# What to do with leftover points



## rob621 (May 28, 2014)

Is there anything I can do with leftover points?  For example for this year I have 1500 points left and for next year I have 14,000 points left.  Since these really aren't enough for me to get anything with, is there any way to save or pool them?


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## ronparise (May 28, 2014)

too late now, but for the future consider the points credt pool. Deposit your points before your use year begins, and they are good for 3 years.


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## Sandy VDH (May 28, 2014)

You could put this pool next years, but you pay for that.  

You could deposit them in RCI.


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## Vacationfuntips (May 28, 2014)

Yes, you can do something with those points.  Do NOT waste them - you paid for them!  Use them!

Tip Read: Tug BBS article - How to Maximize Your Points:

http://www.tug2.net/timeshare_advice/maximize_wyndham_points.html

Here are your options:

Express reservation is 90 days or less from reservation check-in date

Make an Express Reservation for summer 2014 - you can use your 1500 points and you will have the option of borrowing your 14,000 points or a fraction of them from next use year points to complete your reservation.  You may only get a night or two - but why not???  

If you don't want to use it for summer you may be able to do the same thing before the end of Dec 2014 by borrowing the 14,000 points or a fraction of them.  

Worse case, borrow at least 8500 points by making an express Wyndham reservation for 2014.  You will use your 1500 + borrow at least 8500 - then you will have 10,000 available.  You can deposit those points int RCI - Wyndham lowered the required minimum amount that you can use for deposits and 10,000 is that minimum.  If you deposit 10,000 into RCI then those points will be good for 2 years. 

Another option is you can rent points for an express reservation to add on to your 1500 at $8.00 per 1,000 points.  You can do that to get 1 or 2 nights somewhere.  You can save the 14,000 points to do an Express reservation in the future for those 2015 points by borrowing from 2016 at the 10 month mark when you will have access to those 2016 points.  You will need to make a reservation for 2015.  Any points borrowed from 2016 will stay in the use year of the new reservation so if they are for a reservation in 2015 -then those 2016 points borrowed will only be good to the end of your 2015 use year.

Cynthia T.


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## uscav8r (May 28, 2014)

rob621 said:


> Is there anything I can do with leftover points?  For example for this year I have 1500 points left and for next year I have 14,000 points left.  Since these really aren't enough for me to get anything with, is there any way to save or pool them?






Vacationfuntips said:


> ...
> Another option is you can rent points for an express reservation to add on to your 1500 at $8.00 per 1,000 points.  You can do that to get 1 or 2 nights somewhere.  You can save the 14,000 points to do an Express reservation in the future for those 2015 points by borrowing from 2016 at the 10 month mark when you will have access to those 2016 points.  You will need to make a reservation for 2015.  Any points borrowed from 2016 will stay in the use year of the new reservation so if they are for a reservation in 2015 -then those 2016 points borrowed will only be good to the end of your 2015 use year.
> 
> Cynthia T.



To clarify Cynthia's point, the $8/1000 points is the online rate inside the 90-day window. If it is in the 90-day to 9-month window, or If you call a VC at any time, it is $10/1k.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## CO skier (May 28, 2014)

rob621 said:


> Is there anything I can do with leftover points?  For example for this year I have 1500 points left and for next year I have 14,000 points left.  Since these really aren't enough for me to get anything with, is there any way to save or pool them?



You could "reverse pool" them; i.e., instead of pooling this year's and next year's points (which can't be done), put whatever 2016 points you will not need for Advance Reservation Priority into the Credit Pool now for $39 (or deposit them to the Credit Pool  when you are ready to make a reservation for this year) .  The Credit Pool points will expire in three years from the month deposited.  You could then make a reservation for this year using Credit Pool points plus the 1500 points remaining, and next year you could make a reservation using the 14,000 points plus more from your Credit Pool balance to make a reservation.

Or, you could make an Express Reservation this year using the 1500 points, borrowing the 14, 000 points from next year, plus whatever Credit Pool points needed to complete the reservation (you would have to call Reservations for this complex reservation).  I did exactly this to transform two year's worth of leftover points into a President's Day weekend ski vacation this last February.

Borrowing points from next year in the Express Reservation window to combine with the 1500 points from this year for free is obviously the best idea, but 15,500 points does not go very far.  If you will not need some or all of your 2016 points for ARP, why not Credit Pool this year all that you will not need for ARP in 2016 to make a multi-day reservation?  At $39 cost, it would likely prove much cheaper than renting points from Wyndham at $8-10/1000 points.

ETA:  Many resorts require prepayment for future usage before it can be deposited (essentially "use" the future timeshare week/points by depositing) to an exchange company.  Wyndham is unusual in that you can borrow (Credit Pool) points up to 2 years before you pay the MF on them, and use them immediately.  Just remember -- eventually that MF bill does become due.


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## Vacationfuntips (May 28, 2014)

CO skier said:


> You could "reverse pool" them; i.e., instead of pooling this year's and next year's points (which can't be done), put whatever 2016 points you will not need for Advance Reservation Priority into the Credit Pool now for $39 (or deposit them to the Credit Pool  when you are ready to make a reservation for this year) .  The Credit Pool points will expire in three years from the month deposited.  You could then make a reservation for this year using Credit Pool points plus the 1500 points remaining, and next year you could make a reservation using the 14,000 points plus more from your Credit Pool balance to make a reservation.
> 
> Or, you could make an Express Reservation this year using the 1500 points, borrowing the 14, 000 points from next year, plus whatever Credit Pool points needed to complete the reservation (you would have to call Reservations for this complex reservation).  I did exactly this to transform two year's worth of leftover points into a President's Day weekend ski vacation this last February.
> 
> Borrowing points from next year to combine with the 1500 points from this year for free is obviously the best idea, but 15,500 points does not go very far.  If you will not need some or all of your 2016 points for ARP, why not Credit Pool this year all that you will not need for ARP in 2016 to make a multi-day reservation?  At $39 cost, it would likely prove much cheaper than renting points from Wyndham at $8-10/1000 points.



Yes, CO skier has another great option.  If you credit pooled your 2016 points you can use them any which way you wish to add on to 2014, or 2015 points. You can still use them in 2016 and for part of 2017.

Keep in mind that if you credit pool those 2016 points now you have 3 years to use those points from date of deposit.  So, if you credit pool now (2016 early) you will have until May 2017 to use up all of your 2016 points that you placed into the credit pool.  You can place all or some of those 2016 points for $39.

The credit pool feature could be a cheaper option than paying the $8.00 per 1,000 points from Wyndham online.  

I guess the answer to your question and the best solution for how to use those remaining points depends on when and how you wish to use them?

You could have 1 or 2 nights or a longer vacation depending upon what you decide?  Keep in mind that those 1500 points for 2014 should have an equivalence to around $8.00 or so and the 14,000 points for 2015 should have a value of around $70-75.00?  

You have more time to figure out how to best use your 2015 points - however, I would not credit pool those for $39.  It would be better to credit pool all or some of your 2016 use year points to use now or for later.

Please remember that when place points in the credit pool - you lose ARP benefits at your home resort(s).  Also if you make a reservation using credit pooled points and then cancel the reservation - those points do not go back into the credit pool (which you paid to have them in)  Those pooled points become canceled points.  

Cynthia T.


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## siesta (May 29, 2014)

A lot of great advice here. But don't lose perspective, its 15k points, so around $75-$90.  If you can do something as advised that works for you, great.  If not, deposit them to rci and call it a day (if you have reservation transactions left that is, if not then may not be worth it)


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## Bigrob (May 29, 2014)

I'd agree, especially related to the 2014 points... 1500 points is not enough to worry about "losing". I wouldn't do anything artificial to try to use them. But you've gotten some good tips to use if there was a getaway you'd want to take.


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## CO skier (May 29, 2014)

siesta said:


> A lot of great advice here. But don't lose perspective, its 15k points, so around $75-$90.  If you can do something as advised that works for you, great.  If not, deposit them to rci and call it a day (if you have reservation transactions left that is, if not then may not be worth it)



15K points will get the OP nothing in RCI but a commitment to deposit more points to RCI to get a reservation plus a $200 exchange fee if they ever find something and exchange.

The OP obviously knows the Wyndham Club Pass system; it is best to use the points, somehow, within the system.

Never used RCI, but I think a Reservation Transaction is required only for an exchange, not for a deposit.  So, nothing to lose by depositing to RCI, but with only 15,500 points to deposit, it seems likely they would expire in RCI just as they would in the Wyndham system without the help of the Credit Pool.

(By now, the OP is probably so confused by the options, they are sorry they asked).


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## siesta (May 29, 2014)

CO skier said:


> 15K points will get the OP nothing in RCI but a commitment to deposit more points to RCI to get a reservation plus a $200 exchange fee if they ever find something and exchange.
> 
> The OP obviously knows the Wyndham Club Pass system; it is best to use the points, somehow, within the system.
> 
> ...


my point was if nothing else advised works for them and if they are going to expire anyways, and so is the reservation transaction, might as well deposit them and extend them for 2 years if he plans on using rci in the future.  From his original post, Who knows if he will deposit any of his 2016 points to add to the pot.

Also, you are incorrect. Depositing points into RCI uses a reservation transaction at the time of the deposit, regardless whether you end up making an exchange or not. This is clear if you read the member directory, the page on external exchanges.


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## CO skier (May 29, 2014)

Vacationfuntips said:


> Keep in mind that if you credit pool those 2016 points now you have 3 years to use those points from date of deposit.  So, if you credit pool now (2016 early) you will have until May 2017 to use up all of your 2016 points that you placed into the credit pool.  You can place all or some of those 2016 points for $39.



An excellent point in that Credit Pooling 2016 points now would extend the life of the Pooled points by at least 5 months beyond a Jan-Dec 2016 Use Year, if that is what the OP has.  (The OP seems to have no problem using available points, though).



Vacationfuntips said:


> The credit pool feature could be a cheaper option than paying the $8.00 per 1,000 points from Wyndham online.



There is an echo in here.


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## CO skier (May 29, 2014)

siesta said:


> Also, you are incorrect. Depositing points into RCI uses a reservation transaction at the time of the deposit, regardless whether you end up making an exchange or not. This is clear if you read the member directory, the page on external exchanges.



Then using a RT now plus at least one more RT in the future plus a $200 exchange fee would be a lousy idea to save what amounts to <$100 of Wyndham points.

... which is why my suggestions were limited to using the points within the Wyndham system.


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## siesta (May 29, 2014)

CO skier said:


> Then using a RT now plus at least one more RT in the future plus a $200 exchange fee would be a lousy idea to save what amounts to <$100 of Wyndham points.


 I'm sorry but you are just not getting it. Let me try one last time.

If nothing already suggested works for OP, those points and reservation transaction(if he still has one) will expire regardless. Therefore, by depositing them into rci, he can extend them by 2 years. If he in the future plans to make an rci exchange and adds more points, great for him. If not and they expire, he is in pretty much the same boat as he would have been by just letting them expire now.

However, one imprtant caveat ... You can only deposit a minimum of 27000 points. Which is not a problem however, because he can do the reserve cancel trick for the difference and then deposit using the same reservation transaction. But again, if he has no clear intention of using rci ever, best to let them expire. Because the difference (12000 points or ~$60) is not worth spending to save the 15k points to begin with if you are never going to use them in RCI, but from the OPs nitial post we dont have any information to that extent. So I'm just giving him another option to extend the life of those points.

Its elementary my dear Watson....


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## CO skier (May 29, 2014)

siesta said:


> I'm sorry but you are just not getting it. Let me try one last time.
> 
> If nothing already suggested works for OP, those points and reservation transaction(if he still has one) will expire regardless. Therefore, by depositing them into rci, he can extend them by 2 years. If he in the future plans to make an rci exchange and adds more points, great for him.  If not and they expire, he is in pretty much the same boat as he would have been by just letting them expire now.
> 
> ...



I was trying to help the OP to use the points, not to offer suggestions to help them expire.

I do not use RCI, but I do know the minimum deposit is now 10,000 points.


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## siesta (May 29, 2014)

CO skier said:


> I was trying to help the OP to use the points, not to offer suggestions to help them expire.
> 
> I do not use RCI, but I do know the minimum deposit is now 10,000 points.


i dont have a copy of the current directory nearby to verify that. But assuming arguendo you are correct, then my suggestion has even more strength: If none of the previous suggested options work, its either let them expire now, or deposit them to rci and extend their life for 2 years. He would be a damn fool at that point not to deposit them (assuming he has reservation transaction and housekeeping credits.)

Also, your notion of "helping them expire", where can I get a crystal ball such as yours? You seem to know that the OP will never use rci. Just because you dont doesnt mean others dont or wont...

Even if I was 99% sure I wouldnt use rci ever, but I had points that were going to expire, I would deposit them to rci if i had the res. transaction and hk credits. What do you have to lose? Nothing. What do you have to gain? Extending the life by 2 years and potentially using them instead of losing them.


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## CO skier (May 29, 2014)

siesta said:


> Also, your notion of "helping them expire", where can I get a crystal ball such as yours? You seem to know that the OP will never use rci. Just because you dont doesnt mean others dont or wont...



If the OP had enough points to make an exchange in RCI, I would still advise to use them within Wyndham and save the $200 exchange fee.

15,000 points total to deposit?  It is a no-brainer ($39 Wyndham, $200 RCI) to use them in Wyndham.


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## uscav8r (May 29, 2014)

siesta said:


> i dont have a copy of the current directory nearby to verify that. But assuming arguendo you are correct, then my suggestion has even more strength: If none of the previous suggested options work, its either let them expire now, or deposit them to rci and extend their life for 2 years. He would be a damn fool at that point not to deposit them (assuming he has reservation transaction and housekeeping credits.)


I'll confirm CO skier's info: the minimum deposit is 10,000.

1500 points is chump change, worth -- at most -- $9-15. The 14k next year is worth a bit more, but paying $39 now to pool only 14k points seems to be overkill.

If I were in OP shoes, and I really had to watch _every _point and pound, I would:

1) keep my eye open for a feasible 2-3 day trip I might want to do between now and the end of the year. 
1a) write off the 1500 points for this year, and start thinking of short trips to do in 2015 using some combination of 2015 points and pooled 2016/17 points.
2) wait until the 90-day window to be able to use up the 15.5k (this year and next year's points) which may barely get a single studio night.
3) wait to credit pool 2016 points until the very day I needed to use those points if I wanted to book a larger unit or more days or both for said 2014 or 2015 trip.


With that few points to be concerned with (15.5k), I would not bother with RCI unless it was after December 15th and I had no other options (and still had an available RT). I certainly would not jump through a bunch of book/cancel tricks to be able to make a small RCI deposit.


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## uscav8r (May 29, 2014)

CO skier said:


> If the OP had enough points to make an exchange in RCI, I would still advise to use them within Wyndham and save the $200 exchange fee.
> 
> 15,000 points total to deposit?  It is a no-brainer ($39 Wyndham, $200 RCI) to use them in Wyndham.


The RCI booking fee is tiered so that shorter stays are charged a lesser amount than the standard $209 for 7+ days. I'd have to look up the fee structure again, but I think it starts around $40 for 1-2 nights. Even so, using average MF as the "cost" of points, that still ends up being about $125 for a single night in a studio or maybe a 1 BR in RCI with no other options? That's pretty expensive, and I'd rather stick with a hotel chain at that rate.


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## CO skier (May 29, 2014)

uscav8r said:


> 1500 points is chump change, worth -- at most -- $15. The 14k next year is worth a bit more, but paying $39 now to pool only 14k points seems to be overkill.



That is why they should use the $39 (if they choose to Credit Pool) to Credit Pool 2016 points; it puts this year's 1500 and next year's 14,000 points in play for no additional cost.


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## uscav8r (May 29, 2014)

CO skier said:


> That is why they should use the $39 (if they choose to Credit Pool) to Credit Pool 2016 points; it puts this year's 1500 and next year's 14,000 points in play for no additional cost.


Concur, but no need to do it right away. Wait until OP wants to make a 2014 reservation if trying to use the 1500, or wait until making a 2015 reservation if writing off the 1500, in order to maximize the life of those 2016 pooled credits.

Makes one happy to be a Worldmark owner and not have such worries!


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## uscav8r (May 29, 2014)

[Duplicate post]


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## CO skier (May 29, 2014)

uscav8r said:


> The RCI booking fee is tiered so that shorter stays are charged a lesser amount than the standard $209 for 7+ days. I'd have to look up the fee structure again, but I think it starts around $40 for 1-2 nights. Even so, using average MF as the "cost" of points, that still ends up being about $125 for a single night in a studio or maybe a 1 BR in RCI with no other options? That's pretty expensive, and I'd rather stick with a hotel chain at that rate.




I thought Wyndham points (UDI) accounts (which is what the OP seems to have) are weeks accounts?

Are short stays available only to RCI points owners?  In which case, anything less than a one week's stay worth of points would be worthless?

(My knowledge of RCI [probably like the OP's] is extremely limited).  But I do know that $200 extra for an RCI week versus a free (and often, better quality) Wyndham booking is not chump change.


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## CO skier (May 29, 2014)

uscav8r said:


> Makes one happy to be a Worldmark owner and not have such worries!



plus No Reservation Transactions,  Bonus Time for guests with No RT, book any resort at 13 months,  affordable Maintenance Fees, the list goes on ...


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## uscav8r (May 29, 2014)

CO skier said:


> I thought Wyndham points (UDI) accounts (which is what the OP seems to have) are weeks accounts?
> 
> Are short stays available only to RCI points owners?  In which case, anything less than a one week's stay worth of points would be worthless?
> 
> (My knowledge of RCI [probably like the OP's] is extremely limited).  But I do know that $200 extra for an RCI week versus a free (and often, better quality) Wyndham booking is not chump change.



No worries. If OP has Plus Partners (i.e., points bought from the developer), he/she would have Nightly Stays. In any case, I am agreeing with you that one is almost always better off using points within Wyndham! 

I found the tier structure (this seems low and could be outdated, but it was on the same Wyndham page as the updated RCI points charts):
Length of Stay        ... Reservation Fee by Phone         ... Online Reservation Fee                     
1 night                               .............. $49                                                                         ................................. $49                     
2 nights              ............. $69                                    ................................ $69                     
3 nights              ............. $89                                    ................................ $89 
                    4 nights            ............. $109                                   .............................. $109                     
5 nights            ............. $139                                   .............................. $129 
                    6 nights            ............. $159                                   .............................. $149                     
7 nights or more..         $169                                   .............................. $159


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## Vacationfuntips (May 29, 2014)

You are given lots of advice.  Tug suggestions can help you plan out a strategy?  If you really want to use those points - you need to plan out one?

It is too late to credit pool 2014 points.  I would not credit pool 2015 points since you would have to pay $39.  It would be better to credit pool either some or all of 2016 points for $39.  

Since these are the OP's points - there are several options:

1. Do nothing - let the 1500 points expire < $8- $10 worth of points. 

2. Make an Express reservation to use up those 14,000 (2015 points) and book a 2014 reservation - it would be a total of 15,500 points to take a 1 or 2 day vacation soon. You might even get a points discount for certain resort specials - so your 15500 points may go further than you think?  Also if you travel Sun-Thurs you use much less points.  If you travel during non peak seasons you use less points too.  There is No charge to use borrowed points (only you must have 1 Reservation Transaction (RT) and enough Housekeeping Credits (HC) for the room type to cover the reservation or you would have to pay out of pocket for that). 

3.  Don't worry about the 14,000 points yet they are 2015 points you can use them in 2015 for a 1 or 2 days booking.  You can deposit them now or next year 2015 into RCI.  You will get 2 years to use or add additional points deposits into your RCI account to use for a vacation somewhere? It costs nothing other than a RT and some HC to make a deposit.  Once points are deposited into RCI when you go to book the vacation you pay the current $209 online (subject to change yearly) exchange fee + your points deposit to cover the cost of the desired reservation?  You have to have enough points in RCI to do that.  You can make several deposits and combine them to do that providing you book & travel before your points expire.

You can make an Express Reservation in 2015 and you have the option to borrow 2016 points for FREE at the 10 month window if you need more points.  You will need 1 RT and HC.  You get more of each RT and HC on Jan 1st 2015.  If you make more than 1 reservation or any RCI deposits on the same business day then you only use up 1 RT - so you won't waste more.  

4.  You can pool some or all of your 2016 points in 2015.  You can wait until 2015 then you will have until 2018 to use them up.

You have several options.  You decide to use all, some or none of those points yet.  Look through the Wyndham directory at points charts. 

Additionally, VIP members (if you are one) use less points (discounts) and can get upgraded rooms(if available too)?  Your points may go much further than you think!

Cynthia T.


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## ronparise (May 29, 2014)

CO skier said:


> plus No Reservation Transactions,  Bonus Time for guests with No RT, book any resort at 13 months,  affordable Maintenance Fees, the list goes on ...



All good points but there is no Worldmark resort in New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Myrtle Beach, etc etc, either.  and of course Worldmark Credits expire, and tricks are needed to save them too...\There are good reasons to own in either or both systems, but the low fees in Worldmark is not one of them. Consider that Wyndham is much cheaper to buy into and with some attention to what you are doing the HK and RT fees are not a factor with Wyndham; the money spent on most  vacations is about the same in both systems...Do the math


Credit pooling 2016 points (and every year thereafter) is a good option for the op, and should be used, not just to "save" his 2014 and 2015 points, but also to avoid the same problem in future years


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## bnoble (May 29, 2014)

I'm not sure why people are so invested in which option is "the right one" for the OP.  Just spell the options out, and let them decide.

Further, there is no one single objective right answer to "use in system" vs. "make an RCI exchange."  That's because some RCI exchanges are really good deals, even with the exchange fee, and some are not.  

For example, I had a week in a 2BR at Disney's Bay Lake Tower for our spring break this year.  I deposited 165K to RCI, paying the Reservation Transaction to do so, another $209 for the RCI exchange fee, and another $95 nuisance fee to Disney.  My $/K ratio is low (just about $4 these days) but someone with an "average" cost of $5.50 would have spent about $1,250 on this stay.  Disney charges $1,600 *per night* for this unit before discounts.  Even renting this stay from an owner would be a bit north of $6,000.

On the other hand, you could stay at Bonnet Creek.  You'd pay 224K for that stay.  If you had that average $5.50/K ratio, and you had to buy the reservation transaction, that stay costs a few dollars more than the DVC stay, plus you are not walking distance to the Magic Kingdom.

Now, granted this is an extreme example, but it is a real one.  While it's true in general that using the points in system are the best value, it's not universally true.

Edited for a correction: I was looking at the wrong year for the DVC point charts.  In 2015, it's a Premiere week, but in 2014 it was only Magic Season.  Renting this specific April '14 week from an owner would only be about $4,600 and change.


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## vacationhopeful (May 29, 2014)

There was a poster on TUG awhile back who was trying to figure out how to use some leftover points - small amount - say 10,000-12,000. The truth be told, unless you are a VIP or you have leftover RTs and HKs - the cost to book a 1-2 night stay QUICKLY is more than a hotel room (unless doing a Resort Special discount). Under $60 worth of points - I think.

Suggest you research Ron's suggest of credit pooling future Use Years - for planning. 

PS I don't have a RT or HK issue; I just borrow enough or buy points to get a fast getaway or deposit to RCI. And as a VIP, I also benefit from booking inside the 60 day from check in.


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## Vacationfuntips (May 29, 2014)

siesta said:


> I'm sorry but you are just not getting it. Let me try one last time.
> 
> If nothing already suggested works for OP, those points and reservation transaction(if he still has one) will expire regardless. Therefore, by depositing them into rci, he can extend them by 2 years. If he in the future plans to make an rci exchange and adds more points, great for him. If not and they expire, he is in pretty much the same boat as he would have been by just letting them expire now.
> 
> ...




*You can deposit into RCI with ONLY 10,000 points*.  You no longer need to deposit into RCI 27,000.  This is the NEW minimum for Wyndham points to deposit into RCI.

However, 10,000 points will NOT get you a week's vacation.  You would have to make some other deposits later on to add to this deposit for a week's reservation. 

Additionally, for RCI Points Nightly Stays you must have developer purchased points - Plus Partners to use this feature.  Otherwise, you must book RCI by the Week using your points on the Weeks side - since you do not get Wyndham Nightly Stays.

*Here is the NEW Wyndham RCI Weeks - Points Chart:*

*Points to Deposit
(10,000 points minimum)*
RCI deposits require a minimum of 10,000 points and may be increased in  increments of 1,000 (Example: 10,000, 11,000, 12,000 or greater)

Worldwide External Exchange Points Chart 
*Demand* *Studio* *1 BR                   2 BR                     3 BR or More *
*                                   Prime*          90,000    126,000    205,000     300,000
*High*                77,000    105,000   165,000      232,000 
*                                  Value*           52,000       77,000      126,000      159,000                                   
*  Quiet*            35,000   63,000         77,000          112,000

You have* two (2) years *to  use the deposit for an exchange reservation.

Cynthia T.


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## comicbookman (May 29, 2014)

bnoble said:


> I'm not sure why people are so invested in which option is "the right one" for the OP.  Just spell the options out, and let them decide.
> 
> Further, there is no one single objective right answer to "use in system" vs. "make an RCI exchange."  That's because some RCI exchanges are really good deals, even with the exchange fee, and some are not.
> 
> ...



Well said.  Real world examples are always appreciated.


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## Vacationfuntips (May 29, 2014)

comicbookman said:


> Well said.  Real world examples are always appreciated.


_*Quote:*_
_*                     Originally Posted by bnoble                     

*_ 
_*I'm not sure why people are so  invested in which option is "the right one" for the OP.  Just spell the  options out, and let them decide.
*_ _*
Further, there is no one single objective right answer to "use in  system" vs. "make an RCI exchange."  That's because some RCI exchanges  are really good deals, even with the exchange fee, and some are not.  
*_ _*
For example, I had a week in a 2BR at Disney's Bay Lake Tower for our  spring break this year.  I deposited 165K to RCI, paying the Reservation  Transaction to do so, another $209 for the RCI exchange fee, and  another $95 nuisance fee to Disney.  My $/K ratio is low (just about $4  these days) but someone with an "average" cost of $5.50 would have spent  about $1,250 on this stay.  Disney charges $1,600 per night for this unit before discounts.  Even renting this stay from an owner would be a bit north of $6,000.
*_ _*
On the other hand, you could stay at Bonnet Creek.  You'd pay 224K for  that stay.  If you had that average $5.50/K ratio, and you had to buy  the reservation transaction, that stay costs a few dollars more than the  DVC stay, plus you are not walking distance to the Magic Kingdom.
*_ _*
Now, granted this is an extreme example, but it is a real one.  While  it's true in general that using the points in system are the best value,  it's not universally true.*_

Some RCI deals are too good to pass up.  It depends where you want to go and the cost of the vacation?

It is nice to have a good example,  but there seems to be some confusion here.  You are comparing Apples to Oranges.  One is for Wyndham Bonnet Creek using the Wyndham Points Internal System and then booking a vacation with RCI.  RCI has their own pricing charts for points which varies by room size and season.

There are some very good deals to get a WDW vacation using Wyndham Points.  It would be less expensive to book a vacation than if you owned through Disney and paid their maintenance fees for the same thing?  105K points for a 1 bedroom at Disney is $548.10 + 209 exchange fee + $95 resort check-in fee = $852.10.  Some prices would be higher or lower depending on your Wyndham maintenance fees that you must pay.  Those maintenance fees turn into your Wyndham currency for spending on vacations.

If you booked Wyndham Bonnet Creek (WBC) #6369 with RCI a 2 Bedroom could cost much less than 224,000 points. 

Using the RCI points chart it would be possible to get a 1 bedroom for 105,000 points and a 2 bedroom for 165,000 points in RCI's High Season.

A 1 bedroom at WBC in November week 46 (Value Season) is 77,000 points and a 2 bedroom is 112,000 points.  For a 77K point reservation using WBC points currency to book with RCI the cost is $401 + 209 exchange fee = $610.  A 2 bedroom that uses 105,000 points at WBC is $548.10 + 209 = $757.10 

This same reservation booked with Wyndham and their internal system using NO discounts or free upgrades for a 1 bedroom is 84,000 points or $438.00 using WBC points currency.  For a 2 bedroom it is 112,000 points or $584.64 using WBC points currency.   

It is really important to know the season to figure out the cost of the vacation and to know your points charts for Wyndham and RCI to compare costs.  

Additionally, it gets more interesting when you own at more than one resort with Wyndham and you must average out your point currency with the maintenance fees that you pay each year.

Cynthia T.


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## siesta (May 29, 2014)

Thanks for the verification that 10K is the min. deposit.  My suggestion that if none of the aforementioned suggestions work, might as well deposit to RCI is given more strength.

I'm not quite sure why CO Skier has such a dog in this fight.  I was merely attempting to give the OP another option if none of the aforementioned worked to his advantage.  To me, its quite a simple issue that if they were to expire regardless then its best to just deposit them.  Alas, he is apparently anti-RCI.

On another note, I too have received wonderful RCI exchanges and at a phenomenal value due to the wyndham fixed point exchange grid.  For example where people are spending 50+ TPU for Manhattan Club, wyndham points allows to you exchange in for a fraction of that cost (as well as a fraction of an owners $2400+ MF).  Even with the new $30 a day fee at the resort, it is still a good value.

The higher the TPU, the better value exchanging wyndham points in RCI is.

My last RCI exchange was last summer, June '13, fathers day week.  It was for a studio at the Crane Resort in Barbados. We received an oceanfront room in the Historic building which was wonderful.  It cost me 74k or 77k points (cant remember), which plus the exchange fee came out to around $600 for the week in paradise! You'd be hard pressed to rent for that amount.


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## bnoble (May 29, 2014)

> You are comparing Apples to Oranges.


No, I was comparing dollars to dollars: what it cost to book a DVC week via RCI exchange vs. that very same week internally at just-down-the-road Wyndham Bonnet Creek, including all charges, for a specific vacation that I actually took.  They are within a few dollars of one another, even though the rental market suggests one is more valuable than the other.



> There are some very good deals to get a WDW vacation using Wyndham Points. It would be less expensive to book a vacation than if you owned through Disney and paid their maintenance fees for the same thing?


Not necessarily.  Suppose you could acquire the required number of DVC points for my vacation for free.  That week requires 386 points.  A BLT owner pays $4.7846 per point in annual fees, or a total of $1,846 and change.  That's about 50% more than a "typical" Wyndham owner pays to exchange in to the same resort via RCI.  And, Wyndham is not a particularly favorable mini-system in terms of RCI exchange value.  WorldMark or Bluegreen would do even better.


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## bnoble (May 29, 2014)

One other thought: often, the biggest reason to favor one option (book something internally within the next year with borrowing or credit pooling) vs. another (deposit to RCI for some exchange at a later date) is your available time and vacation plans, and not the few dollars difference between the alternatives.

For example, we're pretty much booked through at least Summer '15---we are just waiting to learn next year's school calendar to see if we have a February break, and if so, exactly when it will be.  But, we will know that before the end of the '14 Use Year, and this would be a vacation that falls in the '15 Use Year, so we'll know in time to decide whether to pool or not.


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## Vacationfuntips (May 29, 2014)

bnoble said:


> Not necessarily.  Suppose you could acquire the required number of DVC points for my vacation for free.  That week requires 386 points.  A BLT owner pays $4.7846 per point in annual fees, or a total of $1,846 and change.  That's about 50% more than a "typical" Wyndham owner pays to exchange in to the same resort via RCI.  And, Wyndham is not a particularly favorable mini-system in terms of RCI exchange value.  WorldMark or Bluegreen would do even better.



We may be saying the very same thing but differently?  I own several Wyndham timeshare contracts and I also use RCI for vacations too.  We all have vacation planning options and not each option works as well as the other.   What works best for me, may be not the right choice for you?  I've tried to answer the original OP's question by providing options.  The OP can decide which option works best and what to do with their points? 

How could you get the required number of DVC points if you could for FREE, I don't understand that part? Don't we all pay for our points with our maintenance fees? The only thing I can think of is rentals to offset maintenance costs - but that is a different topic.  Also, you can not rent anything from RCI.

I think Wyndham offers an excellent value, especially with the new Wyndham/RCI points chart. Why is Wyndham NOT a favorable mini-system in terms of RCI - I also don't understand that part of your comment? Some RCI exchanges are excellent, and some are not as good in terms of points usage. 

Additionally, if I book a Wyndham vacation with Wyndham points depending on the season and size of my room - my costs may be much less and I have a better price and value!  Wyndham has many locations available within their internal system. 

Maintenance fees with Wyndham range from the mid $3.00 range to around $8.00 per 1,000 points.  I think the average is around $5-$5.50. Points charts matter.

Does $1,846 in maintenance fees a Disney BLT owner pays cover more than 1 weeks vacation?

Which is cheaper for the Disney vacation?

If I used another Wyndham contract where I pay a lower maintenance fee these numbers and my cost would be less.  The same for a higher priced maintenance fee points resort.

I am using my Wyndham Bonnet Creek (WBC) points currency based upon my  WBC maintenance fees.  The rate is $5.22 (maintenance fee + the program  fee) per 1000 points.

105K Wyndham points for a 1 bedroom at Disney (WDW) is $548.10 + $209 exchange fee +  $95 resort check-in fee = $852.10.

165K Wyndham points for a 2 Bedroom at Disney (WDW) is $861.30 + $209 RCI exchange fee + $95 check-in fee = $1165.30

I would rather pay RCI prices for Disney than $1,846 if it means a 1 week vacation at BLT because I could get the same cheaper with RCI.  If I purchase a Disney BLT vacation from Disney directly, I'd pay thousands.  So, RCI is another one of Disney's Best Kept Secrets other than the Disney Vacation Club!  Sometimes, I can stay cheaper at Wyndham Bonnet Creek too.  I don't always have to spend $224K points to have a 2 bedroom. It really depends?

To compare rates fairly, you must compare costs for RCI to RCI and Wyndham to Wyndham, Disney to Disney. etc... for the total price and points cost for booking the vacation.

Some RCI deals are good and some not so much.  The same for Wyndham and other timeshare systems.  It all depends? 

Cynthia T.


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## Conan (May 30, 2014)

Vacationfuntips said:


> Worldwide External Exchange Points Chart
> *Demand* *Studio* *1 BR                   2 BR                     3 BR or More *
> *                                   Prime*          90,000    126,000    205,000     300,000
> *High*                77,000    105,000   165,000      232,000
> ...



I'm not the OP, but because of an unfortunate change of plan I now have 178,000 Wyndham points in calendar year 2014 of which 175,000 are cancelled points.

I also have lots of RCI Weeks TP points thanks to too many greedy purchases of low-maintenance resale timeshare weeks.

So my question is, what sort of availabilities can I expect to see in RCI if I RCI-deposit most or all of those 178,000 Wyndham points?  Will I be able to use them to book Wyndham properties that don't appear in RCI TP searches?

Thanks!


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## scootr5 (May 30, 2014)

Conan said:


> I'm not the OP, but because of an unfortunate change of plan I now have 178,000 Wyndham points in calendar year 2014 of which 175,000 are cancelled points.
> 
> I also have lots of RCI Weeks TP points thanks to too many greedy purchases of low-maintenance resale timeshare weeks.
> 
> ...



I don't think you'll see any different inventory, but they could be good to use if you were interested in visiting Disney. The Wyndham grid can have a good bit of value compared to TPUs.


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## uscav8r (May 31, 2014)

Conan said:


> I'm not the OP, but because of an unfortunate change of plan I now have 178,000 Wyndham points in calendar year 2014 of which 175,000 are cancelled points.
> 
> I also have lots of RCI Weeks TP points thanks to too many greedy purchases of low-maintenance resale timeshare weeks.
> 
> ...





scootr5 said:


> I don't think you'll see any different inventory, but they could be good to use if you were interested in visiting Disney. The Wyndham grid can have a good bit of value compared to TPUs.



You won't be able to see the TPUs in your Wyndham RCI portal, nor can you see the Wyndham deposited points from the direct RCI.com website. They are considered two different types of accounts and cannot be commingled. See this current thread in this very subject for further details/discussion:

http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=211416

Yes, one can actually book back into Wyndham using a Wyndham deposit to RCI. _Sometimes _it can be cheaper to go through RCI (even when including the booking fee) than to get the same unit using straight Wyndham points, but this is not always the case.

You should be able to get into the Wyndham RCI portal to search around for what you could get, even without making a deposit first. If you have RCI Nightly Stays (i.e. you have developer points), you might be able to get a stay less than 7 days in some of the larger units during High or Prime Season. Most of the 2BR I look for go for the 165k or 205k from the previously shown chart.


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## bnoble (May 31, 2014)

> Will I be able to use them to book Wyndham properties that don't appear in RCI TP searches?


Depends on what you mean by "RCI TP searches."  If you mean "What I see when I log on to the RCI website and search by hand" the answer is a qualified yes.  Remember, what you see online is only the "leftovers" that wasn't taken by an ongoing search---and the best stuff generally goes to ongoing searches.


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## Conan (Jun 1, 2014)

bnoble said:


> Depends on what you mean by "RCI TP searches."  If you mean "What I see when I log on to the RCI website and search by hand" the answer is a qualified yes.  Remember, what you see online is only the "leftovers" that wasn't taken by an ongoing search---and the best stuff generally goes to ongoing searches.



Which begs the question, can ongoing searches be set up on the Wyndham side of RCI?


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## uscav8r (Jun 1, 2014)

Conan said:


> Which begs the question, can ongoing searches be set up on the Wyndham side of RCI?



Yes, they can. I had to call in to set mine up since the Wyndham RCI portal had some hiccups after the update. You may be able to do it online again.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## bnoble (Jun 1, 2014)

> can ongoing searches be set up on the Wyndham side of RCI?


Yes.



> You may be able to do it online again.


Yes, they have fixed this.

And, with this fix, there is also some very important new functionality*.  You can place "search first" searches.  This means that you can place a search (and match to it) without having to have the points on deposit first.  The match will be placed on hold for three days, which gives you enough time to decide whether or not to deposit points to confirm it.  I recently tested this, and matched a week to a search with zero points on deposit.

* I'm not sure how new it is; it might have been possible earlier, but I don't know for sure.


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## Conan (Jun 1, 2014)

Very helpful - - Thanks!


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