Best picked Timeshare tips for families

Timeshare companies like to say that owning a timeshare is an investment in vacationing, not a financial investment. And it’s true that if you use your timeshare, you can definitely save money on vacationing over the long term.


But coordinating everything so family members can actually use the timeshare is tricky. And if you don’t handle travel plans just right, the cost of the timeshare can really add up.

3 Hours to Coordinate My Timeshare Use

Trust me, I know. I recently made plans for two Florida timeshare locations that my family and I will be using a year from now. It took me over three hours to coordinate everything.

Given the increased complexity for timeshare owners, I’ve spoken to experts for advice on how to manage your timeshare and keep your travel costs down.

Timeshare Reservations Have Changed

Reserving your timeshare lodging is not as easy as it used to be.

Unlike in the past when you bought a specific week at a specific resort, most big timeshare chains (such as Marriott, Hilton, Westin, Sheraton and Disney) now sell deeded points.

The number of points you buy roughly equals the seven nights at the resort you’re most interested in. That gives you a lot of flexibility in using your points, but also makes things more complicated.

Sometimes, you can exchange your timeshare points for the hotel chain’s frequent guest reward points or airline frequent flier miles (which can also be used to buy products from the carriers’ online stores). Or you may be able to use them on some cruise lines. Or you can bank them for future use or use next year’s points this year.



What’s more, by using points you no longer have to book an entire week at one timeshare resort.

My Experience Managing Timeshare Points

The possibilities are practically endless, but what a tangled web it has now become to make reservations, monitor timeshare deadlines and ensure that you don’t lose those precious points for which you paid handsomely.

When planning my Florida trips next year, I had to coordinate a mess of reservations, since I wanted to pay for some of the nights with hotel reward points and others with timeshare points (some of which had to be brought forward from last year and some brought back from next year). In addition, coordinating the availability of the resorts with my family’s schedule meant making several changes while I was on the call with the facilities.

I did all of this a year in advance — 13 months ahead, actually — since that’s the earliest I could book my lodging and because a clever customer service rep explained how I could book a month before most other owners. Because it was a popular week, I knew I had to be one of the first callers in the morning and set aside time to get everything to work.

More-http://www.timesharerelease.com

Timeshare Owners Are Getting Cranky

Not every timeshare owner has the savvy and time to delve into the weeds, though. And their kids generally have no idea what they’ll need to do to work the system when they inherit the timeshares from their parents.

April Margolin, of Travel Leaders in Ocean, N.J., a full-service travel agency, has spoken with several unhappy clients who’ve come to her for advice about the timeshare tussles they’ve encountered.


How to Cancel Timeshare After Rescission Period

“They complained that it had gotten so complicated and they couldn’t get the timeshare weeks they wanted or that they had missed deadlines,” Margolin said. “So they’ve come back to the more traditional ways of planning their vacations by booking vacation packages.”

Some years, these clients used their timeshare points; other years they didn’t. The owners, Margolin said, just don’t have the time or inclination to navigate all the intricacies. One client said he’d gladly pay her to help him book his timeshare lodging, manage the points and get the necessary flights.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Is timeshare really a bad idea?

About timeshare advantages and disadvantages

Tips to qualify for a timeshare?