# Resort on Cocoa Beach owners Beware of RCI trade power



## lgreenspan (Jun 10, 2008)

Owners of The Resort on Cocoa Beach please be advised of a huge decrease in trading power if you deposit your 2009 week with RCI. My recent May 31 2009 week has significantly lower exchange power from prior years.
After a phone call and several emails to RCI concerning the trading power , the final answer is TOUGH LUCK . RCI changed your trading power and it cant be changed.
PM me if you need search examples.


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## timeos2 (Jun 10, 2008)

*Weeks is the problem. VEP is just a waste byproduct*



lgreenspan said:


> Owners of The Resort on Cocoa Beach please be advised of a huge decrease in trading power if you deposit your 2009 week with RCI. My recent May 31 2009 week has significantly lower exchange power from prior years.
> After a phone call and several emails to RCI concerning the VEP change the final answer is TOUGH LUCK . RCI changed your VEP and it cant be changed.
> PM me if you need search examples.



Ah yes. The wonderful back room gyrations of the black box called RCI (or II) weeks and the "magical" values used in a losing attempt to equalize deposits. You are correct that you and the resort have no recourse and no idea how the so called values got assigned, what they are or how they affect your trade value. 

Give me the open, published systems of values - points - any day so I know what I have and what it can get.


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## Laurie (Jun 10, 2008)

Are you sure it's the VEP that has changed, and if so are you sure it was lowered? VEP and trade power aren't the same thing. Trade power is related to supply and demand much more than quality. And convolutedly, a higher VEP can actually reduce your trade power because lower-VEP resorts will be excluded. So a high-VEP resort outside of prime season, where supply is outstripping demand, doesn't bode well for trade power.


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## Judy (Jun 10, 2008)

Perhaps you could post some examples.  I ask because "trading power" and "VEP" are not the same thing.  "Trading Power" will effect what your unit can pull in one way, VEP in another.
Did your VEP go up or down?


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## swift (Jun 10, 2008)

Judy said:


> Perhaps you could post some examples.  I ask because "trading power" and "VEP" are not the same thing.  "Trading Power" will effect what your unit can pull in one way, VEP in another.
> Did your VEP go up or down?




The OP can not post what you are asking on this board. If a "trade power" test is going to be done you need to do that on the Sightings and Distress board.


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## gmarine (Jun 10, 2008)

Trade power can and will change from year to year. This is something to take up with your resort. If the resorts VEP and/or trade power was lowered the resort will be aware of why.


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## DeniseM (Jun 10, 2008)

Duplicate posts are not allowed on TUG, so I merged the 2 threads.


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## lgreenspan (Jun 11, 2008)

I believe I have miss stated by saying my resort VEP having changed it has not. The Resort on Cocoa Beach continues to be a very highly rated resort.According to the Resort management it continues to rate well above Gold Crown standards. It is the trading power of my recent deposit that is disturbing. I used my 2007 week to get Kona Coast Resort in Hawaii and my 2008 week for a Morritts Grand exchange. My 2009 week can not see any Hawaii weeks for any resort and can not see the Morritts Grand bulk deposit for 2010.
When checking to see if my Resort on Cocoa Beach 2009 deposit was still listed within RCI availability it was already gone. It lasted less then 9 days in thier inventory. A pretty short time considering RCI telling me they have a lower demand for this Resort.


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## jd2601 (Jun 11, 2008)

I also have had bad luck with trading power with RCB with RCI.  Since then I have traded through SFX.  Since we were interested in trading into Mexico we had very good luck with SFX.

I was wondering if anyone has experience with trading through II?  I believe the RCB has been dual affiliated the last couple of years.

I also am looking forward to an internal VRI exchange program.  At this time I do not know much about VRIety and know they are not affiliated yet.

I am holding out with next years week to determine the best exchange company.  We have been to the Grand Mayans the last couple of years for spring break Nuevo Vallarta and Cabo.  We are planning Cabo Grand Mayan for next year also.  Thanks to SFX!


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## theo (Jun 11, 2008)

*VEP vs. Trading Power*



Judy said:


> ...."trading power" and "VEP" are not the same thing.  "Trading Power" will effect what your unit can pull in one way, VEP in another.



It has been some years since I "exchanged" through RCI and frankly, I have no plans to deposit with RCI again anytime soon (...if ever). 

Nonetheless, I will readily admit that I have never really understood (and still don't) the difference / distinction between VEP and "trading power".

Would someone be kind enough to provide a brief (but hopefully clear) definition / description of each?  (i.e., VEP and "trading power"). 
Thanks in advance.


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## lgreenspan (Jun 11, 2008)

VEP= Vacation Experience Profile  based off comment cards turned into RCI from exchangers for each resort. Trading power is a magic RCI formula based on VEP, demand of resort exchanges for the resort , 3 sprinkles of pixie dust and the location of the moon on the day of the deposit.


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## theo (Jun 11, 2008)

lgreenspan said:


> VEP= Vacation Experience Profile  based off comment cards turned into RCI from exchangers for each resort. Trading power is a magic RCI formula based on VEP, demand of resort exchanges for the resort , 3 sprinkles of pixie dust and the location of the moon on the day of the deposit.



Thank you. With RCI involved, I had actually somehow already suspected the involvement of "magic", pixie dust and phase of the moon. I am, however, somewhat disappointed to see no reference to the use or inclusion of Tarot cards, tides, or astrological signs.


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## dougp26364 (Jun 11, 2008)

timeos2 said:


> Ah yes. The wonderful back room gyrations of the black box called RCI (or II) weeks and the "magical" values used in a losing attempt to equalize deposits. You are correct that you and the resort have no recourse and no idea how the so called values got assigned, what they are or how they affect your trade value.
> 
> Give me the open, published systems of values - points - any day so I know what I have and what it can get.



This is one thing we can definately agree on. With points you know what you're getting as far as value. I'm sure that somewhere down the road exchange companies will find a way to screw up a good points based system but for now it's the easiest way to see what value you actually own.


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