DRI Trading Power downgraded at II?

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

It seems that DRI points do not seem to be pulling up much at the II web site. Has the trading power of DRI lately been downgraded? I can't see any of the Kona Coast resort from today's sightings. Or The Sea Aquarium Resort. Or Hanalei Bay Resort in May. Or Marriott's Marbella Beach Resort. Or Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort North...all which had multiple weeks.

Are they really all gone?

ETA - And just to check that it wasn't a II website glitch, I called Diamond and had a whatever-they-call-themselves search each resort code for the weeks supposedly available. Nada.

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

It seems that DRI points do not seem to be pulling up much at the II web site. Has the trading power of DRI lately been downgraded? I can't see any of the Kona Coast resort from today's sightings. Or The Sea Aquarium Resort. Or Hanalei Bay Resort in May. Or Marriott's Marbella Beach Resort. Or Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort North...all which had multiple weeks.

Are they really all gone?

ETA - And just to check that it wasn't a II website glitch, I called Diamond and had a whatever-they-call-themselves search each resort code for the weeks supposedly available. Nada.

I don't think that trading power is what you're asking exactly. In fact trading power changes any time they change the points required for howeever they classify units by size, season, quality.

In the past, there have been filters that kept DRI Club members from 'seeing' certain availability. THE Club members have never been able to 'see' SELECT (nice word for low end) resorts online, but can book these through the phone if they call. Also, very high end resorts like FSA and WSJ have sometimes not been seen when available but some members here have gotten them with a phone call. What you are describing may be some new filter or 'block' that does effectively cut your trade power to zero.

[wwomant Member Find all posts View Profile Close wwomant]

I just tried searching on II using Club points and I couldn't see those HI sightings either (though I did get a total of 10 HI resorts available between now and November), but I was able to see the Marbella and the Sea Aquarium sightings. When you're searching with points does it still matter what your home resort is? These points are from the The Point at Poipu, 11,500 points annually.

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

I When you're searching with points does it still matter what your home resort is?

But you have Club points, right?..not a week that you've deposited yourself. Then it shouldn't make a difference...according to what DRI tells Club members.
And I just rechecked..no Marbella or Sea Aquarium for me.

@Spencer - The problem with calling in is that II refuses to talk to you...they say you need to call DRI. And the rep at DRI, searching with my account, said she couldn't see any of those.

So I guess the question is then...did they recently change the filter on Club points creating more restrictions? Or does it just seem that way and it's the same as always?

[wwomant Member Find all posts View Profile Close wwomant]

Yes, I'm using Club points, not a deposited week. I just searched and this is what I see for Sea Aquarium & Marbella:


The Sea Aquarium Resort
RCU
Willemstad , CU , NETH. ANTILLES
Resort Details & Photos
Apr 18 2009 - Apr 25 2009
e 2 2
1,625 Vacation Points
May 30 2009 - Jun 06 2009
e 2 2
1,250 Vacation Points


Marriott's Marbella Beach Resort
MMB
Marbella, Malaga , SPAIN
Resort Details & Photos
Apr 19 2009 - Apr 26 2009
2 6 6
3,000 Vacation Points
Apr 19 2009 - Apr 26 2009
3 8 8
3,625 Vacation Points

[julieab Member Find all posts View Profile Close julieab]

I can see both of the RCU studios with points. Are you putting in the resort code? Sometimes I see things under just their resorts codes or just the area and vice versa. When I'm looking for something specific (like FSA, which I see frequently), I look both ways.

I see a ton of MMB. Two new April HAN not on the exop post. No KON or KAN. Things change a lot throughout the day when I look, so check back.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

I don't think it's a loss of "exchange power" so much as I.I.'s web site sometimes has glitches. There will be times that I see a resort available, navigate away from the page to check something, then it's not available. If I refresh the page or, exit I.I. completely and go back in, it magically reappears.

As for "exchange power," I agree with what Spence has said. When it takes more points to pull the same exchange as last year, then yes, you've lost some trade power. I.I. recently re-worked how many points it takes to make an exchange. If you're trading into high or peak seasons, it take more points. If you're trading into low or mid seasons, it will cost you fewer points.

I'm not certain if this has to do with how I.I. values DRI resorts, which DRI has been actively trying to upgrade or, if DRI isn't giving I.I. the more prime weeks it wants, so I.I. increased the number of points required for an exchange.

Cutting back giving I.I. prime weeks should increase the availability of those prime weeks to DRI members for internal exchanges. On the surface, this would appear to be a good thing for THE Club members as there is more availablity of prime weeks within THE Club. Of course, if you prefer to exchange outside THE Club, it's not such a great thing.

In my case for 2009, since I could get what I needed through THE Club with fewer points than if I'd gone outside THE Club, it's been a good thing this year. For 2010 it should be the same. It's hard to tell how it will turn out in 2011. It will all depend on where we want to go and whether DRI has resorts in those locations we believe we'll like.

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

The problem with calling in is that II refuses to talk to you...they say you need to call DRI. And the rep at DRI, searching with my account, said she couldn't see any of those.

When you call THE Club you are speaking to an II employee in Miami.

So I guess the question is then...did they recently change the filter on Club points creating more restrictions? Or does it just seem that way and it's the same as always?

What you are describing may be some new filter or 'block' that does effectively cut your trade power to zero.

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

Two new April HAN not on the exop post.

anyone can post ex-ops!

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

I'm not certain if this has to do with how I.I. values DRI resorts, which DRI has been actively trying to upgrade or, if DRI isn't giving I.I. the more prime weeks it wants, so I.I. increased the number of points required for an exchange.

Cutting back giving I.I. prime weeks should increase the availability of those prime weeks to DRI members for internal exchanges. On the surface, this would appear to be a good thing for THE Club members as there is more availablity of prime weeks within THE Club. Of course, if you prefer to exchange outside THE Club, it's not such a great thing.

THE people responsible for the II exchanges work very hard to satisfy II's needs/requirements while maintaining the best availability for THE Club members. It's done on an ongoing basis throughout the year, not just a bulk bank of DRI properties once or twice a year.

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

I don't think it's a loss of "exchange power" so much as I.I.'s web site sometimes has glitches. There will be times that I see a resort available, navigate away from the page to check something, then it's not available. If I refresh the page or, exit I.I. completely and go back in, it magically reappears.

As for "exchange power," I agree with what Spence has said. When it takes more points to pull the same exchange as last year, then yes, you've lost some trade power. I.I. recently re-worked how many points it takes to make an exchange. If you're trading into high or peak seasons, it take more points. If you're trading into low or mid seasons, it will cost you fewer points.

I'm not certain if this has to do with how I.I. values DRI resorts, which DRI has been actively trying to upgrade or, if DRI isn't giving I.I. the more prime weeks it wants, so I.I. increased the number of points required for an exchange.

Cutting back giving I.I. prime weeks should increase the availability of those prime weeks to DRI members for internal exchanges. On the surface, this would appear to be a good thing for THE Club members as there is more availablity of prime weeks within THE Club. Of course, if you prefer to exchange outside THE Club, it's not such a great thing.

In my case for 2009, since I could get what I needed through THE Club with fewer points than if I'd gone outside THE Club, it's been a good thing this year. For 2010 it should be the same. It's hard to tell how it will turn out in 2011. It will all depend on where we want to go and whether DRI has resorts in those locations we believe we'll like.

When I do searches, I find that I can use less points to go to different destinations outside of The Club than by staying internally. For example, I can stay at the Grand Beach for a week in August for 10,500 points in a 2 bdrm but with II I can stay at the Marriott property 2 bdrms for only 6000 points. Yes, it may cost me $139.00, but that's a savings in my book since I save 45000 points and the Marriott's are usually nicer. So I don't feel as if trading has been lessened.

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

When I do searches, I find that I can use less points to go to different destinations outside of The Club than by staying internally. For example, I can stay at the Grand Beach for a week in August for 10,500 points in a 2 bdrm but with II I can stay at the Marriott property 2 bdrms for only 6000 points. Yes, it may cost me $139.00, but that's a savings in my book since I save 45000 points and the Marriott's are usually nicer. So I don't feel as if trading has been lessened.

You not looking at what was asked by the OP. What you describe has always been a smart way to maximize your points seeing as how the MF on 4500 points is ~$450 even without figuring the overhead costs of THE Club fee and any overhead Trust fee.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

THE people responsible for the II exchanges work very hard to satisfy II's needs/requirements while maintaining the best availability for THE Club members. It's done on an ongoing basis throughout the year, not just a bulk bank of DRI properties once or twice a year.

So I guess for high or peak seasons, the value of the DRI point has diminished in exchange power. Otherwise I don't see a particular reason why it now takes more points for the same exchange than it did last year.

When you get right down to it, all the behind the scene's negotiating is beyond me and, I really don't need to know about it. The only thing that concerns me is the value I recieve for what I pay. Higher cost in terms of points equates to a lower value. That's what I see for high or peak season. Conversely there is more value for low or mid range seasons. Unfortunately, while we tend to travel during what many consider off or shoulder season, that doesn't seem to play out as far as I.I.'s demand index. At least not for the dates and locations we choose for vacations.

I'm not sure I meant to allude to DRI bulk banking weeks. I really don't know, or care, how or when DRI gives it's inventory to I.I. The only thing that matters is the end result to THE Club members.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

When I do searches, I find that I can use less points to go to different destinations outside of The Club than by staying internally. For example, I can stay at the Grand Beach for a week in August for 10,500 points in a 2 bdrm but with II I can stay at the Marriott property 2 bdrms for only 6000 points. Yes, it may cost me $139.00, but that's a savings in my book since I save 45000 points and the Marriott's are usually nicer. So I don't feel as if trading has been lessened.

I always weight the difference between an internal and external exchange, including cost.

In our case for this year, I've given a 5 night vacation as a wedding gift for their honeymoon to a friends daughter and, we've booked a couple of 4 night stays to a drive to destination. These were internal exchanges for us. The cost was 10,150 points. Had we booked similar vacations exchanging through I.I., the cost would have been 20,500 points. The unused points for this year have either been saved to next year or exchanged using the points to MF option. The difference from 20,500 points down to the 10,150 points we used amounts to $517.50 in MF reduction using the points to MF option and, saves us $417 in Interval International's exchange fee's.

Granted I could have waited until last minute to book these trips but, that would have been a little hard on the honeymoon couple who were also relying on the gift of FF miles to book their airline seats and, I might not have been able to aquire the dates I really wanted or the check in day we prefer for our two stays. Even if we'd have waited for the Flexchange period, it still would have cost us 10,250 points for the three exchanges plus exchange fee's.

Of course while it has worked out this year that internal exchanges have worked best for us, that might not be the case in years to come. There are definately times when it's more economical points wise to do an external exchange through I.I. to accomplish the same goal. But it's one of those things you need to take on a case by case basis.

There is also the availablity issue for certain locations. While most of the DRI destinations we're interested in can be covered easily through I.I., there are a few that are not so easy to find. Hawaii seems to be a reasonably easy internal exchange through DRI but, that's not really of a lot of interest to us. What is of interest will be the possiblity of exchanging into Santa Fe, NM next year. This is at the outer reaches of what we would consider a drive to destination and, it's a destination we're interested in. Both for the area as well as for not having to fly in and rent a car. Both of which have become more expensive in the past few years.

[julieab Member Find all posts View Profile Close julieab]

When you call THE Club you are speaking to an II employee in Miami.

Funny little thing I discovered about this recently...

I recently started a job working from home and on a forum I frequent, others were discussing their work at home jobs -- for II! Most enjoyed working for them. But then there's this little section of II that services DRI and people said one couldn't pay them enough to answer DRI customers! Apparently they have to offer higher pay just to get people to work this area! They said most calls from DRI customers are irrate about increased MFs, dues, and loosing/saving points. I couldn't help but giggle.