The 80 /20 Rule and availability of weeks...

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

Katie...great post...

I still can't figure out how SFX is better than RCI given the constraints. We always travel during school vacation and summer weeks. Now it isn't easy to get exchanges during that time but you can always go to Orlando within RCI. I may not get it yet, but I'm not seeing where there is any benefit to using SFX for travel when you have kids.

As for "off season"...well there is lots of availability in RCI then anyway.

So I'm trying to figure out what one can get from SFX that is better than RCI. Do they have more inventory in Europe during shoulder season? Do you use SFX to get around the one in four restriction that RCI has? Maybe SFX is not for me specifically, but who is it for and in what situation?

Sharon

Sharon - thank you for your post. We do not claim SFX is better than RCI, we are a different boutique business model specializing in the higher end resorts. (Apples and Oranges).

In brief... If you are a member of RCI, you are restricted to just the resorts you see in their directory. With SFX you can request high quality resorts you see in "Both" major systems, thus giving you access to more properties than what you currently have.

You do not have to pay an annual membership fee with SFX, which may save you around $80 a year. Our exchange fees are less too.

Our bonus weeks are high-grade and can be requested up to one year in advance, not last minute lef-overs 60 days or less.

There are a number of other benefits, I am just keeping it brief.

SFX is not for everyone. The major appeal is our higher consistency of quality in addition to the other benefits. If these items are not important to a timeshare owner, then we do recommend staying with your current exchange company.

Hope this helps...

[katie Member Find all posts View Profile Close katie]

Hi Mark,

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my post.

I appreciate that you provided as much information that you are allowed to give on this forum. It wasn’t everything that I hoped for but you certainly provided me with some things to consider.

I agree that the past doesn’t provide a guarantee on what will happen in the future. But the fact is that every day we make decisions based on the past. It’s not the sole criteria that we use to make our decisions but it is one of many things we take into consideration.

For example:

• Insurance companies look at past trends to determine their level of risks.
• Banks look at our past credit history to determine whether to issue us credit.
• Employers look at our past work experience to determine whether to hire us.
• Car Buyers Guides look at past maintenance issues to advise whether to buy.
• Investors look at past performance to determine whether to buy/sell.
• Timeshare owners look at past deposits to determine what to ask for and when.

I would think even SFX would expect a certain percent of deposits in various areas based on past deposits from their “strategic alliances”. But as I stated above I think you gave as much information as you could on the subject

I also agree with your statement that it really comes down to who you are comfortable doing business with.

And yes I look forward to you sending me on great vacations!!!

Thanks Again

[timetraveler Member Find all posts View Profile Close timetraveler]

Katie, if we depended purely on Member deposits, then not knowing if we get 2 deposits or 50 becomes a significant factor in your consideration. However, we have multiple resources for space, Member deposits being only one of them. For obvious reasons, unfortunately I cannot disclose what the other resources are. Some may be obvious... others not so obvious. Keep in mind, SFX manages a network of "Strategic Alliances" among st certain resorts with preferred access to space... We do not operate on the same business model as other exchange companies, it's apples and oranges. Can't say any more on that subject.

Can you answer this question: Can you access inventory for members who want to go to areas where there are no Five Star/Gold Crown resorts?

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

Can you answer this question: Can you access inventory for members who want to go to areas where there are no Five Star/Gold Crown resorts?

Timetraveler - Yes.

There is so much demand for our inventory, if the space you require is available, it can be a very easy negotiation as we would be offering them a higher value.

Thanks,

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

Mark wrote:

For the longest time, you didn't have the Freedom of Choice for doing your vacation exchange shopping, you only had one store or the other... we have added a layer of innovative opportunity allowing you the ability to have more than one store to do your vacation shopping, without being restricted to just one service.

I think this is key. Many of us have a lot more than one week to exchange. Many of us are also obsessive timeshare fourm/board readers. Do your research and don't place all your eggs in one basket. In my experience which really is limited-I have only owned timeshares for about 2 years-I have already determined what I can and can not have with which exchange company. Know your product so to speak. When you do that-SFX and other independents for that matter-can compliment what you already know.

Me-I am happy SFX exchanger today because I am going to GM Nuevo Vallarta and I don't have to concern myself with a 1 in 4 or 5 rule and can go back whenever I want. Know your product.

This exchange was filled in less than a week. I did have another pending exchange that went unfulfilled for about 4 months. I knew I could get that same exchange in II rather quickly-based on past experience-so I did a request-boom-literally overnight-it matched and I cancelled the request with SFX. No harm, no foul-SFX may have filled it-but look at my screen name-I wasn't going to nail bite a guest reservation until the last minute. It all works for me.

I will continue to use II and SFX and maybe even another independent now and then based on what I think my needs are.

SFX just adds another layer to my exchanging arsenal. I like that.

[Bourne Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bourne]

Here is a little tidbit for other's who are curious about SFX model.

A while back, I called a SFX rep that I normally work with. It was around a major holiday. Asked the rep if there was anything I could use for a week in a given area.

The rep looked around and came back with a no. Asked the person to look around the whole of North America including Carribean for ANY resort. I was amazed that the rep obliged for argument's sake. NOTHING. Not even one week outside of Sell-off list.

That's when it dawned on me. SFX is a lean mean exchanging machine. They may have some floating inventory around Aug - Nov for months going forward due to the timing of 3-1 bonus but almost all of it gets accounted for. The rest are trading chips to be used for 3rd party access. SFX also has alliances that it dips into to access weeks. The key here is that it has access to these weeks and they are not in it's own bank. SFX has to act as a trader at best or rental broker at worst in terms of margins to access these weeks.


IMHO, SFX cannot provide an online search feature because there are no weeks to search. OR to put it better, there is no ADEQUATE inventory OWNED by SFX that can be searched on over 365 days of a year. The SFX Sell off is as good as it gets.

Like Mark said, comparing SFX to other exchange companies is comparing apples to oranges. The business model is different. We have been used to the RCIs and IIs of the world so much that we can cannot fathom that SFX model is different.

I'll be honest and agree to the fact that Mark kinda skirts around the issue about the 80/20 rule and search feature. Just remember, this is part of his day job. He is a rep of the company and has to follow company policy.