Beware of II and their bad practices

[JudyS]

Got exchanged into Disney with my small STUDIO. Total cost is below $400 including MF and exchange fee.
I was surprised to see spring break Disney 1bedroom and studio in RCI.

I guess I will pay for $95 at check in?

Snorkey, did you use RCI or II to exchange into Disney??? Also, what studio do you own?

I think the only Spring break Disney units in RCI right now are rentals, not trades.

As for the $95 Disney resort fee, yes, you pay the $95 to the resort. (It goes on your bill -- you can pay at check-in or give a credit card and they will charge you later.)

 

[Mimi]

We are members of II and RCI. Still, we strongly prefer to do business with Trading Places, which has FREE membership, lower trading fees and superior customer service! We enjoy taking vacations to Hawaii, California, and Vegas and we are always satisfied with TPI and their competent reps.

 

[Snorkey]

Snorkey, did you use RCI or II to exchange into Disney??? Also, what studio do you own?

I think the only Spring break Disney units in RCI right now are rentals, not trades.

As for the $95 Disney resort fee, yes, you pay the $95 to the resort. (It goes on your bill -- you can pay at check-in or give a credit card and they will charge you later.)

Sorry that I can't give you too much info. I did that once and I got burned.
Exchanging, I learned it the hard way and did not receive much help from the forum. I know there are many tuggers who know alot but they do not want to share/reveal for their gain and I think I should keep quiet. I read a lot but I learned from spending much of unneccessary expenses to learn.
One thing for sure, I think II customer service could be better and they probably received many complaints and maybe that caused the move to RCI.
I don't think RCI is any better.

I think DVC should exchange with TRADINGPLACES. I like exchanging with TRADINGPLACES. That would be totally awesome!

 

[ciscogizmo1]

Sorry that I can't give you too much info. I did that once and I got burned.
Exchanging, I learned it the hard way and did not receive much help from the forum. I know there are many tuggers who know alot but they do not want to share/reveal for their gain and I think I should keep quiet. I read a lot but I learned from spending much of unneccessary expenses to learn.
One thing for sure, I think II customer service could be better and they probably received many complaints and maybe that caused the move to RCI.
I don't think RCI is any better.

I think DVC should exchange with TRADINGPLACES. I like exchanging with TRADINGPLACES. That would be totally awesome!

Huh... I have to agree with JudyS. I couldn't understand what your problem was in your original post. I think, people need clarification. Otherwise, I don't think it is fair to complain about an exchange company if you don't give details. And, by details you don't have to give away important information like names but your post was just unclear.

 

[FlyerBobcat]

Sorry that I can't give you too much info. I did that once and I got burned.
Exchanging, I learned it the hard way and did not receive much help from the forum....

Ditto ciscogizmo1...

I say don't post and complain, then say you can't give info. The postings and information sounded fishy all the way through, IMO.

 

[ecwinch]

I know there are many tuggers who know alot but they do not want to share/reveal for their gain and I think I should keep quiet. I read a lot but I learned from spending much of unneccessary expenses to learn.

Not sure we have been on the same version of TUG. My experience has been the complete opposite. I have saved tens of thousands of dollars on TUG.


Agree with the other posters, something fails the smell test.

 

[Snorkey]

I thought I explained my complaint but here it goes again....

I called them about exchanges and it seems like they don't care about their customers as much as I thought.
First complaint was if you get a request in, they will switch you to different units although they know which units are available. They try to give you nicer unit in paper confirmation so you will keep that week. Yes, some resorts II do not have control over but with some do, they switch them to attract more trades.
Second, they do not allow switching to different resorts even within 24 hours period of time. I was put on hold for long time so I called later that night and they said it's been more than 24 hours although it was only 22 hours since they made exchanges. It's best to instant exchange than to put on search request. They WILL NOT make changes for you, period!

I also mentioned about canceling and they are saying if you have reservation in 2010 December (eg), you have to pay membership fee until 2010 December or lose your reservation. Why do we need to pay until we travel, we should pay until we make reservation and not pay any more if we decide not to continue to exchange. Or at least let it run out and not renew.

I said I don't want to say too much about my exchanges for Disney. About my complaint, I can explain that. what else do you want to know?

 

[Snorkey]

Not sure we have been on the same version of TUG. My experience has been the complete opposite. I have saved tens of thousands of dollars on TUG.


Agree with the other posters, something fails the smell test.

What was your first exchange? Did you perfected your exchange system right after you read TUG?
I am saying I am where I am right now after experience, not by just reading.

 

[Snorkey]

Ditto ciscogizmo1...

I say don't post and complain, then say you can't give info. The postings and information sounded fishy all the way through, IMO.

Did you read the first post?

 

[gmarine]

I thought I explained my complaint but here it goes again....

I called them about exchanges and it seems like they don't care about their customers as much as I thought.
First complaint was if you get a request in, they will switch you to different units although they know which units are available. They try to give you nicer unit in paper confirmation so you will keep that week. Yes, some resorts II do not have control over but with some do, they switch them to attract more trades.
Second, they do not allow switching to different resorts even within 24 hours period of time. I was put on hold for long time so I called later that night and they said it's been more than 24 hours although it was only 22 hours since they made exchanges. It's best to instant exchange than to put on search request. They WILL NOT make changes for you, period!

I also mentioned about canceling and they are saying if you have reservation in 2010 December (eg), you have to pay membership fee until 2010 December or lose your reservation. Why do we need to pay until we travel, we should pay until we make reservation and not pay any more if we decide not to continue to exchange. Or at least let it run out and not renew.

I said I don't want to say too much about my exchanges for Disney. About my complaint, I can explain that. what else do you want to know?

Regarding resort assignment, II does not have control over unit assignment at ANY resort. Every resort maintains complete control over unit assignment. For that reason every II confirmation states that the unit may be different than the one on your confirmation.

If you called to change or cancel your confirmation within 24 hours from the EXACT time that you made it, you should have been allowed. Not 24 hours from the time you received your email confirmation but from the time you made the exchange online or over the phone. This has been well documented on TUG and is listed in the II Terms and Conditions. I make and cancel exchanges several times every year.

Ongoing searches are always better than instant exchanges. When you make an instant exchange you are seeing the available left overs after ongoing requests are fullfilled.

You need to have an active membership at the time you travel for several reasons. If you decide to cancel your exchange you will receive a Cancellation Replacement week which goes into your account. Same goes for a problem with the resort becoming uninhabitable due to a natural disaster,fire etc. If at some point you want to purchase a Guest Certificate you need to be a member. RCI operates the same way. You must be a member and RCI also has no control over unit assignment.

II does do things wrong, as does RCI. However, and dont take offense to this, but your compaints seem to be more a product of you not understanding the way II membership works rather than II doing something wrong. The II Terms and Conditions are long and detailed but it is worth it to read them and understand the exchange process.

 

[ciscogizmo1]

Did you read the first post?

I did but I still didn't understand. Now, I'm getting a better understanding.

II has no control over the unit assigned to you at check-in. For example, if you traded into Marriott, the person may have given up an oceanfront unit but you will be assigned a garden unit. Marriott has a pecking order and owners always get the best units. Just kinda how it works. I believe many resorts follow this philosophy.

I know when I do searches in II it doesn't tell me what unit # is available. I don't know by doing an online search that the unit I'm looking at is oceanfront. I'm not sure how you have this information prior to the confirmation.

I don't have any experience with cancelling a confirmation as I've never had to do it.

I have made a lot of exchanges. If you click the link in my signature you can see all the exchanges I've made over the last 6 years. I travel exclusively during school holidays: Summer, Thanksgiving & Christmas. So, I know how difficult it can be to get a trade but so far (knock) on wood I've gotten them all.

Personally, I think you need to give yourself some time. You aren't going to learn things overnight. It is gonna take a few trades before you really feel comfortable with the whole processs. It is like learning to drive for the very first time.

 

[AwayWeGo]

It's A Matter Of Proportion.

RCI has many more complaints on TUG than II has.

RCI is lots bigger than I-I.

If both timeshare exchange companies have the same percentage of complaining members -- or even if RCI has a lower percentage -- we'll still be apt to see many more complaints about RCI than about I-I.

So it goes.

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