II primer for RCI members

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

I'm considering joining II to try one of my weeks in that exchange. I'm familiar with how RCI works, and think I know the basic differences between the two, but want to check and make sure.

* II allows search-first. Is that also true for an ongoing search? Do search-firsts have lower priority than deposit firsts?

* II weights size heavily; you can only request up to the size you have (which is okay, as I have a 2BR to deposit).

* II gives less "extra" weight to early deposits (this is the one I'm least sure about.)

I'm thinking about joining, but doing only search-first without actually depositing the week unless I come across something that looks good. I have a feeling that's too good to be true, though, so it is almost certainly the wrong strategy.

[barndweller Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close barndweller]

I have never used RCI so can't compare the 2 systems. This is info based strictly on my own experience at II:

You can put in a request without depositing your unit. But your requested date cannot be beyond the use date of your unit. You will have to pay the exchange fee at the time you place your request. It will be refunded if you do not get the exchange or you cancel the request.

You cannot request a unit larger than the one you are using to place your request.

It seems to make no difference whether you deposit first or not.

Trading power is a factor in a successful exchange. Some units never trade for the most in demand resorts. The brand-name timeshares have exchange preference within their brands and to some degree into other brands as well. (Marriott & Sheraton/Westin being examples.) How well your unit exchanges at RCI has little relation to how well it will do at II.

The earlier you place a request, the better your chance of a successful exchange.

If you have very specific dates or want a specific resort you MUST call to place your request rather than use the on-line feature. A VC can make those notes with your request.

You can continue to search for availability on-line with your unit while you have a request in place.

Once a match is made, you have only 24 hours to cancel if you don't want the exchange. You will probably not recieve any notice of the match.

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

I'm considering joining II to try one of my weeks in that exchange. I'm familiar with how RCI works, and think I know the basic differences between the two, but want to check and make sure.

* II allows search-first. Is that also true for an ongoing search? Do search-firsts have lower priority than deposit firsts?

Yes, you can do ongoing searches without depositing (this is called request first.) Whether II gives preference to request-first or deposit-first is hotly debated. Some people think II actually give more preference to request-first, since they will only get your deposit if they get you your trade.

* II weights size heavily; you can only request up to the size you have (which is okay, as I have a 2BR to deposit).

Correct, although even with a smaller unit, you can get around this limitation by requesting only resorts that have the unit size you want -- for example, some resorts have only two-bedrooms, no lock-offs. However, II gives much less trade power to smaller units, so you probably wouldn't have have enough "pull" to get a larger unit unless you were trading into a less-demanded time or area.

* II gives less "extra" weight to early deposits (this is the one I'm least sure about.)

Yes -- II reduces trading power for deposits that are later than 11 months, but the reduction seems quite small until 5 or 6 months out. Most II deposits seem to be made about 6 months out.

I'm thinking about joining, but doing only search-first without actually depositing the week unless I come across something that looks good. I have a feeling that's too good to be true, though, so it is almost certainly the wrong strategy.

Here are the two drawbacks to doing request-first: 1) You don't get an AC (bonus week) if you request first; 2) If you later change your mind and decide to deposit the week, your trade power will be based on the date of your deposit, not the date you made the request.

Plus, unlike RCI, II doesn't check with you to see if you are happy with what they found for you before confirming. If a resort matches your search, it's yours. (This is true of all ongoing searches in II, whether you deposit or request first.) You do have 24 hours to cancel without penalty, but that's 24 hours from when you match, not from when II contacts you -- if you don't keep checking online, you may not know about the match until after the 24 hours have passed.

If you know exactly what you want and don't care about getting an AC, request first should be fine. Just don't let the search run too close to the check-in date of your deposit, if you think you might want to convert to deposit first.