New SFX website

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

I disagree with Gold members getting the same options as Platinum, etc. If they want the same options, then they can upgrade their membership. There have to be incentives to become a Platinum member. Why should somebody with a free membership expect the same treatment as a paying member.

There are incentives. Always have been. You have been a Platinum member without an online search function because of that. Platinum members get wider search windows, "free" upgrades, guest certificates, etc...

II gives its premium members certain added benefits but doesn't block its regular members from using its website. And other independents allow access to their online systems with no membership fees.

An online search function is a pretty basic service. It's great that SFX is now able to offer it, but I don't see treating it like a special perq available only at a premium.

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

Just because nobody requested them doesn't mean that they aren't desirable weeks. I've seen some nice stuff on the sell-off list but because I don't frequent the site often enough I don't see them. I'm more used to using the online ones that I can search, so SFX truly doesn't get the business that it could if it would put on display some of it's wares.

To me not having search capability is like going into a store where the shelves are empty. I'm sure they can special order you something but there is just something to be said for window shopping and impulse buying.
We Americans love instant gratification and online booking provides that nicely.

Exactly! AND that would generate deposits....

[Mark @SFX Industry Representative Find all posts View Profile Close Mark @SFX]

There are incentives. Always have been. You have been a Platinum member without an online search function because of that. Platinum members get wider search windows, "free" upgrades, guest certificates, etc...

II gives its premium members certain added benefits but doesn't block its regular members from using its website. And other independents allow access to their online systems with no membership fees.

An online search function is a pretty basic service. It's great that SFX is now able to offer it, but I don't see treating it like a special perq available only at a premium.

Hi Glitter .... I am glad to see this dialogue take place on Timeshare Forums. Every business always wants to "do the right thing" in growing the company while providing a great value proposition to the customer.

I believe you have pay for a membership with both RCI and I.I. to access and use their online search and booking engine.

It will be interesting to see what the final decisions will be, and I hope to see more discussion from viewers in this forum, as I am sure all these points will be taken into consideration.

Thanks,
Mark @sfx
Member Communications

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

Hi Glitter .... I am glad to see this dialogue take place on Timeshare Forums. Every business always wants to "do the right thing" in growing the company while providing a great value proposition to the customer.

I believe you have pay for a membership with both RCI and I.I. to access and use their online search and booking engine.

It will be interesting to see what the final decisions will be, and I hope to see more discussion from viewers in this forum, as I am sure all these points will be taken into consideration.

Thanks,
Mark @sfx
Member Communications

Members pay an annual membership fee to RCI and II regardless. As they are the two biggest names in town, they call that shot. Because of their extensive inventory, I have chosen to pay their membership fees. I may, or may not, continue with either or both, depending on how well my needs can be met elsewhere.

The "independents" do not charge a membership fee to access their online search function.

I was a Platinum member for the first three years; I didn't continue because my travel needs don't justify it. It is, however, well worth it for many. While you may be able to encourage more paid memberships with online search, you may be discouraging and limiting the upside potential for some good deposits as well. So I hope the online search function is not limited, and eagerly await the decision on this.

As an aside, and irrespective of whether you give free access to online search to all members, I would also suggest an annual option for the Platinum membership. That's something I might have considered but a three year commitment doesn't make sense for me right now.

[Mark @SFX Industry Representative Find all posts View Profile Close Mark @SFX]

Members pay an annual membership fee to RCI and II regardless. As they are the two biggest names in town, they call that shot. Because of their extensive inventory, I have chosen to pay their membership fees. I may, or may not, continue with either or both, depending on how well my needs can be met elsewhere.

The "independents" do not charge a membership fee to access their online search function.

I was a Platinum member for the first three years; I didn't continue because my travel needs don't justify it. It is, however, well worth it for many. While you may be able to encourage more paid memberships with online search, you may be discouraging and limiting the upside potential for some good deposits as well. So I hope the online search function is not limited, and eagerly await the decision on this.

As an aside, and irrespective of whether you give free access to online search to all members, I would also suggest an annual option for the Platinum membership. That's something I might have considered but a three year commitment doesn't make sense for me right now.

Glitter - Thanks! Good feedback.

Mark @sfx
Member Communications

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

Glitter

While you may be able to encourage more paid memberships with online search, you may be discouraging and limiting the upside potential for some good deposits as well. So I hope the online search function is not limited, and eagerly await the decision on this.

I completely agree......With the current economy, and some major changes in various timeshare companies, people are a little more leery these days. New members might be hesitant to subscribe to a Platinum membership. Some existing members such as myself, are in the same situation as Glitter, and would much prefer to see free online search availability to all. If people like what they see, they are likely to join, and deposit their weeks. JMO.

[Mark @SFX Industry Representative Find all posts View Profile Close Mark @SFX]

I completely agree......With the current economy, and some major changes in various timeshare companies, people are a little more leery these days. New members might be hesitant to subscribe to a Platinum membership. Some existing members such as myself, are in the same situation as Glitter, and would much prefer to see free online search availability to all. If people like what they see, they are likely to join, and deposit their weeks. JMO.

Hi Angela... thank you too for your feedback. We would like to encourage as much viewer feedback as possible, as this will help shape the direction of this topic.

Thanks,
Mark @sfx
Member Communications

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

Hi Angela... thank you too for your feedback. We would like to encourage as much viewer feedback as possible, as this will help shape the direction of this topic.

Thanks,
Mark @sfx
Member Communications

Wondering if perhaps it should be a separate thread rather than a tangent under the general website title? You might generate more hits specific to the online search feature that way. I would suggest a poll, but they can be somewhat limiting.

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

Ironically, SFX was the first exchange company I joined. I owned a Hawaii week and it only traded through RCI. I was new at timesharing-but I knew I didn't want to use RCI. SFX opened up a lot of opportunity for me. I loved looking through the directory...that was mostly up to date.

Later, I purchased something that enabled me to use II. I couldn't believe what I could "see" and I quickly became bored with SFX's website because frankly, while I could see what was (mostly) in the directory-it wasn't as exciting as "seeing" weeks...weeks that lined up with my vacation dates..or my dreams.

It's already been said BUT there is value in window shopping. Window shopping is FREE. It generates impulse purchases (impulse deposits) You can review HTSE's inventory and you don't even have to be a paid member. They'll give you the log in code so you can view what they have to offer. If you see something you like-you can become a member, deposit you week and pick up that week all in one swoop.

I'm currently a Gold Member. I was Plat because as has already been stated-it doesn't currently work for me. I even cut my Plat membership short because I wanted to request a week that was beyond my Plat membership expiration date and there wasn't a one year extension available. I had to change it to Gold to enable the time frame to make my request. I got my request but I not only downgraded my membership but the unit size as well.

So, it seems as if I might have some "change" left over at SFX...maybe I could be compensated with online searching capability

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

Just because nobody requested them doesn't mean that they aren't desirable weeks. I've seen some nice stuff on the sell-off list but because I don't frequent the site often enough I don't see them. I'm more used to using the online ones that I can search, so SFX truly doesn't get the business that it could if it would put on display some of it's wares.

To me not having search capability is like going into a store where the shelves are empty. I'm sure they can special order you something but there is just something to be said for window shopping and impulse buying.
We Americans love instant gratification and online booking provides that nicely.

You may love instant gratification but not everybody does. I put more thought into it.

I didn't say that the sell-off list was necessarily undesirable weeks but they are weeks that nobody requested. Therefore that means that people didn't want them. The same will be true of weeks you will see on-line. Now if this excites you, so be it.

[falmouth3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close falmouth3]

So now I'm wondering if I should just re-up for the minimum time until this controversy about what gold vs. platinum benefits turn out to be. I have to consider the advantages that platinum is supposed to get me. The biggest advantage is that I've gotten a my requests in at 18 months. Gold is free - platinum isn't.

[barndweller Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close barndweller]

I am now & have always been a platinum member. I pay for my membership so that I can get a free size upgrade (when available) and the ability to request at 18 months. I have never exchanged with RCI after paying for a 1 year membership that was totally useless for my needs. I continue my membership at II but plan to let it expire since Starwood has imposed their rules on all Sheraton owners, even those of us who are not Starwood members.

The ability to "window shop" is a big draw for me but I do realize that those units are the "leftovers." I see no advantage to SFX limiting online access to platinum members as long as we are able to place requests ahead of gold members. Perhaps SFX could widen the request window for paying members to 24 months and allow everyone to search the online inventory. That would certainly entice more people to pay the fee for platinum membership and encourage earlier deposits as well.

[Mark @SFX Industry Representative Find all posts View Profile Close Mark @SFX]

So now I'm wondering if I should just re-up for the minimum time until this controversy about what gold vs. platinum benefits turn out to be. I have to consider the advantages that platinum is supposed to get me. The biggest advantage is that I've gotten a my requests in at 18 months. Gold is free - platinum isn't.

Falmouth - thank you for your post. What controversy??? Platinum benefits are not go to be less that what they are... they are going to have more benefits !!!

The only item not yet determined, is whether or not Gold members will be able to view available inventory online and book it, as with Platinum Members.

And everyone.... please lets be clear about something regarding online availability. As with all other exchange companies, you are not going to see hundreds of prime time prime resort weeks sitting around online waiting to be booked. One simple rule... Demand is Always greater than Supply for premium weeks. These units typically get booked the moment they are deposited to the next person in queue.

As with other exchange companies.... most bookings for the better resorts in higher demanded seasons are booked with an "ongoing search" that is placed. And this will be no different with SFX.

Our online tool is simply an additional feature that will allow you to see a small percentage of our inventory that we have no current requests for from our members.

This will provide vacation opportunities for places and dates that will appealing to members typically in this scenario....."Honey that looks like a really nice resort, and it's in a great place we never thought of requesting before! It's online and available now.... Lets book it". It's more spontaneous in nature.

Unplanned, opporunity presented vacations seem to be the propensity for online exchanges booked by timeshare owners. Whereas more specific locations and dates are more online request driven.

Once again... Nothing diminishes with Platinum. It just gets better.

Hope this helps...

Thanks,
Mark @sfx
Member Communications

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

You may love instant gratification but not everybody does. I put more thought into it.

I didn't say that the sell-off list was necessarily undesirable weeks but they are weeks that nobody requested. Therefore that means that people didn't want them. The same will be true of weeks you will see on-line. Now if this excites you, so be it.

I'd say I'm certainly not alone in enjoying instant gratification.
We are a nation of people wanting instant access to everything.
Why do you think the internet is such a hit with regular folk?

If you want to do business these days on the internet, you've gotta offer instant gratification. If I didn't put my inventory online for someone to buy it how are they going to know what great stuff I've got to offer. I've been selling on ebay for years and no one has ever called me to ask me what else I've got that's not online. That's ridiculous. People are just not going to do it. Well, maybe a few did but I can count them on one hand. I don't think it's that different with timeshares.

Sure there are those who already know how SFX works, just like those who still use travel agents. Usually those who are, are not internet savvy.
My eldery Mom would be a great candidate for business with SFX the old fashioned way, but me........if I can't see it online, then it probably doesn't exist in my mind.

I may be misssing out on alot of opportunities but that's the way it is. I know that I'm not alone or the sightings threads would have gone the way of the dinosaur by now.

We know how valuable those sightings threads have been to our enjoyment of our timeshares. Why hide this from Mark? In case you aren't aware Mark, we on the forums live and die by the sightings boards so either you can offer online access to all or you are going to lose alot of business from the very owners who will give you lots of exchange fees.

I know that I do about 10 to 12 timeshare exchanges or getaways a year. Most of my exchanges have been done online. I have called into some that don't have online access like my DVC and HGVC for the affiliates but II and RCI truly have gotten most of my business and it's all started online. I may call and book but I searched online first.

I work long days and do alot of my booking at night. Late at night when many offices are closed. That's another benefit of having access online.

So Mark, I hope you will reconsider and expand your online offerings.
Now is your chance to get all the RCI defectors.

[PortableTech Member Find all posts View Profile Close PortableTech]

Without seeing the new online interface yet, I would have to assume it is somewhat like the sell-off list. And when you consider it that way, Gold does get online inventory access in that manner, and it is time delayed as people suggest in prior threads.

If anything this really makes alot of sense, You work your way down the membership tears on when people get to see items online. Ending at the Sell-Off list which Golds get to see. In the end, how is the Sell-Off list not online inventory? You can book it with a week, or you can take it at a price, your choice?

-- PortableTech