Let's help one another out and start posting more II and RCI sightings!

[rickandcindy23]

I started a thread a while back, encouraging everyone to post more sightings, and it is working! Thanks to all who are posting them, and I hope it helps all of you get something you have always hoped to get.

I was personally helped with a sighting a little over a year ago, when I saw a sighting in the middle of the day for a resort I needed for exactly that check-in date. It was a Disney's Wilderness Lodge Villas one bedroom unit. I will never forget how excited I was to get that exchange.

Seeing the big bankings of the Westins in Hawaii was my reason to buy a Sheraton Broadway Plantation, a decision I will never regret, and it's thanks to Jerseygirl for posting those, and the others who helped me make that purchase. Thanks to all of you for that, too!

Anyway, for those who don't know because they haven't joined TUG, Sightings are only availble to members, and it is worth the $15 to see the postings every day. It could save you so much time logging into II or RCI to catch that perfect week. Plus, we would love your participation in posting anything you see that others might want.

Once you have paid for your TUG membership, you never have to pay again because Brian gives months of membership for posting resort reviews. This is another benefit for joining TUG: you get to see the reviews. I love writing them, and I love reading them. The reviews are our way of sharing our personal knowledge of a resort, and if you are looking at an exchange, you don't have to take the chance. You can also get additional months by referring people to join TUG! If you refer 10 people, you get a lifetime TUG membership. I still haven't achieved that one yet, but I am working on it.

This is the largest timeshare usergroup. If we all post sightings, we can really help one another. I love searching II and RCI on a daily basis. There is always something I am hoping to find. While I am searching, if I see something I think others would LOVE, I post the sighting.

If everyone posted a few sightings every day, we would have a huge list!

Another benefit of seeing and posting sightings: you can test the trade power of your week(s) against other resorts. I purchased 2 of my weeks, specifically because I couldn't see what others could, and I wanted to get those resorts! I am so happy with my purchase decisions.

Be sure to follow the rules for posting sightings. Happy hunting!

 

[jstapleton]

Thank you for starting this. Although I joined a year or two ago I am still very much a newbie. I own in HHI and Orlando and usually trade my Orlando week (always use my HHI week 32 week).
Anyway, being that I trade, I think I could benefit from sightings but not sure exactly what it is and what to do if I see something I want/need/looking for on this thread. Thank you very much!

 

[Bwolf]

Just don't steal the sightings from the other site.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Just don't steal the sightings from the other site.

What would be the motive of doing that? Just asking, because this has been accused of a few of us.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Thank you for starting this. Although I joined a year or two ago I am still very much a newbie. I own in HHI and Orlando and usually trade my Orlando week (always use my HHI week 32 week).
Anyway, being that I trade, I think I could benefit from sightings but not sure exactly what it is and what to do if I see something I want/need/looking for on this thread. Thank you very much!

Post a new thread on the sightings forum, requesting that we watch for the week you want. We will watch for sightings for you and either PM you, or we will post them openly on the thread.

 

[Bwolf]

What would be the motive of doing that? Just asking, because this has been accused of a few of us.

That's why the big grin.

On the other site there is a now inaccessible thread discussing such alleged "theft".

I find it highly amusing. Only certain people know how to post sightings? And they are all members of the other site?


:hysterical:

 

[bnoble]

As far as I am aware, TUG has the same rules. From the sightings board sticky:

Sightings posted here are a TUG Member benefit and are not to be copied or shared outside of TUG or on public forums on the TUG BBS.

I don't have any idea how one enforces this, and do not know what TUG admins do if they believe it has happened.

 

[icydog]

That's why the big grin.

On the other site there is a now inaccessible thread discussing such alleged "theft".

I find it highly amusing. Only certain people know how to post sightings? And they are all members of the other site?


:hysterical:

I guess Interval International, and maybe God, has a special branch for them alone. In this secret II place they can see a special cache of weeks for their eyes only!! "Ssh it's a secret, don't tell anyone other than our buddies, but II has some wonderful exchanges"... Like that makes sense. We all see the exact same thing.

 

[TUGBrian]

a direct cut/paste from the sightings forum elsewhere would be something that would raise an eyebrow.

However, its not like we own this data in the first place.

 

[itchyfeet]

Is there somewhere to post a "sighting wanted", that is a specific week that I'm looking for? TIA

 

[DeniseM]

Is there somewhere to post a "sighting wanted", that is a specific week that I'm looking for? TIA

Yes - on the Sighting board below the Lounge board.

 

[bnoble]

a direct cut/paste from the sightings forum elsewhere would be something that would raise an eyebrow.

This is what I keep getting hung up on. How can you tell the difference between a direct cut and paste, and someone who ran the same search and got the same results?

 

[DeniseM]

This is what I keep getting hung up on. How can you tell the difference between a direct cut and paste, and someone who ran the same search and got the same results?

I don't think it's that big of a deal. If it's a problem, then it will be reported, and a Mod will deal with it. I've never seen anyone report it, though...

 

[TUGBrian]

you wouldnt...its not even our data to begin with.

ie if you go look up 25 resorts and post the results on TUG...then go post them somewhere else...thats certainly your right.

I believe the rules exist to prevent someone from going into the sightings, taking down all of the information, and then reproducing it elsewhere.

If you are reproducing your own posts elsewhere, well we certainly have no right to restrict or control that.

Taking other peoples info and reposting it elsewhere is the only issue I can see, and even that would be difficult to "prove". ive never heard of it being an issue here.

I am not going to speak for anyone else however.

 

[Bwolf]

I need a smiley that goes way beyond hysterical.

This :rofl: and this :hysterical: just don't express how funny I find this whole (extended) discussion.

I hope no one thinks I'm laughing at them (at least, no one on this board). I'm just laughing so hard I need hysterical's older brother, standing on his feet, emitting guffaws.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Whew! That's A Relief.

If you are reproducing your own posts elsewhere, well we certainly have no right to restrict or control that.

Whoa -- I'm glad to hear that.

For a while there, I was semi-worried I might get in trouble with the Grand Pro for putting all my TUG-BBS stuff on the Internet over at Mox Nix Blog.

Meanwhile, whussup with Sightings ?

I have never understood anything about what's going on with that. Sightings is a dark corner of TUG that I know nothing about.

I'm guessing savvy RCI & I-I people send in TUG-BBS entries when they spy something available for I-I or RCI exchange that's considered hard to get or that comes up unexpectedly. Then other savvy timeshare folk go jump on those "sightings" while the getting is hot. Is that about it? If so, how does it work? Is there a Sightings 101 on-line anywhere that spells it all out for the benefit of us doofuses ?

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

 

[rickandcindy23]

Alan, do you never check sightings? You are a member, so you can see what's there right now. I supposed you don't exchange, and that is why you don't know?

You should check it out.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Doofus, Shmoofus.

Alan, do you never check sightings? You are a member, so you can see what's there right now. I supposed you don't exchange, and that is why you don't know?

You should check it out.

We've done 4 or 5 week-for-week exchanges & 1 straight-points exchange. Other than that, all our vacations in other people's timeshares have been Last Call & Instant Exchange.

It's not that I've never looked at Sightings -- just that I haven't figured out how it works or what I'm spozed to do with something that somebody has Sighted.

I could be the only doofus on TUG-BBS -- but somehow I doubt it. (There are more of us doofuses out there then 1 might expect.)

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

 

[jstapleton]

Thank you. Once someone found something I was looking for or PMd me, how would I get it with my trader. If they were looking with a better trader than mine, would I still be able to get the sighting? Thanks.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Thank you. Once someone found something I was looking for or PMd me, how would I get it with my trader. If they were looking with a better trader than mine, would I still be able to get the sighting? Thanks.

Not necessarily. If you week won't pull the sighting, you would have to call II or RCI and ask if you can get the week. Maybe they will let you have it, but it's no guarantee. You have a better chance if you know the week is there, than if you don't.

 

[jstapleton]

Not necessarily. If you week won't pull the sighting, you would have to call II or RCI and ask if you can get the week. Maybe they will let you have it, but it's no guarantee. You have a better chance if you know the week is there, than if you don't.

Thank you. This may be how I usually can get my week that I want when I call. If I call and call and call again all day all week, I usually end up getting what I was looking for other than just having my week sit there and wait.
It is an April/around Easter week in Orlando and know that there is much inventory in Orlando so not as good as if I used my HHI summer week, but I use that week, don't trade it. Thank you very much for taking the time to explain this to me. I very much appreciate it.

 

[bnoble]

Taking other peoples info and reposting it elsewhere is the only issue I can see, and even that would be difficult to "prove".

I don't think it is difficult. I think it is impossible---because that person could have run their own search instead.

 

[bnoble]

This may be how I usually can get my week that I want when I call.

You might want to save that for times you really want it. Some suspect that RCI keeps track of such "favors", and may be less willing to extend it as time goes on.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I don't think it is difficult. I think it is impossible---because that person could have run their own search instead.

Very true. If I search for Maui weeks in II, most of the sightings are going to be the same that others see, unless others are seeing something in a preference period, such as Starwood or Marriott. If I post my sighting, it could very well be identical to someone else's.

TUGBrian and I talked about this via email a few months ago. He was very kind and sympathetic toward my situation, and I appreciated it very much.

 

[ricoba]

I don't know anything about the alleged stealing of sightings....all I know is I appreciate that Cindy is diligent in posting sightings, something my HGVC membership won't let me do.

So thanks Cindy for your contributions.