Should I deposit to SFX?

[rsackett]

How has your luck been with SFX?/MERGED

I am thinking of trying SFX in place of II. I could get a bonus week with SFX and II is not offering one for my resort this year.

Have any of you had luck exchanging into New York or Marco Island with SFX in the summer months? If so how long was your request in place for? Do you have the Gold membership or the Platinum membership?

Any other info would be helpful!

Ray

 

[DeniseM]

If you use the search function (Search this Forum button) and search for SFX, you will find a wealth of info. in the old posts.

 

[falmouth3]

I've gotten 100% of my request filled. Others have not been so lucky. I am a platinum member so I generally request up to 18 months in advance.

Just last week I got my request for Oct. 2009 filled. I couldn't believe it. I had requests in for many places (all hard to get) for many different timeframes but this particular exchange, that I'm using my bonus week for, was for a specific week for a specific location. I was shocked but thrilled that it was filled.

Sue

 

[Garnet]

Can I ask what you got? I'm thinking of depositing summer So Cal week 2 bed....but only want better Palm Springs area for spring break in 2010. I'm coming up on the 18 mo window for Platimun request first, and I'm not sure if I should do it or not. (I'm not Platinum right now-just the free Gold and haven't really used SFX yet.) With kids in school--I'm really tied to the school calendar.

 

[Conan]

For my first and only experience so far with them, they got the exact March 2010 week I needed at Grand Mayan Cabos, 2-BR, requested exactly 18 months in advance.

 

[Cathyb]

Sue -- what location and what week you just got? My last 3 yrs experience with them has been less that great -- and I was their most faithful client when they first started over 10 yrs ago.

It seems like Mexico is their big client -- and Mauna Loa in Big Island (yuk). I am on the fence whether to use them anymore.

 

[falmouth3]

This most recent week that has just been filled was for the balloon festival in Albuquerque (October 2009). I requested Santa Fe because there are more TS there. Earlier this year I had a June week on the Big Island (Kona Hawaiian Village 2 BR)- for that one they called me with a choice of 2 resorts and 2 different weeks for each. Before that we got a 2 BR in Scotland in July 2007. I had a 2 BR Las Vegas' Polo Towers last Sept and I received a 1 BR in San Francisco for Thanksgiving week that I got a friend using my bonus week - and for that one I requested only 2 weeks in advance.

I tend to travel off the peak season but my Hawaii June and Scotland July weeks were peak season.

I generally have multiple requests in, and I put them in early

 

[lynne]

We have been throughly happy with SFX.

We use either our Manhattan Club or Pacific Grove Plaza for deposits and we are thrilled that they were able to get us our requested exchange for a specific date - Four Seasons Aviara. That exchange did require quite a bit of work on their part and thanks to the sightings board on TUG, I emailed them when I saw the bulk banking with my date available.

We also used our bonus week for our friends who were coming to visit us in Hawaii with less than three months notice. We will continue to bank with SFX and let our RCI membership expire in 2009. Even though we cannot see online availability, by emailing their customer service area we have had very successful results.

 

[Halpert2]

SFX

I just returned from a week at the Manhattan Club. I did make the reservation about 11 months in advance. I think I am going to try and exchange a Donatello week for another Manhattan Club week for next year.

 

[vacationlover2]

OK all,

I am getting a bit tired of waiting for an AC to be offered for my Manor Club week from II. I have 4th of July 2009! So, I'm thinking of depositing with SFX because of the 2 bonus weeks they are offering. Couple questions.

1. Have you been happy with SFX?
2. Can I deposit just the 1BR side of my Manor Club?
3. Where have you gone with SFX?
4. Are they easy to work with?

Thanks!

 

[DeniseM]

OK all,

I am getting a bit tired of waiting for an AC to be offered for my Manor Club week from II. I have 4th of July 2009! So, I'm thinking of depositing with SFX because of the 2 bonus weeks they are offering. Couple questions.

1. Have you been happy with SFX?
2. Can I deposit just the 1BR side of my Manor Club?
3. Where have you gone with SFX?
4. Are they easy to work with?

Thanks!

Since there is already an active thread about using SFX I moved your post to that thread.

To find out if SFX will accept your week, you should contact them directly - they do not accept all resorts or all seasons.

For a ton of info. about SFX use the search function (Search this forum button) and search for SFX.

 

[chellej]

I have only used them once and was not happy. I put in numerous requests that were not filled. They finally offered me a week on Kauai that we really enjoyed but I had already booked a week on Maui for that week with II. Since my week at SFX was about to expire, I cancelled the Maui week and lost the exchange fee rather than lose the week at SFX.

My main complaint though is the inability to search for yourself and the staff was hard to reach and seemed reluctant to provide information - like you don't have the week I want, what do you have?

I think they are great for resorts in Mexico - particuarly the Grand Mayans.

 

[funtime]

Stick with II

I would hold off with SFX. They are strong in Mexico and California and perhaps Hawaii. Their east coast presence is not that good. And, although they have been promising a website search function for years it has never happened. So no ability to search online. I did not renew even though I lost bonus weeks to not do so. I did get one exchange - into the Gaslamp in San Diego. Keep searching the archives and you will find a lot more information. Funtime

 

[Emi]

SFX trades have deteriorated over the last few years and I too have promoted them in the past. They may give 2 bonus weeks but we have not been able to use them since we have deposited weeks that are expiring. Also, one bonus week is for Mexico. We have deposited Hawaii and requested Hawaii between 1 year to 18 months prior to requested date. II always come through earlier. We did not want to lose deposited weeks so continue to deposit each year but I think I need to bite the bullet and just lose what I have deposited.