Exchange Company suggestions

[funtime2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close funtime2]

With the increase in RCI fees across the board, I am thinking of looking at other options. We live in Eastern NC and usually drive to our destinations. Looking for an exchange company that has options on the east coast and inland that are driveable in a day (12-15 hours).
I tried SFX, but they did not have much inventory that I could use. Has it gotten any better over the last 3 years? I ended up loosing one of two weeks that I had deposited.
Maybe it is time to sell my timeshare and just rent the times we are wanting. We have had some great exchanges over the last 15 years, but I am concerned what direction timesharing is headed in and it seems like the price increases never end.

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

I'm on the other side of the country, so I don't know how much inventory SFX gets for your area. I do see some stuff on the east coast on their sell off list from time to time. The resort list on the site doesn't show all the resorts that you can trade into.

Have you looked at Platinum Interchange? You can search on that site by making an account there. Go to the AWAY list and you can specifically search areas.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

I think of all the options Platinum would probably serve best.

Here are couple of available units for next summer that fit your criteria:

Island Links Resort Hilton Head Island, SC
United States 8/5/2012 8/12/2012 2BD/6

Powhatan Plantation Resort Williamsburg, VA
United States 6/15/2013 6/22/2013 2BD/6

Sandcastle Village New Bern, NC
United States 6/2/2012 6/9/2012 2BD/6
Sandcastle Village New Bern, NC
United States 5/12/2012 5/19/2012 2BD/6
Sandcastle Village New Bern, NC
United States 8/18/2012 8/25/2012 2BD/6
Sandcastle Village New Bern, NC
United States 8/25/2012 9/1/2012 2BD/6

The Summit at Massanutten McGaheysville, VA
United States 8/31/2012 9/7/2012 2BD/6

They also get a lot of Vacation Village properties and PVC

From what friends of mine have experienced the customer service is excellent.

The only caveat I would throw in here would be the seasonal and unit size upgrade fees that you might incur at $97 a pop. One seasonal and one unit size upgrade makes an exchange with them ~ $350. However they have a LOT of Lake Placid NY units, among other nice units and we know what RCI wants TPU for summer so the fees may be worth it.

I know that TPI has been working hard to bring some east coast on-line ie. Myrtle Beach, VA Beach but I see nothing in "summer". I'm not sure what if anything will be brought to the table there with II.

JMHO

For myself, I have divested of all but one timeshare week, it is a second step son twice removed Wyndham that used to see everything and now sees nothing but it serves my purposes via internal free trades for now. The rest I get via rentals.

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

The seasonal upgrades through PI are more Holiday upgrades and they can be
avoided by making sure your deposit is a Holiday deposit. So then, if you don't
need a size upgrade the exchange is a great deal at $129.00. They even have
specials, sometimes if you book on Fridays you get $10 off so it's $119.00.

I joined RCI about a month ago and I was disappointed because the inventory
is more rentals than exchange inventory. The good thing about RCI is they do
have more higher end inventory than PI but the resorts in PI suit me fine and
I will probably let my RCI membership lapse with out even giving them a deposit.

[Ridewithme38 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ridewithme38]

have you considered Donita?

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

For myself, I have divested of all but one timeshare week, it is a second step son twice removed Wyndham that used to see everything and now sees nothing but it serves my purposes via internal free trades for now. The rest I get via rentals.

I see a lot of longtime timesharers who mostly traded doing that, and I understand why. It is not just the specific changes that have occured so far at RCI but also the ongoing atmosphere of uncertainty as to what major change they will roll out next. II seems to perhaps be heading down the same road, although more slowly. Independents work for some, but it often means using several independents.

Personally, I am also downsizing, although independents still generally work for me for exchanging. It is easy to rent out my summer OBX week for a nice profit so that is what I have been doing. Independents are very happy to get my summer UK weeks and they always go to ongoing requests as soon as I deposit them. I have sold one of my SA weeks to a colleague I work with and may get rid of the other one soon, although the recent currency exchange rate changes between the rand and the dollar tempt me to keep it a bit longer.