Exchanging Your Timeshare Week
"One of the most attractive aspects of timesharing is the ability to exchange your timeshare week for a week at a different timeshare. In this way, you can use your timeshare week to obtain vacation accommodations at different times and locations throughout the world. Unfortunately, unsuccessful attempts at exchanging have soured many owners on timesharing and timeshare exchanging. This usually happens when the owner either doesn’t understand how the exchanging system works, or the owner has unrealistic expectations about the types of timeshare exchanges they can make with the week they own. When the buyer then unsuccessfully tries to make these exchanges, they become disillusioned and upset about timesharing. Thus, to get the most benefit from timesharing, you should learn the basic rules for successful timeshare exchanging."
The exchange value of a timeshare
"Exchange value is an important concept to understand for successful timeshare exchanging. Both internal exchange programs and exchange companies generally operate on the basis of exchanging timeshares of like value. This practice is what prevents the owner of an off-season studio apartment at the Mugwump Towers from exchanging that unit for an 3-bedroom oceanfront suite unit in Hawaii during New Years Week.
Note that when you unsuccessfully search for an exchange, that does not necessarily mean the exchange company (or the internal exchange program) does not have a unit that meets your criteria; it means that they do not have a unit that meets your criteria and which “matches up” with your week in exchange value. So, if you have an on-going search for a highly valued week and you are using a week with relatively low value, units that meet your criteria may be received and added to the spacebank, but will not be offered to you (at least, not right away).
Exchange value for a unit is established by the combination of supply and demand. When there are relatively few deposits being made for a given resort and use week in relation to the demand for that resort and week, those weeks will have high value. Conversely, high supply and low demand will create low value. "
Resort rating and resort amenities
"Many owners mistakenly think having a high amenity rating (such as a Gold Crown resort in RCI’s rating system or a 5* resort in II’s parlance) will significantly increase the exchange value of a resort. These ratings, however, are based on the amenities provided at the resort, not the demand for the resort. High exchange value is based on high demand and low supply, which is primarily driven by location and season, not amenities. Continuing with the beachfront example cited above, a beachfront resort without amenity awards will often have higher exchange value than a top-rated resort located a short distance inland, because exchangers want to be on the beach rather than some distance inland, and will forego amenities in favor of location. (An exception to this might occur if the inland resort were located adjacent to some other major attraction.) Only if two resorts are located in similar settings will resort rating and amenities significantly affect the relatives exchange values of the two resorts."
Realistic timeshare exchange expectations
"You should also not be too restrictive about your search criteria. Remember that a trade can only be completed if someone deposits a week that meets your criteria and there is not someone “in line” ahead of you for that week. You can increase your chances of being able to successfully make an exchange by increasing the number of resorts (or areas) into which you are willing to make an exchange and/or by specifying a wider range of check-in dates. If you are limited to traveling only during a very short period (as with a school vacation), then you should be sure that there are many resorts that will fit your criteria. Similarly, if you insist on going to a specific location or a specific small set of resorts, you should have a wider range of possible check-in dates. If you can’t meet either of these criteria, you should consider that exchanging might not be a good use of your timeshare, and you should plan on owning a timeshare primarily for direct usage."
Exchanging Tips
"To increase your chances of completing an exchange you should start your search as soon as possible...Many TUGgers conduct their vacation scheduling two years in advance of the actual vacation days."
