# Left-over HGVC point question



## logan115 (Mar 17, 2010)

Let's say that I own a 5000 pt contract, and use 4800 for a reservation or exchange, leaving me with 200.  What are my options, other than possibly banking them which would most likely mean I'd probably end up in the same position a year later ?  Is the only left using them at a Hilton hotel at the 20 or 25k exchange rate ?

Thanks,

Chris


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## brp (Mar 17, 2010)

The decision to bank the points has to be made at the beginning of the year (for whatever amount desired) and they would be unavailable as HGVC points should plans change.

The other option is to bank, and each year you'll get 200 extra points (using the banked ones first). At some point you'll have an extra year's worth banked (although that will take 25 years ) and you can cash those out for HH points.

Alternatively, you may find use for a few extra points in one of the years along the way.

Cheers.


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## logan115 (Mar 17, 2010)

Thanks - 

So then right around the time I can start taking money out of my 401K/IRA without early withdrawl penalties I'll also have "saved up" for a free week long stay :hysterical: 

Don't suppose those accumulated points accrue interest and get compounded each year, do they :hysterical: 

Who says Americans aren't savers...................

Chris


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## ricoba (Mar 17, 2010)

I have donated small left over points back to HGVC for their military families program (can't remember the name) - It gives military personnel a chance for a trip to a HGVC resort.  Call HGVC regarding the program.


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## kschauberger (Mar 17, 2010)

I would roll them into next year.  With only 500 points you are going to get 12500 Hilton honors points which is only half needed to stay at a cheaper Hilton.  Granted the Hilton honors points never expire, and saving them up could give a nice retirement gift in 20 years.  By putting them into next year like stated you will use them first creating more points to carry over every consecutive year.  You may find different ways to use these points eventually, by traveling to a different place in the world that will require more points.  Remember points change on season and some weeks will cost more then others.  So don't think you will never use them.


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## logan115 (Mar 17, 2010)

Thanks for the ideas.

I don't own HGVC (yet  ) but am trying to get a better feel for the system and how it works to see if it fits my needs.

Chris


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## UWSurfer (Mar 17, 2010)

The other thing you can do is to book a weekend trip either at an HGVC or through RCI, using these and borrowing into next years points using up the current years points.   

We always operate at a deficit, borrowing from next years points which doesn't cost any extra and prevents us from needing to decide what to do with left over points.


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## PigsDad (Mar 17, 2010)

Paying the $69 fee to bank only 200 points is not worth it, IMO.  By the time you save up enough points for another full week, you would have spent a fortune on those banking fees!  How about staying one extra day on your vacation?  Or donating (as was previously suggested)?  

Remember -- you can borrow points from a future year for free, so it is best to be "in debt" with your points.  So if you know you are always going to use exactly 4800 points every year, you may consider taking an extra weekend vacation (or something) this year.  Then you will be "in debt" for the next few years and will not have to worry about having to bank points.

Kurt


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## ricoba (Mar 17, 2010)

PigsDad said:


> Paying the $69 fee to bank only 200 points is not worth it, IMO.  Kurt



That's what I have always thought also, thus that's why I donate them for free to the HGVC military program.


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## logan115 (Mar 17, 2010)

Thanks for all of the different options.  Looks like borrowing from next year in HGVC is the same as with the DVC I alread own.  I realize now that there are several things that can be done with any leftovers which is what I wanted to check.

Is the banking/borrowing also similar to DVC where you can bank points in one year but have to use them or lose them in the following year ? And also, if you borrow points from the next year you can't return them if you couldn't use them ?

So in theory, with banking and borrowing you could actually use 3 years worth of points all in the same year ?

Thanks again,

Chris


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## UWSurfer (Mar 17, 2010)

logan115 said:


> Is the banking/borrowing also similar to DVC where you can bank points in one year but have to use them or lose them in the following year ? And also, if you borrow points from the next year you can't return them if you couldn't use them ?
> 
> So in theory, with banking and borrowing you could actually use 3 years worth of points all in the same year ?
> 
> ...



Yes, if you bank (rescue) points from this year, you'd need to use them next year.    Borrowing points only occurs as you use them, thus you wouldn't borrow from next year until you've used up this years and then, it would only be for the amount of points needed to complete the booking. 

And yes, technically if you rescued last years points, then used them this year along with this years points and borrowed some from next year, you'd be spending 3 years worth.    This in fact was how we got two weeks in Hawaii at spring break with two bedroom units for our family's first trip there owning 8400 points between two LV gold weeks.

You can also deposit points into RCI which must be used within 2 years of doing this, but I'm not as familiar with that as we've not used that before.


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## Purseval (Mar 17, 2010)

At the last owners update I went to the saleslady told me I should switch from an EOY to a yearly points plan because with an EOY I couldn't move them to the "next year" because it would still be just 200 points.  So I can't have 5200 points with a 5000 point EOY because that's 2 years out and not elegible.  Is that true?  Remember, this is the same lady who told me I couldn't get a book in the mail because I bought resale.


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## Talent312 (Mar 18, 2010)

Purseval said:


> At the last owners update I went to the saleslady told me... [W]ith an EOY I couldn't move them to the "next year" because it would still be just 200 points.  So I can't have 5200 points with a 5000 point EOY because that's 2 years out and not elegible.  Is that true?



In a sense, but what she didn't tell you is that you could also borrow from the year after to have enuff points to book a stay in the year in which you do not get points... although that would draw down your points from year 3.

Paying the $69 to do any of this for 200 points makes no sense, unless absolutely you need them to complete your plans. I converted about 1100 points to HHonors solely to meet a "Going Global" threshold. Otherwise, I would've booked a weekend in a HGVC studio.

To be clear (as mud) about banking points:
-- Current year points may be "rescued" for use only during the next calendar year at a HGVC or affiliated resort, or deposited to the RCI exchange program for use during the next two calendar years.
-- If you plan well ahead and know you will not be using some of your next year's (2011) points, then b4 1/1 of next year you may...
(a) "deposit" some of next year's points to the following year (2012), they keep their status as club-points, and can even be borrowed back if needed;
(b) deposit them to RCI (as above); or
(c) convert them to HHonors points at the rate of 1:25, with no expiration.


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## logan115 (Mar 18, 2010)

This may be a stupid question, but assuming that there's nothing you can get in RCI with 200 HGVC points, correct ?

Chris


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## Talent312 (Mar 18, 2010)

logan115 said:


> This may be a stupid question, but assuming that there's nothing you can get in RCI with 200 HGVC points, correct ?



The RCI Point chart is on page 138 of the Guide.
In theory, you could get 1N _weekdays_, in a studio - blue/white time, or a 1BR - blue only. But you'd have to find an RCI resort that takes 1N reservations (don't hold you breath) and pay a $39 reservation fee. Booking 2N's might be more doable. If you really want to use those points, borrow some from next year (for free).


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## logan115 (Mar 18, 2010)

Thanks - sounds like I may be better off just turning those points in HH points and using that as part of the payment for a one night stay somewhere local.

Chris


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## brp (Mar 18, 2010)

logan115 said:


> Thanks - sounds like I may be better off just turning those points in HH points and using that as part of the payment for a one night stay somewhere local.
> 
> Chris



I don't think so...not yearly, anyway. It will cost $69 to do the transfer, and the 200 HGVC points will yield 5000 HH points. Say it takes 25000 points for a night at a decent place (likely more). If done at 5000 HH points per year, this will cost $345 just to do the transfers. Better to pay for the room, at that point.

Also not that, unlike DVC, it seems that HGVC charges to bank unused points ($69, as noted above). Small numbers of unused points seem problematic with HGVC.

Cheers.


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## ricoba (Mar 18, 2010)

brp said:


> ...Small numbers of unused points seem problematic with HGVC..



I think this is an interesting observation and one I had not really thought about, but I think you are correct, small numbers of unused points are problematic with HGVC.


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## logan115 (Mar 18, 2010)

Thanks - may seem like just letting the expire may be the best option.  Not the end of the world but was just wondering if there was anything meaningful that could be done.

Chris


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## brp (Mar 18, 2010)

logan115 said:


> Thanks - may seem like just letting the expire may be the best option.  Not the end of the world but was just wondering if there was anything meaningful that could be done.
> 
> Chris



I really think that the idea, suggested above, of pulling a few forward for an extra weekend the first time, and being in debt instead of having extra (since borrowing is free) is the better option, presuming one can work out the logistics. I'd hate to have things expire, but am also loathe to pay simply for "banking" points. DVC has me spoiled.

After our New York Club finally closes, we may well just use extra points for a weekend in Vegas should any exist.

On the flip side, it works out to about $0.23/point in MFs, so that 200 points is only about $46, so it may make sense to let them go, principles be damned 

Cheers.


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## UWSurfer (Mar 18, 2010)

As was mentioned earlier, HGVC will accept left over points as donation to their military relief program.   They take these points and combine them to provide a vacation to various servicemen and their families. 

I've not seen much on this in awhile but I belive it still exists.   If you find yourself in the position of having left overs you can't use, call HGVC about donating them.


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## logan115 (Mar 18, 2010)

UWSurfer said:


> As was mentioned earlier, HGVC will accept left over points as donation to their military relief program.   They take these points and combine them to provide a vacation to various servicemen and their families.
> 
> I've not seen much on this in awhile but I belive it still exists.   If you find yourself in the position of having left overs you can't use, call HGVC about donating them.



Still a very long ways away from deciding what/if anything else I would look at buying, however if I did buy HGVC and had unused points I would certain donate them to the military relief program instead of just letting them expire.

I wish DVC had something like that too - 

Chris


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## hvacrsteve (Mar 18, 2010)

My philosophy is always be in the red!
use next years points for this year etc!
That way you are always using next years points and never have to worry about rescueing points!


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## ricoba (Mar 19, 2010)

I see you already said that you would let them go to the military family program instead of letting them just expire, and I encourage you to do so.  It's a simple phone call to HGVC and there are no charges whatsoever.  

But just under you, hvacrsteve, has probably the best suggestion - always be in the red - meaning borrow ahead.  But just in case one doesn't do that I hope people do consider donating them, rather than letting them expire.


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## logan115 (Mar 19, 2010)

Working from a deficit position seems to be the way to go.

A dumb question coming - so brace yourselves :

If I have an EOY contract, can I still borrow or bank (if I had enough to bank to make it worthwhile) ?  And if banking would it go into my next full year point allocation ? For example if I had an EOY even contract for 5000 pt, and banked them all in 2010 would I 10,000 pts in 2012, or 5000 in 2011 and 5000 in 2012 ?

Thanks,

Chris


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## Talent312 (Mar 19, 2010)

logan115 said:


> If I have an EOY contract, can I still borrow or bank (if I had enough to bank to make it worthwhile)?  And if banking would it go into my next full year point allocation? For example, if I had an EOY even contract for 5000 pt, and banked them all in 2010 would I [have] 10,000 pts in 2012, or 5000 in 2011 and 5000 in 2012?



The latter. "Banked" points go from one calendar year to the next.
BTW, there are no dumb questions. You need to know this stuff for the test.


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## logan115 (Mar 19, 2010)

Talent312 said:


> The latter. "Banked" points go from one calendar year to the next.
> BTW, there are no dumb questions. You need to know this stuff for the test.



Thanks - appreciate the quick response, and like you stated this is one test that you can't really spend too much time preparing for - the cost of failing is very high ....

Chris


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## JM48 (Mar 19, 2010)

Is there a   "Dummies Guide to Tug BBS / HGVC " ???   

JM


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## Talent312 (Mar 19, 2010)

JM48 said:


> Is there a "Dummies Guide to Tug BBS / HGVC" ?



I 'spose a "Cliff Notes" version of the Member's Guide wouldn't hurt. 
Meanwhile, there are some good, though dated, sticky-notes at the top of this forum.


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## JM48 (Mar 19, 2010)

Mr. Talent,

 Actually this web site is the "Dummies Guide " for us newbies!!

 I have read every "sticky  note" here & they are a great source of education about HGVC   but the best is all the contributors who take the time to help others!! 

 Thanks to all who help.

 JM


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