[MX6]

I've successfully not managed to get any calls from these people since last 6 months.
The last time they called me, they said if I can answer 3 questions correctly I'll get a free holiday. I answered them as it was about my idol, Gandhiji.
I immediately replies, if you can answer 3 questions correctly, I will take your club membership.
The agent failed at the first question. I simply don't believe in these time share. I plan my holidays in my own sweet way.

[LonelyPlanet]

This is the equation with CM
(no of rooms X 365) << (members X no of entitlement days)
You will never get a place until u book 6 months in advance.
If you are keen on a lot of foreign vacations then this deal works out fine but not for India based holidays.
A google on CM reviews will tell you how many people are desperate to get out (unsuccessfully)

[jacksons]

Originally Posted by LonelyPlanet

This is the equation with CM
(no of rooms X 365) << (members X no of entitlement days)
You will never get a place until u book 6 months in advance.
If you are keen on a lot of foreign vacations then this deal works out fine but not for India based holidays.
A google on CM reviews will tell you how many people are desperate to get out (unsuccessfully)

I agree that its worth if you take lot of foreign vacation.
I always keep RCI membership and its handy for Indian vacations also, that you don't have to rely on Club Mahindra only.

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by MX6

I immediately replied, if you can answer 3 questions correctly, I will take your club membership.
The agent failed at the first question.

What was the first question, and what were the other two questions you had planned to ask the sales guy?

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by smartcat

What was the first question, and what were the other two questions you had planned to ask the sales guy?

No need to guess,

The first question may be,'' who was the first prime minister of India?''

The second question may be,'' who is the current prime minister of India?''

If he answered both questions, then third question must be,'' who will be the next prime minister of India?''

If he can answer all questions, then definitely he will not work for club mahindra.

[mobike008]

Been several times to Country Club in hyderabad for dinners. It used to be one of best places about 6-8 years back. Now its nothing but a glorified dhaba with people guzzling the liquid like crazy.

Even their German Castle based hotel "Amrutha Castle" is also nothing but show and no go. Bad Food and Bad Service.

I would never become a member of CC even if its for free.

[rajshenoy]

Its all a gimmick to attract people and tie them up by becoming a member

Imagine a scenario, all your resorts have combined 100 rooms, and you have 500+ members

And quite obvious that we tend to go on vacation during those summer holidays or peak season

So i bet sooner or later you end up listening to "sorry, we are booked" or "we have another great facility in XYZ, why dont you try this"

I am cool with short term, but all this 15-20 year membership, it will saturate

[arindamray]

One more disadvantage is if you want to visit 2-3 places Say for example, Munnar-Thekkady-Kumarakom) in a week's vacation - it may not be possible.

Ashish: It may not be fair to keep Country Club and Club Mahindra in the same bracket.

[ASHISHPALLOD]

Originally Posted by arindamray

Ashish: It may not be fair to keep Country Club and Club Mahindra in the same bracket.

Point noted.

People are getting irritated with the marketing ways of these type of clubs.

[SmartCat]

I wonder why these clubs don't publish their membership plans on their website. Their marketing strategy makes me quite suspicious - gives me a feeling that they have something to hide.

[v&v]

Originally Posted by smartcat

I wonder why these clubs don't publish their membership plans on their website. Their marketing strategy makes me quite suspicious - gives me a feeling that they have something to hide.

i feel it could be due to variable discount they offer and this discount varies from deal to deal.
I have a club mahnidra membership since 2006, have been able to get rooms when ever i needed a break. The only advantage is when you have a family of 4 then hotels become expensive and here you can have 1 bhk for managing 4 guests. Also there quality is 3*+.

Till now i had a good experience from them. I think the issue is when you plan to book in there peak season and if you hold the entry level membership, then it might be an issue.

v&v

[sen2009]

OK! Nice views and opinions. Now, lets take it a little deeper and speak to someone who has actually sold these memeberships. That's be myself!

I have started my career with one of these timeshare selling companies (long out of business, promoter in prison to my last update).

We have sold it under the banner of a very reputed cement company who was also the co-promoters of a five start river bank property near Kolkata. Initially we used to sell this property as a base.
(Timeshare concept - you own share of property A in Kolkata, john doe owns share of property B in Buffalo. You go to see Niagra Falls, John Doe comes to see fishing in mud.)

This concept had few takers if (and, that's a BIG if) explained in entirity to a prospect. Hence, most of Timeshare companies including ours dwelled on the concept of "Hard Sell" - take it now or never. This prevented the prospect from enquiring around.

However, the product still didn't float. Hence we got 7 domestic resorts included in our brochure. (Resorts which either did not exist or was always full).

Soon afterwards, some clients went to cops and I joined insurance sales.


Hence if you plan to buy timeshare for international holidays, keep in mind -

1. RCI cares little about its small time indian partners (cement and vehicle manufacturers included). Hence you can almost never get a proper booking to any international destination during the Gold/ Class A/ Peak season band.

2. The real attarctions in India do not have much RCI memebrships around. I mean I don't know of many 5 star hotel/ resort in agra to have RCI affiliation. If such was there, you may get some benefits as there would be some international takers of your base property.

3. For domestic destinations, along with all the reasons mentioned by avid traveloholics, please also consider the location of the resorts. Club Mahindra's Goa property is in South Goa (near Verca, I think). Far away from all the fun of Calangute - Baga. This does not make sense for me or many I know who visit Goa compulsively every year.

[ampere]

Nice view from an insider. Thanks.
That was very enlightening.

[SmartCat]

Aah yes, the "buy now or never" scheme. I was always wondering why they do that.

Club Mahindra/Country Club/Other Timeshares companies have been the first job for many people in sales & marketing fields.

[v&v]

Originally Posted by sen2009

OK! Nice views and opinions. Now, lets take it a little deeper and speak to someone who has actually sold these memeberships. That's be myself!

I have started my career with one of these timeshare selling companies (long out of business, promoter in prison to my last update).

We have sold it under the banner of a very reputed cement company who was also the co-promoters of a five start river bank property near Kolkata. Initially we used to sell this property as a base.
(Timeshare concept - you own share of property A in Kolkata, john doe owns share of property B in Buffalo. You go to see Niagra Falls, John Doe comes to see fishing in mud.)

This concept had few takers if (and, that's a BIG if) explained in entirity to a prospect. Hence, most of Timeshare companies including ours dwelled on the concept of "Hard Sell" - take it now or never. This prevented the prospect from enquiring around.

However, the product still didn't float. Hence we got 7 domestic resorts included in our brochure. (Resorts which either did not exist or was always full).

Soon afterwards, some clients went to cops and I joined insurance sales.


Hence if you plan to buy timeshare for international holidays, keep in mind -

1. RCI cares little about its small time indian partners (cement and vehicle manufacturers included). Hence you can almost never get a proper booking to any international destination during the Gold/ Class A/ Peak season band.

2. The real attarctions in India do not have much RCI memebrships around. I mean I don't know of many 5 star hotel/ resort in agra to have RCI affiliation. If such was there, you may get some benefits as there would be some international takers of your base property.

3. For domestic destinations, along with all the reasons mentioned by avid traveloholics, please also consider the location of the resorts. Club Mahindra's Goa property is in South Goa (near Verca, I think). Far away from all the fun of Calangute - Baga. This does not make sense for me or many I know who visit Goa compulsively every year.

sen2009,
What you have explained hold good for pre-2005 era. There was a burst of time share companies at that time and almost all of them wound off now barring a few. Now times have changed, they are more pro active. Companies like club mahindra is public listed company and they have excellent properties in india and abroad.

As for Goa, if you land at Madgaon then Verca is a good option otherwise if you are looking for north goa, you can easily go through RCI and book at RGBC. I think CM + RCI have 4+ resorts in goa. RCI itself has around 80+ resorts in india itself.

v&v