How can I rent a timeshare?

Thanks for this very valuable info. But I was kinda hoping that somebody would share some personal experience doing this, specifically like just how they went ahead and confirmed that the unit was ok to rent. Hate to sound so skeptical but I kinda assumed that the "owner" would tell me that it was! If I call the property, can they confirm that the supposed owner is, actually, the owner of the week and therefore permitted to rent it to me?

I believe if you told the resort that you're renting a unit from an individual and want to know if that individual actually owns the unit then the resort will more than likely tell you. If they hesitate then tell them that you don't want to break RCI's or II's rules in renting an exchange. Another thing to look for ... if the renter has to buy a guest certificate to put the confirmation in your name, then it's a rental of an exchange.

daddyd wrote:

Thanks for this very valuable info. But I was kinda hoping that somebody would share some personal experience doing this, specifically like just how they went ahead and confirmed that the unit was ok to rent. Hate to sound so skeptical but I kinda assumed that the "owner" would tell me that it was! If I call the property, can they confirm that the supposed owner is, actually, the owner of the week and therefore permitted to rent it to me?

Thanks for those thoughts. BTW, I can provide to my renter a reservation confirmation number for reference. This number could be the renter's assurance that the unit is not an exchanged unit but an owned unit and legit for rental. I am not certain, however, if the resort would provide this information if requested by the renter. Anybody actually done this?

jayjay wrote:

I believe if you told the resort that you're renting a unit from an individual and want to know if that individual actually owns the unit then the resort will more than likely tell you. If they hesitate then tell them that you don't want to break RCI's or II's rules in renting an exchange. Another thing to look for ... if the renter has to buy a guest certificate to put the confirmation in your name, then it's a rental of an exchange.

daddyd wrote:

Thanks for this very valuable info. But I was kinda hoping that somebody would share some personal experience doing this, specifically like just how they went ahead and confirmed that the unit was ok to rent. Hate to sound so skeptical but I kinda assumed that the "owner" would tell me that it was! If I call the property, can they confirm that the supposed owner is, actually, the owner of the week and therefore permitted to rent it to me?

I believe as long as the Resort is taking a deposit at check in to cover any damages the Guest may cause, what does it matter to you? It was MY WEEK that I deposited to get the Exchanged Week, and I feel I can use it any way I wish, to include, use it myself, give it to a friend, rent it to a friend, or rent it to a stranger! They do it all the time at Hotels! They seem to be doing just fine, and I'm sure their investors would like to see the rooms used. The Businesses, etc... in the area of the resort would also like to see the rooms used as it brings in more tourist dollars. This is America, and there is NOTHING wrong with making a little, and I mean VERY little extra money after expenses and never mind the initial cost of the thing. P.S. And don't give us that line that we should voluntarily forfeit it back to RCI or II so they can make MORE money on the same week, so that 'other RCI or II members may get a chance to use the week'. There is no difference if I rent my own personal resort week out to a stranger, or if I deposit my week in RCI and rent out an RCI or II week to a stranger. It still originated with my personal week, and therefore it is a week off the market for RCI or II people either way. If they want to rent it, as you state you prefer now a days, then go ahead and rent it. Shouldn't matter whether it is my personal timeshare, or my personal timeshare deposited in RCI and someone else rents it to you. From the other side of the coin...

Joel, no I do not work for RCI, II, Redweek or any other timeshare related industry. I merely have a lot of experience in timesharing.

As far as renting your RCI or II exchanged week(s) (which is illegal), I am merely the messenger of that rule. If RCI or II finds out that you're renting an exchanged week, your membership can be immediately cancelled and your renters turned away at check-in. It's just a fact and part of their Terms and Conditions.

Don't blame me :o).

I have weeks 24 & 25 at Marriott's Harbour Point in Hilton Head. I was wondering how successful I could expect to be in renting the units out.

Those weeks are during summer, so I believe if you price the rentals fairly you should be able to rent them. Hilton Head is a popular destination and a favorite of mine.

bobd110 wrote:

I have weeks 24 & 25 at Marriott's Harbour Point in Hilton Head. I was wondering how successful I could expect to be in renting the units out.

I rented a timeshare and did call the place to be sure person was owner of that unit and week. Because they changed weeks for me I wasn't sure whgich unit I would get but it worked out fine I just returned from Aruba 2 weeks ago. Good luck.It is a lot less expensive than renting same place from hotel

richie, you did exactly what you needed to do by checking with the resort to make sure you were renting from an owner and not an exchanger. This method promotes peace of mind before traveling to your vacation destination.

richiel wrote:

I rented a timeshare and did call the place to be sure person was owner of that unit and week. Because they changed weeks for me I wasn't sure whgich unit I would get but it worked out fine I just returned from Aruba 2 weeks ago. Good luck.It is a lot less expensive than renting same place from hotel

jayjay wrote:

richie, you did exactly what you needed to do by checking with the resort to make sure you were renting from an owner and not an exchanger. This method promotes peace of mind before traveling to your vacation destination.

richiel wrote:

I rented a timeshare and did call the place to be sure person was owner of that unit and week. Because they changed weeks for me I wasn't sure whgich unit I would get but it worked out fine I just returned from Aruba 2 weeks ago. Good luck.It is a lot less expensive than renting same place from hotel

But, jayjay, what do you make of richiel's comment about " because they changed weeks for me I wasn't sure which (sp) unit I would get..." ? What is that all about? Certainly you should call to confirm, but what exactly did richiel confirm if they changed weeks for him? Who changed weeks for him/her? Why did they change weeks for him/her? Me thinks that richiel's comment provides more questions than answers! So here is the question.....one more time: Have you had success calling the resort that you are interested in renting into and been able to get the resort to confirm that owner ........... has booked week ..... to ....... and , as an owner at this time share resort, is entitled to rent it for those 7 days. His/her reservation confirmation number is: ______________.

Anybody done this?

daddyd, it could be that richie rented a floating week/floating unit from an owner and the (floating) unit was assigned upon check-in. The owner can change reservations from one week to another, which is evidently what richie wanted and requested of the owner.

daddyd wrote:

But, jayjay, what do you make of richiel's comment about " because they changed weeks for me I wasn't sure which (sp) unit I would get..." ? What is that all about? Certainly you should call to confirm, but what exactly did richiel confirm if they changed weeks for him? Who changed weeks for him/her? Why did they change weeks for him/her? Me thinks that richiel's comment provides more questions than answers! So here is the question.....one more time: Have you had success calling the resort that you are interested in renting into and been able to get the resort to confirm that owner ........... has booked week ..... to ....... and , as an owner at this time share resort, is entitled to rent it for those 7 days. His/her reservation confirmation number is: ______________.

Anybody done this?

I own 15 timeshare weeks. Because of changing family circumstances, I have been renting, rather than using, several weeks over the past few years.

Some are "fixed" weeks i.e. a definite week in the same unit each year. I keep a copy of our deed and the most recent maintenance fee bill, ready to fax, send as an Email attachent, or by regular mail. I give the potential renter the phone number of the Reservation or Member Services section of the resort to call and verify that we own the unit and that all maintenance and other fees are paid up to date. This is important because many resorts have the right to take possession of the week for that year, and rent it out themselves, if the owner has not paid all fees by a specified date.

I also send a rental contract for the person to sign and return with a check for a 50%non-refundable deposit. The balance is due 30 days before the check-in date.

If I own a "floating " week, and plan to rent it, I confirm what I believe to be a popular week e.g. Christmas, President's week, Easter, 4th of JUly, etc... In many instances, one must call one year in advance to get the week. When I place an ad for the week, I state that other dates may be available, and I will check with the resort upon request. Some resorts charge a small fee for making a date change; others do it for free. However, I will not make the actual change until I am sure the person who says they want it actually sends me a deposit. I'm not going to give up a highly desirable week until I am sure I have a firm deal.

But if a potential renter wants to rent the same "floating" week that I have reserved, I just notify the resort that someone else will be using our unit, and I provide the person's name, address, and phone number. The resort then prepares a new reservation form in the renter's name. Some resorts will send it to me AND to the renter by Email or regular mail. One small resort I own at will only send the new res. to me and I then send it on to the renter. The resort says they do it this way because they want to be sure that the owner actually made the request and is fully aware of it.

I personally tell my renters to send me a post dated check and I promise that I will not deposit or cash it until they have proof in their hands that the week will be available for them. I know there are some potential problems with this method. The renter could change their mind and put a stop payment on the check. And I could probably cash the check right away because I've been told that post dates on a check are not legally binding. I'm not sure if this is true but I would never do it regardless. When I give my word, I mean it.

I always speak by phone with anyone wishing to rent from me. I need to know that they are responsible people who will not cause damage or be annoying to the other guests. Everyone so far has been a mature couple, usually homeowners like us, with responsible jobs. Every rental has gone smoothly for all of us. I have one senior couple who has rented our Cancun unit every February for the past 8 years. A school psychologist is renting one of our units for the third time in April.

With their permission, I tell potential renters that they are welcome to call these people to verify that I am an honest person who handles timeshare rentals responsibly. Funny thing is that no one has yet taken me up on this offer. I guess after we talk to each other for awhile by phone, they feel comfortable doing business with me.

I know there is the possibility that someone might try to rent something they don't own, but I have never actually heard of this happening. A non-owner would not likely have enough knowledge to pull this off. And considering how little money is involved, and how certain it is that the crime will be discovered, I really don't think it is going to happen much, if at all.

Most timeshare owners are mature, intelligent people who can be trusted.

But still "due diligence" is necessary to be sure the dates are correct and that the resort has been properly notified about who will be using the unit.

If you do not want to spend the time and energy doing this yourself, then just use the escrow program Redweek has set up. It costs $100. but it gives you 100% protection.

richiel wrote:

I rented a timeshare and did call the place to be sure person was owner of that unit and week. Because they changed weeks for me I wasn't sure whgich unit I would get but it worked out fine I just returned from Aruba 2 weeks ago. Good luck.It is a lot less expensive than renting same place from hotel

Richiel, Now matter what others on this site tell you, it is OK to rent a RCI or II Deposited week from a person that has deposited their week into the RCI or II program. Most, including my, resort will not allow you to deposit the week into RCI or II unless your Maintenance fees are paid for the year you are depositing in the first place, so there is no danger of the resort cancelling a reservation for that reason. And as Jennie states RCI and TS owners that are renting their units, or their RCI or II week are responsible, and will make sure you have access to the week. That being said, you SHOULD call ahead after the Owner has placed the reservation in your name and verify it is in your name AND obtain a Guest Reservation in your name (assuming there is time as it takes several days for RCI to send it out, and the mail system, etc...) Therefore the quickest method is just to call the front desk of the Resort to verify your unit is correct, and in your name if you are travelling within a week of booking the reservation. Even as others that warn against renting an RCI or II unit have said, it is OK to rent out your RCI or II week for the cost of your transfer fee, guest fee, and some have even said the maintenance fee. I believe all 3 as these are your actual provable costs, and if RCI or II would try to stop you I think they know they would have a legal battle on their hands! That is why RCI and II don't enforce these supposed rules. Besides, if owners like those with 15 weeks, and many others with extra weeks didn't use RCI or II to rent out their weeks through RCI or II, then RCI and II wouldn't get the $223 for the Guest and Transfer Fee for each week. That wouldn't be a very smart financial move on their part. AND there would be a lot of weeks that sat unused if it weren't for the good ole American Supply and Demand system working it's wonders through our Free Democratic society.

Please Richiel and anyone else reading the above post by joel232, DO NOT TRUST HIS ADVICE. The information he presents is "wishful thinking" and if followed can result in dire consequences for the renter and owner. He's got things all mixed up.

If one owns a "floating" week at a resort, the reservation is made directly through the resort. RCI and I.I. are in no way involved in the process. The owner may not even be a member of either of the exchange companies. The week reserved by the owner can definitely be rented and the owner can charge whatever price he wishes. There is no need for a guest certificate. The resort has it's own procedure for recording the name(s) of the person(s) who will be using the unit. They rarely, if ever, charge any fee for this.Some resorts accept the info from the owner by phone. Some require that the owner sign a letter or form and fax or mail it to the resort. Once this has been done, the renter will usually be sent a reservation in their name by the resort. Or the owner will provide them with a letter to present at check-in verifying that they have your permission to use their reserved unit. And the resort will almost always verify that everything is in order via a phone call from the renter.

If, however, the owner deposited (space-banked) either a "fixed deeded" week or a floating week with RCI or II, they are bound by the rules these exchange companies have established, no matter how unfair they feel the rules are, and no matter how vehemently we owners are opposed to it. And make no mistake about it, most knowledgeable owners HATE THIS RULE. There have been endless discussions about it on the Timeshare Users Group web site ("TUG")www.tug2.net. and in Timesharing Today Magazine www.tstoday.com.

Not every owner is aware of the rule. RCI quietly "slipped it" into the Terms and Conditions of membership about 5 years ago. It is buried in fine print near the end of the 400+ page RCI book. They never sent notice to members, nor did they mention it anywhere on their web site. Some owners who did not know about the rule change, learned about it "the hard way." Their RCI membership was suspended, if this was their first "offense," and was terminated "forever" if they were caught trying to do it again.

RCI employees (dubbed "the RCI police" by TUG members) have responed to rental ads on TUG, Redweek, MyResortnetwork, and Ebay, posing as potential renters to obtain enough information to catch people trying to rent out an exchanged week. I personally know two people who were "caught." One person was totally clueless about the rule. The other was aware of it but thought they could "get away with it." In both instances the exchanged week was cancelled and the renters were notified that they could not use the week. The renter of the clueless owner was kind and understanding and did not make any "waves" after the rental fee was returned. The second couple renting from the "slick" owner was furious. They had scheduled vacation time off from their jobs and had purchased non-refundable airline tickets. They threatened a lawsuit. The owner chose to pay the exorbitant "rack rate" to book a comparable unit at the resort for the renters.

I have heard of another situation where the renter showed up with an RCI guest certificate but mentioned during the check-in processs that they had rented the week through the Internet from people they did not know personally. The resort called RCI and the couple was denied use of the unit. They left vowing to sue "everyone."

There's another issue I have not seen discussed here. If RCI confirms an exchange for an owner/member, and the occupants to whom it has been "illegally" rented cause damage or other problems, the resort could initate legal action against the owner, and there would not be any RCI back-up assistance and protection to pursue and settle the matter. If I deposit my week with RCI and the personsRCI give it to as an exchange cause damage, RCI is ultimatelty responsible for remedying the problem if the resort is unable to collect enough from the exchange guest. So it is darn right risky for an owner to rent an exchange.

Many of us have decided to rent our own weeks directly on web sites like Redweek, and not deposit them with RCI. Previously, when I would deposit one of our prime weeks, I would have to wait months, or even years, before knowing if we would get one of the weeks we were requesting as an exchange. Sometimes, despite a 12-15 week wait, we would be told that nothing had yet been found for us. Meanwhile the weeks we wanted would be showing up on auction and rental sites owned or affiliated with Cendant (RCI's parent company). Finally, a major class action lawsuit has been filed accusing Cendant and RCI of renting weeks to the general, non-timesharing owning public--weeks that were deposited by RCI member/owners that should have been available solely for member exchanges, not rented by RCI and Cendant for profit, to the detriment of member/owners.

I now rent weeks we cannot use, mainly through ads placed here on Redweek. In most instances the rental fee barely covers our maintenance fees. But I'm glad to receive that help in covering our bills, and am glad to know that some nice, hardworking or retired folks have been able to have a nice vacation at a bargain price. Many have sent me lovely "thank you" notes, pictures, even a token gift or two after returning. And 3 couples have rented from us again each year; in fact, one couple has rented our Cancun unit for 8 years in a row! Another is going back in April for the 3rd year. These smart folks have learned how to enjoy the benefits of a timeshare vacation without having to spend the big $$$ to purchase a week.My loss is their gain.

When we are able to take a vacation, I go right to Redweek and rent what we need from a Redweek member. We are in effect doing an RCI exchange without the cost and aggravation and uncertainty of going through RCI. RCI has been losing a lot of prime week space-bank deposits from owners like me because of all the greedy "games" they have been playing. I have heard from a reliable source that RCI is losing far more members each year than they are gaining, despite billions of dollars of new timeshare sales that have taken place in recent years.

Bottom line, please read the rules before accepting joel232's word that it's okay to rent an exchanged week. It would be great if RCI would change the rule, but they have a vested interest in not doing so. And if you are an RCI or II member, you are bound by the rules of membership rules, whether they are fair or not.

Some of the smaller, independent exchange companies MAY have different rules (or lax enforcement). I haven't reviewed their policies lately. But you might want to check out the San Francisco Exchang Company, Donita's Dial-an-exchange, Trading Places, etc...

jennie wrote:

Please Richiel and anyone else reading the above post by joel232, DO NOT TRUST HIS ADVICE. The information he presents is "wishful thinking" and if followed can result in dire consequences for the renter and owner. He's got things all mixed up.

If one owns a "floating" week at a resort, the reservation is made directly through the resort. RCI and I.I. are in no way involved in the process. The owner may not even be a member of either of the exchange companies. The week reserved by the owner can definitely be rented and the owner can charge whatever price he wishes. There is no need for a guest certificate. The resort has it's own procedure for recording the name(s) of the person(s) who will be using the unit. They rarely, if ever, charge any fee for this.Some resorts accept the info from the owner by phone. Some require that the owner sign a letter or form and fax or mail it to the resort. Once this has been done, the renter will usually be sent a reservation in their name by the resort. Or the owner will provide them with a letter to present at check-in verifying that they have your permission to use their reserved unit. And the resort will almost always verify that everything is in order via a phone call from the renter.

If, however, the owner deposited (space-banked) either a "fixed deeded" week or a floating week with RCI or II, they are bound by the rules these exchange companies have established, no matter how unfair they feel the rules are, and no matter how vehemently we owners are opposed to it. And make no mistake about it, most knowledgeable owners HATE THIS RULE. There have been endless discussions about it on the Timeshare Users Group web site ("TUG")www.tug2.net. and in Timesharing Today Magazine www.tstoday.com.

Not every owner is aware of the rule. RCI quietly "slipped it" into the Terms and Conditions of membership about 5 years ago. It is buried in fine print near the end of the 400+ page RCI book. They never sent notice to members, nor did they mention it anywhere on their web site. Some owners who did not know about the rule change, learned about it "the hard way." Their RCI membership was suspended, if this was their first "offense," and was terminated "forever" if they were caught trying to do it again.

RCI employees (dubbed "the RCI police" by TUG members) have responed to rental ads on TUG, Redweek, MyResortnetwork, and Ebay, posing as potential renters to obtain enough information to catch people trying to rent out an exchanged week. I personally know two people who were "caught." One person was totally clueless about the rule. The other was aware of it but thought they could "get away with it." In both instances the exchanged week was cancelled and the renters were notified that they could not use the week. The renter of the clueless owner was kind and understanding and did not make any "waves" after the rental fee was returned. The second couple renting from the "slick" owner was furious. They had scheduled vacation time off from their jobs and had purchased non-refundable airline tickets. They threatened a lawsuit. The owner chose to pay the exorbitant "rack rate" to book a comparable unit at the resort for the renters.

I have heard of another situation where the renter showed up with an RCI guest certificate but mentioned during the check-in processs that they had rented the week through the Internet from people they did not know personally. The resort called RCI and the couple was denied use of the unit. They left vowing to sue "everyone."

There's another issue I have not seen discussed here. If RCI confirms an exchange for an owner/member, and the occupants to whom it has been "illegally" rented cause damage or other problems, the resort could initate legal action against the owner, and there would not be any RCI back-up assistance and protection to pursue and settle the matter. If I deposit my week with RCI and the personsRCI give it to as an exchange cause damage, RCI is ultimatelty responsible for remedying the problem if the resort is unable to collect enough from the exchange guest. So it is darn right risky for an owner to rent an exchange.

Many of us have decided to rent our own weeks directly on web sites like Redweek, and not deposit them with RCI. Previously, when I would deposit one of our prime weeks, I would have to wait months, or even years, before knowing if we would get one of the weeks we were requesting as an exchange. Sometimes, despite a 12-15 week wait, we would be told that nothing had yet been found for us. Meanwhile the weeks we wanted would be showing up on auction and rental sites owned or affiliated with Cendant (RCI's parent company). Finally, a major class action lawsuit has been filed accusing Cendant and RCI of renting weeks to the general, non-timesharing owning public--weeks that were deposited by RCI member/owners that should have been available solely for member exchanges, not rented by RCI and Cendant for profit, to the detriment of member/owners.

I now rent weeks we cannot use, mainly through ads placed here on Redweek. In most instances the rental fee barely covers our maintenance fees. But I'm glad to receive that help in covering our bills, and am glad to know that some nice, hardworking or retired folks have been able to have a nice vacation at a bargain price. Many have sent me lovely "thank you" notes, pictures, even a token gift or two after returning. And 3 couples have rented from us again each year; in fact, one couple has rented our Cancun unit for 8 years in a row! Another is going back in April for the 3rd year. These smart folks have learned how to enjoy the benefits of a timeshare vacation without having to spend the big $$$ to purchase a week.My loss is their gain.

When we are able to take a vacation, I go right to Redweek and rent what we need from a Redweek member. We are in effect doing an RCI exchange without the cost and aggravation and uncertainty of going through RCI. RCI has been losing a lot of prime week space-bank deposits from owners like me because of all the greedy "games" they have been playing. I have heard from a reliable source that RCI is losing far more members each year than they are gaining, despite billions of dollars of new timeshare sales that have taken place in recent years.

Bottom line, please read the rules before accepting joel232's word that it's okay to rent an exchanged week. It would be great if RCI would change the rule, but they have a vested interest in not doing so. And if you are an RCI or II member, you are bound by the rules of membership rules, whether they are fair or not.

Some of the smaller, independent exchange companies MAY have different rules (or lax enforcement). I haven't reviewed their policies lately. But you might want to check out the San Francisco Exchang Company, Donita's Dial-an-exchange, Trading Places, etc...

I am not disagreeing with Jennie's statements above. I just believe this a RIDUCULOUS rule for these exchange companies to try and enforce because they will continue to lose members such as myself if they try to impose these UNFAIR rules. They are also cutting their own throats by imposing these as that is less weeks deposited, and less transfer and guest fees collected if they impose these rules. And it will drive us to other exchange companies. Jennie, do most resorts let you deposit with ANY exchange company? How does that work if your resort is only affiliated with RCI or II?

I certainly can see Joel's position that he owns it and he pays his fees, why not rent it?

The issue is not one of morality and fairness, just one of capitalism. These are just the rules that the two 800 lb gorillas which dominate the exchange market have.

Some resorts, like Disney, question folks in detail upon checkin if they have a guest certificate. The downside is they tell the truth, get denied accomodations and now need to pay a lot more to walk in somewhere else of go home and swallow their airfare, rental car, etc.

The resorts do not like the "pros" who do stuff like trade South African timeshares which are high demand but low fees for great US/Caribbean unit weeks. Cuts into their rental action and floods the rental market ( a true exchanger does not because they use it themselves). Again, capitalists protecting their own money supply.

The person who rents an exchange week faces a lot of exposure if they do not completely disclose all the issues with the rental being outside the rules. Why? Each state has a statute of frauds and real estate related frauds are not dealt with lightly. Failure to disclose "material"information is legally a fraud, nothing less is in the letter of the law. Do I expect the attorney general of a state to come after some little guy, absolutely not.

However, the person who was denied accomodation, even if they were the "bigmouth" can then go to small claims court, show the lack of disclosure (the burden of proof that disclosure occured is upon the person renting the exchange), and then get a judgement for the rental price plus damages (airfare, transportation costs, price difference of alternate lodging, etc.)

Would I personally rent out an exchange. Definitely! But only to a friend or relative I trusted to be cool after knowing all the facts.

I do think advertising them, when knowing the risks, is foolish at best.

It reminds me of the ads you see on Craigslist that say "420 wanted". (420 is slang for pot). Those ads are either posted by the local police or the dumbest people in our society.

As to why people care so much sometimes. Don't forget most timeshares were deceived when they got into their ownership, they hate seeing others get ripped off too.

I was lucky, bought resale for every one I own. It still kills me when I'm sitting at a pool bar and see some young couple being led around by a timeshare salesman. I know I paid $1,500 for my week and they may sign up for $12,000 for the same thing.

My favorite quote is "There are a bunch of Popes, a handful of lawyers, and NO timeshare salesmen in Heaven" Lets expand the definition of salesmen to included the resale scammers and the exchange companies for this thread.

John

Joel, you are incorrect that you can request your maintenance fees in return. The only thing you can request by letting a friend or family member use your exchange is the cost of the exchange fee and guest certificate.

joel382 wrote:

Even as others that warn against renting an RCI or II unit have said, it is OK to rent out your RCI or II week for the cost of your transfer fee, guest fee, and some have even said the maintenance fee.

The reason RCI and II enforce the 'no selling of RCI or II exchanges' is to prevent people from snatching up the very best exchanges and then turning around and selling those exchanges on Ebay or elsewhere making a huge profit.

Before RCI and II initiated the rule you would see vast amounts of exchanges and spacebanked weeks for sale on Ebay.

The rule is to protect RCI and II members by not permitting the very best exchanges from being snatched up then sold preventing their legitimate members from getting those great exchanges. The rule was a necessity in fairness to all RCI and II members.

I know SFX and DAE also do not allow the selling of exchanged and spacebanked weeks.

[/Q} Some of the smaller, independent exchange companies MAY have different rules (or lax enforcement). I haven't reviewed their policies lately. But you might want to check out the San Francisco Exchang Company, Donita's Dial-an-exchange, Trading Places, etc...[/Q]

Jennie, do most resorts let you deposit with ANY exchange company? How does that work if your resort is only affiliated with RCI or II?

You own your week. The resort cannot tell you what to do with it. You can exchange it through any exchange company willing to accept it. Some resorts have chosen to be affiliated with RCI or II or both. This is supposedly for the benefit of their owners. If such a contact exists, RCI or II must accept deposit of your week, if you wish to do so , as long as all fees have been paid.

The smaller, independent companies may or may not accept your week. It's their choice. But if they are willing to accept it, you may do business with them without any "permission" from your resort.

San Francisco Exchange Company has a specific list of resorts they will accept deposts from. They generally take only top quality resorts and weeks. And that is the type of week you will receive in return. They also have a very generous bonus week policy. I used to do a lot of exchanges through SFX. But in recent years I have found their customer service to be lacking. Unless you are willing to call them frequently, leave voice mail messages, and wait a few days for a call back, you are not likely to get the week you are requesting. I think their motto has become: "Out of sight, out of mind." If you own one week, and are willing to make the calls, you will likely get two awesome trades.

Donita's gives excellent custoer service and is less "picky" about the weeks they will accept.

Trading Places, Int'l has lots of inventory in Hawaii.

Some owners speak well of Platinum Exchange. I have not had any personal experience with them.

Timesharing Today Magazine www.tstoday.com publishes a chart with detailed information about these and other exchange companies about once a year. If you subcribe to the magazine, you receive a new username and password in each issue that allows you to access all of the articles in all their back issues (over 10 years).

You will also have access to numerous great articles about many other phases of timeshare ownership. They call the magazine "The Trusted Independent Voice of Vacation Ownership since 1991"..RCI will not allow them to place ads in their members magazine "Endless Vacations" presumably because they do not want us owners to learn too much about the "games" RCI allegedly plays. Nor receive info about alternative exchange companies.

If you subscibe on-line, you gain instant acess to the Archives. And there is a 100% satisfaction guarantee or you can request a refund.

I do not have any financial or other connection with the magazine. I've just been a very satisified customer for over 10 years. As an owner of 15 timeshare weeks, I like to keep informed of anything that impacts upon or enhances the benefits of timeshare ownership.

What would be a fair price?

jayjay wrote:

Those weeks are during summer, so I believe if you price the rentals fairly you should be able to rent them. Hilton Head is a popular destination and a favorite of mine.

bobd110 wrote:

I have weeks 24 & 25 at Marriott's Harbour Point in Hilton Head. I was wondering how successful I could expect to be in renting the units out.