Helpful advice for happy ownership

Some helpful information posted by '1nceBurned2wiceShy'...

The experience for WM owners seems to be different, or else I was just lucky.

We just returned from our first use of one of our WM timeshares purchased on eBay (soon to be combined to save admin costs). Upon check-in, and having identified ourselves as first-time users, we were invited to attend an "informational presentation" regarding our new ownership. (I thought, "Oh boy, here we go."). Nevertheless, after considering it overnight, we accepted.

To my surprise, it turned out to be just that. I had done some research through the WM website prior to our stay, but they cleared up a number of questions regarding the Exchange Plus program and other questions. We spent two hours with the salesperson that included a tour of the Presidential Suite -- very nice (and tempting to buy more credits -- beware the WOW factor).

Because of the all the time spent with us, we, and especially my wife, felt a little guilty declining their various offers, but their prices were about 6X what we paid for our credits through EBay. Nevetheless, they gave us our AMEX gift card as promised -- no hassle, and no high pressure tactics. We have already planned our return trip to Steamboat Springs, CO next June and then on to Yellowstone, MT.

Do your due diligence and research (this site is a great starting point), buy online from a reputable reseller, have patience during the closing/transfer process, then start enjoying some really extravagant, affordable vacations. Oh, and plan ahead as much as possible -- especially if you want to get into Yellowstone during the busy seasons.

Yes -- buying the points cheaply (definitely no more than $1 per credit) will give a worthwhile Worldmark experience.

-- Fabbo Tags: trendwest worldmark