Interval International Time Shares

[fabfive]

A family member about a year ago passed away and left us a time share in Hilton Head Island. This is new to my husband and I. We have 1 week deposited and deposted the 2010 week. We put in a request for the first or second week of July about 7 months ago. We have not heard anything yet. I have called several time and I always get the same answer. NOTHING IS AVAILABLE. This is getting very frustrating. We only have a short window for vacation. We already have rented a friend's condo for one of the weeks and need the time share for the second week. Our friend is flexible. I need advise on how to get a unit. Are their any "tricks" I need to know? Please help. We would be so grateful.

 

[chalee94]

A family member about a year ago passed away and left us a time share in Hilton Head Island.

which HHI resort? and for what week?

We have 1 week deposited and deposted the 2010 week. We put in a request for the first or second week of July about 7 months ago. We have not heard anything yet. I have called several time and I always get the same answer. NOTHING IS AVAILABLE. This is getting very frustrating. We only have a short window for vacation.

We already have rented a friend's condo for one of the weeks and need the time share for the second week. Our friend is flexible. I need advise on how to get a unit. Are their any "tricks" I need to know?

one of the "tricks" of timesharing is flexibility. if there's only one week that will work for you, that makes it tougher (since a lot of other people may be asking for the same week.)

if you don't have flexibility in when to go, there are a couple of things to consider:

1) you need to plan far ahead - when you deposit your week, request as far out as possible (a year or so usually).

2) are you trying to trade like-for-like? if you own a winter week in HHI, you simply aren't going to have much trading power since most people don't want to go to HHI in the winter (or the kids are in school). if you are constantly asking for a lot more than you are offering, you may find timesharing frustrating.

it is sometimes possible to trade a 1BR for a 3BR...or a mediocre resort for a great one...but usually something else has to give (you are offering a summer week and looking for a shoulder week during the school year...or you are booking something that becomes available a few weeks out.)

3) is brand priority working for you or against you? if you are trying to request a marriott (or starwood) resort in II, any marriott villas that become available for trade will first be held for marriott owners for a period of time. so getting a marriott with an unbranded timeshare during a peak time will be tough. if you are trading a marriott for a marriott, or starwood for starwood, you improve your chances. (but a winter HHI marriott week will still lose to a summer marriott week if both want the same marriott trade.)

4) can you at least be flexible on location? if you want to trade into hilton head in july...or harborside at atlantis at most times, you will find that the owners there of those periods often just rent their weeks rather than deposit them. so you're not going to find them for trade no matter how much you are offering in return. someone else has to trade out for you to trade in.

generally most experienced timesharers would caution you not to buy or accept a timeshare week that you wouldn't be able to use yourself on a regular basis. the trading game comes and goes...trading power and opportunities can vary widely over time. you should definitely evaluate whether there are ways to take advantage of your timeshare that you can use (orlando is overbuilt, for example, so trading there is usually easier if you can at least be flexible on which resort) or whether you just need to unload it soon to avoid paying fees on something that won't work for your situation. you should also check out TUG as that is a great place to learn about timesharing...but don't expect the impossible...

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

I own with II, it is an older resort and my unit is a studio so I have very little trading power. I always have to do a flex-exchange- I wait until 59 days out and then I can choose anything available. Since I travel off season I never have a problem, I always get 2 bedrooms at Marriott's in Orlando- but just the other day for fun I looked around Easter week (everywhere) and there was NOTHING! This year I am going to try to do a non-Orlando vacation in August - so this will be interesting to see what I get.

FYI, Interval runs offers- book a getaway and get a bonus certificate, renew your membership early and get a bonus week... DON'T DO IT! They have taken me everytime! You ask them what the restrictions are ("none" of course) then 2 weeks later you get a certificate and it has crazy restrictions. Right now I have 2 certificates and probably won't be able to use them.

 

[fabfive]

A family member about a year ago passed away and left us a time share in Hilton Head Island.

which HHI resort? and for what week?

We have 1 week deposited and deposted the 2010 week. We put in a request for the first or second week of July about 7 months ago. We have not heard anything yet. I have called several time and I always get the same answer. NOTHING IS AVAILABLE. This is getting very frustrating. We only have a short window for vacation.

We already have rented a friend's condo for one of the weeks and need the time share for the second week. Our friend is flexible. I need advise on how to get a unit. Are their any "tricks" I need to know?

one of the "tricks" of timesharing is flexibility. if there's only one week that will work for you, that makes it tougher (since a lot of other people may be asking for the same week.)

if you don't have flexibility in when to go, there are a couple of things to consider:

1) you need to plan far ahead - when you deposit your week, request as far out as possible (a year or so usually).

2) are you trying to trade like-for-like? if you own a winter week in HHI, you simply aren't going to have much trading power since most people don't want to go to HHI in the winter (or the kids are in school). if you are constantly asking for a lot more than you are offering, you may find timesharing frustrating.

it is sometimes possible to trade a 1BR for a 3BR...or a mediocre resort for a great one...but usually something else has to give (you are offering a summer week and looking for a shoulder week during the school year...or you are booking something that becomes available a few weeks out.)

3) is brand priority working for you or against you? if you are trying to request a marriott (or starwood) resort in II, any marriott villas that become available for trade will first be held for marriott owners for a period of time. so getting a marriott with an unbranded timeshare during a peak time will be tough. if you are trading a marriott for a marriott, or starwood for starwood, you improve your chances. (but a winter HHI marriott week will still lose to a summer marriott week if both want the same marriott trade.)

4) can you at least be flexible on location? if you want to trade into hilton head in july...or harborside at atlantis at most times, you will find that the owners there of those periods often just rent their weeks rather than deposit them. so you're not going to find them for trade no matter how much you are offering in return. someone else has to trade out for you to trade in.

generally most experienced timesharers would caution you not to buy or accept a timeshare week that you wouldn't be able to use yourself on a regular basis. the trading game comes and goes...trading power and opportunities can vary widely over time. you should definitely evaluate whether there are ways to take advantage of your timeshare that you can use (orlando is overbuilt, for example, so trading there is usually easier if you can at least be flexible on which resort) or whether you just need to unload it soon to avoid paying fees on something that won't work for your situation. you should also check out TUG as that is a great place to learn about timesharing...but don't expect the impossible...

Our week is in September. I would think that would be a good trade. We are in the Marriott properties. I have asked for any property. We are not being picky. We have a 2 bedroom. We are a family of 5 we are not asking for a 3 bedroom. Do I keep calling? What should we do? We are at Harbour Pointe.

 

[ChisJo]

My parents always had the same problem with their property with II. They got so frustrated with the inability of trading that they literally gave up their timeshare. They were promised the world with II, and they were so unhelpful with everything, my parents in the years that they had their timeshare were only able to trade it once, and they tried every year.

 

[fabfive]

That is depressing to hear.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

LIke I said earlier, I have zero trading power- I have always gotten a 2br at Marriott Grande Vista or Harbour Lake when I travel in Jan, Feb (not Pres week), Labor Day through mid November and December (before Christmas). I even saw a 3br at the brand new Marriott Lakeshore Reserve last Sept. It is possible there are units during the holidays but I have never really looked much- I wouldn't be caught dead at Disney during peak times. There is hope!

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Our week is in September. I would think that would be a good trade. We are in the Marriott properties. I have asked for any property. We are not being picky. We have a 2 bedroom. We are a family of 5 we are not asking for a 3 bedroom. Do I keep calling? What should we do? We are at Harbour Pointe.

What about if you deposit a week with Marriott and not II, isn't easier to trade then to another Marriott property?

 

[fabfive]

Maybe I will call again and beg.

 

[fabfive]

They told me I had to deposit with II?

 

[chalee94]

Our week is in September. I would think that would be a good trade.

well...not exactly.

here is a link to the interval website- go to the link (or go to any other hilton head resort on the II site) and click on the "Travel Demand Index" for hilton head. the summer weeks are the absolute highest demand (july starts in week26), while in sept (week 35-39ish) the demand drops off to below average. the weather is still great but most people just can't go in september.

We are in the Marriott properties. I have asked for any property.

this definitely helps if you have a marriott and are asking for a marriott- the downside is still the demand. 1) many summer HHI owners can rent their weeks for cash and don't deposit them into the trade pool and 2) owners of platinum marriott weeks from other marriott resorts will still be in line ahead of you if you both want july in hilton head for what few weeks get deposited.

but you would be ahead of non-marriott owners and there are eight marriott timeshares in HHI, so it's not impossible.

if you've deposited your week and requested as far in advance as you can, that's a good start. calling can't hurt (although if something comes up, i think the fees for using the call center are slightly higher than online. keep checking online to see if something comes up. (some crazy timeshare people are up at 3am looking to see if anything great got deposited that didn't match immediately to a request - i can't recommend that but if you were up already... )

not sure if it's an option or it's already on your request list, but you might consider trading down in resort quality to offset the trade up in season. (sometimes II doesn't allow that though, to prevent disappointed marriott owners from complaining).

you're asking for a very tough trade IMO. it's not completely impossible but definitely tough. something might become available at the last minute if you can wait it out but the odds are against you...hope it works out.

 

[chalee94]

What about if you deposit a week with Marriott and not II, isn't easier to trade then to another Marriott property?

marriott owners trade through II - marriott does not have a separate internal trading service for weeks owners. (they get a discount on the trading fee when trading marriott for marriott but that's it.)

 

[chalee94]

My parents always had the same problem with their property with II. They got so frustrated with the inability of trading that they literally gave up their timeshare.

i've had great success with II, but you definitely need to have an understanding of "like-for-like" and be willing to make trade-offs.

 

[chalee94]

LIke I said earlier, I have zero trading power- I have always gotten a 2br at Marriott Grande Vista or Harbour Lake when I travel in Jan, Feb (not Pres week), Labor Day through mid November and December (before Christmas). I even saw a 3br at the brand new Marriott Lakeshore Reserve last Sept.

as i said before, orlando is overbuilt. if you can travel when the kids are in school (or at the very last minute), you can definitely trade up for orlando in both villa size and resort quality.

but hilton head in the summer is another issue entirely, i'm afraid.

 

[fabfive]

I just called and added any of the Marriott Resorts to my list. I need to check with my husband to see if he would be willing to trade down and pay the extra fee. I am hoping to learn how to work this system as possible. Unfortunately the person who gave us this timeshare passed away and she was the one who had all of the knowledge.

 

[hsmamato2]

have you tried looking at the TUG board? lots of info there for various timeshare companies-

 

[fabfive]

where is the tug board? Is it on here. I will look.

 

[chalee94]

I just called and added any of the Marriott Resorts to my list. I need to check with my husband to see if he would be willing to trade down and pay the extra fee. I am hoping to learn how to work this system as possible.

i would recommend joining TUG.

http://tug2.net/

if you pay the annual membership fee, they give you access to resort reviews and a "sightings" board where other members post stuff that they run across that's available on II and RCI. (it's useful to see what has been deposited in the past and when during the year...plus you never know when something will pop up that you might want to trade for.)

but you can still read the TUG forums and post for free. link to forums: http://tugbbs.com/forums/

look around the marriott forum there to keep up with what is going on (the marriott timeshare spinoff from marriott corp is currently the big news).

in a worst case scenario, a gold season marriott still has value if you need to dispose of it. but hopefully if you get a better understanding of how the system works, i think you might start to find timesharing more enjoyable and less stressful.

 

[fabfive]

Thanks for the link. I will check it out. We pay two different bills so I guess we would be a member of this site. I will check it out.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

I have family in Hilton Head and a timeshare at Harborside, so I'll add my two cents: a September week in HHI is not a good trader. Schools are all in session and your resort might be nice, but it is not oceanfront. That makes it a less desirable places on HHI.

Sorry for the tough love, but you'll be better off if you know where you stand.

If you can't use your week yourself in the future, you're probably better off renting it for whatever you can get or selling it.