Owner tips

Here's a question I get quite frequently - it goes something like this: . . . "We recently attended a presentation, where they told us we could upgrade/convert our week and get points, for $x,xxx. They said weeks like ours aren't very useful anymore, and if we want to get good vacations, we'll need to have points. Should we convert? Is this a good deal?" Continue...

If you're in II, you've probably seen a promo like "Featured Flexchange Destinations." So what is Flexchange? The simple answer is an exchange within 59 days of check-in. While accurate, that doesn't tell the whole story. There's a lot more [...] Continue...

If you deposit your timeshare with RCI, of course you want to get the best possible exchanges with it. Unfortunately, many timeshare owners get less trading power than they could, and don't realize what they're missing out on. The good news [...] Continue...

Have you ever used your timeshare to book a cruise? This option is available to many timeshare owners, and it seems like a great way to get a different sort of vacation. But are you getting ripped off if you do this? A new lawsuit charges just that. Continue...

Many timeshare owners dream of exchanging it for idyllic spots around the world. Why can some owners trade for exotic destinations, while others can never find a good exchange? Here are 5 common ways to avoid getting the exchange you want. Continue...

I'm frequently asked whether it's a good idea to buy a timeshare for some specific purpose. For instance, "Should I buy timeshare A so that I can use it to exchange into timeshare B?" If you've ever considered this strategy, here's what you need to know [...] Continue...

RCI Points are popular and well known. In comparison, Interval International's point system has been flying under the radar, and most people know little about it. There are key differences between Interval and RCI timeshare points systems [...] Continue...

A lot of the questions I get are about RCI vs. Interval International, so I'm doing a series of blog posts discussing some key differences. This starts with a fundamental difference in how the two companies filter your results when searching [...] Continue...

Last year, I wrote a popular post on RCI Platinum Membership - Is It Worth It?, analyzing the costs and benefits. In 2014, there are some significant updates to the program, so it's time to revisit it. If you're wondering whether Platinum is worth the [...] Continue...

We recently attended an owner's update, which much to our surprise (not!) was an attempt to sell us something. If you're a timeshare owner, I'm sure you're familiar with the routine. What I found fascinating, though, was how the math worked out [...] Continue reading...