Which exchange company to use?

[Ilovemykidsmore Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ilovemykidsmore]

I purchased my first timeshare earlier this year. It is affiliated with II. I am currently purchasing BG which is affiliated with RCI. I am purchasing resale so not getting memberships to these included in sale. I have been checking out SFX lately and it looks pretty good. I don't really want to purchase memberships to all 3. Who do you like best and why? Give me some advice here.

[Presley Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Presley]

I've only used SFX and Platinum Interchange. The main reason that I tried them was because they take the time to post and answer questions here. I'm happy with both.

I read too many negative things about RCI and II to pay them to join. They have resorts that I would like to stay at, but it sounds like it is a gamble. At least with SFX, you are pretty much guaranteed to get an equal trade.

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

I have had a good experience with DAE. I am now a member of SFX and waiting on my first trade there. I have also joined Donita's Vacations Unlimited but not yet used them. RCI has indeed become too much of a crap shoot, and full of blatant favoritism instead of objective valuation of resorts. RCI's rentals to the public also are a huge black mark on their exchange system.

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

I would say that it all depends on where you'd like to vacation, and if your timeshare has a preference with a particular exchange company.

Exchange companies tend to specialize in different areas, although they never tell you that.

Where would you like to exchange into, and what is your first timeshare?

[Ilovemykidsmore Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ilovemykidsmore]

My first timeshare is Williamsburg plantation in VA. We are pretty varied in where we would like to go. We homeschool our 4 children so really like all the US history in the east, but would also like to explore the west and central. It would also be nice to trade into closer vacations here is Texas.

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

I would echo that it all depends on where you want to trade to. Then ask here which companies are strong in those areas.

As we, and others, have found out, if an exchange company cannot get you where you want to go, when you want to be there, they are worthless.

Also, things change over time. RCI used to have ample choice (15-20 resorts) for us, but no more. The others don't for us either.

Silverleaf, or whatever they are now, is strong in Texas, and they are RCI. There are couple of their resorts near us, so we see a lot of Texas license plates going in and out of them.

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

I have used SFX exclusively for the past 14 years. Prior to that, I used both RCI and II. Neither RCI nor II was able to deliver what I wanted whereas SFX has always been given us what we requested. We almost always request specific resorts. We have exchanged through SFX to the Royal Mayan and Grand Mayans in Mexico several times, New York City ( 3 times at different resorts ), Scottsdale AZ, Branson MO, Sedona AZ, Las Vegas ( HGVC several times ), San Francisco, Hawaii ( Oahu and Big Island ), etc. One of the advantages with SFX is you can exchange into any high quality resort regardless of the resort's affiliation. There are NO restrictions on how often you can visit the same resort like RCI has. There are many other benefits as well but the main one is getting exchanges into good resorts.

To use SFX, your timeshare weeks will have to meet their criteria.

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

Rci

If you own a resort affiliated with RCI do you have to use their Exchange Company to Exchange Only?

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

If you own a resort affiliated with RCI do you have to use their Exchange Company to Exchange Only?

Not necessarily. If you own a deeded week (not points) at a resort affiliated with RCI, you should be able to use RCI or any of the smaller independent exchange companies that would accept your week. You can't use Interval International unless your resort is affiliated with it.

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

My week is a connected with Points and is a floating week. So I presume that I can only use RCI for the exchange part.

Still awaiting my Welcome Package.

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

I have points, and when I did a non-RCI exchange, I booked a week, then did the exchange with that booked week.

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

My week is a connected with Points and is a floating week. So I presume that I can only use RCI for the exchange part.

Still awaiting my Welcome Package.

Being a floating week makes no difference. I also own floating weeks. You just have to reserve your week prior to depositing it for exchange. One of the big problems with using RCI is that many of the resorts do not allow you to reserve the week you want if you are exchanging with RCI. They do what they call bulk space banking where a block of weeks are deposited by the resort for exchange. The problem with this is that they will not be the best prime weeks which lowers your trading power. I always reserve the best trading weeks, typically July 4th, which gives me the best trading power. I then deposit it with SFX.

Even though your resort is affiliated with RCI, you can use any of the independents like SFX. You just can't use Interval International II.

[slip Contributor - Bronze Find all posts View Profile Close slip]

I agree with everyone, it does depend on where you want to go. You can join
most of the independents for free. That way you can check the inventories and
see if they have the areas you like. These are just the leftovers but it will give
you a good idea of where they have the most resorts. I just signed up for
RCI after only using Platinum Interchange. RCI does have more places closer to
my home(Wisconsin) but access to that inventory does come at a price. All fees
are higher in RCI and my last deposit with Platinum gave me 3 weeks for 1 week
deposited.

I always use my 2 Hawaii weeks but when I bought they came with 3 extra
weeks that I deposited. I'm probably going to let my RCI membership expire and
stick with Platinum.

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

Sxf

What does it cost to join SXF and what are the exchange fees?

[Presley Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Presley]

What does it cost to join SXF and what are the exchange fees?

You can join for free at the Gold level. If you join at Platinum level, it is $199 for one year. When I joined at Gold, they gave me a 3 month Platinum level.

Exchange fees are normally $159./ but they have credits and also additional fees for the most desired locations. There are various specials at different times of depositing.

The current special is very good. For example, I deposited a one week one bedroom and exchanged it for a 2 bedroom in Hawaii (one of the locations that has additional fees). My total with travel insurance was around $160. for the exchange, because of different discounts that they give.

I also just got (without depositing another week) a one bedroom in New York (an area that has additional fees) for $598.. It was basically $299 for me to rent the week + $299 for the "high demand area" fee. I still have lots more discounts and special rentals deals coming my way from that one week deposit. I've never heard anyone say anything like that about the big exchange companies.