# RCI - Fluctuations in TPUs?



## Bearvet (Aug 26, 2011)

I have been searching fo ra Myrtle Beach 2-bedroom for next summer - with an ongoing search and I check manually almost daily.

The ongoing search picked up a unit in Garden City Beach for 27 TPUs which exactly matched one of my deposits. I released the unit based on location and resort reviews (small units). That unit is now 29 TPUs?

I've also been watching a few other resorts (not what I'm looking for) and the TPUs have increased from when I began looking about a month ago. So are there fluctuations in TPUs? If so, why? Thanks!


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## Margariet (Aug 26, 2011)

Yes, there is a fluctuation in TPU's, sometimes even huge. It goes up and down. It's like prices of airline tickets. No idea what's behind it! It made me even release my confirmation once because it could give me 13 TPU's back!


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## ronandjoan (Aug 26, 2011)

At the begining of the RCI "changover", I complained about this, saying it was making it so much harder to plan.

Most people said it was no problem, "What's your problem?  we're happy, why aren;t you?"

I find it very difficult to know exactly when to deposit a week, too, as well as planing to reserve, since even one summer week date differnece can be a big difference in  TPU's.


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## bnoble (Aug 26, 2011)

> I find it very difficult to know exactly when to deposit a week, too


The deposit values fluctuate much less often, and change by much smaller amounts.

As for the exchange values---my pre-changeover trade tests suggested that these fluctuations happened before, as well, but it just wasn't as obvious.  This does make it harder to *optimize* TPU usage, but you can still decide whether you want something for a particular value, or not.


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## Texasbelle (Aug 26, 2011)

I was told the deposit TPUs for my timeshare are "set" for the year and will not go up.  When TPUs were introduced, the TPU was 28 or 27, now it is 22. My plan was to wait until 9 months out, but that seems futile now.  I think the "trade into" a unit  TPUs may vary more.  As long as RCI gets its $199, why not lower the TPUs required and collect another $199?  We have a silly 3 TPUs in our account.


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## Dori (Aug 27, 2011)

The only change I have experienced with my weeks, was a huge increase (double) of my South Africa week. It went from 13 to 26 overnight. I keep hoping my 2012 week will do the same, but I'm not optimistic about that.

On the other side of the coin, I was waiting for the TPU's to drop for a Las Vegas week at the Grandview. It was sitting at 10 for the longest time. I had a lowly 9 week that I wanted to use. Sure enough, it dropped to 8, so I grabbed it and have 1 credit left over. Sometime in the future, I'll combine all the dribs and drabs.

Dori


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## Carolinian (Aug 27, 2011)

The fact that points lite values can rise and fall with ever changing supply and demand, is actually a big plus over the rigged and frozen numbers of RCI Points.  If handled honestly, this would make it much more reflective of the real market.

The problem, however, is that RCI is too often putting its thumb on the scales on values awarded for deposit, arbitrarily goosing the values of some resorts, particularly resorts in overbuilt areas still in developer sales, while whacking the values of others, largely sold out resorts in areas hard to trade into.  Their values assigned for trading in, on the other hand, seem to be more honest and genuinely market driven.  

The real red flag on the dishonesty of the system is that often RCI will have different, sometimes very substantially different, values assigned for the very same week at the same exact point in time, depending on whether it is being deposited or traded for.  In an honest system, that number would always be the same at the same point in time.


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## elaine (Aug 27, 2011)

my summmer HHi week started at 38 TPUs with the "change", stayed constant for 10 months, then dropped to 35 TPUs sometime within the past month. Then, overnight, went to 39 TPUs.


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## Bearvet (Aug 31, 2011)

Thanks everyone! I just wanted to make sure that what I was seeing was typical.

I have a related question - I had a deposit credit of 4 TPUs. As of this past Sunday morning it is 18 TPUs ?!  Not that I'm complaining! Is it possible that the 18 would decrease again or will deposit credits only increase?  Why would it increase by 14?

I have already combined the 18 with my original 27, so now I have 45 TPUs with an expiration of Aug 2013. I have a unit on hold for 35 TPUs, which I could not have done with my previous 4 credit TPUs, so somehow or another it looks like things have worked out well.

It really pays to stay on top of things and check the website daily!


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## bnoble (Aug 31, 2011)

The Terms & Conditions say that TPU assigned to a deposit can be revised upward:



> B. RCI, at its sole discretion, may reevaluate the value assigned to a unit of Deposited Vacation Time. Upon such reevaluation if the value assigned to the unit of Deposited Vacation Time has increased the Deposit Trading Power of such unit or the associated Combined Deposit or Deposit Credit may be adjusted accordingly.



This suggests that it can't be lowered, though I suppose that could change.


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## vckempson (Aug 31, 2011)

elaine said:


> my summmer HHi week started at 38 TPUs with the "change", stayed constant for 10 months, then dropped to 35 TPUs sometime within the past month. Then, overnight, went to 39 TPUs.



Was this for a week already deposited or for a "to be deposited" week in the future?  I too, interpret their rules to mean that they can't reduce an already deposited week.  After every deposit, I take a screen shot so I have proof of the values in case they drop.


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## Bearvet (Sep 3, 2011)

I just spoke with a friend and when she checked her RCI account her deposit credit went down by 2 TPUs since the previous time she checked. So it looks like they can be raised AND lowered. So now I'm eager to use my extra 14 TPUs before they disappear!


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## Margariet (Sep 3, 2011)

Bearvet said:


> I just spoke with a friend and when she checked her RCI account her deposit credit went down by 2 TPUs since the previous time she checked. So it looks like they can be raised AND lowered. So now I'm eager to use my extra 14 TPUs before they disappear!



is she certain about that? Once deposited the amount of TPU's cannot change anymore. The amount is fixed and the only things that matters is when you deposit. They will not go up or down. The TPU's of your resort can however change every year.


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## Krystyna (Sep 3, 2011)

I'm also confused about when to deposit my 3 spring-time UK weeks. We will not be going back in 2013 and DAE has not been able to get me any exchanges to use my remaining credits, UK residents get first pick of the timeshares.  I am thinking about rejoining RCI so should I deposit one year out or more - would like to get the maximum amount of TPU's. It all sounds too complicated for me and I don't understand why these unit points should fluctuate so much. I've phoned RCI twice now and they are trying to be helpful I guess.  I will keep checking with TUG to see if I can get more information before I decide to rejoing RCI.  We are hoping to go to Vancouver Island in April/May of 2013 and my UK TPU's should go a long way towards that.  We own at Sutton Hall (England) Stouts Hill (England) and Hilton Craigendarroch (Scotland).  Live now in Simcoe, Ontario.


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## Bearvet (Sep 3, 2011)

> is she certain about that? Once deposited the amount of TPU's cannot change anymore. The amount is fixed and the only things that matters is when you deposit. They will not go up or down. The TPU's of your resort can however change every year.



Deposit TPUs definitely do change. I had a deposit credit of 4 and when I checked last Sunday AM, it was 18!


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## vckempson (Sep 3, 2011)

Bearvet said:


> Deposit TPUs definitely do change. I had a deposit credit of 4 and when I checked last Sunday AM, it was 18!



That's consistent with being able to increase but not decrease.  I'd take a screen shot of the RCI listing of your trade power.  Should it decrease, which it shouldn't, then you can use the screen shot as proof to get it reinstated.


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## MuranoJo (Sep 3, 2011)

This is what puzzles me...some posters indicating their already deposited week TPUs change downward. I had always heard they could go upward, but thought once you deposit, what you see is what you get, unless for some reason they bolster it up.

There may be some confusion with already deposited units vs. those using the deposit calculators for future deposits.


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## vckempson (Sep 4, 2011)

muranojo said:


> This is what puzzles me...some posters indicating their already deposited week TPUs change downward. I had always heard they could go upward, but thought once you deposit, what you see is what you get, unless for some reason they bolster it up.
> 
> There may be some confusion with already deposited units vs. those using the deposit calculators for future deposits.



I've seen posts that were ambiguous about whether it was a deposited week that changed.  When questioned directly, I as did Elaine a little earlier, I never seem to get a reply back clarifying if the changes ocurred to a banked week.  

I agree with you and think there may be some confusion at hand about what we're all looking at that's changing.  Just to be safe, though, I always take a screenshot of my deposited weeks.


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## Margariet (Sep 4, 2011)

muranojo said:


> This is what puzzles me...some posters indicating their already deposited week TPUs change downward. I had always heard they could go upward, but thought once you deposit, what you see is what you get, unless for some reason they bolster it up.
> 
> There may be some confusion with already deposited units vs. those using the deposit calculators for future deposits.



Totally agree with you. Once you deposited your week with RCI the TPU is fixed. No way your deposit will increase or decrease. It's not the stock market! Only the amount of TPU's of your resort may change and next year your TPU's may be less or more.


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## WINSLOW (Sep 4, 2011)

This is strange....Because of this thread, I just looked at my RCI account

I had 
1 week *deposited* on 1/24/11 worth 29TPU
I week *deposited* on 3/23/11 worth 32TPU

I *combined* both on 7/19/11 for a total of 61 TPU

Used 36TPU on 7/20/11

Have had a balance of 25TPU for months, but just looked and RCI stays I have 28TPU's

Don't know when that happened, but I guess they can change even if already DEPOSITED, which I didn't think they could change once you deposited.


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## tschwa2 (Sep 4, 2011)

So far RCI has been crediting TPU's for previously deposited units if the credit value has changed and gone up.  They are not subtracting TPU's on previously deposited units if the credit value has gone down.

This happened when RCI made the 1st adjustment to TPU's after the change over and happened about a week ago when then re-evaluated the undeposited units.  May have happened a third time but I saw no changes to my deposited or undeposited units that time.


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## Margariet (Sep 4, 2011)

Imagine your ongoing search when the TPu's go up and down ... I don't think once deposited a week can receive more TPU's. I'm glad if it happens, of course, but I really don't think that it is possible, because the week is already deposited and I also don't see the reason for it. It would become a mess. What would RCI do with all the left over TPU's one has combined after decrease or increase?? Start recalculating??


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## tschwa2 (Sep 4, 2011)

If it is part of a whole deposit or combined deposit it gets added on.  I have one that is connected to an ongoing search that went from 34 to 36.  If you have already exchanged, RCI gives you stray TPU's that you can pay $99 to combine- a win for RCI.  They may not continue to do this in the future but it is what they are doing now.

And they don't go down.  They credit you if it goes up but don't subtract for previously deposited units that go down.


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## Margariet (Sep 4, 2011)

tschwa2 said:


> If it is part of a whole deposit or combined deposit it gets added on.  I have one that is connected to an ongoing search that went from 34 to 36.  If you have already exchanged, RCI gives you stray TPU's that you can pay $99 to combine- a win for RCI.  They may not continue to do this in the future but it is what they are doing now.
> 
> And they don't go down.  They credit you if it goes up but don't subtract for previously deposited units that go down.



Well, it's great of course and fun to know but I still don't see the reason for it since it's already deposited.

Update: I've checked the terms and conditions of RCI in my language but indeed it says that RCI may re-evaluate the resort and the TPU's of the resort. And indeed it says that when the amount of TPU's increases RCI may increase your deposit or your deposit credits. But not decrease them.


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## MuranoJo (Sep 4, 2011)

Margariet said:


> Well, it's great of course and fun to know but I still don't see the reason for it since it's already deposited.
> 
> Update: I've checked the terms and conditions of RCI in my language but indeed it says that RCI may re-evaluate the resort and the TPU's of the resort. And indeed it says that when the amount of TPU's increases RCI may increase your deposit or your deposit credits. But not decrease them.



What I thought all along, too.  
Now, it makes perfect sense for RCI to adjust TPU values via the deposit calculators (before you deposit), based on changes in demand, comment cards, politicians, heck, who knows.


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## bnoble (Sep 4, 2011)

> I've checked the terms and conditions of RCI in my language but indeed it says that RCI may re-evaluate the resort and the TPU's of the resort. And indeed it says that when the amount of TPU's increases RCI may increase your deposit or your deposit credits. But not decrease them.



No way!  It's a good thing that this thread didn't tell you exactly where in the RCI Terms & Conditions you could find that language.


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## Margariet (Sep 5, 2011)

bnoble said:


> No way!  It's a good thing that this thread didn't tell you exactly where in the RCI Terms & Conditions you could find that language.



Sorry, but I was just meaning that 'my' RCI Terms & Condtitons are written in Dutch (my native language) so I can't quote them here. Otherwise I would have done that.


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## Carol C (Sep 5, 2011)

I mysteriously had TPUs go up when I combined 3 deposits...not sure why, probably a big glitch. I spent them before their computers could correct it, as for once something at RCI went in my favor. At least that time it was worth spending 99 bucks to combine TPU credits.


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## BevL (Sep 5, 2011)

Margariet said:


> Sorry, but I was just meaning that 'my' RCI Terms & Condtitons are written in Dutch (my native language) so I can't quote them here. Otherwise I would have done that.



Found it in the English Version.

From RCI's Terms and Conditions, paragraph 8B:

"B. RCI, at its sole discretion, may reevaluate the
value assigned to a unit of Deposited Vacation Time.
Upon such reevaluation if the value assigned to the unit
of Deposited Vacation Time has increased the Deposit
Trading Power of such unit or the associated Combined
Deposit or Deposit Credit may be adjusted accordingly."

Bev


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## MuranoJo (Sep 5, 2011)

Margariet said:


> Sorry, but I was just meaning that 'my' RCI Terms & Condtitons are written in Dutch (my native language) so I can't quote them here. Otherwise I would have done that.



I believe the previous poster was teasing as this was quoted before in this same thread, see post #10.   

Still interested if there's really a confirmation out there that* deposited *week TPUs can be adjusted *downward*.


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## BevL (Sep 5, 2011)

bnoble said:


> No way!  It's a good thing that this thread didn't tell you exactly where in the RCI Terms & Conditions you could find that language.



And here I thought bnoble was just being particularly cranky, which is quite out of character.

Sorry, I didn't see that it had been quoted.

I have screen shots of my deposited weeks from when they started the system and every time I "do" something, I take another screen shot.  I'd be yelling right up the corporate food chain if my TPUs were adjusted downwards.  

Of course, RCI could always change the T & C, but until that happens, it seems clear they are only allowed to change them upward.


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## Margariet (Sep 6, 2011)

Here is the quote in Dutch.   In the last sentence it is made perfectlyc lear that the deposit or the credit by RCI may be adjusted *if* the value of the deposit accommodation has *increased*. I read this a s a statement that the deposit or credit can increase but cannot be lowered.

"RCI mag naar eigen goeddunken de aan in de RCI-pool gedeponeerde
vakantietijdrechten toegekende waarde heroverwegen. Na een dergelijke heroverweging
kan de deponeringsruilkracht van zo’n ruilaccommodatie of elke daarmee rechtstreeks
verbonden gecombineerde deponering of deponeringstegoed door RCI worden aangepast
*indien* de waarde van de in de RCI-pool gedeponeerde ruilaccommodatie is *toegenomen*."


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## DerekS (Sep 6, 2011)

Carol C said:


> spending 99 bucks to combine TPU credits



I have 9 TPU points left from a previous trade and the week that I banked has 28 points assigned to it. The week I want will require 29 points (should it become available). 
So I pay the $99, combine them and make the exchange. I will then have 8 points and RCI will want another $99 to combinne them next time .............
It strikes me that this is a gravy train heavily weghted in RCI's favour!


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## bnoble (Sep 6, 2011)

If it doesn't give you value, don't combine/exchange.

However, if it *does* give you value, who cares if RCI gets a little bit too?


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## BevL (Sep 6, 2011)

DerekS said:


> I have 9 TPU points left from a previous trade and the week that I banked has 28 points assigned to it. The week I want will require 29 points (should it become available).
> So I pay the $99, combine them and make the exchange. I will then have 8 points and RCI will want another $99 to combinne them next time .............
> It strikes me that this is a gravy train heavily weghted in RCI's favour!



Frankly, under the old system, you presumably wouldn't have access to that week you want at all.  So it's up to you - is it worth an extra $99?  At least you have the option you didn't have before.


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## DerekS (Sep 7, 2011)

BevL said:


> Frankly, under the old system, you presumably wouldn't have access to that week you want at all.



Bev - yes you are correct. I hadn't really thought it through. In fact, under the old system I wouldn't have even known that there was a week available but only to those with higher tp than me.


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## fishingguy (Sep 7, 2011)

derek wrote:


> "It strikes me that this is a gravy train heavily weghted in RCI's favor!"



The train has always been gravy for RCI... just a different flavor this time around.


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## Mel (Sep 7, 2011)

muranojo said:


> I believe the previous poster was teasing as this was quoted before in this same thread, see post #10.
> 
> Still interested if there's really a confirmation out there that* deposited *week TPUs can be adjusted *downward*.


That may be the case, but even if it was quoted, the terms may be different in a different country.  We all know RCI doesn't treat Canadians the same as it treats US members, so why should they treat the Dutch the same?


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## bnoble (Sep 7, 2011)

The fees are different between CAD and USD.  As far as I know, the program terms are the same, though there are probably some subtle differences due to various laws in one country but not another.


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## Sullco2 (Sep 7, 2011)

I suppose that the argument in favor of all this is that RCI has created ways to get more use out of what you own.  Their dramatic increase in service and the technology they had to pay for to support it all gets rewarded/compensated/repaid by more fee revenue.

I can pretty much get that.

However, it now takes a PhD in Pointology with a specialty in TPU's to be able to master this system.  If you had a way to calculate the hours spent to achieve such mastery, the overall value of almost everyone's timeshare is now greatly reduced, in my opinion.

The Tug people are the Masters of the Timeshare Universe--but that's probably .025 per cent of timeshare owners.  The rest of the owners are totally victimized.  It's almost like the US IRS code!

What's the solution?


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## BevL (Sep 7, 2011)

bnoble said:


> The fees are different between CAD and USD.  As far as I know, the program terms are the same, though there are probably some subtle differences due to various laws in one country but not another.



My account is Canadian, yours is presumably US and the T & C were the same on this point.


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