I hope everyone has solidified their plans

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I tried to reply to short and Bill, but it would not submit.

I am going to try it in smaller chunks.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I don't know how the search method would explain why there are fewer resorts available now than for January prior to 2006.

I don't have a number I hope to see; I have resorts I hope to see. For Lawren and myself, the simplest answer to your question would be that one nicer resort would be sufficient. Just one.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

I posted back in the winter (either here or over yonder or both) of how some resort managers on the OBX were seeing noticably fewer deposits to RCI from their resorts, and had at least one response indicating a resort in (as I recall) Cape Cod was seeing the same thing.

I think word about the RCI rentals is travelling. I here from good sources that one of the law firms involved in the class action lawsuits has been deluged with thousands of calls from RCI members wanting to help bring RCI to book for the rentals.

Ultimately RCI/Cendant may shoot itself in its foot with its greed.

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

all pahios?

I matched a nice one this morning (Shearwater) but can't use it due to the 1-in-4 rule covering all PAHIO resorts. That's cruel!

Are you sure about that? When I pull up PAHIO at Ka'Eo Kai it only says -RESORT ENFORCES 1 IN 4 YEAR RULE - No mention of a resort group.

[DebbieM Member Find all posts View Profile Close DebbieM]

All PAHIOs

That's what I was told by an RCI guide. I had heard it mentioned somewhere else (over yonder?) so I called RCI to confirm it. The guide I spoke with had to check with a supervisor, and that was the answer she came back with. On the other hand, I have stayed at Kauai Beach Villas and the Bali Hai (both PAHIOs) in back-to-back years and nobody said anything. The second year was a unit supplied by RCI after they screwed up our original booking at Pono Kai, so maybe that was a special situation. Well, I thought it was pretty special, as they gave us a 2 bedroom instead of the one BR we originally had, and my parents were able to join us at the last minute.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Here's The Rest of the Post The would Not Submit

Prior to 2006, the number of resorts available in SW Florida in January peaked at 13 and 14. For 2006, 2007 and 2008, the peaks have been 9, 9 and 9.

What is missing is not great in numbers, but it is in quality. What is missing is the Gold Crown HGVC resorts on the beach. I have a list I call The Normal Suspects which were available before 2006 and still are available.

When you study something like this daily, for a period of time close to ten years, I feel you have the right to draw some conclusions.

A number of other possibilities as to why the nice resorts are no longer available have been put forth. Inside Guy does allude to search method. His theory goes something like in the early years of my study some of the better resorts sorta slipped through the cracks. They should have matched to ongoing searches, but because of the way batches were submitted I was occasionally able to see some. Theoretically, now that that has been tightened up, I am not seeing them.

That theory is possible, but I saw them like clockwork prior to 2006, and at the same length out each year, 15 to 19 months. It was so predictable that it was more than just happenstance. The peaks for 2006, 2007, and 2008 have been at exactly the same length out, just without the nicer
resorts.

It has also been suggested to me that this is one of the most difficult trades and that I should be lucky to get anything.

Yes, I am. I do not deny that the exchanges we are making are at least comparable. (Inside Guy has assured me that I am seeing everything available).

But I don't buy that either. If it was such a high demand trade, why do I see anything at all, and why do decent, clean, resorts in wonderful locations sit there day after day, for weeks, with no one taking them?

Could it be that more people are doing ongoing requests? How many resorts
weeks are you talking about that you would expect to see? 1, 10, 100 in a one month period?

Short

[katiemack Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close katiemack]

It seems that it is like the chicken and the egg. Which came first? Do we not see anything to Exchange into because there are no deposits? Or are there no deposits because the are no good Exchanges available?

I have three week to Exchange now with RCI. One needs to be done before March 31, 2007. And I will have another 7 new weeks available to Space Bank in July. I’m sure going to look at what is available between now and July before I Space Bank any more weeks.

Just maybe, RCI needs to back off on the rentals first. They seem to be begging for deposits on their emails and the RCI web site. Do you think they are getting the message on Rentals yet?

Walt

I am seriously doubting that it is lack of deposits into RCI, as they continue to rent or sell nights/pts weeks on the cheap. What may be the real influence here is that "test" they planned to run on their website this week....just a theory, perhaps inventory is being used in the background when they do the beta test????

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

summer exchange? RCI says. . .''Let them take cruises...''

From the May issue of the ''RCI Affiliate Connection'' newsletter:

''Most calls for the next several months will be from RCI subscribing members interested in finalizing their summer vacation. . . The majority of summer space has already been deposited, and there are many thousands of people already on waitlists for the space that will still be coming in. Flexiblity with location and date range is helpful, and seriously considering other options is important. . . Cruise vacations are becoming a more viable summer alternative. The RCI Cruise Exchange program enables members to use their exchange week for a cruise to locations with lots of sun and family fun. In fact the theme of the June edition of 'Endless Vacation Extra' [the thin magazine that comes out between issues of the regular EV] is cruising. It will specifically target members who prefer summer travel but who haven't yet booked''

Let's see, now, how this works:

1) RCI member can't get a regular exchange so he takes a cruise, paying RCI more in cash than the cash cost through other vendors. Member surrenders his timeshare week for the ''privelege''.
2) RCI makes a good profit from the cash part of the transaction, and gets the timeshare week as a freebie. Since it has already received more in cash than other vendors charge it has absolutely no reason to have to ''rent out the week to pay for the cruise''
3) RCI uses the fact that it is doing more ''cruise exchanges'' to rent even more prime inventory from the spacebank.
4) With more rentals to non-members, regular summer exchanges become even harder to get for members.
5) RCI promotes even more cruises.

The best thing for timesharing would be if the scam ''cruise exchanges'' by RCI, ICE, or others, stopped tomorrow!

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

They seem to be begging for deposits on their emails and the RCI web site. Do you think they are getting the message on Rentals yet?

Walt

They sure do and even ask for deposits that are only a few weeks away of have to be used because it's is fixed time. They would be no longer offered to exchangers so where would they go?

I am still waiting for my directory too. Are they not sending them anymore unless you exchange with them?

[aniwayne Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close aniwayne]

my husband and i own with "trading places" and are pretty new to the whole thing. We feel the pain of the "chicken & the egg" trap. We don't want to deposit until we know that we can go somewhere we want--when we want.. surely this must be the biggest problem with timesharing. No one seems to want to make the first move. I am still trying to understand how to make this ownership successful for our family.

[aniwayne Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close aniwayne]

I forgot to say that our frustration lead me to this site. I thought, for sure, we are not the only ones who cannot seem to exchange with "ease" like the brochure says. I am hoping that the exchange forum on this BB is what I am hoping it is. I am hoping it is owners who are willing to discuss trading their weekly places with other owners. A way around being told "nothing is available-ever" from the staff at "trading places."!!

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

Just booked a trip across the country for July '06

We need to drive a car from Boca Raton to San Francisco this summer and our original plan was to just drive from hotel to hotel since we didn't think it would be possible this late in the game to book timeshares. In fact, we didn't think it would be possible any time to do such a trip given potential availability issues.

There were some places my wife wanted to visit enroute, so we decided to give it a crack last night. For our 15-night trip, we were able to book 11 of them in timeshares. The other 4 nights, we picked up either Embassy Suites or Homewood Suites hotels.

We used bonus time with Bluegreen, less then 60-day partial reservations for Fairfield and WorldMark. Because it was bookings less than 60-days from checkin, the average cost per night for the timeshares is about $50/night.
The hotels are well over $150/night. We don't have to pay one housekeeping or reservation fee and we didn't talk to one person to book the stays.

We didn't get our first choice locations. But, we will be able to see parts of the country we never would have gotten had it not been for timesharing. Timesharing has got to be the best thing ever created for travelling families. That's why I'm such an addict.

I would say that I need to get a life. But, isn't this what we all say we want to do? Spend more time with family in places that will create long lasting memories? This IS what life is supposed to be about.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

I forgot to say that our frustration lead me to this site. I thought, for sure, we are not the only ones who cannot seem to exchange with "ease" like the brochure says. I am hoping that the exchange forum on this BB is what I am hoping it is. I am hoping it is owners who are willing to discuss trading their weekly places with other owners. A way around being told "nothing is available-ever" from the staff at "trading places."!!

You might want to try joining some other independent exchange companies with free memberships like www.daelive.com and www.platinuminterchange.com Both of those also have a request first system where you do not have to make a deposit or prepay an exchange fee until they can confirm an exchange for you. www.htse.net is another good one, but they have a small annual membership fee. Multiple memberships and searches through several companies will increase your chances of success.
Also you might see if www.sfx-resorts.com will accept your week.