# Points Value Changes at [RCI] Resorts [merged]



## Ana (Mar 26, 2010)

I have noticed that the number of Points required to stay the same night or same week at some resorts seems to go up every year. This seems particularly true with resorts in Cailfornia where my Points are based. Would fellow members please share what they have noticed regarding the number of Points required to stay over the years?


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## JudyS (Mar 26, 2010)

What points system are you referring to?  Many points systems have it written in their contract that the number of points needed for a given property can not increase.


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## Ana (Mar 26, 2010)

I forgot to mention we are part of RCI. Do you know how to check which resorts can not increase the points required to stay, and does this apply to the point values required by RCI to stay at a resort?


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## JudyS (Mar 27, 2010)

Ana said:


> ...Do you know how to check which resorts can not increase the points required to stay, and does this apply to the point values required by RCI to stay at a resort?


Some of the resort systems that can't raise points for a particular property are Worldmark and the Disney Vacation Club.

No, this doesn't apply to RCI Points properties.  But, there is really little incentive for RCI to keep raising the points required to stay at their properties, since then they would also have to "pay" more points to people who _deposit_ weeks at those properties.

I haven't noticed many RCI Points properties raising the number of points per night. Which resorts specifically are you referring to?


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## Bill4728 (Mar 27, 2010)

The number of pts should only increasing or decrease if the resort changesin some  manner.  So if it go from silver crown to gold crown the pts will increase. BUT other wise the pts shouldn't change.


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## Carolinian (Mar 27, 2010)

Hmmm.  Looks like some of the points folks would really like rent control.  Supply and demand in an exchange system are dynamic and constantly changing.  Using rigged and frozen numbers like many points systems is just not a market based approach nor a realistic one.  Values should change and frequently to match changes in supply and demand.  Ossified values is just one of the reasons I am very alergic to points systems.


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## JudyS (Mar 27, 2010)

I wouldn't have a problem with RCI changing values more often. I'm just pointing out to the OP that there isn't much incentive for RCI to engage in "Points Inflation" for RCI Points timeshares.


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## Mel (Mar 28, 2010)

Actually, there is plenty if reason for RCI to change points values over time.  Point values drive the behavior of exchangers, and thus drive both supply and demand.

If the demand for an given resort or area is very high compared to the supply, the points values should be increased - which might drive more owners to deposit those weeks, and at the same time reduce the demand from those not willing to "pay" quite as much for the exchange.

By the same token, if RCI is left with an oversupply of certain weeks, the points value should be decreased, perhaps leading to a disincentive to deposit which will reduce the supply, and at the same time encouraging more demand as the cost to exchange in is reduced.  For a points system to work effectively, the point values must be dynamic; it's only a question of how frequently the values are changed.

Fixed point values work for a system like DVC because it is a membership program, and DVC controls the quality of the resorts - it is in their own best interest to maintain their resorts at a level that reflects the point values.  But in a system where each ownership is based on an underlying week, there is no incentive for the owner/members to spend any extra money maintaining their own individual resort.  Instead, there is incentive to get by with the minimum necessary to maintain membership in the system (Why should I spend more updating my home resort when I won't get more value by doing so?)


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## cclendinen (Mar 28, 2010)

*Are you talking of standard points exchange or grid conversion?*



Ana said:


> I have noticed that the number of Points required to stay the same night or same week at some resorts seems to go up every year. This seems particularly true with resorts in California where my Points are based. Would fellow members please share what they have noticed regarding the number of Points required to stay over the years?



Are you talking about changes in points values on standard points exchanges or a change in the weeks points conversion grid?

It is my understanding that points values can change at a resort if award status changes.  I have a resort that was upgraded from standard to silver crown.  I asked the HOA president if the points would go up.  He said that if they maintained the new status for a few years the point values would increase.  The resort lost the silver crown the next year.  I would assume that the same would be true if the award status was lowered.



On the other hand if you are talking about changes in the week to points conversion grid these can change about once a year.


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## JudyS (Mar 29, 2010)

Mel said:


> ...
> If the demand for an given resort or area is very high compared to the supply, the points values should be increased - which might drive more owners to deposit those weeks, and at the same time reduce the demand from those not willing to "pay" quite as much for the exchange....


Yes, but that's not "points inflation." Points inflation is when it costs more and more points each year to get something of comparable value.  For example, Starwood owners have complained that over time, the price of Starwood hotel rooms  (in Starpoints) has gone up--yet their Starwood _timeshares _never get an increase in Starpoints value. 

Since RCI has "pay" owners in points as well as charge exchangers in points, there isn't much incentive for them to just arbitrarily keep raising the number of points it takes to reserve RCI Points timeshares.


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## Ana (Apr 18, 2010)

*Points Inflation or Points Inability to be Redeemed*

Over the years, it seems my Resort Number #483 Point values have decreased and resorts I have stayed or should be able to stay their Points values have increased, both at standard Point and Week based Point resorts. I remember in the Weeks class action there seemed to be a strong argument that for RCI to rent Weeks they had to somehow unfairly take the Weeks with better value from members. In the RCI Points class action, there seems to be an analogous argument that RCI is unfairly taking the better Points Weeks for rent without giving something of equal value back to members that I am trying to understand. In addition, I find that many Points resorts require 7 day stays (some with cleaning fees), then if I want to use saved Points I do not have enough Points left over to stay at another resort for a whole week, then I pay to extend the Points, and then I cannot find a resort that allows 1-6 day stays that I can use the Points I had saved, thus they revert back to RCI at the end of my extended use year. Every year I am losing the Points I tried to save for future vacations. Other members please share your thoughts and experiences in regard to the above issues.


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## Ana (Oct 20, 2010)

*RCI Points Worth When Exchanging [merged]*

Would TUG members on the West coast who are RCI Points members please share some of their exchanges they felt were not very fair, especially exchanges for Weeks? Specifically, if possible please share:
1. The RCI Points costs and length of stay?
2. The resort name or ID number?
3. The date or week of the stay?
4. Not necessary, but the monetary cost of exchange consisting of all charges such as maintenance, RCI membership including future memberships, RCI exchange, RCI Points extension fees!


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## rickandcindy23 (Oct 20, 2010)

Why just West Coast RCI Points owners?  Just curious as to why owning in Australia, Montana or Wisconsin isn't helpful to you, specifically?  We own all three of those places, all in RCI Points.  

We have owned for five years and have gotten great value out of our points, even though we pay higher maintenance fees per point than most TUG members pay.  It's worth it to us to have the flexibility.


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## Passepartout (Oct 20, 2010)

OP, your request struck me as curious, so since you have so few posts, I looked at your earlier ones.

Ana, looking at your 3 previous posts as well as this one, all are basically the same question. You seem unhappy that your RCI points seem to be decreasing in value. Could it be that your underlying resort has devalued in some way? I wish my RCI points generated by a nice, but middle-of-the-road TS would readily pay for high end resort properties at high demand times with points left over for short stays elsewhere. They won't. 

You mentioned back a few months ago that you could stay in a resort for a week, but then didn't have enough points to stay a 'few days' in another resort. Isn't that a function of how the agreement between each resort and RCI works?

Maybe I'm naive, but it seems like I'm able to afford roughly like-for-like exchanges. That's only fair. If I want to save up points for the allowed 2 years or borrow from the next year's allotment, I can go to nicer places. I'd wager you can too.

This probably doesn't answer your specific questions, because I can't see how holding other people's exchanges up against the yardstick of your exchanges is particularly helpful.

Good luck with your points and exchanges. Mine work as expected.

Jim Ricks


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## tschwa2 (Oct 20, 2010)

*RCI's "like for like"*

I know most Tuggers (including me) are looking to do better than like for like. Especially when adding on exchange fees and membership fees to my own MF's,  I'm looking for something at least $100-$200 nicer (in terms of length of stay-for points, location, and/or amenities).  I have no problem with like for like with a direct exchange or when fees are greatly reduced.

From your past post, I looked up your resort in the RCI directory.  It seems they only have studios and 1 bedrooms.  It is currently unrated (not gold or silver).  If you look at the RCI generic points grid for resorts in weeks, you should be able to trade into a similar size room at a similar time of year at another unrated resort in northern or southern California.

If RCI isn't working for you, you need to take your week somewhere else where you can get the best value for it or use it for yourself.  Not every week at every resort works well in RCI points. 

Alternatively you can work with your resort's HOA to improve its rating to get an RCI gold or silver reward which would in turn improve your week's points values. You can also look for last minute exchanges into weeks that use 9000 or less points per week.  Midweek stays at points resorts usually cost less so you may be able to stay more than 7 nights if you could stay during the week.


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## Ana (Oct 22, 2010)

I have not looked only at my resort's value, but other resorts I have been going to for years, and similar resorts I would like to stay. It is not that I am unhappy, but it seems I can not exchange for what I used to in the past with my RCI Points, especially at newer resorts. One of the big selling facts with RCI Points is that I could buy Vacation Time now for the rest of my life at today's prices! Maintenance fees can go up, but Points costs should not.

I have looked in detail at the RCI Generic Points Grid, but it is not on the RCI website anymore and what appears now is the "RCI 2009 Seasonality Grids" on your link above! If anybody saved the old "RCI Generic Points Grid", please email it to me. 

Realistically, when a resort is in the RCI System and not affiliated with another exchange system like II, there is very limited possibilities that another exchange company will take the Week, and if they do, their exhcange options are very limited comparably speaking. But we are talking about RCI Points here also, and no exchange company, not even II, will take RCI Points.

This leads me to the crux of the issue since the RCI Generic Points Grid has been removed to the back of your 2010 RCI Directory, for some reason. Most RCI resorts are Weeks resorts. Below I preferred samples of RCI Points "exchanges for Weeks" since the cost of a Week for RCI Points is set by RCI? Like you said above the RCI Points costs is a "function of how the agreement between each resort and RCI works", but not on the quality of the resort I believe.

Fellow Californian's with RCI Points who have not been able to obtain Vacation Time desired since it is not available, OR believe the RCI Points cost of Vacation Time seems too high, please post your RCI Points exchanges so we can all evaluate them.


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## philsfan (Oct 22, 2010)

I don't live in California but I like to travel there.  I have this exchange pending:

Grand Pacific Resorts at Carlsbad Inn Beach Resort     
RCI Points Value:
58000  

It's a 2bdr unit in March.  It works out to about 100 a night based on my mf's and transaction fees.  I'm ok with it.

I also traded for a President's day week last year for 9000 points at Aquamarine Villas.  It's a good resort in a great location.


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## Ana (Oct 28, 2010)

*RCI Points Resorts Vacation Time Availability*

I have been spending a bit of time trying to obtain Vacation Time at RCI Points resorts. I must call RCI exactly 303 days (10 MONTHS) every day before my desired Vacation Time to see if RCI Points Vacation Time was deposited, or check each resort INDIVIDUALLY online. 

Other RCI Points members that have tried obtaining RCI Points Vacation Time, please share what resorts you were NOT offered Vacation Time, and when was your desired Vacation Time?


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## Egret1986 (Oct 28, 2010)

*I find it easier to check online and do so after midnight at the 10 month mark*

I really can't give a list of what is NOT available.  When I'm looking, I check to see what IS available.  

Although, there is a TUG member (who does not have RCI Points) that indicates there are only "dog" availabilities in Points, I do not find that to be the case.


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## akp (Oct 28, 2010)

*I've had very good luck with RCI Points*

But you do need to understand the system and how to best find what you're after.  

First off, do you know whether the resorts you want are RCI POINTS resorts or RCI WEEKS resorts?  You can search and book either with an RCI Points account, but the method is different for points vs weeks resorts.

Based on your 303 day window, I'm going to assume you're looking for Points resorts, or at least using the Points interface to look for resorts.   Note that if the resort you want is a weeks resort and you search using the points interface, you are never going to find it.  

In points, the best availability will be at exactly 10 months out.  95% of the time I have looked for the coveted Manhattan Club at exactly 10 months out, it was available.  (I search daily, just for fun.  A minor obsession of mine.  If I search at 9 1/2 months out, there is rarely availability.

At 10 months, there is often DVC available.  It isn't nearly as consistently available as Manhattan Club, but you'll see it multiple times a month.  If you do the same searches over and over, you'll see that some resorts are consistently available.  The same 7-11 Hawaii resorts are available daily, for example.

If you're looking for an RCI WEEKS resort, the timing is very different.  The availability (in general) is a lot more spotty.  Sometimes there are large bulk deposits.  I haven't quite figured out availability in Weeks but my impression is that the majority (aside from bulk deposits) is the weeks people PFD to get points into their points account, so by definition it is highly variable.  

If you're looking for weeks, you can search for a large list of resorts at one time.  Just build a list of up to 30 resort codes separated by commas.  I keep one in a notes file, then I cut and paste into the search engine and adjust the dates.  You can search up to 10 weeks at a time in weeks.

Anita


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## DeniseM (Oct 28, 2010)

Ana - I merged your posts and responses and put them in one thread, in case you haven't been able to find the responses you've already gotten.  If you have more questions/comments, please post them in this thread, rather than starting a new one.

Suggestion:  If you *join TUG*, you will have access to our member's only Sightings Board where people post the exchanges they can see online, and where you can also ask people to do a search for you.  You will have more luck if you ask people to look for something specific - it's not really doable to post _everything_ that can or cannot be seen in points.


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## Ana (Oct 28, 2010)

I have been trying to address fairly specific issues.

Please correct me where I am wrong, as it seems is the norm on this BB. 

I always start my Weeks Resorts searches 2 years in advance with both my RCI Weeks and Points accounts, thus I now appreciate the Ongoing Search feature for Weeks.

I am very curious why you say "if the resort you want is a weeks resort and you search using the points interface, you are never going to find it"? Does this has to do with the fact RCI Points do not have an assigned Trading Power, or some relation to PFD of RCI Weeks?

Your RCI Points search experience was very insightful. I do the same pasting of resort numbers(48 resorts now versus 30 I believe) as you, and is why I noted in my original post I must "check each resort INDIVIDUALLY online" with RCI Points resort searches and I can not request an Ongoing Search for RCI Points resorts.


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## DeniseM (Oct 28, 2010)

> I have been trying to address fairly specific issues.



What I meant is that asking everyone to post all their trades, and all the trades they couldn't get, is too broad.  TUG has thousands of members who have tens of thousands of trades.  If you go to the Sightings forum and post exactly what you are looking for, we can be more helpful.


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## kvp (Nov 10, 2010)

RCI allowed me to submit a request with my RCI Points account. They were able to search weeks and points resorts. I was looking for two weeks in Italy and got them. Of course, it was 10 months out. One week in Tuscany and the other in Portofino in June 2010.


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## Carolinian (Nov 10, 2010)

One flawed aspect of RCI Points valuation is using changes in award status to raise or lower point values as some have suggested happens.  Award status is only a minor driver of demand and therefore would not significantly impact the only two things that should matter in a market based valuation system, supply and demand.


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## vacationhopeful (Nov 10, 2010)

Ana,
I am sorry your resort has had a decrease in points valuation per interval week. My RCI Points weeks have had just the opposite - the valuations at the beginning of 2010 INCREASEd. The explaination by my resort manager was our reviews & ratings by RCI Guests had been much more favorable over the previous several years. We were rated as a better resort. Why?

It might have been the extensive remodelled that was undertaken - where our units went from ugly and scary pink to looking better than the Wyndhams' during 2006-2008 years. Yes, there was a large special assessment - $1500 per interval. Yes, each floor was ripped apart for 4+ weeks. New kitchens, baths, ceiling fans, flooring, furniture, lighting, etc. Very lucky were the installation of new hurricane windows & patio doors and the new roof, finished just several weeks before the area was hit by Hurricane Wilma. Plus, all 3 elevators were updated, too.

And my comment about the resort (the units) looking better than the 3 Wyndhams is based on personally heard comments from several Gold & Platimum Wyndham owners, 2 Wyndham sales reps (one was stunned & the other just stayed there), and fellow resort owners who also own Wyndhams they use during the Snowbird season. Plus, the location is wonderful for things to do and places to eat.

Just wish we had really big bucks to improve the pool area (like move it and make it 4 times bigger). :ignore: 

So, points inflation - yes, out points value increased. Value increased.


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## Ana (Nov 10, 2010)

It is nice to hear RCI increased your Points value. But each member had to pay $1,500 special assessment (SA) for the increase. In this regard, did you ever check the validity of your SA, or has anyone ever disputed a SA that was not due to a natural disaster?


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## timeos2 (Nov 10, 2010)

Ana said:


> It is nice to hear RCI increased your Points value. But each member had to pay $1,500 special assessment (SA) for the increase. In this regard, did you ever check the validity of your SA, or has anyone ever disputed a SA that was not due to a natural disaster?



There is absolutely NO requirement that a Special Assessment only occur if there is a natural disaster.  That is just one of many reasons a SA may legally be assessed.


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## Ana (Nov 10, 2010)

A Board of a timeshare resort may do many things within their duty of care, but is anyone aware of a challenge to a Board that allowed a special assessmant (SA)?


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## vacationhopeful (Nov 10, 2010)

I did mention the resort before rehab was "scary pink". The first time I stayed there I walked into my ocean view unit on the 12th floor and was in tears crying before I had taken 5 steps inside the door. And that unit was in very good shape compared to units I saw later in the week and during the next year.

If I had known about TUG and had read reviews, I would never have brought any unit ever at this resort. Some units I saw could not have been rented, except these were the _owners_ sleeping & eating there.

The new management company was VRI. The prior management company had run the place into bankruptcy.


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## Mel (Nov 11, 2010)

Ana said:


> It is nice to hear RCI increased your Points value. But each member had to pay $1,500 special assessment (SA) for the increase. In this regard, did you ever check the validity of your SA, or has anyone ever disputed a SA that was not due to a natural disaster?


The members did not pay $1500 to increase their point value - they paid it to improve their resort, and it sounds like that improvements was depsperately neede.  If their reserve account held very little, the choice would be to increase fees by $150 for the next 10 years, and improve 10% of the units each year, or the SA and improve all units as quickly as possible.  Given the amount of work described, $1500 sounds reasonable.



Ana said:


> A Board of a timeshare resort may do many things within their duty of care, but is anyone aware of a challenge to a Board that allowed a special assessmant (SA)?


The Board has a fiduciary duty to the resort and its members.  In most cases, the SA is voted on at the resort's annual meeting - and every member has an opportunity to vote on it.  I wouldn't be surprised at a challenge to the Board who doesn't have a Special Assessment when it is necessary.  In most cases, following the SA, the annual maintenace may go up some, but in the form of a reserve account, because the HOA board has learned the lesson.  With your own home, if you know your roof or your furnace will need to be replaced, you budget and save for them, or you end up with a sudden bill.  The same applies to timeshare resorts.

The original management company was keeping maintenance fees down, at the cost of resort quality.  Some would argue they were not living up to their fiduciary responsibility.

As to your original question regarding point inflation - do you have enough points to exchange back into your home resort?  If you can, and it is simply the cost of new resorts going up, that does seem to be reasonable.  The value of those new resorts may be more - they are newer, might be nicer resorts, and may have updated features and ammenties.  The only guarentee in purchasing points is your ability to reserve you own week or home season at your resort.  It is very much like a curency - your points give a basis for comparing the value of your resort with others.  If you can no longer trade for what you want, either the value of your resort has gone down, or the value of the others has gone up (or both).  Since you compain about an inability to exchange into new resorts, I suspect it is the value of the other resorts going up.


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## Ana (Jan 24, 2011)

*RCI Points' Values*

This thread went a little of course regarding whether RCI members are receiving fair exchanges for their RCI Points. Thus, to invigorate a healthy sharing of information, I broaden the subject to ask members to share some of the difficulties they have experienced in exchanging RCI Points and the extra fees involved. I have exchanged RCI Weeks for years and never experienced so many rules and extra fees.


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## fishingguy (Jan 24, 2011)

Ana,
I guess I don't know what you are really driving at, since we've found just the opposite case that you described in your previous post. However, I admit we all have different wants, expectations, resources, travel destinations, free time, family needs, etc. -- so what works for one may not necessarily work for others. But I want to think that we've learned how to use the system(s) to our benefit.  Given the choice, I'd do as much exchanging as I could via RCI Points instead of RCI weeks, but that's just our experience.

Actually, other than the annual membership fee, the other fees in RCI weeks are more than in RCI Points.  Exchange fees are the biggest difference with Points ~40$ less per exchange (which can really add up in our case).  But there are no $99 combine fees on the points side and you can borrow points from the coming year if needed.  In addition, you can get an RCI weeks account if you want, included with your RCI Points account -- this will allow you to access exchanges in RCI Points, RCI Weeks Points and RCI Weeks.

I have both RCI Points and RCI Weeks accounts with my membership. Although most of my properties are RCI Point units, I also have some weeks properties. I use both types of properties to get the vacations we want:
*-* For the really hard to get vacations we use a a combination of Resort and Resort Group Priority at 13 months to 10 months.  
*-* For the rest of the serious vacations, we primarily use Points or Weeks-Points at 18 months or less. [We can also book anything that we can see on the weeks side, using our points by calling RCI.]
*-* Then we fill in any Points properties at RCI Points resorts we've been want to get to to check out a new area or resort.  
*-* Lastly, at 3 months or less we are continually looking for last minute discounted getaways to fill remaining time.  Since we are retired that includes stuff like girls shopping week(s), fishing weeks with the buddies, casino weeks, etc at 6.5-9K points a week. Some of these we might even book for a week, but only stay for 4 or 5 days.

In the end, I think it is worthwhile to have a strategy to get the most out of timesharing, and actual planning your vacation at the correct time is only part of the solution.  You also need to pick the right properties so you get resort or resort group priority for the hard to get times/locations, and maybe even some points properties to get into the harder to get resorts.  Of course, you also want to minimize MFs in the process, and you'll need to devote sufficient time to execute your plan.  In addition, part of that plan should also include pruning properties that have unstable MFs, declining reviews/loss of award status, and those that don't have the interests of the owners in mind when they make changes.

...just our experience.


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## vamsee (Jan 24, 2011)

Hi, thanks for sharing your experience with RCI points. I have been using Points for over a year with the one RCI points resort I currently own. I 'm trying to learn more how it works.  

The year on my current RCI points resort runs from from start of december to end of november. If I buy a second RCI points resort, will I be able to combine the points from both resorts? Is there a fee to combine points from multiple resorts in the same year. If I used the combined points at one of the resorts (say to get a bigger unit or stay a second week) is there an exchange fee (for the extra points from the other resort)? 


fishingguy said:


> Ana,
> ....
> 
> Actually, other than the annual membership fee, the other fees in RCI weeks are more than in RCI Points.  Exchange fees are the biggest difference with Points ~40$ less per exchange (which can really add up in our case).  But there are no $99 combine fees on the points side and you can borrow points from the coming year if needed.  In addition, you can get an RCI weeks account if you want, included with your RCI Points account -- this will allow you to access exchanges in RCI Points, RCI Weeks Points and RCI Weeks.
> ...


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## fishingguy (Jan 25, 2011)

*Points detail*



> vamsee wrote:
> The year on my current RCI points resort runs from from start of december to end of november. If I buy a second RCI points resort, will I be able to combine the points from both resorts?



The nice thing about RCI Points is that points from one property, will be automatically combined with points deposited from other properites in your RCI Points account. So they can be used in any amount for an exchange and will spend the same; because they all have the same value.  They are just like the dollars electronically deposited into a checking account, for an analogy.



> Is there a fee to combine points from multiple resorts in the same year.



There is no fee to combine RCI Points from multiple resorts in the same year. This feature is provided as part of your basic RCI Points annual membership fee.



> If I used the combined points at one of the resorts (say to get a bigger unit or stay a second week) is there an exchange fee (for the extra points from the other resort)?



Points in your account can be used to book any sized unit or vacation duration that is available and you can "_afford_", with only one exchange fee. (It won't matter where the points came from once they are in your account, just like the $$$ in your checking account.)  So for example, you could book a 5BR condo for a 24 consecutive-day stay with one fee, if your search identified it and you had enough points in your account.

I deliberately used the term "_afford_" in the previous paragraph, because there is a nice feature of an RCI Points account that you won't get with an RCI TPU Weeks account.  That is the abilty to borrow points that would be deposited into your account from next year -- to cover any short fall for an exchange. _I hope this doesn't confuse you, but I wanted to point this out, since you mentioned possibly purchasing a second property.  Maybe borrowing might be a way to avoid having to purchase another unit in the near-term?_

[Fine print: Unlike my checking account $$$ analogy, RCI Points do have a finite life and will expire after 2 years. But they can be extended for a 3rd year by paying a fee. The key to avoiding this is to balance the amount of Points you get from the TSs you own, against the vacations you take -- and maybe use borrowing to run a very small deficit when necessary.]


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## Ana (Jan 25, 2011)

*RCI Points Annual or End Year Accountings*

The reply post above highlights two nice features of RCI Points that allows Barrowing and Extending Points, but ignores the costs involved. As I will outline in detail in a future post, we need to be REALISTIC here and what is actually possible and look at the TIME and dollar costs of the RCI Points exchanges. For example, above it states "5BR condo for a 24 consecutive-day stay with one fee" which is impossible and/or fantasy, but admits "if your search identified it". In this regard, the post above admits "Fine print: ... RCI Points do have a finite life and will expire after 2 years". Just like the credit cards, the amount of time and costs required to follow the "fine print" make such programs too costly for consumers, but they generate tremendous revenue for the banks and RCI. Incredulously, Poster Vamsee based on his other posts, has recognized the bureaucratic time problems involved in keeping track of End Year dates, booking consecutive Weeks, and is one of the few outlining the real costs involved! In this regard Vamsee, as you will learn, you will try and book a resort a year in advance and you will have to pay fees to barrow some Points, then more fees to extend some other Points, and since the exchange involves the next year you will have to pay the $99 membership fee for one account in advance (RCI confirmed only one $99 annual fee is due for Points combined from independent accounts and they combine Points into one End Year).


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## fishingguy (Jan 25, 2011)

Ana,
I supect you might have the new RCI Weeks changes (in TPU 'points'), confused with RCI Points. I base this on the last sentence of your post (but admit that's just a guess on my part), since I found your response generally difficult to follow and understand.  [The typos, extremely long sentences, and side comments don't help.]  An Aside: I might be wrong, but your post almost reminds me of another recent guest user that also talks about costs and other things, just without all the "...."s.   

Vamsee asked a question about getting another unit.  He made no statement in his post about much more than wanting to learn how to use his points better. That's what I addressed, nothing more.

In the end each will have to decide if RCI points ownership is right or wrong for you. But one thing for sure:  
- If planning vacations and keeping track of your properties is too difficult,
- You don't want to learn how things really work, or
- You can't afford the maintenance fees or other costs -- then don't get into timeshares at all.

Like the old addage "If you can't stand the heat; then don't go into the kitchen."


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## tlguinn_2000 (Jan 26, 2011)

fishingguy said:


> Ana,
> In addition, you can get an RCI weeks account if you want, included with your RCI Points account -- this will allow you to access exchanges in RCI Points, RCI Weeks Points and RCI Weeks..




Can you get a Weeks account even if you only have RCI Points?  
<
I own two timehares and both have been converted to points by the previous owner.
What would be the advantage of buying a "cheap" weeks account also?

<


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## Ana (Jan 26, 2011)

*"What would be the advantage of buying a 'cheap' weeks account also?"*

Good point about what advantage is there to have an RCI Weeks account if you already have an RCI Points account. It was a minor discrepency, and in my future post I will highlight the 2 year search capability for RCI Weeks' resorts that is allowed for RCI Points members. Thus, let me also highlight that an Ongoing Search is allowed for RCI Weeks resorts which is not possible for RCI Points resorts, thus you do not have to perform a search everyday as you do with the RCI Points resorts. But more on that later.

Thus, to make I sure "addressed" you question, I believe there is no reason to have a RCI Weeks account if you are an RCI Points member, and let me qualify that based on the standard facts presented without all the special nuances that can be raised in numerous "fine print" situations. 

However, after reading your question more carefully, I should add I believe you have to purchase a "cheap week" to obtain an RCI Weeks account. Also, you raise a very good point in that "What would be the advantage of buying a 'cheap' weeks account also?" that I happen to be addressing for a future post. Thus, before I post my opinion, I would like to see what advantages other members develop because I think mine will be "difficult to follow and understand"?


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## vamsee (Jan 28, 2011)

fishingguy,

Thanks for your explanation. Yes, I have already used the borrowing feature from my one points week.  I 'm also in the process of purchasing points from a TUG classified.  I have only one points week so trying to figure out what happens if I buy a second points week and combine it with the first one. 

One question from my post remains. May be you addressed but I haven't grasped it. Let me illustrate.

Resort A: 40K points (assume 1 bed room float week for simplicity)
ResortB: 40K points (same assumption as above)

If I use 80K points and get two weeks at ResortA (or at ResortB) for 1 bed room, is there an RCI exchange fee?. I know that if I don't own at ResortB and try to use my 40K from ResortA at ResortB for the 1 bedroom there is an exchange fees. What are the fee if I own at both and combine and try to get multiple weeks for the 1 bed room at either of my 'home' resorts?

Another scenario. If I skip using my points week this year at ResortA and then try to use two weeks next year at ResortA for 1 bedroom (using points from ResortA combined from both years), is there any fee for booking two weeks with Points at my home ResortA? I would probably try this with the one I own one of these years. Just curious what to expect.

Based on my research into Interval International, using two consecutive weeks at your home resort involves an exchange fee because unless this year's week is deposited it can't be used next year (together with next year's week).  




fishingguy said:


> Vamsee asked a question about getting another unit.  He made no statement in his post about much more than wanting to learn how to use his points better. That's what I addressed, nothing more.
> 
> In the end each will have to decide if RCI points ownership is right or wrong for you. But one thing for sure:
> - If planning vacations and keeping track of your properties is too difficult,
> ...


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## Ana (Jan 30, 2011)

fishingguy said:


> Ana,
> you can get an RCI Weeks account if you want, included with your RCI Points account -- this will allow you to access exchanges in RCI Points, RCI Weeks Points and RCI Weeks.



Could you explain all the details and process to obtain a RCI Weeks account with your RCI Points account, and include costs?
Thanks.


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## vamsee (Jan 31, 2011)

Hi, 

Check out these two documents. 

http://www.rci.com/docs/KnowledgeBase/Documents/en_US/weeks_fees.pdf
http://www.rci.com/docs/KnowledgeBase/Documents/en_US/points_fees.pdf

A points account has a membership fee of $124/year (lower if you pre-pay multiple years). A weeks account has a membership fee of $89/year (again lower if you pre-pay multiple years). However, if you have a points account (i.e. you have a points week) and you would like to deposit a non-points week you can do so (no need to pay another $89 membership fee). The weeks exchange fee as shown in the above documents apply as usual. 

The documents above don't address the multi-week question that I have (see my previous post).



Ana said:


> Could you explain all the details and process to obtain a RCI Weeks account with your RCI Points account, and include costs?
> Thanks.


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## tschwa2 (Jan 31, 2011)

vamsee said:


> fishingguy,
> One question from my post remains. May be you addressed but I haven't grasped it. Let me illustrate.
> 
> Resort A: 40K points (assume 1 bed room float week for simplicity)
> ...



It depends when and how you reserve your weeks.  I believe the most cost effective way would be to reserve your unit at resort A prior to the 12 month mark- no fee to do so.  During the 12 month-11 month mark reserve a second week at ResortA for $40 (online).  Technically I think you are supposed to use points from ResortA to book this week so they could make you borrow next years points to do this instead of using this years ResortB but then you can save ResortB points to next year.  (I'm not sure if they still do this- they used to).

If you wait to reserve one or both weeks until 11 months or later you will be paying one or two $139 fees depending on whether you book 14 days at one time or two 7 day weeks.

The same would apply in your second senario.


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