LETTER FROM CHAIRMAN
February 01, 2011
We’ve been featuring interviews with new
“joinees” to the timeshare fraternity on our website
and I thought I’d refresh the guidelines that we normally
share with new or prospective customers. Especially if you’re
dealing with resorts outside the member network of AIRDA.
These tips could be very useful during a presentation, when
you’re signing on the dotted line, or writing out a
cheque.
Choosing a plan
If your promoter gives you a flexible calendar on holiday weeks, it
is useful to pick the prime season of the year. Plan early and you
could take your pick. The prime season usually has a seasonal
advantage.
Utility fees
Part of the homework is in checking if your resort developer
charges utility fees. It helps to know here, that AIRDA
resorts do not charge utility fees on intra AIRDA member resort
exchanges - one of the many ways you can avoid extra costs on this
account.
Have a budget in mind
It’s always sensible to plan holiday investments with a
budget in mind, and this is where you need to do some homework. Do
a comparison of similar resorts and find the one that is really
close to what you have budgeted for.
Read the fineprint
It is always, always useful to read the fine print and see if there
are any hidden clauses that might spring a surprise on you later.
Within the AIRDA network, member resorts do not charge you a fee on
exchange options, but there are resorts outside this fraternity
that do.
Deal with authorized representatives?
It is useful to interact only with authorized sales representatives
when you are finalizing your plan or package. Ask for ID cards,
business cards and other documentation, before you start any
serious discussion.
Make sure the contract is in black & white
It is absolutely essential to ensure that the entire package you
choose in terms of pricing, payouts and features, is recorded on
paper as an agreement. This can be binding. We must add here, that
contracts on paper happen automatically with member resorts of
AIRDA.
Avoid projects that are still “under
construction”
Projects under construction come with grey calendars, which means
you don’t really know when they will be completed. Some
resorts show you a main building and talk about other facilities
like a club house and pool that will “soon be added
on.” Anything that’s not already there as a built-in
facility, may never happen.
Signing on the dotted line
After the last presentation slide flashes on the screen, it is
customary for sales people to help you make up your mind. And
you can go ahead and sign up, after understanding the plan, the
offer and the actual contract you’re inking. I must add here
that only AIRDA member resorts offer a cooling period of 10
days after purchase, which is enough time to fully understand the
contract in terms of benefits and features.
Cross-check on references
Another thing you can do before making a final decision is ask the
marketing team for customer references and phone numbers.
It’s always useful to speak to current and existing customers
to obtain first-hand experiences.
You could take a print out of these guidelines, for handy
reference. Take a copy along to the presentation if it makes you
feel any better.
B. S. Rathor
Chairman, AIRDA
Virtual Tours
Membership