Low inventory II

[SharoninTN]

Is it just me or has inventory dropped on Interval? I have had 2 Marriott weeks since 2009 and it seems this is the lowest it's been.

I know Marriott is pushing old weeks owners to their points system and I've held out as it seems I would be getting less days overall. Could this be a contributing factor?

 

[Sugarcubesea]

Is it just me or has inventory dropped on Interval? I have had 2 Marriott weeks since 2009 and it seems this is the lowest it's been.

I know Marriott is pushing old weeks owners to their points system and I've held out as it seems I would be getting less days overall. Could this be a contributing factor?

I think more folks are now using what they own vs putting them in II, I rearranged my portfolio to be TS's that I actually use vs place in II. It saves me a ton of money in II fees and I own where I love to vacation...

 

[Hindsite]

Its been taking longer to get some exchanges since the peak after COVID. I still see loads of very good inventory as do the sightings forum.
I suspect that there are a lot of factors, including people being more educated as to how to get value, people renting out their ownership rather than putting it into II and people using what they own. Owners deeding back to MVC will play a part, but I don't believe it is big enough to be causing what you see. There is also a relatively healthy resale market that counters this trend, as people buy MVC as an excellent trader in II.
Some ownerships, Hyatt, Welk, Diamond and limited Sheraton, seem to have either a permanent or fluctuating degrading of II trading power, so this motivates some owners to rent out or use rather than exchange.
If you've been used to depositing a low season studio and getting a medium or high season 2-bed then those days may be over, but if you are trading equally or aiming up a bit, I don't see any major change. That may be different depending on specifically what you are depositing and requesting.
Before you leap to the greener grass of the points system, read up all the complaints about how difficult it is to reserve what people want that way, and decide which actually suits you better.
If you own pre-2009 direct bought you should be able to enroll for free, which is worth it if you use II for a couple of weeks per year.

 

[SharoninTN]

Its been taking longer to get some exchanges since the peak after COVID. I still see loads of very good inventory as do the sightings forum.
I suspect that there are a lot of factors, including people being more educated as to how to get value, people renting out their ownership rather than putting it into II and people using what they own. Owners deeding back to MVC will play a part, but I don't believe it is big enough to be causing what you see. There is also a relatively healthy resale market that counters this trend, as people buy MVC as an excellent trader in II.
Some ownerships, Hyatt, Welk, Diamond and limited Sheraton, seem to have either a permanent or fluctuating degrading of II trading power, so this motivates some owners to rent out or use rather than exchange.
If you've been used to depositing a low season studio and getting a medium or high season 2-bed then those days may be over, but if you are trading equally or aiming up a bit, I don't see any major change. That may be different depending on specifically what you are depositing and requesting.
Before you leap to the greener grass of the points system, read up all the complaints about how difficult it is to reserve what people want that way, and decide which actually suits you better.
If you own pre-2009 direct bought you should be able to enroll for free, which is worth it if you use II for a couple of weeks per year.

Thank you for this! Purchased in 2009, two 2BR in low and medium seasons. From what I've seen, the points system will equal less days / options. I'll do some more homework on points but perhaps renting may make sense.

 

[SharoninTN]

I think more folks are now using what they own vs putting them in II, I rearranged my portfolio to be TS's that I actually use vs place in II. It saves me a ton of money in II fees and I own where I love to vacation...

Appreciate the response! How did you rearrange your portfolio? Did you do this through Marriott?

 

[dioxide45]

Appreciate the response! How did you rearrange your portfolio? Did you do this through Marriott?

Rearrainging a portfolio to buy where you want to stay works, but it tends to be a more expensive option to exchanging. Especially exchaning Marriott. If I bought were we stayed, our MF costs would probably grow ten fold. Exchanging requires you to be more flexible and can be cheaper. Especially when using lock offs. It isn't without its tradeoffs though. Inventory and availability is in flux and over time it can change.

That said, we generally still do very well exchanging in II. Do we always get what we want? I don't know. We book what we can get and go. We rarely try for the hard stuff.

 

[Sugarcubesea]

Appreciate the response! How did you rearrange your portfolio? Did you do this through Marriott?

Hi @SharoninTN - I owned in locations that I used for trading and so I decided to sell those and purchase in areas that are where we go to each year. I sold my TS's in Arizona, California and Tennessee as these were all mostly traders and bought more in Florida

 

[dougp26364]

Most major timeshare companies now have an internal exchange system or points programs designed to keep their inventory within their respective systems. It’s easier for their owners to reserve. It’s generally less expensive than trading weeks. younger buyers want the flexibility to stay partial weeks rather than a full 7 nights. Most importantly, the sales force can say ‘“ you need to own with us if you want to stay in our resorts” with a little more authority.
Admittedly we use points for internal exchanges exclusively with Marriott and Hilton. None of those weeks have been deposited with II or RCI in over 10 years.

We do have a small system Branson week and a studio week with an independent that we’ll trade. I can still get reasonable value, but I don’t get the value we received 20 years ago. It’s a lot of off season weeks at higher quality resorts and lessor quality weeks in higher season.

 

[chriskre]

I think that the trade power has been adjusted more than the lack of inventory or at least that's been my case.
I still see things I used to get being sited on the sitings board but I couldn't see it where previously I could with my BG weeks.
So I decided to dump my BG and pick up a Marriott instead since it seems II is favoring their own which I understand why they'd do that.
BG is Hilton now and obviously that's the competition so why give Hilton owners their stuff.
It was good while it lasted but like everything in the TS world it has come to an end or has become too difficult for me to keep up with and
I don't want to be on the computer 24/7 trying to get stuff I used to get with my eyes closed.
It is what it is until it isn't.
Hopefully my Marriott trader isn't a disappointment too, we shall see but I bought a Platinum to lock off and am hopeful the fun continues for a while.