bonus week or worry about trade value

[buzzy]

I just reserved Presidents week yesterday (for a Friday check in) after much frustration on the phone yesterday. (actually I ended up doing it on line) and when I called to deposit my 1 bedroom it didn't go how the II rep told me it would go. I am trying to get to Newport Coast in May of 2007 and was told by II that I should deposit early (like now) and I would be on a waitlist until May 2006 which would be one year prior to my travel date. I asked about a AC and they said Presidents week at Beach Place would definetely give me and AC. Now when I went to deposit yesterday they said that no bonus weeks have been released and probably will not be until the summer. If I deposit now I will not be able to receive one since none are released but it I wait until the summer to deposit I will have lost a lot of trade value. Does this all sound right? The bonus week was the main reason I was depositing because we really wanted to use the bonus week. What should I do? Wait and jeopardize my trade power ( I need power because I am trading a 1 bedroom for 2 bedroom) or forget the AC? thanks!

 

[tompk]

NCV in May

I've been able to see May '06 weeks at NCV using a 1 br plat GV since last fall, so I don't think its a tough trade requiring a request 15 months out. Just my $.02.

 

[DanR]

Newport Coast

Hi,
Last year we had no problems trading a one bedroom BeachPlace unit for Newport Coast. We only traded after receiving a bonus week.
We wanted and got an April week. I believe we did the trade in December of the year before only 4 months before we used the week. I'm not sure but a May week might be a harder trade. I think the close you get to June the harder it might be to get a trade into Newport Coast.
I would say if you are flexible in what week you will take at Newport Coast wait for the bonus week. If you need a specific week and it's available now don't pass it up.

JMHO

 

[calgal]

Playing around with a platinum Cypress Harbour last night I saw lots of May NCV for 2006. I don't think it's a hard trade even 1 BR for 2BR.

 

[Avery]

Double check with II, but I think if you deposit a week that later becomes eligible for a bonus week, they will give you the bonus week (but you'll have to ask for it). You also should ask what date the bonus week wil expire; usually it's one year from date of deposit, but if the week d/n become available until June and you deposit now, will it expire in Feb '07 or in June '07 (arguably, it should be June '07...)

 

[buzzy]

Double check with II, but I think if you deposit a week that later becomes eligible for a bonus week, they will give you the bonus week (but you'll have to ask for it). You also should ask what date the bonus week wil expire; usually it's one year from date of deposit, but if the week d/n become available until June and you deposit now, will it expire in Feb '07 or in June '07 (arguably, it should be June '07...)

Thanks for your response. I did call again and talked to II, (a manager had to be called) and they said if they are not released and I deposit, when they are released, I can't have it since I already deposited.

 

[toni3063]

I've been debating this very thing. I tried to deposit my 2007 week, last week, only to be told that the AC's will not be available until late spring to early summer of 2006 (so much for II wanting my early deposit). I just today, decided to do a request first for early 2007. When they finally offer the 2007 bonus weeks, I will change it to a deposit first search (loosing my place in line). In the meantime if my request is met, I'll be so happy to have the exchange that I wanted (it's a tough trade that will be hard for me to get so I decided to go for it now) that I won't mind missing out on the AC.

 

[Big Matt]

I did exactly what they said you can't do last July with my Manor Club platinum 1BR. I reserved July 2, 2006, deposited it the following week and got my AC on August 2.

Thanks for your response. I did call again and talked to II, (a manager had to be called) and they said if they are not released and I deposit, when they are released, I can't have it since I already deposited.

 

[toni3063]

I did exactly what they said you can't do last July with my Manor Club platinum 1BR. I reserved July 2, 2007, deposited it the following week and got my AC on August 2.

Matt,
Do you mean that you deposited a 2006 week last July (July 2007 Marriott weeks aren't available yet)? If this is what you mean, that would have worked as II would have been offering the 2006 bonus weeks by then. We have been told that the AC's will be available in late spring to early summer, thus in July they would have be available. They are just not available for 2007 weeks to those of us that book our weeks Jan- Mayish until late spring to early summer of 2006.

 

[Big Matt]

I goofed on my post. Yes, I meant 2006, but no, they weren't offering ACs. There was a big thread about this last summer. I got the AC the first time they were offered, a month after my deposit.

Matt,
Do you mean that you deposited a 2006 week last July (July 2007 Marriott weeks aren't available yet)? If this is what you mean, that would have worked as II would have been offering the 2006 bonus weeks by then. We have been told that the AC's will be available in late spring to early summer, thus in July they would have be available. They are just not available for 2007 weeks to those of us that book our weeks Jan- Mayish until late spring to early summer of 2006.

 

[toni3063]

There was a big thread about this last summer. I got the AC the first time they were offered, a month after my deposit.

Hmmm. Well I hope the VC's at II that we spoke with are correct and that II will be offering AC's by early summer (I don't understand why they aren't being offered now... the demand weeks don't change much from year to year). Personally I would like to get most of my weeks deposited early for a change for maximun trade power (obviously I haven't done this in the past because I didn't realize that AC's weren't available until later in the year)... but I hate to give II my weeks without AC's being offered, only to find that they were offered later. How does this affect those of you who own platinum beach and ski weeks and are currently booking your 2007 weeks and want to deposit early? Do you wait until later to deposit your week as well, or, deposit early without receiving an AC? If you have to wait until August (or even June for that matter) to exchange a ski week for the upcoming season (to receive an AC), haven't you lost a lot of your trade power?
For those that trade through SFX, how do they handle their bonus week program? Do you always get a bonus week with them? Would they give us a bonus week this early for a 2007 week?

 

[Jwerking]

I goofed on my post. Yes, I meant 2006, but no, they weren't offering ACs. There was a big thread about this last summer. I got the AC the first time they were offered, a month after my deposit.

I have gotten ACs later for Marriott Barony weeks already deposited several times. I just call II and ask for the ACs. Sometimes, it happened because they were not offered until later - got a card in the mail stating that an AC would be given if a week was deposited. Just called II and they gave it to me for a prior deposit. And this works well, because the AC is dated upon issuance, not backdated to date of original deposit- giving you extra time for use.

I have also gotten the ACs issued when II for some reason makes a mistake and it is not issued. Once again, it is dated upon issuance.

However, you do not get ACs for search first. Maybe only if you cancel the search and then actually deposit the week - but not sure.

Just like exchange companies when no one knows the real answer. What a bunch of bozos.

 

[wilma]

There seems to be a lot of confusion about these ACs with the various people at II. When I deposited my March 2006 week at Canyon Villas (in March 2005) the II person told me that when they become available, the AC would automatically be deposited to my account. When it never got deposited I called back and they said (without checking) that March must not be high season in Arizona. I asked them to check and see if March deposits qualified and she said yes they do but if it didn't go in automatically then I must not qualify for some reason. I asked her to look into it and finally to their credit she did later call me and tell me it was added to my account (This was not until October of last year). It's worth staying on top of it though because we used it in December for a $299 week at Waiohai.

 

[jancurious]

Toni,
Matt is correct that the ACs came out late last year. I kept calling II every week to see when they would be issued. My notes show they came out the 3rd week of July (for Summit Watch for a summer week).

I held off depositing until they came out. My exchange request was for September '06 so I was still more than a year out before people were even picking those weeks so it did not hurt in getting my exchange.

It's a dilemma as the AC can provide quite a bit of value as Wilma's post shows!

Jan