Considering renting and have some questions

Hello, RedWeek community -

We would like to purchase/rent a week in Florida at Marriott Crystal Shores this fall, but I'm nervous and still learning about time shares.

I will consider only Verified and Protected rentals, still, can you explain to me how this works?

1. For Verified and Protected units, Redweek has verified with Marriott that this owner in fact own a unit to rent for that week? 2. Once I book, is my name and info communicated to Marriott? Will I be able to view my reservation online through my current Marriott account? 3. Do we receive all the same benefits of an owner during our stay? (room cleaning service, etc.) 4. How can I be sure we won't fly to Florida to find out there's no reservation?!

Thank you for your help!

1. All the information highlighted in green on a verified and protected posting has been confirmed by RedWeek with the resort.

2. Once you have booked and the owner has accepted the rental, the owner has 48 hours to change the reservation to your name. You will need to contact Marriott if you want the reservation linked to your account, as we do not have your Marriott account information.

3. Yes, renters receive the same benefits as owners.

4. With RedWeek Online Booking, your money is not disbursed to the owner until two business days after you check into the resort.

Thank you, RedWeek Support!

I'm still worried. If I purchase a Verified and Protected unit with Marriott Crystal Shores, is there any risk that it's not a real offer and we are getting scammed?

Also, do owners own a specific unit with Marriott Crystal Shores? Wondering why we see only stock/general photographs rather than photos of a specific unit.

Thank you again.

With Verified and Protected postings, RedWeek has confirmed all the information about the unit and owner with the resort. With RedWeek Online Booking we hold the money until two business days after you check into the resort, so a scammer would get no benefit (no money) if it wasn't a real offer.

Like hotels, the units in timeshare resorts will typically have identical furnishings. The photos you see of a unit's interior would apply to all units of the same size. You can also visit the resort's website if you would like to view more photos of the interiors.

I noticed a fee of $26.75 per night to the resort for they stay. I would like to rent for 2 weeks so in essence that is an additional $364 plus $15, fee. Please explain,

Edwina Hudson ehudson1@maine.rr.com

Some resorts have a daily resort fee to cover taxes and/or resort amenities. This is charged by the resort and you would pay the fee directly to the resort. In some cases, if you are renting from an owner, this fee may be waived. Please contact the resort directly to find out more details and to see if the fee would apply to the rental you are considering.

how can i find out if i can add a a few days to a week prior to booking

You will need to use the "Questions? Get in Touch" link on the right side of the posting page to connect with the owner or agent. Most owners have a one-week interval, so adding on extra days may not be likely.

My question is related to item # 4

4. With RedWeek Online Booking, your money is not disbursed to the owner until two business days after you check into the resort.

What if the renter doesn’t show up at the resort? Is there something in place for Verified and Protected postings to protect the owner?

Are there any resorts that allow pets?

You will find a list of pet-friendly resorts on this page: Pet Friendly Resorts

Kris: We abide by the terms of the rental agreement. There are three cancellation policies the owner can choose from:

Flexible: 100% refund up to 60 days before check-in Moderate: 50% refund up to 60 days before check-in Strict: No refunds

Are there any additional state taxes or fees charged to a renter?

First time considering posting a rental. I do not have pictures of the resort and room. Do you have suggestions where I can find some pictures to post with the rental? I want to abide by copyright rules.

can I make an offer to the owner less than what is being asked and how would this work if accepted

Is there any way to confirm ownership before paying as a renter? I'm also concerned about paying and then arriving with my children and finding no room has been booked. This particular owner does not use the Verified system. Just trying to protect myself. Thanks!

karrieh14 wrote:

Is there any way to confirm ownership before paying as a renter? I'm also concerned about paying and then arriving with my children and finding no room has been booked. This particular owner does not use the Verified system. Just trying to protect myself. Thanks!

Is there a response to the questions above from Redweek?

karrieh14 wrote:

Is there any way to confirm ownership before paying as a renter? I'm also concerned about paying and then arriving with my children and finding no room has been booked. This particular owner does not use the Verified system. Just trying to protect myself. Thanks!

I do not work for, speak for (or in any other way represent) RedWeek, but I suggest asking the owner to provide you with some DOCUMENTARY PROOF of ownership before sending any money. It could be a copy of a maintenance fee bill, or a photocopy of an officially recorded deed (or reference to a specific book and page number in the official public records where you can easily view the officially recorded deed for yourself). You DO NOT want to find yourself inadvertently renting someone's "exchange" week (which they do not actually own in the first place). Both RCI and II strictly prohibit such rentals in their terms and conditions of membership. You should also require a rental contract that clearly specifies details of the rental, including dates, unit identification, cancellation policy, full identification of the owner and a clear, specific procedure by which you can independently confirm the reservation having been placed in your name.

Personally, I am wary of "unverified" rental listings on RedWeek. The cost to get "RedWeek Verified" is reasonable enough that I question why an owner would not simply just get their rental listing "verified" to provide peace of mind to prospective renters. Someone improperly trying to rent out a week that they obtained as an exchange (but do not actually own) tends to be my first suspicion when I see a unverified rental listing, since any such (prohibited) rental of an “exchange” could never get "verified" in the first place. There is risk to BOTH parties in the (prohibited) attempted rental of a week obtained via "exchange".

Be smart and proceed with great caution!