UH- it is call TUG. And also there are the small independents like DAE and Trading Places and Platinum Interchange, and RTX- all have free memberships. If more people would use them, they would have more inventory.
TUG only allows people to list their own timeshare and exchange directly with others. It doesnt allow you to deposit your timeshare, OGS (on going searches), it doesnt account for trade power. TUG just doesnt have the bells and whistles regulars exchange companies have. The small independents are NOT free. You can join them for free, BUT, you have to pay them to exchange. If more people used them, they would hike up their fees to the level of the others.
Individual exchanges can't compete. Too many people want uptrades. RCI's and II's main customers are the developers. Without the bulk deposits and the support (at the time of sale and through resort marketing newsletters to owners about exchanging) there isn't enough inventory to have a viable alternative.
There is a TON of inventory to have a highly viable alternative here in TUG. Probably more than some of the independent exchanges.
Imagine if Mark Zuckerber said we cant compete with MySpace, that people who are already with MySpace arent going to sign up the TheFacebook (the original name of Facebook). Or if Elon Musk said, the gas car is too entrenched, let's not try to build an electric car. That is what I believe is happening to us, we are not seeing alternatives, throwing our hands up, and forking up more money.
Whether we Tuggers realize it or not, it is relatively easy to make a website that lets timeshare owners exchange their timeshares with other timeshare owners in an exchange that doesnt lack any of the features or RCI or II, and that is free or much lower costs that even the independent exchanges.
The point of making a timeshare exchange website like this is NOT to directly make a profit from each exchange. Much like I used to pay $3 to $5 at the old Blockbuster to watch each movie but now pay $10 a month to watch as many movies I like using Netflix/Amazon prime.
In the meantime, all that is left is to complain, and perhaps talk about switching from one expensive exchange company to another.