How could you refrain from shopping?

[Nords]

The geek sections are half of what they used to be in late 90's 

Can a geek in a bookstore still be a geek?  

That's so last millenium when everything geekish is online... gosh, I wonder if Fry's has their own website where you could order stuff without even having to leave the house!

 

[cube_rat]

OMG U guyz R n3rds.

LMAO, i'M a pROud gEEk

 

[cube_rat]

That's so last millenium when everything geekish is online... gosh, I wonder if Fry's has their own website where you could order stuff without even having to leave the house!

Fry's has resisted the calling! Nothing like actually feeling the tinkertoys.

http://www.frys.com/

 

[justin]

LMAO, i'M a pROud gEEk

U R so 1337.

 

[yakers]

That's so last millenium when everything geekish is online... gosh, I wonder if Fry's has their own website where you could order stuff without even having to leave the house!

Yeah, but then you miss running the junk food gauntlet by checkout

And the midweek reams of paper for 99cents and other daily specials,

Oh, and my local one (Burbank) has a dining area inside too!

And there are all the things you need to look at, like monitors,

And the floor specials,


My name is yakers, and I am a Fryaholic....

 

[ESRBob]

There's something about the smell of soldering irons that always gets my heart racing. Investing in failed electronics startups kinda cured me of the affliction, though. Not sure I can recommend it as a cure for Fryaholism, though, Yakers.


I-hate-CNBC-- your technique of buying a timeshare slot on eBay and then trading it for something better in the network sounds too good to be true -- is this something you think the average layperson could replicate or would it take a hard-core insider with a penchant for jetting off to random distant places on short notice in order to get the kinds of deals you're talking about?

 

[IHateCNBC]

I-hate-CNBC-- your technique of buying a timeshare slot on eBay and then trading it for something better in the network sounds too good to be true -- is this something you think the average layperson could replicate or would it take a hard-core insider with a penchant for jetting off to random distant places on short notice in order to get the kinds of deals you're talking about?

I purchased two weeks at a crappy timeshare in TN.  I use it to trade.  Once you get an RCI account you can go in and bank your weeks and then pick another week(s) elsewhere.  I use a company in Australia that goes this for me for $69.    There is no point to drop 10-30K on a timeshare week like some people do. 

I know that is hard to visualize but once you bank your weeks you can look at what is available and reserve it.  It is not hard at all.  IMO. 

 

[justin]

I know that is hard to visualize but once you bank your weeks you can look at what is available and reserve it. It is not hard at all. IMO.

What do you end up paying per night after all the fees and everything (on average)?

 

[IHateCNBC]

What do you end up paying per night after all the fees and everything (on average)?

I pay 52 maintenance fee per year and the 69 exchange fee so it works out to 17.29 per day.  I have two weeks or a total of 14 days of lodging per year.

I stayed at place in Paris that was 368 per day if you walked in off the street for a night.  I stayed at another place in Capetown that was 299 per day. 

Once you get an RCI account then can see what is available:

http://www.rci.com/RCIW/RCIW_index?body=RCIW_rdMain

Note:  I don't work for RCI (actually I don't work at all ).  I just find it a great deal, of course if you do not be a sucker and pay 30K for a timeshare week in Vegas or something. 

 

[tikitoast]

So let me get this straight...he tells you that you can cut back on shopping and your first reaction is to buy something?

Yup, there it is--my entire problem. I need help, but at least I know I need it 

 

[free4now]

I'm not a timeshare person myself, but from what I have read it can make sense if you buy on the secondary market (e.g. ebay) rather than buying from the salesguys that want to give you a free vacation for listening to their come on.

 

[justin]

I pay 52 maintenance fee per year and the 69 exchange fee so it works out to 17.29 per day. I have two weeks or a total of 14 days of lodging per year.

I stayed at place in Paris that was 368 per day if you walked in off the street for a night. I stayed at another place in Capetown that was 299 per day.

Oh, ok. You bought the timeshare weeks for the place in Tennessee on ebay for a couple grand or so, then pay the $52 maintenance fee on the place in tennessee each year. But you trade the weeks in Tennessee for other locations. Do you usually get 14 nights in good places in exchange for 14 nights in TN?

 

[IHateCNBC]

I'm not a timeshare person myself, but from what I have read it can make sense if you buy on the secondary market (e.g. ebay) rather than buying from the salesguys that want to give you a free vacation for listening to their come on.

Either was I but if you travel overseas you got to get creative.  

$15USD equivalent for a Subway sandwich in the UK (and that is not the meal deal) or $7USD equivalent for a double cheeseburger in Tokyo at McD's opened my eyes to I can not afford $200 plus a night for a 10x10 room and a single bed.  The timeshares I stay at normally have a bedroom and a full kitchen and most importantly a washer and dryer.  

 

[justin]

I looked at a few dozen timeshares on Ebay a few minutes ago. All the maintenance fees were at least a few hundred per year for each week you buy. I guess you just have to keep looking for something with a maintenance fee of under $100?

 

[IHateCNBC]

Oh, ok.  You bought the timeshare weeks for the place in Tennessee on ebay for a couple grand or so, then pay the $52 maintenance fee on the place in tennessee each year.  But you trade the weeks in Tennessee for other locations.  Do you usually get 14 nights in good places in exchange for 14 nights in TN?

They were $125 per week but  I bargained and got two weeks for $225.

Once you get your RCI account you bank your weeks and then in a day or two you can go searching for what is available.  Or you can call the 1-800 and talk to them.  What I do is get one week at a country or place I really want and then try to work the other week into the mix somehow.  I stayed at the same place two weeks in a row in Panama with no problems.  It was a very nice golf course resort with free green fees.  I played 396 holes and needed a break after being on vacation.  

 

[IHateCNBC]

I looked at a few dozen timeshares on Ebay a few minutes ago.  All the maintenance fees were at least a few hundred per year for each week you buy.  I guess you just have to keep looking for something with a maintenance fee of under $100?

I purchased mine in 1999.  I am sure a lot of people are figuring this trick out.  My maintenance fee is fixed until I sell it and then the next person gets the higher fee.  I am sure not all places are like this since each timeshare place has their own rules.

 

[justin]

I kept searching and never saw a place with maint. fees under $400 or so. Darn!

 

[IHateCNBC]

I kept searching and never saw a place with maint. fees under $400 or so.  Darn!   

Do a google search on timeshare resales. You have to make sure you are buying a RCI week and not a week at that specific resort. I looked on Ebay also and it appears they are using the terms like floating week and red week but it is just at that resort.

I guess it is to hard. Never mind.

 

[justin]

Do a google search on timeshare resales. You have to make sure you are buying a RCI week and not a week at that specific resort. I looked on Ebay also and it appears they are using the terms like floating week and red week but it is just at that resort.

I guess it is to hard. Never mind.

I guess this is a subject that requires a good bit of "due diligence" before jumping in. Maybe I'll give it a try some day.

 

[IHateCNBC]

When I bought I did not have to do all this stuff?

In addition to the winning bid amount will be the 2006 maintenance fee of $330, plus the closing cost of $395, plus the resort transfer fee of $75 due seller at close of auction..

I only had to pay the 52 x 2 maintenance fee up front and of course the $225 for the title.

Looks like the scammers have found this out now since I bought 7 years ago.

I am sorry I brought it up.  

 

[IHateCNBC]

I guess this is a subject that requires a good bit of "due diligence" before jumping in.  Maybe I'll give it a try some day.

PM if you need any pointers. I am glad I am not trying to go through this maze now. Looks like the "selling a week" is big business now.

I guess in 1999 (height of the internet bubble) no one was looking for cheapo deals like me.