Is your Timeshare affiliated with both RCI & II? Which do you use to exchange with most often?

[RNCollins]

I have a couple of Timeshares that are affiliated with both RCI and Interval International (II).

I find myself using RCI more often for exchanging. I enjoy traveling to the Caribbean and I feel RCI has a wider selection of non all-inclusive (AI) resorts. On the other hand, my HGV affiliated timeshare trades better in II than in RCI. I will use this resort when I want to exchange in II.

Which exchange company do you use most often with your dual affiliated Timeshare?

 

[rboesl]

My Divi resort is affiliated with both. But I almost exclusively use RCI. That's because my 2 Vacation Village resorts are in RCI.

 

[alwysonvac]

WorldMark is affiliated with both RCI and Interval International (II).
I’ve used WM in RCI for DVC & HGVC and in Interval International for Marriott, Vistana and Four Seasons.

I generally use Interval International more often for exchanging.

 

[wackymother]

We use RCI almost exclusively. I tried II years ago and just found it cumbersome. We live in the Northeast and mostly do driving vacations, and RCI has a lot more places near us.

Also, ever since they started using TPUs (which must be 15 years or so!), RCI seems much more transparent--here's the exchange, here's how many TPUs you need, here's how many you have.

With II, it continues to be a mystery what you will pull, so you have to check all your weeks one by one. (If there's an easier way, please please tell me what it is!)

 

[escanoe]

I trade in both, but am relatively new to II.

There is an obvious answer to the question you are asking, which is "it depends."

There are pros and cons to both, and in general it appears to me some resorts may trade better in one versus the other.

If you want to trade up or trade down, in my view RCI Weeks gives you more flexibility than II. You can extend a deposit, combine two deposits, and use trading power that is left over after an exchange (all with corresponding fees, of course). You can't do any of those things in II.

But II lets you buy ePlus (for a fee) where you can retrade and exchange up to 3 times following some rules they have. That is the one place that I perceive II as having more flexibility.

If you want to do 1 for 1 trades and probably be in a better position to land an upper tier resort when doing that assuming you own something with enough trading power, I perceive II as having an advantage. If you want a chance at most Marriotts, Hyatts, and some other higher end resorts, II is the place to be (as RCI is the place to be for HGVC and most Wyndhams).

I own "the Colonies" by Vacation Village that can trade in either II or RCI. Despite the resort having now moved to RCI from II (still can trade in either), it appears to me that more people choose to trade it in II and it is perceived as being a good trader there.

I also keep an eye on Mountainside Villas in Massanutten Resort that can trade in either II or RCI. It seems to me more of the owners there choose to trade in RCI.

Bottom Line for Me: If you are fairly heavy into timesharing, having a foot in both exchanges likely helps you leverage the best of both worlds (at the cost of two memberships). If you only have one ownership or one exchange meets your needs much better, you are ahead to pick the one that works best for you. My perception is here in the Mid-Atlantic is there are more local options in RCI that meet my needs better. I do think II is better at landing me one or two very nice vacations (perhaps in a Marriott or Hyatt) a year than RCI.

 

[Passepartout]

The one I have that's dual affiliated, I don't exchange. I use the fixed week (high mid-Summer) every year.

 

[wackymother]

I forgot another annoying thing about II. With RCI, you can put an exchange on hold. With II, you have to commit immediately. I know that technically you can cancel within 24 hours, but to do that, you have to call or email or go through some rigamarole.

 

[theo]

We don't exchange any more at all and simply use what we we own, easily renting out any week that we can't use in any given year. Gave up on RCI years ago, pre-lawsuit.

Having previously belonged to both exchange companies, my fuzzy recollection is that II (quite unlike RCI) had a "search first" option, in which it was not necessary to deposit (i.e., irreversibly relinquish) an owned week until and unless a suitable exchange was found first. Is that still the case? Just curious.

 

[escanoe]

I forgot another annoying thing about II. With RCI, you can put an exchange on hold. With II, you have to commit immediately. I know that technically you can cancel within 24 hours, but to do that, you have to call or email or go through some rigamarole.

+1 for this and if an RCI OGS matches, you have to confirm you still want it. If an II OGS matches it automatically exchanges, but you can call and cancel for only 24 hours. You had better be paying attention to II that you cancel the OGS when events change or be darn sure you are checking at least once daily to see if your request matched.

 

[Eric B]

I think limiting the discussion to two exchange companies could be a mistake. I have ownerships in both RCI and II, but also use SFX and ThirdHome. SFX doesn't cost much for membership at the Diamond level and is free otherwise - it has usefulness for getting to Mexican resorts using lower cost deposits. ThirdHome is an option if you have an ownership in an upper tier resort (or a mini-system in which you can make a reservation at a resort in a desirable location to deposit) as long as you make one deposit every year - it's good for getting higher tier resorts and privately owned vacation homes, but has high exchange fees. Learning how each of the different exchanges works has allowed me to trade a couple of weeks at Woodstone at Massanutten for a week at Ritz Carlton St Thomas next year - you can't do that in RCI (where Woodstone is listed) or II.

 

[wackymother]

We don't exchange any more at all and simply use what we we own, easily renting out any week that we can't use in any given year. Gave up on RCI years ago, pre-lawsuit.

Having previously belonged to both exchange companies, my fuzzy recollection is that II (quite unlike RCI) had a "search first" option, in which it was not necessary to deposit (i.e., irreversibly relinquish) an owned week until and unless a suitable exchange was found first. Is that still the case? Just curious.

Yes, I think II does still have that. On the RCI side, they have the deposit calculator that lets you see how many TPU you will get if you deposit your week.

 

[bnoble]

My summer Wisconsin weeks are in both. My RCI account is paid for out of my Wyndham ownership so that's what I tend to use. I did use II before DVC moved, but haven't felt the need since.

If my RCI account weren't "free" this might be different.

I've also used GPX back when I was eligible to do so. That was useful.

 

[DeniseM]

RCI & II have almost completely different inventory, so it depends on where you want to go.

 

[SmithOp]

I used to own a dual affiliated, but I got rid of it and kept the RCI and II accounts. I’ve used II more often, RCI only a couple of times. I did not renew RCI this year, it expired in Feb. II expires next June, not sure if I will renew, I’ve had good luck using the ACs.

I just used my HGV access to RCI to use up some expiring points, so that will be my only use for RCI going forward.

I still have GPX and SFX free accounts, haven’t looked at them in a while.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[HenryT]

Depends on where you want to go and your perceived trading power of your unit in the different systems.

For example, If I need to have Vistana preference I will deposit my Sheraton Broadway Plantation in II but if I need to trade for something that is only in RCI I will deposit it in RCI.

I love having the flexibility of dual affiliated resorts to deposit them in the system depending on my needs.

 

[sfwilshire]

I haven't given II any of my dual-affiliated weeks in years and would likely cancel my membership if my II only resort switched. On the other hand, the DVC switch back to II might keep me hanging on a bit longer. And I am sitting on the balcony of a very pleasant beach resort that I got from an II exchange, so this year worked out pretty well for me.

Sheila

 

[rickandcindy23]

I like both but it's tough to like RCI as much as I would like. I would say II is always a bit better for me. I have worked much harder to find resorts that I want in RCI. I have deposits I want to use, so I search often in RCI, more than I do in II.

 

[nbpa1234]

Question, if my resort uses both rci and II can I use both places for me 3 week time share? The thing is rci automatically gives you the points and then you have to call 11 months out to reserve your home resort. If I reserved my home resort 11 months out through rci can I than use that week through interval?

 

[CPNY]

RCI is def better in many ways but worse in others. I really like the transparency with RCI, in interval you have no clue if you have enough power to book what you want. I’m in both and I’ve used my RCI points mostly for DVC. Now that DVC is in interval, I am looking for other ways to use RCI.

 

[Eric B]

Question, if my resort uses both rci and II can I use both places for me 3 week time share? The thing is rci automatically gives you the points and then you have to call 11 months out to reserve your home resort. If I reserved my home resort 11 months out through rci can I than use that week through interval?

If your ownership is in RCI points, you can’t deposit the week in II. Once it goes onto RCI, it’s in RCI. You could withdraw it from RVI points and choose between II and RCI weeks in the future, though.

 

[escanoe]

Question, if my resort uses both rci and II can I use both places for me 3 week time share? The thing is rci automatically gives you the points and then you have to call 11 months out to reserve your home resort. If I reserved my home resort 11 months out through rci can I than use that week through interval?

If your ownership is enrolled in RCI Points, it is very unlikely you will be able to trade it in II. If your resort is dually affiliated and you use "TPUs" instead of points in RCI, you can probably trade it in II.