[2015] Redweek dead

[Egret1986]

I know that is the impression that I get when I keep getting that it's rented already

The problem is, from a renters perspective it will give them the impression that the rentee's listings aren't always reliable. If a reputation sets in, it may prevent people from contacting that rentee to inquire about listings.

There's a couple of owners that I have contacted in the past in order to inquire about rentals that are listed on Redweek, MyResortNetwork and TUG in the area where I rent my owned weeks and look for rentals for my clients. I was just looking for a week a few days ago and found what a client was looking to rent. It was a listing by one of the folks that lists but keeps their ads up even though their units are rented. Maybe it was available. Maybe it wasn't. I didn't bother to make contact. I consider their listings unreliable.

 

[rrazzorr]

Feedback on this thread

Just read quite a bit of this thread, just thought I'd provide a bit of feedback, though the topic has been exhausted quite a bit.

I'm probably the younger generation that is being referenced in some comments, however, I do use Redweek quite extensively, probably a dozen transactions a year, and like many, I found much success when compared to other, more elaborate, i.e., advanced sites.
I have many friends that represent a younger generation which joins the site in effort to find a reliable unit for their family vacation getaway.

I also have a bit of advise for the folks that seem to struggle with renting out their weeks on Redweek. Become a customer service driven individual, you are looking to gain someone's trust and provide a paid service. Customers demand quality, that means answer your emails in timely fashion, provide ample amount of info on your rental and detail the resort, get to know your customer, provide enough information about yourself so you can trusted, make yourself google'able. Entice your clients. I can't tell you how many one liners I've received, such as 'still available', 'send the payment/check to', 'make a payment, once check clears I will add you to reservation' -- no, those responses do not work. You have a potential customer, provide enough info to get into their comfort zone.

Needless to say, be reasonable with your pricing from the day of your post.

I know many people here will completely understand my thoughts. Others, please step up your game, Redweek is a small part of the transaction, the rest is all you.

P.S.: I'm not in sales, I just do client services, and will bleed through the nose for any potential or real client.

 

[suzannesimon]

Just read quite a bit of this thread, just thought I'd provide a bit of feedback, though the topic has been exhausted quite a bit.

I'm probably the younger generation that is being referenced in some comments, however, I do use Redweek quite extensively, probably a dozen transactions a year, and like many, I found much success when compared to other, more elaborate, i.e., advanced sites.
I have many friends that represent a younger generation which joins the site in effort to find a reliable unit for their family vacation getaway.

I also have a bit of advise for the folks that seem to struggle with renting out their weeks on Redweek. Become a customer service driven individual, you are looking to gain someone's trust and provide a paid service. Customers demand quality, that means answer your emails in timely fashion, provide ample amount of info on your rental and detail the resort, get to know your customer, provide enough information about yourself so you can trusted, make yourself google'able. Entice your clients. I can't tell you how many one liners I've received, such as 'still available', 'send the payment/check to', 'make a payment, once check clears I will add you to reservation' -- no, those responses do not work. You have a potential customer, provide enough info to get into their comfort zone.

Needless to say, be reasonable with your pricing from the day of your post.

I know many people here will completely understand my thoughts. Others, please step up your game, Redweek is a small part of the transaction, the rest is all you.

P.S.: I'm not in sales, I just do client services, and will bleed through the nose for any potential or real client.

I agree 100%! I've found 2 really important elements are pricing and response time. Unless the inquiry comes in overnight, I'm back in touch within 5 minutes, usually 3 minutes. They always thank me for a quick response. I also wonder why, when there are 5 of the same weeks listed for $3500, someone thinks they can get $6000 for theirs. If you really think you can get $6000, don't list it until you're the only one, or advertise somewhere else. I rent from other owners and I can tell you it takes hours to hear back, if not days.

I'm in real estate and we have agents whose job it is to respond to internet inquiries. They have to respond within 15 minutes, but we know from market research that if there isn't a response in 5 minutes, that buyer is off to a different website. Redweek has never failed me, but you have to be quick, realistic and intentional to reserve a good week that the public wants.

 

[NTP66]

I think Redweek is in decline. I think they charge too much. They force people to pay to read ads and they are less relevant than other sites.

You only have to pay to actually contact somebody, and the fee helps weed out spammers, IMO. Also, you have to consider the recent drama with VRBO (fees going up, among other things). VRBO is a hot mess, while Redweek is much better organized.

Totally agree with you. I don't think the "younger & internet smart" KNOW what the term "redweek" means. Or that it is related to timeshare vacation rentals - 7 night stays.

Serious question here - are you part of the younger generation? I am, and couldn't disagree with you more on this.

I also agree with rrazzorr's post entirely. I have a 100% success rate in renting on Redweek, and the two biggest factors are price and communication. My listings are always competitive, usually priced within $200 of similar units, and I reply to messages quickly, providing as much information as possible. I've seen a number of people attempting to rent their units on Redweek for considerably more than what others with the same units are going for, so it's no surprise as to why they don't rent. This year was the first year that I was legitimately worried about not being able to rent my new unit, because I waited until 2 months out to list it, but on the final day before throwing it into II as a FlexChange, I was able to rent the unit out for double the MF. It was a lot lower than I could have gotten had I placed the ad much sooner, but being a new purchase, such is life.

 

[tschwa2]

I think redweek may still be the best place but it really needs to upgrade and improve. They have been using the line about keeping spammer and scammers off with the $15 membership fee and while it may be true I think it keeps a fair number of legitimate buyers away too. Perhaps drop that fee to $5 a year. They also need to have some kind of rating system or feedback for sellers. They also need to offer some kind of incentives to get review and pictures of properties up to date.

 

[RLS50]

Some thoughts based on previous comments...

- I do personally believe the layout of Redweek and how the site is constructed makes it the best site out there for rentals. It is easy to use and easy to understand within minutes of first finding it. It makes for easy listing if you are an owner and easy shopping if you are a renter. I think Redweek is vastly superior from a layout / ease of use perspective to any of the other sites out there, including the popular names like Airbnb or VRBO.

- Speaking of VRBO, with the recent fee increases they are now charging something like 16+% or more on rentals. Although they said the recent increase of 7-8% was to the renter, and not the owner, the reality is it will impact the owner if they want their rates to remain competitive. I am guessing some owners will need to reduce their rental price so the total cost isn't too high after all the additional VRBO fees get added in. In effect, VRBO is now an online Real Estate company charging close to 20% fees for rentals.

- From a branding perspective, I agree that the term Redweek may be a little dated. Also, there is the previously discussed negative connotation with timeshares in general. While it may be true that buying a timeshare from a Developer is mostly a miserable experience, it can also be true that renting a timeshare from an existing owner for a vacation can often times be a great experience. I think it is on Redweek's management and sales team to change or control that perception. I do think they need to develop a better strategy to make more people aware of the fact that the site exists and the really tremendous inventory they can offer prospective travelers at mostly reasonable pricing.

- I agree with the posters who speak to the importance of good communication and transparency provided to prospective rental inquiries. I have tried to rent weeks myself on Redweek for our family. Some owners are outstanding, while others unfortunately give you the proverbial one liner response and it feels like you bothering them to provide even basic details or answer normal types of questions.

- I don't think the thread is drained, or ever will be. The conversation here is about more than Redweek. The economy is always changing, and events and developer / management strategies in the timeshare industry are always in flux. Personally I find it valuable to read what other owners think about renting their unused weeks, what sites they have or have not found success with, and sharing their current experiences with rentals. I find it quite educational personally and appreciate reading all the different comments. JMO.

 

[suzannesimon]

One of the things I like best about Redweek is that not everyone in the world has access to it. The vast majority of my renters are other timeshare owners and that's why I like Redweek. I've gotten impatient with Redweek occasionally and placed an ad on VRBO (expensive), but none of my timeshares have ever rented there. I have 2 vacation properties that rent well on VRBO and the price isn't bad when you have a fully owned vacation rental property. I'm sure it has happened, but I've never heard of a scam on Redweek. I have a friend who was scammed on VRBO. AirBNB and other sites want to control the payments. Some require the renter to approve releasing the rent to you after check-in or check-out. Can you just imagine if someone doesn't like their view or didn't know there wasn't an oven so they don't release the rent payment to you?

 

[vacationhopeful]

....
Serious question here - are you part of the younger generation? I am, and couldn't disagree with you more on this.

.....

I am not a 20-45 year old ... but 60% or more of my Redweek inquiries, ask if I get a Wed to Wed week; can they rent the Sat to Sat week offered in the ad from Fri to Mon but offer me 40% of the rent asked; can I rent them month of Feb without moving & how much of a discount will I give them in South Flroida?; can you get a 3 bdr when I am offering a ST rental at the same rate?

And YES, I have sent back single word replies ... esp when it is the same person trolling thru multiple resorts in the same area using AUTO fill (or cut & paste) for THEIR inquiry to me. If you want to TALK and ask 15 questions, give me your PHONE number ... I will be happier to talk than type the SAME RESPONSE 10 times .... and still get NO feedback (offers saying how limited their funds are and will I accept $300 for the week?)

 

[NTP66]

Quick datapoint: I just went through all of my rentals from 2009 through this year - 100% of them have been rented through Redweek, and all for at least double the maintenance fee.

 

[JIMinNC]

Everyone keeps saying respond quickly to inquiries, but if you don't get any inquiries you can't respond. As I noted earlier in this thread, that was my issue with my one attempt at trying to rent a week on Redweek - no inquiries. I had a third week of June 2016 2BR OF Maui Ocean Club listed on Redweek for three or four months and I only got one inquiry - and that one was looking for a full kitchen and my listing clearly stated that MOC was only a partial kitchen. My price wasn't the lowest summer listing, but it was in the lowest 20% or so for the summer and was the only 2BR OF listed for June 2016 for most of the time I had it listed. Still no serious inquiries. Eventually a couple June listings were added several hundred dollars lower than mine, and since my unit was reserved with DC Points, the MF costs I needed to recoup were high, making those prices a $500+ loss for me. So I pulled the listing, cancelled the reservation, used the points for other trips or banked them to 2017. Admittedly, one failed attempt is not an indictment of all of Redweek, some clearly have success, but my first try did not leave me with good feelings on the viability of Redweek for anything but near bargain basement rentals.

 

[normab]

I had little interest in a prime Hilton head week at Grande Ocean with a listing this year. We lowered the price and still couldn't generate prospective renters. First time we didn't rent in a Redweek listing.

On the other hand we had to cancel a trip this spring, so we had a last minute rental that we were able to rent out on Redweek. We didn't recoup all our monies but at least got something for it.

My only complaint is that there is no way to rate the owners. Sometimes people are so worried about renting and losing their money.

 

[billymach4]

Redweek has been good to me.

This year I rented Beachplace Towers, and Aruba via Redweek.

I am a small player and have to remind myself how to do this from year to year.
Also have to Thank DeniseM for a few tips regarding PayPal usage.

In any event I am lucky in that I have a repeat customer from Redweek as well.
Pure luck and coincidence that I was able to establish a customer relationship with a newly retired couple local to NY. A little good will has gone a long way here.

Again I am a small fish in the sea, but I have found my work schedule lately has not permitted me to utilize my 3 Marriott's every year. Hence I had to rely on renting. So far so good.

I think the solution that works for me is the Beach properties in great locations, and seasonal demand.

 

[icydog]

Just read quite a bit of this thread, just thought I'd provide a bit of feedback, though the topic has been exhausted quite a bit.

I'm probably the younger generation that is being referenced in some comments, however, I do use Redweek quite extensively, probably a dozen transactions a year, and like many, I found much success when compared to other, more elaborate, i.e., advanced sites.
I have many friends that represent a younger generation which joins the site in effort to find a reliable unit for their family vacation getaway.

I also have a bit of advise for the folks that seem to struggle with renting out their weeks on Redweek. Become a customer service driven individual, you are looking to gain someone's trust and provide a paid service. Customers demand quality, that means answer your emails in timely fashion, provide ample amount of info on your rental and detail the resort, get to know your customer, provide enough information about yourself so you can trusted, make yourself google'able[/I]. Entice your clients. I can't tell you how many one liners I've received, such as 'still available', 'send the payment/check to', 'make a payment, once check clears I will add you to reservation' -- no, those responses do not work. You have a potential customer, provide enough info to get into their comfort zone.

Needless to say, be reasonable with your pricing from the day of your post.

I know many people here will completely understand my thoughts. Others, please step up your game, Redweek is a small part of the transaction, the rest is all you.

P.S.: I'm not in sales, I just do client services, and will bleed through the nose for any potential or real client.

I do everything you mentioned except one thing. How do I make myself Googleable?

 

[larryallen]

A lot of really good points in this thread. Bottom line redweek is not dead.

 

[ffxjack]

I had little interest in a prime Hilton head week at Grande Ocean with a listing this year. We lowered the price and still couldn't generate prospective renters. First time we didn't rent in a Redweek listing.



On the other hand we had to cancel a trip this spring, so we had a last minute rental that we were able to rent out on Redweek. We didn't recoup all our monies but at least got something for it.



My only complaint is that there is no way to rate the owners. Sometimes people are so worried about renting and losing their money.

Rented my June week out within 2 weeks of listing it a few months ago? Actually listed it for more than I would have accepted since last year's was rented by a vacation company who simply acted as the middle man and rented it to someone else for significantly more.

Agree with rating owners.

 

[NTP66]

I'm a little surprised at that Grande Ocean listing, too. I rented my parents' Oceanside unit at GO for late July in under 24 hours, and despite the listing being revised to show that it's currently under contract and awaiting the final payment, have continued to get e-mail from people asking to be notified if the buyer falls through.

 

[cindylynn13]

VRBO/Homeaway Success

I've had great luck renting out our timeshare weeks through VRBO/Homeaway. The only bad thing is their computer model is not set up for timeshares. So you'll have people request a rental when your week is not available, and you have to decline the rental. Unfortunately people don't always read the ad closely to see the dates you have available.
After a lot of declines they will restrict your rental because they think you're renting it on the side and cutting them out. They need to change their system in that respect.

 

[cgards]

I'm actually using Redweek for the first time right now, trying to rent 3 weeks at Hilton Head in late July. I have priced them far below what I consider a fair market rate for the summer, and I have had no inquiries. Not one. When should I start to panic, and does anyone have any suggestions about how to rent these weeks?

 

[NTP66]

I'm actually using Redweek for the first time right now, trying to rent 3 weeks at Hilton Head in late July. I have priced them far below what I consider a fair market rate for the summer, and I have had no inquiries. Not one. When should I start to panic, and does anyone have any suggestions about how to rent these weeks?

What are similar units/weeks going for in comparison to yours, and which resort is it? If your units are listed higher than others, that could explain part of. As far as panicking goes, it's still April, and even if you had to join II in order to deposit them, you've still got some time before you have to worry about that.

 

[suzannesimon]

What resorts? When did you list them? They can still rent. Hilton Head is a drive-to location so you don't have to worry about airfares. I would start reducing them at the 90-day mark. Can you at least deposit them in Interval before you get to 60 days from occupancy?

 

[AlmostRetired]

I'm actually using Redweek for the first time right now, trying to rent 3 weeks at Hilton Head in late July. I have priced them far below what I consider a fair market rate for the summer, and I have had no inquiries. Not one. When should I start to panic, and does anyone have any suggestions about how to rent these weeks?

What resorts do you own at. If it is a Marriott try this. It costs nothing so no harm no foul. Redweek has never failed me on renting one of my two HHI weeks. As pointed out, it is a drive to location so you do not have the same urgency as when airfare is required. Good luck

Here is a facebook group called Marriotts on HHI- Own-Rent-Trade

https://www.facebook.com/groups/938108962924486/

 

[cgards]

Thank you for the great advice, and for talking me in off the ledge. Weeks are at Sunset Pointe, priced $200 for the week lower than a week in earlier July. I listed these in November, which I know is early, but I'm concerned that I have had no inquiries yet.

 

[tschwa2]

Do you have 3 weeks listed for the same resort/week? If so I would have only paid for one ad and mentioned that I had multiple units. I think you will get at least 2 rented but non ocean front and even garden view at an ocean front resort often rent out only when the better views/locations are already gone. Sometimes it takes nerves of steal and you may not rent it out until less than a month prior. Another tip would be to not book more than 2 units at the same resort/week just in case that is a bad week for a potential renter, you can offer options.

 

[bobpark56]

Perhaps not dead, but Redweek is not breathing this morning

I just logged on to Redweek to check for rentals on St John. I was not able to get any listings to display, though Redweek says there are many. Something seems broken on the newly reformatted pages. I wonder if there might be a way to breath life into Redweek here.

 

[NTP66]

There's definitely an issue this morning. I sent them a note about it, but I'm sure they're already aware. It'll likely be fixed sometime this morning.

Edit: Already got a response from them.

Thank you for using RedWeek.com. We are experiencing some unexpected technical issues that are causing availability display issues. Our team is working to correct these issues, and we hope to have it resolved soon.