Did II just increase exchange fee to 239?

[iftravel]

Last week it was 229 when I put in a request. Gee, I thought inflation is under control.

 

[dioxide45]

Looks like they did as of 1/1/2025. Here is the new fee chart.

https://www.intervalworld.com/iimedia/pdf/II_Fees_01012023_Final.pdf

 

[rickandcindy23]

The upgrade fees didn't go up for platinum, which is good because I use those a lot.

 

[DebBrown]

I clearly have not been paying attention. I thought they were still around $189. That's a lot of money on top of maintenance fees to use your week somewhere.

 

[HudsHut]

I had expected the $5 - 10 increase on the exchange fee last year, and they held off til this year.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I clearly have not been paying attention. I thought they were still around $189. That's a lot of money on top of maintenance fees to use your week somewhere.

RCI is $299 and has been for a while.

 

[dioxide45]

Can an unenrolled Marriott owner confirm if the Marrott to Marriott fee is still $164?

 

[WaikikiFirst]

Gee, I thought inflation is under control

define "under control". another bad inflation data pt out this AM, assuming you really trust most of the #s
Powell is shocked, SHOCKED I TELL YOU, that people complain about the cumul impact of the last 3 yrs of inflation instead of just bowing to him because they came up with one good data pt on a rolling 3 mo basis

 

[iftravel]

For II, the exchange fee is really 239 + 89 =328 as I’m always adding retrade. Now I will rethink about the value of retrade. In many cases it’s just 89 paid to protect 239 exchange fee up to 2 weeks before the arrival. Not a deal to me.

 

[jp10558]

define "under control". another bad inflation data pt out this AM, assuming you really trust most of the #s
Powell is shocked, SHOCKED I TELL YOU, that people complain about the cumul impact of the last 3 yrs of inflation instead of just bowing to him because they came up with one good data pt on a rolling 3 mo basis

And yet they've lowered the prime rate. If you believe they have any idea how any of this works (and I question if they do), by their own methods they're going to make inflation worse again with the lowered rate.

That said, I still think a lot of this - especially the exchange companies - is simply because they can. Nothing they've been doing costs over $200, I'd argue HGVC does it in their mini system for $80 (and that was a rise from $64 when I started 2 years ago). And that is obviously just made up cause Max gets it for free. Really, there's 0 economic or technical reason this process should cost more than say door dash fees etc. Which are around $10! At worst it's $10 and the guest cert fee the systems charge, which is again, a "junk fee" IMO. It's the same amount of work for them if it's an owner checking in or a guest.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

yet they've lowered the prime rate

Milton Friedman would like a little respect. How easily the MSM teaches people to "Squirrel"

think a lot of this - especially the exchange companies - is simply because they can. Notihing they've been doing costs over $200

Yes. Obviously. But as I just wrote on another thread, RCI gave me a multi-yr free membership, so either pay membership fees or transaction fees. All goes into same pocket. focusing on variable cost of an electronic transaction misses the big pic
RCI's financials are avail in the filings of the parent. is it Travel & Leisure? something like that. RCI is yesterday's news from the last financials I saw. Nothing but raising prices and controlling costs make RCI a good business at this point. Hey, sounds like the cable companies and ...

 

[WaikikiFirst]

0 economic or technical reason this process should cost more than say door dash fees etc. Which are around $10! At worst it's $10 and the guest cert fee the systems charge, which is again, a "junk fee" IMO. It's the same amount of work for them if it's an owner checking in or a guest.

let me just say: there are few pricing decisions in a modern economy that are based on "Cost Plus". Door Dash, are the menu prices higher than at the restaurant itself?

 

[klpca]

For II, the exchange fee is really 239 + 89 =328 as I’m always adding retrade. Now I will rethink about the value of retrade. In many cases it’s just 89 paid to protect 239 exchange fee up to 2 weeks before the arrival. Not a deal to me.

Exactly. While eplus was fun, it was a lot more fun at $59 than at $89, so I stopped adding it. If I need to change, there is always the full price retrade option.

I am also trading SDO, so those trades within the Marriott family are still under $200 ($169?$189?) Still a bargain compared to RCI.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Exchanges for Vistana-Vistana, Vistana-Marriott, Marriott-Vistana, all still $164. I just set some searches for 2026, too.

Now if the fee goes up, I believe II will confirm at the higher cost.

 

[GrayFal]

Can an unenrolled Marriott owner confirm if the Marrott to Marriott fee is still $164?

It is, placed a request yesterday

 

[GrayFal]

Exchanges for Vistana-Vistana, Vistana-Marriott, Marriott-Vistana, all still $164. I just set some searches for 2026, too.

Now if the fee goes up, I believe II will confirm at the higher cost.

They read me a VERY long terms and conditions (had to do something via phone) but if you paid like I did yesterday they will honor that $239 price.
If I drop Platinum before the confirmation is made, instead of $59 I would pay the $99 upgrade fee.

 

[jp10558]

Milton Friedman would like a little respect. How easily the MSM teaches people to "Squirrel"

Yes. Obviously. But as I just wrote on another thread, RCI gave me a multi-yr free membership, so either pay membership fees or transaction fees. All goes into same pocket. focusing on variable cost of an electronic transaction misses the big pic
RCI's financials are avail in the filings of the parent. is it Travel & Leisure? something like that. RCI is yesterday's news from the last financials I saw. Nothing but raising prices and controlling costs make RCI a good business at this point. Hey, sounds like the cable companies and ...

I still think this is because the HOAs / resorts / companies (IDK who decides the exchange company(s) used by a resort) don't see the exchanging as a value add for what ought to be a very minimal price to them in 2024. I think a lot of the cost to RCI etc is getting the resorts to allow / accept the exchanges so they have to try and get them access. If the resorts worked with a fixed API - again like however GrubHub, DoorDash, UberEats and 50 other delivery companies work with all the random restaurants - I would imagine the exchanging cost would go down / certainly a company could do it cheaper.

As part of "is RCI a good business" I have no way to evaluate that, but I do think there's little reason a good business (or at least as good as all the middleman companies online that exist) couldn't be created except for resorts not wanting to open up to new exchange companies.

 

[vacation911]

At least with II.... it's a minimal increase...at least in the scheme of things. IMHO

 

[dioxide45]

let me just say: there are few pricing decisions in a modern economy that are based on "Cost Plus". Door Dash, are the menu prices higher than at the restaurant itself?

I've never used Door Dash or others, but the restaurants control the prices on these apps and because they have to pay a commission to Door Dash, Uber Eats or whomever, they build that commission into the price the customer sees. So it isn't just the $10 fee that these companies charge the person ordering food. It is often much more. So $10 isn't an apples to apples comparison.

 

[iftravel]

At least with II.... it's a minimal increase...at least in the scheme of things. IMHO

They add up, here and there, lol. I don’t see my salary has that minimal increase yet.

 

[dioxide45]

They add up, here and there, lol. I don’t see my salary has that minimal increase yet.

I wonder if all the employees at II get a raise when they increase the exchange fee?

 

[montygz]

Its a 4.36% increase, which is slightly over the inflation rate last year, however it makes sense to do increases in whole numbers, like $10.

Do II employees get raises? I hope so. The cost of living goes up every year for everyone.

I'm sure Interval is paying more for everything to keep their business running, just like the rest of us are paying more for everything.