# With whom would you rather trade?



## anneag (Mar 24, 2009)

RCI or II.  We are going to deposit our week.  Which do you think is better?


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## #1 Cowboys Fan (Mar 24, 2009)

Whichever will give me the week I want!! :rofl: 

Seriously though; so far I only own II resorts.

Do you own a dual affiliated resort?


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## AwayWeGo (Mar 24, 2009)

*R. C. I. All The Way.*

Several years of paid-up RCI membership came with the purchase of a timeshare we bought for next to nothing back in late 2002. 

Thrifty souls that we are, we'd never pay for membership in a redundant timeshare exchange company.  By us, signing up with both I-I _and_ RCI would be like signing up with cable TV & satellite TV simultaneously -- double the cost but not double the benefit. 

Then in 2005, we took the RCI Points plunge, so now we're locked into RCI Poaints via our dinky points timeshare in the USA heartland. 

Fortunately, RCI Points membership includes free side-by-side membership in RCI Weeks -- a major benefit now that our original paid-up membership in RCI Weeks has expired. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## DeniseM (Mar 24, 2009)

It really depends on where you want to go and what you are going to deposit.  

Before you make the decision, I suggest that you go to the TUG Sightings Board (right beneath the Lounge) and put in some Sightings Requests.  See the sticky at the top of that board for all the details.


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## sfwilshire (Mar 25, 2009)

DeniseM said:


> It really depends on where you want to go and what you are going to deposit.




That's it in a nutshell. I have been an RCI member for many years. Signed up for II just to try them out and now have been a member of both for several years. They are very different and each have much to offer. I trade much more with RCI and would pick them if I had to choose one.

I now own one week that is only affiliated with II, otherwise I might be tempted to drop them. Haven't used them much lately.

Sheila


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## jdetar (Mar 25, 2009)

I too am registered with both II & RCI. I have one resort in II and 5 in RCI. Personally, I prefer RCI as I can still obtain awesome vacations, but there's more to choose from, and let's face it, their web interface is much much better to work with.

II on the other hand does have some excellent resorts, and locations, but it a bit more "cryptic" and should I just say it.. lacking web interface. The functionality is frankly quite poor which is a shame figuring the quality of the resorts and the kind of money both of these companies make.

Not all units will trade the same between the companies, so I would choose based on what you are looking to accomplish. I have established quite a list of resorts on both systems that I am specifically working to travel to and my RCI list is significantly longer.

But that's just me...


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## Lisa P (Mar 25, 2009)

We have a couple weeks which are stronger traders in II than in RCI, so we use them for trades into Marriotts (example: the better-located resorts on HHI are Marriotts).  But for _everything_ else we want, we trade through RCI.  The RCI website is now superior (wasn't always) but more importantly to us, we find more nice resorts where _*we*_ want to go.

So I agree with DeniseM, Sfwilshire and Jdetar.  It really depends on _what you're trading_ (resort, award, season, unit size) and _where you want to go_.


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## spiceycat (Mar 25, 2009)

I am also a member of both RCI and II.

RCI has my SA and  now DVC trades thru it.

II has my landmark (which could also go to RCI).

that say RCI values beach location in the Panhandle - RCI does not. So with II can get 2 weeks, with RCI it would only be one week.

definitely like the last minute vacation with RCI better - much cheaper prices.


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## ecwinch (Mar 25, 2009)

Another one of those dumb people that have cable and satellite. 

I used to think that this was a on-brainer, since II had all the major brands except Hilton and Wyndham. Now that DVC has moved, RCI is a little more appealing.

But the bottom line is that you think you want to go to a Marriott, Hyatt, Westin, or Sheraton, then II is the only way to go.

And if you can get a bonus week, I think II is still the best choice. 

Different strokes for different folks, but I think RCI's website is too slow. I like the point and click interface, but the lag is too much, and going back causes the web pages to reload, making it even worse.


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## jdetar (Mar 25, 2009)

ecwinch said:


> Another one of those dumb people that have cable and satellite.
> 
> I used to think that this was a on-brainer, since II had all the major brands except Hilton and Wyndham. Now that DVC has moved, RCI is a little more appealing.
> 
> ...



There's other gems besides the big brand's. Quite a few big ones actually, including the one in my avatar that can only be had through RCI at a *huge* discount to straight booking.

Agreed though about the website. RCI needs to spend some $$$ and put it into their infrastructure, as well as development to properly support Firefox and other browsers besides IE. Quite frustrating, but the functionality of the site is still worlds above II.


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## bnoble (Mar 25, 2009)

I signed up for II a few years ago for DVC.  Comparing RCI and II over that time, here are my impressions:

* RCI just plain has _more _stuff---more weeks at more resorts in more places.  There are many areas where a successful exchange will be easier in RCI, and some areas II simply doesn't cover well at all.
* In some locations, II has _better _stuff---Lisa mentioned HHI, but it's also true in Williamsburg, and arguably Orlando for non-Mouse people.  (Before DVC switched, they were clearly better in Orlando no matter what).  In other locations, the differences are less pronounced.
* II gives resort quality notable weight in computing trade power.  In RCI, it seems more hevaily reliant on supply-and-demand.  So, less-posh, no-name resorts in high-demand/low-supply areas do better in RCI than II.
* II's bonus weeks are excellent values---while date and location are restricted, within the "allowable" times/destinations there are some real gems.
* The two biggest II draws, Marriott and Starwood, each have internal preference periods where those who don't own in the system cannot exchange for deposited weeks.  It can range from days to weeks from the date of deposit.
* RCI tends to work better if you can plan more than a year in advance for those systems who don't systematically control deposits.  II tends to get more inventory appearing at less than a year.

If I could only have one, I'd pick RCI.  In fact, now that DVC has switched back, I'm contemplating letting II fall by the wayside.  They've stopped offering bonus weeks for the intervals I have enrolled with them, and that might be the tipping point.


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## anneag (Mar 25, 2009)

This is probably a stupid question, but I'm relatively new to timesharing, depositing and trading and learning the tricks of the trade.  How do I find out where my week has more trading power?  I don't think it's that great, but any advice helps!  We have week 28 2BR EOY at Branson Yacht Club.


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## littlestar (Mar 25, 2009)

As I really like Marriott Vacation Club, II is my pick. Although I do have memberships with both exchange companies. 

We like Hilton Head and Orlando so I usually book through II because of the resorts I enjoy in those areas. We own DVC points, so I don't have to rely on an exchange to stay there.


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## ecwinch (Mar 25, 2009)

jdetar said:


> There's other gems besides the big brand's. Quite a few big ones actually, including the one in my avatar that can only be had through RCI at a *huge* discount to straight booking.



I agree - however like the real gems, they can be hard to find unless you know where to look. With the big brands, you generally get the same quality regardless of the resort.

And I fail at avatar recognition.


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## bnoble (Mar 25, 2009)

> How do I find out where my week has more trading power?


With II, you can "search first"---it's very easy to see what your week will or won't pull without depositing it.  With RCI, the only way to find out is to deposit the week and see.  Some have had success pulling a week back after depositing, but I would not count on it.

This is one more difference between the two that I forgot to mention above, and a strong plus for II.


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## AMJ (Mar 25, 2009)

Three of my resorts only exchange in Interval International. Marriott’s Cypress Harbour is dually affiliated so I can deposit my week with either company. I prefer II because I usually request a Marriott resort and have the internal preference. I think my exchange power with Cypress Harbour would be better with II. There are some RCI resorts that I would love to trade into but I don't think RCI would value an Orlando week very highly. Since my Cypress Harbour exchanges very well in Interval International, I’ll probably continue to deposit with II.


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## philsfan (Mar 25, 2009)

anneag said:


> This is probably a stupid question, but I'm relatively new to timesharing, depositing and trading and learning the tricks of the trade.  How do I find out where my week has more trading power?  I don't think it's that great, but any advice helps!  We have week 28 2BR EOY at Branson Yacht Club.



Branson Yacht Club is not in the II directory, are you sure you can deposit there?  Also, you should investigate HTSE, TPI, Platinum Interchange and DAE if you are worried that trade power will be an issue.  If they have something you like in their inventory, why not go in a direction where trade power is not part of the equation.


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## pcgirl54 (Mar 26, 2009)

I also belong to both as I have a dual affliated week.

Before I bought the 1st TS I called RCI to find out about the trade power for that week. Been with RCI 13 years or so.

I belong to II because of Marriott and except for 1 time (Harborside Atlantis) have always traded to another Marriott.

I belonged to RCI which I used for my Cape Cod summer week and gotten terrific trades. I later also added it to II to see what it could pull. I went to Westin Ka'anapali last year by trading my Cape week through II. I traded the Cape week through RCI for OBX,South Seas Resort in Captiva and this fall Disney's Villas at Wilderness Lodge plus many other gulf coast Florida resorts.

I like the new RCI search engine. Annoying that you can't search before you deposit. I can see decent trades 1 year out or more easily. Great if you want to plan OBX or other coastal resorts.

II-I used to like their search engine so you can see all the resorts at once and you can search without depositing first a plus. However the down side is decent trades are really not there until 6 months out. So for the most part you see the same old thing until you get closer to the intended travel date. I traded to the Westin in Maui and Harborside Atlantis.

In our family we trade mostly to beach destinations.  As you can see both have their merits since we have done well with both companies. It depends where you intend to trade to and in what months.

I would call each company before you decide and hopefully get a decent rep to ask about the trade power for what you own.


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## AwayWeGo (Mar 26, 2009)

*Still Strictly R. C. I. Around Here.*




pcgirl54 said:


> I also belong to both as I have a dual affliated week.


Two of our timeshares are dual-affiliated. 

We're RCI all the way anyhow -- not that there's anything wrong with I-I. 

(I.e., just because the timeshares are affiliated with both I-I & RCI, that doesn't mean we have to spring for dual exchange-company memberships.) 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## pcgirl54 (Mar 27, 2009)

I have to belong to II because of Marriott.  I joined RCI first when we bought the timeshare on Cape Cod. For no additional fee I could also add the Cape week to my II account without incurring an extra fee for a 2nd TS resort. I decided to try that 3 yrs back just to see what I could pull never intending to trade it. With II I am offered a bonus week for my summer Cape week and I was able to trade to the Westin in Maui which my Marriott week did not pull. 

 If I wanted to I could just belong to II with the Marriott & Cape week avoiding the cost of two memberships but RCI just has too many features I like. Because my Cape resort is part of VRI  I pay $178 for a RCI three year membership which is $59 a year. I also get $20 off the exchange fee.


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## ciscogizmo1 (Apr 7, 2009)

Well... I have dial-up, cable & Satellite but not by choice (LOL...)...  We own at Starwood but that II account # is different from my Marriott number.    Now, I supposedly have RCI (my dial-up) as I own at DVC and we really don't have much access to RCI other than we call DVC to make our request.    I guess... I'm keeping the economy going. LOL...


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## rockon (Apr 15, 2009)

*RCI and II*

My Analogy is focused on food instead of cable or satellite.

RCI - being a buffett -Quantity
II - Meal from a top chef - Quality

Rci has more
II has better


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## rockon (Apr 15, 2009)

*Re: Rci*

I am a member of both.

I love II as opposed to RCI ( resorts)

Also, what is up with the mandatory all inclusive with RCI for Mexico and Aruba. I was giving a 2 bedroom unit to my sister in Mexico.
 She refused when she did the math for the mandatory all inclusive.
 Did any one check out those prices? Most of those places can be purchased with a travel company for  alot less.


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## jdetar (Apr 15, 2009)

Some of them, you're absolutely right. You want to know the best, most reasonable all-inclusive in the system? I've spent way too much time researching them.

Paradisus Palma Real. It's my avatar. There are two resort ID's listed for this.

1) Sol Melia Vacation Club at Paradisus Palma Real - 
09 rates are $90/pp/day
2) The Reserve at Paradisus Palma Real - 09 rates are $120/pp/day (this is also Sol Melia, but at the other part of the resort.. more benefits, another private pool, more restaurants, etc but more "family oriented"

I have two units booked at the first for this year for a gift. Total cost is then $1,260 AI + exchange + your resort fees. For me this is about $1,700. If you were to book through the cheapest travel agency (I researched that heavily too) the cost is $4,500 for my week for two people in the same room. That's an awesome deal for a beautiful 5-star AI luxury resort.

They're using a 1-in-3 now that just got added this year, I had my bookings in for both units last year before they added this rule. If you go there at these rates, you won't be disappointed.


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## Carolinian (Apr 16, 2009)

I have never owned an II resort, but I like using DAE much better than RCI.

www.daelive.com


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## e.bram (Apr 16, 2009)

it is a no brainer. II lets you search first before you deposit.


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## NJDave (Apr 17, 2009)

Alot depends on where you want to travel to.  For us, Interval is much better.

For places that we travel to such as Hawaii, Aruba, Myrtle Beach, Orlando, Mexican Mayan Riveria and Palm Desert, Interval has been better.  RCI had the better options for Sedona and Las Vegas.


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## Lisa P (Apr 17, 2009)

NJDave, if you weren't trading with Marriott priority and if you were seeking primetime, do you think II would really afford you better options in your preferred destinations?  Not necessarily doubting, just asking.


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## jgirvine (Apr 18, 2009)

*New Wyndham owner and could go either way*

I think I know the answer to my question, but, I would like to hear other thoughts.  Going to be a new Wyndham owner.  The resort is one of the few that is with II.  I understand that once Wyndham shows me as the owner, they will try to push me to RCI.  If I understand from reading posts, RCI does not let Wyndham owners do their own searches.  I want to be able to "see" what is avaliable to me.  

Am I correct that if I want to see things, then it has to be II.  Also, we like to travel last minute.  Again, I understand II would be the better way to go there.  Are these assumptions correct?  Am I missing any thing?  Appreciate the education one receives here on TUG.
Thanks
Ginny


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## hjhauss (Apr 18, 2009)

jgirvine said:


> I understand that once Wyndham shows me as the owner, they will try to push me to RCI.



I am not so sure of this.  When we purchased at Governors Green some years ago, we were automatically enrolled in II by Fairfield.  When we later purchased a deed at a Fairfield resort that trades with RCI that deed was put under the same account which continues to trade with II.  What we have heard from several owners is that if you have a Wyndham account that trades through RCI, for example, and buy at a resort to trade with II, that you would have to work very hard to get Wyndham to put the new resort under a new account so that you could trade with II.


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## Lisa P (Apr 18, 2009)

jgirvine said:


> I want to be able to "see" what is avaliable to me.  ...... Am I correct that if I want to see things, then it has to be II.


At present, yes.  This may change.  Wyndham included a blurb inside the cover of a recent Directory sent to members that we could expect to be able to search online at RCI in March 2009.  It's been delayed but it's in the works to happen sooner or later.


jgirvine said:


> Also, we like to travel last minute.  Again, I understand II would be the better way to go there.


Ginny, it depends on where you want to go.  RCI's Last Calls are not as abundant as they used to be but they're still there, for $199/week.  II and RCI both rent out time through various outlets and it's cut back on their Getaway availability.  I still see occasional gems in both in the off-seasons.


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## Lisa P (Apr 18, 2009)

hjhauss said:


> What we have heard from several owners is that if you have a Wyndham account that trades through RCI, for example, and buy at a resort to trade with II, that you would have to work very hard to get Wyndham to put the new resort under a new account so that you could trade with II.


This is true.  However, I understand that a first or primary Wyndham contract, purchased at an II resort is generally automatically enrolled with an II membership.  When that's all that one owns with Wyndham, they have to honor the II-affiliation of the home resort.


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