Can someone give me a brief "Idiots Guide to trading into Int. International"?

[phyllisnnj]

OK, remember, you asked. Deposit first is more like most II members work. You tell DVC you want to do so and what size and season you want to deposit. They then tell you the expiration date AFTER you commit. That means you will have something over 2 years and 2 months but less than 3 years to COMPLETE your travel. Remember that in order to search, you must have an eligible deposit. Basically you can't deposit a mid season 1 BR and then search for a high season unit. So IF one decides to deposit first, you better either be darn sure you know what you want to search for and what the season is for what that search will be OR deposit a high season for the unit size you want. Even then, if you only need a 1 BR but the resort only has 2 BR, you must have a 2 BR deposit to search for that resort.

IMO, deposit first is only when you would otherwise not use the points. And given the other options including renting, only for points that you have little time to deal with. And one should really plan out the search BEFORE depositing unless there is no other choice. I hope that wasn't confusing, it's hard to explain unless one is pretty versed in regular timeshares.

I'm confused...
How are folks able to get a 2 bedroom with a studio?

 

[Dean]

Thanks Dean! Let’s see if I get this. I will use the situation my DW and I are in now. Since we are new members from the F&F, we have our 2005 points that we are getting a grace period with and have till the end of the month to bank (Aug use year).

We could bank them with DVC like normal and use them by the end of July 2007. That’s the easy part, lol.

Or if we wanted to use them with II we could deposit them with MS before the end of the month and they could be used to travel up to 2+ years? If that is the case, you can get more life out of expiring points, which I think it great.

Please correct me if I am misunderstanding this and thanks for the help!! This is board is the main reason my DW agreed to buy into DVC. She knows I did my homework or the last 18 months. The F&F promo helped a little too.



-Matthew

Sounds correct. If you can bank them, do so. You could always deposit with II later if you wanted to go that route. But you'd have time to research and plan prior and you'd have up to an extra year beyond if you banked now.

 

[Dean]

Okay, here is a tangential thread.

Specifically as regards to cost effectiveness. Is it better to rent out the points needed for an II trade, and purchase an II week (either through TUG, or directly from the resort - similar to DCL economics), or is the II trade the most economical use of points?

TIA

-Tony

Tony, there is no one answer. It totally depends on the location, quality and demand of the resort/week in question. For most items it'd be better to rent your points and rent from an owner at your preferred destination. You'd have more options including more resorts to chose from. That's one of the reasons you need to research ahead, so you can know what the best approaches are. Remember besides this option and the direct exchanges mentioned above, there are independent exchange companies and the option of buying non DVC timeshares to exchange.

I'm confused...
How are folks able to get a 2 bedroom with a studio?

With DVC II trading the only way one would get a 2 BR giving up a studio would be if one was searching for a studio and II matched a 2 BR. This is a stretch, but a one level upgrade is not that uncommon. But if one looks sat II directly, it happens all the time. I've traded a studio in Aruba for a 2 BR SSR which was a significant trade up in unit size and resort quality. Remember that II doesn't restrict regular members nearly as much as DVC does.

 

[DaveT1]

Hey Mods how about a sticky?? This topic comes up all the time, i would think Dean would be tired of commenting. This thread has some of the best clear info. I think it's at least as important as some of the other topics that are.

Just IMHO,
Thanks

EDIT: Hey now that i think about it, people could also post what they were able to trade for, how long it took. Keep a running thread like the ROFR thread.

 

[phyllisnnj]

With DVC II trading the only way one would get a 2 BR giving up a studio would be if one was searching for a studio and II matched a 2 BR. This is a stretch, but a one level upgrade is not that uncommon. But if one looks sat II directly, it happens all the time. I've traded a studio in Aruba for a 2 BR SSR which was a significant trade up in unit size and resort quality. Remember that II doesn't restrict regular members nearly as much as DVC does.

Does it make a difference if it’s a Request First vs. Deposit First?

Once the two bedroom is confirmed, is it guaranteed? For example if a studio became available later would they switch our unit. I don't want to invite another couple only to find out when we arrive that our unit size was switched from a two bedroom to a studio.

If I call Member Services and request a studio and a two bedroom is currently available at my request resort for my timeframe would this fall under “searching for a studio and II matches a 2BR” or does it have to result from an ongoing search?

Thanks Again

 

[Dean]

Does it make a difference if it’s a Request First vs. Deposit First?

Once the two bedroom is confirmed, is it guaranteed? For example if a studio became available later would they switch our unit. I don't want to invite another couple only to find out when we arrive that our unit size was switched from a two bedroom to a studio.

If I call Member Services and request a studio and a two bedroom is currently available at my request resort for my timeframe would this fall under “searching for a studio and II matches a 2BR” or does it have to result from an ongoing search?

Thanks Again

With DVC the best way to go from an exchange point is search first. ONLY use the deposit first to extend the life of points you can't do anything else with. If you request a studio and they offer you a 2 BR on the initial call, you pay the 2 BR rate. But you can say no and let them put in a request first for the studio and you still may get the 2 BR after the fact. This assumes that the resort you want has studio units. With DVC you cannot search for a unit size the resort does not have. If you only want and need the studio but the resort only has 2 BR units, you must decide to do 2 BR or nothing.

And though I know of one exception, you can't reserve a week then later deposit that week with II. You must cancel your week and then deposit something else. And if there are not units available that meet your criteria, you may still lose out.

 

[mwehttam]

Thanks Dean!!



You explanation helped a bunch. DW and I like the seemingly ease of exchanging into II. I know many feel that it makes more sense to rent then use cash to pay or to do a direct trade. For me, that is a lot of leg work and, at this point at least, doesn’t seem worth it. The fact that I can call MS and tell them I want to go to x, y, or z resort between this start date and that end date and they do the work is great in my book.



-Matthew

 

[Dean]

Thanks Dean!!



You explanation helped a bunch. DW and I like the seemingly ease of exchanging into II. I know many feel that it makes more sense to rent then use cash to pay or to do a direct trade. For me, that is a lot of leg work and, at this point at least, doesn’t seem worth it. The fact that I can call MS and tell them I want to go to x, y, or z resort between this start date and that end date and they do the work is great in my book.



-Matthew

You are welcome. Do remember that easy and successful are two separate things. Timeshare trading in general means planning and a gamblers mentality or you'll be playing second fiddle at best.

 

[nezy]

So it seems the procedure I usually do w/ my Marriott timeshare and II-deposit first-is not the way to go w/DVC, is that correct?

The whole DVC -II concept confuses me. It would seem to me that if you tried to trade INTO DVC via II, you would not get your assignment until within 7 months of your desired ressie time. If I am requesting something for 2 yrs form now how can DVC assign that to II when none of the DVC members have made a ressie. This whole thing confuses me. I am good w/ my DVC and with my Marriott/II, but when I try to combine the two-fuggedaboutit!

Hey Matthew-I am in Rockland too! Where are you?

 

[Dean]

So it seems the procedure I usually do w/ my Marriott timeshare and II-deposit first-is not the way to go w/DVC, is that correct?

The whole DVC -II concept confuses me. It would seem to me that if you tried to trade INTO DVC via II, you would not get your assignment until within 7 months of your desired ressie time. If I am requesting something for 2 yrs form now how can DVC assign that to II when none of the DVC members have made a ressie. This whole thing confuses me. I am good w/ my DVC and with my Marriott/II, but when I try to combine the two-fuggedaboutit!

Hey Matthew-I am in Rockland too! Where are you?

The systems are totally different. I actually think it's harder to learn one when you know the other one since they are so different. The earliest DVC could deposit would be just under 11 months but a number of deposits are at around 7 months or less out. BTW, one of the best ways to exchange Marriott is the internal search first as well.

 

[nezy]

I agree-I think that is why I am having a difficult time graspinfg II-I know the DVC system so well.
What do you mean"internal" search. Thus far w/ MVCI I have only requested exchanges for other marriotts. Do you mean internal thru MVCI or thru other owners on Tug2?

 

[mwehttam]

Originally Posted by nezy
Hey Matthew-I am in Rockland too! Where are you?

My DW and I just bought a house in Nanuet and moved in the wek between Christmas and New Years. Before that we had a condo in Pomona for a little over two years.

Good to see a fellow Rockland County DVC member here on the DIS.

-Matthew

 

[Dean]

I agree-I think that is why I am having a difficult time graspinfg II-I know the DVC system so well.
What do you mean"internal" search. Thus far w/ MVCI I have only requested exchanges for other marriotts. Do you mean internal thru MVCI or thru other owners on Tug2?

Actually two things. One is that there is a priority Marriott to Marriott but it is not absolute. You must still have the trade power to be successful. II can and does let exchanges request expire when one is looking Marriott to Marriott even though they have a unit that was sitting there but did not have enough trade power.

However, my main focus was the special internal Marriott to Marriott search first. Generally II members can only search first for weeks that occur BEFORE the week they are giving up. DVC is an exception as is Marriott but only if searching for Marriott to Marriott only exchanges where it's up to 2 years post your week.