Redweek?

[ellie&mattys mom]

What is it? Why is there a fee to join? Is it safe?
thanks!

 

[Mickeys_n_me]

Are you talking about redweek.com? I think it is just a service for timeshares to sell off their extra weeks. Although, I could be wrong since I didn't join.

I would never pay a fee to join something like that, there are so many condos/homes available in the Orlando area without all the hassle.

some good sites to check condos and townhomes that are avaialble are www.villadirect.com, www.VRBO.com, www.allstarvacationhomes.com
No fees, no pushing to sell you a time share just nice easy transactions to rent a condo/TH or 3-6 bedroom homes.

 

[Brian Noble]

I've never understood why redweek charges people to respond to ads. Placing ads is a different story, and that's reasonable to charge for, but responding?

As for "is it safe"---redweek is really just a big classified advertisement board. In any transaction, you'll be dealing with an individual owner, and you'll have to decide how safe any particular transaction is. Importantly, you'll have to do that for VRBO as well. VillaDirect and AllStar provide a small extra layer of safety, becuase they manage the homes they market.

Things to watch out for when dealing with an individual owner: wanting payment with money orders or certified checks, asking for an unusal amount of money up front, an unwillingness to let you confirm your reservation with the resort, an owner that does not disclose a real street address or home phone number (as opposed to just a P.O. Box), etc.

 

[Weegl]

I have used Redweek, thus subscribing to use the service, quite successfully. I am familiar with the above mentioned sites as well, and am of the opinion that redweek is as good if not better at providing great flexibility to find a condo deal that is best for you.

The subscription fee goes towards operations of the site, and, considering the deals I have gotten in the past, is well worth it. As an example, last year we had a week at the Sheraton Vistana Villages in a 2 bedroom for $500 including all fees and taxes.

I like it and plan on using it again when the need arises, whether it sin Orlando or somewhere else. The good thing is that you do not need to subscibe to browse available properties during the dates you desire. Once you get a few you are interested in, you can then subscribe and start negotiating with the owners.

 

[dfarner]

I have used Redweek successfully to rent at OKW and Saratoga Springs the last 2 years. I always use Paypal for my transactions. The cost of membership is around $10/yr. This year I rented a one bedroom at OKW for 7 days at the beginning of June and paid $1,100. Considering the rack rate on that room is $420/night, I'd say I got my $10 worth. Last September we rented a 1 bedroom at SS for 7 days and paid $1,000. Rack rate for that time of year is $350+ a night. Again, $10 well spent.