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I've also seen estimates attributed to the Travel Industry Association that the travel and tourism industry itself generates more than $1+ trillion in economic activity.
These are significant figures. And a lot of people want a piece of that pie. Who can blame them? Traveling is fun, and it's a fun industry to work in if you enjoy traveling yourself."
And so I began this article earlier this year for the EzineArticles.com site (If you are interested, you can find this article there in its original state, along with my other articles.) With slight variations and some additional content, I share it with you here because the content is relevant to what I keep hearing about "this economy."
The idea to rework and republish this piece came to me as we winter here in Cherry Grove Beach, South Carolina. Down the road a space are numerous and lovely timeshare resorts inviting "walk ins" to tour their facilities. When we arrived here in Cherry Grove, I called the North Myrtle Beach Visitor Information Center with a specific question. Once the person answered my question, she tried to sign me up for a 120 minute "tour" and presentation of one of the timeshare resorts.
I tried to explain to her that I was not interested, and indeed market exclusive luxury vacation memberships, but she didn't give up. I was finally able to end the call, but the conversation stuck with me.
I've never cared for the timeshare sales tactics - I do not like feeling pressured. My husband and I purchased a timeshare ourselves years ago and have never been all that satisfied. We decided to sell it, but have been unable thus far to sell our timeshare week for even a fraction of what it cost us initially - not to mention how expensive it is to keep it up and running. We are truly caught between a rock and a hard place with this thing.
Never again.
Once we found the vacation membership we ultimately joined (and now market), it was the classic "no brainer." The differences between the concept of timeshare and our vacation memberships are staggering, which you will clearly see as you continue to read.
As an aside, it occurred to us as we were discussing "this economy" is that people are still vacationing - and if they aren't, they want to. They just don't want to pay through the nose. And they don't want to stay in some crummy and cramped hotel room, either. They want to be able to prepare some of their meals at their room instead of going out three times a day. Of course, the timeshare resorts are the perfect setup for vacations because they are typically roomy, have fully equipped kitchens, and are in lovely areas.
But, there are problems with purchasing a timeshare. And if you are seriously considering purchasing one, I only ask that you read on to see the truth in the numbers first. If what you read makes sense to you, then I invite you to go to our website to see how you can stay at these very same resorts without being shackeled to them or going into debt for the ability to vacation there.
I don't know if you have ever vacationed at a timeshare resort, or if you have purchased a timeshare in the past. If you have vacationed at a timeshare, then you already know what happens when you arrive: You are invited to a presentation about the property, and you are usually offered a gift certificate to a local restaurant or show in exchange for your time (typically 90 minutes - maybe more).
The resort isn't doing this to help you become acquainted with the area. They want you to purchase a timeshare at that specific location. After all - the resort is beautiful, and since you're having a wonderful vacation, why not purchase a week you can enjoy every year for years and years to come?
Whoa! Before you whip out your credit card or sign any financing papers in the magic of the moment, take a deep breath.... No... make that five or six deep breaths. Ask yourself these questions:
1) Do you really want to be locked into a contract where - after you pay thousands of dollars for the initial purchase - you'll be paying annual maintenance fees (which never seem to go down)? (According to Timeshares.com the industry average is $16,000 for a purchase. And, WorldMarkTheClub.com, says that the 2006 industry average for maintenance fees was $512 for a one-bedroom, and $614 for a two-bedroom unit.) My husband's and my annual fees are currently at $500 - just to keep the darned thing active.
2) In the event you'd like to exchange your week for a week at a completely different resort, do you want to pay annual membership dues to an exchange company and then pay for the exchange itself (cough up another couple hundred dollars a year). In our case, in order to trade for a week somewhere else, we have to belong to Interval International, and keeping that membership costs us about $80 per year. Then, to make the exchange itself, it costs us another $130 or more depending on where we're going. So, annually - if we want to use our timeshare at all, we are up over $700. And that's just for the right to go somewhere for one week!
3) Also, if you want to exchange your week for a week at another resort - even if you're willing to pay all those fees - are you prepared to be disappointed if you are told that the location you want to visit is not available (such as Hawaii, the Islands, etc... You might have to try Branson, MO - there are usually weeks available there ...)? In our case, we have never gotten the exact trade we have wanted. Ever. We have had our timeshare for at least 12 years, and while we certainly can travel with it, we have never gotten what we requested. We are extremely fortunate that we work our own schedules, and are very flexible, because otherwise we would be at the mercy of where a timeshare was available for a week possibly determined by our employer. For example, when I worked for a school system, I was limited to school vacations for our own travel. Hmmm. Think anyone else in the world has limitations? Again... we can almost always go to Branson, MO.
4) Are you absolutely sure that you only want to come back to this particular resort year after year? When we purchased our timeshare, we were in northern NH, and the liklihood of our actually staying at the property (only an hour from our own beautiful mountain home) was nil. For a few years, and when my husband's daughter was a little girl, we would occasionally drive over to the resort to use the swimming pools, but that's it.
Ok, if you answered yes to those questions, then by all means, buy a timeshare. And, in all fairness, we have met people who are extremely happy with timeshare ownership.
If, however, you are thinking twice, and taking another eight to ten deep breaths - you might be asking yourself, "Well, if not timeshare, how else can I vacation at these gorgeous resorts? Is there another way?"
The answer is "yes." And this is where I introduce to you the luxury vacation memberships that we now market through Global Resorts Network (GRN). GRN has the exclusive worldwide rights to market a private vacation club membership that has twenty-two years experience in outstanding customer satisfaction.
Since these memberships are now marketed via the internet, this trend is catching on very quickly. And why not?
You won't have to sit through a sales presentation, and the process is extremely simple. What you see is what you get.
When you visit my website, you can explore the membership at your leisure without someone pushing you to make a buying decision on the spot.
As you go through the website, you will see that a lifetime (Platinum) membership is only $2,995.00 and that there are no blackout dates for travel.
Hmm.
Then, if you need more information, you can either email or call me (or request a call from me) with your questions. Here are some of the questions you may have:
1. "Is there an annual maintenance fee to use this membership?" (The answer is, "No.")
2. "How much do I REALLY have to pay for a week at one of these resorts?" (The answer is, "Anywhere from $298 - $798, but not higher.")
3. "Yeah, sounds great, but what are the odds that I'll really get to use a resort in Hawaii or the Florida coast?" (The answer is, "Once you put in your request for a location and range of dates, customer service will be bending over backwards to find you your location - that's what they do. And because of the club's tremendous buying power, the odds are very, very good that they will find you a beautiful resort.") Note: I know this because I have experienced their customer service myself. It is second to none.
4. "If I purchase a membership, who will the travel club membership be with?" (The answer is, "Once you make your purchase through my GRN site - http://www.fineresortvacation.com/, you will become a member of Gold Crown Resort, our travel partner. Gold Crown Resort has more than 22 years of experience in outstanding customer service.")
So, let's recap the differences here:
- Timeshare ownership can cost an average of $16,000. Our vacation membership has one low cost to join - $2,995 for a lifetime membership.
Timeshare ownership dues/fees range from $300 - $1,000. Vacation membership does not have annual dues or maintenance fees. You never pay for a vacation unless you actually take one, and then, your cost is only $298 to $799 for the week. And you can take as many vacations per year as you wish; you are not limited to one week. - Timeshare ownership default on yearly dues could jeopardize ownership. Vacation membership means you join once, you're a member for life, with no extra fees.
- Timeshare ownership exchanges are difficult and costly. Vacation membership means no more exchanging, and members choose from more than 5,000 luxury resort properties worldwide.
- Timeshare ownership has maximum depreciation on the investment worth approximately 10 cents on the dollar. Vacation membership has retained its full value for the last 21 years (there is a $75 transfer fee).
- Timeshare ownership means that the owners may pay additional fees for property remodeling and renovations. Vacation membership means that the members do not share in remodeling or renovation costs.
It is ultimately up to you to do your due diligence and determine what really will work best for you. There are times when a timeshare purchase might initially seem to be the best way to go - as an example, perhaps if that resort is near family and you will always use that particular resort.
But again, compare apples to apples: Would it really be cost effective to do this? If you could purchase a vacation membership for $2,995 instead, and then simply book your subsequent vacations at one particular resort - I believe you would be better served through our membership. You would also not be locked in to one particular week.
After all is said and done, the best suggestion is that you do the math and carefully consider all your options and preferences before you purchase either a timeshare or a vacation club membership. After all, travel and vacation is supposed to make you feel good - not stressed!
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