Travel Industry Rebounds in Poor Economy November 8, 2008
Posted by Bryan Connelly in : ARDA, Bluegreen Resorts, Disney, Fairfield Timeshares, General, Hilton Grand Vacation, JetShare, Marriott Timeshares, New Features, News & Events, RCI, Sunterra/Diamond Resorts, Timeshare Rental, Timeshare Resale, Timeshare Resource, Travel, Westgate Timeshares, Wyndham Timeshares, silverleaf , add a commentDespite folks paring costs anywhere they can, consumers have not completely cut leisure travel out of their lifestyle. The travel industry is bouncing back. People who do still travel are adapting their annual routine, staying closer to home for a change. The attitude that followed the U.S. financial crisis has caused people to vacation at their own part of the country—enjoying their nearby cities and mountains. People are seeking more local destinations, finding unbeatable deals on their own side of the ocean and not giving up their plans to travel.
Rather than buying airfare to cross the open seas, Americans are exploring Canada, Mexico, Central and South America. Both the Peso and the Canadian dollar have dropped significantly, making travel to these country and great value for neighboring Americans. Today, people are forced to look deeper for deals on everything from gas to Christmas presents. They are beginning to explore the timeshare industry as an alternative to hotels or staying the night on grandma’s futon.
Owners of timeshares at far-off tropical destinations for instance, have not been able to ante up to the airfare, let alone venture the cost of fun. So their international timeshare sits and waits while the owner searches further to get the best deal for this year’s holiday trip. At timeshare resale companies like BuyATimeshare.com we are seeing a tendency in those who rent and buy timeshares. Consumers are placing less emphasis on international trips, only traveling as far as Hawaii to vacation, and renting a resort near their family for the holidays.
People are become more educated about the timeshare industry they are reaping the benefits of the resale market. BuyATimeshare.com has made buying timeshares on the resale market as easy as it gets. Like everything, you always pay less when it’s ‘used.’ But a stay at a luxury resort does not carry any ‘used-car’ problems—and will cost far less than retail. The search for value is greater than ever and travelers will cut back on spending by shortening trips and down scaling the level of hotel they stay at, and have switched to a more local destination. With companies like BuyATimeshare.com looking to sell timeshares, there is no reason to spend too much or cut back too much on your next vacation.
Resorts Fend Off Timeshare Resale October 27, 2008
Posted by Bryan Connelly in : ARDA, Bluegreen Resorts, Fairfield Timeshares, General, Marriott Timeshares, New Features, News & Events, Timeshare Rental, Timeshare Resale, Timeshare Resource, Travel, Uncategorized, Wyndham Timeshares , add a commentThe timeshare developers and the primary market have always been concerned with the creation, marketing and sales of new products. As far as resale is concerned, they have little or no value to the developer. But like the automotive industry, resale is always cheaper, as a deeded property, they do have value! How would you feel if you got sold a vehicle for a ‘great’ price, then saw that same car or better selling for 50 percent less? Buying doesn’t have to be game of dodging tricks and tactics—and there are no used car problems. Shop online to plan your next vacation, and spend however much money you want. Depending on where you shop, you can tailor your vacation right down to the suite.
Timeshare resale companies like BuyATimeshare.com, however, lead the business in bringing vacation properties back to life. Where an otherwise static timeshare would sit unused, the resale company makes sure that property continues to bring an unforgettable experience to people, revenue for the resort owner, and tourism for the area. Regardless of the extra bait the developer will wave in front of you, buying your timeshare on the resale market does not involve a sales pitch. Shop online, find BuyATimeshare.com and spend however much money you want and tailor your vacation right down to the very resort, suite and view.
The resort developers are unfortunately very active in discouraging the secondary timeshare market cutting extras wherever they can. For every disappointing quarter they report, a new fee is incurred by owners and they are ever-changing. Wyndham has begun collecting fees on guest certificates and offering VIP Memberships to primary sales owners only. If you want to lend your week to a family member, or rent your timeshare out for the year, it will cost you close to $200. An owner of 300,000 or more Wyndham points is considered VIP Member, but Wyndham will not recognize you as VIP after resale.
Starwood Resorts have taken action against resale by not allowing memberships to retain any SVN or Star options. Marriott owners have the option every-other-year to trade their weeks for Marriott Hotel Points, they do not offer this to resale owners. Marriott points often fail to transfer as well; but you can always purchase them afterward. You will still spend a lot less than the $20,000 extra that the developer will market them for. Bluegreen Travelers Plus doesn’t transfer, and none of the extras either. But whatever superfluous options you miss by buying resale, it is not worth the thousands of dollars you save. Buying for-sale-by-owner carries no mark up, no broker fees or commission, and no sales pressure to buy!
BuyATimeshare.com Presents V.I.P Club Membership October 17, 2008
Posted by Bryan Connelly in : ARDA, Bluegreen Resorts, Customer Comments, Fairfield Timeshares, General, Hilton Grand Vacation, Marriott Timeshares, New Features, News & Events, RCI, Sunterra Timeshare, Sunterra/Diamond Resorts, Timeshare Rental, Timeshare Resale, Timeshare Resource, Travel, Uncategorized, Westgate Timeshares, Wyndham Timeshares, silverleaf , add a commentBuyATimeshare.com, the leader in timeshare resales, has recently developed a V.I.P Club for owners looking to sell their timeshares. Over the past year we have seen great success with ‘Featured Properties’ and ‘Hot Deals.’ In an effort to provide the maximum exposure possible, V.I.P members will receive 10 times the exposure and typically result in a quicker sale.
When a buyer searches through our extensive inventory, they have over 3000 resorts across the globe to choose from. By browsing the alphabetically organized directory, choosing B for Bahamas, U for Utah, buyers are ready to find their timeshare. 3-V.I.P Club advertisements will show up so you don’t have to search any further. As the buyer refines the search a new set of V.I.P ads that fit the criteria will appear.
We have been experiencing record sales and rental activity over the past quarter, and
traffic on our website continues to increase. We feel this addition to the search process will augment an ad’s exposure—making them even easier to find. “V.I.P Club members will receive unmatched exposure, and that means a faster sale” explains Wes Kogelman, Vacation Property Resales President. “People are finding it easier to buy online, and realizing the cost effectiveness of purchasing their timeshares at BuyATimeshare.com.” BuyATimeshare.com reported over $6.6milion in confirmed offers over the past month of September.
Bluegreen Forgets About Customer Protection October 15, 2008
Posted by Bryan Connelly in : ARDA, Bluegreen Resorts, Customer Comments, General, New Features, News & Events, Timeshare Rental, Timeshare Resale, Timeshare Resource, Travel, Uncategorized , add a commentBluegreen Corporation has apparently been using every trick in the book in a barrage of deceiving and unscrupulous sales tactics. Luring unsuspecting consumers with tropical getaways and ‘free’ airfare, Bluegreen instead subjected over 5000 Pennsylvania residents to high pressure bait-and-switch sales presentations. This is exactly the kind of tactics that tarnished the timeshare industry for so long—scamming more than $100million from Pennsylvania residents alone.
Attorney General Tom Corbett announced lawsuits against 4 Florida based companies accused of illegally marketing vacation packages using worthless prizes only to lure folks into aggressive timeshare presentations. This trick was the typical design: people are contacted and told that they were winners or qualified winners and to claim their ‘prize’ all they had to do is attend a 90minute sales presentation. Unfortunately they were actually relentless and deceptive marketing pitches that lasted 5 hours or more.
Apparently Bluegreen Corporation failed to properly inform consumers of their right to cancel their purchase, which is pretty shifty when talking about thousands of dollars. Although the average price of a timeshare was little more than $20,000, the company made more than double that amount in financing and hidden fees. Corbett added that many people were distressed to receive a 300-page, three-ring binder of terms after signing the sales agreement.
At BuyATimeshare.com we do not condone the use of high pressure sales tactics or sneaky and deceptive means to sell a timeshare. Much of our clientele already have timeshares, know how they work, and enjoy them for decades. It is the kind of approach used by Bluegreen that has brought a stigma upon the timeshare industry. And though we are a resale company, the bad taste left in the mouths of consumers duped by developers, leave them wincing away from the mere mention of the timesharing. Bluegreen—For Shame!
Bluegreens Intent to Sell Diamonds Intent to Buy August 5, 2008
Posted by Bryan Connelly in : ARDA, Bluegreen Resorts, Customer Comments, Donate a Timeshare, Fairfield Timeshares, General, New Features, News & Events, Timeshare Rental, Timeshare Resale, Travel , add a commentIn the beginning weeks of July, Bluegreen Corporation had been examining the feasibility of selling itself to a new owner. Recently Diamond Resorts LLC had stepped up to the plate and proposed a nonbinding letter of intent to acquire Bluegreen at $15 a share, or about $500million. But the transaction is not complete yet, and Diamond’s ability to finance such an endeavor seems to be the only question mark in the way.
Alan B. Levan, chairman of Bluegreen Corp, stated the company had been considering options for the next three to five years. “…When Diamond presented our board with this unsolicited, attractive offer, we believed that it was in the best interest of our shareholders to pursue this transaction at this time.” Levan is also chairman and chief executive of Woodbridge Holdings Corp, which owns 9.5 million shares of Bluegreen stock; he indicated that Woodbridge would also back the proposed deal.
Bluegreen is a top brand that markets flexible real estate-based timeshares and vacation ownerships, they provide access to over 40 resorts as well as an exchange network of over 3,700 resorts, cruises and hotel stays. In recent quarters Bluegreen reported that revenues fell to $111.3million, due to weaker home-site sales—their net income also slipped to $1.4million from $5.3million this time last year.
Owners of Bluegreen points may be facing some of the same issues Sunterra owners ran into after April of 2007 when Diamond Resorts bought the timeshare heavyweight for about $750million. Though current Bluegreen owners will gain access to Diamond properties, they will probably be required to upgrade their points to Diamond points—for a nominal fee of course. Diamond has been buying up rivals to become one of the world’s largest vacation ownership companies. It now boasts 110 branded and affiliated resorts in 14countries in the Americas, Hawaii and Europe, with more than 360,000 owners.
Even though vacation ownership and residential sales have dropped considerably (28.4%) at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, one of Bluegreen’s main competitors, Diamond is proceeding with extensive due diligence until early September 2008