[Redweek] Tips

[travelplus]

I wanted to say how much I love Red Week its a Godsend and a secrete for those who don't know how powerful it can be.

For instance we wanted a bonus week this summer and it was hard to find anything via Interval or RCI and their prices were up there and only had availability in Vegas.

We knew we wanted to go to South Lake Tahoe so we found a week at the Resort where we own and was able to negotiate the price. This is a little known fact that 99 percent of the people who are members on Red Week will be paying the full price of what is asked. What they don't realize is the owner needs to cover his or her maintenance fees so the renter can negotiate and the worst that can happen is the owner says no or offers a counteroffer.

My point is for $15 a year you get access to bonus weeks to rent and you are NOT at the mercy of Interval or RCI and can deal directly with the owner renting the week. I love this no middleman approach.

Let's say I wanted to go to Rome and I know when I will be there. All I do is go onto Redweek.Com and search for the dates. If I see something I like 12 months in advance or 2 weeks in advance and it has not been rented I Can rent it right then and there.

Then if my friends want to join me I charge them $500 of the $1,000 week and voila I get the week for $500 and they pay $500 so its under $100 per night in a nice 2 bedroom for instance. Even if the price were more I can split the cost.

This brings me to the next point, I would have my friends stay in the Lock-Off Portion where I get the Master Bedroom(My Friends would not know any better and would be happy ot have a place to sleep).

I hope to use more of Redweek to compliment Interval/RCI. The advantage of Redweek.Com is there is no Guest Certificate to Purchase. If I wanted to treat my Cousin to a Two Week Vacation I can pay for it with my Credit Card and put her name on the Reservation.

What have been your experiences with Redweek?

 

[csxjohn]

... This is a little known fact that 99 percent of the people who are members on Red Week will be paying the full price of what is asked. What they don't realize is the owner needs to cover his or her maintenance fees so the renter can negotiate and the worst that can happen is the owner says no or offers a counteroffer.

Where are you getting this 99% figure. According to many TUG members who post their units on RW, this is not the norm. People looking to vacation frequently ask for a better price. I think you made that number up.

My point is for $15 a year you get access to bonus weeks to rent and you are NOT at the mercy of Interval or RCI and can deal directly with the owner renting the week. I love this no middleman approach.

This statement is confusing to me when you talk about the bonus weeks. Yes, you are renting directly from the people who place the ads but not sure what "bonus" weeks you're talking about here.

Let's say I wanted to go to Rome and I know when I will be there. All I do is go onto Redweek.Com and search for the dates. If I see something I like 12 months in advance or 2 weeks in advance and it has not been rented I Can rent it right then and there.

This is just like any other site that lists rentals, nothing special about it.

Then if my friends want to join me I charge them $500 of the $1,000 week and voila I get the week for $500 and they pay $500 so its under $100 per night in a nice 2 bedroom for instance. Even if the price were more I can split the cost.

Again, you can do this no matter where you find a unit, nothing special.

...

I hope to use more of Redweek to compliment Interval/RCI. The advantage of Redweek.Com is there is no Guest Certificate to Purchase. If I wanted to treat my Cousin to a Two Week Vacation I can pay for it with my Credit Card and put her name on the Reservation.

One more time, you can do this anytime you rent from an individual no matter where you see the ad for the rental.

What have been your experiences with Redweek?

I've been a member there for a couple years and they do have a lot of ads for various resorts. I don't see it as a Godsend as you do though. It's just another resource for those looking to buy, sell, or rent a timeshare.

 

[twinmommy19]

We knew we wanted to go to South Lake Tahoe so we found a week at the Resort where we own and was able to negotiate the price. This is a little known fact that 99 percent of the people who are members on Red Week will be paying the full price of what is asked. What they don't realize is the owner needs to cover his or her maintenance fees so the renter can negotiate and the worst that can happen is the owner says no or offers a counteroffer.

While I agree that Redweek is one of the best rental sites out there, I don't think it's any different than any other source in terms of how many people are willing to pay the full ask price. As for covering maintenance or making a profit as the objective, it really depends on how popular the location is, how close to check in it is and several other variables. But I am certain that regardless of the site, plenty of people attempt to negotiate the price of a rental if they can. Just because a property status changes to SOLD on Redweek does not mean that the renter paid full price.

 

[VegasBella]

Personally, I generally don't haggle. If they want to attract hagglers by setting the price higher than they'll take then they've just priced me out. I often won't even bother asking. Only in the very rare case will I haggle.


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[Saintsfanfl]

Where are you getting this 99% figure. According to many TUG members who post their units on RW, this is not the norm. People looking to vacation frequently ask for a better price. I think you made that number up.



This statement is confusing to me when you talk about the bonus weeks. Yes, you are renting directly from the people who place the ads but not sure what "bonus" weeks you're talking about here.

I don't know if it's 99% but I tend to agree with the OP. Most people are like VegasBella. I have not rented much but I have yet to rent to someone on Redweek where they asked for a lower amount. I don't even think I have gotten a lower offer inquiry. I probably have but when it happens it's so lowball I don't even respond. I have definitely gotten them on tug listings but not so sure from Redweek.

That said, I price my rentals appropriately. I think people make a mistake pricing them too high because like VegasBella said, many potential renters won't even bother inquiring.

EDIT: I guess it also depends on supply and demand. Prime resorts especially for prime weeks the listings generally get what they are asking. Lower demand resorts and/or off-season are usually priced too high because the owners do not want to eat a loss. These rentals usually never get rented unless it's by a low-ball counter offer. Redweek is a great place for an owner to rent out when they have a high demand week that can be rented for profit. I don't think it's a great place at all for bargain listings because of the fee required on both sides.

 

[twinmommy19]

I don't know if it's 99% but I tend to agree with the OP. Most people are like VegasBella. I have not rented much but I have yet to rent to someone on Redweek where they asked for a lower amount. I don't even think I have gotten a lower offer inquiry.

It depends on the location. Areas where pretty much everyone has to fly to are likely subject to more negotiation. When we went to Aruba a few years ago and needed an extra unit at the Marriott for the 4th, we didn't negotiate only because I observed a general trend of owners going on to Redweek and lowering the price each week on their own. I'm sure some people negotiated deals though because there was a surplus of listings. I waited for the price to fall to a point where I didn't need to negotiate. That time of year was cheap enough at the hotel so we had a back up reservation which we ended up canceling once the price was right on the rental. Not every area is like this though which is why I say it depends on the location.

That said, I do think Redweek is by far the best site out there for rentals. The reason is that it has a reputation for being reliable (like TUG) but it's a better overall rental site (excluding the last minute forum) than TUG for the simple reason that TUG allows you to post an ad for free if you are a member. With Redweek, I'm pretty sure you have to pay to list your rental so on average, people tend to be more apt to price to sell with serious intent to rent no matter what. Sites that allow you to post for free in any capacity will always have steep offers floating out there in the long shot hope that someone bites otherwise the owner deposits or uses the week.

 

[MuranoJo]

I agree with several of the previous responses--nothing that unusual with what Redweek does.

I hope to use more of Redweek to compliment Interval/RCI. The advantage of Redweek.Com is there is no Guest Certificate to Purchase. If I wanted to treat my Cousin to a Two Week Vacation I can pay for it with my Credit Card and put her name on the Reservation.

One more time, you can do this anytime you rent from an individual no matter where you see the ad for the rental.

One exception for me is I would require the occupant to sign a rental contract.

I've successfully rented weeks on Redweek for over 10 years, and have only had one renter ask for a slight discount. And high-demand weeks will easily pull more than the maintenance fee, so low-balling wouldn't work in those situations.

 

[twinmommy19]

I've successfully rented weeks on Redweek for over 10 years, and have only had one renter ask for a slight discount. And high-demand weeks will easily pull more than the maintenance fee, so low-balling wouldn't work in those situations.

As far as negotiating goes, my experience has been that Redweek offers a great opportunity to get a good last minute discount of high quality weeks that generally don't find their way to the last minute TUG forum (or if they do, it's within a week or two of check only that the owner would be willing to rent it for$700 or less). At a month or two out from check in, the owners of unrented weeks on Redweek become more open to negotiating as the value of the potential deposit goes down due to the time penalty. This is especially true in locations that you have to fly to because the price of an airline ticket usually goes up closer to check in too, making it less likely that the owner would decide to "just use their week" at last minute. Of course, it is impossible to predict in any given year which weeks in these places are going to have unrented listings close to check in. A few years ago, I rented a 1BR in Aruba Ocean Club for under $1,000. This year, my manager looked on Redweek last minute and everything was completely rented at Ocean Club through July (there were some listings, but when he reached out to the owners they were no longer available).

 

[travelplus]

As far as negotiating goes, my experience has been that Redweek offers a great opportunity to get a good last minute discount of high quality weeks that generally don't find their way to the last minute TUG forum (or if they do, it's within a week or two of check only that the owner would be willing to rent it for$700 or less). At a month or two out from check in, the owners of unrented weeks on Redweek become more open to negotiating as the value of the potential deposit goes down due to the time penalty. This is especially true in locations that you have to fly to because the price of an airline ticket usually goes up closer to check in too, making it less likely that the owner would decide to "just use their week" at last minute. Of course, it is impossible to predict in any given year which weeks in these places are going to have unrented listings close to check in. A few years ago, I rented a 1BR in Aruba Ocean Club for under $1,000. This year, my manager looked on Redweek last minute and everything was completely rented at Ocean Club through July (there were some listings, but when he reached out to the owners they were no longer available).

Yes I agree with you. I like going on Redweek.com for last minute specials about a month before the checkin date.

I found a week for $999 and was able to negotiate it down by $150 for the week.

The goal the renters are trying to do is cover their Annual Dues and if you know the Maintenance fees for the particular resort you can then throw out a figure close to it.

I don't get it why people think they can rent a unit for more than their annual dues but I guess there are some people who are desperate and are willing to pay the inflated price.

First what I do is call the resort where I want to rent and ask them how much their rentals are.

Then I go onto Expedia to see how much they are charging. People don't realize that on Expedia you are subjected to the taxes and Resort Fee as well as renting from the Resort.

With the Expedia and Resort Rental rates in hand I go onto Redweek.com and find a unit with 2 bedrooms and usually its way below the Expedia/Resort Rental Rates.

If one person does not respond I write another request on Redweek until I find the week I want.

On Expedia usually the resort is not available and the same goes for the resort as all weeks have been booked.

This is where Redweek comes in they have weeks that are unavailable via other means and if its a resort I've always wanted to stay at in prime time of course I would find a unit that meets my budget and perhaps increase my budget to get a prime unit.

My point is you need to do your homework before committing to a week on Redweek. Just like airfares it may be less expensive to book through Expedia and on another search it may be better to book directly with the airline.

It can't hurt to negotiate on Redweek because the owner is trying to get money for a week they can't use. If the owner had rented out the week you wanted you can ask them politely to contact you should the renter cancel or if something becomes available in the future.

I like dealing directly with the owner wherever possible than having to rent via a middleman who can set whatever price they want to.

Also on Redweek if you book a month or less at a resort located within a 4 hour drive your chances are higher to score a week even if you have to pay more you are not paying to fly. Most people in the summer will want to fly to a place like Lake Tahoe.

Also if you see the Newly posted weeks and its at a good price contact the owner and you can try negotiating because as stated above the owner wants to recoup money from their unused week. Its a win win if the renter can confirm right away as they are getting something that they want and for the owner they are getting their money.

This holds especially true if the renter wants a bonus week at their home resort. The renter won't have any surprises and for the owner of the week they know that the renter will be satisfied. If a renter rents to someone who does not no anything about the resort and arrives and complains to the owner and the owner has to deal with the renter and lose money by refunding some of the money then what good does that do?

But if you as a renter really know that you want the Westin Mission Hills be up front and tell the owner of the week that you want this resort and see if you can bring the price down. If you went directly with Expedia or Westin you could be spending $600 a night for the same unit that you can get for $1300 a week or so(2 nights at rack rate).

 

[DeniseM]

I don't get it why people think they can rent a unit for more than their annual dues but I guess there are some people who are desperate and are willing to pay the inflated price.

There are many resorts that rent for far more that the maintenance fee - especially prime resorts/dates with Starwood, Marriott, Hyatt, DVC, and Hilton.

Your theories may work for off season, lower level resorts, and last minute desperation rentals, but they don't apply to the top resorts and top locations.

 

[twinmommy19]

The goal the renters are trying to do is cover their Annual Dues and if you know the Maintenance fees for the particular resort you can then throw out a figure close to it.

This part of what you say isn't true. Denise is right - people who rent their units at the nicest resorts during prime season are looking to make a profit, and rightfully so. Just because their maintenance is low don't forget that they often paid 10K+ to own during prime season in the first place.

I don't get it why people think they can rent a unit for more than their annual dues but I guess there are some people who are desperate and are willing to pay the inflated price.

Most people don't want to plan their vacations within a month or so of check in. There is plenty of demand at a premium price above maintenance for prime resorts it's just that total supply of those seeking to rent those weeks (at least for some weeks in peak season) often ends up exceeding the total demand. Thus, there are leftovers and those tend to be the weeks that are lowered on Redweek at the last minute and/or the price may be negotiable. However, it's impossible to predict which weeks and which locations are going to have this excess in any given year. There is no way to know whether those leftover weeks will be at drivable locations to where you live. Waiting until last minute to book a flight is generally not cost effective. If you have to pay hundreds of dollars extra a ticket for a family of 4 because you are booking airfare last minute you may as well just pay a premium on the rental in the first place because it will still likely be cheaper in the end.

 

[csxjohn]

...
The goal the renters are trying to do is cover their Annual Dues and if you know the Maintenance fees for the particular resort you can then throw out a figure close to it.

That's a pretty big assumption on your part. My belief is that people who post rentals regularly are tying to make money doing it, not just trying to recover MFs.

I don't get it why people think they can rent a unit for more than their annual dues but I guess there are some people who are desperate and are willing to pay the inflated price.

What a person pays for MFs has nothing to do with rental rates. Supply and demand, location, and time of year determine what you can rent out your unit for.

...

I like dealing directly with the owner wherever possible than having to rent via a middleman who can set whatever price they want to.

This makes no sense to me. The owner can also set whatever price he wants.

....

Most people in the summer will want to fly to a place like Lake Tahoe.

Really???

...

If a renter rents to someone who does not no anything about the resort and arrives and complains to the owner and the owner has to deal with the renter and lose money by refunding some of the money then what good does that do?

I'm really not sure where you're getting these "facts." Just because someone has a complaint doesn't mean he's going to get any money back.

...


As others have said RedWeek is a good resource for landlords and renters but no different than any other site where owners can list their rentals.

Your strategies are good for you but they are not for everyone. That's the beauty of Timeshare World, everyone is different and there is something for everyone.