RCI Help Needed

[mboushey]

Hello,
I am considering joining RCI to exchange my timeshare for one in Anaheim this year. Is there someone who has an RCI Weeks membership that can look in the inventory to see if there are any 2 bedroom resorts available in Anaheim during the end of June or the beginning of July? I see that the WorldMark Anaheim (#A872) is an RCI resort comparable to the timeshare I have right now.
Thank you in advance,
mboushey

 

[DeniseM]

Hi There - TUG has a Sightings board and that is where we ask people to post their Sightings requests. To access the Sightings Board, you must be a TUG member, but it's only $15 and in addition to the Sightings Board, it also gives you access to the Member's only TUG Reviews. I hope you'll join us!

For the quickest membership, please use one of the other options besides Paypal. If you join with Paypal, a real human has to process it. If you use one of the other options, it's automatic.

Just a couple thoughts on your request. The timeframe you want to exchange into is very high season. Also, since we are only 6 mos. out from your date, it is kind of late to put in a request for a popular area/season. Right now, Anaheim only has 3 timeshares so it's not an easy exchange. You might want to consider renting from an owner as a backup. You might want to consider renting your home resort and using the money to rent in Anaheim.

Good luck!

 

[mboushey]

Thank you for your reply. I'll look into becoming a member with TUG. I see that there are a lot of resources available with a membership.

I've been considering renting my T/S and renting someone else's. I can't decide which would be "easier" to do: rent or exchange.

mboushey

 

[DeniseM]

If you own a popular timeshare and can rent your week, renting someone else's timeshare is far easier. When you rent from someone else you can rent exactly what you want without having to bite your nails looking for an exchange which may or may not come through. In this economy, lots of people want to rent their weeks. If you have the cash you just go to one of the rental sites (like TUG) pick out the week you want and rent it!

Let's say you decide to deposit with RCI. Then you wait and wait and wait and nothing is available. Then not only do you no longer have your TS week, but you don't have an exchange either. You are on the right track asking for RCI Sightings - but what you see now, may be gone in 2 weeks when your deposit is ready to go. It's a tough call.

If you do decide to exchange, I wouldn't just limit myself to the new Wyndham - since it's new it is very popular and it's probably a harder exchange than the other two Anaheim resorts. At this point, you won't be able to be too picky.

 

[Judy]

If you deposit your timeshare week into RCI less than one year before its check-in date, RCI might reduce your trading power. Depending on other factors in RCI's secret trading power formula, including supply and demand, you might not be able to exchange for the week/resort you want even if one is available. IMHO, at this late date, renting would be much easier than getting a 2 bedroom resort in Anaheim during the end of June or the beginning of July through an RCI exchange.

 

[JudyS]

If you own a popular timeshare and can rent your week, renting someone else's timeshare is far easier. When you rent from someone else you can rent exactly what you want without having to bite your nails looking for an exchange which may or may not come through. In this economy, lots of people want to rent their weeks. If you have the cash you just go to one of the rental sites (like TUG) pick out the week you want and rent it!.....

I think this depends on what you mean by "easier." Getting the exact week you want by paying cash to rent it is far more certain than trying to get it via an exchange. However, you have to worry about whether the person you rent from is honest, what's a fair price to pay, etc.

And, that's just the part where you pay to rent someone else's week. Getting someone to pay you for your week is going to be pretty tough in the economy, even if you own something that is pretty desirable. I recently had a Week 52 in Park City listed all over the place for months, at only $800. No takers. I dropped the price to around $500 or so a week before check-in -- still no takers. If you look at the past month or so of posts on the Last Minute Rental, you'll see some amazing weeks sitting unrented.

That said, a 2-bedroom in Anaheim in summer is pretty much an impossible trade, especially 6 months out. I'd suggest looking for a rental, and trading your week for something easier. (You could try renting your week out, but it will not be easy in this economy.)