Dial an exchange

[ajmace]

Has anyone had any experience of this exchange organisation.

The exchange fees are about half those charged by RCI.

Does it work? What if any are the drawbacks?

 

[Dave*H]

This topic comes up all the time. I would sugguest you start by searching the BBS for DAE. He is one link I pulled up: http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16245&highlight=DAE

 

[jkb]

We used DAE for 2 back-to-back weeks in San Francisco and Lake Tahoe last year. Loved the lower exchange fees. Have request in now for back-to-back weeks for next March/April for Sedona and Mesquite, NV. Hope it works again...

 

[Carolinian]

They got me the French Riviera and a UK canalboat for this summer, and lots of good stuff in US, Caribbean, and Europe in the past.

 

[Loes]

I see you live in England, which means you have to become a Gold member (30 GBP a year) if you want to make a request online. I have been a Gold member for some years, but unfortunately didn't have any luck with ongoing searches so far. I have made many requests for almost every country in Europe, even requested Malta, Canaries. However we cannot travel any time of the year, requested certain weeks in February, April, October, July/August and we need 2B units. Also I like to plan far ahead so I can buy cheap flight tickets.
In my opinion DAE only works if you can be very flexible in destination, unit size and traveltime and/or if you can plan less than 6 months ahead.
Best is not to deposit first and just check the online availabilty frequently. This way you can see if it works for you without, like me, running the risk of not being able to use your credits.

Loes.

 

[geekette]

I disagree that checking online availability is best, as this exchange company will work to go find what you want. What you see online is merely a sample of what they can get. You can request first anyway, so you don't risk a deposit you can't use if they don't get what you want.

 

[Carolinian]

The best thing is to join (free - no membership fee) and put in a request of where you want to go. They have a request first system where you do not have to make a deposit or prepay an exchange fee to make a request. They can often get weeks on request that never appear online, through their trading partners. That's how they got the weeks for me this summer. There was also one time I wanted a week to give my neice for her honeymoon. She wanted to go to the Cayman Islands. I knew they had trading partners with a lot of access at Morritts Tortuga Club, so I put in a request for a specific week at that specific resort. A few days later they called back and they had it. I have also found exchanges online that I took like 2BR summer Myrtle Beach and summer Smugglers Notch, but doing a request often helps.

For an idea of the inventory they get check the DAE sightings boards at www.timeshareforums.com and www.tstips.com (the latter has not been updated much lately but has pages of sightings from not that long ago.

There is also an ''Ask DAE'' board at www.timeshareforums.com where one of the owners of the company answers questions posted by interested timesharers.

 

[mamiecarter]

Dae Has Ben Good To Me!

You have to keep checking because the good things go fast. I am going to Italy at Easter and have a (2 bedroom) US resort already for next(2007) Easter through DAE. They have an ongoing search for Spain For President's Week 2007 and I am optimistic Dae will get something nice for me.

Their downside is they don't have as much inventory as RCI so you need to take what they have and be flexable. But sometims you get lucky. The otherthing is they are genuinly helpfull. They want to make you happy. Between Dae and Platnum Interchange I am getting everthing I want and more.

 

[mikey0531]

Another thing that's good about DAE is that they don't charge for guest certificates -- and they also have a very reasonable cancellation insurance charge. I can't remember how much it was -- but I know it was cheap.

Debi

 

[regatta333]

The best thing is to join (free - no membership fee) and put in a request of where you want to go. They have a request first system where you do not have to make a deposit or prepay an exchange fee to make a request.

I believe you have to have an upgraded membership, which is not free, in order to be able to put in a search request.

 

[Carolinian]

I believe you have to have an upgraded membership, which is not free, in order to be able to put in a search request.

At least with the US and Australian offices of DAE, anyone with a regular free membership can put in a search request, without having to bank a deposit or prepay an exchange fee.

 

[Loes]

As I already mentioned, the OP lives in England and has to become a member of DAE Europe, so if he wants to make a search request, he has to become a gold member, which costs 30 GBP a year. That's why I recommended to check online availabilty, because that is the only thing you can do for free at DAE Europe.

Loes

 

[regatta333]

In the US, you also have to become a gold member to make a search request. I have a free membership and was unable to make a search request online without upgrading my membership. On their "How does it work?" tab on their website, it also indicates that a gold membership is required to make a request.

 

[Carolinian]

Make sure that you click on the US being your country of residence. If you do that on the DAE website, you will see that any member can make a request, and that there is NO SUCH THING as a gold member in North America (or Australia).

Just to make certain that there was not some new policy not shown on the website or something strange going on with the website, I just put in a new request for next year. Everything worked fine, and nothing came up saying I had to have any gold membership or the like. It sounds like you must have been on the UK version of the site.

In the US, you also have to become a gold member to make a search request. I have a free membership and was unable to make a search request online without upgrading my membership. On their "How does it work?" tab on their website, it also indicates that a gold membership is required to make a request.

 

[geekette]

I also just put in a request last week and have merely the free US membership. Can't speak for UK membership or elsewhere, tho.