Most of us assume the rule of thumb for tipping in the US is 15 percent of our restaurant tab, one or two dollars per bag for luggage, and whatever is left over in bills and change when the pizza is delivered to our front door. Beyond that, the guidelines are fuzzy. How much do we tip other delivery people? Doormen? Hairdressers? And who has any idea about the proper protocol for leaving tips at timeshare resorts?

After reading an interesting article on tipping in Forbes Traveler, I learned the following:

• For taxis in South America, it is sufficient to round up to the next dollar. In Africa, 10 percent is the standard tip for a taxi driver, while in India, taxi drivers receive no tips at all.
• In Japan, tipping anyone, even the restaurant staff, is considered rude and offensive. But in China, 3 percent is the norm and in Hong Kong, 10 to 15 percent is standard, unless the tip is already included in your bill.
• In most parts of Europe, the tip for restaurant service is built into the bill, but you are still expected to leave 5 to 10 percent on top of that.

But after realizing how different tipping standards can be for various services and from one country to the next, I began to do more research on what is standard, at least in the US, for tipping at timeshare resorts.

When and How Much are Timeshare Owners Tipping?

Many timeshare owners say they never leave tips for the maid service at their timeshare resort. They feel that, as timeshare owners, they are already paying for housekeeping, especially at a resort that does not offer daily cleaning service. This is certainly a valid way of looking at the issue of tipping during a timeshare vacation, and I don’t think anyone ever got kicked out of their timeshare for failing to leave the maid a tip.

On the other hand, numerous timeshare owners say they always tip. Comments we found included: “we always tip,” and “we tip according to the service”. And while daily or mid-week cleaning services may not be standard, many timeshare owners pointed out instances where the housekeeping staff made sure they were well stocked with supplies, such as coffee and bath towels—attention these timeshare owners felt merited a good tip and created motivation for tipping at timeshares.

You can’t assume that timeshare resorts in other countries operate the way they do in the US. A member of a prominent online timeshare forum recently reported that he was told at Hacienda Del Mar in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, the resort charges $4 (US dollars) per day as a housekeeping fee, but the money only covers uniforms and that the maids are paid in tips, but no salaries.

Some timeshare owners say they leave $3 to $5 per day if the timeshare provides daily cleaning services. Other timeshare owners leave $30 to $50 at the end of a one-week timeshare vacation. But as many timeshare owners mentioned, the maid service may be different from day to day. If you wait until the end of the week to tip for maid service at your timeshare resort, your gratuity may not wind up in the hands of the person who actually did the work.

Guidelines for Tipping at Timeshares

So with all of those different perspectives, here are the best tips I found overall for leaving tips during your timeshare vacation:

• If you have daily maid service at your timeshare, you probably should consider leaving a tip.
• Tipping is customary in most European timeshares.
• If you ask for special services, be prepared to say “thank you” with a tip.

And here’s the best tip of all: consider leaving a generous tip at the beginning of your timeshare vacation. It’s a great way to inspire people to give you lots of good service and help make your timeshare vacation especially pleasant.

The Timeshare Authority would love to hear what you personal policy is on leaving tips for the housekeeping staff at your timeshare resort. You are always welcome to leave your comments here on our blog, or to visit us at SellMyTimeshareNOW.com onFacebook and start a discussion there.

I think the whole world is watching the fires in California, sharing the heartbreak, and trying to imagine the mixture of fear, frustration, and desperation that everyone affected by the fires must be feeling.

Fires of this magnitude are hard to understand. Walls of flame; intense furnace blasts of heat; and winds blowing the monster toward you with hurricane force. Miles and miles from the actual flames, your eyes burn and the thick, acrid air catches in your throat, turning each breath into an effort. The smell and taste of the smoke permeates your home and your car; you can’t seem to get away from it. Even if you are outside the zone of imminent danger, travel screeches to a halt as the smoke swallows on-coming traffic and makes driving impossible.

I am sure all of us have wondered this week what we would reach for if the mandate came down, “You have five minutes to evacuate your home.”

Considering that the number of California timeshare resorts is second in the US only to Florida timeshares, it is hard to imagine that some timeshare properties have not been damaged or destroyed by the fires. It is also hard for me to keep you updated on the conditions at each resort with the fire moving so rapidly and unpredictably.

In a few areas, timeshare units have been used to house emergency workers and firefighters. Winner’s Circle Beach and Tennis Resort in Solano Beach, is one resort in a voluntary evacuation area, where timeshare units have been made available to firefighters. I also know that San Clemente Inn Timeshare Resort has a waiting list of evacuees who want to stay there. And on Tuesday, a TUG member posted an update on TUG’s website saying that at that time, there were no fires near the Marriott Newport Villas but smoke was blanketing the area.

Your best source of information about the condition of your California timeshare is to call your resort itself. For general updates, here are some other resources you may find helpful:

Here’s one of many YouTube videos that looks at the fires. This one includes the reminder that we should all include the people of southern California in our prayers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fiwa09duHyE

Sometimes I have trouble understanding the way lawmakers think.

Let’s see, 10 years ago, less than 40 percent of Americans had internet access, and most of that was dial-up. Today we are a nation with incredible connectivity. The internet has enabled us to connect and communicate whether we live in small towns, big cities, or the most isolated mountain retreat. We can interact instantaneously with other people via the Internet and it makes no difference whether we are seated behind a corporate desk, in a wheelchair, or at the kitchen table. News, medical information, family updates, financial services—it’s all at our fingertips.

So why do some lawmakers in the US think it makes sense to levy taxes on the most powerful communication tool ever conceived, in a move that is guaranteed to make the Internet inaccessible to many?

What the Internet Tax Means To You

Sell My Timeshare NOW and the Internet Tax

We’ve Come a Long Way

This You-Tube video from Senator Mitch McConnell supports a permanent internet tax ban. While the video implies that this is a partisan issue, there is strong support by both political parties for this measure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjD7GiIYYwQ

A small regional advertising campaign is attracting lots of national attention lately with a series of short, extremely simple newspaper ads and television commercials. The ads are for First Community Bank; a bank with nine branches in and around Mobile, Alabama-branches located in communities like Citronelle, Zeigler Corners and other places with which most of us are not familiar.

The reason the advertisements of this small bank are in the limelight is the distinctive simplicity of their style and message: “We are an UN_BIG bank.” First Community takes a lot of pride in the fact that when you call them, real people answer the phone and provide you real service.

Isn’t it funny that this simple approach stands out so much, that it is earning kudos and awards (including a prestigious Telly) for the ad agency behind it? “UN_BIG” resonates a message we all appreciate, namely, “you won’t get lost in the shuffle here.”

Sell My Timeshare NOW is a leader in timeshare resale and timeshare rental. We help timeshare owners from all over the world advertise and market their properties when they want to sell timeshare or use their vacation ownership as a timeshare rental. We create a global marketplace with a vast inventory offering exciting options to buy timeshare or rent timeshare, and I frequently write about our amazing growth as a timeshare resale and timeshare rental advertising and marketing company.

But that doesn’t change the fact that, we are still just 85 friendly, personable, hard-working people here in Dover, New Hampshire. We offer services in a BIG way from a company that can truly be described as “un-big”. We are not one of those big-name timeshare companies whose representatives stop you on the street and try to convince you to spend the next three hours listening to their timeshare deal.

We figure you can decide for yourself whether you want to buy timeshare or sell timeshare. Our job is to make it easy for you to do what you know is right for you. Big service, but no middlemen, no hidden fees, no smoke, mirrors, complicated language, and never any arm twisting.