David Drake raised the issue of the holiday points systems offered under variuos "disguises" and names.  I use the term "disguises" as it appears that many of the "Holiday Clubs" are linked in one way or another.   Interestingly they are mostly located in KZN.   The term 'Sharks' comes to mind !!!

I bought a timeshare at Magalies Park Country Club (MPCC) many moons ago.  MPCC allowed members in as Day Visitors whenever one wanted to go and relax.   I did so as we wanted to be able to participate in the exchange system offered through RCI.    In all the years I owned and paid large sums to MPCC iro annual levies and to RCI for annual membership, I was only once able to obtain a weeks worth of timeshare elsewhere - in Orlando Florida in June 2010.   We eventually had to cancel as the flight tickets became unaffordable thanks to WC2010.    In South Africa we could not get a week anywhere.   Resorts that have camping facilities , eg Mbalingwe, did not offer its camping facilities to RCI to use.   Campers were thus excluded.

In trying to get a booking in a school holiday at a selection of resorts we were told there were no units available.  Yet phone the resort and they have space.   It then turns out that if RCI did not have a member with a week at a given resort that had spacebanked it for RCI to use, then there was no accommodation available.    RCI also charges an admin fee for the booking over and above the annual membership fee.

In 2013 I decided to get rid of the timeshare and tried to sell it through a Sales Agency (also conveniently) located in KZN.       No one was interested even at a 50% discount against the original price.   MPCC did not do buy backs either.   They had in the meantime stopped selling timeshares and had outsourced their sales on a points system to !st Exhange  located in Pinetown at the same address were Flexi Club is located.   At that stage I knew I was stuck with a problem in perpetuity.   The advantage of my children inheriting the timeshare or points was no advantage as they would be stuck with the annual levies account and restricted to the unavailablity of places to go during school holidays.

!st Exchange had an agent onsite at MPCC.   I was offered a number of points based on the purchase price of the week paid for more than a decade earlier and would have had to pay in some RK30 to have enough points to use in the system.  They take over the timeshare week.  

The end reult is that I gave the week away by donating it to the Navy Fund that has a number of timeshare weeks that it offers to members at the cost of the annual levy.    The Navy Fund paid for the transfer costs.

The thousands I paid annually I now use as and when we want to holiday or camp somewhere without having to pay an admin fee for the "privilege" of being milked.

I would not advise anyone to buy either timeshares or holiday points.   How can these resorts justify selling something in a diminishing market as the units on offer are not growing relative to the timeshare weeks or accommodation units?

Regards

Hi Butts, hope u are well.

you are so correct, these holiday club schemes are all a lot of sharks. you gain no advantages and have to pay a lot of yearly levies / membership fees for only that week or weekend you "might" be successfull to have a break away. i wanted to get rid of my points, but it seems I need to donate it, as you did, to somebody. Regards, Jan

Theo
Myne het presies so gebeur. Het in 96 my erfgeldjies bele in time share. Het /moes elke jaar na dieselfde plek in Plet gaan. Kon nerens exhange.
Toe ontmoet ek n vrou by dié kantoor en sit dit oor na n ander klub. Wetie eers wats sy naam meer nie. Walla nou het ons die wereld voor ons. Enige plek innie land en oorsee. Na n jaar of wat kom n rep.. my sien. Ek moet oorgaan na flexi, want ander plek (fluister in my oor gaan bankrot, moenie uitpraat). Flexi besit al die ander holiday klubs, even rci. Ek het nou eerste keuse op n plek. En elke keer kos dit duisende en hulle gee my sommer "X" punte pasella. Nou sit ek met duisende en dit word elke jaar meer. Oelala. Te lekker. Totdat ek nou moeg is en op my eie koste pinetown toe gaan. Gekamp by Natalia. Woon hulle A J V by en probeer my bek uitspoel. Het nie eers n spreekbeurt gekry nie, daar was talle ouens voor my in die ry om hulle bekke uit te spoel oor dieselfde rede. Eintlik uit te spoeg sou meer waar wees.
Ai ai. Toggie

Dit is 'n nare besigheid daai. Het vir jare gesukkel om net van myne ontslae te raak sodat ek darm die levies kan spaar. Kon dit nie eers verniet weggee nie. Flexiclub het 'n venster tydperk van Januarie tot einde Februarie elke jaar wanneer jy jou punte kan terug gee. Het my aansoek deur 'n prokureurs vriend gedoen en van dit ontslae geraak.

Gelukkig hoef mens nie dit wat jy erf te vat nie. Jy het 'n keuse.
Daar is blykbaar ook groot ondersoeke deur die Verbruikersraad aan die gang hieroor.

Sterkte

Ek reken altyd...hoekom n middelman betrek as jy direk met oord kan deal...aotomaties gaan middelman kostes opjaag en klient gaan daarvoor moet betaal