Bonnet Creek Incentives

[katybug34]

Just an odd question - If you do go to the timeshare presentation, do they offer you any kind of freebies? I sat through one at another resort several years ago and was given a free 3 night stay. Just curious. We are staying at Bonnet Creek and was wondering if it would be worth the presentation.

 

[Brian Noble]

Yes, there is some carrot or another---it is probably not a 3-day pass, probably more in the $75-$100 range, maybe a little less. I would not wish a Wyndham presentation on my worst enemy, let alone one of my DISboard friends.

 

[JimMIA]

If you go, just remember two things:

1. You can buy Wyndham timeshare contracts on eBay for $1 + closing costs -- way less than $1,000 total -- and anything they offer you for buying direct (VIP, etc) is not worth the cost.
2. If their lips are moving, they're lying.

Also, just so you know, Brian and I are both HAPPY Wyndham owners. We just bought Wyndham the smart way -- resale.

 

[swilshire]

We go on a tour once in a while if we have an extra day without much planned. It has been a couple of years, so things may have changed, but I found the speaker at the presentation at Bonnet Creek to be pretty offensive. He made LOTS of off-color jokes with a few children in the room, including two of my own. One is old enough to understand them. It was really unnecessary and distracting to his otherwise entertaining speech. I complained afterwards to the sales person. I'm sure I'm not the only one that has or will if the same person is still there.

Sheila

 

[DawnM]

What did you get for sitting through it?

Dawn

We go on a tour once in a while if we have an extra day without much planned. It has been a couple of years, so things may have changed, but I found the speaker at the presentation at Bonnet Creek to be pretty offensive. He made LOTS of off-color jokes with a few children in the room, including two of my own. One is old enough to understand them. It was really unnecessary and distracting to his otherwise entertaining speech. I complained afterwards to the sales person. I'm sure I'm not the only one that has or will if the same person is still there.

Sheila

 

[katybug34]

If you go, just remember two things:

1. You can buy Wyndham timeshare contracts on eBay for $1 + closing costs -- way less than $1,000 total -- and anything they offer you for buying direct (VIP, etc) is not worth the cost.
2. If their lips are moving, they're lying.

Also, just so you know, Brian and I are both HAPPY Wyndham owners. We just bought Wyndham the smart way -- resale.

Agree totally. We were going to have one afternoon pretty open so we were going to listen to the spill if they offer something of decent value just for listening. I guess my question would have been better asked "What do they give you just to listen to the spill?"

 

[DawnM]

I read one trip advisor report that said they got a $75 Disney gift card.

Dawn

 

[skylizard]

We got a $100 AmEx gift card last year. It was totally not worth it. Ended up spending over 3+ hours with the sales guy who just wouldn't take no for an answer. Kept saying that smart people would realize the investment potential of buying into Wyndham. Yep, he totally implied that we were stupid for walking away. We attended the 8am presentation and it ruined our morning. Never again!

 

[grandmadebby2]

If you go, just remember two things:

1. You can buy Wyndham timeshare contracts on eBay for $1 + closing costs -- way less than $1,000 total -- and anything they offer you for buying direct (VIP, etc) is not worth the cost.
2. If their lips are moving, they're lying.

Also, just so you know, Brian and I are both HAPPY Wyndham owners. We just bought Wyndham the smart way -- resale.

OK We are Wyndham Bonnet Creek owners and have been owners with Wyndham since it was Fairfeild. We bought back in 1983-84 at Pagosa Springs, Colo., can't remember for sure. Just want to tell you that they are not lying about the benefits of ownership. We have traveled every year for almost 30 years because of ownership. We do pay maintenance fees so in the long run ownership does not really save you money, well maybe a little. This year we have a 3-bedroom, 2-bedroom and a 1-bedroom condo for 7 nights and our mainenance fees for the year were a little under $1,200. There are ways to get around them. Don't know if the gift is worth sitting through a presentation but wanted you to know that most owners and salespeople believe in the ownership benefits.

 

[JimMIA]

This is a quote from a recent post over on TUG's Wyndham forum. This incident apparently happened around the end of May 2011.

A couple of weeks ago at Bonnet Creek, I just acted fine, signed up and did a "no show", which is totally not me. Got a doubled AMEX card promise in a note at the door requesting me to call.

The poster did NOT call and did not attend a presentation, so we don't know a) how much the incentive was, or b) whether they would actually have given them double. (Probably not, they lie a lot.)

If you DON'T want to attend a presentation, just be aware that if you say no, they'll ask you to fill out a "survey." Agreeing to do the "survey" is the same as agreeing to the presentation.

Also, if you DO attend a presentation, they are going to ask you to sign some innocent looking form. In reality, the form allows them to pull a credit report on you, but they won't tell you that.

I have read posts from people who signed those forms and later received their closing papers for the timeshare they bought in the mail when they got home.

As far as I know, they were able to rescind. And of course with those kind of claims you really don't know whether to believe them or not.

 

[JimMIA]

Don't know if the gift is worth sitting through a presentation but wanted you to know that most owners and salespeople believe in the ownership benefits.

Oh, there's no question that Wyndham owners, for the most part, enjoy their ownership. For example, we recently stayed at Bonnet Creek in a one-bedroom deluxe, for $40.32 per night. And the resort is beautiful!

I personally think Wyndham is a great timeshare system, and the locations of their resorts fit will with our family. We can use our points at about 70 Wyndham resorts directly, booking online, and with little difficulty getting a reservation unless we're trying to go during a super-prime period (Bike Week at Daytona, for example). In addition, a full RCI membership is included which gives us access to 6,500+ RCI resorts worldwide, as well as Extra Vacations and Last Calls (greatly discounted cash offerings).

The key, however, is how you purchase a timeshare -- if indeed you decide to buy one. You can buy from the sales weasels for tens of thousands of dollars, or you can buy in the resale market using reputable licensed real estate brokers, and pay pennies. You can literally buy numerous Wyndham contracts on eBay for $1 -- it's done every day.

It's not the resort system the owners use that's the problem, it's the sales tactice used to sell something for $30,000 that you can buy every single day for $1.

 

[DawnM]

How is that better than the rates of $230 for one week in a 2 bedroom I can get for October on their website though?

How many of your point did you have to use or did you pay oop for this?

Dawn

Oh, there's no question that Wyndham owners, for the most part, enjoy their ownership. For example, we recently stayed at Bonnet Creek in a one-bedroom deluxe, for $40.32 per night. And the resort is beautiful!

I personally think Wyndham is a great timeshare system, and the locations of their resorts fit will with our family. We can use our points at about 70 Wyndham resorts directly, booking online, and with little difficulty getting a reservation unless we're trying to go during a super-prime period (Bike Week at Daytona, for example). In addition, a full RCI membership is included which gives us access to 6,500+ RCI resorts worldwide, as well as Extra Vacations and Last Calls (greatly discounted cash offerings).

The key, however, is how you purchase a timeshare -- if indeed you decide to buy one. You can buy from the sales weasels for tens of thousands of dollars, or you can buy in the resale market using reputable licensed real estate brokers, and pay pennies. You can literally buy numerous Wyndham contracts on eBay for $1 -- it's done every day.

It's not the resort system the owners use that's the problem, it's the sales tactice used to sell something for $30,000 that you can buy every single day for $1.

 

[JimMIA]

How is that better than the rates of $230 for one week in a 2 bedroom I can get for October on their website though?

If you can get a 2 bedroom at WBC for $230 for a full week, that's an amazing price and you should jump all over it! The lowest I've heard previously through RCI Extra Vacations was about $450 for a 2BR for a week, so that's a great price.

How many of your point did you have to use or did you pay oop for this?

We used points, and the 1BR was 9,000 points per night (week of May 15). Having bought resale, my point cost is only $4.48 per 1000 points (negligible purchase cost + annual maintenance fees) and that works out to $40.32 per night.

 

[DawnM]

I see.

I am always a little miffed at how all those points work.

For us, it has been better to just rent as we really don't want to be tied to anything. DH has been told he may need to work overseas for a year or two, we have moved fairly often, and I hate to be worried about a commitment should an emergency arise (health issues, job loss, etc...)

But you did get a good deal.

Dawn

If you can get a 2 bedroom at WBC for $230 for a full week, that's an amazing price and you should jump all over it! The lowest I've heard previously through RCI Extra Vacations was about $450 for a 2BR for a week, so that's a great price.We used points, and the 1BR was 9,000 points per night (week of May 15). Having bought resale, my point cost is only $4.48 per 1000 points (negligible purchase cost + annual maintenance fees) and that works out to $40.32 per night.

 

[JimMIA]

For us, it has been better to just rent as we really don't want to be tied to anything.

Timesharing is not for everyone -- not by a long shot! And you'd be surprised by how many former timeshare owners now prefer just to rent. Especially in overbuilt areas like Orlando, there are always great rental deals out there.

 

[DawnM]

We are also able to travel off-season and prefer it (crowds and weather are better!) so yeah, I guess we aren't time share people.

My BFF has 2 or 3 of them. One is in Mexico. It floors me because I wouldn't even consider one in a place I knew I would have to fly to get to and be committed to every other year.....but it works for them.

For this trip we still have 2 weeks pre-paid through SkyAuction.com ($149 per week, cheapest I have ever seen!) If I can't get the condo we want, I can get Bonnet Creek for an additional $113 per week for a 2 bedroom. This still is a good, $262 for the week including tax) and would save us as the other place charges $40/wk for internet and offers no park transportation....so we would probably break even.

Dawn

Timesharing is not for everyone -- not by a long shot! And you'd be surprised by how many former timeshare owners now prefer just to rent. Especially in overbuilt areas like Orlando, there are always great rental deals out there.

 

[DianeV]

As far as incentives we are here right now and were offered a 3 day/2 night resort stay and a $100 American Express gift card. Said no and I think they only tried to call us a couple times

 

[DawnM]

Not a bad offer. Can you use the 2 nights tacked on to your stay or is it for your next stay?

Dawn

As far as incentives we are here right now and were offered a 3 day/2 night resort stay and a $100 American Express gift card. Said no and I think they only tried to call us a couple times

 

[Brian Noble]

In general, if your only interest in Wyndham is Bonnet Creek, it is better to rent from owners with a high-cost Platinum VIP membership. They get fairly good deals on last-minute (60 day or less) inventory, though not enough to pay for their initial buy-in, but they are often willing to pass along their point savings to renters. Bonnet is so large that except for holiday or truly peak-season weeks, there is almost always some availability at that 60 day mark.

However, if you are interested in their overall portfolio of resorts, a Wyndham deed, purchased resale, can be a very good value.

 

[LadyBeBop]

My BFF has 2 or 3 of them. One is in Mexico. It floors me because I wouldn't even consider one in a place I knew I would have to fly to get to and be committed to every other year.....but it works for them.

Our first timeshare is in the US Virgin Islands. Bought it on shore leave on a cruise. (Yes, we bought our timeshares the dumb way...retail. They're all paid off though). Anyway, that was 17 years ago. Haven't been back to the Virgin Islands since. We've always traded.

Actually we usually attend the timeshare presentations while travelling. Interesting way to spend a down day. We're always intrigued by their presentation...how much they're really going to discount from the original offer. And the gifts are OK.

Bonnet is so large that except for holiday or truly peak-season weeks, there is almost always some availability at that 60 day mark.

So you think I'll have no problem getting BC at the 10 month mark using Wyndham points? With DVC raising its TPUs on RCI, they have pretty much priced themselves out of consideration. Won't be a peak time.

I was thinking about just making the reservation for Saturday-Saturday, just to make sure we get it. But I could wait a day and get Sunday-Sunday, right? I don't want to lose out.

However, if you are interested in their overall portfolio of resorts, a Wyndham deed, purchased resale, can be a very good value.

We also own at Wyndham Smokey Mountain (again retail ). I don't think we've ever stayed at a bad Wyndham resort.