SkyAuction

[DawnM]

Many of you have mentioned SkyAuction. This is new to me and I am excited to get a good deal, so thank you all who have mentioned it.

Now for some help:

It seems that SA is really good for 1 bedroom condo type stays and I am looking into getting one if we can. Still doing research at this time.

I just don't get the hotel bids though......at the bottom of each auction it says, "additional $32 per night surcharge." At many of these hotels this can't be a bargain can it? Some of those hotels are pretty cheap hotels.

Now, any help in bidding, places to watch out for, etc.....would be especially helpful.

We are going to need a place the week of Oct. 22.

Thanks!,

Dawn

 

[spiceycat]

I don't even look at the hotels. that extra $32 is a big fee.

I only go for the timesharers. they are listed at 7 days and there fee is $195 +$15.

sometimes skyauction is having a strange special and the fee is included in the bid???? I haven't done one of these so I can't say if this is really true or not.

I also never bid on anything that is over a $100 already - I try to kept my bids to under $100 (under $40 if I can).

you can get some great deals. but like other auctions if you don't know what you are doing you can get taken.

ask here about the timeshares you find.

there are also reviews sites - the best
www.tug2.net is only for members

www.rcicommunity.com is for anyone - you must join - it is FREE. then you see everything.

www.tripadvisor.com is another one

there is also one on yahoo.

 

[DawnM]

Thanks Pat, that will help. I think for me, 1/2 the fun of the trip is the planning itself.

We most definitely want a 1 bedroom at least, not a hotel room. We also need a kitchen or kitchenette.

I didn't see the +15 dollar charge, but as long as that isn't daily that is fine.

Dawn

 

[DawnM]

Ok, so if I bid $100 that is $100 for the whole stay? Or per night?

Dawn

 

[spiceycat]

with a timeshare it is $100 for the entire stay. You can get a timeshare for a week using skyaction for $211. [$195 + $15 + $1 (your bid)]

I have done it.

for the hotels the bid is per night.

so if the add says $195 fees - you are bidding for a week's stay. (it should also say that)

if the ad say $32 fees per day - then the bid is per day.

they vary.

so be sure to read the ad carefully before you place a bid.

 

[DawnM]

Thank you, that is very helpful.

I have been having fun looking over the Skyauction possibilities.

Is there a way to search closed bids to see what people have gotten? Like on ebay you can view closed auctions?

Just curious.

Dawn

 

[spiceycat]

I think so but you need the ID number.

 

[lawgs]

you just have to sign in and go to the word "Winners" at the top of the home page to see what has gone on in the last couple days.....

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

I don't even look at the hotels. that extra $32 is a big fee.

I only go for the timesharers. they are listed at 7 days and there fee is $195 +$15.

sometimes skyauction is having a strange special and the fee is included in the bid???? I haven't done one of these so I can't say if this is really true or not.

I also never bid on anything that is over a $100 already - I try to kept my bids to under $100 (under $40 if I can).

you can get some great deals. but like other auctions if you don't know what you are doing you can get taken.

ask here about the timeshares you find.

there are also reviews sites - the best
www.tug2.net is only for members

www.rcicommunity.com is for anyone - you must join - it is FREE. then you see everything.

www.tripadvisor.com is another one

there is also one on yahoo.

I am interested in the RCI site. I went there and it would not let me sign up but that does not mean anything since my computer has been driving me crazy. I saved teh site to my favorites for later but I was just wondering how do you get in and find what you want and bid on it.

 

[DawnM]

Thank you. Going now....

Dawn

you just have to sign in and go to the word "Winners" at the top of the home page to see what has gone on in the last couple days.....

 

[spiceycat]

www.rcicommunity.com

under where it says to log on -email address and password

is a red block not a member - register.

however you might be able to see the reviews without this.

just select the 'find a resort' then put the name of the resort you are looking at in this box.

http://www.rcicommunity.com/resorts/

 

[DawnM]

Thanks. I was able to get a place through SkyAuction for $295 for the week. It will save us a bundle.

Dawn

 

[spiceycat]

glad you found something.

what did you get?

reword.

which resort/timeshare did you get?

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

www.rcicommunity.com is for anyone - you must join - it is FREE. then you see everything.

A person that doesn't own a timeshare with RCI can't "buy" one of their weeks that are "on special", right? I hear people talk on here about last minute vacations, or something, ...........that is only for owners, correct??

 

[lawgs]

they are for owners, but do not require a space bank week to book them

they are called LAST CALL ( 45 days out ) and Extra Vacations ( maybe up to 9 or 10 months out )

and they can be gifted to others by purchasing a gift certificate for 49$

mom ......check out the new auction Home & Away on skyauction

right now they have three a day ..... 2 6 and 10 pm close off

first go to www.getawayweeks.com to see if there is anything of interest to you.... you are not gonna find a lot of 2 bedrooms though and the inventory seems to be limited right not to the next 45 - 60 days or so. maybe even further, but that was the timeframe we were looking at

you get the resort certificate for a week PLUS 100$ discount code for a future auction

there are no other fees involved other than the 15$ processing fee

if you win the auction you can purchase up to 5 resort certificates ( do not know if you would then get 5 discounts ??? )

within the last week the auction has been won with bids from 167 - 202, thus i would expect to be paying mid 180's or more to win a bid if the action is hot

taking into account the 100$ future discounts, it means you can have a week in a one bedroom sometimes two bedroom for 80 - 100$

this beats the last call priced at 149 for 1 bedrooms and extra vacations price approximately at 250$ but with many begine much HIGHER than that

from the looks of it, the inventory for all of these above ( which would INCLUDE RSG auctions ) is very similar

the price point on this auction could be very sweet, especially when we all will probably do more business with skyauction.com

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

Thanks, lawgs..........

Yea, I have been looking at those. It looks like an awesome deal......so much so I wonder if it is for real. But we are looking at May/June for next year and there isn't anything yet.

Do you think it is the same inventory as RSG? It looks similar to me.

 

[spiceycat]

have patience - May/June will show up.

 

[lawgs]

mom

methinks they are all drawing from similar invetory ...RSG/HomeAway search engine is the same ....for sure

we got one last night as we needed accomodation for november 12.....we will probably choose Vacation Village

everything went smoothly, we had our skyauction discount code within 20 minutes and this morning the certificate number for our 7 day stay at the resort was in the email ( it is good until august 31. 2006 )

we probably paid a lil higher than we would have liked to, but were going to do last call for 99$ for a studio but they have only a couple sites in orlando for november and the one bedrooms would have cost 149$ ( the same one bedroom on Extra Vacation was posted at 385$ ) ...we feel we are getting value for our money with this

********UPDATE


just booked our resort, it definately is RCI affiliated

you have to give them your certificate number as sent to you by Skyauction

you ask them for the resort you want from what you have seen on www.getawayweeks.com and they confirm availability

they take your address and will mail the "confirmation" ( they did say if you did not receive it in a timely manner that they would FAX it )

the inventory is dynamiic since the resort we choose is not longer available with a full kitchen on november 12 on getaway vacations and has jumped to 570$ on RCI extra vacations from 385$

once again, it was very easy to do and everything seems to be OK on the up and up

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

Thanks again, Lawgs.........could you bare some more questions?

When you win the home and away auctions, do you have to pick a resort right away? For instance, if I won next month, and there is no availability anywhere that I want to stay, can I wait a few months to see if availability opens up??

And as an example..............say I win for $195. That means I have won a 7 night vacation for $95, and then have a $100 cert. to use on another auction?

Does the $100 cert. go towards the total of your price (the $15 + $195+ bid) or just the bid alone? I wouldn't want it to be used for the bid alone since I sometimes bid on RSG and they only go for around $50.

Thanks in advance.

 

[lawgs]

here is what was in the email

EXPIRATION DATE: AUGUST 31, 2006
Here is your certificate information you will need.

Please call toll free : xxx-xxx-xxxx
Your certificate Number is :xxxx-xxxxx

First check availability through www.getawayweeks.com. Once your destination is determined simply call the toll-free number indicated above. We had verified with our supplier that you do not need the original Hotel Certificate. Once your certificate is activated in your name and address, the certificate becomes non-transferable.


so yes it would be like having a RSG in the bank ( the only downside i see is there do not seem to be many 2 bedrooms offered, think i saw about 3 in the whole offering of getawayweeks.com )

as far as the discount certificate,

Congratulations on winning discount coupons from SkyAuction.

You may use the following code towards future purchases on SkyAuction travel:

xx-xxxxxx-x

my understanding is it can be used for an auction or instant purchase to the full amount of the discount.....thus in your example....


the $15 + $195+ bid

if you bid was 50 your total would be 260 - 100 = 160$

so not just the BID

this is what they have posted on their site

$100 SkyAuction Travel Certificate


Whether you use it to go on a vacation half way around the world, or just stay closer to home with Broadway show tickets or dining certificates at a local restaurant, this travel certificate will give you great value on your purchase.

You will receive (1) one $100 SkyAuction Travel Certificate good for use on any offer on our site. This travel certificate entitles you to a $100 discount on ANY offer whether offered at a purchase price or offered at auction. This discount is per offer and can only be used on items which are offered at Skyauction.com.


any more questions just fire away....

smilawgs