# Question about expiring Wyndham points



## sharonajo (Jul 16, 2009)

Hi there.  My inlaws purchased into Wyndham and are considered Wyndham Plus VIP members.  They purchased a year ago and have yet to use anything.  They have 154,000 points that say they expire on September 30, 2009 and 154,000 more that expire December 31, 2009.  They think the September ones have to be used up or lost and they think the December ones can be 'banked'.  Does anyone know how this works??    They want to let my husabnd and I use the ones that say they expire at the end of September.   We want to know if they 'really' lose them after that.  Does the trip need to be taken before the expiration date or does the reservation just have to be made?   I am sure I will come up with more questions if someone knowledgable can answer them for me!     Thanks so very much!!


----------



## Jya-Ning (Jul 16, 2009)

Yes, it will expired at the end of use year.  Even with regular VIP, he can not bank the Dec one now.  He can however deposit them to RCI, and he can do that to his Sept one also.

Internal Wyndham reservation has to be the trip start date.  Not reservation date.

Jya-Ning


----------



## vacationhopeful (Jul 17, 2009)

Deposits to RCI have a 2 year life from the deposit month.  So wait a few days til Aug for the expiring Sep 30 points.

Also, you must pick the size of the deposits.  VCs will try to get you to deposit a large number (like 1 154,000 pt deposit).  Many here on TUG will suggest slightly smaller (like a 70,000 deposit, a 42,000 pt and another 42,000 pt) deposits.  Ask for VISIBLE DEPOSIT so you can search online and confirm these exchanges.  The exchange fee is $164 and a Guest Certificate is $59, both paid at time of making the actual exchange.

Wyndham deposits enjoy a slight advantage in exchanging back into Wyndham resorts.  And look for the resorts bulk deposits ... here on TUG they are mentioned sometimes in the Sightings thread.

Better than losing the points.  Try using the Dec points for reservations if you can - you can borrow points from next year for free to get a better or larger unit.


----------



## sharonajo (Jul 17, 2009)

*so confused*

They seem to think that the ones they got as "bonus' points when they purchased have to be used or lost.  They seem to think they cannot bank them.  What is the difference between banking and pooling?    Sooooo very confused.     I want to help my in-laws understand this and not lose out.....


----------



## ausman (Jul 17, 2009)

Banking is a term while used in timesharing is not used as related to Wyndham/Fairfield points. 

Both terms refer to deferring  usage to furure periods. pooling is the term used within Wyndham. Normal and initial level VIP Wyndham owners (< 500K developer points) have to pool before their use year begins, Gold owners  (500 -<1M developer points) have up to six months into their use year and those with > 1M developer points can deposit up to 9 mths after use year begins.

If the only points owned are the ones you cited then the pooling option doesn't exist.

The option as explained previously to extend usage is to deposit the points as weeks in another system, RCI weeks.


----------



## Goofyhobbie (Jul 18, 2009)

*Answer to Question about expiring Wyndham points*

It is good that you are working to help your in-laws better understand how to use what they purchased now and in the future.  *If they snooze they lose.*

You also said they are Wyndham Plus VIP Members.  To get that designation they need to have been allocated at least 300,000 points. (Which is possible if they were sold a fee simple deeded interest in 154,000 UDI points with an October 1 to September 31 USE YEAR and also given 154,000 BONUS points for use before December 31, 2009. 

They may be correct when they say they must use the BONUS points or lose them.  In my experience when Wyndham gives BONUS points they are for use through Wyndham and only through Wyndham during the period outlined in the contract. (In this case it sounds like they were given 154,000 BONUS points to use before December 31,2009 as an internal exchange.)

My recommendation is to ask to see the contract to get a better understanding of exactly what your in-laws were allocated. 

If they are allocated 154,000 points every October 1st they can deposit the 2010 allocation in advance in the "POINTS CREDIT POOL." 

The POINTS CREDIT POOL is a "limited feature" that allows the Member to receive credit for future use when deposited up to 1 Day prior the the start of the use year. (If that option for the 2010 points is exercised make sure they understand the time limits for usage and the restrictions.)

REMIND THEM THAT POOLING MUST BE DONE by September 30, 2009 or that option is lost to them. 

They can, of course, deposit the full 2009 and/or the full 2010 point allocation of 154,000 into RCI. But, as others have pointed out if you deposit in RCI we recommend considering breaking up the points to maximize the vacations that can be obtained through RCI. 

If you are correct in your understanding that at least 154,000 of the points were BONUS points they must be used by the expiration date or they will be lost. 

If the above scenerio is correct they must make a reservation with Wyndham that *starts* before the two periods run out or they must deposit 2009 points into RCI before September 30, 2009 and use the BONUS points before December 31, 2009.

Another consideration: Is it possible that what they purchased was a "Discovery Package?"

I am not personally knowledgeable about how such a package works; but I will venture a guess.

Wyndham in order to at least close a sale will at the end of a presentation have a "Manager" offer the couple who is waivering a "Discovery Package" so they can, over a set period of time (probably two years), use a pre-determined amount of points to get a feel for how Wyndham points actually work.  If this happened the package could have included 154,000 points with a use year beginning say October 1, 2008 and ending September 31, 2009. The second year of usage would then be from October 1, 2009 until September 31, 2010.  

To sweeten the deal and to get the couple to VIP level Wyndham could have also given the couple a bonus of 154,000 points which could be used say up until December 31, 2009

If what they actually purchased was a "Discovery Package" get the package out and read the terms of the package. You want to make sure they somehow use the points allocated to get what they paid for.

Dave


----------

