SFX - Anyone have some tips about how to get the best value?

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

That is interesting about your letting SFX go.... Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and I am just trying to see if their strengths can fit any travel needs we have. I do appreciate direct and practical answers. Bottom line is bottom line. I gave them Easter week, spring break in Florida in a 2BR bc I know I need high holiday seasons, and this can be a precious request. Maybe it will work out, maybe it won't.


I have heard all the spin around be flexible and you will get something, etc.
If they don't have the inventory I need, and the bonuses are not something that will enhance our travels, then it is just not a good fit AND a lot of work trying to fit into a square hole. I am hopeful they will reach out to owners and find the weeks I need. When I deposited, they looked around at their requests and I deposited that week bc the agent said it was what they need. Time will tell!

I have had great success getting high season through II with enough notice, which is why I gave SFX 10 months and 2 options.
I can add summer at the Jersey shore and Newport, but those will have less notice, so I am not expecting they can fill it.

Looking at your original request the only one I think they may be able to fill is the Thanksgiving NO. They only have 4 resorts in the Miami area and I don't think you would find Doral acceptible because it is pretty far out -although they may get nye availability. The other 3 I doubt they will get any NYE week deposits. As to the Jersey Shore which you said you didn't put in a formal request I think the only area that the accept resorts from would be Atlantic City. The Marriott is on a golf course 30 minutes from AC which leaves just the Wyndham which they may get summer deposits but I doubt that is what you mean by Jersey shore. I am not sure if SFX would even accept any of the Newport, CT if you are looking for Newport, CA there is the Marriott but I don't think owners deposit summer weeks much.

New Orleans doesn't have many 2 br units but I think there would be a chance for a 1 br.

That being said for what you are looking for RCI probably would have more likely suited your needs or even better a direct exchange or rent what you have and rent what you need since your system doesn't have those locations available.

[Mark @SFX Industry Representative Find all posts View Profile Close Mark @SFX]

That is interesting about your letting SFX go.... Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and I am just trying to see if their strengths can fit any travel needs we have. I do appreciate direct and practical answers. Bottom line is bottom line. I gave them Easter week, spring break in Florida in a 2BR bc I know I need high holiday seasons, and this can be a precious request. Maybe it will work out, maybe it won't.


I have heard all the spin around be flexible and you will get something, etc.
If they don't have the inventory I need, and the bonuses are not something that will enhance our travels, then it is just not a good fit AND a lot of work trying to fit into a square hole. I am hopeful they will reach out to owners and find the weeks I need. When I deposited, they looked around at their requests and I deposited that week bc the agent said it was what they need. Time will tell!

I have had great success getting high season through II with enough notice, which is why I gave SFX 10 months and 2 options.
I can add summer at the Jersey shore and Newport, but those will have less notice, so I am not expecting they can fill it.

There is a huge difference between high season, which typically is a 3 month range of flexibility, and placing an extreme restriction for just specific Holiday weeks only (Thanksgiving or New Year's week) which are statistically know to be the least available weeks for exchange. Most seasoned timeshare owners know these basics. The odds and probabilities of availability between the two are very different and are not a reasonable comparable for results, and those are the same parameters with all exchange companies.

Thanks,
Mark @SFX
Member Communications

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

We gave SFX a Worldmark San Francisco 1 br, at their suggestion, which will expire this Nov. We are restricted though and in Australia, so to be fair, it might be more difficult for them to fulfil our request.

We requested an Australian Worldmark exchange for a family reunion. When we requested it a few months ago, there were plenty of availability that we could see online, and I had emailed beforehand to check whether it was even worth requesting it. I knew that US worldmark members could deposit the week I wanted if they deposited with SFX, so was hoping an SFX agent might keep an eye out for it and request a US Worldmark owner to reserve the week I requested, to bank with them. This is what they did with me i.e. requested that I reserve Worldmark SF with my Australian WM credits to bank, which I did.

I even went so far as go on the Worldmark forums to see if a US member wanted to reserve and bank the week I wanted with SFX so that SFX could fulfil my request.

However, nothing has come through and I am just thinking I will let it expire and maybe only deposit with SFX again if I plan to go to the US, which could be the end of next year. I am disappointed that it hasn't worked for me (because really wanted to give SFX a go since I feel they have very good customer service based on their participation on this site) but recognise that my situation is unique and probably more complicated than regular requests.

So my only suggestion is to consider what you want and how difficult it is to get it.

[monarch Member Find all posts View Profile Close monarch]

Mark forgive my semantic error, holiday weeks is exactly what I meant when I said high season. Thanksgiving and Christmas specifically.

That is why I gave up Easter week at Intrawest in Sandestin specifically.

I am an experienced and seasoned timeshare traveler.

Nothing being said here is new. I was hoping to hear from SFX users who have found the best aspects of trading with SFX versus II and RCI...

[monarch Member Find all posts View Profile Close monarch]

Mark, again forgive my brief response, we are skiing this week in Aspen and I wanted to reply, but was rushed.

Sydney, where in Australia are you looking? Does it have to be Worldmark? Maybe I can help you.

Send me a PM and let me know!

[Keep Traveling Member Find all posts View Profile Close Keep Traveling]

If you had worldmark why didn't you just reserve the week with your own credits

We gave SFX a Worldmark San Francisco 1 br, at their suggestion, which will expire this Nov. We are restricted though and in Australia, so to be fair, it might be more difficult for them to fulfil our request.

We requested an Australian Worldmark exchange for a family reunion. When we requested it a few months ago, there were plenty of availability that we could see online, and I had emailed beforehand to check whether it was even worth requesting it. I knew that US worldmark members could deposit the week I wanted if they deposited with SFX, so was hoping an SFX agent might keep an eye out for it and request a US Worldmark owner to reserve the week I requested, to bank with them. This is what they did with me i.e. requested that I reserve Worldmark SF with my Australian WM credits to bank, which I did.

I even went so far as go on the Worldmark forums to see if a US member wanted to reserve and bank the week I wanted with SFX so that SFX could fulfil my request.

However, nothing has come through and I am just thinking I will let it expire and maybe only deposit with SFX again if I plan to go to the US, which could be the end of next year. I am disappointed that it hasn't worked for me (because really wanted to give SFX a go since I feel they have very good customer service based on their participation on this site) but recognise that my situation is unique and probably more complicated than regular requests.

So my only suggestion is to consider what you want and how difficult it is to get it.

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

If you had worldmark why didn't you just reserve the week with your own credits

I have but I wanted to use the sfx deposit. I have booked 4 units for the extended family but would like to cancel one as didn't want to use all my wm credits, nor let sfx expire.

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

Mark, again forgive my brief response, we are skiing this week in Aspen and I wanted to reply, but was rushed.

Sydney, where in Australia are you looking? Does it have to be Worldmark? Maybe I can help you.

Send me a PM and let me know!

Thanks for your lovely offer but I was hoping to use the sfx deposit before it expired. It has to be the worldmark unfortunately. It's all good though because I have the units reserved with my wm credits.

[Mark @SFX Industry Representative Find all posts View Profile Close Mark @SFX]

We gave SFX a Worldmark San Francisco 1 br, at their suggestion, which will expire this Nov. We are restricted though and in Australia, so to be fair, it might be more difficult for them to fulfil our request.

We requested an Australian Worldmark exchange for a family reunion. When we requested it a few months ago, there were plenty of availability that we could see online, and I had emailed beforehand to check whether it was even worth requesting it. I knew that US worldmark members could deposit the week I wanted if they deposited with SFX, so was hoping an SFX agent might keep an eye out for it and request a US Worldmark owner to reserve the week I requested, to bank with them. This is what they did with me i.e. requested that I reserve Worldmark SF with my Australian WM credits to bank, which I did.

I even went so far as go on the Worldmark forums to see if a US member wanted to reserve and bank the week I wanted with SFX so that SFX could fulfil my request.

However, nothing has come through and I am just thinking I will let it expire and maybe only deposit with SFX again if I plan to go to the US, which could be the end of next year. I am disappointed that it hasn't worked for me (because really wanted to give SFX a go since I feel they have very good customer service based on their participation on this site) but recognise that my situation is unique and probably more complicated than regular requests.

So my only suggestion is to consider what you want and how difficult it is to get it.

Hi Sydney - Thank you for your post. If you would be kind enough to private message or email me at accounts@sfx-resorts.com, with your name and account number, I could take a look at this for you.

Thanks,
Mark @SFX
Member Communications

[Mark @SFX Industry Representative Find all posts View Profile Close Mark @SFX]

Mark forgive my semantic error, holiday weeks is exactly what I meant when I said high season. Thanksgiving and Christmas specifically.

That is why I gave up Easter week at Intrawest in Sandestin specifically.

I am an experienced and seasoned timeshare traveler.

Nothing being said here is new. I was hoping to hear from SFX users who have found the best aspects of trading with SFX versus II and RCI...

Hi Monarch - Thank you for your reply and clarification. May I ask what locations have you enjoyed at Thanksgiving and Christmas for your previous exchanges?

"For what it's worth", in brief....the best aspects of trading with SFX are; Instead of being restricted to resorts in the exchange network your resort is affiliated with, you can request the higher quality resorts listed in both major exchange systems. There is also a higher consistency of quality, as we do not accept many resorts into our network

Our overall pricing and consumer value-proposition is less cost.

An SFX Bonus Week can be requested up to one year in advance, similar to an exchange week. SFX is the only exchange company that offers this. The other company's Bonus Weeks, are typically "left-overs" that are bookable around 60 days or less. SFX Bonus Weeks are around $69 to $900 for a week, depending on unit size and how far in advance you are wanting to reserve. The average retail value is around $1,600 +/-. The average price of an SFX Bonus week is about $475 for 7 nights; about half the price of a maintenance fee. (The average price of a 3-4 star hotel room for two, is around $200-$225 per night; around $1,500 for a week).

There are a number of other benefits, but I would say these are the best aspects.

Thanks,
Mark @SFX
Member Communications

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

Hi Sydney - Thank you for your post. If you would be kind enough to private message or email me at accounts@sfx-resorts.com, with your name and account number, I could take a look at this for you.

Thanks,
Mark @SFX
Member Communications

Dear Mark, thank you. I have forwarded my emails with SFX onto you. I don't expect miracles though and am happy to deposit with SFX in the future if/when we travel to the US. We were going to be in the US during our last overseas trip and would have been able to use the deposit then but crossed off the US and only did Europe instead.

I think you are predominantly a US-members based exchange company so I certainly understand that my situation is not the norm. Despite being disappointed that the week will likely expire before I have a chance to use it, as I said, I am still happy to give SFX another go if we end up going to the US in Dec 2015. Not a fan of RCI.

[Mark @SFX Industry Representative Find all posts View Profile Close Mark @SFX]

Dear Mark, thank you. I have forwarded my emails with SFX onto you. I don't expect miracles though and am happy to deposit with SFX in the future if/when we travel to the US. We were going to be in the US during our last overseas trip and would have been able to use the deposit then but crossed off the US and only did Europe instead.

I think you are predominantly a US-members based exchange company so I certainly understand that my situation is not the norm. Despite being disappointed that the week will likely expire before I have a chance to use it, as I said, I am still happy to give SFX another go if we end up going to the US in Dec 2015. Not a fan of RCI.

Hi Sydney - Thank you for your post. I looked into this today, and wish to advise that Worldmark members have been contacted, and because we are networked, have also checked with other exchange companies, and sadly no one has that week available, including the resort. Although at this moment in time, it simply doesn't exist with anyone with regards to availability. Your request is waitlisted with multiple entities in the event of any cancellations. Although we do not get many requests for Australia, we do have access to a lot of inventory, if it is available.

There are options for not letting your week expire... I would not let this be a concern.

Thanks,
Mark @SFX
Member Communications

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

Thanks Mark. Appreciate your efforts!
Regarding the expiry date of an SFX deposit, is it like RCI where you have to travel by that date, or like DAE where you only need to book by that date? Just thinking that if I deposit another week so that I can extend this current deposit by a year to Nov 2015. I will need to travel to US in Dec 2015. So extending for a year might not even be enough. I might just give it away to a ts4ms friend as happy for someone else to at least make use of it.

[monarch Member Find all posts View Profile Close monarch]

Mark,
I called SFX for about a month (several calls) before I filled out the trial membership form. I cruised the site extensively and did a very thorough due diligence. I asked every agent that answered about what SFX can add to our travel situation, sharing expectation and needs. I am open to receiving information and ask a lot of questions of everyone!

I wouldn't consider access to outside resorts a value ad for an exchange company, I would consider it part of the definition of a trading company. Levels of customer service, quality of inventory, availability of inventory, ease of use, customer loyalty... these are how I would look at the value ad aspect (I might be very wrong here, wouldn't be the first time!)

No on at SFX ever said directly or indirectly that:
"Our overall pricing and consumer value-proposition is less cost."
That is not at all what I am looking for...

Certainly this is a marketing distinction, but my impressions (which I confirmed with every agent I spoke to) were that SFX only accepts a certain caliber resort (I own a couple of excellent trader resorts specifically for their functionality in II and RCI which SFX won't accept), has direct relationships with developers and owners who deposit, and makes an effort to go out and find what the customer needs. Am tired and may not be saying this clearly. I don't think I am saying anything exotic or new...

I asked what SFX needed from me, and gave it (at much higher cost to me, specifically 4-5 times more cost). SFX didn't ask for a shoulder week, I was asked for a high season holiday (Easter) week.
I showed up and am hoping SFX can do the same! Pretty simple.

Saving money may be a priority but isn't even a slight consideration when I am trading high maintenance fee resorts of great appointment/location. being high on the food chain cost wise isn't always great in any exchange system. Ask any Four Seasons, Ritz, DVC, HGVC, CI, etc. etc. etc. owner. I want the security of quality and luxury. Pennywise pound poor makes no sense when I have paid my high MFs... More of less quality is not what I want. And as for holiday time being rare, I put my money where my mouth is and gave up holiday time. I know someone will be enjoying Easter week in Sandestin (and I am happy about that!) and I am hopeful I will be enjoying Thanksgiving in New Orleans or the week following Christmas in Lauderdale/Miami.

Maybe the trick for you is in how to attract more of the higher end resorts so we are all eager to get in line

Thank you for taking the time to reply!
monarch