I love the whole concept of HE and have enjoyed a couple of very positive exchanges. However Iāve received more guests than have used my points (my secondary home is the one I offer on the platform and therefore do not use as reciprocal). Each time I have tried to use my points I struggle so much to find anywhere and become so disillusioned I just give up.
This time though has left me completely frustrated with the whole thing. I started to look for an exchange in January for the Easter break and kept my search wide with various locations and home types. I received so many Noās or just got totally ignored. I still have no trip planned for me and my boys and Easter is next week. Many of the homes I tried and either received a No for or got ignored are still displaying as available. I am so confused. I have excellent reviews so it canāt be a question of trust.
I am sitting here with almost 5000 points, with various families having enjoyed my home. However I cannot enjoy anywhere with my family.
Now I will probably have to pay for accommodation somewhere if I want to take a break this Easter. And Iāll also need to pay another years membership in order to keep those points as my HE membership ends next month.
You donāt loose your gp if you donāt renew now. You can just make a break and renew later.
Regarding the calendar, to remind itās just an indication. If you ask on this forum or on the facebook groups and you are open, itās very probable you get some nice offers, even on the last minute.
I would suggest adding a link to your profile here, in case someone reading this message is interested in earning GuestPoints and offers you their home.
I also wanted to mention that thereās a thread on the forum where people offer their homes for GuestPoints. You can check if any of the listings there match what youāre looking for:
Welcome on the forum Jlou73 and sorry GPs system does not work for you.
I always offer a simultaneous or non simultaneous or GPs exchange to members i contact.
When i receive a request, i am not interested in GPs but i might be interested in a reciprocical exchange.
Additionnaly, you can contact listings which have the GPs exchange only and read carefully the minimum number of days set up.
The problem is the Easter Break is a short term exchange and many members may think it is a lot of work or prefer to rent.
As it is my second home the reciprocal exchange does not work for me unfortunately. I just wanted to use the spaces in my rental calendar for HE GP guests and in turn use those Gaps to visit other places in the world. Sadly thatās not quite working out. As a parent of a young child I am tied to the school holidays which makes it even more tricky.
Why a second home would not work for reciprocical exchanges?
Guest come to your second home and you go to the (first or second) home.
Moreover, second homes allow to do non simultaneous exchanges.
The secret on HE is to be adaptable.
For example , i went to a place last summer and the host come to my place this summer 1 year later.
If members prefer GPs, they immediatly let you know.
Iām so sorry to hear your frustrationā¦ I on the other hand have the opposite issue I use my points as quickly as I get them there are several reasons I think for my success not all controllable 1 is that we are retired there are only 2 of us and we are pretty flexible. I usually start planning my holiday year 6 months in advance and depending on the location for example NYNY I sent 50 requests and often send 10 to 15 as standard. I donāt send requests to anyone with a low response rate only excellent or good at a push. Happy to give any tips but donāt give up it does take time but the rewards are amazing
Hi Jlou73, is your holiday soon? If not, do you have to book flights for a holiday? Why not look for a holiday closer to your own home? There are many, many beautiful places to find within a dayās drive/public transport. At least thatās what I always find. And there are always many members that would like points, too. Donāt give up! Be as flexible as you can and you may end up at a location that will surprise you.
And when youāre a member for longer, it will get easier to get swaps/stays.
there are several reasons I think for my success not all controllable 1 is that we are retired there are only 2 of us and we are pretty flexible. I usually start planning my holiday year 6 months in advance and depending on the location for example NYNY I sent 50 requests and often send 10 to 15 as standard. I donāt send requests to anyone with a low response rate only excellent or good at a push. Happy to give any tips but donāt give up it does take time but the rewards are amazing