Sfx

[krj9999]

Wyndham's 10-K noted they lost 53k exchange members in 2017 (average compared to 2016). Fourth quarter numbers weren't provided, but the third quarter was down 76k exchange members from prior year (10-Q).

ILG's 10-Qs for periods ending 9/30/17 and 9/30/16 indicate they lost 14k exchange members from 2016 levels.

Curious where this statistic came from. My google searches came up blank.

 

[klpca]

Wyndham's 10-K noted they lost 53k exchange members in 2017 (average compared to 2016). Fourth quarter numbers weren't provided, but the third quarter was down 76k exchange members from prior year (10-Q).

ILG's 10-Qs for periods ending 9/30/17 and 9/30/16 indicate they lost 14k exchange members from 2016 levels.

Thanks. Very interesting information.

 

[Eric B]

Thanks, Rich. I wasn’t looking then, but noticed a bulk deposit last week. Since I own Vidanta, I can search their inventory with SFX, and noticed it.

 

[Jayco29D]

I think Interval is the best exchange company. I have not deposited anything but I see great weeks available for the equivalent of the MF in their Getaways program. I have seen almost all the Hyatts (even Carmel!), most of the Marriotts, many Westins and other major brands in the Getaway program. So I assume that if you actually have a week to exchange, your trades would be even better. I am a member of II, RCI, SFX and The Registry right now. I even saw a Hawaii Ko Olina 2 bedroom this week on the Getaways for $1100 (half the MF), granted it would be last minute travel. I have some requests into SFX and they have flat out told me I would never get them. I like II the best.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Interval is the absolute best exchange company for me. I get RCI exchanges once in a great while, but most of my success is with II.

 

[Vacationsarefun]

Typically if SFX gets any Hilton bulk deposits for Hawaii, it's for Kingsland or Bay Club on the Big Island.
I don't know if they get a lot (if any) for Honolulu (not even RCI gets a lot--it'll be leftovers about 45-60 days before the due date if Hilton deposits any Lagoon Tower into RCI).

I've suggested to SFX that they introduce some sort of "matching" program. By that I mean this:
Let's say you're looking for a 1 BR Big Island resort.
SFX "knows" (by virtue of the fact that us members list what our resorts are) which members either own or have access to say, Hilton Bay Club.
SFX then emails those folks asking if they'd like to deposit the week/unit you're looking for.
Then we deposit that week and maybe get a little "extra" in return (maybe some Vacation Cash or a reduced cost bonus week or something).





--Kevin

Pretty sure SFX does something like this at least occasionally. A couple of years ago I got an email asking me specifically to deposit my week as they had requests for my resort/area. They did offer a premium exchange, cash and bonus week incentives. I didn't take them up on the offer so not sure what they would have been though.

 

[Vacationsarefun]

I really want to use my 2017 SFX deposit this year but not sure it will work out. Due to my kids' school schedule we are pretty limited as far as possible dates are concerned (though summer vacations are a bit later here than in many places so no longer highest season). Still, the two disadvantages I see with SFX (at least for us) are that you can't see the inventory (I might be able to make other dates/resorts work but would need to know specifics) and that you can't split/combine deposits.

I have been told that several of my requests are highly unlikely because my resort doesn't have the necessary quality. While I can see the logic in that, it means I could never get the top level resort - as far as I understand, with RCI you have the option of combining two years' deposits which would make even the top level accessible. Conversely, I am not really willing to give up my week in exchange for a week that I could book/purchase for less than my mf + exchange fee. Together, this limits the number of possible exchanges quite a bit. Obviously, the situation might be quite different for someone who can be more flexible and/or owns a top level resort.

Anyway, I am still hoping SFX will come up with something good - we did get lucky in the past so it isn't hopeless.

 

[richontug]

Thanks, Rich. I wasn’t looking then, but noticed a bulk deposit last week. Since I own Vidanta, I can search their inventory with SFX, and noticed it.

Eric, please clarify. I also own Vidanta but cannot see anything online.

 

[Eric B]

If you’ve got privilege weeks, go to https://members.sfxresorts.com/specials/privilegeweeks/search once you’re signed in at SFX. Then you can select a resort and scroll through the availability month by month out 12 months. The GL residence, spa, loft and villa typically have no availability listed, but there’s a bunch for the GL suites in RM & NV through mid-December (excepting Easter and US Thanksgiving - Canadians are in luck for theirs, though).

Not sure if it works for you if you don’t have privilege weeks. One of the SFX agents sent me the link and I bookmarked it because it’s quite useful. I think it was Elena Andersen, who’s been very helpful.

 

[Eric B]

BTW, I managed to get a GL week this fall using an SFX bonus week from depositing a Wyndham week; 2 BR suite for $1198. Beats the heck out of the privilege week cost, though there’s a $75 resort fee when we get there. They upgraded us to a 2 BR spa that trip, which we greatly appreciated, but I’m still quite annoyed with the restriction against trading on RCI Platinum in the priority access into GL for Vidanta owners. I had a quite unsatisfying phone call with Bill from customer service, who didn’t even know there was any RCI availability, so plan on venting often about that to see if I can motivate them to change this new policy. It’s much easier for me to exchange with RCI and plan my off season travel than to rely on them deciding to upgrade us. Love the resort, but the spotty policy and bad communication is annoying.

(Bill from customer service declined to provide any further contact information that I could use to share information to support an intelligent conversation, so I’m left with the image of Jake from State Farm in his place....)

 

[richontug]

If you’ve got privilege weeks, go to https://members.sfxresorts.com/specials/privilegeweeks/search once you’re signed in at SFX. Then you can select a resort and scroll through the availability month by month out 12 months. The GL residence, spa, loft and villa typically have no availability listed, but there’s a bunch for the GL suites in RM & NV through mid-December (excepting Easter and US Thanksgiving - Canadians are in luck for theirs, though).

Not sure if it works for you if you don’t have privilege weeks. One of the SFX agents sent me the link and I bookmarked it because it’s quite useful. I think it was Elena Andersen, who’s been very helpful.

Thanks Eric,
I don't have privilege weeks but I am able to see availability at the resort I own (MP RM) through 2/2019. Interesting.
As they charge MF rate, can't you often rent at lower cost?

 

[Eric B]

It's typically less expensive exchanging into a suite week for me than it would be to book through Vidanta directly. I like the resorts and can afford it, so bought in at the 1 BR loft level, which is tougher to get by exchange, especially since I'm not on II. I was able to get an RCI exchange last year before they added the restrictions; that was the least expensive way I've booked because I have a very good RCI points to MF ratio in the one I use to trade with. Going that way was actually very inexpensive because they had the weeks listed for 400 RCI points, which is a pitance. It basically cost me the RCI exchange fee. I'm completely on board with them fixing that or even adding an appropriate resort fee.

Going through SFX, it costs me $449 for an exchange plus upgrade fee, plus the week's MF, plus a $75 resort fee or ~$950 total; using an SFX bonus week is $1195 plus the $75. I've only seen rentals in the $2500 and up range for a 2 BR, which makes sense to me since that's in the range of the usage fees. I've also seen a lot of availability through Save on resorts in that range. Bottom line is I can beat the usage fee exchanging into a suite, taking into account the fees, but not through a rental. I use my own weeks there to plan in advance or to get a higher level unit. I'm not intending on using much in the way of the privilege weeks until after I retire or if someone asks made to get them a reservation. Then, we'll see.

 

[richontug]

Thanks for info. Regular RCI (non Platinum) never has Grand Luxxe - correct?

 

[Eric B]

That’s correct; Grand Luxxe doesn’t trade in RCI typically. Just in platinum priority access.

 

[JuliGee]

Curious where this statistic came from. My google searches came up blank.

Do you really think you are going to find that kind of information on Google? . One of our neighbors daughters works in the executive offices of one of the big exchange companies, and that statistic came directly from her.

Juli

 

[JuliGee]

Juli, do you have any insight into whether Hilton does bulk deposits with SFX? As I posted, they get bulk deposits from Vidanta; my limited experience is that it happens the second half of February for the calendar year.

Yes, they do get a bulk deposits from Hilton. We have booked a number of units at Hilton properties with SFX. We love their NY W.57th St property. We have had weeks at the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Oahu, Bay Club and Kingsland on the Big Island of Hawaii. We have had good success with SFX, especially as we are semi retired and flexible as to when we can travel. We have used RCI, II in the past, but our preference is SFX. Everyone has their own preference, and its whatever works for you!

Juli

 

[klpca]

Do you really think you are going to find that kind of information on Google? . One of our neighbors daughters works in the executive offices of one of the big exchange companies, and that statistic came directly from her.

Juli

Well, I tried before I gave up and asked

Btw, what are you using for your trades? You do seem to have fantastic results. I am thinking about changing my units up to better traders.

 

[JuliGee]

Well, I tried before I gave up and asked

Btw, what are you using for your trades? You do seem to have fantastic results. I am thinking about changing my units up to better traders.

We use our Marriott Newport Coast and Club Donatello for our trades. And sometimes we use our daughter's Westin Maui unit as well. Although its important what you deposit, I don't think its just what you are depositing as a trader. I must say, the results became a lot better when we became more flexible on our travel dates. When I think back to our earlier days of timeshare, we used to pick a specific week of travel, and were not really flexible due to kids in school and work constraints. Although we were getting pretty good results, results became noticeably better as we became more flexible. Even with our SFX bonus weeks, we used to restrict to just one travel date, which produced limited but reasonably good results. We then started giving a larger window of dates, and the results noticeable improved!

Juli

 

[humsor]

Curious where this statistic came from. My google searches came up blank.

This post raised my eyebrows as well. Got a strong vibe that JuliGee was more than an enthusiastic customer of SFX, very similar rhetoric to the PR department....

Don't really disagree though, RCI has virtually driven me away with higher fees for poorer quality inventory.

 

[SmithOp]

This post raised my eyebrows as well. Got a strong vibe that JuliGee was more than an enthusiastic customer of SFX, very similar rhetoric to the PR department....

Don't really disagree though, RCI has virtually driven me away with higher fees for poorer quality inventory.

oooo, insider trading!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[hurnik]

Pretty sure SFX does something like this at least occasionally. A couple of years ago I got an email asking me specifically to deposit my week as they had requests for my resort/area. They did offer a premium exchange, cash and bonus week incentives. I didn't take them up on the offer so not sure what they would have been though.

Yeah, it's once/year maybe and it's general. It'll be *any* week at a select resort. Meaning the flyer will say "deposit your week at HGVC Flamingo". That's not exactly a match/request, IMO.

What I meant is that let's say I'm looking specifically for a 2 BR in XXX location for a 2-month range.
They (SFX) know who owns in that area (or resort if I've specified a specific one) and try to facilitate a deal.

Although for tough ones, I'd suggest the TUG direct exchange as well, or try to contact an owner directly and see if you can get an exchange.

 

[Vacationsarefun]

Yeah, it's once/year maybe and it's general. It'll be *any* week at a select resort. Meaning the flyer will say "deposit your week at HGVC Flamingo". That's not exactly a match/request, IMO.

What I meant is that let's say I'm looking specifically for a 2 BR in XXX location for a 2-month range.
They (SFX) know who owns in that area (or resort if I've specified a specific one) and try to facilitate a deal.

Although for tough ones, I'd suggest the TUG direct exchange as well, or try to contact an owner directly and see if you can get an exchange.

Hm, I have actually only once gotten this email. It did ask for any week (or not, as they know which week I own so possibly were just contacting people owning in the summer for example) but it looked more like an email than a flyer. Actually, that year (2014) I got two emails within a couple of weeks, really pushing for a deposit of this specific resort. Those emails looked a bit different from the general "deposit offer emails" I have gotten since. But I think that was my first year with SFX so possibly they just changed the format after that year.

 

[bendadin]

So a friend's parents got something in SFX after a cold call. We can't quite figure out what they have. They HAD 2 Mayan timeshares that they gave back and got a bunch of RCI certificates to use (maybe 3 years ago.) So they do not own a timeshare. They received this call to pay $400 for this membership (and they added their children as well.) That gave them 2 free weeks to use and a 2 year membership. After that it is $45/year only if they use it that year.

So if they aren't exchanging, what could they have purchased?

 

[Eric B]

SFX gets a lot of bulk deposits from Vidanta and a few other developers. In return, for Vidanta owners, they provide bonus weeks that allow them to pay a higher rate and book a resort week without exchanging one of their own deposited weeks. Also, for quite a few other resorts, when an owner deposits a week they provide bonus weeks. Best way to think of it is the same as booking an extra vacation through RCI or elsewhere; they get access to the leftover inventory that would otherwise sit unused at a resort because it's in a shoulder season or something like that. Not a bad thing for people with flexibility to use it; Wyndham has similar avenues for providing that sort of access to military and veterans, etc., and it gets heads in beds for the resorts in seasons when they would otherwise be empty.

 

[hurnik]

SFX gets a lot of bulk deposits from Vidanta and a few other developers. In return, for Vidanta owners, they provide bonus weeks that allow them to pay a higher rate and book a resort week without exchanging one of their own deposited weeks. Also, for quite a few other resorts, when an owner deposits a week they provide bonus weeks. Best way to think of it is the same as booking an extra vacation through RCI or elsewhere; they get access to the leftover inventory that would otherwise sit unused at a resort because it's in a shoulder season or something like that. Not a bad thing for people with flexibility to use it; Wyndham has similar avenues for providing that sort of access to military and veterans, etc., and it gets heads in beds for the resorts in seasons when they would otherwise be empty.

In addition to what Eric mentioned, Vidanta also usually gives Vidanta owners "Vida dollars" which are administered via SFX Travel Store: d.b.a ICE (International Cruise & Excursions). El Cid timeshares also use this (as do a lot of other timeshares). From what the person above describes, the $400 plus the $45/year, it sounds like the ICE/SFX Travel Store membership vs the SFX Resorts membership, but I could be wrong. IMO, the Travel store folks are the more aggressive (I've never gotten a cold call from the SFX Resorts portion, but the Travel Store is constantly call me to "upgrade"). But they are two separate business units with different phone #'s.