Anyone heard of Club La Costa Points System?

Anyone heard of Club La Costa Points System?

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Magistrate

Original Poster:

5,203 posts

214 months

Wednesday 10th November 2010
quotequote all
I'm thinking of joining Club La Costa, whereby you buy points and use them each year for holidays.

Anyone got any experience with them? I know generally about these points systems, and to me, the main thing to watch out for is the annual maintenence fees which can go up and up.

TIA

Wolff

413 posts

216 months

Thursday 11th November 2010
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I went to one of their sales presentation thingys the other month, and tbh, if I was in a position to afford it, I would probs have signed up there and then.

You buy a week (no specific week) a year for the next 57 or so years, for x amount of money (think it was about £15k). You then pay maintenance fees of about £500 a year, which can only go up by inflation (possibly plus a couple of % each year, and no more).

After that one week, you can then buy extra weeks as and when you want, from their brochure or the RCI brochure (which has literally thousands of hotels & resorts around the world) for anything from £150 up to £600 (or there abouts) depending on the size of the apartment that you want. A week can also be split into a couple of days in one city, then a couple in the next etc. This was the main reason that I was so tempted - travel the world in 4/5* luxury pretty damn cheaply!!

You are also allowed to sell your week (sell if for the same amount as the maintenance fees - job done!), and can roll them over for a couple of years if you didn't have the time one year but wanted longer the next.

As I say, I was tempted, but they were pushing for me to buy there and then (they wanted a couple of grand for a 'trial' which entitled you to 5 weeks over the next three years (I think!), and then this cost was taken off the final amount if you signed up to the full package. I wanted to go away and think about it, then call them back - oh no, they 'wouldn't be interested in my money if I didn't buy there and then' so I left it.

Would defo consider it again, and when I have the means, would certainly give them a call to see what they can do!

Hope that helps!!

ETA: The week you buy isn't at any particular resort, it can be used at any of them

Edited by Wolff on Thursday 11th November 19:53

Magistrate

Original Poster:

5,203 posts

214 months

Thursday 11th November 2010
quotequote all
Doing some research and I've come across another company that offer a similar offer (Diamond Resorts International).

But whenever you type them into Google, there's just negative stuff coming up about rising annual fees.

Might not bother then!

SwanJack

1,912 posts

273 months

Friday 12th November 2010
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Have a look at www.hpb.co.uk, essentially if you put in a one off paymnet of £10,000 you get 10,000 points a year to spend on properties they own around the world. You pay a user charge when at each property to cover overheads etc. My family has been in it for over 15 years without any concerns.

Mattt

16,661 posts

219 months

Friday 12th November 2010
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My Parents are members, as are a lot of their friends, and the quality of their own resorts is very good (the others in the brochure through RCI can be hit and miss).

They are also members of their Yacht Club, and members of the Marriott similar scheme.

All are very good - but IMO having looked at the costs, I'm not sure I could justify it. Good when I get to use their points for free though wink

petemurphy

10,132 posts

184 months

Friday 12th November 2010
quotequote all
i was told i had "won" a competition with this lot to go to the presentation and get a free holiday. after going past page 1 of google about these guys and reading the feedback i put the invitation in the bin.


Mattt

16,661 posts

219 months

Friday 12th November 2010
quotequote all
I've read a lot of the Google stuff, and TBH a lot of it is crap.

The one 'free' week isn't a bad deal - go to their Mijas resort, and go to their morning talk (free breakfast and a sales pitch) and assuming you still don't want to join - enjoy the rest of your week.

petemurphy

10,132 posts

184 months

Friday 12th November 2010
quotequote all
Mattt said:
I've read a lot of the Google stuff, and TBH a lot of it is crap.

The one 'free' week isn't a bad deal - go to their Mijas resort, and go to their morning talk (free breakfast and a sales pitch) and assuming you still don't want to join - enjoy the rest of your week.
bet they bug you all week - nothing is for free...*


  • except pistonheads smile

Mattt

16,661 posts

219 months

Friday 12th November 2010
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Not really, some other family members went - said no to the presentation, and were left alone.

sparkythecat

7,905 posts

256 months

Saturday 20th November 2010
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I've never really understood the attraction of these schemes. As I understand it, you pay a five fgure sum to a company for nothing more than the promise of future holidays. You don't own any real estate nor any stock in the company. The company then charge you an annual 'management fee' which they fix and increase to suit themselves. On top of this, you then have to pay for flights and other holiday costs.



Mattt

16,661 posts

219 months

Saturday 20th November 2010
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The Corporate structure of CLC is very complex indeed, property owning arms are far removed from membership arms.