II Exchanging strategy

[HPSW]

While I realize the success to timeshares is planning well in advance. Do you get the best available timeshares on the website or is it better to put in a request? How long do you generally wait for your request to be accepted?
Are there any better times to look on the website - when do they usually load the timeshares to the site?

Thanks for any info or tips.

 

[BevL]

With Interval you DEFINITELY want to put in an ongoing search. All that gets through to be viewed online are the leftovers.

I'm not an expert and frankly have not had great success with Interval other than online exchanges for relatively easy trades. But I have searches in for next Feb through Mar and don't expect to see much before the summer.

In the meantime, I check online and keep an eye on the sightings board.

Hopefully some who are more experienced with Interval than I am will chime in. But I do know you should definitely start an ongoing search.

 

[sue1947]

To make the most of exchanging (and this is true for either RCI or II), you need to put in a request before the week is deposited. When deposits happen, the requests are filled first and then the rest goes online. Sometimes things make it through, so you should also keep searching online as a precaution.

As to when the deposits are made: that varies by resort chain. Your best bet is to be in line a year in advance but don't expect a match until later. I have a request in for January that I expect will hit in Sept.

Your best strategy is to join tug and watch the sightings board to get a feel for how far in advance thing are deposited by the resort you are interested in . You can do a search for past sightings to see when bulk deposits tend to come in. You can also research the resort reviews to see which ones you are willing to accept. The more options included in your request, the better chance you have.

Sue

 

[hjtug]

Are there any better times to look on the website - when do they usually load the timeshares to the site?

When I first started reading online advice, most folks seemed to think that resorts for instant online exchange were loaded on the II site first thing in the morning - midnight Pacific time or shortly thereafter. I had good luck looking for instant exchanges at that time of day. Recently, it seems to me that I find new listings throughout the day and the early morning seems to be very quiet.

 

[DeniseM]

The most successful strategy for a II exchange includes:

1) Put in an on-going request as early as possible (12 or more mos. out) so it's in place BEFORE the deposits are made, and ahead of other exchangers.

2) Request a wide-range of weeks.

3) Request as many resorts as possible

4) Even though the online inventory is the leftovers, sometimes gems pop up, so it's worthwhile to keep checking it, even when you have an on-going request in place. If you see something you want, you can still grab it online, which will automatically cancel your on-going request.

5) If you need a specific check-in day, you must call II after putting in your request online and specify the day of the week. Otherwise, your on-going request automatically defaults to Thursday, so your check-in day could be Thurs., Fri., Sat., or Sun.

Strategies that will decrease your chances of getting a trade:

1) Only requesting school holidays
2) Only requesting one specific week
3) Only requesting the very top resort in an area (which you may not have the trading power for)

*There is no "normal" timeframe for getting an exchange - you may get it the next day, weeks later, months later, or never.