Hi, My name is David Van Norman. I’m a licensed agent with Selling Timeshare, Inc. and today I’ll be covering some of the basic concepts of trading your timeshare and how trading power will play into your experience. So let’s get started…
What is Timeshare Exchange?
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Timeshare Exchange extends your ownership by allowing you to book at other locations or times of the year that would not normally be available to you with your existing ownership. This opens up literally thousands of timeshares across the globe to you, and you can start to get really creative with your reservations.
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The most popular exchange companies are RCI, II and SFX. All of these companies have similar prices and general procedures for processing your exchange, but not all resorts work with every exchange company. You will only be able to use the trading companies that your resort or club is affiliated with.
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Also, note that there are usually two fees to be paid to your exchange company. One annual fee to become a member as well as a trading fee that is assessed per transaction, so be sure to utilize your exchange membership as much as possible once you’ve paid to become a member.
Understanding the Basics
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You’re trading fee is based on the location that you will be trading into, and most companies charge about $150 for domestic trades and about $200 for trading with an international resort
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First, you’ll deposit your week, or points, into the system. Some clubs, such as Hilton Grand Vacations Club, have tight integration with their exchange company which means you’ll call the same number that you make your regular reservations with when trading. Most other clubs, you’ll need to get in touch with the exchange company directly.
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Then, you can reserve a week from the exchange company’s inventory. This can be internationally, at other vacation clubs, or even within your own resort at another time of the year than what you’re deeded for or is available in your vacation club.
The Deposit
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In many cases, in order to deposit, you will need to book a reservation with your existing ownership, then deposit the week into the exchange’s inventory. If you own points, generally you can just deposit your points without making a reservation first.
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Some resorts feature “confirm-first” which allows you to view the timeshare exchange company’s inventory before depositing. This is common among many high-end points-based ownerships, and can be a really nifty feature to ensure you’ll get the reservation you want before depositing your time.
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Depositing as far in advance of your reservation as possible is always a good idea, especially when you’re trying to book the most popular destinations in high-season times of the year.
What is Trading Power?
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Your resort’s or interval’s trading power is the measure of how easily you can trade your time for another location or time of the year
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As with many things in life, with timeshare exchange, you can only get what you give. So if you plan on doing a lot of trading, it may be a good idea to buy a very popular resort or at the most popular time of the year. This allows you to view a lot more trading inventory when you go to book your week.
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Every resort carries a rating from each one of the exchange companies. This gives you a good idea as to how easily you will be able to trade your resort with others.
Tell Me More About Trading Power
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Trading power is one of the most important, yet overlooked, considerations for first time buyers. If you haven’t purchased yet, take some time to include trading power as one of the considerations for choosing the perfect resort or vacation club for you
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If you plan to trade a lot, make sure to buy the most desirable season at a resort that is rated highly. It can take some research to find out the rating of your club or resort at each exchange company that it is affiliated with, but you will thank yourself later for doing your due diligence.
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Many points based ownerships can have very high trading power. Because points can be more flexible for the exchange company, allowing them to book many different resorts at many different times, they will encourage you to trade into their system and can value points over weeks in some cases
Contact Us
So, to wrap up, timeshare exchange can be a great way to travel to new resorts that you would normally have to own to experience, and knowing the tricks of trade can make your experience that much better!
If you have any remaining questions about timeshare exchange or would like to get a free consultation with one of our licensed agents on how to get the best value out of using your timeshare, feel free to give us a call or fill in a contact form at www.sellingtimeshares.net/contact.
Thanks so much for listening and Happy Travels!
