Prime weeks as bonus

[Kola Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Kola]

Mark,
My question relates to the availability of prime summer weeks in Europe as SFX bonus weeks. Recently one SFX member stated that they .... "wanted a place in Scotland between Edinburgh and Glasgow. I asked for July or August. A year in advance, SFX offered me Duchally Country resort, for any week in July.... " and they got a 2 BR in July 07 as SFX bonus for $379 for the week.

Now, assuming the facts are right, it's a superb deal. Being a bit familiar with the area, it makes me wonder how often do you offer "any week in July" in Scotland as a bonus week ? It's very difficult to get any decent exchange anywhere in the UK in the peak summer season. What does it take to swing a deal of this kind with SFX ? Does SFX have access to summer weeks in other UK resorts comparable to the Duchally Country Estate ? Is there something I am missing ?

Michael

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

Hi Mike,
You sure are a doubting Thomas. Here is the history on my bonus week, right from my SFX account:

Request# 63985
Confirmed: 8/22/2006
Resort: Duchally Country Estate
Dates: 7/22/2007 - 7/29/2007
Fees: $379.00

I will also be interested in Mark's response about the availability of prime weeks in Europe.

Sue

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

Mark,
My question relates to the availability of prime summer weeks in Europe as SFX bonus weeks. Recently one SFX member stated that they .... "wanted a place in Scotland between Edinburgh and Glasgow. I asked for July or August. A year in advance, SFX offered me Duchally Country resort, for any week in July.... " and they got a 2 BR in July 07 as SFX bonus for $379 for the week.

Now, assuming the facts are right, it's a superb deal. Being a bit familiar with the area, it makes me wonder how often do you offer "any week in July" in Scotland as a bonus week ? It's very difficult to get any decent exchange anywhere in the UK in the peak summer season. What does it take to swing a deal of this kind with SFX ? Does SFX have access to summer weeks in other UK resorts comparable to the Duchally Country Estate ? Is there something I am missing ?

Michael

Michael - thank you for your post. Regardless of which exchange company you use, there is a "limit of space". That limit is predicated on how many timeshare resorts are in the area you want to go, and how many of their members relinquish their time into the exchange pool, and how many other people are you competing with to get that very limited space. (There are other factors too, but these are the essentials).

The point being, no matter which exchange company you use, if you are requesting space in premium demand time, for premium demand locations and good quality resorts in a region with "very few resorts", the demand is greater than the supply and thus not an easy exchange. The greater the demand, the more Flexible you need to be with locations and dates. The lesser demanded seasonal periods offer much more availability, and generally require less Flexibility.

Europe for quality resorts during premium Summer time (when most Europeans to their vacationing) is not the easiest time of the year to exchange, but still possible. Under-promise, Over-deliver...

[Kola Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Kola]

Mark,

Your "answer" sounds like an Introduction to Elementary Timesharing 101.
I regret to say that you have made every effort not to address any of my questions. Experienced politicians do this all the time. Maybe you should consider running for a political office ?

Michael

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

KOLA:
Would you have been satisfied if SFX policy was "overpromise and underdeliver?

[George07 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close George07]

KOLA:
Would you have been satisfied if SFX policy was "overpromise and underdeliver?

Whatever your motive, your question is simply irrelevant. The original post was quite valid with specific facts confirmed by Sue. As such, the post deserved a serious and constructive response. Instead, we were given a disappointing lecture in supply/demand theory even though most readers would have undersood that Mark was faced with certain proprietary information constraints. This does nothing to help build confidence in SFX.

George

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

My experience with bonus weeks has been that AFTER I confirm an exchange that I have requested, the VC asks if I want to use a bonus week or a banked week. Depending on what is expiring the earliest I will decide at that point in time.

So the question of what can a bonus week "pull" in Europe in the summer isn't really relevant - the only question is what can SFX deliver for summer Europe units, and Sue has told her story about Scotland in July (at a lovely resort I might add).

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

This conversation with Michael started OY, where he was claiming that you only got overpriced leftovers - my paraphrase - from SFX for bonus weeks. I felt that I needed to point out that I've been very happy with my exchanges and bonus weeks and gave a few examples.

My experience is similar to EAL's. I can use either a banked week or a bonus week, but for this exchange, I used the bonus week because it was expiring first. I banked my exchange week very early and had this bonus week available.

Sue

[George07 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close George07]

This conversation with Michael started OY, where he was claiming that you only got overpriced leftovers - my paraphrase - from SFX for bonus weeks. I felt that I needed to point out that I've been very happy with my exchanges and bonus weeks and gave a few examples.

My experience is similar to EAL's. I can use either a banked week or a bonus week, but for this exchange, I used the bonus week because it was expiring first. I banked my exchange week very early and had this bonus week available.

Sue

You said that you gave "a few examples".
Other than your Duchally Estate case, what other example did you quote ?

George

[aliikai2 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close aliikai2]

If you folks don't want to use SFX, DON'T

They aren't for everybody, and as much as you would like to find the fountain of plenty for these types of units,they are just scarce, period.

Mark is one of the best timeshare reps in the business, and has helped quite a few on this board.

NOBODY CAN PROMISE YOU AN EXCHANGE , LET ALONE IN THE SUMMER IN EUROPE OR THE UK!!!!!

As for bonus weeks being only overpriced last minute stuff, these are bonus weeks confirmed from my account

Confirmed: 1/12/2007
Resort: Wyndham Kona Hawaiian Resort
Dates: 11/11/2007 - 11/18/2007


Confirmed: 10/27/2006
Resort: Maui Lea @ Maui Hill
Dates: 6/11/2007 - 6/18/2007


Confirmed: 3/31/2006
Resort: Wyndham Kona Hawaiian Resort
Dates: 4/22/2007 - 4/29/2007


Confirmed: 3/31/2006
Resort: Wyndham Kona Hawaiian Resort
Dates: 4/29/2007 - 5/6/2007

Confirmed: 3/31/2006
Resort: Wyndham Kona Hawaiian Resort
Dates: 5/6/2007 - 5/13/2007



Confirmed: 2/28/2006
Resort: Kahana Falls Resort
Dates: 2/1/2007 - 2/8/2007


Confirmed: 1/30/2006
Resort: Kona Coast Resort
Dates: 5/7/2006 - 5/14/2006


Confirmed: 1/24/2006
Resort: Kona Coast Resort
Dates: 4/15/2006 - 4/22/2006



Confirmed: 9/23/2005
Resort: Mauna Loa Village By The Sea
Dates: 6/17/2006 - 6/24/2006

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

Confirmed: 10/27/2006
Resort: Maui Lea @ Maui Hill
Dates: 6/11/2007 - 6/18/2007

Hey......that's mine

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

I've got a bonus 2 BR in Polo Towers in Sept, 2007 - paid extra for 2 BR
I'm doing an exchange for Wyndham Kona Hawaiian Resort in June, 2008

I had requested a Sedona week as a bonus week, and they got it for me, but I had to back out because of work issues.

Sue

[zdxlc9p6 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close zdxlc9p6]

I have bonus weeks at GM Neuavo Vallarta in Oct. 2007, and GM Riviera Maya Jan. 2008, which are definitely not leftovers. SFX rules say you can't use bonus weeks for GM, but the vacation counselors are very good at doing what they can for you.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Just so everyone here is aware. We have a tool here on Timeshare forums that shows us when a member is using 2 ids and is posting from the same computer or has the same ip. It Turns out that Kola And George 07 are posting from the same computer. I will be looking into this further and will ask Kola or George to explain this here why this occured. If there is no explantion we will be closing both accounts untill we find out why this happened.

Kola tripped AE detector

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kola seems to have multiple personalities using George07 and Kola sharing the same computer. No soup for you! and you! and you!

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

...... where he was claiming that you only got overpriced leftovers - my paraphrase - from SFX for bonus weeks. I felt that I needed to point out that I've been very happy with my exchanges and bonus weeks and gave a few examples.

My experience is similar to EAL's. I can use either a banked week or a bonus week, but for this exchange, I used the bonus week because it was expiring first. I banked my exchange week very early and had this bonus week available.

Sue

Sue and Big Frank - thank you for your posts. We are aware there are websites out there with posts from people who "bravely" hide behind their anonymity and fictitious (Multiple) names, knowing there is no company representation to respond, to what is sometimes false, deceptive and misleading posted information. Sometimes people have even claimed to be SFX members when they are not, and we heard there was even a case of incoherent rambling claiming we don't have any affiliations, when we obviously do... and so on. There are those who claim to have much knowledge, when in fact they know very little or less, and are essentially of "irrelevant" value to anyone. Consumers may wonder about the credibility of such sites.

Sometimes this is out of simple ignorance as to the facts, and sometimes it is out of malicious intent to where they expose themselves and the site to potential legal recourse, not to mention deceiving their fellow posters and damaging the credibility of the site they post on. I am not talking about people's opinions as to what they think about our service... that is "Free Speech", and people can say what they want, unless they are making making false defamatory statements about "Factual" information.

There have been comments from time to time that SFX does much better with fulfillment in the Western States /Hawaii /Mexico than it does for the East Coast. Well, lets keep this in context, and not the misleading way it may have been posted.

What do you think the reason might be? Well, the reason is; we receive more Member requests for the Western States, Hawaii and Mexico than Eastern regions for their vacations (Except for NY, Flordia and Hilton Head). Our highest demand in the East /S.E. is for NY, Florida and Hilton Head, and have strategic alliances in these areas. We still have access to many other quality resorts in other areas, but these are the most requested locations. SFX focuses only on the areas where their Members want to go, and where there is the highest demand.

With regards to the value and quality of our bonus weeks.... It is my understanding the bonus weeks from the "other" exchange companies range in price from about $300-$800. You cannot request what you want, and can only book what's available around 60 days or less. I believe these are the "left-overs" that possibly weren't the best units in their system. That doesn't mean they are not a good value.

Everyone's "opinion" of value is different. If someone is used to vacationing in a "Motel 6", then I can understand how $399 may be perceived to be a poor value. For those who live a little better, and understand decent quality brand hotel rooms start at $200 per night for 2 people, and that SFX bonus weeks are:

* Crown rated and 5 Star rated

* Can be requested up to "one-year in advance"

* And you can request what you want, (just like an exchange week)

which means the "value" of the week specifically requested up to a year in advance is much higher than left-overs that start 60 days or less. Most people have even figured that's about half the price of their maintenance fee !! A number of resorts we book Members into rent space for $300-$400 a night... plus.

For most people, the value is clear, apparent and math "101". But not everyone sees value the same way. There are also those who will see this as a "lecture", and those who will see it as an "eye-opener and informative"... (which is the intent).

So to the "George's", or whatever mask they wear today... "Have a nice day".