Festiva goes to points and charges Thousands

[arby]

On July 3, 2006 we purchased a time share from Festiva Resorts LLC for $7900 plus $345 in processing fees, a total of $8245. At that time we were told by our sales rep Mr. King that we should invest in the Festiva time share because it did not deal with a point system. He said that on a point system you could never accumulate enough points to enjoy any other resorts other than your home base.
On May 14, 2006 not even a year later, we were visited in our home by Glenn Malone a representative from Outfield Marketing LTD. They represent Festiva to inform all owners that Festiva, effective June 15, 2007, is changing to the point system. In fact all of the best resorts were changing to a point system, Marriott, Hilton, Shell, Fairfield and Disney. Within the next few years Outfield Marketing will work with Festiva and would convert all of the Festiva resorts to the point system. “100%”
“Now as an owner you can not sue Festiva for changing there basic business concept,” we were told, “because we are offered the option to keep our current plan.” However you will have little or no chance to use your weeks as trade since all of the resorts and owners with Feativa will be converting to the point system.”
Glenn went on to say that he needs us to decide to switch right now because the owner of Festiva is offering a one time fee to switch of only $2990 plus a $195 in processing. We could call him on his cell phone at 417-231-3567 by 8am May 15 and he could hold this rate but he would need a check at that time. If we waited until June 15th when the change goes into effect it will cost us an additional $8950.
This sounds to me like a breach of the original intent of the agreement and blackmail. It is my opinion that if they want to change the way that we are to do business we should not be charged for the change. I am not an attorney but if you are a Festiva owner and would like to join me in seeking legal advice regarding our rights and any action we might take as a group please contact me.

[Spence]

This is the same sort of scare tactic that they all use to get you to change. You don't need to change and you don't need to be too concerned that 'everyone' is changing but you. I don't know what the program you have with Festiva is exactly but you can certainly continue with it. There is no legal recourse or reason to waste money on a lawyer.

[timeos2]

OMG - where do I begin? Classic salesweasel FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt) to make you feel your purchase of a week is somehow now devalued and only if you pay more to buy into points will you be happy. Hog wash! Weasel turds! Sales slime! I like points systems, wouldn't think of buying anything else, except in a few seasonal areas where it is better to own within the only good season or you may be stuck with the less desirable times. But that doesn't mean that overnight or at a developers whim your purchase of a week, which you were happy with, suddenly becomes worthless unless converted to points. Why would that be?

This is total BS. Save your money, don't listen to anymore "advice" from these jerks and enjoy what you purchased. You won't miss a thing if you stay in weeks except the "joy" of paying more money to buy points.

The "pool" of use at a resort can be a mix of weeks and points - each group gets to use what they own and no one group can grab all the good times and leave the crap for the other. So even if 99.9% of all owners switched from weeks to points (unlikely) your week could not be claimed by them as it would stand alone as the only remaining non-points use time. Or the reverse. If 99.9% of the resort is weeks and the .1% tries to reserve more than .1% of the use time they can't. It's not in their "pool" to use.

So pay no attention to that weasel behind the smile curtain. Enjoy your week and don't let them talk you into anything else or worry that you'll be "left out" of a great new deal.

[Carolinian]

Typical points conversion shakedown! These scam artists are trying to make you buy your week all over again.

[LdySmk]

So the Outfield Marketing guy just left my house and, of course, he wanted us to pay the $3000 to convert my Festiva week into points.

My question is why convert? What is the advantage?

I have a week every even year in the Festiva system right now. He tried to explain their system. I knew how points worked, but he tried to explain that 90% of the owners were converting. Also mentioned that there were 55,000 members in the points system and only 8500 in the Deeded side now. How close is that figure? Something sounds fishy...

I almost bought, but my husband got online and started seeing these forums with horrific experiences.

Is the Festiva system working for the points owners?

I have not had any problems as an owner of my property in the 3 years that I have owned it.

Just Curious...

[Holly]

I own a fixed summer week at Atlantic Beach Villas in NC. I'm happy with my week and have no intention of converting. There are MANY unhappy Festiva owners that converted. There's a lawsuit or two as well.

If you are happy with your week, then don't believe what the sales guys tell you. I wouldn't let them in my house either!

[Jya-Ning]

After they purchase the Peppertree from Wyndham, they double the total number of the owners they services to 55,000 in 2007. Their point owner is 4,700 at the same time. That means the actual week in their club is less than 1/10 of their total inventory. 4,700 owners probably is around the same numbers of Atlantic Beach owners.

Not worth it. At this moment, they may come different membership later which your conversion will not covered.

At recent eBay,there RTU club member points worth about 4500 points (or about 1 red week 2 BD in beach) get close to min starting bid ($1). You probably want to buy from eBay first to play with to see if you like any of this point idea.

Jya-Ning

[Ediesbeads]

Stick with what you have! It's standard salesman garbage.

Edie

[buddyc]

My wife and I have been owners at Church Street Inn since Oct., 2004. We have not received any pressure by Festiva to go to points.

Points do offer a great deal of flexibility in using your points to go to different resorts for less than a week.

I have been an owner with Bluegreen since 1996 (married the second time in 2004) and they went to points a few years later. I paid the conversion amount and consider it money well spent because of the flexibility.

[somerville]

If you don't like Festiva's sales tactics, I encourage you to file a complaint with your Attorney General's office, as well as the MO AG and the NC AG. Missouri recently settled a lawsuit against Festiva over misleading sales practices at a resort in Branson.

I believe that the number of points owners is a fraction of the total number of Festiva owners. There were less than 11,000 Equivest/Peppertree points owners when Festiva acquired it from Wyndham. I doubt that many have converted to points. I am probably one of a few who did. I did it for financial considerations.

As for flexibility of the points system, that remains to be seen. The ability to use points for a less than week stay is only available closer to the use date. By then, most of the prime time weeks have been reserved.