Bonus week price increase?

[hurnik Member Find all posts View Profile Close hurnik]

I was a little surprised when I went to check with an Instant Exchange using a Bonus week that was about 60 days out and saw the 1 bedroom as $599.

Funny because the SFX website on the Bonus weeks still says that 21-90 days out it's $399

When I called to inquire, I was told that the bonus weeks had a price increase a few weeks ago??

If that is true, may I suggest:
a) SFX has our email addresses, and the website, maybe put an announcement on there?
b) Change the Bonus Week URL (Membership Home -> SFX Bonus Weeks)

I feel the $599 for 21-90 days out is a bit much, to be honest. I hate to see what 91-180 days out is.

Now maybe they DID email/announce things and I missed it, but I certainly don't see anything obvious on the web site after I login.

Thank you

--Kevin

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

I remember the good old days when the bonus weeks cost $99 and there was no difference when you booked them. I used to pay for my exchanges with $99 bonus weeks rather than exchange fees for use weeks. They then jumped to $199 which was still pretty cheap.

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

I was a little surprised when I went to check with an Instant Exchange using a Bonus week that was about 60 days out and saw the 1 bedroom as $599.

Funny because the SFX website on the Bonus weeks still says that 21-90 days out it's $399

When I called to inquire, I was told that the bonus weeks had a price increase a few weeks ago??

If that is true, may I suggest:
a) SFX has our email addresses, and the website, maybe put an announcement on there?
b) Change the Bonus Week URL (Membership Home -> SFX Bonus Weeks)

I feel the $599 for 21-90 days out is a bit much, to be honest. I hate to see what 91-180 days out is.

Now maybe they DID email/announce things and I missed it, but I certainly don't see anything obvious on the web site after I login.

Thank you

--Kevin

What was the resort? Some resorts and locations have surcharges or do all resorts seem to have this pricing.

[barndweller Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close barndweller]

I agree that the prices for bonus weeks has gotten totally out of reason. I booked a bonus week in San Francisco 3 years ago for $299 ( IIRC) and had a fabulous time. Loved the place so I booked it again using a bonus week last December and had to pay $899 with my $100 bonus deposit deduction. I won't do that again. In fact I will not deposit at SFX again anytime soon since the bonus week prices make them unusable for me. There is no longer any incentive for me to deposit there. I can trade into Mexico cheaply at any trading company & that is really all they offer us west coasters anymore. I'll probably let my membership expire.

[hurnik Member Find all posts View Profile Close hurnik]

What was the resort? Some resorts and locations have surcharges or do all resorts seem to have this pricing.

Grand Mayan, RM.
It looks like SFX has actually read my post as they updated the website last night so that the new pricing is in effect.

Any 1 bedroom like 21-90 days is now $599 up from $399.

If you book certain areas you still have the extra fee as well.

$599 isn't that good of a deal, IMO unless it's like for the Grand Luxxe or something. It's actually cheaper for me to just book with RCI now.

Unless SFX changes the vacation cash to be $100 off a 1 bedroom now (I think it's only 10% discount now).

91-180 days is $699 now.

--Kevin

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

Grand Mayan, RM.
It looks like SFX has actually read my post as they updated the website last night so that the new pricing is in effect.

Any 1 bedroom like 21-90 days is now $599 up from $399.

If you book certain areas you still have the extra fee as well.

$599 isn't that good of a deal, IMO unless it's like for the Grand Luxxe or something. It's actually cheaper for me to just book with RCI now.

Unless SFX changes the vacation cash to be $100 off a 1 bedroom now (I think it's only 10% discount now).

91-180 days is $699 now.

--Kevin

Kevin - thank you for your post. It's actually 31-90 days in advance (not 21-90). And if you have an SFX cash-card, and have responded to a promo, that price is reduced by around $100.

Average price for a halfway decent hotel room is $200-$300 per night! So, you feel that around $72 a night for a luxury suite is "a bit much"?? Really ???

And if I have it right, you feel an $80,000 week Grand Luxxe week that has a maintenance fee of around $2,000 should be your entitlement for $599?? Really! Wow... it's 2014

Thanks,
Mark @SFX
Member Communications

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

Reality check...

I agree that the prices for bonus weeks has gotten totally out of reason. I booked a bonus week in San Francisco 3 years ago for $299 ( IIRC) and had a fabulous time. Loved the place so I booked it again using a bonus week last December and had to pay $899 with my $100 bonus deposit deduction. I won't do that again. In fact I will not deposit at SFX again anytime soon since the bonus week prices make them unusable for me. There is no longer any incentive for me to deposit there. I can trade into Mexico cheaply at any trading company & that is really all they offer us west coasters anymore. I'll probably let my membership expire.

Barndweller - thank you for your post, however stating we only offer "West Coasters" only Mexico, is false and misleading information! We have in excess of 200,000 members and they get booked into hundreds of other destinations outside of Mexico. Also, to get in a week in SF for only $399 in 2014 is a fantasy from the past, just like a $50 a night quality hotel room and a $1 gallon of gas! Decent hotel rooms in this city are typically $225 per night and up. If there is an event on in town, and there is most weeks of the year, they raise the price of those $225 per night rooms to around $500 per night, and they get sold out! Reality check...

Thanks,
Mark @SFX
Member Communications

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

I agree that the prices for bonus weeks has gotten totally out of reason. I booked a bonus week in San Francisco 3 years ago for $299 ( IIRC) and had a fabulous time. Loved the place so I booked it again using a bonus week last December and had to pay $899 with my $100 bonus deposit deduction. I won't do that again. In fact I will not deposit at SFX again anytime soon since the bonus week prices make them unusable for me. There is no longer any incentive for me to deposit there. I can trade into Mexico cheaply at any trading company & that is really all they offer us west coasters anymore. I'll probably let my membership expire.

Where do you get the idea that you can only trade into Mexico with SFX? I exchange into Hawaii with them amd there are many other places other than Mexico.

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

Kevin - thank you for your post. It's actually 31-90 days in advance (not 21-90). And if you have an SFX cash-card, and have responded to a promo, that price is reduced by around $100.

Average price for a halfway decent hotel room is $200-$300 per night! So, you feel that around $72 a night for a luxury suite is "a bit much"?? Really ???

And if I have it right, you feel an $80,000 week Grand Luxxe week that has a maintenance fee of around $2,000 should be your entitlement for $599?? Really! Wow... it's 2014

Thanks,
Mark @SFX
Member Communications

Mark,

Comparing the price of bonus weeks with hotel rates is not a fair comparison. Comparing the bonus weeks with timeshare rentals is a much better comparison. We rented a 2BR unit at the Wyndham Waikiki Beachwalk timeshare in Hawaii. Our cost was $115 /night for a week in April. We have also exchanged there with SFX. Rentals are pretty easy to find almost anywhere.

I don't even consider the bonus weeks to be an incentive anymore because of the price.

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

Mark,

Comparing the price of bonus weeks with hotel rates is not a fair comparison. Comparing the bonus weeks with timeshare rentals is a much better comparison. We rented a 2BR unit at the Wyndham Waikiki Beachwalk timeshare in Hawaii. Our cost was $115 /night for a week in April. We have also exchanged there with SFX. Rentals are pretty easy to find almost anywhere.

I don't even consider the bonus weeks to be an incentive anymore because of the price.

I agree. And let's remember - reality check - that we are talking about bonus weeks - used as an incentive to get prime deposits. Being given the 'opportunity' to pay the equivalent of another maintenance fee for an extra week is not an incentive, at least not for me.

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

Mark,

Comparing the price of bonus weeks with hotel rates is not a fair comparison. Comparing the bonus weeks with timeshare rentals is a much better comparison. We rented a 2BR unit at the Wyndham Waikiki Beachwalk timeshare in Hawaii. Our cost was $115 /night for a week in April. We have also exchanged there with SFX. Rentals are pretty easy to find almost anywhere.

I don't even consider the bonus weeks to be an incentive anymore because of the price.

John - Thank you for your post and sharing your thoughts. As another point of view... If you have used your timeshare week, and wish to take an additional week or two of vacations, you have various "rental" options. Typically you can rent a hotel room for two, or indeed rent a timeshare unit. Comparing "costs" of all your options is a major consideration in your final decision. If you want to rent another owner's timeshare, you may find a good-deal. But as with everything, there are limitations. One of the biggest drawbacks is, are they able to book the week you want to travel on, in the place you want to travel to? If its a good quality resort, they are typically asking for between $1,000 - $3,000 for the week. If you cannot find a timeshare rental (or a Bonus Week) for the right price and location, then renting a hotel room is basically the only other alternative, and therefore price comparison to a Bonus Week becomes an important factor.

If you can get a Bonus Week for around $499 +/-, compared to an owner-rental for around $1,000+/-, or compared to a decent hotel room $1,500 - $2,000 +/-... then this all is part of a fair market comparison for a rental commodity within the vacation marketplace. Not one company can say, they "always" in every instance have the lowest price /best deals. However, in the big picture, you can make your own determination which company "usually" has the best all-round value.

SFX Bonus Weeks range in price between $169 to around $800 for a week, and you can select where and when you want to travel like an exchange, giving you more locations and properties compared to a timeshare rental, and compared to last minute leftovers with the other exchange companies. That's an average of $24 to $114 per night. Not quite sure why you don't see that as an incentive because of the price, when you spent $805 ($115 per night at Wyndham), which of course is a great deal.

Just another point of view...

Thanks,
Mark @SFX
Member Communications

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

I agree. And let's remember - reality check - that we are talking about bonus weeks - used as an incentive to get prime deposits. Being given the 'opportunity' to pay the equivalent of another maintenance fee for an extra week is not an incentive, at least not for me.

Hi Glitter - Thank you for your post, and sharing your thoughts. We all see value differently. Reality Check... Bonus Weeks are not an entitlement with timeshare ownership. Even though they are often used as an incentive to induce members to deposit certain resort in certain seasons, Bonus Weeks are a privilege, and for most owners an incredible value, because your only real entitlement as an owner, is the use of your week that you purchased, with the option to possibly exchange your week into another resort and location. (Just a week for a week). If Bonus Weeks were not offered to you, and you wanted more than a week of vacation, then you would have to rent a hotel room, or rent a condo, that is usually much higher than the price of a Bonus Week.

Getting another week of vacation for only the equivalent of a maintenance fee, and in about 90% of all cases much less, is seen by most owners as an incredible deal, compared to owner rentals and/or hotel rates.

Some years ago, you made a decision to buy a timeshare, which had a purchase price of probably a few thousand dollars, plus you are paying maintenance fees every single year whether you use your week or not. I don't know what you are exactly paying in maintenance fees, but in the nicer resorts, owners are paying typically $800 - $2,000 per year.

I totally get it, that taking additional weeks of vacation at below market rates is not for everyone, but if you do take more than one week a year of vacation, why wouldn't you see value in getting an additional week for between $169 - $800, which is way less than what you are already paying in maintenance fees, and way less than a decent hotel?

What price would you consider to be good value for a week in the vacation rental marketplace for a good quality resort suite?

Thanks,
Mark @SFX
Member Communications

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

You are right, Mark, bonus weeks are not an entitlement. But we choose our exchange companies and where we deposit our valuable weeks based on a variety of factors including inducements such as bonus weeks. The message you are being sent from some folks here is that SFX's bonus week structure is neither appealing nor competitive-- not with hotels but with other timeshare avenues. Either it's valuable feedback to you or it's not.

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

You are right, Mark, bonus weeks are not an entitlement. But we choose our exchange companies and where we deposit our valuable weeks based on a variety of factors including inducements such as bonus weeks. The message you are being sent from some folks here is that SFX's bonus week structure is neither appealing nor competitive-- not with hotels but with other timeshare avenues. Either it's valuable feedback to you or it's not.

I agree, different people have different reasons for using the exchange company(s) of their choice. And regardless of which exchange company they use, my point was... from the ability to choose a Bonus Week like an exchange, along with our pricing, it offers what you cannot get from other exchange companies, and was pointed out because there are people who do not quite understand the value-proposition of our program, assuming it is the same offering as other exchange companies, and needed basic clear explanation of the main differences. Whether they see value in that or not, is up to them.

What didn't make much sense, is when other companies Bonus Weeks (not the last minute 60 days or less) are priced on average between $800-$1,600 for a week, and ours are around half of that... to call that non-competitive is mind boggling. Whether or not they use SFX, isn't relevant.

Mark @SFX
Member Communications