I can understand where you are coming from with these comments and I think you are smart to be skeptical and careful on this.

If I hadn't initially walked into the experience thru a family member who was able to share the membership benefits with me for several years, I probably would have never touched it.

I can say that I do enjoy renting a 1BR condo on Kauai, for example, for an off-peak weekly price that works out to $226, not counting the up-front membership fee.

Not trying to sell this. Actually, I would discourage anyone from doing this unless they have flexibility in time & location and take the time to learn the ins & outs of using the program. I think they collect a lot of fees from people that don't use all their membership weeks.

For a family like mine that takes a lot of trips and likes the locations where the condos may be available it works! Just saying, it can work well for value-minded vacations.

I also wouldn't pay full retail for the upfront membership. I calculated it would take me two to three years of savings to reach the break even point on the membership fee.

I'm using the free week offer in Destin in the near future. $0.