What's your favorite Exchange Company and why?

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

Speaking of the evil empire... RCI is still mine. The other independent options take too much work to find something I want/can use, much as I'd like to.

Agree. I wish it weren't so. I had a really good deposit expire with SFX and another with VRI. Never happens with the "big two."

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

I have used SFX exclusively for that past 16 years so they are obviously my favorite. Prior to SFX, I used both RCI and II. I have no use for RCI so I canceled my membership, II was much better but couldn't get the resorts I wanted. I am also a member of DAE but haven't used them.

SFX has always come through with all my requests. I also like the fact that they don't have some of the restrictions that RCI and II does nor the resort fees that RCI exchangers have to pay at some resorts. I also like the bonuses that SFX gives for depositing with them.

Are you aware of the new 1 in 3 rule that SFX has instituted for the city of New York? Not just a resort; the city.

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

Are you aware of the new 1 in 3 rule that SFX has instituted for the city of New York? Not just a resort; the city.

Yes, I am. It doesn't surprise me because of the heavy demand they have for the 3 t/s resorts in Manhattan. We will be doing one more exchange to New York and then that is it for there so it doesn't bother me. It will be our 4th exchange to NYC.

It still is not nearly as bad as the RCI 1 in 4/5 restriction at so many of their resorts. I almost always request specific resorts so the RCI restriction is much worse for me.

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

Agree. I wish it weren't so. I had a really good deposit expire with SFX and another with VRI. Never happens with the "big two."

My weeks never epire at SFX. I have had as many as 17 weeks banked at SFX. I ended up by selling many of them because we couldn't use them. I have 6 weeks banked right now.

[barndweller Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close barndweller]

I used to be an II fan. I tried RCI for 1 year long before all this points shenanigans but never found a thing I could use. When II lost the Disney resorts and then changed their handling of my non-Starwood Sheridan ownerships, I stopped using II. The bonus weeks they give for desirable deposits used to be a great deal but are now are pretty worthless. I still have a Diamond account with them and use it once in awhile for some reduced point last minute short of deals.

I don't exchange much anymore but when I do it is with SFX. I use TPI as well but not as often as SFX. Almost all my exchanges are for Hawaii or resorts in the west. I think where one is looking to exchange has a lot to do with the company they tend to use.

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

My favorite is Platinum Interchange. Great prices, no membership fee and I always get bonus weeks.
Tried RCI but it was too expensive for the amount of trading I do. I also have used Trading Places
International with good success also.

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

I have a question.

Agree. I wish it weren't so. I had a really good deposit expire with SFX and another with VRI. Never happens with the "big two."

Why do some deposits expire with SFX and not others? Just curious.

My weeks never epire at SFX. I have had as many as 17 weeks banked at SFX. I ended up by selling many of them because we couldn't use them. I have 6 weeks banked right now.

We have no favorite exchange company because we seldom exchange but when we did, we were happy with what we received from II and RCI but RCI was a long time ago.

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

I have a week banked with SFX that cost me the equivalent of a 2br in levy & Worldmark credits plus a WM exchange plus fee to bank with SFX. So am really hoping my exchange request comes through or I will just have wasted a lot of money.
My favourite exchange system is Worldmark so far, as long as I only book WM resorts. I dislike RCI because they are so expensive and sell weeks off to non-ts owners.

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

Mine would have to be a tie with II and RCI. With RCI I can obtain things I can't get in II like the panhandle of Florida a lot easier via exchanging. Plus, in the last couple of years it seems the Extra Vacations/Last Calls with RCI are cheaper in January than the Getaways are in January with II.

With Interval the Getaways are really cheap in the month of September (low season) and we take advantage of that low season and usually stay close to two weeks in Orlando in that slow month.

I like both exchange companies really well. I have gotten tremendous value out of my Wyndham points (bought resale, of course) too. And my RCI membership is part of that ownership.

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

I have used SFX once and that worked out well. I currently have an ongoing search with RCI. Since it is a specific resort and specific week, RCI wins this one. SFX requires a deposit or $300 membership level that expires in 3 years or banking a week. With all my Bluegreen opportunities, I don't exchange often, so the SFX would cost me more than RCI just for the chance to be searching for an opening. If I don't get that opening at the resort, I have likely thrown away the money or the week.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Why do some deposits expire with SFX and not others? Just curious.

The deposits expired/went unused because the exchanger could not find anything they wanted in the available inventory offered by the company.
Or the exchange company could not fullfill the ongoing search requested.

Rather then pay to extend the week, the OP let it expire.

All deposits eventually expire. Most of us exchange before that happens.

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

The deposits expired/went unused because the exchanger could not find anything they wanted in the available inventory offered by the company.
Or the exchange company could not fullfill the ongoing search requested.

Rather then pay to extend the week, the OP let it expire.

All deposits eventually expire. Most of us exchange before that happens.

Actually, at UKRE, deposits never expire as long as you remain a member.

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

Thanks for explaining, Pat. That makes sense.

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

Actually, at UKRE, deposits never expire as long as you remain a member.

Well with your favorite Points lite scheme, if you keep paying the membership fees and combine fees you can extend deposits indefinitely too.

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

Thanks for explaining, Pat. That makes sense.

That is not correct for SFX in our case.

I have always gotten every exchange I asked for. I accumulated a lot of banked weeks several years ago Because I used bonus weeks for the exchanges. The banked weeks didn't expire. Now more recently I haven't made any requests for a couple years because we have done all non-timeshare vacations. I expect next year we will start using our banked weeks again.

At SFX, they extend the expiration date of all your banked weeks when you deposit a week during a certain period. For example, I had 5 weeks banked with the earliest expiration date of July 2014 and the latest in 2015. I just deposited my 2014 week so the expiration dates on the 5 banked weeks got extended an extra year so they now expire from July 2015 to 2016. These have been extended several times. They will also reinstate a week if it had already expired. So I have 6 weeks that now will expire in 2-3 years until I deposit my 2015 week next year when they will get extended again.