Frequently Asked Questions

• Exchange FAQ
• How to Buy FAQ
• Maintenance and Fees FAQ

Exchange FAQ

Q. Who is RCI?

A. Resort Condominiums International, or RCI, is the oldest and largest exchange company in the world. RCI allows timeshare owners to trade their timeshare weeks with other timeshare owners around the world. RCI Timeshare has been in business for almost 30 years and currently work with over 3000 resorts in 85 countries. RCI can be reached at 1-800-338-7777. Back to the top

Q. Who is II?

A. Interval International, or II, is the second largest and second oldest exchange company behind RCI. With over 1700 resorts in 35 countries around the world, II operates much like RCI, offering quality exchange services for its clients worldwide. II can be reached at 1-800-843-8843. Back to the top

Q. What are the benefits of each company?

A. The benefits of RCI and II are essentially the same. They both give you an annual listing of all resorts. They both have a quarterly or bimonthly update magazine. They both offer a "members only" travel agency (remember airfares aren't included with your timeshare costs). Both offer last minute getaways at a very reasonable price without having to give up your deposited week and both offer excellent customer service through their toll-free numbers. Back to the top

Q. Is there any difference between RCI and II?

A. There are a great deal of similarities between the two companies. Both companies are excellent. Back to the top

Q. Do RCI and II own the resorts?

A. No. neither do. As they state in RCI's resort directory, "(We) offer (our) services to owners at resorts with which we have an affiliation agreement." Back to the top

Q. Is there a membership fee for RCI and II?

A. Yes. The annual fee for Interval International is $79.00 and RCI's is $84.00. They also offer three and five year subscriptions which may be purchased at a discount to the annual rate. Back to the top

Q. How do I make an exchange?

A. Making an exchange is as easy as picking up your phone, calling RCI or II, and asking one of their vacation consultants to walk you through the exchange process. But, think of it like you think of going to the bank. The two companies vary, but the process with each is very user-friendly, and you are helped through the request and exchange process.

The concept of timeshare exchange is easily summed up as "like for like." As you make your exchange request, keep in mind that what you own. You are likely to get the same number of bedrooms, same season, and similar amenities as what your home resort offers.

Your deposited timeshare week does not have to be taken before you are confirmed to go elsewhere. You also don't have to travel the same fixed week that you have deposited. Back to the top

Q. When I make an exchange, does someone else have to use my time?

A. No. All weeks are deposited into the space bank and requests are made against these weeks. Exchanges are fulfilled based on availability. Back to the top

Q. May I rent my week out?

A. Once you become the legal owner of a timeshare, you may rent it out if you wish. The Holiday Group, RCI, and II, however, don't assist in rentals. Back to the top

Q. May I rent a week I have received in exchange?

A. No! This is expressly forbidden. If you do this and the exchange company finds out you will be banned from future exchanges for life. Back to the top

Q. May I make an exchange and let someone else use it?

A. Yes, but you will need to give the exchange company the name of the people who will be using the resort so they can make a guest certificate for them. The costs for a guest certificate are: RCI $40.00, and Interval International $29.00. Back to the top

Q. When should I deposit my week?

A. You are always advised to deposit your week as early as possible. You may deposit as early as one to two years or as late as fourteen days prior to the reservation date. Back to the top

Q. Do I have to make a request at the same time I make a deposit?

A. No. In both of the major exchange companies you have two years after you deposit your time to request an exchange. But if you wish to, you may make a request when you make your deposit. Back to the top

Q. When should I request my exchange?

A. RCI allows you to request your exchange 2 days to two years before you want to travel as long as you have a week on deposit with the exchange company. Back to the top

Q. What is the difference between the exchange seasons?

A. In timeshare, the difference in season indicates the popularity of any particular resort at that time. The most sought-after weeks (e.g. February week in Vail) are rated as high season and the less popular weeks (e.g. Winter on Long Island) are rated as low season weeks. High demand weeks are known as high season or red time, moderate demand weeks are known as mid season or white time, and low demand weeks are known as low season or blue time. Back to the top

Q. Is it possible to trade one high season week for 2 low season weeks?

A. No. There may be certain exceptions to this, but do not purchase a timeshare based upon this. One week will always exchange for one other week. Back to the top

Q. How many resort locations can I request?

A. You are allowed to request up to four resorts in one area or several areas which you're interested in. Being flexible in destination selection will improve your chances of making a successful exchange. Back to the top

Q. When do I pay the exchange fee?

A. All fees are payable when you make your request. If you are requesting a guest certificate or adding other options they are due at this time. Back to the top

Q. How long will it take to confirm my exchange?

A. Most exchanges are confirmed within twenty-four hours. If your desired destination is not immediately available, a computerized search will continue to look for exchanges. All incoming deposits will be checked up to fourteen days before your planned departure date or until confirmed. Back to the top

Q. Do I pay my maintenance fee to the resort I'm exchanging to?

A. No. All maintenance fees are paid directly to the resort you own and not to the resort you are trading to. Back to the top

Q. What is an internal exchange at the home resort?

A. An internal exchange allows you to exchange the week you own for a different week at the resort. If you have a summer week and wish to go at another time of the year the resort may do this for you based upon availability of inventory. The resort may or may not charge a fee for this service. Back to the top

Q. What is an internal exchange from RCI?

A. Instead of using your home resort to exchange at the same resort you use RCI to facilitate this transaction. There is a fee for this service just like any other exchange. Remember, priority will be given to any owner wishing to exchange back at their home resort. Back to the top

Q. How many people can I take with me?

A. You can take as many as the maximum number your unit sleeps. Resorts typically will not accept more than a unit's capacity to stay in one unit. Back to the top

Q. Will the resort provide daily maid service?

A. Some resorts will have daily service, some bi-weekly, and some not at all during your stay. If this is of major concern to you, you should contact the resort you wish to visit to find out exactly what their policies are. Back to the top

How to Buy FAQ

Q. What locations does Holiday have for sale?

A. We have a large inventory of timeshare properties in locations worldwide. When they arrive, they are liquidated very quickly. We have found that most people are interested in:

• A resort that they can trade for other locations.
• A resort in their local area they can drive to.
• A resort in a specific location that they would enjoy vacationing at several times.

In addition to our inventory, we have access, via a national database system, to companies that sell timeshares on the secondary market. This allows us to expand our inventory to include many additional resorts. But as these are secondary market offerings, the price range is usually significantly higher than our own inventory. Back to the top

Q. Are these resorts in financial trouble?

A. No. We deal with individual memberships or deeds which are foreclosed or repossessed. We don't take inventory in financially unstable resorts. Back to the top

Q. How does Holiday get these properties at such low prices?

A. We work through a number of attorneys, developers, and financial institutions to purchase inventory around the world. Back to the top

Q. I don't normally have access to the Internet, so how else can I view your inventory?

A. There are two ways that we may help you if you don't have Internet access. We offer informational sheets on each item in inventory that we can fax or mail you. These fact sheets will give you all of the pertinent information on a specific membership within the resorts. Second, we have a catalog which contains the current inventory. This catalog provides a brief over-view of each property in our inventory along with the unit size, membership season, maintenance fees, and asking price. Back to the top

Q. After seeing your listings, there are a number of resorts we have an interest in. How do we proceed with the purchase of one or more of these resorts?

A. Because most people we deal with do not have the luxury of visiting the resort before they purchase, we provide you with the following: the contact at the resort or management company, the contract number of previous owner, and any other information necessary for you to do the amount of due diligence you feel comfortable with to make an informed purchase. You may then contact us at 1-800-704-0307 to begin the process of purchasing your property. Back to the top

Q. What if I want to see the resort before I purchase?

A. Great! We encourage our customers to be as familiar with the programs they are purchasing as possible. However, our inventory is liquidated on a daily basis and we can not guarantee the membership will still be available unless you make arrangements with us to hold the property for you. Back to the top

Q. What is a maintenance fee?

A. The maintenance fee is an annual charge, on top of your initial purchase cost, that goes toward the upkeep of your timeshare. Your maintenance fee usually covers property taxes, insurance, utilities, cable, telephone, and all property up keep such as furniture, carpet, and the common facilities of the resort. Usually, the resort's Homeowners Association decides this fee. Back to the top

Q. What is a transfer fee?

A. A transfer fee is a cost that resorts charge to transfer ownership from one party to another. This fee applies directly to resale timeshares. Transfer fees are determined by the resort and will vary depending on what resort you are buying. Back to the top

Q. What sizes of accommodations are available?

A. Sizes of units vary from resort to resort, but as a rough guideline are broken down by bedroom number and how many adults they sleep. Here is the breakdown:

Hotel Unit	Sleeps 2
Studio Unit	Sleeps 2 to 4
One Bedroom Unit	Sleeps 4 to 6
Two Bedroom Unit	Sleeps 6 to 8
Three Bedroom Unit	Sleeps 8+

Back to the top

Q. What is a fixed week?

A. A fixed week is ownership of a specific week of usage each year. The first week of the year will be designated as week #1, and the last week of the year will be week #52. Usually, fixed weeks are assigned to a fixed condominium unit as well. Back to the top

Q. What is a floating week?

A. A floating week means that the week you own is not a pre-determined week. A floating week guarantees you one week within a certain time period based on what season rating your membership is. Each year, you contact the resort and reserve the week during your season that you would like to use. If you plan on exchanging your floating week, you will need to make a reservation before you deposit your week with the exchange company. Back to the top

Q. What is a point system?

A. A point system is a vacation ownership in which you own points that represent the quality of the unit you will have. More points translate into higher season ratings, larger accommodations, and better trading power. For example, a low season studio unit may take 100 points to reserve the time, but a high season two bedroom unit may require 300 timeshare points. Most systems will allow you to borrow from future years or to carry over unused points to the next year. Back to the top

Q. What is a lock-off unit?

A. Lock-off units may be divided into two or more smaller units for exchange or usage purposes. For example, a two bedroom lock-off may be divided into a one bedroom and a studio, or some other configuration which the particular resort will provide. Usually one of the units is used for exchange purposes giving the owner the ability to vacation an additional week each year. Remember that you will no longer have the use of your large unit, but it will be in two or more smaller units. Back to the top

Q. What is a deeded property?

A. A deeded property is one in which the property title does not expire. Once you own it, it's yours until you decide to sell it, much like home ownership. Deeded properties may also be passed to your heirs. Back to the top

Q. What is leased or certificate property?

A. A right to use your timeshare for a specified number of years. At the end of this period the property reverts back to the developer. Some resorts allow accelerated usage which means that you may borrow usage from future years. to do so you will normally pay the maintenance fees for the accelerated usage. Back to the top

Q. What is life property?

A. A membership which allows usage each year for the owner's lifetime. Back to the top

Q. What is a stock company?

A. Resorts issue shares of ownership in the property or properties which they are selling. Rather than owning a deed to a property, you own shares in the company which entitles you to vacation time each year. Back to the top

Q. Are there additional fees involved in the purchase of a timeshare?

A. Yes. As in many property transfers there are fees involved. You should expect to pay for preparation of the transfer documents, a maintenance fee and the recording and transfer fees which are determined by the county and resort. These may total a couple to several hundreds of dollars. Of coarse, all costs will be disclosed and accounted for before you purchase. Back to the top

Q. Does this include title insurance?

A. No. That is an outside fee charged by a title insurance company for their services. Title insurance is only applicable to properties located in the United States. If you have questions regarding title, please do not hesitate to ask about availability. Back to the top

Q. How soon after purchase will I get my deed/certificate to the property?

A. The usual time frame is ninety to one hundred and twenty days. There are exceptions to this, as some counties take longer to process transfers. We do keep you informed about the circumstances and any situation which may cause a delay in transfer. Back to the top

Q. How do I make sure I have a clear title to the property?

A. Upon your request, you can order Title Policy insuring clear title. At Holiday, we stand behind our inventory 100%. If on any purchase, for any reason, we are unable to deliver a free and clear title, we will refund all of the money you have placed toward the purchase of your timeshare property. Back to the top

Q. Can I ever sell my timeshare?

A. Yes. Once you are the legal owner of a timeshare week, you may sell it at any given time. The Holiday Group, RCI, and II do not assist in this process, but Holiday will recommend a reputable source to assist you in selling your property. Back to the top

Q. How soon may I use it after purchasing?

A. As soon as the ownership has been transferred into your name, you may contact the resort and exchange company to start active participation. Back to the top

Maintenance and Fees FAQ

Q. What is a maintenance fee?

A. The maintenance fee is an annual charge, on top of your initial purchase cost, that goes toward the upkeep of your timeshare. Your maintenance fee usually covers property taxes, insurance, utilities, cable, telephone, and all property upkeep such as furniture, carpet, and the common facilities of the resort. Usually, the resort's Homeowners Association decides this fee. On average, you can expect this fee to increase by about 2-4% annually. Back to the top

Q. What is a transfer fee?

A. A transfer fee is a cost that resorts charge to transfer ownership from one party to another. This fee applies directly to resale timeshares. Transfer fees are determined by the resort and will vary depending on what resort you are buying into. Back to the top

Find vacation timeshares at leading resorts around the world. Popular destinations range from the resorts of Mexico to the beaches of Hawaii and theme parks in Central Florida.