Sky Auction

[ClapYourHands]

So I’ve read several older threads, and it seems the site is legit.

My question is how the bidding works. I’m used to sites like eBay where you see the other bids, and can kind of gauge where the prices are going. Sky Auction just seems to have the minimum bid listed and an auto bid feature. Do the rentals often go for close to the minimum? If there’s usually a bit of bidding, how much higher do they typically go?

It seems like the auctions usually end in a day or two, so there’s some wiggle room for trying lowballs to see what that gets me, but I don’t want to waste the time if the actual prices are mostly quite a bit higher.

Any strategies would be appreciated.

 

[HopperFan]

So I’ve read several older threads, and it seems the site is legit.

My question is how the bidding works. I’m used to sites like eBay where you see the other bids, and can kind of gauge where the prices are going. Sky Auction just seems to have the minimum bid listed and an auto bid feature. Do the rentals often go for close to the minimum? If there’s usually a bit of bidding, how much higher do they typically go?

It seems like the auctions usually end in a day or two, so there’s some wiggle room for trying lowballs to see what that gets me, but I don’t want to waste the time if the actual prices are mostly quite a bit higher.

Any strategies would be appreciated.

I've used them often. One thing I do is check the resort you are interested in to see if there is any "buy it now" options. That probably tells you the maximum they would likely end with in bidding. Sometimes that price is what I'm content with and I do it just to secure the lodging. But if I'm not fully committed and ready to gamble I'll bid. What you do need to check is the extra fees in the auction. There may be a big fee attached to auctions (actually any listing) that is already bundled into buy it now.

I once got a unit at Bonnet Creek for $1 BUT there was a $199 fee plus $20 processing fee. At that point I was still very happy with $220 but that was because I won at $1. Be careful you don't bid and keep bidding because it's low and not check if there are additional fees. Scroll through entire listing to check all fees, especially upcharges for particular dates and the larger unit.

I also suggest exploring any resort you are looking at to make sure it is what you think. I see right now Sheraton Vistana Resort with their address ... are showing photos of their nicer resort Sheraton Vistana Villages up International Drive.

 

[ClapYourHands]

I've used them often. One thing I do is check the resort you are interested in to see if there is any "buy it now" options. That probably tells you the maximum they would likely end with in bidding. Sometimes that price is what I'm content with and I do it just to secure the lodging. But if I'm not fully committed and ready to gamble I'll bid. What you do need to check is the extra fees in the auction. There may be a big fee attached to auctions (actually any listing) that is already bundled into buy it now.

I once got a unit at Bonnet Creek for $1 BUT there was a $199 fee plus $20 processing fee. At that point I was still very happy with $220 but that was because I won at $1. Be careful you don't bid and keep bidding because it's low and not check if there are additional fees. Scroll through entire listing to check all fees, especially upcharges for particular dates and the larger unit.

I also suggest exploring any resort you are looking at to make sure it is what you think. I see right now Sheraton Vistana Resort with their address ... are showing photos of their nicer resort Sheraton Vistana Villages up International Drive.

Thank you. I know to check the fees. I can’t seem to find the buy it now option. Where can I find that on the site?

 

[HopperFan]

It is not offered on every location but ...

Auctions say "Minimum Bid" with the dollar figure

Buy it Now say "Buy this for" with the dollar figure

 

[Disneyliscious]

Was gonna try this site out but the check in dates are so restrictive on everything I looked at. Seems most only let you check in on a Sun or Fri and then a few allow Fri, Sat, Sun check ins. We travel from Tues/Tues this year.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

I also use this site often, both times I used it for orlando no one ever challenged me/ bid against me. Make sure you read everything sometimes there is extra fees for certain weeks. I always bid or buy now Sheraton vistana idrive.

 

[Lisa P.]

Was gonna try this site out but the check in dates are so restrictive... We travel from Tues/Tues this year.

If you're bidding on a nightly rate, like at a hotel, then you may find a Tues/Tues deal. But if you're bidding on a weekly package, like at a timeshare resort, then you'll probably only find weekend check-ins. Much of the SkyAuction timeshare resort inventory comes from RCI and often RCI gets the inventory in the form of full weeks with a weekend check-in.

 

[bearzabout]

As demand for travel increases, the bid prices on Skyauction are going up. There used to be a page that listed Skyauction winning bids, but I can’t find it anymore. The best way to see how high people are bidding is to look at the auctions closing soon. The prices sometimes shoot up at the last minute with late bidders. 3 minutes are added to each auction every time someone bids, so you can no longer snag one at the last second like on eBay. If you have an auction page open, you can see the loosing bids listed at the bottom of the auction page. These help to see how high people are willing to bid.

Since Skyauction primarily sells unsold inventory so it doesn’t sit vacant, you are likely to see unpopular resorts or units during busier seasons. Better units and resort usually only show up during slower travel months for a given area.

Watch out for hidden fees. Diamond resorts charge up to $20/ day in resort fees. Westgate charges extra for internet. Liki Tiki and Mystic Dunes have had high fees in the past. To confirm what these fees will be, call the resort before bidding and ask them what they charge for exchangers.