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SFX bonus weeks--do you use them? I have so many I never use.

rickandcindy23

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Does anyone really care about additional bonus weeks through SFX for certain deposits?

I have had so many bonus weeks expire with SFX. I used one for a guy at the firehouse because he wanted Mexico, and Mexico is just easy to get. It's the only bonus week I have ever used!

SFX is offering bonus weeks for certain deposits, and those don't interest me at all.

I have several weeks on deposit and entered a request for Manhattan Club for the 3rd week of March. I was told by Elena that because I already got Manhattan Club once, I wouldn't be able to get it again for a while. Well, our daughter couldn't use that week and wants spring break. I knew I should have entered a request with RCI before now. It's pretty late in the game. Maybe I will catch a cancellation. I am bummed!
 

JuliGee

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Does anyone really care about additional bonus weeks through SFX for certain deposits?

I have had so many bonus weeks expire with SFX. I used one for a guy at the firehouse because he wanted Mexico, and Mexico is just easy to get. It's the only bonus week I have ever used!

SFX is offering bonus weeks for certain deposits, and those don't interest me at all.

I have several weeks on deposit and entered a request for Manhattan Club for the 3rd week of March. I was told by Elena that because I already got Manhattan Club once, I wouldn't be able to get it again for a while. Well, our daughter couldn't use that week and wants spring break. I knew I should have entered a request with RCI before now. It's pretty late in the game. Maybe I will catch a cancellation. I am bummed!

We really care about them because we use them, and based on the pricing plus the usage we get out of them, it represents a great value to our family. We are retired, so we have plenty of time to travel. We also give a couple to family and friends. We too have several weeks on deposit, and other benefits we liked for depositing a 2015 weeks, is they extended all our current deposits by another year, and we got an additional $300 on our cash card to use towards transaction fees. What is RCI and II offering these days for a deposit?

Obviously if you are not using them, then they are meaningless. I guess that goes for anything you don't use right?

I know they get weeks at Hilton's property in NY. Did you ask them to include that property as well?

Juli
 
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GrayFal

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We really care about them because we use them, and based on the pricing plus the usage we get out of them, it represents a great value to our family. We are retired, so we have plenty of time to travel. We also give a couple to family and friends. We too have several weeks on deposit, and other benefits we liked for depositing a 2015 weeks, is they extended all our current deposits by another year, and we got an additional $300 on our cash card to use towards transaction fees. What is RCI and II offering these days for a deposit?

Obviously if you are not using them, then they are meaningless. I guess that goes for anything you don't use right?

I know they get weeks at Hilton's property in NY. Did you ask them to include that property as well?

Juli
SFX has instituted a one in three year restriction on all of NYC. Since Cindy had an exchange in that time frame, she is not eligible for another.
I used to go to NYC every year thru SFX....no more.
 

Sugarcubesea

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SFX has instituted a one in three year restriction on all of NYC. Since Cindy had an exchange in that time frame, she is not eligible for another.
I used to go to NYC every year thru SFX....no more.


I wonder why they did that?
 

rickandcindy23

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I wonder why they did that?

I would say demand exceeds supply.

I offered my Marriott's Custom House summer week to them, if I can get Manhattan Club for my daughter. They haven't answered yet. It was a bribe.
 

rickandcindy23

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What is RCI and II offering these days for a deposit?

Really tough comparison. SFX has no inventory just sitting online to grab. I need that to expand my imagination, so I don't like SFX's exchange model for that reason. SFX still works, and I recently purchased a platinum membership, so I don't want to argue against you because I am giving it another shot. Rick and I love San Francisco and can go there cheaper through SFX than any other means. We even own Shell points, and we can stay through SFX cheaper than using Shell.

Say I want to go somewhere in October of 2015. I can look at RCI and II and actually see what my options are. II inventory is somewhat hidden, but most is online to see. SFX inventory is going to be primarily Mexico. I don't want to go to Mexico.

II's bonus weeks are less than SFX's, and they do offer bonus weeks for a few of my resorts. I am always watching for the bonus week offers. I lockoff my 2 bedrooms to get 2 great exchanges. I used a studio and received a 2 bed Hilton Head Marriott for 4/11.

RCI has inventory galore for places I want to go (like Kauai and several resorts in Orlando), and my weeks I use to exchange through RCI can actually get quite a few exchanges, depending where I want to go. We get 76 points for our weeks. Weeks are as few as 5 points when they go on sale (most are off-season, but we are older and can take advantage). So a few points + $219 exchange fee--that's a bargain. Bonus weeks with SFX cost more. Then again, I think SFX offers some great weeks as bonus weeks.

Comparing is tough. I have to consider the strengths and weaknesses of each company. RCI has so many resorts with 1-in-4 restrictions (and 1-in-5). I am sorry to see SFX is following their lead.
 

JuliGee

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II's bonus weeks are less than SFX's, and they do offer bonus weeks for a few of my resorts.

RCI has inventory galore for places I want to go (like Kauai and several resorts in Orlando), and my weeks I use to exchange through RCI can actually get quite a few exchanges, depending where I want to go. We get 76 points for our weeks. Weeks are as few as 5 points when they go on sale (most are off-season, but we are older and can take advantage). So a few points + $219 exchange fee--that's a bargain. Bonus weeks with SFX cost more. Then again, I think SFX offers some great weeks as bonus weeks.

With II, can you request your bonus week like an exchange week? If so, far how ahead can you request your bonus week, and typically how much are they?

The low season bonus week with RCI you booked for 5 points plus $219 certainly is a good deal. How many months in advance were you able to book the unit?

Juli
 

rickandcindy23

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With II, can you request your bonus week like an exchange week? If so, far how ahead can you request your bonus week, and typically how much are they?

The low season bonus week with RCI you booked for 5 points plus $219 certainly is a good deal. How many months in advance were you able to book the unit?

Juli

I use the bonus weeks in II for Orlando, and I always stay in the same resort--Marriott's Cypress Harbour. Total cost is about $350. You can get those up to a year out, and the bonus week is good for a year only.

The 5 points weeks are sometimes months and months from now. It depends on inventory at the resorts. They had Sheraton Broadway Plantation one year for many weeks in a row, starting early January and going through May. I could book those weeks back to back, if I wanted to go 8 weeks at a time. It was that cheap. I rarely take advantage of the small point exchanges but see the possibilities all the time.

SFX has their strong points. Now that I have discovered Manhattan Club is not going to be a possibility except 1-in-3 years, I will have to make a better plan for NYC in the future. Our daughter will have to wait, I guess,because it's too late for II and RCI to get anything. Oh well!
 

presley

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Most of mine have been expiring, too. I used them when I first joined, but have pretty much added on enough timeshares that I don't know extra weeks now. I'm sure if/when I downgrade, I will get some use again. For now, offering me bonus weeks doesn't make me want to deposit.

It seems to me that the getaways in II are priced better when booking 6 - 12 months out. And, I think we get unlimited supply on those. Again, I don't need them, but I see the benefit for those who do.
 

rickandcindy23

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Presley, those Shell points are so valuable in II. My stepdad decided he wanted to join us in Disneyworld in January, and all I booked was a 1 bed at Wilderness Lodge Villas for the first week. The second week we have a 2 bed OKW, so I checked II and found him a Marriott Grande Vista studio for that first week for 500 points. That's $100 + $164 exchange fee for a full week in a Marriott studio. He will just have cereal for breakfast, and he will stay with us until it's time to go to bed. It's great to have that option for him.
 
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