Exchange companies.

Yes, I'm quite new to Timeshare, and recently tried out DAE for an exchange. DAE's process seems more personal than RCI.

I used various Resort Directories/Info (incl RCI's online one) to identify resorts I'd like to excahnge to, then put in my request to DAE. DAE rang to ask me to refine my list - some resorts they were unlikely to get, but of the others on my list, they said if I could Identify which wa my first preference - they would probably be able to secure it for me - and they DID.

For me, I like DAE for no membership fees, good service, lower exchange fees (and the option of AUD$8 insurance fee to allow cancellation for any reason with full refund of exchange fee plus re-banking of my week).

DAE's current stock is smaller than RCI, but if they haven't got what you want sitting in he Bank, they try to find it from other sources for you. Also the variety of exchange weeks in their bank will increase as more international members bank with DAE (so with me being an Aussie, of course I would like more northern-hemisphere timeshare owners to try DAE!)

jodies3 wrote:

I'll second DAE. I just traded a WM week for a week in Bali over Thanksgiving. I'll let you know if it lives up to the pictures. But the process was simple and only $140.

We have not had the problems with II that were mentioned with rci. II charges over $100. less than rci for an exchange. We have a timeshare in orlando and have traded it for hawaii etc. You should switch if you have rci. Glad you put this online--we had wondered if rci was better.

I have been a member of RCI and II for about 8 years, and my membership in RCI runs through 2007. No doubt that I will NOT renew it, even though I just renewed my II membership through 2012. There is just no comparison between the two. I have had only successes with II (including Paris during Easter break!), and absolutely nothing with RCI. In addition, all RCI prices are higher than II - exchange, guest voucher, bonus weeks, you name it. Where I live (which may be different for most of you) I have full control of the II exchange process over the web, and none at all with RCI - I have to call them for everything. And last but not least, with RCI, there is only deposit-first, whereas with II you can do either deposit-first or request-first. Hope this helps other Redweekers.

We walked away from Rci in 1986 and bought a timeshare who dealt with II and have been happy with II since.

We have had friends also leave Rci over the years for II also.

phill12 wrote:

It is easy to just give up on Rci but are your timeshares with both RCI and II. The ones with RCI, are you able to change them over to II. If not then what to do but sell like we did.

I didn't have your problem - my timeshare (I just have one) is with both RCI and II.

That is great, you then can change over to II anytime you want.

PHILL12

I never hear of DAE. Who is it and how does one contact them?. Thanks, Bob

www.dialanexchange.com

robertorvaleriem wrote:

I never hear of DAE. Who is it and how does one contact them?. Thanks, Bob

I also had very bad experience with RCI. It never give me a good service. My experience with RCI is only to remind me to pay membership fee, exchange fee, .... RCI never look into my benefit and how to improve the exchange system. This year, I finally decide to drop RCI. I still have one week deposited in RCI. However, it ask me to pay another extension fee $198. It really pissed me off......

tingyuans wrote:

I also had very bad experience with RCI. It never give me a good service. My experience with RCI is only to remind me to pay membership fee, exchange fee, .... RCI never look into my benefit and how to improve the exchange system. This year, I finally decide to drop RCI. I still have one week deposited in RCI. However, it ask me to pay another extension fee $198. It really pissed me off......

We finally changed over to II from RCI two years ago because we were done having RCI run our vacations. We bought to trade to where we wanted to go and not have RCI tell us where we could stay and it was not where we would want.

Everytime we tried dealing we would not have results that helped us.

For couple years we would talk to other owners that were with II at out site and there was no unhappy people that went with II. Found other owners still with RCI thinking about changing to II.

One of the big issues was RCI takes your condo and you wait and end up with a unit that was not one of your choices if you even get a condo.

II you can keep and use your unit if II doesn't get you what you want and we love this!

We love our condo and are very happy going there so if trade doesn't work then we use it. With RCI ,someone else uses it while we wait to see what we end up with.

Does anyone have experience with the exchange company Holiday Systems International (HSI)?

phill12 wrote:

debi_zyx wrote:

I have been a member of RCI and II for about 8 years, and my membership in RCI runs through 2007. No doubt that I will NOT renew it, even though I just renewed my II membership through 2012. There is just no comparison between the two. I have had only successes with II (including Paris during Easter break!), and absolutely nothing with RCI. In addition, all RCI prices are higher than II - exchange, guest voucher, bonus weeks, you name it. Where I live (which may be different for most of you) I have full control of the II exchange process over the web, and none at all with RCI - I have to call them for everything. And last but not least, with RCI, there is only deposit-first, whereas with II you can do either deposit-first or request-first. Hope this helps other Redweekers.

Debi I did same thing about 12 years ago with RCI but had to sell my timeshare in PV MEX too. It was nice but not nice enough to be with II who I have been with for years.

It is easy to just give up on Rci but are your timeshares with both RCI and II. The ones with RCI, are you able to change them over to II. If not then what to do but sell like we did.

What does this say about RCI when people sell just to get away from them. Like I said its been 12 years now and the stories I read sound worse then when we were there.

I was under the impression that actual timeshares were nothing to do with RCI as they are just an exchange company so why do you have to sell them? Surely once you've bought them you can use whatever company you like or none at all if you prefer to go to the same place all the time.

Back in the eighties there were two companies Rci and II and II had the better resorts and service.

If you owned like we did a resort only dealing with Rci then you had no choice but not exchange if you left Rci.

Back then some resorts did work with both and they could switch but we didn't have that choice.

Be aware that not all timeshares are affiliated with both the major exchange companies. Some are affiliated with RCI, some II and some with both RCI and II.

debi_zyx wrote:

Surely once you've bought them you can use whatever company you like or none at all if you prefer to go to the same place all the time.

phill12 wrote:

My question to Debi was here statement didn't make since to me. She belong to both RCI and II for eight years with only one unit. First this would be a big waste of money and second you can only trade one year so you would need to pick which II or RCI. This is like driving Cad or going with VW BUS. That means she must have spent over $1000 just to belong with RCI when she was already paying to be with II.

I got involved in timeshare when it was very new in my region. At the time, both RCI and II were giving fantastic deals to join (I paid about $400 to each of them for 7 years' membership. That works out at less than $60 per year for each one). II was always my first choice, because of their exchange options. The main reason I joined RCI was for exchanges and bonus weeks at the 2000+ resorts that they own that II do not. My resort also gave me a 20% discount on the restaurant, as an RCI member. In the end, though, since the exchances and bonus weeks are both more expensive in RCI, it was always easier to get exchanges with II, and we ended up banking weeks and using 2 at a time, rather than buying bonus weeks, keeping RCI just wasn't worth it.

......................

phill12 wrote:

Hi Debi, That clears up your reason behind belonging to both. I think this also confused the poster that was asking about signing up for the RCI or go with who want or not belonging to one at all.

Your more into trading and working deals on here than I am so I thought I just misunderstood your post or something. For most people that belong to II they would never need to spend the money to belong to RCI.

We owned two timeshares years ago and sold. After retiring last year we went back up and bought our old timeshare back that we really loved.

We love going to Lake Tahoe summer so much we haven't made a trade yet. II has offered us anyone of our first choices in Maui 2007 plus bonus week and wife still wants to go to Tahoe May 26,2007.

When we bought our first timeshare and were new to all this, RCI was the only one mentioned and we got 2 or 3 years free membership with our purchase. I don't know anything about II. Where does DAE come into all this. If we had to come out of RCI would we be eligable to exchange with DAE? We are members of the latter but so far have only used them for a bonus week but we were very pleased with them.

DAE (dialanexchange.com) is an independent exchange company. However, I would think they would not have the inventory that the major exchange companies (RCI and II) have, but it wouldn't hurt to check out their website.

I have read many of the comments in this area of the forum and sense a dis-satisfaction with RCI with regards to value that is services rendered for fees paid. I have been a member of II for about 6 years and I am experiencing the same dis-satisfaction. The fees are increaseing and the services are not in line with the dollars paid. I have been amember of redweek for about 3 weeks, but I have been to the web site often in the last year. It seems to me there are much better places to get information and exchange opportunitues than the majors.

Hi everyone, What is the url for the Dial an Exchange website? I am one of the many here that is getting frustrated with the lack of exchange to where we would like to go and the high costs of the process. We are Marriott owners and are told by II that are weeks are the ones in demand but we still seem to have trouble trading to the places we would like when we would like to go. Thanks