Don't join, just use their free trips!

From a reader...

I am surprised at all of the negetive comments here. It sounds like everyone is upset they have to listen to a typical sales pitch and expect a 1st class vacation for free! REALLY??

I have had a couple experiences with Trendwest. I have listened to their presentation 3 times, and taken the 'free vacation' twice, with the 3rd in the works. The 1st 2 times, I went to Vegas. Yes, you arrive late and depart early, so you basically get 1 day there. BUT... my husband and I have 4 children and no time or money for vacations. This was a PERFECT little get-a-way for us! We are now planning on using our 3rd free trip to Cancun this year. No, not much time to spend there, but we are so looking forward to a quick get-a-way at the beach with a chance to unwind. And no, they don't book you at sleezy hotels. Both times in Vegas, we stayed at the Excalibur. Not top of the line, but not a sleezy hotel either. And the taxes and fees you pay are normal. How many of you can take a quick trip for less than $200? You couldn't buy airfare alone for that!

So, my suggestion is, if you are just in it for the free trip, yes, it is totally worth 1 1/2 hrs and a few nominal fees!!! Oh, and each time, they also gave us a $30 giftcard to Olive Garden as well! No one can be FORCED into signing a contract if they don't want to. You just need a backbone....

Mmm. So this isn't exactly a recommendation for taking out Worldmark ownership — it's a recommendation to take the Trendwest freebies. Not exactly honest, but I must admit that I did appreciate the DVD player that I got for attending my sales presentation.

Vegas, watch out!

-- Fabbo
Tags: trendwest worldmark

Disney or... Busted!

From a reader...

I have read all of the above comments. I purchased a 12,000 credit "Experience" membership with WorldMark in 2008. I haven't experienced anything yet aside from repeatedly having to request a brochure or something that says when and where I can use my vacation credits. I'm about to pay my 19th and final payment of $99 for this powerful and painful lesson that will turn out to be the most expensive mistake I have ever made. I urge anyone who gets suckered into this "experience" branded debt-hole to cancel within 3 days of signing their contract by mailing this address:

WorldMark by Wyndham Experience
Recission-Contract Compliance Department
P.O. Box 690189
Orlando, FL 2869-0189

Do a google search on that address so you can find out what information you need to send them. I've lost that information.

You're better off saving $100 a month and use it however you like. I didn't find out until it was too late that I can't use the credits for airfare, I can't go to Hawaii, or the Caribbean or on any cruises. I really wanted to take a cruise. They gave me a brochure for worldmark "The Club" which is not what I paid for. So, I'm still trying to figure out how to use these credits before June, when they are scheduled to expire.

They did offer a vacation in Disneyland / California adventure but a year and a half after mailing in the voucher, I have still never received the tickets they promised.

Altogether this experience has equated to a money-draining SCAM. I like how their company posts anonymous shill comments here to offset some of the negative reviews. From what I can tell, the negative reviews are the only real ones, the rest are all shills.

Ouch! You'd think they would treat their 'Experience' customers even better than owners, but it seems not.

-- Fabbo
Tags: trendwest worldmark

Flight attendant loves Worldmark in Hawaii

From a reader...

My friend has worldmark and I am saving to purchase one. I would never buy at a presentation as the same membership (6,000 points is what my friend has) is available on eBay for way less and is the same in every way as one purchased from worldmark.

It is perfect for my situation as I am a flight attendant and love to travel to Hawaii. My friend (who is also a flight attendant) and I have stayed at the Worldmark in Kona many times. The beautiful thing about the resorts in Hawaii is they are considered exotic bonus time so you can book them for yourself or a guest for $485.00 for an entire week up to 1 month in advance.

The exotic bonus time is unlimited and totally separate from credits. It's even cheaper if you go just Mon-Thur as weekends cost more. They have full kitchens, washer and dryers. Saves money since you don't have to eat out every meal.

My friend also booked the Worldmark in Tucson for me and my parents as guests. That one was a 2-bedroom and we paid $54.00 a night which was an awesome deal. Also they are more like condo apartments than resorts so if you really like resorts this is not for you.

I think that you have to look at your individual situation to see if it is a good deal for you or not. I get free airfare so for me it is perfect as the Worldmark resorts in Hawaii are a steal compared to other hotels. I think some of the popular drive-to resorts can be a lot harder to get rooms at, so research that if you are considering buying it for a certain location.

I went to the website for Worldmark and read through all the information and am pretty much a Worldmark expert. I even know more about it than my friend who owns it. I suggest doing the same before thinking about buying to see if it will be a good deal for your situation.

Another handy hint is if you want to know the cost of a resort per night multiply the credits X .048. For instance the resort in Kona is 10,000 credits for a week so 10,000 X .048 = $480.00. I hope my info helps someone out there. Again if you want Worldmark save yourself time and money and buy on the second-hand market from a trusted source to get the best deal.

Couldn't agree more.

-- Fabbo
Tags: trendwest worldmark