Does Redweek deserve the fees they get?

[skimble]

They charge a membership fee ($15, I think.) To list a rental, it's $20 for 6 months. To list a sale, it's $40, and I don't know the cost for exchanges. So.. their making (taking) a decent sum of $$ from their customers... but, for what?
The thing I've been noticing is how many units are NOT getting rented or sold. There are some prime summer weeks in prime locations that are not moving...
While I can honestly stand back and say I've had success using their site, even this past year, I question the warrants of their business practice.
On a search for a "vacation week" using Google. There was no listing from Redweek that showed on the first three pages. "Rent a week in Hawaii" turned up no listings from Redweek. On a search for "Vacation week rental" I turned up the same results.
Yet, the other major timeshare rental sites were came up with listings on all of the above searches.
I looked for Ad banners on many popular travel sites to no avail.
Where do they advertise on the internet and beyond?

 

[thinze3]

Type in "timeshare rentals" and you will see Redweek halfway down the page.

 

[Fern Modena]

I don't see the purpose of your post here. If you don't like their business model, don't use it. It seems to me that you are satisfied enough with the results, but wish you didn't have to pay for them...

If your question is what you get for your money, why not ask them?

Fern

 

[tombo]

This year many great weeks are going unrented. This is not Redweek's fault, it is the economy and high air fares. I am not saying that Redweek is the best but they have worked for me many times.Many here have success with other sites like Craig's list. If you want to see how many great weeks aren't renting this year, just look at the 45 day or less rentals here on TUG. Many weeks you would never have seen listed cheaply or as last minute rentals last year are popping up everywhere this year. The rental prices are way down and the availabilty of weeks to rent are way up.

 

[ctyatty]

I like Redweek and think it is a great value.
If Criagslist had a nationwide search capability, I would like it better.

 

[Whirl]

It works for me. I have rented out my timeshares for many years and used to always post on multiple sites. Now I almost exclusively use Redweek. My weeks rent without a lot of work or worry.

 

[skimble]

This year many great weeks are going unrented. This is not Redweek's fault, it is the economy and high air fares. I am not saying that Redweek is the best but they have worked for me many times.Many here have success with other sites like Craig's list. If you want to see how many great weeks aren't renting this year, just look at the 45 day or less rentals here on TUG. Many weeks you would never have seen listed cheaply or as last minute rentals last year are popping up everywhere this year. The rental prices are way down and the availabilty of weeks to rent are way up.

I agree with what you are saying here. But there's a limiting factor that I'm addressing with this post. There's a reason why Many timeshare users I talk with have never heard of Redweek. They don't put their name out there in other venues.
Have you heard of RII Roman? They send out a barrage of junk mail to timeshare owners... you're probably fortunate if you haven't. Have you heard of Timeshares Only? They advertise on TV. Redweek is probably the largest outlet for timeshare rentals. If they are what I perceive to be the best business model for this industry, wouldn't you think they'd try to get their name out there and drum up more traffic to their site?

 

[skimble]

The other major limiting factor that I forgot to mention is a lack of advertising on the internet. A few years ago, I saw their name out there much more prominently in searches and more. In fact, I did not see their sponsorship of TUG on the home page.
I believe the depressed economy and gas prices may be precluding people from vacationing this year. However, I do not see Redweek helping to alleviate the glut of weeks in their system through advertising that reaches consumers.
Your average vacationer is not likely to think to put in a search for a timeshare week. They will search for "vacation rentals" or something of that sort. Redweek pays for advertising. They pay Google for featured ads that get them hits. My criticism of their business at this point is that I don't believe they are doing enough for their customers.
I think they should be sponsoring TUG, for one. I think they should be paying for ad banners on popular travel hot-spots. And, I think they should be working their ads in more aggressively with Google and Yahoo.

 

[skimble]

I like Redweek and think it is a great value.
If Criagslist had a nationwide search capability, I would like it better.

They are a great value. Read the post; it's not about their value. It's about their lack of customer service. Their customers are the people who pay for ads to sell or rent timeshare weeks. Are they doing all they can do to help you rent those weeks? Or are they holding back? That's the essence of the question I'm seeking a clear answer to.

 

[Icarus]

When I sold my KBC unit last year it was picked up by a broker with a buyer from my Redweek ad. It was probably the combination of listing it there and listing it at a reasonable resale price. It wasn't the cheapest unit listed for sale there, but my listing was accurate and clear and reasonably priced.

I can't answer your questions, but it worked for me.

When they sent me email telling me that my membership was about to lapse, I read it and clicked the delete button.

I also had the same week listed for rent there, and I got a few inquiries, but nothing that lead to the rental of the week I reserved. In retrospect, it worked out better that it didn't get rented out. I listed July 4 week at a middle of the road price, but July 4 2008 was a long way off back then.

-David

 

[Pit]

Are they doing all they can do to help you rent those weeks? Or are they holding back? That's the essence of the question I'm seeking a clear answer to.

"... all they can do ..." is an entirely subjective phrase. They are either doing all they need to do, or they will go out of business.

 

[Jya-Ning]

Have you travel on TS. If you do visit Orlando, pay attention to the big post when you drive to a TS. Chances are, you will see their name there.

Not sure why anyone think google is a good indicator for TS at this moment. Most of the site your search can find, charge $500 to start with. If that is what you believe the most benefit way, you can certainly try to do that.

Although internet is starting to get to people's live. Each year, TS retail is growing by double digit, so it is not the best way to ad a resell or rent week.

Pull the internet traffic report, and assume you need about 100 visit for 1 reasonable deal, you can make some assumption how much one need to charge to make ad so google will put their list upfront.

Jya-Ning

 

[BoredinVT]

You ask is Redweek.com is worth the price?...ABSOLUTELY ! As far as I'm concerned, Redweek out performs all other websites by far, (TUG included), when it comes to my rentals.

 

[JudyS]

Have you travel on TS. If you do visit Orlando, pay attention to the big post when you drive to a TS. Chances are, you will see their name there....

I was going to say this, too -- Redweek has a lot of billboards in Orlando. That seems to be where their advertising dollars go.

I think Redweek's listing fees are a bit high, although I've had reasonable success listing there. On the other hand, their customer service is poor. I recently had a major problem with an exchange week (resort couldn't find my reservation) and I was getting the run-around -- they referred me to DAE (who fulfills their exchanges) who told me it was Redweek's problem. Redweek does not have a phone number for customer service; it's email only.

 

[theo]

Well said...

I don't see the purpose of your post here. If you don't like their business model, don't use it. It seems to me that you are satisfied enough with the results, but wish you didn't have to pay for them...

If your question is what you get for your money, why not ask them?

Fern

I agree completely and could not have stated this any better myself.

I'll also add that on the few occasions on which I have rented my weeks, RedWeek has proven to be the best site by far on which to do so. If rental activity is slower in a weak economy, you can't (...not rationally, anyhow) blame RedWeek for that. I guess I just plain don't see the logic, substance, or point in the OP "complaint". Don't like them? Then don't use them...

 

[Dave M]

You asked three questions in your initial post. It would seem that all three have been answered:

Does Redweek deserve the fees they get?

Many of us, apparently even you ("I've had success using their site, even this past year....") think so.

So.. their making (taking) a decent sum of $$ from their customers... but, for what?

For providing a resale site that has a strong enough presence that it gets good traffic and good results.

Where do they advertise on the internet and beyond?

We don't know. Does it really matter? Success or failure of an ad is what provides value, not how an ad site spends the money we give to it.

 

[Honeydew]

Plus, on Redweek, isn't up to the member who placed the ad to mark it as Rented? Some people just don't bother to change the status, maybe on purpose to drum up business for the following year or other rentals they have.

Also, Ctyatty: see this for all craigslist cities
www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?p=497488

 

[skimble]

It's easy to stand back and use anecdotal success stories to bolster the merits of Redweek. They DO deserve some accolades. It's a good business.
However, I'm seeing a glut of weeks within their system that are not being rented. Do I blame them? Not entirely... I question whether they are aggressive enough in their marketing... in targeting vacationers. From what I see, people outside the timeshare industry who want their California beach week or week in Vegas aren't being targeted (it sounds like Florida may be the exception with billboards.) I would like someone to counter me with information about how Redweek reaches your average non-timeshare owner.
I see sites like Resortime, where, as an example, one could rent a beach week in California for $350/night (and YES, they DO get rented.) In fact, they link up with Travelocity and Expedia to offer many of the same weeks at sometimes higher rates. The average vacationer could spend about $2500 for a week through these sites. Or they could go to Redweek and find the same thing for 1/3 the price.
Logically speaking, if people simply KNEW they could rent for a fraction of the price of Travelocity or Resortime, wouldn't they go there? Again, I question whether Redweek does Enough to get their name out there--- to reach your average vacationer.

 

[theo]

...then ASK REDWEEK!

I question whether Redweek does Enough to get their name out there--- to reach your average vacationer.

Support@RedWeek.com might be a more productive and appropriate place to direct your question, since you dismiss the assorted first hand reports and experiences here as being just "anecdotal stories".

 

[rickandcindy23]

Where do they advertise? They advertise on billboards (several) in Orlando, which has to catch the eye of hotel goers.

They also advertise on Craig's List, ironically. I was looking for a particular resort for a friend, couldn't find anything in RCI, and I tried Craig's List, and lo and behold, there was Redweek presence, with links to the area I was looking for. I was surprised. Now whether an anonymous person just does that to link listings to Redweek, I don't know, but why would someone go to that trouble.

Redweek has an exchange program that also seems to be working for a lot of folks, and that is certainly going to be an option I will share with my fellow owners at Twin Rivers, who want to exchange but don't want to pay II fees.

I was unhappy with Redweek for the longest time, but I have come around as a person who has a few Hawaii units I must rent. I would rather pay the listing fees to as many sources as possible to get my weeks rented.

I don't like their "at a glance" listing format, especially when I am looking for more specific information, like how many points is in this Fairfield contract. I have to look at every listing individually, and it takes too much time. But they do allow me to put as much description as I want, and I am wordy, and I can post my own pics. My Resort Network has a better "at a glance" format, and I can tell all necessary information. I get better results from MRN than I do Redweek, but I am not willing to gamble that everyone knows about MRN, so I have to advertise at both in these harder economic times.

I have no reason to "bolster" Redweek as an option, and neither does anyone else here on TUG. Our own experiences are all we can relate because we don't have market statistics or specific information you are looking for. All we have is our anecdotal stories, so what more do you think we can give?

Vacation Timeshare Rentals is free to list, and it actually pulls more renters than either of the two I mentioned above. I would say they have the Google search locked up, and that is the way to get more average vacationers.

 

[tombo]

I use My resort Network sometimes too, but unlike Redweek you have a very limited amount of text room for description of your unit etc. on MRN. Also there is no way to put pictures in an MRN ad. Iif you could combine the best of both sites you would have a winner. For now I use Redweek primarily, and though I wish membership was free to get more browsers, it usually seems to come through for me.

 

[skimble]

Vacation Timeshare Rentals is free to list, and it actually pulls more renters than either of the two I mentioned above. I would say they have the Google search locked up, and that is the way to get more average vacationers.

I agree! I just don't think Vacation Timeshare Rental is as easy to use as Redweek.
Sure, I could email their customer service with all kinds of suggestions, and some tech guy who filters questions all day will look at it and send me a cut and paste corporate response. To effect change, the business needs to see that there's a desire for that change.
Redweek has the best model for searches and information, and it's great the way they've expanded to trades... beats Vacation Timeshare Rentals by far. But, like RickandCindy mention, "VTR has the Google search locked up."
As many have mentioned in their own way, it's a free market, and there are plenty of options. Redweek had the best format and best potential in my opinion at this time. If the market speaks clearly, then VTR will prevail. I believe Redweek, as I've said before, could do more to reach potential customers. And, anecdotal evidence is typically what drives consumers in an industry like this, seeing things marked as "Rented" or "Sold" certainly helps. And, word of mouth is powerful. I've heard countless people have tout VTR as the better/more successful place to list, and not just because of the free listing.
I don't think VTR is as user friendly, yet I can see where they reach potential customers better.

 

[thinze3]

Redweek is the FIRST place I go to look at TS rentals and sales. I would say that I use that website more than 10-1 vs the next competitor. When you have a good product, like Redweek does, it tends to sell itself.

From the feedback I have receive from Kylie and Marty over at Redweek, I tend to believe that they are still a mom and pop run business and doing a good job at it. This is why they are probably making a tidy little profit.

IMO

 

[TUGBrian]

I would hope that all of you members were putting your rentals on TUG as well...as its free =)

 

[e.bram]

To avoid RW membership fee

Look at the name of the poster and search the deed records for the address of the person(owner). You can then contact them privately w/o paying the fee to be connected to the ad poster.
PS if there is no owner searchable it is probably an illicit trade rental.