SUBMITTED: Monday, August 11, 2008
POSTED: Monday, August 11, 2008
Sundance Vacations. Here are the facts!
There are various packages but initially Sundance offers you 30 vacations (basically one per year for 30 years) for $15,000, $12,000 if you purchase that day only. Financing is available at approximately a 16.7% interest rate. Although financing is for 84 months (7 years) the Sundance contract is a 30-year commitment. Sundance Vacations spiel is that 30 weekly vacations, at $12,000, is equal to $400 per vacation, but let's do the math:
Initial down payment of $2,400. = $2,400
$195 per month for 84 months.
(Financing the $9,600 balance) = $16,380
$339 annual membership fee x 30 years. = $10,170
$99.00 per week reservation fee x 30 weeks = $2,970
$30.00 per night peak travel time upgrade.
$30.00 per night x 7 nights = $210 per week.
(39 of the 52 yearly weeks are peak travel time.)
$210 per week peak travel time x 30 weeks = $6,300
That's a total of $38,220 for 30 vacations or $1,274 per week and they are one bedroom accommodations because two bedrooms require another $210.00 per week upgrade. That would then equal $1,484 per week and that does not include meals, air fare, transfers to and from the airport, local taxes, on-site amenities, maid service, gratuities, etc.
All of the above ancillary fees are detailed in the Sundance Vacations contract. The minimum $1,274 per week is more than 3 times the $400.00 per week that Sundance suggests. In addition, with the exception of the initial purchase price, all the ancillary fees (yearly maintenance fees, weekly reservation fees, peak travel time upgrades, local taxes, etc.) are subject to increase as detailed in the Sundance Vacations contract. Also in the contract are very specific and burdensome requirements for booking vacations, quoting from that contract:
“You may assist our Vacation Fulfillment/Reservations department by being as flexible as possible with your desired vacation area and dates. Provide a total of 3 areas and/or 3 dates: The 3 vacation areas may have the same travel dates, or the 3 travel dates may all be for the same desired vacation area. Reservation Requests must be received at least 90 days in advance for peak season requests and 180 days in advance for holiday or special event times. Summer travel is defined as the dates between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Almost all dates qualify as peak travel so requests are typically 90 to 180 days in advance.”
$1,274 to $1,484 per vacation week (accommodations only) 90 to 180 days advanced written request with no guarantee that you'll get the vacation time and place that you choose because all requests are based on “availability” as detailed in the Sundance Vacations contract. Is that a good deal? You be the judge.