Anybody try VRI ety yet?

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

Today I finally called VRI and set up my account with them for the internal exchange. I've got a week at Ft. Lauderdale beach resort that I've been trading in II, which I'm not crazy about the exchanges so far. So was looking into what VRI offers.

Seems pretty reasonable. $109 for a full week exchange or $109 plus $59 for a split week exchange. 4 nights and then 3 nights. Only 1 weekend allowed.

Has anyone tried it yet?:

It's cheaper than RCI.
It's powered by Trading Places, although I saw somewhere that RCI was going to do their exchanging. I guess not. Better for me since I've already got RCI.

I was looking at the offerings and see lots of stuff on the Gulf coast of Florida where I like to vacation in the summer. Lots of nice beach places including Hawaii too. Lots of options that I think look nice.
Also see some Europe, South America, Mexico and South Africa

Of course they want you to deposit first but also offer a look first exchange later option.

Looks like you can exchange online or on the phone for same price.

So anyone try it yet?

[riverdees05 Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close riverdees05]

I deposited a 2010 Landmark Vacation Beach Resort - Panama City Beach, FL with them and have been looking at availablility.

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

Do you think it's necessary to deposit first? I'm not gonna use my week anyway so figureing I might just go ahead and do it now and get an advantage on trading power. It's not a year but will be 10 months. Do you think it's a good idea yet?

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

My Gaslamp Plaza Suites resort is a VRI resort. I used VRIety when we first purchased many years ago. It went away but has resurfaced again.

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

My Gaslamp Plaza Suites resort is a VRI resort. I used VRIety when we first purchased many years ago. It went away but has resurfaced again.

Did you get a decent trade for your unit?
I imagine San Diego is high red all year, is it?

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

Did you get a decent trade for your unit?
I imagine San Diego is high red all year, is it?

Yes, the trade was decent. Gaslamp Plaza Suites is "red" all year. I bought it when the resort first opened and use it strictly for trading and bonus time as we live pretty close to San Diego. I always reserve the 4th of July week for maximum trading power.

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

Can someone check availability in Newport for the last week of August? TIA.

[joycapecod Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close joycapecod]

Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5


You have chosen the following resort week for exchange:

Oceancliff Resort
Newport , RI, United States
Aug 21, 2009 - Aug 28, 2009
1 Bedroom
Newport , RI, United States
Max Occupancy 4

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

Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5


You have chosen the following resort week for exchange:

Oceancliff Resort
Newport , RI, United States
Aug 21, 2009 - Aug 28, 2009
1 Bedroom
Newport , RI, United States
Max Occupancy 4

Thanks, Joy! I have a one bedroom the week after, am hoping to "upgrade" to a two bedroom. Good to know they have some last minute inventory, I will sign up with VRI for an online account tomorrow.

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

Huh?

It's powered by Trading Places, although I saw somewhere that RCI was going to do their exchanging.

I'm not saying you are wrong, but I am curious to know how or why you apparently believe that Trading Places Intl. is involved in any way with the VRI*ety program?

You may well be correct, but that assertion is certainly news to me. Since the inception of the VRI*ety program I've never once before ever heard or read any reference to Trading Places being involved or associated in any way with the program.

The basis for your stated belief?

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

I'm not saying you are wrong, but I am curious to know how or why you apparently believe that Trading Places Intl. is involved in any way with the VRI*ety program?

You may well be correct, but that assertion is certainly news to me. Since the inception of the VRI*ety program I've never once before ever heard or read any reference to Trading Places being involved or associated in any way with the program.

The basis for your stated belief?

The search engine is TPI's platform. When VRIety first came up you could sign in using your e-mail and your TPI password.
I haven't been in lately so don't know if that's the case any more.

Also the areas that were available to search on-line at Trading Places changed at the same time as VRIety came up. You will also see some of TPI's inventory in VRIety although the reverse is not true.

Given those facts I went to someone who knew the answer and it was confirmed.

[timeos2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close timeos2]

Yes, TPI is involved but not as an identified source just backend

I'm not saying you are wrong, but I am curious to know how or why you apparently believe that Trading Places Intl. is involved in any way with the VRI*ety program?

You may well be correct, but that assertion is certainly news to me. Since the inception of the VRI*ety program I've never once before ever heard or read any reference to Trading Places being involved or associated in any way with the program.

The basis for your stated belief?

They first approached II & RCI to handle the backend process, went with RCI but then found them unable to do the job. They switched to Trading Places early in 2009 for the processing.

[theduffster Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close theduffster]

I realize this is an old thread, but we're planning a trip next week to Sea Mist resort in Massachusetts, so I thought I'd tell about our experience.

First, we did deposit our week, and we did it months ago. (week 51, Mountainside Resort in Stowe, studio unit). I don't know if depositing first was necessary to take advantage of the "hot deals" that we booked. I think yes, but I'm not sure.

We have 2 daughters who live in New England (Vermont and Massachusetts), so we've been keeping an eye on the VRI hot deals. We visited the Vermont daughter, it's the Massachusetts daughter's turn!! (She's in Fall River.)

We finally a booked a "hot deal", at the Sea Mist resort, 7 nights, for only $220. We spotted the deal weeks earlier and watched it to see if the price would go down as the travel dates got closer.

The cheapest deals are, of course, the closest ones, travel date-wise. They are usually $294, at least, that's for New England timeshares. When we went to book our choice, the page loaded with a "discount", but I have no idea why we got the discount. Because it was our first time? They like us? I don't know.

I like that the fact that we only own a studio unit isn't held against us, as far as the hot deals are concerned. Right now, there's a one bedroom that sleeps 4, and a 2 bedroom that sleeps 6 both available at Mountainside Resort, the same dates, and the same price: $294. I could book either for the same price, and the fact that we only own a studio is irrelevant.

We haven't exchanged yet, and we know that that is when having just a studio will hurt us. We'll have to pay more to get a bigger unit, and there are very few studios available.

Anyhow, so far, I am very pleased with VRI!!

[shaggy Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close shaggy]

I used them for the first time last year. That's how I got San Francisco. When I went thru VRI to speak to a rep they answered Trading Places. shaggy

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

When you access the VRI*ety website. once you click on the "Exchange online" option, you are at the Trading Places website. The URL for the site is merchant.tradingplaces.com. So it's pretty clear that Trading Places is handling the online transactions from their server. Also the design of the pages is identical with Trading Places.

I haven't spent a lot of time poking around the two sites to investigate the extent of inventory overlap. But it's obvious that at the minimum TPI is handling on line transactions.

*******

We did our first VRI*ety exchange a couple of weeks ago. I had a business meeting in Bonita Springs, Florida. I deposited my Winners Circle week for this year with VRI*ety three weeks before I needed to go to the meeting. The deposit was accepted, and I took a 3-day mid-week exchange. So I still have a four day weekend complement that I can take.