Trade-downs rather than equal trades
I agree that what is happening with increasing frequency in RCI are trade-downs. Although we have gotten lucky a couple of times (through bulk deposits), I would have no problem with the equal trade concept if that is what RCI were actually doing.
I own only Gold-Crown resorts (four through Fairfield points) and two floating summer weeks at Newport. Our kids are grown, so my husband and I never vacation during prime time, but I also deposit summer or vacation weeks. I can site many instances where I was looking for any size unit in April, May, Oct, even Feb and there were plenty of consecutive weeks available on Extra Vacations, but I could not pull anything in the areas I wanted. When I do call RCI, they are always sure to mention that there are weeks available to rent, if I want them.
For the past two years, I have rented my Newport weeks and next year, I am going to start renting my summer SeaWatch, since I have little to no confidence that I will get the vacation I want from RCI.
Fairfield will not allow me to deposit with II, but I recently enrolled with SFX and DAE and may give them a try.