Thinking of re- joining II

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

My RCI membership expires this month so I was perusing the Worldmark board and saw the II 2 for 1 special for Worldmark members. I thought if I could get it, being a Worldmark member, then it may be worth re-joining II instead of renewing RCI.

Was given the run-around with them trying to transfer me to Accor Vacation Club (unbeknownst to me) and then giving me that number to call if the transfer didn't get through.

I rang the number only to discover it was for Accor members. Arghh!

Tried ringing back II and the line didn't work. Arghh!!

This happened a few times this morning too where the phone line simply doesn't go through and I'm advised to call back later. Maybe it's because they are based in Singapore, there's a problem with the line.

Called Worldmark and spoke to a lovely lady who tried to help by giving me the code in the forums. I told her I had the same code but II just doesn't know anything about it. She called II herself and put me back through to II.

Now waiting for II to get back to me to see whether I can rejoin with the special. If not, once I renew with RCI, it'll be another 3 years before I look at II again.

Maybe I should just stick with RCI to save this headache!

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

By the way, do any of you experts have an opinion re: II or RCI?

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

Hi Sydney,
I'm also a Worldmark member and I have both II and RCI. I use II for my Marriott and Starwood preference and RCI using WM and my other timeshares. WM seems to trade well at RCI. For instance, we stayed at HILTON Lagoon Tower in Waikiki last month. It was a great trade.

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

I have memberships with both. RCI seems to make the play with my WM better than II. I snagged the Manhattan Club in less than 20 days after I made the request. With RCI I can see available inventory and my WM account is linked to a RCI portal through the WM website. So the setup is better in RCI and WM than with II. Even SFX has been better for me than II. SFX made the play for a trade I wanted a few weeks ago within a few weeks.

Trading a WM reservation into II warrants caution. I had a week that was red with WM but white with II. You have to look at the tpu's in before you deposit a week. I didn't figure that out until after I deposited the week into II. So my 2 bedroom reservation was only worth a 1 bedroom reservation in II.

My other resorts trade in II is the main reason I have a II account.

Bill

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

Thanks Lisa and Bill. That's very helpful. I used to have both an II and RCI account but that was many years ago, before II had online access in Australia and the rules were very different.

From what you are saying, I think I might be better off with RCI. I don't have Marriott and that might be where II membership is of most benefit?

I do have access to the special RCI portal from my Worldmark account which is very convenient. I didn't realize II wasn't the same in that regard.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I used your email address and already opened an account for you.


- - - - -
FWIW, We were dual affiliated, but way back then in the dark ages II did not have much where we wanted to go. So we dropped them. The score now is something like RCI-140, II-6.

At one point I was preparing to publish an informational "book" about resorts in SW FL, so I contacted both RCI and II. RCI was very accommodating. II legals said I could absolutely not use any of their terminology, stuff that is commonly used every day by everyone on the Internet. So, that did not endear them to me.

Red - High demand
Yellow/Amber - Middle demand
Green - Low demand

There, we're even.

Having said that, we had an issue on an II exchange at Streamside at Vail one week when Monica Seles was also there. She was not the issue. It was Mud Season, first week in June, and we had a very nice, HUGE, top floor 3-bedroom unit. They were staining the inside on an enclosed staircase and the fumes came right into our unit. Streamside moved us, actually doing the move, and II gave us an AC, which we used at Mariners' Boathouse the following January.

So . . .

[M. Henley Class President Find all posts View Profile Close M. Henley]

With 3 bedrooms I assume that HOF was along?

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

I had dual affiliation for several years and now just go with II. II has never cancelled one of my exchanges, RCI has. I never saw a never to be built resort with top rating in II, RCI had one.
If the HOFs timeshared, they would probably go with RCI.

[M. Henley Class President Find all posts View Profile Close M. Henley]

Nah, Tony, they'd ride JLB back right into his TS.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Monica Seles was also there. So . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoNoKIFQODs&feature=kp

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

I used your email address and already opened an account for you.

Thanks! I hope you paid for 3 yrs instead of just 1. What's the password for online access?

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Whatever it is Monica is saying.

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

I do very well in II with a non-Marriott. And the exchange fee, I just learned yesterday, is only $164. But for a deposit worth a boatload of tpu's in RCI, I'd use RCI.

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

Thanks Glitter!