• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 31 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 31st anniversary: Happy 31st Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $23,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $23 Million dollars
  • Wish you could meet up with other TUG members? Well look no further as this annual event has been going on for years in Orlando! How to Attend the TUG January Get-Together!
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    Tens of thousands of subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Best time to search for summer Exchanges?

soffa

newbie
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
It's October now and I'm trying to find a good vacation for summer. II doesn't seem to have a good selection for the summer. Is it too early? When is the best time to start searching for summer exchanges?
 

DeniseM

Moderator
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
58,803
Reaction score
10,720
Location
Northern, CA
Resorts Owned
WKORV, WKV, SDO, 4-Kauai Beach Villas, Island Park Village (Yellowstone), Hyatt High Sierra, Dolphin's Cove (Anaheim) NEW: 3 Lawa'i Beach Resort!
Are you just looking at the online inventory, or do you have an on-going request in place?

When you look at the online inventory, you are only seeing the LEFTOVERS. On-going requests are filled FIRST - before anything goes into the online inventory. The best trades never make it online - they are snagged by on-going requests.

The most successful strategy for a II exchange includes:

1) Put in an on-going request as early as possible (12 or more mos. out) so it's in place BEFORE the deposits are made, and ahead of other exchangers.

2) Request a wide-range of weeks.

3) Request as many resorts as possible

4) Even though the online inventory is the leftovers, sometimes gems pop up, so it's worthwhile to keep checking it, even when you have an on-going request in place. If you see something you want, you can still grab it online, which will automatically cancel your on-going request.

5) If you need a specific check-in day, you must call II after putting in your request online and specify the day of the week. Otherwise, your on-going request automatically defaults to Thursday, so your check-in day could be Thurs., Fri., Sat., or Sun.

Strategies that will decrease your chances of getting a trade:

1) Only requesting school holidays
2) Only requesting one specific week
3) Only requesting the very top resort in an area (which you may not have the trading power for)
 
Last edited:

soffa

newbie
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Great reply. Thank you for the tips! Do ongoing request have an extra charge? Any issue with having multiple?
 

DeniseM

Moderator
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
58,803
Reaction score
10,720
Location
Northern, CA
Resorts Owned
WKORV, WKV, SDO, 4-Kauai Beach Villas, Island Park Village (Yellowstone), Hyatt High Sierra, Dolphin's Cove (Anaheim) NEW: 3 Lawa'i Beach Resort!
Great reply. Thank you for the tips! Do ongoing request have an extra charge? Any issue with having multiple?

No - the exchange fee is the same, but you have to pay it upfront. You pay for each request, so don't put in many different requests - put many different resorts and dates in one on-going request.
 

Tacoma

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
1,265
Reaction score
578
Location
Calgary,Ab, Canada
Although I usually agree with Denise I will give you a couple of reasons to put in two or more requests first when using II. Yes you pay up front but if you cancel the exchanges you do get reimbursed. I wanted to trade to either NYC or Boston for next summer. Both are very hard trades but that is where I really wanted to go so I put in just for those 2 places and said I would take a 1 bedroom since 2 bedrooms are an impossibility in those cities. I put in for as many weeks as possible. I didn't want to trade that for anything else so that is all I asked for. If I would have asked for something else like say Orlando(a very easy trade) I guarantee it would have hit first and likely in only a 1 bedroom. That would have cancelled what I really wanted unless I turned it down within 24 hours. So if I will accept 1 bedrooms or studios in certain locations only I seperate the requests.
Also as a teacher I usually go for several weeks in the summer. I seperate into at least 2 exchanges so when I match my other week stays in line for getting me a second week of vaction. That way I'm more likely to get 2 good weeks and if not I cancel the exchange and get my fee back.

Joan:)
 

DeniseM

Moderator
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
58,803
Reaction score
10,720
Location
Northern, CA
Resorts Owned
WKORV, WKV, SDO, 4-Kauai Beach Villas, Island Park Village (Yellowstone), Hyatt High Sierra, Dolphin's Cove (Anaheim) NEW: 3 Lawa'i Beach Resort!
Joan - that is a very good point! Thanks for sharing a nice strategy!
 
Top