Own DVC, can I join II?

[spookykennedy]

I had never thought of this before, but can I join II if I own DVC even if I don't intend to trade it? What would the benefits be? Are the last minute trips a good deal and would it be worth the membership cost?

 

[Dean]

I had never thought of this before, but can I join II if I own DVC even if I don't intend to trade it? What would the benefits be? Are the last minute trips a good deal and would it be worth the membership cost?

You cannot join II with DVC, you cannot even add DVC to your II portfolio if you are already an II member. But you can trade through DVC for a subset of II resorts, some 450-500 or so. These are usually the top ones that are not brand new and not in Orlando. But there are other limitations including no bonus weeks, no uptrades and no cheaper trades inside 60 days. For a casual exchanger the system is likely better, for us more seasoned, it's not a very good system IMO. The three advantages are no membership fee for II, $75 exchanges and the ability to do request first and say yes or no at the point they find something.

 

[JudyS]

I second everything that Dean said. He is the DVC/II expert here.

I own DVC, but I also own at other II resorts so that I can be a full II member. I have been quite happy with II.

Even though you can't use your DVC ownership to become a full II member, you can use DVC to join SFX. You get access to the SFX's great sell-off lists (last minute weeks available for cash), and there is no annual fee and no obligation to give SFX your DVC week. (You will likely get repeated emails & postcards encouraging you to deposit with them, however.) Unfortunately, SFX only accepts one-bedroom DVC units, not studios, so I have never given them my week.

 

[Dean]

I second everything that Dean said. He is the DVC/II expert here.

I own DVC, but I also own at other II resorts so that I can be a full II member. I have been quite happy with II.

Even though you can't use your DVC ownership to become a full II member, you can use DVC to join SFX. You get access to the SFX's great sell-off lists (last minute weeks available for cash), and there is no annual fee and no obligation to give SFX your DVC week. (You will likely get repeated emails & postcards encouraging you to deposit with them, however.) Unfortunately, SFX only accepts one-bedroom DVC units, not studios, so I have never given them my week.

Judy, I belong to SFX and have discussed DVC with them. However, I don't know anyone who's actually deposited or trade DVC through them. And since DVC will not confirm the week, I wonder if SFX will be willing to accept DVC depsoits, esp now that they won't even talk to them as a private exchange and all MUST got through the member.

 

[JudyS]

Judy, I belong to SFX and have discussed DVC with them. However, I don't know anyone who's actually deposited or trade DVC through them. And since DVC will not confirm the week, I wonder if SFX will be willing to accept DVC depsoits, esp now that they won't even talk to them as a private exchange and all MUST got through the member.

Very interesting points, Dean. I don't know how easy, or even possible, it would be to actually trade DVC via SFX, now that DVC has the new policy of not letting non-members confirm reservations with member services. However, I was able to join SFX as a DVC owner, and I feel that access to SFX's sell-off list is itself a very good benefit and makes it worth joining SFX if one owns at an eligible resort, even if one never trades via SFX.

Since SFX won't take DVC studios, I don't think it would usually be worthwhile to trade a DVC through them anyway; one-bedroom units cost just too many points to be worth trading.

As far as I can tell, SFX is letting me stay a member, even with the new DVC rules. I don't know if SFX hasn't heard about the rules, or knows about them and still wants DVC owners as SFX members. I think it would be poor public relations to revoke DVC owners' SFX memberships.

 

[Dean]

Very interesting points, Dean. I don't know how easy, or even possible, it would be to actually trade DVC via SFX, now that DVC has the new policy of not letting non-members confirm reservations with member services. However, I was able to join SFX as a DVC owner, and I feel that access to SFX's sell-off list is itself a very good benefit and makes it worth joining SFX if one owns at an eligible resort, even if one never trades via SFX.

Since SFX won't take DVC studios, I don't think it would usually be worthwhile to trade a DVC through them anyway; one-bedroom units cost just too many points to be worth trading.

As far as I can tell, SFX is letting me stay a member, even with the new DVC rules. I don't know if SFX hasn't heard about the rules, or knows about them and still wants DVC owners as SFX members. I think it would be poor public relations to revoke DVC owners' SFX memberships.

I doubt the current rules will make a lot of difference because DVC would never confirm the unit as an exchange with an independent. Enjoy.