Exchange vs. rental

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

Here is the current availibility at Wychnor Park in England (against a summer UK week) for both rental and exchange. It is clear in both quantity and quality, it tilts heavily to rentals.

This is not an RCI Points resort, so these weeks would not be coming from the Points side. The resort was bought by Sunterra (now DRI) prior to RCI Points coming into existance. Later sales were in Sunterra's own points system which trades in II. Prior to the purchase by Sunterra, the resort sold fixed weeks and was marketed largely to local people as ''a country club that is also a timeshare''. Most if not all of the fixed weeks at the resort are from these pre-Sunterra sales. The weeks owners are largely older people and largely local who would be unlikely to be playing PFD. Most of these deposits would have been normal exchange deposits, yet most of them, and all of the better weeks end up in the rental pool.

Unfortunately, this is all too typical of the new RCI.

Another interesting aspect is the rental cost. For someone with m/f's of a little over $600, the rental cost is about what m/f plus exchange fee would be in a trade. So why own and trade when you can rent with less hassle?



Unit Type Max Occup
(Privacy) Kitchen Check-In Date Check-Out Date Price
1 BR 4 (4) Full 12-Feb-2011 19-Feb-2011 Exchange Fee Only
1 BR 4 (4) Full 26-Feb-2011 05-Mar-2011 Exchange Fee Only
2 BR 6 (6) Full 22-Jan-2011 29-Jan-2011 Exchange Fee Only
2 BR 6 (6) Full 08-Aug-2009 15-Aug-2009 $773.99
2 BR 6 (6) Full 22-Aug-2009 29-Aug-2009 $773.99
2 BR 6 (6) Full 29-Aug-2009 05-Sep-2009 $773.99
2 BR 6 (6) Full 05-Sep-2009 12-Sep-2009 $773.99
2 BR 6 (6) Full 12-Sep-2009 19-Sep-2009 $773.99
2 BR 6 (6) Full 19-Sep-2009 26-Sep-2009 $773.99
2 BR 6 (6) Full 26-Sep-2009 03-Oct-2009 $773.99
2 BR 6 (6) Full 03-Oct-2009 10-Oct-2009 $773.99
2 BR 6 (6) Full 10-Oct-2009 17-Oct-2009 $773.99
2 BR 6 (6) Full 17-Oct-2009 24-Oct-2009 $773.99
2 BR 6 (6) Full 24-Oct-2009 31-Oct-2009 $773.99
2 BR 6 (6) Full 31-Oct-2009 07-Nov-2009 $773.99
2 BR 6 (6) Full 15-Dec-2009 22-Dec-2009 $899.99
2 BR 6 (6) Full 22-Dec-2009 29-Dec-2009 $899.99

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

Well this really sucks. I find the same problem with timeshares near me that I want to use myself and was thinking of purchasing more. I stopped buying anything more to use because it just doesn't make financial sense to own too many anymore, especially since I might get stuck with an assessment.

I just got a week on last call for $219 that would have cost me $350 in maintenance fees to buy so why bother. I'm enjoying the beach this week for 1/3 less than owning. As much as I don't like what RCI does with exchanges it only makes sense to rent from RCI from someone who deposited their week and should have used it instead.

If you can't beat them then learn how to exploit them.

I'm trying to get in as many affordable vacations as I can. I'm not gonna worry about what they should be doing. I can't fight that Goliath anyway. That's why I like these forums because they teach you how to get what you want.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Well you want great deals on rentals Vacation Deals Exchanging will be a thing in the past with deals like thesse.

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

Here is another non-points resort, Hotel Deutschmeister in Vienna. Compare the rentals and exchanges offered by RCI here. And that rental price beats most any maintenance fee plus exchange fee situation, except maybe SA. Why own and exchange when you can get rentals in prime locations like the great city of Vienna at these prices?

meet your criteria Total Units Available: 14
Unit Type Max Occup
(Privacy) Kitchen Check-In Date Check-Out Date Price
Hotel 2 (2) No Kitchen 17-Oct-2009 24-Oct-2009 $440.99
Hotel 2 (2) No Kitchen 24-Oct-2009 31-Oct-2009 $440.99
Hotel 2 (2) No Kitchen 31-Oct-2009 07-Nov-2009 $440.99
Hotel 2 (2) No Kitchen 07-Nov-2009 14-Nov-2009 $440.99
Hotel 2 (2) No Kitchen 14-Nov-2009 21-Nov-2009 $440.99
Hotel 2 (2) No Kitchen 21-Nov-2009 28-Nov-2009 $440.99
Hotel 2 (2) No Kitchen 28-Nov-2009 05-Dec-2009 $440.99
Hotel 2 (2) No Kitchen 05-Dec-2009 12-Dec-2009 $440.99
Hotel 2 (2) No Kitchen 12-Dec-2009 19-Dec-2009 $440.99
Hotel 2 (2) No Kitchen 13-Nov-2010 20-Nov-2010 Exchange Fee Only
Hotel 2 (2) No Kitchen 08-Jan-2011 15-Jan-2011 Exchange Fee Only
Hotel 2 (2) No Kitchen 29-Jan-2011 05-Feb-2011 Exchange Fee Only
Hotel 2 (2) No Kitchen 12-Feb-2011 19-Feb-2011 Exchange Fee Only
Hotel 2 (2) No Kitchen 19-Feb-2011 26-Feb-2011 Exchange Fee Only