# PFD using RCI Points resort



## avernas (Aug 19, 2010)

Hey everyone,

This is an excellent forum. This is my first year timesharing and I am learning a lot. I probably should have spent more time researching before making my first purchase, but I'm happy to be learning now.

I bought an RCI points timeshare in VA Beach for $1 + $150 closing on Ebay. I already used it this summer and like the resort. Now though, I'm researching how to use RCI points to maximize trades (I'm not currently an RCI member).

The resort I own gives me only 27,000 points for year and the maintenance fee is about $460 annually. I know that's not a good ratio for trading, but the mfs are low enough I don't mind paying them for a beach week every summer, so I'd prefer to just use it myself instead of trading it. Here's my question:

I want to buy a high points, low mf trader that I can PFD into RCI points. I know that to be eligible to PFD I need to use my points resort. Will I still be able use my beach timeshare after I PFD the second resort? In other words, I want to know if I can use my points week to PFD without giving away my rights to keep the week.

Thanks!


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## aliikai2 (Aug 19, 2010)

*Your 1st problem is that*

Just because your resort has some conversions to RCI Points, doesn't mean that you have a converted week. 

Since you say you aren't an RCI member, if this unit was points when you bought, it isn't now , so you don't have anyway to get into RCI points, sorry.

Greg



avernas said:


> Hey everyone,
> 
> This is an excellent forum. This is my first year timesharing and I am learning a lot. I probably should have spent more time researching before making my first purchase, but I'm happy to be learning now.
> 
> ...


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 19, 2010)

Have you closed and did you get some indication that you were buying RCI Points?  Why do you think you own points?  We just want to see the full picture before you buy another week for a purpose that you may not be able to use.


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## AwayWeGo (Aug 19, 2010)

*Once You Do PFD, It's No Longer Yours To Use (Till Next Year).*




avernas said:


> I want to buy a high points, low mf trader that I can PFD into RCI points. I know that to be eligible to PFD I need to use my points resort. Will I still be able use my beach timeshare after I PFD the second resort? In other words, I want to know if I can use my points week to PFD without giving away my rights to keep the week.


First off, you don't need to do PFD with a points timeshare.  The way it works is, every year you get an automatic injection of points into your RCI Points account to use for exchanges into other people's timeshares.   If some year you want to go check in at your points timeshare instead of taking the points, you call up & arrange that _before_ you get that automatic injection of points.  In any given year, _either_ you take the points _or_ you use the week -- not both.

Next, you can only do PFD with an RCI Weeks timeshare, not with an unconverted week at an RCI Points timeshshare.  And the same thing goes -- in any given year _either_ you bank the week with RCI (straight weeks or PFD _mox nix_) or you use the week yourself -- not both.

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


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## Conan (Aug 19, 2010)

Just to summarize, in the RCI universe three sorts of ownership are possible:

1.  Ownership in an RCI Weeks (only) resort.  You can use it, deposit it into RCI Weeks, or (if your dues are paid in RCI Points, which may require also owning a #3 type unit, below), you can pay a modest fee to give up a given year's use in exchange for an allotment of RCI Points.

2.  Ownership in an RCI Points participating resort, and the owner of your week did not pay the hefty fee to convert into the RCI Points program.  You can use it or deposit it into RCI Weeks.

3.  Ownership in an RCI Points participating resort, and your week was converted into the RCI Points program (if a prior owner did the conversion, most of the time but not always, that status passes on to you as the new owner).  RCI Points will automatically appear in your RCI Points account, which you can use to book in either the RCI Points or the RCI Weeks system (the latter only for resorts that do not offer the possiblity of conversion into the RCI Points system).  If you want to stay at the week you own, you need to give notice that you don't want a points deposit in a given year.


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## avernas (Aug 19, 2010)

Thanks for the replies, I guess I am not as familiar with RCI points as I thought.

I own at Ocean Key. I thought that since the resort is affiliated with RCI points (but not explicitly associated with weeks) that I had a points unit. I guess it might not have been converted. I'll call the resort and ask them to find out.

I understand that I do not PFD from that resort. I was thinking of getting an RCI weeks unit at a place like Summit at Massanutten that I could convert to points using my resort, but that is moot if my timeshare was not converted to points. 

If my week was previously converted to points, did I lose them anyway since I didn't join RCI this year?


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## california-bighorn (Aug 19, 2010)

Just like to add that not all RCI Points resorts "automatically" deposit your allotment of points into your account.  Our RCI Points resort only deposits points into your account after you direct them to.  Even then you have the option of depositing into a points account or a weeks account.  Until we ask them to deposit our week it is assumed we will be using the week ourselves at our home resort.


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## mpizza (Aug 20, 2010)

Unfortunately, if the resort is a "points" resort, and you own a "week"  - you are not permitted to deposit in points for a particular year.  

Although I don't like it, it does make sense as some owners paid big bucks to convert to points.

In other words, PFD can only be made for a week from a straight "weeks" resort.

Maria


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## Patri (Aug 20, 2010)

What did your resort tell you?


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## avernas (Aug 20, 2010)

Ok, I think I have everything figured out.

I determined my week was never converted to points so it looks like I'll be excluded from that program entirely (not worth it for me to convert).

In the future, if I decide to buy a weeks only resort to PFD, I will first need to buy a converted points TS to open an RCI points account.

Thanks to everyone for clearing that up.


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## AwayWeGo (Aug 20, 2010)

*eBay All The Way.*




Patri said:


> If I decide to buy a weeks only resort to PFD, I will first need to buy a converted points TS to open an RCI points account.


You are correct, sir. 

But fret not.  You will be able to find 1 of those that you like _el cheapo_ on eBay.  

We recently sprang for a dinky eBay points timeshare (18*,*500 points per year -- 55*,*500 points triennially) with free closing & free resort transfer & 3 years of annual fees prepaid.  Total cost to us = $162 eBay bid + $100 RCI Points transfer fee.  (We already have an RCI Points membership.) 

Is this a great country or what ? 

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


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## ladybug618 (Sep 17, 2010)

*Am I getting this at all?*



mpizza said:


> Unfortunately, if the resort is a "points" resort, and you own a "week"  - you are not permitted to deposit in points for a particular year.
> 
> Although I don't like it, it does make sense as some owners paid big bucks to convert to points.
> 
> ...



Does this mean 1 or 2:

1. if you  have an RCI points account, you can only deposit PFD that are not RCI affiliated (so some other or II)  *or*

2. you can do PFD into your RCI points account if the resort is RCI affiliated, but NOT points...

Arggh my head hurts


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## aliikai2 (Sep 17, 2010)

*Numero dos*

You ( if you have an RCI points account) can deposit for points any RCI weeks only resort.

Greg



ladybug618 said:


> Does this mean 1 or 2:
> 
> 1. if you  have an RCI points account, you can only deposit PFD that are not RCI affiliated (so some other or II)  *or*
> 
> ...


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## ladybug618 (Sep 17, 2010)

Thank you, trying to strategize and wanted to be sure my thinking cap was squarely upon my head. It has a tendency to slip off from time to time.

Thanks!!!!!


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## ekobar (Oct 19, 2010)

I can't find the answer to this anywhere so I apologize if this is the wrong place to post.  I am trying to wrap my head around this points for deposit program.  I currently own points with Wyndham (Wyndham Pagosa is my home resort), which I have deposited into my RCI weeks account.  Since it is a weeks account through RCI, would I be able to transfer it over into a points account through PFD? (I know I would need to get an RCI points account first, but can only handle one thing at a time   )  I guess my confusion is that it is a "points account" thru Wyndham, but a "weeks" account thru RCI.  I keep hearing that it has to be a weeks resort, not points resort, but can't find anything on which specific resorts qualify for this.  Hope that made sense!


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## got4boys (Oct 19, 2010)

ekobar said:


> I can't find the answer to this anywhere so I apologize if this is the wrong place to post.  I am trying to wrap my head around this points for deposit program.  I currently own points with Wyndham (Wyndham Pagosa is my home resort), which I have deposited into my RCI weeks account.  Since it is a weeks account through RCI, would I be able to transfer it over into a points account through PFD? (I know I would need to get an RCI points account first, but can only handle one thing at a time   )  I guess my confusion is that it is a "points account" thru Wyndham, but a "weeks" account thru RCI.  I keep hearing that it has to be a weeks resort, not points resort, but can't find anything on which specific resorts qualify for this.  Hope that made sense!



You cannot do Points for Deposit with Wyndham Pagosa as it is listed as an RCI Points resort. You can do Points for Deposit with most weeks that are not RCI Points resorts.


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## ekobar (Oct 20, 2010)

Thanks.  I actually have Wyndham Durango (got those mixed up as I never go) but I am assuming they are the same since both Wyndham.  Where do I find this list of RCI points resorts?


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## "Roger" (Oct 20, 2010)

ekobar said:


> Thanks.  I actually have Wyndham Durango (got those mixed up as I never go) but I am assuming they are the same since both Wyndham.  Where do I find this list of RCI points resorts?


I am not sure that there is a list (outside of using the RCI directory that you would get as a Points member).  However, if you want to know if a particular resort is considered a Points resort or not, go to the RCI website, click on the "Resort Dictectory" tab at the top, and then look up the specific resort.  (There is a blank near the bottom of the Resort Directory page where you can fill in the resort name or partial name.)  Once you find the resort in question, it will be identified as a "RCI Points" resort if it is one.

So, for example, going to the Resort Directory and filling in the word "Durango" you eventually get to this page.  Notice that the two Wyndham resorts have "RCI Points" listed under their name, but the third resort does not.  The two Wyndham resorts are considered part of the Points program, but Purgatory Village Condo is not.


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## chewie (Oct 27, 2010)

*I think I get it....maybe?*

This is my first post, so please be very gentle!

I have spent the past few weeks educating myself on the timeshare resale market and have used this board as my primary source for learning.  Of course, there are dozens of links leading to specific items, but I have always come back here as my primary source for making the connections.  So here goes:

I have a TS in HI that is not in the RCI Points program, but it is in the RCI Weeks and II programs - Gold Crown Resort.  However, I am not a member of RCI currently, and I want access to the points program.  Since I am not a member of RCI, I am interested in buying a 'dinky' (as AwayWeGo calls it) RCI Points TS that I never plan to visit.  Here is an active example of what I think is being described:  http://cgi.ebay.com/RCI-POINTS-Bart...=Timeshares&hash=item2c57e023f3#ht_3126wt_905

Here are my questions. 

1.   If I buy a timeshare that reads like this one does, it would get me into the RCI Points program with an annual allotment of 12,000 annual points, and the MF is only $322 annually.  Is this correct, by reading what is being sold there?


2.  Once the closing for said TS (above) is finalized, I will then be able to PFD my week that I have with the HI timeshare during the years that we don't want to go to HI, and I would get the estimated point value of 60k points for PFD that week (The HI TS is a 1br 2 ba in Kona for July 4th week annually). Is this correct?

3.  Is there anything that I should be skeptical of with the 'dinky' TS that I listed in the ebay link above?  Any shadiness going on there?


Also wanted to add that I have no interest or affiliation with 'dinky' ebay timeshare in the example above.  I am simply using it as an example to verify that I have understood the characteristics of a 'qualified' Manchurian candidate that will get me into the RCI Points program in the most minimal way!

Thanks in advance, and I hope I don't sound too novice for this board.


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## AwayWeGo (Oct 27, 2010)

*Dinky Is As Dinky Does.*

When you sign up with RCI Points, a membership in RCI Weeks is included at no additional charge.  

Our recently purchased eBay dinky points timeshare gets us 18*,*500 RCI Points annually for maintenance fees of approximately $750 every 3 years. 

Others more or less like the 1 we bought recently (except less dinky) are available via eBay for less than the New Hampshire points timeshare you linked. 

For current eBay examples, click here & here & here & here. 

For more eBay examples, click here & here. 

Of recent eBay offerings like that, the 1 we bought was the dinkiest of the dinky -- a triennial offseason 2BR unit worth 55*,*500 points, which they divvy up into annual injections of 18*,*500 points.  On ours, closing was free.  Ditto resort transfer.  Likewise maintenance fees through 2012.  We paid our bid amount ($162) + RCI Points transfer fee.  

Once we were in RCI points with our (former) dinky points timeshare, for which our recent eBay dinky points timeshare is merely a replacement, we were able to do _Points For Deposit_ any year we chose with any or all of our straight-weeks timeshares.  

As a practical matter, most of the points in our RCI Points account have come from PFD rather than from our dinky points timeshares -- not that there's anything wrong with that. 

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


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## jerseygirl (Oct 27, 2010)

mpizza said:


> Unfortunately, if the resort is a "points" resort, and you own a "week"  - you are not permitted to deposit in points for a particular year.
> 
> Although I don't like it, it does make sense as some owners paid big bucks to convert to points.
> 
> ...



RCI makes an exception for Sheraton Vistana Resort.  If you have one converted week, they allow you to PFD other weeks.  You get stuck with the lower generic points value, but it can be done.  

I don't know if this works if you own a different points week (not SVR), but I have one converted SVR and have been able to PFD other SVR weeks.  Last time I did it, I had to ask to speak to a supervisor - the regular rep was unaware of the exception for this resort.

SVR also does points conversions directly through RCI ($499 I think) ... no middleman.

Just posting as an FYI .... I realize this doesn't really apply to the OPs question.


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