# RCI: Depositing too soon



## rickandcindy23 (Aug 14, 2006)

I have a week for 2008 that I just deposited a few weeks ago.  It has very little trading power compared to my 2007 week, the same exact week, the same usage and expiration dates for the week.  

I called a VC and asked why this would be.  She said the trade power is the same.  It is definitely not the same.  I see almost nothing with that week.  I asked if our resort dropped in trade power.  No, we are still Silver Crown.  It is baffling.  

What do the rest of you think about this one?  Will my exchange power for the week improve over the next year?  Has anyone experienced this phenomena?


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## topcop400 (Aug 14, 2006)

rickandcindy23 said:
			
		

> Will my exchange power for the week improve over the next year?  Has anyone experienced this phenomena?



I'm no expert, but I think depositing early gives you the best advantage.  You didn't mention what timeframe you are searching for, but perhaps it's not pulling anything because there isn't much yet to pull.  Most people DON'T deposit two years out because they can't.......they are points owners.


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## Spence (Aug 14, 2006)

rickandcindy23 said:
			
		

> I asked if our resort dropped in trade power.  No, we are still Silver Crown.  It is baffling.


I've not experienced this phenomenon but, trade power and the fact that the resort is 'still' Silver Crown have little to do with each other!  The resort's rating may affect demand to some degree for those who have to stay in a GC resort but it's location and time period that really drive the supply/demand functions.


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## Strong1 (Aug 14, 2006)

*Trading power*

I wonder if your resort did a bulk banking around the same time you deposited... that would reduce your trading power.

I find the trading power grows the longer the unit sits in RCI, so I wouldn't worry yet.  If you are really concerned you could consider pulling the unit out of RCI and re-depositing it later.


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## TravelSFO (Aug 14, 2006)

I've heard that deposits sometimes need a little time to "season."  I'd wait a few more weeks (shouldn't have to take back and re-deposit) and see if the trading power changes.


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## JEFF H (Aug 14, 2006)

MY experience has been depositing more than 1 year inadvance can reduce my trade power.
RCI claims this is impossible but I have seen it with my weeks and seeing is beliving for me.
RCI has stated no additional trade power is awarded for deposits more than 1 year inadvance.
Maybe there is a bug in their software that can cause reduced trade power.


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## paidemt (Aug 14, 2006)

I believe the same thing happened to me last year.  I deposited two July 4 weeks two years prior to check-in date.  This is the earliest my resort allows owners reserve a unit so many other people do the same thing at the same time. The net result is many available units for the July 4th week if I do a RCI search.   This year I have deposted one week at 2 years and will wait and deposit the second unit closer to 1 year and see if they trade differently.


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## short (Aug 14, 2006)

*Same with II.*

I deposited a 2006 summer week at 6 months and got an AC with II.  Deposited my 2007 week at about 18 months with II and got no AC(not surprising) and the trading power is lower.  Possible there is a reason but one that I do not know.

My method of testing trading power is to look for areas that have a fair amount of availability in various unit sizes such as Palm Desert Marriotts.  Then in side by side comparisons I can see if each will pull different unit sizes.  If one week pulls the 2 bedrooms and the other only the studios than I know there is a trading difference.  A marriott preference  would not be relevent because they both have a chance at the same inventory.

Short


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## JLB (Aug 14, 2006)

As I said on the other forum, the last four years deposting our three weeks, all at the same resort, has been a crapshoot.

I never know what the trader power is going to be.


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## slabeaume (Aug 14, 2006)

Does the resort get to choose the week it gives to RCI?  Maybe that would have something to do with it!?


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 14, 2006)

It's a fixed, rotating week.  I deposited my week directly to RCI.  

I know the trading power is reduced and just cannot understand it.  It's a huge difference.  :annoyed:


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## Dani (Aug 14, 2006)

Madge has said many times that trade power is set at the time of deposit.  That means that it is not stagnant from year to year and you may see differences between deposits.     Also, RCI is always re-setting the VEP's of the weeks deposited.  That could make it seem that your "trade power" has changed.


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## sfwilshire (Aug 15, 2006)

Also, the demand for the same week may vary based on the calendar. My week 52 doesn't seem to trade as well this year when it starts on 12/30 as it did last year with an earlier start date. I think it's just too late for most people to squeeze in a vacation before school starts again.

Sheila


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## ttt (Aug 15, 2006)

According to RCI, trading power is set on the day of deposit. If there are no requests for your resort during the week you deposited, you will get low trading power. Because of how RCI determines trading power, depositing too early can result in poor trading power.


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## Aldo (Aug 15, 2006)

Simple solution.

Use Dial-An-Exchange.


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## Walt (Aug 15, 2006)

*Same week different years seem to trade the same.*

 

I always spacebank my weeks 2 years out. If I still have a week from the spacebank I made from the year before, both years pull the same number of Resorts. 

As far as this year, I do not have last year's spacebank week available to see if they both have the same trade value. This year I only have the spacebank week for 2 years out.  It seems to have the trade value that I would expect it to have. 


Walt


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## tikicarver1 (Aug 15, 2006)

I called my resort and they said I can only book a week one year in advance.
and I'm trying to figure out how to get the best trade power for my week.

So now I'm wondering, if I book a week say in Oct 07, and then call II to deposit it.  I understand that the week will have some trade value on the day I deposit it, but what happens to the trade value once II uses that week? 

For example, say I deposit the week with II and they already have a request for that week so they use it immediately. Will my trade power continue to dimish the longer I wait to book my exchnage week or will it stay at some fix value becuase they used my week?


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 17, 2006)

I may have figured this one out myself, with help from John Chase and Carolinian.  

It seems that RCI is changing its requirements for GC and SC.  It will be as difficult to get SC as it is now to get GC and it will be only the top resorts that will get GC.  The rating system goes in effect soon.  So my trade power of my SC is yet to be determined.  I wish I had known that before, I would have deposited it into HTSE or another exchange company.

Our resort in Colorado will definitely slip out of the SC status (RCI knows that) because it has only six units and no activities or pool.  The things it does have are really great (how many timeshares have private hot tubs on every deck and heated single-car garages?), but when they ask about those items on the RCI form, people will answer truthfully, and the truth is, how can you give an excellent rating for activities if there are none?  Our resort is right to use and the HOA owns the entire thing, worth over $2.4 million for the six units.  I am going to push to sell the townhouses and divide the money amongst owners.  We can buy some pretty good resales with that cash.  Getting 300 people to agree is going to be a problem.   At least we don't have thousands of owners.


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## sfwilshire (Aug 17, 2006)

rickandcindy23 said:
			
		

> It seems that RCI is changing its requirements for GC and SC.  It will be as difficult to get SC as it is now to get GC and it will be only the top resorts that will get GC.  The rating system goes in effect soon.  So my trade power of my SC is yet to be determined.



These rankings don't have any direct relationship to the trade power, but some of the same things that cause a resort to go up or down in status DO affect the trade power. Eventually, I suppose you could also get fewer requests from people who place a big emphasis on the status awards and lower the demand part of the index.

Sheila


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## JLB (Apr 23, 2007)

I found this thread using the Search feature, while trying to find discussions concerning intentional reduction of trading power in order to make more, better resorts available for rentals.  So far I have not found any discussions like that.

But, I have discussed early deposits with my crystal ball.  In fact, my crystal ball brought it up, even though it runs contrary to the company line of early deposit/early confirmation.

The theory goes like this.

If you deposit before a demand has been created for the week you are depositing, it will be given weak trading power, which is irreversible.

It is the reverse of being able to see a bulk deposit for a resort you normally would not be able to, because the bulk deposit upsets the normal supply/demand situation, suddenly showing why more supply than normal demand would absorb.

I have actually withdrawn weeks, intending to deposit them closer to use date, after, hopefully a demand has been created for it.  Unfortunately, re-depositing later has not help things so far.  Tinkering has not helped.   

I have paid fees for our 2009 weeks, but only deposited one of them.  Since it had poor trading power, I did not deposit the other one.


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## DanM (Apr 23, 2007)

I have always deposited 12-14 months out, but for the past two years I have found that I can deposit up to 6-8 months out and get better trade power IF I watch carefully and deposit when there is no availability for my resort/week. When I deposit when others deposit at 12 months out and two or three units for the same week are in the bank, my trade power definitely suffers. Conversely, even six months out, the benefit of being the only unit available for that week at the time of deposit seems to outweigh the shorter advance deposit.

By the same logic, depositing too far in advance when there is no demand could also weaken the trade power assigned.


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## sandcastles (Apr 23, 2007)

I deposit exactly 2 years out with RCI and considering the resort I am using I think I have very good trading power.  

Since I am retired I can plan a couple of years in advance.  I think some of the good resorts I get online may be because they are so far in advance and so many people just can't plan that far ahead.


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## taffy19 (Apr 23, 2007)

I am really dumb when it gets to exchanging but we have put weeks in RCI pretty late in the game because we decided not to go to our fixed week and fixed unit destination at the last minute for one or another reason. Every time, we ended up getting the exchange we wanted from RCI plus we got a two br unit too so how can we complain? 

We haven't tried exchanging in the the last few years so don't know how exchanging is today with RCI or II for that matter. I am going to try to do direct exchanges from now on or rent the weeks out. If none of that works, I will try to donate them to our troops. They deserve it more than anyone else. 

We don't want to belong to any exchange companies anymore after our subscriptions run out unless they offer it at a deep discount rate just to try the last minute deals.  I keep looking constantly now but haven't seen any I like.

 All these exchanging fees are adding up fast and make timesharing no longer a bargain unless you use your own unit. JMHO.


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## JamminJoe (Apr 24, 2007)

I just deposited my 2008 (Week 11) Gold Crown and have the same problem, not pulling great trades, in fact slim pickings. I figured perhaps not too many have deposited their 2008 weeks yet


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## Sue S (Apr 24, 2007)

*I've withdrawn my week*

My trading power was incredibly poor for my 2008 week so I've withdrawn it.  The trading power was so bad that I couldn't even pull my own week!!!!  How does that make sense?  The guide insisted that the trading power improves the longer the week is in the bank - claiming that's why my 2007 week is so much better.  This is in direct contrast to what Madge says, ie that trading power is set at time of deposit.

Anyway, what previous posters have said about trading power being better when there is a demand for the week seems to make a great deal of sense (that doesn't mean that's RCI sees it that way though) so I've withdrawn the week and will wait until 12-14 months before start date and then re-deposit (unless DAE shows something amazing in the meantime).


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## Mimi (Apr 24, 2007)

Also keep Trading Places International in mind. Check out their exchange inventory and Hot Deals. You don't have to pay a membership fee, and you can search online for what you want. We frequently extend our Hawaii vacations, or get extra weeks for family members with TPI. We find their VC's to be friendly, helpful and efficient! If you deposit your week at least 120 days ahead of use time, you receive a bonus week. We have memberships in II, RCI and SFX and still prefer TPI. http://www.tradingplaces.com :whoopie:


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## Sue S (Apr 24, 2007)

Thanks for the suggestion Mimi but I like to holiday in Europe and Trading Places just doesn't seem to cater for that.


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## JLB (Apr 24, 2007)

Some great replies!

It shows to go you that even if you talk about some worn-out subjects, something you hadn't considered might be said (perhaps showing that there always is something new, something that hasn't been said yet ).

For me, it is searching for my own week.  I had never of that.

I find it funny searching for your own week and not being able to see it!  When it hadn't been taken yet, I assume.

So, if you see something at your own resort during your week, do you call to see how many units are available?


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## JLB (Apr 24, 2007)

I did it.  I searched for my own week.  The good news is that I have enough trading power to see it.   

The bad news is that I called a Guide and he said that is the only unit deposited.  He was even sharp enough to see that it was our deposit.  he tried some idle chatter about the deposit being too early, then I could tell he caught himself and said something about that not making a difference.

So, our trading power issue is certainly not a supply side one.

I checked our other weeks at that resort and there are no deposits for any of them.

Interesting.


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## Sue S (Apr 24, 2007)

JLB said:


> I find it funny searching for your own week and not being able to see it!  When it hadn't been taken yet, I assume.



Nope, it hadn't been taken - the guide was very puzzled that I couldn't see it!  Anyway, it's not there anymore because I've got it back - what I'm going to do with it is another question


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## ttt (Apr 24, 2007)

RCI says that trading power is determined at the time of deposit. Deposits do not "season". The trading power assigned depends on the demand for that particular week at the time of deposit. So trading power can be less if you deposit before anyone requests(ongoing search).
It may appear that trading power "seasons" as better & more resorts can sometimes be pulled as time goes on, but that is due to increases in supply, not increased trading power. I do not think it is a good idea to deposit more then a year in advance.......


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## rickandcindy23 (Apr 24, 2007)

Geeezzz, now you guys tell me.  I am definitely not going to make that mistake again.  I will not let them have my 2009 weeks for at least 18 months!  I think I will wait until I see no units for my resort, then I might consider depositing my weeks.  

Of course, there are always Trading Places, Hawaiian Timeshare Exchange, SFX and DAE, all of which I would gladly use over RCI.  

I am just mad at RCI lately, so I am just ranting a little.


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## happymum (Apr 24, 2007)

I withdrew my SA week yesterday, as I was finding it had almost zero trade power. Like other posters, i will examine all alternatives before returning it to RCI.


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## PA- (Apr 24, 2007)

What possible alternatives for an SA week?  Sounds like it may be time to sell that SA week.  The only reason 99% of Americans bought SA weeks was for RCI trades in the first place, true?


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## happymum (Apr 24, 2007)

I believe that DAE accepts SA, and has a fair inventory of European properties, so that is one possibility. This week was still pulling well last year, so I am not ready to pull the plug just yet.


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## Laurie (Apr 24, 2007)

ttt said:


> RCI says that trading power is determined at the time of deposit. Deposits do not "season". The trading power assigned depends on the demand for that particular week at the time of deposit. So trading power can be less if you deposit before anyone requests(ongoing search).


I'm pretty sure that rather than only on current year's demand/searches, trade power is based on a combination of last year's total supply/demand for that week/location, plus current year's demand, in some ratio. 

Last year's demand must figure strongly into the equation, because I have made deposits of one of my standard good traders 2 years out to the day, and it's impossible there would have been many searches initiated that very day, but it has traded well from the moment of deposit. I tend to bank that early not for increased trade power (I agree there's no difference in trade power between a year in advance, and 2 years) but because I like to put it to use as early as possible.

Another week I own can't be reserved earlier than 13 months in advance, so that's when I bank it. It trades exactly the same as the first one I mentioned. 13 months out, there would probably be much more current demand than the 24-month out one. 

Of course all this could change at any moment...


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## "Roger" (Apr 25, 2007)

What strikes me as odd in Cindy's original message is the fact that the VC said the trade power was the same.  I would have taken that to mean she was looking at her computer screen and seeing the same trading power.  (If not, what was she basing that statement upon?)  Yet, Cindy reports that they are definitely not the same.  (I'm sure she is right when she says this.)

Combine this with some other reports in this thread and also with JBL's test of some deposits and saying that they were pulling poorly compared to other years (not sure what he was testing or exactly what was being described as poor), but one has to begin to wonder if the RCI computers have gone screwy again.  (Sigh!)

It is just a possibility, but I have to wonder if the computers are treating way out deposits poorly and it has nothing to do with trading power.  If a VC just say trading power numbers would she even be aware of this?

Personally, I preferred published values even if they are "frozen."  At least you can see if the system is working properly and you are getting treated fairly.  This hidden from our view business is nonsense.


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## normalrog (Apr 25, 2007)

*How to "Withdraw?"*



Sue S said:


> My trading power was incredibly poor for my 2008 week so I've withdrawn it.



How does one "withdraw" a deposited week at RCI?  Is there a cost associated?

Thanks...

Roger Elliott


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## Fern Modena (Apr 25, 2007)

Cindy,
As others have mentioned, being GC or SC has no bearing at all on trading power, only on the "quality" issue (not the quantity issue).  In fact, the higher the rating, the less quantity one often sees.

If you're not happy with the trading power the week has, you may well want to withdraw it if it is still available.  You just call RCI and say that you want to withdraw the week.  As long as it has not been assigned to another exchanger yet, they will allow you to do so.  However, you may well have to listen to a "company line" lecture when you do this.  But as long as you get what you want, who cares?

Then deposit it with one of the smaller exchange companies.  Read each of their websites for a "feel" to what kinds of exchanges are most likely with each of them so you aren't disappointed...none of them offers the range of places RCI and II do.  They all seem to have specialties, so check carefully.

As far as seeing your own week (and this wasn't Cindy who mentioned it first), if the week is still not taken you should be able to see it _with that deposit_.   If you can't, something is wrong.  You won't necessarily see it with a deposit from another resort, however, since different resorts have different exchange properties.  But you should *always* be able to see the week that you deposited with that specific deposit credit, as long as it has not been taken.


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## JLB (Apr 25, 2007)

Since the last two posts concern withdrawal of a Spacebank deposit, let me mention that even if *your* deposit has been taken by someone, if there is *another like deposit *in the Spacebank they *may* allow you to take yours back.

Obviously, you could not without that being the case.


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## Sue S (Apr 26, 2007)

Fern Modena said:


> As far as seeing your own week (and this wasn't Cindy who mentioned it first), if the week is still not taken you should be able to see it _with that deposit_.   If you can't, something is wrong.  You won't necessarily see it with a deposit from another resort, however, since different resorts have different exchange properties.  But you should *always* be able to see the week that you deposited with that specific deposit credit, as long as it has not been taken.



I definitely couldn't see my week - even the guide was puzzled!  The thing is how do I get RCI to see that this must mean an error with trading power?  The guide I was speaking to said that trade power was a mystery to him and to his colleagues and said he quite understood why I wanted to withdraw the week.  Although the fact that he understood my frustration was gratifying it's not actually any help.     Where do I go from here?  I wonder if it's worth "asking Madge"?

P.S.  Fern, I love your picture!!!!!!!


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## Fern Modena (Apr 26, 2007)

I'd write feedback@rci.com putting TUG: Trading Power Question as the subject line.  I'd ask them if it is possible that your unit is not assigned a proper trading power since you couldn't "see it" when you searched.  Tell them a VC told you that the unit was still available in the spacebank at that time, because they will first tell you that it was not, of course.  That would be a simple answer, but unfortunately it is not the correct one in this case.  Then come back here and let us know what they said...


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## "Roger" (Apr 26, 2007)

I would second Fern's recommendation and make the same recommendation to Cindy.  She should tell the team (whomever they are) that she was told by a VC that her two deposits were supposed to have the same trading power, but she could see more resorts (considerably more) with one deposit than the other.


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## Sue S (Apr 26, 2007)

OK, I've emailed RCI, I'll keep you posted.


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## rickandcindy23 (Apr 26, 2007)

Guys, this is an older thread that JLB found.  I couldn't get decent exchanges for my weeks and was very upset about it, called RCI, emailed them, talked to the board at the resort and did everything I could, but alas, no one could help.  I wrote a letter to the board and asked them to please consider dual affiliation for our resort, the next time such a decision needs to be made.  

I did PFD the weeks and now have lots of points to use for exchanging.  I just will not allow RCI to have our weeks again, until about now, when there are almost no summer weeks in inventory for this year.


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## wegottago (Apr 26, 2007)

*help to understand seeing trade power*

I'm a new TS owner and have been reading these threads and have a headache.  Pretty soon we have to make decisions what to do with our unit for vacation and want to do it the best way possible.  Please help me to understand step-by-step how you "see" your resort and what it pulls so you can determine if it has good trading power or not?  Thank you!


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## armrecsys (Apr 27, 2007)

*deposited to early*



rickandcindy23 said:


> I have a week for 2008 that I just deposited a few weeks ago.  It has very little trading power compared to my 2007 week, the same exact week, the same usage and expiration dates for the week.
> 
> I called a VC and asked why this would be.  She said the trade power is the same.  It is definitely not the same.  I see almost nothing with that week.  I asked if our resort dropped in trade power.  No, we are still Silver Crown.  It is baffling.
> 
> What do the rest of you think about this one?  Will my exchange power for the week improve over the next year?  Has anyone experienced this phenomena?


I just deposited my Orange Lake unit for 2009 , it pulls nothing in hawaiia, very little anything else. In the pass that was my best trade. I agree with you to early not good.


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## taffy19 (Apr 27, 2007)

I remember reading a post in TS4MS that gave me a clear answer as the writing is on the wall. It's in black and white!    Here is the news release. It is not from the last financial report but it is not that old yet either. 

I would hate if I had to depend on RCI for making exchanges. There are other options and that is great so why not use the independents?


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## Sue S (May 1, 2007)

*Response from RCI*

_Hello,

We are responding at the request of Madge.  If you choose to deposit 
your week again, the Trading Power will be determined and fixed anew at 
the time of the new deposit; however, we would not expect it to be 
significantly different.

The reason you were unable to access a like week at your resort is that 
your deposited week is actually not still available, and there are 
currently no others available for that date.  South Africa deposits 
appear differently and sometimes Guides do not correctly interpret the 
information.  

South Africa still maintains their own separate system, and even through
South Africa inventory is now online with our mainframe database, when a
South Africa member confirms a unit in South Africa, it is sometimes 
processed by that system first.  The unit is then marked as taken in our
system, but it displays differently from other deposits.  Sorry for the 
confusion.

We've been entering comment card and request/utilization data since 
South Africa came online. However, you may see changes in Trading Power 
as more information is gathered. 

We value your participation in our program._

It seems to me that they misunderstood what I said.  I was pointing out that the week was there but I couldn't see it - they're saying that the week wasn't there!  Isn't this exactly what Fern said would happen?


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## "Roger" (May 1, 2007)

Emmy,

When you read that news release, you should also look at all the Wyndham companies that do pure rentals in Europe (everything from cottages to camp sites).  Throw in the fact that 30% of Points transactions are points for products.  These transactions are thrown into the rental financial pot as well as any non-standard point transactions (less than a week stay).  In the end, it is hard to interpret those figures -- its not quite black and white.

(Try getting any grip on II financials via its comglomerate owner.  They tell you nothing and I mean nothing.)

By the by, the newest Wyndham financials are suppose to be out today.  I'll be posting them as soon as I see them and have time.


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## DanM (May 1, 2007)

Sue S said:


> _Hello,
> The reason you were unable to access a like week at your resort is that
> your deposited week is actually not still available, and there are
> currently no others available for that date.  South Africa deposits
> ...



Actually, this is a little different. They are saying the Guide saw it, but didn't understand some sort of flag that it was assigned in the SA system. Of course, this begs the question of why it would trade poorly if it was snapped up so quickly. Part of the answer must be that the "integration" of the SA system is far from complete or perfect.

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I am now very careful to only deposit when the availability of similar weeks at my resort is nil. It seems to help.


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