# DEX..Diamond XChange?



## SandyO (Nov 14, 2020)

Does anyone really understand this "new and improved" option at Diamond Resorts?  I know one can deposit points and have up to 5 years to use them.  I know this replaces the II affiliation DRI had for years (which we never used but paid for each year) but it seems so complicated to me that it makes me dizzy!  Different tiers of exchanges, fees to exchange (which are less than the comparable fees from II) but to know exactly how to navigate this system is confusing.  Hope I haven't missed a previous discussion of this new program.


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## csalter2 (Nov 15, 2020)

SandyO said:


> Does anyone really understand this "new and improved" option at Diamond Resorts?  I know one can deposit points and have up to 5 years to use them.  I know this replaces the II affiliation DRI had for years (which we never used but paid for each year) but it seems so complicated to me that it makes me dizzy!  Different tiers of exchanges, fees to exchange (which are less than the comparable fees from II) but to know exactly how to navigate this system is confusing.  Hope I haven't missed a previous discussion of this new program.



The DR website is pretty clear. Is there a specific question that you have? Perhaps I and others can help.


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## chemteach (Nov 15, 2020)

I will share that my experience with the new system is only so/so.  Basically, the units that used to be added from Club Combo/Club Select are now offered as Destination Exchange weeks through The Club.  This is actually different from the Diamond Destination Exchange program that can be used by deeded weeks owners.  It's very confusing because both programs have the same name.  I was able to make an exchange recently in the Club side of Destination Exchange, but it's not easy to find decent weeks.  You have to search often.  Some of the weeks available through The Club Destination Exchange are way overpriced.  (Some not great studios are considered Tier 6, which is 12,000 club points.)  The way they assign a Tier number to many of the units is not logical.


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## pedro47 (Nov 15, 2020)

Can you used DRI Club Points to exchange with RCI or II ?


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## SandyO (Nov 15, 2020)

csalter2 said:


> The DR website is pretty clear. Is there a specific question that you have? Perhaps I and others can help.


I don't have a specific question or exchange I want to make right now but am not sure how to decide whether to use the Club (for no exchange fee) or DEX which, as someone has said has greatly inflated costs re: number of points necessary to book.  I have taken my 2020 points which I couldn't use anyway due to COVID and deposited them into two different tiers of the DEX.  My 2021 points can be used either way and I'm hoping to be able to use them next year but who knows the way things are going presently.  I have enjoyed my DRI timeshare for many years and keep paying the ever-increasing maintenance and club fees years.  It used to be simple to use; book through the club or through II.


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## SandyO (Nov 15, 2020)

chemteach said:


> I will share that my experience with the new system is only so/so.  Basically, the units that used to be added from Club Combo/Club Select are now offered as Destination Exchange weeks through The Club.  This is actually different from the Diamond Destination Exchange program that can be used by deeded weeks owners.  It's very confusing because both programs have the same name.  I was able to make an exchange recently in the Club side of Destination Exchange, but it's not easy to find decent weeks.  You have to search often.  Some of the weeks available through The Club Destination Exchange are way overpriced.  (Some not great studios are considered Tier 6, which is 12,000 club points.)  The way they assign a Tier number to many of the units is not logical.


Thanks for the info.  I appreciate hearing from someone who has used this new program.


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## chemteach (Nov 15, 2020)

SandyO said:


> I don't have a specific question or exchange I want to make right now but am not sure how to decide whether to use the Club (for no exchange fee) or DEX which, as someone has said has greatly inflated costs re: number of points necessary to book.  I have taken my 2020 points which I couldn't use anyway due to COVID and deposited them into two different tiers of the DEX.  My 2021 points can be used either way and I'm hoping to be able to use them next year but who knows the way things are going presently.  I have enjoyed my DRI timeshare for many years and keep paying the ever-increasing maintenance and club fees years.  It used to be simple to use; book through the club or through II.


You can always save your current year points for the following year if you do it earlier in the year.


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## csalter2 (Nov 16, 2020)

Personally, I think that it’s best to use your points for regular Diamond reservations. However, if you see a resort where Diamond does not have a location, you can do an exchange with your points and pay the exchange fee.  I would only deposit into the tiers of the DEX program if I had no other choice, and I was going to lose my points because I could not bank them into the next year.  Trying to choose the tier is not easy because you don’t know what size unit or where you’ll be in a couple of years, so you could lose points if you placed points in Tier 6 now but 4 years from now you find a really nice Tier 4 that meets your needs, You will lose the difference in points. That’s 4000 points or about $760 that you’d have lost. I forsee that happening in the future to many people.


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## SandyO (Nov 21, 2020)

Thanks for the replies. Our problem was that we had banked 2019 points thinking to use them this year.  When 2020 closed down many resorts we didn't travel. It was getting toward the end of the year and we were going to lose those 2019 points so I put them into DEX.  I don't know if what I did will reap benefits but we'll see.  I still have some 2021 points available to exchange for regular Club properties.


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## pedro47 (Nov 25, 2020)

How are DRI Club points used in the new DEX program or can you used DRI Club points after December 31, 2020?


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## SandyO (Nov 25, 2020)

pedro47 said:


> How are DRI Club points used in the new DEX program or can you used DRI Club points after December 31, 2020?


It's very complicated IMHO.  You can deposit points from 2019 and 2020 and have five years to use them....with an exchange fee, of course.  They are using this instead of their old affilication with Interval International, which also charged a fee.  DEX fees are supposed to be lower.  Using them is not something I'm familiar with yet.  All the information is on their website.


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## csalter2 (Nov 26, 2020)

pedro47 said:


> How are DRI Club points used in the new DEX program or can you used DRI Club points after December 31, 2020?



In the DEX program, there are 6 tiers of accommodation types. These tiers start at tier 1 which is 2000 points and tiers increase by 2000 until tier 6 at 12000 points. You can put your DRI CLUB points in any tier or tiers you’d like. The tiers increase by size, quality and season. You can keep the deposit in the DEX program up to five years where you can only keep deposits in interval up to two years. There are other particulars of DEX that if you had questions I’d address. However, this is an exchange program. You can also not use the tier program and just use your points to make a straight exchange like you did with points and pay the exchange fee the way you did with Interval.

You can use the DEX program after December into the future for exchanges. It is Diamond’s official program for exchanges for its members. Interval International
is now owned by Marriott so they don’t want their customers swayed by going and supporting Marriott when they want that money.


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## pedro47 (Dec 7, 2020)

Where can you find more information about DEX Exchange Program tier system?

Which is better the tier system or the point system ?
Thanks for any information, you can share.


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## SandyO (Dec 7, 2020)

If you are a Diamond member, go to your account on their webpage.  They have been doing video explanations of DEX for the past several months and there are a few scheduled for December.  It's an explanation, of sorts, of the program and time for Q&A.  You have to search around the page to find the link that will let you register for the one you want to view.


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## eggmansr71 (Dec 10, 2020)

I will second the opinion that the current pricing of points and tiers makes little sense.  Off-season time slots going for 12k points is ridiculous.   I read in the DEX pdf that Diamond is going to allow you to book Embarc and Diamond starting in January through DEX.  So this seems to be the workaround (although a poor one) for not allowing Diamond Club members the ability to book Embarc directly.


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## cindyc (Dec 10, 2020)

I participated in a couple of the Zoom sessions on The Club as well as Destination Exchange. I found it quite helpful and both were well done. You can find the announcement and sign up for these sessions under the News tab on your DRI account.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk


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## SandyO (Dec 10, 2020)

What is Embarc?  Sorry, but that term/acronym isn't familiar to me.  Thanks!


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## pedro47 (Dec 10, 2020)

All the DE webinar sessions are closed on the DRI website.


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## youppi (Dec 10, 2020)

pedro47 said:


> Where can you find more information about DEX Exchange Program tier system?
> 
> Which is better the tier system or the point system ?
> Thanks for any information, you can share.


DEX for points members


			https://cmsprod.diamondresorts.com/sites/default/files/destination-xchange-member-guide.pdf
		


DEX for deeded weeks owners


			https://cmsprod.diamondresorts.com/sites/default/files/destination-xchange-guide_2.pdf


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## youppi (Dec 10, 2020)

SandyO said:


> What is Embarc?  Sorry, but that term/acronym isn't familiar to me.  Thanks!


Embarc (https://embarcresorts.com/) is the old Club Intrawest.
When Diamond Resorts acquired Club Intrawest resorts in 2016 (https://www.businesswire.com/news/h...tional-Completes-Acquisition-Intrawest-Resort), they were not allowed to keep the Club Intrawest name.
So, they renamed it to Embarc.
They never added Embarc to THE Club and never added any resorts of Embarc in US Collection.
They managed Embarc separately.


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## SandyO (Dec 10, 2020)

Thanks...I was a DRI owner in 2016 but don't remember any of that transaction. So we are going to have access to those resorts effective 1/21?

I just liked the old Club exchange system and will probably use it more than DEX but it's IS attractive to be able to bank points for 5 years instead of scrambling to use them or lose them.  We never had a problem using our points until we bought a winter home in Texas and spend 4 1/2 months there each year.  That seems to leave less time for travel to timeshares.  I need to get with the program and use all this stuff I'm paying dearly for!!


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## sfwilshire (Dec 11, 2020)

I've used my Diamond property the last few years. Is depositing in II still an option? I used my last II deposit to book a week back to my Diamond resort this month. I've got a couple of dual-affiliated resorts I could deposit with II, but I seem to have better luck with RCI.

Sheila


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## NiteMaire (Dec 11, 2020)

sfwilshire said:


> I've used my Diamond property the last few years. Is depositing in II still an option? I used my last II deposit to book a week back to my Diamond resort this month. I've got a couple of dual-affiliated resorts I could deposit with II, but I seem to have better luck with RCI.
> 
> Sheila


Yes, but only through a personal II account.  DRI will no longer have corporate accounts with II; corporate accounts will only be with their internal DX system.
Weeks: I'm a new week owner within DRI, and I am able to deposit my 2021 week(s) with II.  II is actually offering an extra AC for each of my Sedona Summit deposits as long as the reservation is between March 25 - August 25.  I have until February 19 to deposit and receive the AC(s).

Points: I not a points owner so I'll defer to them, but as I understand it you can setup a personal account to deposit next year.  I based that on this post (and others as well): https://tugbbs.com/forums/threads/b...d-no-dri-interval-account.307769/post-2485286


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## pedro47 (Dec 11, 2020)

NiteMaire said:


> Yes, but only through a personal II account.  DRI will no longer have corporate accounts with II; corporate accounts will only be with their internal DX system.
> Weeks: I'm a new week owner within DRI, and I am able to deposit my 2021 week(s) with II.  II is actually offering an extra AC for each of my Sedona Summit deposits as long as the reservation is between March 25 - August 25.  I have until February 19 to deposit and receive the AC(s).
> 
> Points: I not a points owner so I'll defer to them, but as I understand it you can setup a personal account to deposit next year.  I based that on this post (and others as well): https://tugbbs.com/forums/threads/b...d-no-dri-interval-account.307769/post-2485286


Are you saying, you may be able to exchange with II, if you have a personal account with II and a DRI DE account?


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## SandyO (Dec 11, 2020)

Diamond has severed their years-long relationship with II effective 12/31/20.  I guess I would contact customer service if you want to use II before that; afterward you would have to buy a separate II membership. II has been sending mailings all summer to entice DRI owners to stick with II at their own expense.  DEX is supposed to be superior, have lower exchange fees and more ways to use points. I'm not at all sure what fixed week owners are doing with all this.  I haven't used it yet so can't speak to those claims.  I noticed via an email today that they are presenting more webinars to learn about DEX.


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## NiteMaire (Dec 11, 2020)

pedro47 said:


> Are you saying, you may be able to exchange with II, if you have a personal account with II and a DRI DE account?


I have a personal account with II as well as a DX account.  I can exchange my unit with II or DX.  You can use one of them, both of them, or neither.  You don't need a DX account to exchange in II.


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## sfwilshire (Dec 15, 2020)

Thanks for the updates. My personal II account existed way before Diamond took over the resort. I never changed from my fixed week 52 ownership. Sounds like no change for me.

Sheila


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## karibkeith (Dec 16, 2020)

pedro47 said:


> All the DE webinar sessions are closed on the DRI website.


They keep adding new ones so You have to keep checking back and/or watch out for e-mails announcing them


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## karibkeith (Dec 16, 2020)

youppi said:


> Embarc (https://embarcresorts.com/) is the old Club Intrawest.
> When Diamond Resorts acquired Club Intrawest resorts in 2016 (https://www.businesswire.com/news/h...tional-Completes-Acquisition-Intrawest-Resort), they were not allowed to keep the Club Intrawest name.
> So, they renamed it to Embarc.
> They never added Embarc to THE Club and never added any resorts of Embarc in US Collection.
> They managed Embarc separately.


One of my biggest complaints about Diamond is that they do not have enough resorts in the Northern United States or in Canada. So when they bought the inventory of Club Intrawest with several resorts in British Columbia, one in Quebec and one in Ontario (close to where I lived at the time) I was ecstatic. I got sucked in to buying more points on the promise that Embarc resorts would be available to Club members. As usual, it was a Diamond lie and Embarc properties continue to have the restriction to be available only to Embarc members. I think Embarc is now considered a separate "collection". Why did I think this assurance of including Embarc properties would be any more honest than anything that comes out of the mouths of Diamond representatives. None of them even know how to spell "integrity".


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