- Joined
- Jul 17, 2005
- Messages
- 6,185
- Reaction score
- 3,260
- Points
- 649
- Location
- Central Florida
- Resorts Owned
-
Fitzpatrick's Castle Holiday Homes,
Enchanted Isle.
VRI has been charging an upgrade fee for a long time. I bought a studio on Cape Cod, mostly for our use but have traded for other places. II has taken over VRI and I am going to try them for 2017". Going to try for even size trade, I don't like all this extra fees, for size. And this Platinium ,Elite, etc. stuff, I remember the early days of timeshare trades very low fees. Like another thread I Too resent them offering alternatives to where I want to go. Just to make a sale. This is supposed to be fun, not stressful. I may just stay at my home resorts next year since I own where I like to go.Having thought about this for a few days I'll toss out one more opinion/observation.
II could have just as easily gone to a points based exchange system like RCI's and then allowed developers to sell it as an upgrade for thousands of dollars. With points you pay for what you want. The upgrade fee is built in by the points value. DISCLAIMER: I don't understand RCI's points system that well. I became disillusioned with RCI years ago, dropped our individual membership (we still have the HGVC corporate membership) and haven't looked back.
Interval is instead keeping their weeks based exchange system but charging the upgrade fee in the form of a fixed dollar amount, regardless of the quality of the week or season. It's a flat fee vs a moving target such as RCI's points program. I think I'm happier I.I. stuck with their base program and added the fee vs changing to a points based system that requires members to join and pay a large enrolment fee.
In the end some things will change but, I bet there's not as much change as TUGGER's believe. The only real change I see for us is I won't take a 2 bedroom unit if I have to pay a fee to do it. I would if someone where to travel with us and, if they paid the fee. We also won't be locking off our 3 bedroom ocean front unit unless I absolutely need that extra week. Since we don't typically need that extra week for an exchange, it's one more studio unit I.I. won't get for an exchange. Somehow I don't see them missing it very much.
Silentg