It has reached the point of ridiculousness. A room for average of $75 a night is too high??? Near Disney?
I am a Marriott Rewards member (now Bonvoy) and received a nice email telling me that due to my affiliation and long standing loyalty, I would qualify for some very special rates. . . I could rent a HOTEL ROOM for as little as $125 a night during the remainder of summer time (not a weekend night, and not at popular locations, and not including taxes). So . . . the hotel industry recognizes that $125 a night for a room is a great deal, but our timeshare rental business customers feel that $75 for a CONDO is too high. Unfortunately, we have no one to blame but ourselves. As owners we have constantly underbid each other in an effort to sell a room. The customer base has grown accustomed to this and greedily look for the owners who are "stuck" and have no option but to sell the room for whatever they can get, even if it is less than their net cost (especially when you factor in the ad cost for RedWeek, guest name fee, and the PayPal fees).
We have the same shark mentality here on TUG, and it is wearing on me as well. Someone posted that they need a "two bedroom unit at Bonnet Creek for a certain week during summer time." And guess what, I found it, and was able to get it at the 60 day discount with a free upgrade from a one bedroom deluxe. I booked it and invoiced the poster for the allowed rate (which basically allows me to make $75 as my MFs are higher than most as I own a bunch of Royal Vista and Bonnet Creek). I wait on the poster to pay, and she delays and ultimately decides to cancel because someone on TUG privately offered it to her for $25 less. Of course this was after I had numerous emails back and forth with the poster wanting different date variables, and potential cost savers (she was NOT interested in staying anywhere except Bonnet Creek, even though Star Island was cheaper). Basically, I provided her with free education as to how the time share rental business operates.
That irritated me, but I guess I really should not be. My approach is along the lines of an outdated morality, a verbal (or digital) handshake should count for something, but it does not. So, I simply canceled the PayPal invoice and add this to the long list of lessons learned. I am less likely to try to help someone looking for great deal, because that is not really what they want, they want it cheaper than anyone else will offer and no honor exists or should be anticipated.
It is amazing that the potential renters all seem to have the same story - "yes I know it is a really good deal you are offering, but airfare is higher than I thought, and it was more expensive to rent a BMW convertible than I thought, and our Seven Day Disney pass is very expensive, so I need you as the timeshare owner to lower the cost to almost free for me to afford my vacation."
I do share the reaction that I would rather be stuck with the room than accept someone's obscene low ball offer. Perhaps that is a personality flaw, but I actually feel better to eat a reservation than to promote that type of customer. Maybe I am missing something, but I fail to see the connection between our buying resale timeshare contracts and why we need to accept low ball offers from potential renters. Our costs as TS owners is more closely linked to the maintenance fees than it is to our purchase price. I do not even factor into my costs the "buy in" costs for the timeshare contracts, be it resale or developer purchased. I figure that is a cost that is lost at the time of purchase. Not a related component.
Just one man's rambling thoughts. . . .
Wes
