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Bali Royal Rip-off

Monday, 28 March 2011, 18:27
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Tony,

 

Just came back from Bali myself.

 

I did go for a ride to see what Royal had to offer and went through the same rigmarole that you did. The difference was I already owned a time share (used up 20 years out of 33 years) and wasn’t exactly pleased with the experience. I also had a friend who tried to book for Royal in Jimbaran Bay but was told it was fully booked for the week when I was there (poor jock had to stay in Candidasa – that is like 2.5 hours away from Kuta).

 

So, what did I go in for? A lark, a free cup of coffee (maybe a doughnut, I did get a free ticket to Disneyland in Florida from one of this sojourn some years back) and a chance to see what sort of premise was being offered. The premises were grand (so was Hyatt which was going for US$112 a day that week)

 

Poor sales guy tried – got to give him marks – but I came with the intention of not caring if anyone tried to humiliate me – and that is how you approach the subject matter (in Florida, I went in as “speakie-no-English” and it was a hoot seeing the poor lady trying her best to explain to me what she was trying to sell). At some point, I asked him if he was trying to rile me up – because he was succeeding – he backed down. (In Florida, I went as far as to ask if they wanted me to get up on the table and do a “song-and-dance”)

 

I must admit – the property was really something – but had no beach and no nearby attraction. The price would have added up to a personal cost of US$230 a day to buy in 25 years of “7-day holidays” (US8,500 upfront with interest cost, write-off, exchange cost and annual fees). For US$230, you can actually choose to have your holidays practically anywhere at the dates of your choosing – and not be encumbered like me with “you-no-got-choice-of-place-or choice-of-when-to-go”. This is the message I am trying to make to anyone willing to listen about time-share.

 

By the way, the sales guy stated that this Princess and that actress had enjoyed their hospitality – I said, these lovely girls could enjoy my hospitality too. I wouldn’t charge.

 

Life is a lot more pleasant if we take everything in our stride with a laugh – at their expense. (Yes - I had the 4 t-shirts which I use as Pajamas now)

 

Ow

FROM:
  • ow enghaw
TO:

Hi - I wrote to your blog just now but am not sure if that got through to you

Monday, 28 March 2011, 18:38
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Hi Tony,

I wrote a message to you - with the provisio on how the dolar part is
worked out. You need to go on sharing these scam with all and sundry.

How I worked out the costings (in Malaysian Ringgit, since I was offered in RM):

Initial cost: RM25,000

There are 2 related cost to this initial sum:
a. write off over 25 years              RM1,000 a year;
b. Interest on this sum at 8%      RM2,000 a year;

c. annual fees                            RM  700 a year;
d. exchange fees
FROM:
  • ow enghaw
TO:

Wrote you a note some minutes back - did you received that?

Monday, 28 March 2011, 19:09
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Tony,

I just came back from Bali and chance on your blog - and wrote you a
mail of encouragement. Do go on sharing with all and sundry (and don't
let dickheads like Chris get you down).

1. What it will really cost you.
I bought my time share 20 year ago at a ridiculous price of RM5,700
then and it was refundable. But let me show you how much it would
really cost anyone today (from the Malaysian model):

a. initial price of RM25,000(write off over 25 years if not
refundable)    RM1,000
b. interest at 8% on RM25,000
RM2,000
c. annual maintenance fees
RM  400
d. RCI fees
RM  480
e. exchange fees (booking fees)
RM  310

Total: RM4,190 or US$ 193 a day (oops! not US$235 a day)

Hyatt Bali was on offer for US$112 a night last week - albeit a hotel
room and not a suite.

I have used a week in New York, a week in Orlando, a week in South of
Spain, 2 weeks in Thailand and 1 week in Bali. I guess the week in New
York would have paid off everything. But I was lucky - for all that 20
years.

2. The difficulty of getting a booking
Take my booking for Bali for instance - it all began 2 years ago with
my asking for Chiang Mai - and for 18 months, there wasn't even a
peep. Then they called me up to advise that there was a time
limitation to my request. Would I like to go to India or Sri Lanka for
instance since most of the resorts were full? I told them I had a
specific "reason" for Chiang Mai - they had prostitutes there! (That's
how I hsake the apple tree - and, yes, I shook rather hard for New
York too). How does that compare to some silly place in Sri Langka or
India?

I finally got a one-bedroom suite in Risata (instead of 6 of us) - so
where am I going to put Pops and Mum? Ha-Ha.

3. Costing point of view
A costing for the construction of a Hotel is based on cost per room,
fully kitted out. The estimate going around is about RM450,000 for a
1,000 sq ft room in our part of the world - and definitely a lot
cheaper in Bali. Dividing that by 52 weeks, that works out to be
RM8,653.85 a week. For RM25,000, that is about right - 3 times over
cost - if I am inthe time-share selling business. BUT - I have seen
alot of time share projecdts working on these factors and they have
fallen by the wayside over the years.

So what are we buying in? Some initial excitement and a few decades of regrets.

Hey, I have put myself down for a week in Rotorua for 6 pax again.
What are my other options?

Chuck the whole lot and be done with it?

Ow