Chances of Skyauction Availability, March

[FayeW]

I have a skyauction RSG that I bought for a March Break vacation. I originally planned to use it for Myrtle Beach, but now I am considering skipping the 2 day drive each way and just flying to Orlando instead. I KNOW there is no guarantee there will be ANY availability at any time with skyauction, but I wondered if anyone has any idea when (or if!) I can expect to see March availability for Florida. Has anyone booked the airfare and then found availability for March 3 or 4 weeks out? (I know that if I go to the expense of the airfare, I should book a reservation elsewhere that I can cancel, if I need to, but I just wondered if it was even worth considering).

 

[spiceycat]

the week of Easter and the week before - I won't even try for - they will be very, very crowded.

the other weeks - just depends upon the luck of the draw - if a bunch of high schools/college are out for spring breaks in the different states at these weeks then what are the odds that these students will go to WDW vs elsewhere in Fl.

I don't think I would try for March, 2005 - just because of Easter being in it.

Doesn't mean you want get lucky....just that the odds are against you.

 

[momto4obkids]

I won a ready set go auction(i was waiting for the first week march 2004) and there was still no availability at the beginning of february!!

So,i called them and the only thing they had to offer me was a 2br. at summer bay villas. We loved it there but the stress it caused with not having anything come up at all in their system was unbelievable!

Next time i will wait until something comes up in their inventory!


hth,
Amanda

 

[JudyS]

SkyAuction's condos are timeshare weeks from RCI (Resort Condominiums International), the *big* timeshare trading company. (This is a major sore point with timeshare owners who have deposited their timeshare weeks with RCI, because they believe that SkyAuction is renting out weeks that should have been available as trades -- but I digress.)

Anyway, I own three timeshares, and have an account with RCI. RCI has very little availability of condos in Orlando this March, even for timeshare owners who are willing to give RCI a week in exchange. Right now, it seems RCI is offering March in Orlando only to people who have highly desirable timeshare weeks as a trade.

Something may come up at SkyAuction at the last minute, but I wouldn't count on it, and the choices will almost certainly be limited.

You could ask SkyAuction for a refund, and look for a rental on your own, although the price will probably be a lot higher.

This is my first year in RCI, so I'm not too familiar with what may happen at the last minute. You may want to ask at www.tug2.net because the RCI trading experts hang out there. But, be prepared for some hostility towards SkyAuction....

 

[Local_Girl]

Faye,

You could consider hanging on to the RSG ressie and use it for another time (although there may be an expiration on it...I'm not really familiar with that part of it and I don't know when you won it). Then, if you'd still like to try for Skyauction, you should probably make a cancelable reservation somewhere else (where you wouldn't mind staying if you have to) and then wait to see if a week pops up on the individual auctions. I saw a bunch last spring that said "Easter Week!", so they do pop up...but I really think RSG availability will be slim to none for March, especially considering that Easter falls in March this year. Good Luck!

 

[lawgs]

the current RSG auctions list 6/30/05 as the ending date by which something must be booked...

we had occasion last year where we could not find what we wanted on RSG and it was getting near the end of the "time allowance"

we called Skyauction and they let us apply the funds from the RSG to another auction we bid on...so all is not LOST with a RSG auction in the "bank" so to speak

as Judy S said, timeshare owners and developers are not happy with the "auction" situation, thsu we may see the "inventory" drying up ....enough skyauction while you can.....

we belong to RCI also......right now we see 1 resorts with the week 51 we own and 1 with the week 52 week we own for Florida in March ( both the available ones are at Orange Lake which is where we own )

 

[spiceycat]

I don't think skyauction will ever dry up completely.

remember that the organization that owns both skyauction and RCI - also owns Fairfield - so it worst comes to worst they can go to Fairfield.

they do right now - but it is more of a selling market than timeshare rentals.

 

[lawgs]

spiceycat

do not think that skyauction is a Cendant company...if i remember correctly Madge from RCI on the tug boards said that RCI just has a contract with skyauction for " excess inventory " ( that inventory not in the exchange pool )


more and more as we go on trades, the sales people are very aware of the "dent" skyauction and other programs which are similar are having on "their bottom line "

 

[spiceycat]

I though that was proven to be just another story (not outright lie) by RCI.

I know Madge can only be told what she knowns - but don't think RCI management isn't lying to her too....

I though this answer was on the exchange board not the RCI board.

but who knows....

 

[Lucky4me]

Orlando is saturated with timeshare resorts. My guess is you'll be able to get something through Skyauction, but probably closer to your dates..

We were unable to trade our week for Easter week at Hilton Head three years in a row. All three years I got a 2 br unit at our home resort for under $300 through Skyacution. All 3 of them a month or two before Easter. This is why we sold our timeshare last month.
If Skyauction ever does go out of business we'll just buy another week re-sale.

Try www.vrbo.com

also www.Hotwire.com is now booking condo resorts. I'm not sure which resorts they are-it's a fairly recent thing.

 

[FayeW]

Thanks for your help! I emailed skyauction today, and now have in writing that we can use our week in Nov/05, as long as we book by June 30/05. When I won the week I thought I had 12 months to book a vacation, and up to 18 months to take the vacation. I won in Aug so June 30th is NOT 12 months. I had emailed them before to ask about using it in Nov, in case something didn't open up for our March dates, but I think that the skyauction representatives are very well trained in "corporate speak". No matter how many times I ask them a specific question, I just can't get a Yes or No answer out of them. Today was the closest I came to getting a direct answer, so I printed the email and saved it for future reference.

 

[lawgs]

from our standpoint....

skyauction has always been fair to us....so if they have given you the november 05 consideration they have extended a big courtesy to you......it clearly states on the RSG auctions when they are good until....right now

Check-in Dates Allowed: Anytime within the following date(s):
Now thru 6/30/2005
Check-out Dates Allowed: Anytime within the following date(s):
Now thru 7/7/2005


Lucky4me

exactly what developers are saying....why would anyone want to buy from us when the skyauction weeks are available

as far as them going out of business, RCI inventory is not the only thing that they have .....thus they will probably always have something to auction..

once again we should all enjoy the opportunities while we can...

 

[Lucky4me]

Lawgs, The only drawback to Skyauction is you must be flexible. We're lucky that we are and I don't mind taking the risk of not securing something. If it doesn't happen, we don't go. There's always next month or next year. Hilton Head and Orlando do seem to have the most timeshare resorts available at any given time.

I think our best deal so far was Shawnee resort in the Poconos last July. It was a 2 br unit, slept 8 with a large screened porch. The first night we saw a huge black bear a few feet away
from that porch! It made our week. Along with that and the incredible activities center, the kids are begging to go back again next summer.

I'd like to book a cruise with Skyauction, but I haven't researched the prices yet. Have you ever done that?

 

[lawgs]

lucky4me

no we have not tried a cruise since doing the "cruise to nowhere" in 1990......that settled cruising for me...