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RCI Timeshare Exchange Directory: Why You Should Study It

Saturday, September 4th, 2010

RCI Timeshare Directory

I have found that many timeshare owners I consult with look at their RCI timeshare exchange directory once a year-usually just before they are ready to place an exchange request. I recommend you really get familiar your directory long before that.

How Getting to Know Your RCI Timeshare Exchange Directory Helps You Get Better Timeshare Exchanges

Rather than picking it up the day you want to request your RCI timeshare exchange, you should go through it before hand and not only star the resorts you like, but also cross out the ones you do not want. There is a lot of information packed into the listings that will help in Planning Your Next Timeshare Exchange

For instance, if you want to exchange to a RCI resort on the beach, some of the timeshare resorts listed may be blocks from the beach rather than right on it. Crossing them off now will save you the time of filtering through them when you’re ready to do your timeshare exchange.

Below each RCI timeshare listing there is a series of color coded, round symbols that will quickly give you important information. There are currently 48 of these symbols in the RCI timeshare exchange directory that will give you an insight as to what amenities are in the unit itself, on site at the resort and nearby the resort.

For instance, with a quick glance you can tell whether your unit has a washer/dryer, dishwasher and air conditioning. You can also tell whether the RCI timeshare resort is on a lake, beach or ski slope, whether it is an all inclusive and if the all inclusive is mandatory or optional.

For some people the most important criteria in doing a RCI timeshare exchange may be whether there is on site child care and organized children’s activities. For others it may be whether there is a casino or bar on site. Because of how the RCI timeshare exchange directory is formatted you can tell all of this and more with a quick glance.

Another nice touch is the phone numbers and websites to the RCI timeshare resorts are listed in the directory allowing you to get even more in-depth information. Questions like: does the resort provide free day care, are there organized activities for kids, are basic spices like salt, pepper and garlic powder provided, are there barbecues on site and what are some of the best activities they recommend nearby are just a few of the questions to ask that will better help you in determining your resort choice.

Don’t Be Afraid to Mark Up Your RCI Timeshare Directory

The RCI timeshare exchange directory is very nice so you may be hesitant to mark it up with pen and highlighter; but not only will this help you enormously in Getting a Great Exchange but you will get a new one next year.

So grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and have some fun with it. With about 4,200 resorts in RCI timeshare exchange directory this will help you to Plan Your Next Exchange Each year many new RCI resorts are added so keep your old directory for reference.

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Jeff Pierce, The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 22 years.

His two books, The RCI Timeshare Exchange Bible, and The Interval International Timeshare Exchange Bible, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges.

I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

For 10 FREE videos on getting better timeshare exchanges in RCI and II go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

Join me on:

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Learn How To Get A Great RCI Timeshare Exchange

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RCI Timeshare: How To Increase Your Timeshare Exchange Power

Saturday, August 21st, 2010

How to Increase Your RCI Timeshare Exchange Power

How To Get The RCI Timeshare You Want

Here’s a big secret to increasing your timeshare exchange power to get the RCI timeshare resort you want – Bank Early!!

I know, you’ve heard this before and you’re thinking, “Big deal! What kind of advice is this?” In two words, extremely important!

I’ve found, that even though this is common knowledge, and RCI timeshare owners are constantly reminded of this, few people understand or use this simple strategy that really increases your timeshare exchange power. Here’s why.

Why Banking Your RCI Timeshare Early Increases Your Timeshare Exchange Power

Many timeshare owners believe they have to know which RCI timeshare they want to exchange to before banking their week. This is a big mistake that can really harm your timeshare exchange power and make it much more difficult to get the RCI timeshare you want.

You do not need to know which RCI timeshare you’re going to want for your next vacation in order to bank it. You just need to know if you want to use it in your home resort or not. If you answer no to that question then bank it as early as possible to increase your timeshare exchange power. You can decide later where to use it.

The reason banking your RCI timeshare early is so important is because of the pecking order of RCI timeshare exchange system. Simply put, if I bank my RCI timeshare week today, and you bank yours tomorrow, and every thing else between us is equal, I have priority over you just because I banked my week one measly day before you.

Insider Secret to Help You Get the RCI Timeshare You Want

The first quarter of the year is when RCI receives the largest amount of people banking their RCI timeshare week. This is because January is the most common month that HOA fees are due and it serves to remind the RCI timeshare owner they need to do something with their week. So here’s the secret.

Always bank next year’s week and put in your request this year to get ahead of the crowd to increase your RCI timeshare exchange power and to tap into the greatest amount of available inventory.

Here’s another little known fact….

Just How Far In Advance Should You Bank Your RCI Timeshare Week?

For every month over 7 months in advance you bank your RCI timeshare week your exchange power increases. For every month under 7 months your timeshare exchange power decreases. For example, if you bank a July 2009 week in May of 2008 you will have significantly more timeshare exchange power than if you bank that same July 2009 week in January 2009.

In addition, you’ll have a bigger window of opportunity to use it. You’ll have between May of 2008 and July of 2011 to decide where to use that week! Not only do you now have more than 3 years to make up your mind but you will also increase your timeshare exchange power enormously.

Remember, the more in advance you do things in the timeshare world, the more choice and power you have. So don’t wait, bank your RCI timeshare week today.

While banking your RCI timeshare early will increase your exchange power, there are many more things you can do to supercharge your timeshare exchange power! To learn more about that, check out my guidebook..

“The RCI Timeshare Exchange Bible”

It’s the only guidebook of its kind in the timeshare industry and is loaded with tips and secrets I’ve learned in the 22 years I’ve been in the industry. It comes with a 100% money back guarantee that you will get a far better RCI timeshare exchange than you are now.

To view this post on Ezine Articles click on RCI Timeshare now.

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Timeshare Exchange: How to Determine Which Resorts Are the Most Difficult to Get

Monday, July 5th, 2010
timeshare exchange

Frustrated With Doing a Timeshare Exchange

I just got this question from Gary who just purchased my Timeshare Exchange Bible – II Edition.

Jeff,

Reading through your guides. Quick question. You mention this: Owner Occupancy Level:

This is the percentage of timeshare owners preferring to stay in their Home Resort as opposed to doing a timeshare exchange through Interval International. Worldwide, 80% of timeshare owners timeshare exchange their week through Interval International and 20% use their week in their Home Resort.
This is, however, just an average. At some resorts these numbers are just the opposite, resulting in a high owner occupancy level and therefore making it much more difficult in getting a timeshare exchange.

Thinking out loud here: Is there a chart, table, reporting database, resort info, etc where this can be pulled from? I know about the Demand Index.

I want to do a timeshare exchange to Myrtle Beach, SC. The Marriot Ocean Watch is where we want to stay. If this is a timeshare resort where 80% use the home resort, and other Marriott timeshare owners get first crack at the open 20%, then others like me have a so-so chance. (obviously this is the opposite of your #’s above) Pulling those numbers would give me a better idea what timeshare resorts in Myrtle Beach I would have a chance at.

Thanks.

Gary

Timeshare Exchange: The answer

Hi Gary,

You have very good timeshare instincts.  You should do great getting a timeshare exchange into the best resorts.

You’re right, the 80/20 ratio is a world wide average and certain resorts and resort areas have much higher owner occupancy levels (OOL) than 20%.  Unfortunately, I know of no chart or report that gives this information on timeshare exchange.

Interval International’s (II) Demand Index, while a very handy tool for understanding the hardest weeks to get on exchange, really only reflects demand-not supply of timeshare exchange weeks being deposited.

You can count on  high owner occupancy in high priced and top of the line timeshares, especially in the peak seasons, and any timeshare that’s part of a club e.g. Hyatt, Hilton, Westin/Starwood Vacation Club, Disney Vacation Club, Welk Platinum Resorts, Diamond, VRI, Wyndham/World Mark and Marriott now that they have launched their points program.

For instance, you can expect very a high OOL when a person pays $50,000-$60,000 a week in Maui.  That owner is less likely to want to do a timeshare exchange to another resort because of what they paid – at least for the first 4-5 years or so.  But after flying the entire family to Hawaii for 5 years they may be more likely to trying out the exchange system opening up more availability.

But purchase price isn’t the only factor in a high OOL. A very nice resort like the Boyne Mountain in Michigan will have very a very high OOL both in the summer and winter even
though the weeks aren’t as pricey as a Maui week.

The owners in Boyne Mountain Resort will want to use it in the summer because it’s on a lake and has an 88,000 square foot indoor water park, and in the winter for skiing on the
61 downhill slopes and the numerous cross country trails. In addition, because it’s one of only 2 timeshare resorts in the entire state of Michigan in Interval International and you have the perfect storm of a high OOL. But some of those winter and summer weeks will make it into Interval International for you and I to do a timeshare exchange if we know what we’re doing.

Timeshare Exchange: Why Timeshare Clubs are so much harder to exchange to

Timeshare clubs are even harder to do a timeshare exchange. The reason clubs have a much higher OOL is that the members don’t have to use RCI or II to do a timeshare exchange to other resorts within the club. So far less inventory makes it into the exchange companies pools.

For instance, if you bought a fixed week at the beautiful Welk Resort in Escondido, CA some years ago, and wanted to use it in the Welk’s Desert Oasis in Cathedral City ( the Palm Springs area), you’d have to deposit or bank your week with either RCI or Interval Internatioal, get on the waiting list for the dates you want and pay them their exchange fee.

If, however, you purchased your timeshare from Welk after late 2006, you purchased points in their Platinum Club points system instead of a week.  A Welk Platinum owner simply calls Welk directly to make their reservation at any of their resorts in Escondido, Cathedral City, Branson, MO or Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It’s an easier process for the owner, there are no exchange fees and the owner knows immediately if there is availability. This is a much more attractive way for the owner to use his timeshare therefore fewer weeks get deposited with the exchange companies.

So how does one determine how much availability there is in any particular resort at a specific time of year if there is no chart or report?  Easy. All you have to do is ask. You can ask RCI or II this question but depending on which exchange councilor you’re talking with, they might not give you the answer.  If that happens you can try again later or simply call the resort itself and find out.  If II tells you that typically only four 2 bedroom units come out of Boyne Mountain Resort in July, you had better expand your search to include more dates or add other resorts to you request.

Now, to answer your question about availability in Marriott’s Ocean Watch in Myrtle Beach. Recently I was talking with an RCI exchange councilor and, to my utter shock, he told me that Myrtle Beach is one of the most demanded and has one of the highest OOL’s in RCI. (I know that Marriott is in II but I’m certain they’d say the same) He said it’s because it’s so close to so many large metropolitan areas and timeshare owners in the past few years are sticking closer to home for their vacations.

So call II and the front desk of the Marriott to find out.  If you use my suggestions in the Bible and plan far enough in advance you should have a good shot at getting it.  You can always start your search for just that resort and add more later if you don’t get results.  The important thing is to start your search immediately.

Thanks for the question and your purchase.  I’ll be submitting this reply to article directories and on my blog to help others.

All the best,

Jeff Pierce – The Timeshare Expert

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Jeff Pierce, The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 22 years.

His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges.

I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

For 10 FREE videos on getting better timeshare exchanges in RCI and II go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

Join me on:

Twitter
Facebook
My Space

timeshare exchange

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How To Exchange Your RCI Timeshare To The 5 Best Resorts in Los Cabos

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
Arch of Cabo San Lucas

Arch of Cabo San Lucas

At the tip of the longest peninsula in the world sits a one of the best vacation destinations for timeshare owners.  It’s called Los Cabos and consists of the widely known party and fishing town of Cabo San Lucas and it’s lesser known and quieter sister, San Jose del Cabo.

Baja Map

Map of Baja

What to do first

You must decide where you’ll be the happiest.  Whichever town you end up in you’ll most likely want to visit the other.  They are 30 kilometers apart separated by the “tourist corridor” that contains spectacular golf courses, hotels and residential developments.

Both towns offer excellent access to fine dining, fishing, shopping, night life and world class beaches but they are different as night and day.  San Jose is as quaint and charming as Cabo San Lucas is wild and crazy.  If you’re looking for a party then Cabo San Lucas is your town.  If you’re looking for what you’d expect a town in Mexico to look like and a more peaceful setting then San Jose is best.

Determine the time of year you’d like to go

Sometimes the best way to start is to determine the time of the year not to go.  For Los Cabos, and any tropical coastal area in the northern hemisphere including Hawaii, avoid the month of September-especially the second and third weeks.  This is the time you will most likely encounter a hurricane or tropical storm and there is no need to risk a spoiled vacation because of it.  Coincidently, you’ll find much greater timeshare exchange availability and some of the best travel bargains in September.

Officially, hurricane season runs from May to November but cutting out all of those months may not fit your vacation schedule so if you have to go during that time, just avoid September.

If whale watching is what you desire, the season runs from December through May with February and March typically being the best months.  This is a great time for just about any other activity other than fishing for Blue Marlin which is best in the summer months.

You’ll find greater visibilities for snorkeling and scuba from November to May because the ocean is calmer, but you’ll find the water a bit cooler than the summer months.

Fishing Calendar

Fishing Calendar

Bank or deposit your week with RCI

The earlier you bank your week with RCI the more trading power you have.  If you have a fixed week, make sure you bank it at least 7 months in advance or more to strengthen your exchange power.

If you have a floating or points based timeshare, ask your resort to deposit the most powerful week available.  Not all resorts will do this but it’s worth asking.  Also, you should always deposit your next year’s week this year if you know you will not be using it at your home resort.  You’ll have to pay the maintenance fee in advance to do this but it’s worth the extra exchange power.

Determine the size suite to fit your needs

Do you have to have a 2 bedroom or will a 1 bedroom suffice?  1 bedroom suites are easier to get and nearly all of them in RCI sleep 4 and have 1 bathroom. 2 bedroom suites are typically scarcer so you should plan farther ahead.  A secret that most timeshare owners don’t know to do is to call the resort or ask RCI how many 2 bedroom suites come out of the resorts your requesting during the time of the year you want to go.  If there are many then obviously your chances are great.  If there are only a few then you should let RCI know that you’ll take either a 1 bedroom of a 2 bedroom.

Call RCI and start your search

How far in advance you should request depends on many different factors and will differ with each timeshare owner.  If you own a very powerful exchanging timeshare and you’re requesting shoulder or off season, it’s possible you’ll be confirmed when you request.  Most likely however, there will already be a waiting list to get into the top 5 resorts so as a rule of thumb you should request as far in advance as possible.  In addition, you’ll want to include all 5 top RCI resorts and a span of time of 4-8 weeks.  This will increase your chances getting confirmed significantly.

RCI’s 5 best resorts in Los Cabos

In picking the 5 best resorts one of the criteria was exchange availability. Although The Grand Regina Los Cabos is certainly one of the best resorts anywhere in RCI, the chances of getting in are remote so it did not make the list.  Here they are in no particular order:

Fiesta Americana Vacation Club at Cabo del Sol

Hacienda del Mar Resort

Pueblo Bonito at Sunset Beach

Raintree’s Club Regina Los Cabos

Playa Grande Resort

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Jeff Pierce, The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 22 years.

His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges.

I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

For 10 FREE videos on getting better timeshare exchanges in RCI and II go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

Join me on:

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Playa Grande Resort

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Posted in How To Do A Timeshare Exchange, Timeshare Exchange Tips, Travel Destinations | 4 Comments »

Exchanging Timeshares: Getting a 2 BD Unit with a 1 BD

Friday, May 7th, 2010

This is a question I get quite frequently from clients about exchanging timeshares and that question is “if I put in two 1 bedroom units in RCI or Interval International, can I take out one week in a two bedroom?

And the answer to that question is “no, but…” Neither timeshare exchange company will allow you to do it that way BUT it’s not unusual to put a 1 bedroom in and take out a 2 bedroom when exchanging timeshares.

Now that’s going to depend on a couple of things, the first of which is how powerful a timeshare exchange you have, and also, if you’ve done everything possible to maximize your timeshare exchange power.  That’s a whole other story.

Exchanging Timeshares is Like Fishing

The first thing you want to do exchanging timeshares is to be broad in your request.  You want to think about exchanging timeshares like fishing.  The broader you cast your net the more fish you’ll likely catch.

So instead of giving RCI or Interval International one to three resorts you’d like as a timeshare exchange to, broaden it out to 8, 10 or 15.  That will increase your possibility of getting a 2 bedroom for a 1 bedroom quite significantly.

Also, you’ll want to find out how many 2 bedrooms units are in each of the timeshare resorts you’re requesting.  A common mistake many people make when exchanging timeshares  is thinking that the majority of the resort’s floor plans are 2 bedrooms when in fact a particular resort may only contain 3 or fewer 2 bedrooms.  If this is the case then you should add another resort to you list.

When exchanging timeshares give an increase span of time

You’ll also want to increase the span of time with which you’ll accept a confirmation.  Instead of requesting just the second week in February, if you can, expand it to include any week in February through March or April.  Again, this will increase your possibilities of getting a 2 bedroom for a 1 bedroom exponentially.

The way not to get a 2 bedroom for a 1 bedroom timeshare exchange is to request only 1 or 2 resorts for only 1 or 2 weeks of the year.

In conclusion, broaden out the number of resorts you’re requesting, expand out your reservation window and learn how to maximize your exchange power and you’ll have a much easier time of getting 2 bedroom suites with your 1 bedroom deposit.  And as always, the farther in advance you do this the better.

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Jeff Pierce, The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets of exchanging timeshares into the best resorts in both the RCI Directory and Interval International for over 22 years.

His two books, The RCI Timeshare Exchange Bible, and The Interval International Timeshare Exchange Bible, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of exchanging timeshares.

I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

For 10 FREE videos on exchanging timeshares in RCI and Interval International go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

Join me on:

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Exchanging timeshares made easy

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How Timeshare Exchange Works: A Question From A Client

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay

Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay

I recently received an email from one of my clients that purchased The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition on using one of the many strategies I recommend to supercharge your exchange power.  The strategy is to find out from either your resort or RCI the most demanded week of the year in your resort and bank that week for exchange.  I also say that not all timeshare resorts will let you pick the week to bank.  This is the case with Richard and he wanted to know what to do next.  Below is his email and my response.
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“Jeff, I’ve been reading and re-reading the Exchange Bible.  Last week, I attempted to book a red season week with Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay in Mazatlan. The answer I got back was they do not permit owners to select specific weeks and that their computer will randomly assign a week.  Here is their response:
“The system assigns the next unit/week available in our system. For your information only, September is a white season week and has less power trading than a May week (red season)… Unfortunately we cannot know which week it will be…”

Before I call them to bank my weeks, are there any other suggestions?”

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Hi Richard,

I’m glad you’re applying, or attempting to apply, the strategies in the Bible.  I did mention that not all resorts will let you pick the week.  Since I don’t own Pueblo Bonitio, I can only guess as how to deal with this.  You’d definitely be better off with a powerful Red winter week than a white week when exchanging in RCI.

First off, did you buy a white week?  If not, I’d certainly demand a red week be banked regardless of what the computer generates. You might try calling and asking “if I want to bank a week, and that week is randomly generated can you tell me before it’s deposited what it’s going to be?”  If so, and the week is a crummy one, say no thank you and call back another time.

You really need to pick the Pueblo’s reservationist’s brain on how best to do this.  Maybe banking much earlier will help.  You’ll have to dig deep to get the best answer.  One of the keys to getting great exchanges starts with understanding your home resort’s reservation policy.  That’s best done before you purchase your timeshare but seldom happens.

When I bought my weeks at Whistler I made sure I could pick which weeks I could bank so I always bank 4th of July weeks.  (I chose to buy summer floating weeks because they were cheaper then winter.  I gambled that summer weeks would increase in exchange power over the years to nearly equal winter weeks and in fact they have) Good info to know if you ever plan to buy more timeshare.

Let me know what Pueblo says so I can help out other timeshare owners.  I’ll blog this to help other timeshare owners facing the same problem.

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Jeff Pierce, The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 22 years.

His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges.

I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

For 10 FREE videos on getting better timeshare exchanges in RCI and II go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

Join me on:

Twitter Facebook My Space

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Posted in How To Do A Timeshare Exchange, Timeshare Exchange Tips | No Comments »

Timeshare Exchange Tips For The Holidays

Monday, November 30th, 2009

Thanksgiving is over and we’re headed into the Christmas holiday season.  If you’re like most people, thinking about exchanging your timeshare is not high on your priority list.  But you should let the beginning of the holiday season be a trigger to remind you to deposit your next year’s timeshare weeks with RCI or Interval International.

Ideally, you should have already done this by now in order to maximize your exchange power, but it’s not too late.  Many timeshare exchangers make the mistake of waiting until they know where they want to go on vacation before depositing their weeks which usually results in decreased trading power.  Keep in mind that you do not need to know this to bank or deposit you week with either exchange company.  You just need to be fairly certain that you’re not going to want to stay at your home resort next year.

The reason that waiting until you know where you want to exchange to before depositing your week hurts your exchange power is because both exchange companies give you more exchange power the farther in advance you give up your week to them.  So if I give up my week today and you give up your week tomorrow, and everything else between us is equal, I have more exchange power than you.

Another tip you should know is that both RCI and Interval International receive a large amount of timeshare deposits in the first 3 months of each year.  The reasons for this are, as I previously mentioned, most timeshare owners aren’t concentrating on next year’s vacation now.  They’ve typically just taken a summer vacation, then had to get the kids back to school, prepare for Thanksgiving and are now preparing for Christmas and New Year’s.

But after getting through the holidays and New Year, many timeshare owners start thinking about their upcoming vacation and deposit their timeshare weeks into RCI and Interval International’s exchange pool.  To add fuel to the fire, many owners receive their annual maintenance fees in January as well reminding them to do something with their week.

What you want to remember is that even though RCI and II get a lot of deposits in the first quarter of each year, the best weeks are immediately taken back out by owners that are privy to this knowledge and are already on the waiting list leaving less for you.

In conclusion, not only should the start of the holiday season remind you to deposit your next year’s week, but when possible, you should place your exchange request as well.  Taking advantage of these 2 simple timeshare exchange tips will help you to get better exchanges and enjoy your timeshare more.

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Jeff Pierce, The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 21 years.

His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges.

I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

For 10 FREE videos on getting better timeshare exchanges in RCI and Interval International go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

Join me on:

Twitter Facebook My Space

Posted in How Timeshare Works, How To Do A Timeshare Exchange, Timeshare Exchange Tips | No Comments »

Exchanging Your Timeshare: Do the Best Weeks Even Get Deposited into RCI and Interval International?

Sunday, October 25th, 2009

It’s rumored that getting prime season weeks in RCI or Interval International’s best resorts, designated as Gold Crown and Premier respectively, are impossible because the owners are either using them or renting them out for a large profit.  If the premise were true, then it would follow that we wouldn’t have access to these prime weeks since they would never make it into RCI or Interval International’s exchange pool.  But it isn’t.

The reason this rumor exists is because so many timeshare owners don’t know how the exchange process works and aren’t using it correctly.  These prime weeks are there, they’re just hard to get.  I’ve been exchanging my 1 Bedroom summer week in a non-ranked resort in Whistler British Columbia for Gold Crown resorts for 20 years now.

One of the top 3 reasons people buy a timeshare in the first place is to exchange it. Certainly the owners of the very best RCI or Interval International affiliated timeshare resorts are less likely to bank them for exchange, especially prime weeks, but we’re only talking about 1-3% of the nearly 8000 resorts out there.

As for timeshare owners renting out their weeks, in the more than 20 years I’ve been in the timeshare business I’ve only worked for one company that had a rental program for their owners-Lawrence Welk Resorts.

None of these very high quality properties I’ve worked for in the past, Four Seasons Scottsdale, Westin Cabo San Lucas, Fairmont Heritage Club Ghirardelli Square, Sol Mar and Sheraton Hacienda del Mar, had a rental program. Renting a timeshare out on your own is difficult and not very profitable so few people are successful at it. Try it yourself sometime.

I just used RCI’s Enhanced Search feature to pull a bunch of Gold Crown, prime red weeks with my least powerful exchange week. It also pulled August 2010 weeks in Hyannis, South Yarmouth. While none of the resorts in the Cape Cod area are Gold Crown, they’re too old, getting a summer week there is extremely difficult. My exchange week did not pull Key West for August of 2010 but it did pull every other high demand beach area in Florida except Sanibel and Captiva Islands. Because my exchange week did not pull Key West, Sanibel or Captiva Islands, one might naturally interpret it to mean that none of those weeks ever get deposited into the exchange pool.

In reality it really means that the owners in those resorts haven’t gotten around to depositing their 2010 weeks yet. I know from past experience that if I’ve maximized both my exchange and request power, and started a pending search now, I would get it.  Certainly there are far fewer weeks coming out of these areas than out of Orlando, but the availability is only going to increase from now until March of next year when many timeshare owners will start depositing their August 2010 weeks. Timeshare owners will continually to want to exchange their timeshares and experience new places.

Also, you can forget the “like for like” basis on exchanging timeshares-that you must own a Gold Crown resort to exchange to a Gold Crown resort. It rarely pertains as evidenced by all of the great exchanges I’ve gotten in the last 20 years. My one bedroom week just pulled a Gold Crown 3 bedroom at the Club Velas Vallarta in March of 2010. And it also pulled plenty of other Gold Crown, 2 bedroom units in Florida, including the Hilton Grand Vacation Club, Cancun, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas in March as well-all this with a 1 bedroom in a non-ranked RCI Resort.

Don’t believe the rumors and give up on trying to exchange into the best resorts during prime season.  There are many steps to learn on how to get good exchanges so learn what it takes to do it right and you’ll enjoy your timeshare much more.

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Jeff Pierce The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 21 years.

His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges.

I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

For 10 FREE videos,  $97 value, on getting a better exchange in RCI and II, go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

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Posted in How Timeshare Works, How To Do A Timeshare Exchange | 4 Comments »

The Timeshare Exchange Bible Comes Highly Recommended

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

Please excuse me but here’s a bit of shameless self promotion.  I received the email below about my Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International Edition from Wendy and Manabu Tokunaga of Half Moon Bay, CA and couldn’t resist putting it on my blog.  It’s very rare to receive an unsolicited testimonial these days and Wendy and Manabu were kind enough to let me post it.

If you own a timeshare and you want to become an expert on exchanging it, you really need The Timeshare Exchange Bible.  Click Here to get the RCI Edition and Click Here to get the Interval International Edition.

Here’s what Wendy and Manabu had to say.

Hi Jeff,

We bought Newport Beach resort to go there twice a year and even though we have a membership with II, we thought we never have to use and just keep going back to our own resort. But, then, after the second year of ownership we thought we give it a shot.

My wife went to the Webinar from II and she thought it would require a Ph.D from Princeton to understand this, then I looked at the II web site and there is nothing on “how to.” By now we could not even locate a book or brochure that were handed to us…

We searched a while on the Internet on this subject and any information there either were from people already seem to know what they are doing, like “I have a RED week.” or “Placed a request.”
Then we stumbled upon your web site. While we were watching your video on your web site, we were laughing out loud because we had exactly the same confusing experiences you mentioned, so we ordered it immediately and pretty much read the whole thing in one afternoon.
We have reserved our next September at our home property in Newport Beach and put the first “Request” to properties in Maui immediately after we got the reservation number. It was a great comfort to get all these transactions knowing exactly what we were doing… since we are just two of us, we are willing to trade down in capacity and even a quality of resort.
Now we will wait to see what happens, and your book told us that by Requesting, we don’t completely lose out the chance to visit Newport just in case everything fall through. We will be applying and refining our skills learned from the book.
Thank you. Your book gave us a whole lot of confidence in working with II.
Wendy and Manabu Tokunaga
Half Moon Bay, CA

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Jeff Pierce, The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 21 years.

His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges.

I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

For 10 FREE videos on getting better timeshare exchanges in RCI and II, go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

Join me on:

Twitter Facebook My Space

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Posted in How To Do A Timeshare Exchange | No Comments »

Why is There Never Any Availability When I Request an Exchange

Monday, August 17th, 2009

ambergris-caye

Your salesperson made it seem like doing a timeshare exchange was so simple – just like getting a hotel room. Pick up the phone, call RCI or Interval International with your request, and you’d be instantly confirmed into a 1 or 2 bedroom villa on a beachfront resort in Hawaii for less than $200 for the week. He said you’d feel far more intelligent than all the rest of the people at the resort that were paying $300-$500 per night.

If you’re like most timeshare owners one of the major reasons you purchased it was to exchange it to other resorts worldwide. And like most timeshare owners, you’ve probably heard the words “not available” nearly every time you’ve tried to exchange it. About now you’re starting to feel scammed.

The 2 words, “not available” combined with the less than realistic explanation of how a timeshare exchange really works by the salesperson has given rise to a seething, angry cauldron of timeshare owners that feel helpless and frustrated. Unfortunately, nothing can be done about what you were told regarding how easy a timeshare exchange would be, but plenty can be done about the “not available” issue.

1. You must understand that “not available” in timeshare speak really means that there’s a waiting list of people who have already requested the EXACT same thing as you.

2. Just because you’re request isn’t available the day you ask doesn’t mean it won’t become available at a later date. So whenever you hear “not available” you should immediately ask to be put on the waiting list. RCI and Interval International call that doing a pending search or request.

3. There will ALWAYS be a waiting list for the best resorts and/or peak travel periods.

On the beach in Cabo

On the beach in Cabo

With that in mind, here are the key things you’ll want to remember about getting on RCI or Interval International’s waiting list that will help you understand how a timeshare exchange really works and thereby increasing your chances of getting what you want:

• You can’t exchange into a resort unless someone exchanges out of that resort. Seems simple enough, right? But many timeshare owners don’t understand this concept because they equate doing a timeshare exchange as the same as doing a hotel reservation. Since a hotel knows its availability in advance and because most hotels average only 65-70% occupancy, it’s much easier to get a reservation.

But neither RCI nor Interval International own any of the resorts in their portfolios. They are third party exchange services and must wait until the individual timeshare owner deposits or banks the week they own before they can make it available to another exchanger. The best resorts and or peak travel periods always have more timeshare exchange requests than there is availability so a waiting list is established.

Each time RCI or Interval International receives a deposit of a highly demanded week, it is instantly confirmed to the next person on the waiting list and so on and so on. The waiting list for prime timeshare weeks may get smaller, but it will never completely go away and is the reason you’re told it’s “not available”.

• The closer it is to the date that you want to take your vacation, the longer the waiting list. If you wait until May to request an August week you will be facing a much larger waiting list than if you would have placed that request in January.

• The closer it is to the date that you want to take your vacation, the fewer remaining available weeks. If you wait until May to request an August week, the majority of the August weeks will have already been deposited and confirmed to other timeshare exchangers on the waiting list leaving less for you.

• Neither RCI nor Interval International will tell you where you’re at on the waiting list. You’re position on the waiting list changes from day to day. If you’re 10th on the list and another timeshare owner requests after you, you may be bumped down to the 11th position if his timeshare resort is better or if he has maximized his exchange power. If RCI or II told you that you’re now number on the waiting list when you were number 8, you’d give up. They then would lose both the annual dues and the exchange fees.

The waiting list is a fact of life when doing a timeshare exchange and always will be. Now that you understand this, always request as far in advance as possible and learn what you can do to get the most exchange power from what you own.

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Jeff Pierce, The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 21 years.

His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges.

I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

For 10 FREE videos on getting better timeshare exchanges in RCI and II, go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

Join me on:

Twitter: My Space http://twitter.com/TimeshareExpert

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Posted in How Timeshare Works, How To Do A Timeshare Exchange | No Comments »

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