Keeping watch on Trendwest / WorldMark by Wyndham

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Free exchange companies?

In posting an anonymous comment, a reader mentioned:


So bottom line you can join some free exchange places and grab a bonus week for next to nothing, bonus nights with Trendwest for $60 night, pay exchange costs and hope for a flexchange with Interval and you will have a bargain. But it is hard work unless like me you enjoy it!


I'm intrigued! Do you have any examples of "free exchange places"? I'd love to hear more about what you've discovered!

-- Fabbo

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posted by Fabbo at Wednesday, April 27, 2005
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4 Comments:

  • Hi

    Anon here again!

    You can join for free but if you choose to make an exchange then you have to pay. To exchange you have to book a week with worldmark then exchange that week. However being a member you get bonus weeks, special deals etc even if you do not do an exchange. So for those it is free.

    I would not exchange into an Australian property unless it was somewhere I would really want to go but certainly for overseas where worldmark are not available.

    It is good because you do not have to commit anything before you see something or if you have points that will expire you can bank a reserved week you really do not need without joining the more expensive mobs.

    The best one is dial an exchange I think. But any exchange company is worth approaching if you feel they have a fair range to choose from.

    I don't think you shoudl expect the same quality as worldmark but then you may be able to book a studio week and get a 2 bedroom in exchange so could work out well.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, 27 April, 2005  

  • I may not be 100% correct but the way I see it is that the person picking up the exhange pays the fee. If you bank a week and no one picks it up then then they sell as a bonus week to recoup their operational expenses. I think, almost sure anyways.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, 27 April, 2005  

  • If I can rabbit on a bit more.

    For eg if you have 6000 credit membership 2 weeks a year holiday means a studio in a blue week Hunter Valley or Ballarat etc. You do not want to go there because wrong time, been before etc etc so you bank into dial an exchange. This can then become a 3 week holiday with a little more choice of location and time for the cost of a bonus week at maybe $200 for a week and two exchanges at about $100. So for the annual maint fee, one housekeeping charge plus $400 paid to dae you get 3 weeks holiday with more choice than you started with for 6000 credits at worldmark. So what does this add to about $750 for 3 weeks at perhaps a one or two bedroom for the studios you banked.

    Anyway hope I helped any owners out there struggling to make more use of their credits. You will not get the Hilton but a holiday is a holiday!

    will stop filling up fabbos blog site now.

    Happy holidays

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Wednesday, 27 April, 2005  

  • I joined RCI as a family and friends member and get access to rental and bonus weeks. It appears to be free to join. Look at
    http://familyandfriends.rciap.com/

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Thursday, 28 April, 2005  

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