Alternatives to RCI for European timesharers

Carolinian · « **on:** April 25, 2011, 11:04:16 »

The more changes that occur with RCI, the worse of an option it is becoming for timeshare exchange. There are other options out there that offer alternatives for European timesharers. Some of them are:

Interval International (II) - This affiliation based exchange company is second in size to RCI but has been gaining on RCI in recent years. It works almost exactly the way RCI Weeks used to work before the recent so-called ''enhancements''. Many resorts are dual affiliated with both RCI and II, and if your resort is in this category switching to II is easy. Otherwise, if you want to use II, you need to convince your resort to dual affiliate, or do what the Seasons timeshare chain did, and dump RCI completely for a switch to II. www.intervalworld.com

Dial an Exchange (DAE) - This is the largest and most internationally established of the independent exchange companies, with offices in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the US, South Africa, and China. It offers free membership, or a premium membership (still cheap) with a few extra perks. As an independent exchange company, your resort does NOT have to affiliate with DAE for you to use them for exchanges. In the DAE system ''a week is a week'' regardless of season or size, so there is no calculation of trading power. Guest certificates are free. A deposit credit is good for three years. www.dialanexchange.com

United Kingdom Resort Exchange (UKRE) UKRE is an independent exchange company that handles exchanges between resorts in the British Isles. As an independent exchange company, your resort does not have to affiliate for you to use UKRE for an exchange. There is currently on offer a two year free trial membership, after which membership fees are somewhat less than RCI. UKRE does rank trading power on size and season, but has an upgrade fee to move to a higher category. Exchange fees are GBP 75. Deposit credits are valid indefinitely as long as membership is maintained. www.ukre.co.uk

San Francisco Exchange Company (SFX) This US-based independent exchange company specializes in prime weeks at prime resorts, and will not accept a week that does not meet both tests. SFX will accept high season weeks at many UK resorts. One UK resort in central London, Sloan Garden Court, even dumped RCI a few years ago to switch to SFX as its main exchange provider. SFX has a free membership as well as a premium membership with extra perks. Exchange deposits are valid for two years. Except for ultra high demand areas like London, SFX does not accept deposits of studio units. If your resort is not on their list but your week is high season and 1BR or larger, contact them and see if they will take it. www.sfx-resorts.com

Hawaii Timeshare Exchange (HTSE) - This US-based independent exchange company is mainly useful to Europeans due to its trading patrner relationship with UKRE or, of course, if someone wanted to go to Hawaii. www.htse.net

Of these companies, I have personally used DAE for the last decade or so and am very happy with their services. I have heard good things about the others and have recently joined SFX and made my first deposit with them.

Simoncc · « **Reply #1 on:** April 26, 2011, 11:51:49 »

Thanks for posting this list Carolinian - very useful information.

timesharerUK · « **Reply #2 on:** July 04, 2011, 14:22:47 »

Great informantion. With the new trading power points, we do need an alternative, and here are several.

Carolinian · « **Reply #3 on:** July 25, 2011, 13:01:03 »

. . . and there is another one coming (or really returning) soon:

Donita's Vacations Unlimited - Donita Cilch ran this timeshare exchange company from California for many years before selling her interest to Dial An Exchange, first running the DAE North America office, initially called Donita's Dial an Exchange, and then working as a consultant for them. When she left, she had a two year ''non complete'' clause she had to let expire and retained rights to the old name of Donita's Vacation's Unlimited. The non compete time is up and according to Timesharing Today magazine she is going back into the timeshare exchange business. Her website at www.donita.com is still under construction at the moment but apparently she is already arranging exchanges. Although a California based company, Donita has always had good contacts in Europe, and she has personally arranged a number of exchanges for me to the UK and elsewhere in Europe. She has always been very good at sourcing inventory if she did not have it in her own inventory. According to the information in Timesharing Today, there is no charge to join but US$25 annual dues, with exchange fees of US$125 and US$150.

redstater · « **Reply #4 on:** August 28, 2011, 13:29:09 »

This is all great information. RCI has gone so far downhill, it is no longer serving our needs like it used to. This thread should be a sticky.

pgf1949 · « **Reply #5 on:** August 28, 2011, 16:37:22 »

You could also join HSI (Holiday Systems International) based in Las Vegas.
Holiday Systems International (HSI)
7690 W. Cheyenne Ave Suite 200
Las Vegas, NV. 89129

Carolinian · « **Reply #6 on:** September 09, 2011, 09:00:42 »

Quote from: pgf1949 on August 28, 2011, 16:37:22

You could also join HSI (Holiday Systems International) based in Las Vegas.
Holiday Systems International (HSI)
7690 W. Cheyenne Ave Suite 200
Las Vegas, NV. 89129

I limited my suggestions to exchange companies useful for exchanges in Europe. Does this company have access to much European inventory?

For US based companies, I also only recommend those which make the annual exchange company list in Timesharing Today magazine and HSI has never made that list. Long established US based exchange companies which do make the list in TST but I did not include in my list since I did not have any basis to believe they had much access to European inventory are Trading Places ( www.tradingplaces.com ) and Platinum Interchange ( www.platinuminterchange.com ). These might be good choices if one wants to go to North America, Hawaii, or the Caribbean. TST also includes a very new independent exchange company, Crown Resort Exchange, but they are too new for me to recommend.

MaxwellSmart · « **Reply #7 on:** October 06, 2011, 18:24:36 »

All very interesting. I had no idea I could use other exchange companies. Resorts need to inform their members. With a new negative change at RCI seemingly around every corner, I need to look into some of these competitors.

LOVEBOY · « **Reply #8 on:** November 29, 2011, 01:04:42 »

This thread should be a sticky.

Carolinian · « **Reply #9 on:** February 28, 2012, 12:56:39 »

Wow! Just did my first exchange with SFX, and got a 2BR in London! I have gotten some great trades with DAE in the past (French Riviera summer, UK canalboat summer, Polish coast summer, Croatia coast summer, Ireland late spring, Stouts Hill late spring, Cayman Islands spring, Puerto Rico late fall, Hawaii spring, Malta summer, Gran Canaria fall, Myrtle Beach summer, California coast summer, Florida houseboat fall, etc.) so with DAE and SFX availible, who needs RCI?

peachie · « **Reply #10 on:** February 28, 2012, 13:42:17 »

This is interesting ..... so you can join another club and use that insteasd of RCI ? or II ?, Much like Spice except that spice offers this and about another 12 companies to also use , and i get negative comments for suggesting it !! , or was i not the flavour of the day on that day ? ... and no, i do not have any connection with spice which will be the next statement , i just see the benefits of it in the long run both financially and for the choice of holidaying , ... sorry just my soapbox again ... my annoyance is the continued dont do that ...why do that if it costs ...etc, etc, Timeshare does cost , look at Diamond points , tranfer fees at Riza in Malta,Now 1300.00 GBP, Petchy 3400.00 to get out .... well i can go on, so lets look at how we can use own earned money in the most beneficial way ...as an individual.

Morpheus · « **Reply #11 on:** February 28, 2012, 14:22:13 »

Quote from: peachie on February 28, 2012, 13:42:17

This is interesting ..... so you can join another club and use that insteasd of RCI ? or II ?, Much like Spice except that spice offers this and about another 12 companies to also use , and i get negative comments for suggesting it !! , or was i not the flavour of the day on that day ? ... and no, i do not have any connection with spice which will be the next statement , i just see the benefits of it in the long run both financially and for the choice of holidaying , ... sorry just my soapbox again ... my annoyance is the continued dont do that ...why do that if it costs ...etc, etc, Timeshare does cost , look at Diamond points , tranfer fees at Riza in Malta,Now 1300.00 GBP, Petchy 3400.00 to get out .... well i can go on, so lets look at how we can use own earned money in the most beneficial way ...as an individual.

As an ex=RCI member, the difference between their ever-escalating fees and those of Dial an Exchange are simple! DaE costs nothing to join and exchange fees are lower, a lot lower.

You CAN get "Gold Advantage" membership at DaE which costs a bit for three years membership, but still less than a year at RCI.

And these other systems all cost less than jumping between high-cost "products". So far, DaE has been brilliant for us.

Mavo · « **Reply #12 on:** February 28, 2012, 15:09:53 »

Quote from: peachie on February 28, 2012, 13:42:17

This is interesting ..... so you can join another club and use that insteasd of RCI ? or II ?, Much like Spice except that spice offers this and about another 12 companies to also use , and i get negative comments for suggesting it !! , or was i not the flavour of the day on that day ? ... and no, i do not have any connection with spice which will be the next statement , i just see the benefits of it in the long run both financially and for the choice of holidaying , ... sorry just my soapbox again ... my annoyance is the continued dont do that ...why do that if it costs ...etc, etc, Timeshare does cost , look at Diamond points , tranfer fees at Riza in Malta,Now 1300.00 GBP, Petchy 3400.00 to get out .... well i can go on, so lets look at how we can use own earned money in the most beneficial way ...as an individual.

Oh dear peachie. You do have a very poor memory!
On the TS Consultants thread you admit a connection to Lawrence Consultants who are flogging the Spice Product.
You are now talking about Spice in the same thread as "virtually free to join exchange companies".
Spice can be joined for as little as £2995. How do we know ? You told us so in another thread after someone else on the TS Consultants thread said they had been quoted £12,000 to convert to Spice.
Check out the cost of joining these exchange companies peachie and then decide if using Spice as an exchange vehicle is competitive or not.

Morpheus · « **Reply #13 on:** February 28, 2012, 15:38:05 »

Quote from: Mavo on February 28, 2012, 15:09:53

Quote from: peachie on February 28, 2012, 13:42:17
This is interesting ..... so you can join another club and use that insteasd of RCI ? or II ?, Much like Spice except that spice offers this and about another 12 companies to also use , and i get negative comments for suggesting it !! , or was i not the flavour of the day on that day ? ... and no, i do not have any connection with spice which will be the next statement , i just see the benefits of it in the long run both financially and for the choice of holidaying , ... sorry just my soapbox again ... my annoyance is the continued dont do that ...why do that if it costs ...etc, etc, Timeshare does cost , look at Diamond points , tranfer fees at Riza in Malta,Now 1300.00 GBP, Petchy 3400.00 to get out .... well i can go on, so lets look at how we can use own earned money in the most beneficial way ...as an individual.

Oh dear peachie. You do have a very poor memory!
On the TS Consultants thread you admit a connection to Lawrence Consultants who are flogging the Spice Product.
You are now talking about Spice in the same thread as "virtually free to join exchange companies".
Spice can be joined for as little as £2995. How do we know ? You told us so in another thread after someone else on the TS Consultants thread said they had been quoted £12,000 to convert to Spice.
Check out the cost of joining these exchange companies peachie and then decide if using Spice as an exchange vehicle is competitive or not.

Ah Mavo - I should have read back on peachie's previous posts. I had a memory that there was something but took the quick option of stating the benefits of DaE first.

fastal909 · « **Reply #14 on:** February 28, 2012, 18:45:00 »

Just a reply about DAE being cheaper than RCI A third party is charged 90euros for a studio,137 for a 1 bed,178 for a 2 bed,220 for a 3 bed and 268 for a penthouse exchanging into a Silverpoint Resort in the Canaries this on top of £84 exchange fee.Dont no if this surcharge is just for DAE but dont see it on RCI site.

Carolinian · « **Reply #15 on:** February 28, 2012, 19:52:05 »

Quote from: fastal909 on February 28, 2012, 18:45:00

Just a reply about DAE being cheaper than RCI A third party is charged 90euros for a studio,137 for a 1 bed,178 for a 2 bed,220 for a 3 bed and 268 for a penthouse exchanging into a Silverpoint Resort in the Canaries this on top of £84 exchange fee.Dont no if this surcharge is just for DAE but dont see it on RCI site.

That may be a utility fee charged to all exchangers, or Silverpoint may discriminate among exchange companies.

From my experience in a DAE exchange to the French Riviera, the people checking in ahead of us were charged a bunch of extra fees, adding up to about $100. They were RCI exchangers. I expected to be charged the same fees, but as a DAE exchanger only had to pay one of those which was about $10. Also, someone posted on another site that Schloss Grubhof in Austria did not charge DAE exchangers the utility fees they charge RCI exchangers. My exchanges there were with RCI and I had to pay those utility fees.

Carolinian · « **Reply #16 on:** June 19, 2012, 18:06:49 »

It is interesting to compare summer availibility among some of these:

http://www.timesharetalk.co.uk/index.php?topic=16786.0

charlie1 · « **Reply #17 on:** June 21, 2012, 11:53:55 »

Quote from: fastal909 on February 28, 2012, 18:45:00

Just a reply about DAE being cheaper than RCI A third party is charged 90euros for a studio,137 for a 1 bed,178 for a 2 bed,220 for a 3 bed and 268 for a penthouse exchanging into a Silverpoint Resort in the Canaries this on top of £84 exchange fee.Dont no if this surcharge is just for DAE but dont see it on RCI site.

This is something that Silverpoints charge as an extra to DAE. They are not keen for their members also to access UKRE. This is not charged to RCI.

Carolinian · « **Reply #18 on:** January 09, 2013, 19:24:56 »

UPdate - I have now been offered London twice by SFX! Great company! In over 15 years with RCI, I never was offered London once.

yorksnoah · « **Reply #19 on:** April 02, 2013, 22:03:49 »

Dial an Exchange and UKRE are my No'1 exchange companies. I was with RCI for years and never realised timeshare could be so easy. Both DAE and UKRE are free to join leaving you with more money for bonus weeks and exchanges.

Alternatives to RCI for European timesharers

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