The value of the two "majors" is that they are large, and so have lots of possible destinations. Essentially, each benefits from the network effect. There are plenty of independent exchanges, and some of them can work well depending on what you own and what you want. But, because they are all smaller, there is less to choose from, and so they can't be all things to everyone.
What a disappointment all these additional fees with plus. Just makes the exchanges less desireable . Proof Wyndham running anything just sticks it to the the owners of timeshares.
The only way it would hurt members if these exchanges mean that rci could take whatever trading power or points used and then remove an equivalent deposit from the exchange pool and make it available as an extra vacation only. Years ago when they first stated offering these hotel inventory, I was under the impression that was the case. I don't remember if there was any documentation backing up that belief or it was just a theory based on a reasonable assumption that rci would do that, cherry picking the higher rental value properties when deposited to even out the transaction.
Not always---some of the EV inventory is a marketing channel for the underlying resort. Disney's RDXX codes were used for this during the recession.
A lot of the transparency that rci does give is a result of the 2009 class action lawsuit; which ushered in the trading power disclosure. The settlement had specific requirements but only had to last for 5 years after which rci could basically do whatever it wanted to with deposits and that during the 5 years they would police themselves to make sure they were following all their agreed upon concessions. RCI said that although the settlement only required these changes for 5 years they would likely keep them in place after because they were redoing their whole system to comply and that it would likely be more expensive to go back to their old system. I doubt you will get much useful additional information from them.
ARDA stands for American Resort Development Association. They are a lobby group to protect and further the interest of large timeshare developers. ARDA-ROC is the sub group that looks after owners when owners and timeshare developers wants and needs coincide. So for example when Maui wants to tax timeshares at 10 times the level they tax private residences and 4 times higher than hotels, owners and developers both agree. So the voluntary money given to arda-roc will never be used to lobby for something that doesn't also benefit the developers.
