Want to purchase cheap tradable timeshare… Trading places or RCI?

[dzm]

I’ve been a happy owner of a cheap timeshare for about 20 years. I got it for free by simply paying the transfer fee, the annual dues are in the $500 range, and I’ve traded it for free via the trading places exchange, receiving two free bonus weeks when doing so. The bonus weeks cost $229 to retrieve, but all in all that’s been three tradable weeks for a total of $1000 per year. It’s worked for me, although I have been to most all of the nicer resorts in Trading Places exchanges.

Now my timeshare lease period is expiring, so I’m thinking of purchasing a replacement. I have a few questions.

First, is RCI a better trading platform, despite the annual fee? Seems free is better but I don’t think RCI has a free option. Yes, some other resorts on trading places are seedy or run down, but I avoid those.

Second, does anyone know of a timeshare that’s part of trading places with low annual dues, which can be acquired for a minimal cost?

Third, any ideas or suggestions from other experienced and knowledgeable traders?

Your help at this Junction would be greatly appreciated!

 

[rickandcindy23]

You would either want to buy something in RCI points, Grandview comes to mind, or buy a week that has a lot of trading power units (points in weeks) to get the best bang for your buck.

We bought Grand Palms for that reason years ago. The trading power is still good for the MF's of $1,116 for about 64 TPU's, when you lock it off into two deposits, but it used to be much better. It's settled into that number of TPU's for quite a few years now.

RCI assigns a number to every week deposited, and some of it is very random. I pay more for my ski weeks to trade into them than they give me to deposit. The deposit value changes often enough to be annoying on ski weeks. One fixed week received 32 points in weeks, and the next year, the same week received half of that, 16. That was quite a downgrade in points. Trading into that resort for week 12 (ski season in CO), costs a lot more points than 16.

Exchange fees are $289 for a single week.

I am a big fan of Interval International exchanges with my Sheraton and Marriott weeks. Exchange fees of either brand to the same, $164.

 

[dzm]

You would either want to buy something in RCI points, Grandview comes to mind, or buy a week that has a lot of trading power units (points in weeks) to get the best bang for your buck.

We bought Grand Palms for that reason years ago. The trading power is still good for the MF's of $1,116 for about 64 TPU's, when you lock it off into two deposits, but it used to be much better. It's settled into that number of TPU's for quite a few years now.

RCI assigns a number to every week deposited, and some of it is very random. I pay more for my ski weeks to trade into them than they give me to deposit. The deposit value changes often enough to be annoying on ski weeks. One fixed week received 32 points in weeks, and the next year, the same week received half of that, 16. That was quite a downgrade in points. Trading into that resort for week 12 (ski season in CO), costs a lot more points than 16.

Exchange fees are $289 for a single week.

I am a big fan of Interval International exchanges with my Sheraton and Marriott weeks. Exchange fees of either brand to the same, $164.

Thanks for your input. I guess that’s why I like trading places international as there is a no annual fee option. It seems easier to just bank a week, and then exchange it for one week, rather than figuring out points and other imponderable‘s. When you do that, just having the lowest maintenance fee makes it a de facto best deal. It’s a 1 to 1 exchange.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Not many resorts have the low MF's you have, but Grand Palms is $1,116 for a 3 bed lockoff that locks off into two units. It's not hard to find a summer week in a 3 bed lockoff. I have never used Trading Places. I have looked at the inventory and find it sparse, but maybe it's gotten better. Platinum Interchange, same thing. I am always looking for bargain exchanges on RCI but they are tough to find.

The Hilton resorts had me excited about RCI, also the Disney resorts. Hilton charges $175 to stay at Hilton SeaWorld and the others in Orlando. That is a fee I will not pay, unless I see a 2-3 bedroom for reduced points, then I will consider it.

I appreciate any resort in prime season that trades in II over anything in RCI. I apologize to my friends who love RCI, including my TUG friend who works at RCI, but RCI is not my favorite. I use RCI with Wyndham and do get some good use with Wyndham points, but I have to use RCI with our Colorado weeks because it's the only exchange company our resort joined a long time ago.

 

[dzm]

Not many resorts have the low MF's you have, but Grand Palms is $1,116 for a 3 bed lockoff that locks off into two units. It's not hard to find a summer week in a 3 bed lockoff. I have never used Trading Places. I have looked at the inventory and find it sparse, but maybe it's gotten better. Platinum Interchange, same thing. I am always looking for bargain exchanges on RCI but they are tough to find.

The Hilton resorts had me excited about RCI, also the Disney resorts. Hilton charges $175 to stay at Hilton SeaWorld and the others in Orlando. That is a fee I will not pay, unless I see a 2-3 bedroom for reduced points, then I will consider it.

I appreciate any resort in prime season that trades in II over anything in RCI. I apologize to my friends who love RCI, including my TUG friend who works at RCI, but RCI is not my favorite. I use RCI with Wyndham and do get some good use with Wyndham points, but I have to use RCI with our Colorado weeks because it's the only exchange company our resort joined a long time ago.

Thanks for your input. I am looking to get three full weeks of annual exchange into a one or two bedroom unit, for under $1000. That’s what I currently have now. So I’m just looking for something comparable, or better!

 

[jrb916]

Trading Places was bought by Capital Vacations & is their main trading partner now. We haven’t used it since they bought it, but will in the next year. I don’t know if anything has changed as here is their recent promo item:

2024 Trading Places International HOA Program Booklet

2024 Trading Places International HOA Program Booklet

issuu.com

 

[dzm]

Trading Places was bought by Capital Vacations & is their main trading partner now. We haven’t used it since they bought it, but will in the next year. I don’t know if anything has changed as here is their recent promo item:

2024 Trading Places International HOA Program Booklet

2024 Trading Places International HOA Program Booklet

issuu.com

That’s very helpful. Thank you. I can just look up the maintenance fees for each of their resorts, and pick the lowest one or two bedroom unit, knowing it will be tradable through them. From personal experience I know that they do have a lot of other resorts not listed in that brochure. I guess those are the ones that have all their bookings directly with TPI.

 

[jrb916]

I can just look up the maintenance fees for each of their resorts, and pick the lowest one or two bedroom unit, knowing it will be tradable through them

Checkout timeshare nation as there are several free capital vacations (CV) associated ones listed. Make sure they haven’t been exchanged for CV points as their MF are 2-3x higher.

Here’s one also:

Free gaslamp plaza suites Capital vacations property

free downtown san diego timeshares as a package One Bedroom Unit and a Hotel unit available and only giving away as a package https://www.gaslampplaza.com/ Gaslamp Plaza Suites Package is one bedroom AND One hotel unit You will be responsible for next years Annual Maint. Fees are $725 for...

tugbbs.com