# Is RCI sandbagging us on the TPU?



## skimble (Jan 3, 2013)

I did a search for Silversands to see what the availability is.  There is no availability in the system-- not at any time of year.  
I did a search for Dikhololo-- same thing. 
I searched Strand Pavilion, and there were about 50 weeks available.  

If there's a supply-demand formula in RCI, why are they giving us so little for Silversands and Dik weeks when they cannot hold inventory?  Shouldn't they be increasing the TPU value to offset the demand?  
(Or... are these weeks in such high demand that RCI skims them all and rents them?)


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## lcml11 (Jan 3, 2013)

skimble said:


> I did a search for Silversands to see what the availability is.  There is no availability in the system-- not at any time of year.
> I did a search for Dikhololo-- same thing.
> I searched Strand Pavilion, and there were about 50 weeks available.
> 
> ...



Not defending RCI, but maybe they are just not getting any inventory for those resorts in the exchange program.  I have observed differences in the Wyndham/RCI portal where there was plenty of availability at the time I checked through Wyndham.  A check of similar dates through RCI should little or no availabily.  Myrtle Beach resorts were the one used used as a comparitor.


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## MuranoJo (Jan 5, 2013)

I suspect most of the SA inventory gets loaded to the European version of RCI, since SA is most popular there. (And the EU owners probably get better trade power on that system.)

I've read here before that if someone is looking for a SA exchange, they would have better luck contacting RCI Europe.


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## Margariet (Jan 6, 2013)

No, RCI Europe has the same inventory. That's a misunderstanding. Like the OP said: lots of Strand Pav, no Silversands, no Dikhololo.


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## MuranoJo (Jan 7, 2013)

Thanks for the first-hand information, Margariet.  I'll go out later tonight and check as now I'm curious what they do with the SA inventory.


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## Carolinian (Jan 11, 2013)

I talked with a South African who had exchanged into the same resort I did in Europe after the ''Points Lite'' ''enhancement'' when trading power for US and European SA owners was whacked.  South Africa RCI has long used a different points based exchange system, and their trading power was NOT whacked at the same time or subsequently.  RCI apparently only did that to people who owned in SA but did not trade through RCI SA.  They still get good trading power.


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## MuranoJo (Jan 11, 2013)

Carolinian,
Seems to me that RCI whacked the SA trading power a couple of years before they instituted the TPUs, but I'm not positive.  (All I recall is one whack after another. )


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## Carolinian (Jan 14, 2013)

muranojo said:


> Carolinian,
> Seems to me that RCI whacked the SA trading power a couple of years before they instituted the TPUs, but I'm not positive.  (All I recall is one whack after another. )



Yes there were earlier whacks, but the one that really destroyed trading power was simultaneous with the ''TPU''  ''enhancement''.

The biggest of the earlier whacks was the so-called ''Black Sunday'', but that was really applying the usual exchange system rules to SA, which had previously been overaveraged both as to season and resort.  In that, some owners of better seasons and better resorts actually had their trading power go up.  I really cannot fault RCI for Black Sunday, which for some was actually Golden Sunday.  Even after Black Sunday, most SA weeks were worth keeping, which was not true after the Points Lite ''enhancement''.

In the Points Lite ''enhancement'', SA was not the only area whacked.  The UK was too, and it has an very strong supply demand curve.  Another Tugger reported being offered only 34 points lite for a Spring week at Allen House, which is absurd, and he chose to give it to DAE instead.  The rare-as-hens-teeth Allen House being only a bit over half of a much more plentiful Manhattan Club is an absurdity, but it becomes even more insulting when compared to overbuilt areas and points lite awarded to them.


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## cerralee (Jan 14, 2013)

I recently paid my Silversands levy but as yet have not deposited it into RCI.  RCI in their check out your trading value section is only giving me 8 TPU's this year for the deposit.  It is usually at least 10.  I have access to RCI's South Africa website and can see that this year instead of being a white week it is a red week and the points alloted in South Africa's system are much higher this year (1760) than in previous years (1430) but I'm getting even less in RCI USA's system.  Very disappointing.


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## Carolinian (Jan 16, 2013)

maybe the thing to do is get a SA mail drop address and a SA phone number on Skype that will ring on your computer anywhere in the world, and trade through the SA RCI system.  They seem determined to cheat SA owners who live elsewhere in the world.


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