I see more availablity for RCI than II

[krmlaw]

Anyone else experience this? We belong to both RCI and II (because I cant decide which one). But Im glad we do, as I often see more availability for trades on RCI than I do on II.

I wonder why this is? Any thoughts? Is this because more people belong to RCI?

I think Im going to keep both still. I have one unit that only trades with RCI and one unit that trades with both.

 

[timeos2]

We have found RCI far better than II

They get more inventory and do more trades. It's very simple. II also limits access to paying members by giving priority to various clubs, points groups and other developers they desired to have in their system. They give them rights and benefits that aren't for the "standard" resorts/owners thus there are really two or three levels of II. As a paying member you are the bottom rung and get treated as such. We also used to belong to both as paying members and saw exactly what you see. Less choices with II, poorer resorts with II (they aren't all DVC/Marriotts - in fact most aren't), smaller units with II, mostly off season dates with II - it wasn't worth it. We dropped II and never missed it.

Later we got access again through a "favored" group - using points - and WOW. Things sure changed! Using the same "weeks" we used to deposit with II and get little or nothing we now get our choice of Marriotts, DVC's and others AND points left over! Totally different result. And we pay ZERO as we are not really members - our preferred group is.

So we found RCI to be the preferred exchange company to pay for. II great if it's free and using points. We still use RCI about 75% of the time when we exchange. Neither get much use as we buy our resorts and points systems to USE not deal with third party exchange companies. But when we do RCI comes through the most.

 

[sfwilshire]

I also belong to both and get much better results from RCI. I maybe get a week every other year or so from II, usually just because I have a deposit that is expiring and I book something easy like Orlando. That explains why I have three deposits that will expire at the end of this year if I don't extend them.

Unfortunately, my lockoff at Mystic Dunes trades only with II. If it weren't for this, I'd probably just drop them. Most of my weeks are dual affiliated. I have one that is RCI only.

The Marriott Custom House is the only II gem I've grabbed through the years that immediately comes to mind.

Sheila

 

[LLW]

Anyone else experience this? We belong to both RCI and II (because I cant decide which one). But Im glad we do, as I often see more availability for trades on RCI than I do on II.

I wonder why this is? Any thoughts? Is this because more people belong to RCI?

I think Im going to keep both still. I have one unit that only trades with RCI and one unit that trades with both.

I have used II to trade into Westin (Maui), Four Seasons (Aviara and Scottsdale), DVC (Boardwalk), and Marriott (Marbella Beach). I have heard that RCI has more resorts and more locations (therefore more availability), especially in Europe. I have used II for 3 exchanges into Europe. When and if I am ready to do more exchanges into locales where I can't get into with II, I won't hesitate to sign up for RCI. So far I am just too cheap to do both, and II is cheaper than RCI.

 

[bnoble]

I use (and like) both. I find RCI typically provides more choices. In some locations, II has resorts I prefer to those in RCI---either because RCI doesn't have the resort at all (Disneys/Marriotts), or II gets more inventory.

 

[pcgirl54]

RCI shows more resorts up to 2 yrs out which I prefer. With II it is about 6-8 months out before I see places I want to exchange to. I just wish RCI's search engine mirrored II "search all destinations" function. II has more brand name resorts. This is why I still belong to both.

I own a Marriott thus joined II. My Cape Cod week is dual affliated so I just added it to II 2 yrs ago to see what it can pull. Thru II I get a bonus week if I deposit the CC week so I considered dropping RCI for that reason but can't seem to give up the 2 yr window. If Marriott chooses to have a seperate trade system which has been rumored for sometime I may drop II.

This year we went to Westin Maui using the CC week and to Harborside Atlantis 3 years ago trading my Marriott week. Pretty good trades.

 

[tombo]

I like RCI the best for the larger availability of resorts at many more locations. For example, I love the beaches on the Florida panhandle. If you want to trade for the Florida panhandle, II only has 5 ocean front resorts available on the beach in the Florida panhandle, all 5 of which are available through RCI. RCI has 9 oceanfront resorts in the Florida panhandle directly on the beach, 4 of which are not available through II. There are only 11 total resorts in the II directory on the panhandle, but there are 20 different listings in the RCI directory.

I also like to visit Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains. II has a total of 12 resorts listed while RCI has 24 different resorts. With RCI you can trade into every resort offered by II except for Westgate. With II you can't trade into Crown Park, Sunrise Ridge resort, Grand Crown resorts, Wyndham Smoky Mountains, and many other nice resorts that you can trade into using RCI.

Examples like this are why I like RCI best even though I have resorts that trade with both.

 

[krmlaw]

I think all the reasons mentioned is why Im going to keep both.

I LOVE RCI 2 year window. I find too that availability only really opens up with II 6 - 8 months out. I didnt realize there were different "levels" in interval. Thats surprising.

I also like RCI's last call, and extra weeks. I find both of them cheaper than II getaways.

However, I want to keep II because they do have some condos that RCI doesnt have, that I want to trade into!

Looks like Ill be stuck with both for awhile!

 

[lprstn]

I 2nd that comment...I get more trades with RCI than II

I have had both, but RCI definately has more availability. Although I like II for some of the upscale hotel like resorts.

 

[rickandcindy23]

krmlaw, I post sightings from RCI and II here on TUG and find so much more with RCI than I find with II. I love II for the Disneys and Marriotts, as Brian already said, but my RCI sightings are just amazing. If you join TUG, you can see the sightings board, and I have been trying to post several really great resorts/ destinations every day (except while on vacation myself).

 

[tombo]

Rick and Cindy are like free timeshare travel agents. They will let you know when a location or resort is available through RCI. Keep up the good work letting those of us who are too lazy or unable to check RCI daily know what is available. Thanks for all of the sightings posts.

 

[krmlaw]

where is the sighting boards?

 

[lprstn]

where is the sighting boards?

Only members can see the sightings board. So sign up today...the sightings board has helped me to get great trades also...a secret weapon thanks to Rick and Cindy and all the other great people that post there.

 

[meginoregon]

Where is the "Sightings" board?

I am a paid user, and logged onto the BBS, but don't see a forum called "Sightings". Is it called something else, or am I looking in the wrong place?

-- Meg

 

[tombo]

Go to TUG BBS home page. Scroll down almost all the way to the bottom. The Sightings/distressed forum is in it's own section. You must be logged in to view it.

 

[rickandcindy23]

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53

This link will tell you how to log into TUG as a member, so you can see the sightings.

Thanks for the kind words, Tom. I love searching RCI!

 

[AwayWeGo]

R. C. I. In Cahoots With Wyndham Timeshare Co. ?

II also limits access to paying members by giving priority to various clubs, points groups and other developers they desired to have in their system. They give them rights and benefits that aren't for the "standard" resorts/owners thus there are really two or three levels of II. As a paying member you are the bottom rung and get treated as such. We also used to belong to both as paying members and saw exactly what you see. Less choices with II, poorer resorts with II (they aren't all DVC/Marriotts - in fact most aren't), smaller units with II, mostly off season dates with II - it wasn't worth it. We dropped II and never missed it.

Later we got access again through a "favored" group - using points - and WOW. Things sure changed! Using the same "weeks" we used to deposit with II and get little or nothing we now get our choice of Marriotts, DVC's and others AND points left over! Totally different result. And we pay ZERO as we are not really members - our preferred group is.

So we found RCI to be the preferred exchange company to pay for. II great if it's free and using points. We still use RCI about 75% of the time when we exchange. Neither get much use as we buy our resorts and points systems to USE not deal with third party exchange companies. But when we do RCI comes through the most.

It's taking me a while to catch on to all of this. So far I have not made much progress in figuring it out & at this point I could use a Reality Check.

As (I think) I understand it, members of T. H. E. Club (formerly Club SunTerra) get favored access to I-I timeshare exchanges without actually being members of I-I & therefore also without paying I-I dues. That is, regular T. H. E. Club fees include "dues" for access to I-I exchanges. Putting it another way, regular dues-paying I-I members are 2nd class citz. in comparison with non-members of I-I who get to do I-I timeshare exchanges via T. H. E. Club.

Is that about it ?

Then what about access to RCI timeshare exchanges via Wyndham (formerly FairField) timeshare ownership? Does that happen without paying extra to belong to RCI & without actually being RCI members? Is that just a figment of my imagination? Or does that work in a manner something like the connection between I-I exchanges & membership in T. H. E. Club ?

And if Wyndham timeshare owners get access to RCI timeshare exchanges, does that mean the Wyndham owners can exchange via both RCI Weeks and RCI Points? If so, are regular dues-paying members of RCI 2nd class citz. compared with people who get access to RCI timeshare exchanges by owning Wyndham FairShare Plus timeshare points?

After Cendant Corp. was split asunder, didn't Wyndham Corp. become the parent company of both Wyndham timeshares & RCI ? If so, it seems only natural that there would be some kind of interconnection between the timeshare company & the related exchange company.

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

 

[rickandcindy23]

Fairfield/ Wyndham doesn't get great exchanges anymore. I have heard that a two-bedroom red deposit won't pull a 2 bedroom red anywhere. You cannot even get another Wyndham two-bedroom. Now maybe these people are exaggerating to make it seem that it isn't as good as others think, but I don't know.

 

[bnoble]

I have heard that a two-bedroom red deposit won't pull a 2 bedroom red anywhere.

I'd call Wyndham points a "mediocre" deposit---it gets some weeks that are worth taking, but doesn't see the better stuff. I have a red studio on deposit now, and it does see some 2BRs in summer '09 (which is when I'm looking)---I'm waiting to see what Wyndham deposits for June, and expect to get a 2BR somewhere with it.

You're not going to get Atlantic ocean front in prime summer with it, but you can still do okay. I would not want to rely on Wyndham as my only access to RCI, but it has a purpose, because of those low-value weeks you can deposit. Even a 70K red is "worth" only about $350, so the total cost of a week is about $525, including exchange fee.

 

[acesneights]

I'd call Wyndham points a "mediocre" deposit---it gets some weeks that are worth taking, but doesn't see the better stuff. I have a red studio on deposit now, and it does see some 2BRs in summer '09 (which is when I'm looking)---I'm waiting to see what Wyndham deposits for June, and expect to get a 2BR somewhere with it.

You're not going to get Atlantic ocean front in prime summer with it, but you can still do okay. I would not want to rely on Wyndham as my only access to RCI, but it has a purpose, because of those low-value weeks you can deposit. Even a 70K red is "worth" only about $350, so the total cost of a week is about $525, including exchange fee.

I have a non-WYN red 2BR deposit that I search with and then make the exchange with a FSP 28K.

I would say that in many circumstances FSP deposits do very well.

Stan