RCI TPU system discontinuing?

We just attended a Festiva Resorts presentation (no didn't buy--just went for the gift). We were told that the RCI weeks TPU system was only started to get weeks owners accustom to being in a points type system and it was reverting back to the former "weeks for weeks" in 2015. Therefore, everyone needed to go into the points system to have more availability. He said it was widely known in the industry and seemed surprised that we didn't know.
He also said that buying RCI points on the secondary market was illegal and if we bought on e-bay, the RCI points would revert to the original weeks unless we paid the conversion fee to the resort. I know TUGGERS have purchased points from e-bay without paying conversion fees, so I know that was not true. Although we are RCI weeks owners, I have considered getting into the points system and would try to purchase through e-bay.
Has anyone heard this about the TPU system being discontinued or was this another "salesman lie"? The original salesman told us this and the manager told us again.
Thanks.
Ava

I havent heard of any such thing, and it seems to me that if part of their pitch was nonsense (the part about resale points contracts reverting to weeks) then Id think everything they said is suspect.


I have heard talk, more speculation than anything else. that points and weeks (tpu) will merge one day...just talk I think

The reason RCI introduced a more transparent exchange system (tpu) had more to do with a court case and settlement I think, than some effort to get all of us used to points

No Turning Back.

I do not claim any inside knowledge or special insight. But I can't duck the idea that what the timeshare sellers said about scrapping TPUs was hogwash & balderdash. (Remember, history shows that if their lips were moving, chances are they were stretching the facts if not fibbing outright.)

In any case, the only thing newish about TPUs is their open disclosure. RCI Weeks always worked via TPUs. But until recent years, the secret TPU numbers were known only to the backroom gnomes of RCI plus a few specially shrewd & crafty TUG members who figured out everything on their own & used that secret information to snag outstanding week-for-week timeshare exchange reservations.

Now all the TPU values are right out there for all to see -- how many TPUs your timeshare is worth plus how many it takes to reserve an exchange week at somebody else's timeshare.

All that changed is ending TPU secrecy & operating the TPU-based RCI Weeks trading power exchange system out in the open.

Does anybody seriously think RCI Weeks will be trying to go back to secret formula timeshare exchanges ?

I don't think so.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

Therefore, everyone needed to go into the points system to have more availability.

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Well, it's sure a good thing that Festiva sells a point-based product, isn't it?

avad88 said:

We just attended a Festiva Resorts presentation (no didn't buy--just went for the gift). We were told that the RCI weeks TPU system was only started to get weeks owners accustom to being in a points type system and it was reverting back to the former "weeks for weeks" in 2015. Therefore, everyone needed to go into the points system to have more availability. He said it was widely known in the industry and seemed surprised that we didn't know.
He also said that buying RCI points on the secondary market was illegal and if we bought on e-bay, the RCI points would revert to the original weeks unless we paid the conversion fee to the resort. I know TUGGERS have purchased points from e-bay without paying conversion fees, so I know that was not true. Although we are RCI weeks owners, I have considered getting into the points system and would try to purchase through e-bay.
Has anyone heard this about the TPU system being discontinued or was this another "salesman lie"? The original salesman told us this and the manager told us again.
Thanks.
Ava

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One of these days, dishing out this BS in sales pitches should be made illegal

All things aside, Wyndham did not do a multi million IT upgrade to the systems to make TPU work for nothing. They need a BS(Balance Sheet :ignore like Google's to pull it off :hysterical:

I do believe that some resorts do not allow a RCI week that had been converted to RCI points to transfer as RCI points, and that the transfer reverts to weeks.
As for TPUs going away--well, I could combine my TPUs right now and they would be good until 1/2016----so that totally discounts that 2015 rumor.
Good job not buying. I can't even stand to go to presentation anymore.

if buying rci points on the secondary market were illegal, why haven't a whole bunch of tuggers been arrested the past few years? and how is it that ebay and the like would continue to facilitate illegal transactions?

pure crap and nothing but pure crap.

Sound liked a t/s sale person trying to made a sale.

Make them show it to you in writing.

The best way to tell if a timeshare sales weasel is lying is to look to see if his lips are moving. Making things up to stampede buyers seems to be a way of life for them.

Having looked at the fraudulent numbers of Points Lite (TPU's), I want no part of that system, which is why I trade week for week in independent exchange companies. However, since Cendant / Wyndham took over, RCI does make drastic changes from time to time, and it is certain there will be more of those in the future. The one this salesman alluded to is extremely unlikely. More likely will be an ultimate merger of Points and Points Lite. Like airline ff program mergers, this will from a consumer standpoint probably combine the worst aspects of each.

Unless fully "armed" to do battle, stay away from TS sales people. They are hazardous to your financial well being.

The only way commissioned sales people can pay their bills is to sell you something!:ignore:

No matter what you own, they have something "more gooder" for several thousand.

I need to attend a presentation again sometime. I'm way low on my BS level. And I need new sales weasel lies to rant about.

Dave

Side topic

What I don't understand is how the TS industry can continue to tell bold face lies to induce people to part with thousands of dollars for what many are truly worthless deeds. One of these days the consumer protection bureau will finally put TS sales on its radar and when that happens the industry will be regulated. Regulation will result in the developers deciding that the reduced profits and scrutiny are not worth the hassle. New TS resorts will then be a thing of the past.

Just my opinion

RX8 said:

Side topic

What I don't understand is how the TS industry can continue to tell bold face lies ...

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Even further aside - - I Googled around to see what the usages are for lies being bold faced, bald faced, or bare faced.

Thanks to Shakespeare, the winner is barefaced (unconcealed):

"... though I could
With barefaced power sweep him from my sight
And bid my will avouch it, yet I must not,
For certain friends that are both his and mine...."
Macbeth

What are they after?

We got the same spiel when down in Vegas exchanging our timeshare. If there was changes going to happen, you think would hear from higher up. And of course, they tell you, they are RCI and the head of it so they know what talking about. Um, ya right.

They were trying to get me to switch over from Weeks to Points. Um, no thank you. I get better value as weeks then points. I wouldn't be able to use the timeshare at all if switched to points. Don't give me the oh you get a better deal cause with points you can use for air and other things. Listen, my mom used to sell the point system. And what you were offering me was a slap in the face and rip off. Sorry, you were making me give up my weeks and then PAY for the little points you were trying to give. Nice try.

They were using the resort book as proof. Um, no, RCI decided that since most people are using online for booking and searching, to save on money, the book was only going to list the top resorts and in certain areas. It did NOT ever say the reason was cause weeks will be going away and some resorts are weeks only and this would cause total chaos and cost everyone a fortune. That cannot happen. If you read the book where they say, see no resorts they gone, you will see it actually says, resorts available, please check online for all resorts not seen in the book.

Don't listen to their crap. Just a new way they are trying to sell timeshare and get more money.

When there is a week sale, my timeshare can get me up to 4 weeks of vacation almost anywhere. If I traded to points, I would be lucky to get 1 week in select resorts. To me, points is worse and cost more. Yes, some people do not want to go for a full week, so to them, points or buying separately, would make sense. With weeks, you can still get those through RCI if you want, so there is no sense to switch to points at all.

We had been to many timeshares and it was always the same and they treated you like you were dumb if you didn't agree or understand what they were saying. We always turned it down over the years until we found out that was in our budget (Very cheap, not $10,000's) and in a good place. My sister had a timeshare and it was more a point system and it sucked and she had a hell of a time getting rid of it cause it was useless and expensive.

Next time just say - the only thing that is widely known amongst timeshare owners is if a salesman's lips are moving he's lying, exaggerating, BSing, stretching the truth, painting a rosy picture or all the above.

No Use Arguing With Timeshare Sellers.

avad88 said:

We were told that the RCI weeks TPU system was only started to get weeks owners accustom to being in a points type system and it was reverting back to the former "weeks for weeks" in 2015.

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When something a timeshare seller says conflicts with what we know as fact (based on our own timeshare experience), we no longer bother trying to correct or dispute the stretchers & fibs. We never let on that we know better (or think we do). That only prolongs the across-the-table experience & delay our trip to the freebies window. It doesn't change anybody's mind. It makes no positive contribution to the exchange of information.

Instead, we sit there attentively, listening politely, saying little or nothing, occasionally nodding a little, with just a slight head-rolling motion added.

We say No Thanks as many times as needed. Eventually the timeshare sellers accept that they're trying to get water out of a stone & send us over to "Gifting."

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

AwayWeGo said:

When something a timeshare seller says conflicts with what we know as fact (based on our own timeshare experience), we no longer bother trying to correct or dispute the stretchers & fibs. We never let on that we know better (or think we do). That only prolongs the across-the-table experience & delay our trip to the freebies window. It doesn't change anybody's mind. It makes no positive contribution to the exchange of information.

Instead, we sit there attentively, listening politely, saying little or nothing, occasionally nodding a little, with just a slight head-rolling motion added.

We say No Thanks as many times as needed. Eventually the timeshare sellers accept that they're trying to get water out of a stone & send us over to "Gifting."

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

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Exactly the right thing to do.

You can not correct these salespeople since they do not want to be corrected.

yes I just came from a timeshare meeting

yes I was told. The weeks system is going to be phase out. I still don't believe it. I did the presentation and they told me $17,500 they will give me 200,000 points. They said my timeshare was worth $11,500 I was surprise too so were they. They thought I had the Weston at Bonaventure or the the Bonaventure timeshare lots of inventory for a 1.00 for them. I told them I owned the Mizner place they checked the value and told me they were surprised my week was worth $11,500. I said why, it's a golf tournament week and Hockey and Basketball playoff week too. They told me it would cost 5,400 plus closing fee I would no longer have maintenance fees. When I said it was a bad time for me to put out funds he lower it to 4,400 plus closing. Because he didn't show me how many points I would need to book something I declined and told him I have been to three too good to be true timeshares meeting ( bought two) and they all lied. He said from now on no more maintenance fee and it will cost .01 cent to buy points $99.00 for 10,000 points. he said most resort around less then 10,000 points within 30 days. This was the pitch I like the no maintenance fees but that pitch was told to me by my second too good to be true Vacation club that also said no maintenance fees. They make a maintenance fee by making you pay 259.00 one bed and 499.00 for two bedrooms. You have to pay that fee first to them then they bank your week on RCI then you have to pay RCI for exchange fees. They give me four weeks every year so you do the math. 259.00 1 bed. X 4 weeks = $1036 a year if I use the four weeks. They didn't tell me this when I bought this shit.

Why do you keep going to sales meetings and why do you keep buying? Are you still in a rescind period for your vacation club purchase? Your old timeshare is really probably worth $1-$1000. And to get the $1000 you will have to do a heck of a lot of advertising and talking it up to everyone everywhere that you come across. Although they start out high for the vacation club they would have come down to the same price. Heck they may have gone lower because now they probably have to pay someone to dispose of yours or even worse after a couple of months you will find out that you still own the old week in addition to the vacation club.

Don't forget to add about $200 for each exchange week. It also looks like they aren't guaranteeing any specific value to the weeks they deposit, depending on what you want you may have to deposit more than one plus pay a combine fee for a single exchange.

The kind of weeks you can get for the 6500-9500 RCI points are the same kind that are available on the weeks side at 30 days or less and have tpu's of 10 or under.

Guess I am a glutton for punishment. This meeting they called me from my home phone not a timeshare resorts. Applebee in Rhode island. Thought it was some public get together on talking about getting out of paying high maintenance fees. I was ambushed. LOL. I told them I am tired of being mislead I just don't trust you guys anymore. I ask if I could try the point system to see if they are not lying and if I wanted to go back to the weeks. This is when he talked so fast I could not understand what he was saying what he said slow was they would own the deed and if I wanted to sell I would have to buy it back from them or something like that. So I told him I had a wedding coming up and could not take on any more debt but to give me a card and I would call them back and do it after the wedding. October 2115. This is when he use something that make me understand this whole thing was bull shit. He told me if I come back tomorrow the offer will be there. I told him to go F^&%^k himself that I knew the whole thing was bull shit by him saying that. The whole restaurant heard me. I practically almost knock my wife off her booth waiting for her to get her ass off so we could leave. Wasted 2 and half hours on that meeting for a 20.00 dinner.:annoyed: Can anybody with the RCI point system tell me if resort
Carpediem Roma Golf Club (#4267) is part of the points system and how many points for a 3 bedroom in peak period would be greatly appreciated. On my weeks directory it does not show it part of the point system. he show me a copy of it showing 9000 to 47000 points but he didn't show any availabilities. Carpediem in Assisi too he showed me a copy it was part of the point system but not in my RCI Directory. This information would greatly appreciated to let me know these guys are still lying and if I get these question answered I wil never attend another meeting. Thanks

A suggestion...

egg1701 said:

Can anybody with the RCI point system tell me if resort Carpediem Roma Golf Club (#4267) is part of the points system and how many points for a 3 bedroom in peak period ....

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Have you posed your question directly to RCI, either via phone or by researching on RCI.com --- or by just sending a simple email inquiry to RCI Customer Service through the RCI.com web site?

Get a straight answer right from the source, investing mere minutes, instead of wasting all those hours listening to deceitful sales weasels --- and then semi-coherently complaining about having chosen to endure doing so.

tschwa2 Forgot to answer your question bought Mizner place 2009 bought Lifestyle vacation club in may 2011.

theo said:

Have you posed your question directly to RCI, either via phone or by researching on RCI.com --- or by just sending a simple email inquiry to RCI Customer Service through the RCI.com web site?

Get a straight answer right from the horse's.....mouth. Stop wasting all that those hours listening to deceitful sales weasels --- and then incoherently complaining about having chosen to do so.

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No I am afraid they will lie to me and say yes. They are part of the conspiracy to screw people. The meeting I was at I thought they were RCI employees they said they were doing a survey of people on weeks why they haven't been taking vacations. LOL I told them you don't check too good. I have booked 21 vacation since 2010. I think they were brokers looking to screw people out of there worthless timeshare or maybe try and steal some good inventory and sell it back resales. Or it was a good sales pitch telling me the other resorts in WESTON was worthless and that mine has values. I pissed him off by saying really its worth that much. Maybe I should try and sell it myself for more. LOL I can still stay on RCI with my Lifestyle resorts.

I went to a local presentation at Macaroni Grill. It was a company who claimed to be with RCI, but they definitely were not. They bought us dinner and told us all kinds of lies about RCI Points and how our weeks would be better turned over to them, then we would buy these points. Total lies and BS. It was very expensive for just a small number of points, and when we asked where the points were to be deeded, they were vague. They also said no more MF's.

They were relentless. I cannot believe how many times they called us, different people, with the same pitch to attend the meeting. I finally gave in and listened to the garbage.