Interval International /

If you purchase on the secondary market, you can't deposit with Westin, and they treat you like the "ugly stepchild" when you call. I had one of the concierge staff "oops" and mention that we didn't purchase from Westin, so I'm not just paranoid. I'm sure that the information is available for all to see....

The North and South Maui properties are what is known as mandatory resorts (not Nanea and not Princeville). Mandatory Vistana (originally starwood) means they do qualify for points and you can exchange them internally and your SVN fee pays for your II account. You have all the same rights using II as a direct retail owner. Really when you buy resale at mandatory properties, the only thing you lose is the ability to convert to hotel reward points (which isn't a good deal anyway) and your points don't count toward elite status. They only ones who treat you like an ugly stepchild when you own at a mandatory resort is the sales staff and even then if you bought retail they really think you are an ugly stepchild if you don't buy from them today. They want you to feel like if you bought direct it would legitimize your purchase. Like I said even if you bought direct, they would make you feel like you need to buy at the newer properties to have anything of worth. I own all resale with Vistana some at mandatory properties and some at voluntary ones. The voluntary ones can't even exchange within the vacation network and can only be exchanged through an external company like II.

I'm not paid to write this, and I totally disagree. I have several weeks I inherited in an old, independent, motel-like (with no kitchen or LR) timeshare on the lovely island of Martha's Vineyard. I have traded it using II for years. I have gotten Westin Mission Hills Resort in Palm Desert (2017), Marriott Maui Ocean Club - three times! (2016-17), Marriott Kauai Beach Club (2016), SVC at Waikiki Marina Resort at the Ilikai (Christmas week 2016), Marriott Ko Olina Resort (July 4th week 2016), Marriott's Canyon Villas at Dessert Ridge in PHX (2015), Marriott Waiohai on Kauai (2015), Harborside Inn (2015), Hanalei Bay Resort (2015) and Cliffs Club on Kauai (2014).

I can print out proof of these exchanges.

What I find with them is that I get my best trades with extreme flexibility, buying the re-trade option, and checking constantly. I have not made any specfic requests since I inherited these in 2014 (doing off the board trades instead), but I had before that using it in my mom's name, and while we did not get anything as great as the above, we got very nice 2 bedrooms with jacuzzi baths Orlando and Williamsburg, the latter even had an in-unit steam room in the master bath. These are all a zillion times nicer than what I own.

lindaw824 wrote:

I, too, would like any updates to Interval International. I have a hard time believing any review about them that is positive. They must be paid. I have never been able to use any inventory deposited with them, and I believe that it is just a money-making scam. I have been redirected EVERY TIME I have requested my resort--even when requesting a year in advance. I have used current inventory to travel, only to discover many empty rooms. I have received phone calls from them offering totally empty promises and bandaids with holes in them. Please, please don't use Interval. Believe the poor reviews--I wish we had. We just thought that nobody could be that bad--they were/are!

We don't exchange at all anymore, using what we own (or renting out our weeks when we can't use them), so I certainly have "no dog in this fight". However, as a regular reader and contributor in several different timeshare discussion forums, I see a WHOLE lot more widespread complaining and overall dissatisfaction with RCI than with II. For the record, Interval International (unlike RCI) has also never been the target of a class action lawsuit by its' very own dissatisfied membership.

Regardless of the individual exchange company, available "inventory" rules everything. It seems to me in recent years (based upon 35 years of timeshare ownership, experience and observation), that owners with high demand weeks are increasingly renting them out if not actually using them, rather than "depositing for exchange". Playing the "exchange game" means paying ever increasing exchange company fees for membership, exchanges and upgrade --- just for the privilege of rolling the dice in the exchange game, with absolutely NO guaranty of obtaining a suitable or desirable exchange in return. It's little wonder that more and more people are just saying "no thank you" to playing the "exchange game". Accordingly, "deposited" weeks may very well be lower in both number and in quality these days (and also in the future). That's just speculation on my part, with no statistics available to back me up, but my personal opinion is that blaming Interval International for not having specific desirable inventory is both misguided and entirely unwarranted.

Every exchange company depends upon owners depositing weeks; that's the "exchange inventory pool". It's certainly no surprise to me that the best weeks are seldom (if ever) "deposited for exchange" anymore; I do not see that picture improving in the future either. The prominence, ease and simplicity of the Internet has changed the timeshare landscape forever and (at least in my observation and personal opinion). ALL of the exchange companies are becoming less and less relevant with each and every passing day.

Just my own personal observations and opinion.