ask-redweek-resorts-charging-owners-for-name-changes

Do you have to change the name? In the past, I have simply "added" a name, meaning that either myself or the name provided can check into the unit.

There were third party name change fees in the past, but they were not enforced.Now, of course, they ALL want to "milk this cow dry".I usually bring along family, to occupy one of our 4 available units, at Spring break.In order to avoid being assessed that penalty fee,I will keep my name on those units.That will also keep the sales wolves away from our unnamed guests.If management wants our family's names, they need to pay for that privilege,NOT the other way around!

Vistana moved up their maintenance fee due date from Jan. 1 to Sept. 1, now adding a fee for name changes. This indicates Vistana has significant cash flow problems, making owners nervous and upset.

Yes they all do. And it's Vistana because they have nothing to do with Westin or Starwood anymore. 2 completely different companies. Vistana is owned by ILG.

I agree. Most charge fees and have some free times. But only owning from the company direct to you have access to their unlimited Free reservations. Most VIP types of ownership have unlimited free rentAls.

Resale does not apply. This is buying from the developer. Resale is only real estate. A unit and fixed week. You have to ask the club if they will allow the week to float. Their is no such thing as a floating week on the resale market. Everyone seems to think it exists. It doesn't. All they legally have to allow the owner access to is the unit and week. Most clubs allow it to float but as an owner for 20 years I am seeing more and more developed enforce me using my week and unit. The industry is changing and I looked at Wyndhams report and they bought 33 Million in resale in the 1Q. Does anyone know why the developers are buying all the good resale?

Amber Vacation Club, which is very small, charges a fee for this, also. I don't agree with it. Timeshare belongs to owners, and whomever we allow to use should be up to us, not a profit to them!!

I just finished talking to Vistana customer service about my week 16 & 17 ownerships at the Westin St. John and my one week 2 bedroom/two bathroom time share at Vistana Villages, and felt that I had just been raped by my one time user friendly Westin Resort. St John is one of the most beautiful islands I have ever visited, but I got the same run around on fees that you did. The new management is very greedy. M. J. Huntley mhuntly1@verizon.net

Ridiculous. I have often 'gifted' my timeshare to family members or a good friend. I do not 'rent' it out. They may have a different last name (like my son), so do I still have to pay the fee? I am a legacy owner but they still won't buy my unit back as I have often requested. I'm one of those aging owners who can't often use the timeshare anymore. Very sad, greedy business!

It just adds to the negative perception of timeshares and why I refuse to do business with many of them. Owner managed is the ONLY way to go!!

We own 6 weeks at Vistana. We frequently vacation with various sets of adult kids and grandchildren; many have different names. That's why we bought at the Westin St John. If some our family arrives sooner than we do, Vistana now REQUIRES us to pay a $79 fee or they won't be allowed to check in to our shared unit early.. We usually arrive past 10:00 pm, so this is an abusive and unfair burden on our family, especially those with small kids. Is Vistana trying to trigger revolt among its best customers? Destroy its business? If so, it's working.

They continually try to milk you dry, this is another example. IMHO the TS industry is dead--anyone buying one now, even a "points" program, will be losing money over the long term as opposed to just renting condos where and whenever they want. I'm a Vistana owner and always use the week there and never rent or trade it. But this year my annual fee is $815. For the particular week that I own, I can rent the same accommodation--a 2 BR 2 BA unit--for $600 through either RedWeek or other means (even Expedia lists Vistana). So I am losing $215 this year by owning the unit vs. renting the same one. Rather than Vacation Ownership, this product should be called Vacation Extortion.

I am a 5- star owner and this is corporate greed at the highest level. We were all promised the world and all these so called Elite benefits when we were shelling out the money though. And now the maintenance fees have gotten ridiculous to say the least. We do truly need a voice and an Owners representative or something to defend us from any more of this. This is so wrong and I am fed up with the Vistana corporation.

I think it's awful to have another expense. Also with Vistiana if you bank your point into the next year, there is a fee. I own in Marriott, and Diamond as well as 3 other time shares and there is no fee. They also don't allow you to take it back out as Diamond does. Unsure about Marriott as I've never tried it.

Shirley from PA

Jeff Weir - The "commercial gain" section of the VSE CCRs is not the one that applies here. It is in the VSN disclosures. Renting non-Home Resort StarOptions is prohibited (for VSN at 8 months or less) - this is clear, and included on reservation confirmation.

As to the fee - my argument to VSN was that this fee should reduce the VSN fees ($140+$30) as this service was previously included in the VSN fees. Of course, that fell on deaf ears.

It was after an email campaign by the people on the TUG-Vistana forum (google), VSN reversed some of their position, HomeResort name changes now have no fee (a small victory). Take Action - Don't Adapt.

Personally I think it is criminal. Starwoods, now Vistana, promised the world when we purchased our timeshare at the Atlantis and almost NONE of those promises were accurate. Shame on them. To be honest when asked if I would recommend someone to buy a timeshare property I never hesitate to say "I would never do it again". Although I love my home resort, the exchange possibilities promised by Starwoods were lies and for that reason alone I would not recommend them.

How can we as owners change this policy?? Why are these timeshare companies allowed to make random changes and we just have to accept it/no recourse??

My wife & I have owned at Vistana Resort in the Courts Section since the late 1980's. We own Thanksgiving week (most years) and went often when the kids were little and sometimes traded through RCI. A few years ago, after Sheraton put their name on things, the Owner's Association decided to completely rehab all the Courts units. It worked out we couldn't use our week for 2 years so we traded it to go somewhere else. Despite all the money paid in to the maintenance fee over the years they still had to assess each owner thousands to do all the work required to bring the place up to current standards. It came out nice and we were told we could now add our units to the Starwood group (for a fee). I did not do that at the time and later asked if I could get into the network. They said "no". The only way to get in is if i bought another unit from them. A few years after that I asked the resort sales staff during my "Owner Update" meeting if they could sell my unit. They said they don't do that so now the unit I own is not in what is now called the Vistana network and can't be added. A real rip-off. We used to have to pay our maintenance fee before we showed up. They changed that and began billing us at the start of the calendar year so they get the money in their account longer. Now they want to charge a fee if i let my adult son use the place on his own? It has all changed since Sheraton showed up. And I don't want to be welcomed to Sheraton's Vistana Resort. Sheraton had nothing to do with it except the rising costs.

Anything to raise the bottom line. Pure greed. BTW Marriott is still charging with their accomplice Interval.

Greed! Pure greed! I'm so sick of being nickel & dimed after spending so much money on this vacation. I even have to pay to add my son's name to the reservation. Just ridiculous! Total abuse of trust by Vistana.