. The basis for this is favorable exchange rates are offering lower MFs (Maintenance Fees), I wish I had access to Interval International and RCI (HGVC is RCI, but some Scottland Units have both).

That said, we now own a week at MarBrisa, which allowed us access to GPX and we took a cheap week last Christmas to Cabo Azul (it was under $1k for the week). We also have a family trip planned to LegoLand for 3 nights and have two 2-bedrooms and a 1 bedroom for about $2,000 all in. By saying we are using points, the family doesn’t feel like we are being overly generous.

The Kohala week we bought was the 2-bedroom deluxe 15,360 points and I’m pretty sure I can sell it for what I have in it. So, the “cost” is not really an issue for us. Retail on this were 9x what we spent.

My advice if a $2,000 vacation for week is something you want to consider. It is worth looking at the VIP, but beware you are embarking on a path towards more vacation dreaming as relatively reasonable prices and this is the gateway drug to that addiction..

 

[4TimeAway]

With the VIP package you must call early morning on the first day of the month when they release the rooms. You should call them and confirm, but its is either 9 or 12 months out for best selection.

I would avoid the Gold Periods, unless its somewhere that you get good value for the points.

It is not as good as ownership, as points expire, can't be used for more than 7 days total, and some other drawbacks.

The book they give you is pretty useful for planning. I think they are honest when they say its the best deal they sell RETAIL. DO NOT BUY ANYTHING ELSE and maybe not even this.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

good deal or not? Price per point is $.143 roughly

couple of #s & couple of questions
Question #1: are Resort Fees waived on these VIP reservations? If not, that changes everything. Are they?
#2: where do you want to go? a 2 bdrm ski wk or 2 bdrm Waikiki calculates as a good deal. Miami Bch also. Some others, maybe, probably not

first, I agree with everything RX8 said. You have to consider breakage", aka being unable to use all the points. that exact # of pts is a 2bdrm plat time. If you can't find that, you will waste pts and the $0.143/ was wrong. Maybe, (probably?) you can rent a 2 bdrm plat in some places (LV & Orlando?) for less than that, but then we get back to the resort fee (or not?).
and yes, the extra meeting required should be considered as a cost of $250-$500 & yes, you won't see ALL HGVC inventory, or so I have heard and RX8 also states.

The $0.143/? Well, I'd guess the OP is paying $0.12 - $0.13/ MF for those 2 deeds combined, so it is not bad comped to that (breakage again? resort fees again?).
HGVC gives out Bonus Pts and lets people pay MFs with them at the rate of $0.06/pt, so that is, imho, what HGVC thinks these pts are really worth.
Of course, you can get up to 5x that, or $0.30/pt of VALUE out of them, by making the right reservation. Not having the restrictions of the package, I'd say it is pretty easy to get $0.20/pt of Value from HGVC pts. $0.20/ beats $0.14/ but can you do that with the restrictions?
Those #s frame it, but still ... it depends. availability where you want to go? resort fees? how much will the presentation annoy you?

 

[4TimeAway]

couple of #s & couple of questions
Question #1: are Resort Fees waived on these VIP reservations? If not, that changes everything. Are they?
#2: where do you want to go? a 2 bdrm ski wk or 2 bdrm Waikiki calculates as a good deal. Miami Bch also. Some others, maybe, probably not
...
Those #s frame it, but still ... it depends. availability where you want to go? resort fees? how much will the presentation annoy you?

All of timeshare is compared to WHAT?
If its last-minute deals, own just the cheapest share you can and bargain hunt.
If you want luxury, but at a place you want to go and pay top dollar MFs.
I mean a 3-Bedroom Penthouse in Hawaii would be awesome, but not cheap. Probably cheaper as a timeshare (PURCHASED RESALE) than just renting as you want it.
Then again, some people have money and $200,000 is nothing to them, they want the best.
Hell, I have clients that love rental ownerships at $1M+ for the lifestyle it gives them.
There are no “wrong answers.” Some just fit you better. Buyer beware and you'll learn.

Sorry for the rant… If you compare it to a Red week Rental and if that's the comparison, VIP saves you $1,000+ for weeks at some locations. *-Fees may depend on where you go, so you’d need to ask the VIP desk. The main Fees Issues arise at All-Inclusive and VIP avoids this.

Compared owning at $0.0143 its not that out of line. Also, you do pay an annual membership fee to own in addition to the MFs. The VIP is a taste of owning, but not as good as owning as it has limitations and doesn’t unlock RCI for example.

I bought a VIP and am looking forward to using it with no guilt or concerns. Some people have more constrained budgets and they need cheaper travel. To me $250 night for a two-bedroom unit in Hawaii is a good enough deal. Booking is 1st of the month (early AM) 9 moths before the month you want to book. Booking EARLY gets you the best options as does calling back and asking for other options. Sometimes people help you out, or you get lucky.


On the other hand, there are places like:

Afvclub.com (for veterans and family)
Poor reviews but been around a long time. Buying the certificates is a deal for what you can get, but you must flexible and plan. Some people can’t. I plan to try this before I recommend it, but it appears to be spinoff of RCI. Maybe $100/night but hard to get 2 bedrooms and seems mostly weeks for the deals. HGVC the full ownership gives you 3+ night reservations. Please also note the VIP can be split in 2 stays. Note: I have not read your contract, so all I can say is mine allows for it.

Also, don't overlook premium credit cards for reward nights, free stays, points, etc. Just too many options.

 

[4TimeAway]

TUG to me is cheat sheet for taking more and better vacations for less.

TUG and timeshares are not perfect and certainly not free.

The upside is the WIN/WIN/WIN. I win, you win, we all win, but it costs money.

 

[RX8]

couple of #s & couple of questions
Question #1: are Resort Fees waived on these VIP reservations? If not, that changes everything. Are they?
#2: where do you want to go? a 2 bdrm ski wk or 2 bdrm Waikiki calculates as a good deal. Miami Bch also. Some others, maybe, probably not

VIP is not open to all resorts but rather select resorts/locations that you can choose from. It includes some former DRI resorts as well as some HGVC resorts. There are no reservation fees or resort fees.

 

[4TimeAway]

RX8, would you buy HGVC again? I assume resale, lower MF and Plat weeks.

VIP was probably not the best deal for us, but it got us in the timeshare game and saying yes. It was cheaper than Red Week and was no strings attached.

One thing potential HGVC buyers don't know about either are the discounts and sales on certain locations at times. We booked the Elara for 40% off during the New Year's sale for a spring stay.

For a family member I would just give them a vacation or let them have a timeshare. Scottland (and maybe Portugal) does seem to draw me to buy. Really hope you don't own there.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

select resorts/locations includes some former DRI resorts as well as some HGVC resorts. no reservation fees or resort fees.

Hmmm, DRI without a resort fee might be something different & interesting. Problem of the sword of sales mtng hanging over our heads. I seriously consider that a cost of $400 or more. Is there a published list of these select resorts/locations or does it change constantly or even vary for every different pkg?
I'm not convinced I will ever go to another sales mtng but if I / we do, this might be a thin silver-lining.
Are VIP pkgs only sold in sales mtngs or is there a HGVC-related website that routinely sells them at the "best" price?

 

[RX8]

RX8, would you buy HGVC again? I assume resale, lower MF and Plat weeks.

I bought something of a hybrid. I purchased from the Grand Pacific Palisades (GPP) resale department when they had a resale department (now, HGVC has taken over the resale department so no more bargains as they sell at retail price). It is a 2 bedroom ocean view fixed summer week and they added HGVC to it at no extra cost. The week is worth 13,440 points. GPP is a great family resort and since we purchased in 2012 we have used the week every year except 2020 when we swapped it only a couple of weeks to checkin for the HGVC points. Now that our boys are getting older we plan on using HGVC points more in the future. To answer your question, we definitely would purchase again if we went back in time. I love the flexibility of our GPP but wouldn’t hesitate to purchase a resale HGVC resort for the points (good point/MF deed). Only thing I dislike is the reservation fee for each booking. However, paying retail for Max for free reservations is not worth the cost of admission.

I purchased VIP back in 2011 and that got me sold on HGVC. At that time, one could make as many reservations as possible as long as they had points. While we did book a few one bedroom and two bedroom reservations, I also booked a number of studios and always tried to avoid the more expensive weekends. As a result, I stretched it out to something like 15 nights, all without paying any reservation fees. I believe it was because of people like me that caused HGVC to change the VIP rules to either a full week or one 4 night stay and one 3 night stay (with no credit for unused points).

 

[Grammarhero]

TS knowledge is power!

 

[RX8]

Hmmm, DRI without a resort fee might be something different & interesting. Problem of the sword of sales mtng hanging over our heads. I seriously consider that a cost of $400 or more. Is there a published list of these select resorts/locations or does it change constantly or even vary for every different pkg?
I'm not convinced I will ever go to another sales mtng but if I / we do, this might be a thin silver-lining.
Are VIP pkgs only sold in sales mtngs or is there a HGVC-related website that routinely sells them at the "best" price?

The VIP price isn’t negotiable. Price is $1795 if you finance or $1695 if you pay upfront. They offer the VIP at the conclusion of a sales meeting if you did not purchase but I would think they would gladly sell you it if you called them and expressed interest. Note that a 90 minute presentation is required.

Below is a list of the resorts. It may change of course but this is it as of 2022.

 

[ARN SEA]

The VIP price isn’t negotiable. Price is $1795 if you finance or $1695 if you pay upfront.
Below is a list of the resorts. It may change of course but this is it as of 2022.

Ah, this is perfect. Thanks so much!

I'd be looking to use in Hawaii, NYC, or Cabo. So looking at the prices on Hilton.com the $1695 seems like a good value at $242 per night. Also a bit cheaper than renting a week via Tug/RW.

So the question then becomes, is it possible to book the weeks we'd be looking for.

Or you can always keep buy the 'promo' vacation packages for $799 for 5 nights in Hawaii. 1x per year. Think I'd read another poster had done 8 of these before buying...

 

[4TimeAway]

Or you can always keep buy the 'promo' vacation packages for $799 for 5 nights in Hawaii. 1x per year. Think I'd read another poster had done 8 of these before buying...

It’s just the sales talk that people hate with this. We bought the 3 nights in Vegas deal and VIP at exit. Then 2 TS resale. Really happy with HGVC.

The salespeople can be pushy and confuse some people. Timeshares are never “free,” but we are taking more and better vacations for less (mainly because of TUG and buying resale). Honestly, the amount of time spent learning Timeshares was probably not worth it, but TUG has made the learning curve so much faster. People should join and contribute from time to time.

Be WARNED Timeshares and more broadly travel hacking becomes addicting and the vacations are memorable. Now it’s more about planning fun vacations.


Just booked a 2 bedroom at Cabo Azul before Christmas through RCI for 7,680 HGVC points, plus $400 in RCI fees and probably their $70/day "resort fee" when you get there (last time they waived with my Aspire Platinum). To us $1,500-$2,000 for a week at Cabo Azul in a 2 Bedroom is a deal. Could have gone cheaper by going Studio unit, but ability to invite family and the Kitchen is something we missed last time. The hidden costs of eating out gets us. La Comer is descent supermarket, and we like to cook. Now we have something to look forward to in December….

 

[JohnPaul]

I would be a hard no. I have never attended a Hilton presentation and never plan to.

I go every chance I get. We have received as much as 150,000 Hilton Honors points for going. I took 95,000 and booked the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. We were upgraded to a $2400 a night suite. We are retired and it's easy money.