Thinking about joining SFX

[thinze3 Member Find all posts View Profile Close thinze3]

Mark,
I haven't joined SFX yet but have a couple of questions. I did get your email and I have been playing phone tag with someone in your office. I own, Christie Lodge (3BR ski), Marriot's Waiohai and Legends Edge, both platinum.

I have deposits currently with RCI and Redweek on file.

• If I exchange for a week with Redweek using my deposit, can I turn it in to SFX? (Redweek doesn't have a policy against this)
• If I exchange for a week with RCI using my deposit, can I turn it in to SFX? (RCI may have a policy against this)
• Do ALL members who have a deposit with SFX have a priority over those have use "search first" regardless of trading power?
• How realistic is it for me to get summer weeks at nice resorts (no mountains or Mexico) with Legends Edge? I usually turn this unit in for 100K Marriott points.
• Does a SFX platinum member have any additional trading power over gold?

Please answer and convince me why I should join SFX.

Thanks,
Terry

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

Mark,
I haven't joined SFX yet but have a couple of questions. I did get your email and I have been playing phone tag with someone in your office. I own, Christie Lodge (3BR ski), Marriot's Waiohai and Legends Edge, both platinum.

I have deposits currently with RCI and Redweek on file.

• If I exchange for a week with Redweek using my deposit, can I turn it in to SFX? (Redweek doesn't have a policy against this)
• If I exchange for a week with RCI using my deposit, can I turn it in to SFX? (RCI may have a policy against this)
• Do ALL members who have a deposit with SFX have a priority over those have use "search first" regardless of trading power?
• How realistic is it for me to get summer weeks at nice resorts (no mountains or Mexico) with Legends Edge? I usually turn this unit in for 100K Marriott points.
• Does a SFX platinum member have any additional trading power over gold?

Please answer and convince me why I should join SFX.

Thanks,
Terry

Terry - thank you for your post.

Q: If I exchange for a week with Redweek using my deposit, can I turn it in to SFX? (Redweek doesn't have a policy against this)

A: Unfortunately no. You cannot deposit something you do not own. Maybe Redweek doesn't have a policy against this "yet", but you can bet the resort does. There are also all kinds of Liability issues involved as part of the reason.

Q: If I exchange for a week with RCI using my deposit, can I turn it in to SFX? (RCI may have a policy against this)

A: Same as above.

Q: Do ALL members who have a deposit with SFX have a priority over those have use "search first" regardless of trading power?

A: Absolutely yes... and quite rightly, as we have a liability to those who have deposited their week to fulfill. If everyone requested first instead of depositing first, there would be zero exchanges. Exchange fulfillment is a result of members banking weeks. Also, those who deposit first and in a "timely" manner, are rewarded with Bonus Week promotions. Request First members are not offered these incredible extra vacations.

Q: How realistic is it for me to get summer weeks at nice resorts (no mountains or Mexico) with Legends Edge? I usually turn this unit in for 100K Marriott points.

A: Your unit in Hawaii by far would have the best trading power. For all exchange companies, there is no specific answer to "How realistic is it for me to get summer weeks". There are too many variables involved, and availability is constantly changing and never the same from one year to the next. No exchange company will give odds on getting an exchange.

Just like an airline seat, if you asked them how realistic is it to book a seat next year, there is no real way of answering..... other than if you are reasonably flexible on travel weeks and locations, then the odds are more favorable than less favorable. Also keeping in mind, as with "all" exchange companies if you want to travel in Prime time (Generally Jan-April and June-Sept), then you are requesting the most demanded season and thus the least availability. Other times of the year, availability is higher.

We don't play the hype game. We take a stance of under-promising with the hope to over-deliver. The other way round does not lead to customer satisfaction.

Q: Does a SFX platinum member have any additional trading power over gold?

A: No. The advantage to Platinum are great benefits you don't get with Gold. Lower exchange fees... Can request 18 months in advance vs. 12 months in advance (puts you ahead in the queue)... You get $100 off the price of our Sell-off weeks (extra vacation getaways)... etc.

Q:......convince me why I should join SFX.

A: I could go on and list probably 5 or 6 reasons, but I think after being in business for 16 years, with over 112,000 members, and a network of strategic alliances like Hilton and other brands... and being the "only" Boutique Exchange Company in the world specializing in Gold Crown and 5 Star rated timeshare resorts... for less money you are paying now, with all humility, it speaks for itself.

BTW, your Hawaii week would qualify for our current 3 for 1.

Hope this helps... and hope we can Welcome you. Membership Application.

[thinze3 Member Find all posts View Profile Close thinze3]

Thanks Mark.

One more item. If I deposited Waiohai for one month, could I trade back into waiohai for a different month in the same year? If not, what about a different year?

Terry

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

Thanks Mark.

One more item. If I deposited Waiohai for one month, could I trade back into waiohai for a different month in the same year? If not, what about a different year?

Terry

Hi Terry - One of the conditions of our 3 for 1 promotions and 2 for 1 promotions is, you may not trade back into your own resort. You would have to pick other resorts in the region or other locations. It wouldn't make any sense to any exchange company to allow a trade back to the resort you deposited (especially if it's high-demand and low-supply), when the whole idea is to open up availability to other members to trade their time to your resort. Allowing members to trade back to where they own essentially reduces availability to other members.

Trading to other quality resorts and locations plus the value proposition of the Bonus weeks should be the reasoning for this process. To get the bonus weeks and return back to your resort is not beneficial to the Member base, and defeats the purpose of the promotions.

That aside... it is extremely unlikely that any exchange company could fulfill and exchange back to your resort for a whole month (4 weeks)... especially in Hawaii.

Keep in mind, it doesn't work like a hotel reservation system where the space is just sitting there waiting to be booked. Think of the Vacation Bank as a huge jigsaw puzzle with all the pieces jumbled-up on the table, and each piece represents one week of time. You may have thousands of pieces in front of you, but they do not all fit each other by shape (dates). Timeshares are fundamentally designed to be used in one week incremental periods at a time.

Although multiple week exchanges at a resort are possible, it is very unlikely it would be more than two consecutive weeks at best, especially in high demand, low supply destinations. In places where there are many timeshare resorts... then mathematically there are more possibilities because of greater supply-side.

Hope this helps...

[thinze3 Member Find all posts View Profile Close thinze3]

Hi Terry - One of the conditions of our 3 for 1 promotions and 2 for 1 promotions is, you may not trade back into your own resort....

That's what I expected, but had to ask.

That aside... it is extremely unlikely that any exchange company could fulfill and exchange back to your resort for a whole month (4 weeks)... especially in Hawaii.

I was talking about depositing a 2008 week and exchanging it for a 2009 week. I would then use that week along side my owned 2009 week to get a total of two weeks at my home resort or at least on the same island.

I wish I were, but I am not looking for four weeks. :

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

That's what I expected, but had to ask.




I was talking about depositing a 2008 week and exchanging it for a 2009 week. I would then use that week along side my owned 2009 week to get a total of two weeks at my home resort or at least on the same island.

I wish I were, but I am not looking for four weeks. :

Hi Terry - apologies, I misunderstood your comment...

"If I deposited Waiohai for one month, could I trade back into waiohai for a different month in the same year?"

I thought you meant if you deposited one month of time, and wanted to trade back for one whole month... Got it.

You know... even if you couldn't trade your week back to your home resort, there are many other really nice resorts in Hawaii that you can stay at, and diversify your vacation to one week on one island and one at another, and plus the two bonus weeks truly represents a great Value Proposition.

Have a great weekend...

[thinze3 Member Find all posts View Profile Close thinze3]

Is it possible to do a "request first" at more than one exchange company using the same reserved week?

For instance, could I have an ongoing request at both II and SFX at the same time?