# Some basic RCI Points Questions



## 3kids4me (Aug 19, 2007)

Someone here (at my resort) is asking some basic questions to which I don't know the answers...but I know you all do, so here they are:

1.  What is considered a reasonable amount to pay for points ownership, per RCI point?  (And does anyone have an example of a resort providing a good deal on points?)

2.  And...what would be a reasonable amount of maintenance fees to pay per point?  (And...same as #1 on resort?)

3.  Can you give me an example of a resort or two that is a "good deal" in terms of what they charge to acquire points and what they also charge for the maintenance fee on those points?

4.  Is there still a list of resorts that don't charge for conversion to points?

Thanks so much!

Sharon


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## AwayWeGo (Aug 19, 2007)

*Here's 1 To Check Out.*




3kids4me said:


> Can you give me an example of a resort or two that is a "good deal" in terms of what they charge to acquire points and what they also charge for the maintenance fee on those points?


To me, this looks favorable -- so much so that if I had known about it beforehand, it's what I would have gone for instead of springing for the dinky entry-level points timeshare I bought (resale, eBay) in 2005. 

Who knew ? 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## 3kids4me (Aug 19, 2007)

Thanks for that link Alan...the deal looks good but at the same time it looks a little fishy.  A three year purchase of points with the right to renew?  Has anyone dealt with this person?

Sharon


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## SCUBA (Aug 20, 2007)

*not fishy*

Sharon
   I have dealt with him it's a great deal. I bought the RTU in Jan. and have booked three vacations, used one already, and had no problems. I already had to go into 2008 points. Its perfect for what we want to do. We like to go different places all the time. But yes it's a real deal. You can PM if you have any other questions.

     Bill


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## 3kids4me (Aug 21, 2007)

Scuba,

While I appreciate the testimonial, I can't help but notice that almost all of your posts are about this wonderful deal that you got on points from this person.  I know you have also been touting this deal privately to folks.  

As another example, I noticed that you posted this in March:



SCUBA said:


> Go to the classified ads and click on the multi or club listings and go down to Club Trinidad. That looks like a good deal.



Yet, you said in another post that you had already bought from this person back in December.  

So, I guess before I recommend him or his package to anyone, I would really need to hear from a long-time TUGger or someone who I know personally (and I am fortunate enough to know quite a few TUGgers personally), who has taken advantage of this deal and can report in.

Thanks,

Sharon


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## AwayWeGo (Aug 21, 2007)

*When In Doubt, Call Up & Ask About It.*




3kids4me said:


> I would really need to hear from a long-time TUGger or someone who I know personally (and I am fortunate enough to know quite a few TUGgers personally), who has taken advantage of this deal and can report in.


You could send the advertiser a TUG-BBS _Private Message_, or E-Mail, or ask for a telephone number so you can call up & talk about it over the phone -- not only to get more infomation but also to form an impression of the person behind the offer. 

That's what I'd do. 

That way you might even add the person to the bunch of TUG folks that you know personally.  Who knows? 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## 3kids4me (Aug 21, 2007)

Thanks Alan; the salesperson has contacted me.  But talking to "customers" is always the best way to find out about any potential purchase, don't you think?  

(For instance, I would never buy a French Horn from anyone without talking to you first!!)

Sharon


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## "Roger" (Aug 22, 2007)

I am surprised, Sharon, that no one else has piped in with answers to your question.  Historically, there has been a whole body of posts about price per point, different ways to calculate, etc.  To be quite honest, I haven't been in the market for anything (just keeping up with my present point allotment on a single timeshare is difficult), so I never much followed any of it.  It just made my head ache.

I will say that it would be difficult to give any kind of fixed answer to your original questions, because (and Alan's post and your subsequent reaction brings this to light) so much depends upon how risk adverse a buyer is.  Myself, I would worry about whether the seller in the link provided is really getting about the no selling of points rule.  Could RCI decide to end this scheme?  Other schemes include buying a cheap Points unit (usually in Texas) and then filling out one's points with South African timeshares via points for deposit.  RCI however seems to be getting restless about what they consider abuse of the Points for Deposit program.  Australian points seem safer, but you are still dealing with ownership in a foreign country at a resort that you never plan to visit.  Wapato Point in Washington was a popular place to buy and seemed less risky. I don't know if they are still selling packages or not.

In any case, the big question is how much risk is a purchaser willing to take on?  Points seems like most financial investments in this regard:  higher risk pays bigger rewards (but then again, the risk can come crashing down on you).


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## 3kids4me (Aug 22, 2007)

Thanks Roger...good advice. (And thank you for understanding the original question...lol!)

To be clear, I'm not personally in the market for points, but my resort is converting and some folks have been asking me if it's a "good deal" or not.  Financially, my general suspicion is not (versus buying from some other, reputable, resort) because our maintenance fees are on the high side and of course the initial purchase price of our units was quite high.  All of this is complicated by the fact that most owners at my resort would never deposit their fixed week (which is assigned a high point value), but would only use their float week (which has half the point value whether it's a "pink", white, or blue float...float weeks change each year) although we are charged the same maintenance fee for both weeks and must convert both or nothing.  The other complicating factor, or course, is the whole "owner priority" issue for those that simply want to trade back in.  (We have no internal system; we must use RCI, but owners do get priority.)  

That's why I was looking for some general guidelines on costs.  People's needs are different, and I am happy in the weeks system for now especially since I like to return to my home resort often. (Right now, it is possible to trade back in during prime season with a "pink" float, but with points, you would have to use almost two full float weeks' worth of points to get into prime season.) But I am up here at my resort right now, and want to educate myself a bit since there is a lot of "buzz" on this subject.

Sharon


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## Sandy (Aug 22, 2007)

Sharon, 

You mention that your resort is converting.  In most cases, this is not a good deal for the owners.  I have read that some conversions cost several thousands of dollars. A better deal is to keep your week and then buy points on the market. 

Of course, this advice is not always true.  Sometimes they will offer to convert several of your weeks for the same price, or urge you to buy an additional week (which you might already be doing) and then throw in the conversion for all.  So you have to decide. 

Elsewhere, there is some good advice on making sure that the MFs on points do not exceed 1cent per point.  So if you have 50,000 points, the MF should not exceed $500.  There is a similar formula on the entry cost, but I cannot recall it. The main thing  is that the entry cost is only one time, while the MFs keep on going and going and going.....

HOpe this helps.


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## Denny Crane (Aug 22, 2007)

Sharon, 
your home resort seems to be going the same way as Orange Lake Country Club.
The change over for current weeks owners is truly expensive just to get back to a position you currently stand with Weeks.


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## BillR (Aug 23, 2007)

Sandy said:


> Sharon,
> 
> You mention that your resort is converting.  In most cases, this is not a good deal for the owners.  I have read that some conversions cost several thousands of dollars. A better deal is to keep your week and then buy points on the market.
> 
> ...



*The NET cost, from RCI, to add to your current weeks membership is $100.  The problem: The resorts are the distributor for RCI and can charge whatever they want.  There are PLENTY of resorts who have inventory and will sell an interval at a very reasonable cost.  

I believe that a reasonable cost is under $ 750.00.  There are also a lot of resorts who charge LESS than $ .01/point.  

There are several inaccuracies and controversial opinions in the above posts. However, because of TUG rules, I cannot publicly post answers to these comments.    Many people, such as AwayWeGo (Alan) in this thread, respect my expertise in RCI points and have emailed me with questions about RCI points.* *I WILL accept personal questions through private messages.*


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## cshelz (Aug 23, 2007)

*It is legit*

I purchased RCI points from Club Trinidad. They have worked just as advertised.


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## ChristyK (Dec 14, 2007)

*Price for points*

Hi, Y'all:

I'm a first-time poster, so be patient!  I joined TUG to see if I got a "good deal" from buying my vacation package and, unless I'm missing something, I think I did.  I keep learning as I try to do different things with my points, but this is how I understand it is supposed to work.

I paid approximately $24,400 for 1978 nights for 25 years, which converts into just over 5.6 million points.  When you add some fees for transferring points from the resort to RCI (so they don't expire), it comes to just under $0.005 per point.  Additionally, if I don't use any of my six weeks per year, I will be paid $500 per week I don't use.  One of those $500 weeks is used for my maintenance fee, which is saved for me to apply toward my all-inclusive fee if I do choose to use a unit in the future.  The other $2,500 will be paid to me in cash, as long I deposit my six weeks between January and March of each year.  Technically, this means that I will recover my initial investment in ten years, without even using the points; and if I don't get the $2,500 per year, I've still paid no more than 1/2 cent per point.  The rationale for paying me to not use my unit is that the resort can place visitors who potentially will buy a package from them.  If I come down, there is no potential sale.  If anyone has a similar package and has discovered that the resort won't make good on its contract, let me know.  Otherwise...  

It sounded pretty good!  I've owned timeshares on and off for 30 years.  My first one that I bought in Hawaii in 1979 went bankrupt.  I bought several on the resale market this past year which I intend to use myself and not trade.  I'll use my points for airline tickets, car rentals, and hotels for short-term stays.  I've found a great savings for renting RCI resorts and pretty good savings for airline tickets and hotels.  (I'm staying at a five-star hotel in Chicago for four nights and am saving about $30.00 per night.  It's not much, but it's something.)  I view this package as having prepaid for my vacations for the next 10-20 years.

I hope this helps others evaluate their packages.  If I don't get my $2,500 next year, I'll let you know!  

  Christy K. in Michigan


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## AwayWeGo (Dec 14, 2007)

*? ? ? ?*




ChristyK said:


> Hi, Y'all:
> 
> I'm a first-time poster, so be patient!  I joined TUG to see if I got a "good deal" from buying my vacation package and, unless I'm missing something, I think I did.  I keep learning as I try to do different things with my points, but this is how I understand it is supposed to work.
> 
> ...


Don't worry -- I am not exactly the brightest bulb on the string, not by a long shot -- but I totally have no idea what on earth this is about. 

So, Christy, if you have managed to swing some great new timeshare breakthrough, bigtime congratulations & good going. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## "Roger" (Dec 14, 2007)

Let's start with this.  6 weeks (7 nights per week) times 25 years gives you 1050 nights, not the 1978 that you were cited.  (Eyebrows raise with suspicion.)


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## AwayWeGo (Dec 14, 2007)

*Aha !  The Profit Motive.*




"Roger" said:


> Let's start with this.  6 weeks (7 nights per week) times 25 years gives you 1050 nights, not the 1978 that you were cited.  (Eyebrows raise with suspicion.)


OK, then -- 1*,*978 promised nights minus 1*,*050 actual nights = 798 nights coming to you that you can't use. 

798 nights you can't use divided by 7 = 114 weeks you can't use 

$500 for each week you can't use X 114 = $57*,*000 

You only paid $24*,*400.  Subtract that from the $57*,*000 coming to you for the 114 weeks you can't use & you actually come out ahead of the game by $32*,*600 -- a tidy profit on an initial investment of $24*,*400, no? 

This deal might be just about to start making some sense. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## mtgolfer (Dec 14, 2007)

*RTU RCI Points*

Sharon,

I purchased one of the RTU packages about a month ago and was sent a RCI form to fill out and the points are supposed to be available January 1, 2008.  Everything seems to be on the up and up so far, but come the first of the year I will post as to whether they have been posted to my account.  And rest assured, if not, I will let everyone know.  They so far have been responsive to every e-mail and question I have asked.  I spoke to a RCI representative about it and he confirmed that everything would go through as described... take that for what it's worth.

I personally don't think resorts that convert to points do their owners any favors as it appears to me that the value of the property is decreased considerably.  Just my opinion from watching sales over the last year.

Bob


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## SteveH (Dec 15, 2007)

I believe that they are not 'selling these points,' which indeed would be against RCI's policy.  RTUs are quite common in Canada, Mexico and other parts of the world.  Less so in the US where an underlying ownership seems more the norm.  So instead of selling you a 50, 30 or 20 year RTU, they're selling you a 3 year RTU with an option to renew or walk away after 3 years.  I have a couple of RTU weeks here in Canada that were weeks resorts and have changed over to points resorts and if I pay the conversion fee, I can convert these weeks to points - I don't see any difference.  
My only concern would be regarding the resort's right to refuse to renew you after a number of 3 year renewals.  On the other hand, you would have so little invested up front that it sounds like it would be worth it for only one three year go around.  The upside is that if you tire of the points program, MFs rise too quickly or your financial situation changes, you can just walk away after any 3 year cycle.
Steve


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## 3kids4me (Dec 16, 2007)

I was wondering why I suddenly got three PMs yesterday touting the buying a this three-year points package from the seller referenced above.  It definitely seemed a little weird, as if I was getting little info-mercials in my PM box!  I see that someone revitalized that thread which may be why I was suddenly contacted.

I have since learned that the priority status of "home points" makes a big difference for Smuggs due to the high demand.  People with Smuggs points can see a lot (right now, since not that many folks have converted, yet Smuggs is dumping all their new inventory into points), but if your points aren't Smuggs points, you don't have that "home resort" priority to see the inventory.  

While there seems to be a lot of inventory this year, it is not viewable by non-Smuggs points owners until two months after Smuggs owners see it.  So, unless there is going to be so much excess that it wouldn't matter, it does appear that those folks concerned about getting back into Smuggs with points need to actually buy those points from Smuggs.  I guess we will see how that pans out over the next couple of years.  I was able to exchange back in for this summer (2008) and next summer (2009) using weeks....


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## charford (Dec 16, 2007)

> I paid approximately $24,400 for 1978 nights for 25 years, which converts into just over 5.6 million points. When you add some fees for transferring points from the resort to RCI (so they don't expire), it comes to just under $0.005 per point. Additionally, if I don't use any of my six weeks per year, I will be paid $500 per week I don't use. One of those $500 weeks is used for my maintenance fee, which is saved for me to apply toward my all-inclusive fee if I do choose to use a unit in the future. The other $2,500 will be paid to me in cash, as long I deposit my six weeks between January and March of each year. Technically, this means that I will recover my initial investment in ten years, without even using the points; and if I don't get the $2,500 per year, I've still paid no more than 1/2 cent per point. The rationale for paying me to not use my unit is that the resort can place visitors who potentially will buy a package from them. If I come down, there is no potential sale. If anyone has a similar package and has discovered that the resort won't make good on its contract, let me know. Otherwise...



Christy, 

A few red flags. 

Generally when the cost per point is reported, it's cost per yearly point. If you have 5.6 million points to be used over 25 years, then you actually have 224000 points per year. So what you have purchased is a RTU (right to use) contract for 224000 points that expires in 25 years. So your cost per point is 10.9 cents per point ($24400/224000 points). 

RTU contracts are worth less than deeded contracts since they expire. 

What are your yearly maintenance fees? 

Cathy


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## thetimeshareguy (Dec 19, 2007)

I purchased the 3-year RTU points leasing deal from Club Trinidad and have my certificate and also my points, deposited in my new RCI points account. So far, everything seems legitimate about that deal.

I'm glad I did it this way, and I recommend it rather than laying out more money to buy and own a points interval, because so far I'm quite disappointed about what I'm "seeing" on the RCI website via points.

I thought when I obtained points that I'd see lots and lots of inventory that I don't normally get to see using my "weeks" intervals. Yes, there are a few instances where points are turning up some options that I don't see in weeks. For instance, I can see more ski resorts in the winter months ahead. But the difference in selection is nothing to write home about.

Some of this is really strange. For example, I don't see much Orlando/Kissimmee resorts in January using points, which is bizarre considering that I know from the weeks side there is lots available. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to it. I suspect that Cendant, which owns RCI, is renting out so much inventory as standard hotel nights (to non-timeshare owners) that there just isn't the exchange availability or options anymore that existed only a few years ago. I can't prove it, but intuitively I suspect this is what's going on.

So far, points are not what I'd hoped for. Maybe there are some "insider tips" about how to game the system that I lack. Failing that, I'm losing my enthusiasm for all this.

I've already found that when I attempt to "raid" the weeks inventory using points, I can only (of course) grab full weeks. If I want a three night stay, I have to call RCI directly. I've found (so far) that the RCI Points staff can't get me a three night stay in an area for which I know there are full weeks available. So it's looking like I'll have to spend a week's worth of points and just use three or four days of the interval.

But I've only done this in more-than-45-day windows, so maybe it'll work better in the under-45 day scenario.

FOOTNOTE: After writing the above, I did a quick test in the under-45-day window for ski areas in inland New England states and came up with quite a few options, some of which were decent one or two-bedroom units at decent looking resorts. The best thing is they cost only 8,500 points! So maybe this is the best way to use points.


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## patsymck (Jan 11, 2008)

I have an RCI weeks membership and the fees are good until 2038.  I bought the RTU points from Club Trinidad.  I got a notice to pay my membership fees for this year's points. RCI said if I bought for 5 years the fees would be $99 a year instead of $124 ( I think).  But if I had paid cash for my weeks fees last year the points fees would be free.  Maybe I really misunderstood the agent, but could someone explain this to me better than she did.  She said I could talk to the accounting department but it wouldn't do me any good to get the fees waived.  
I am too new to this to understand any of this.

Thanks, Pat


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## ChristyK (Jan 22, 2008)

I can use the points any time.  I am not limited to any number of points per year.  The resort keeps my points in a "bank" for me and transfers them to RCI upon my request.  If I use them up in less than 25 years, then my membership expires at that time.  The "maintenance fee" is $499 per year but can be applied to future all-inclusive charges.


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## ChristyK (Jan 22, 2008)

Here is an update - and it is an important one.  The responsibility of selling my weeks is now up to me!  The resort will no longer recommend a broker.  However, the sales manager suggested that I try eBay or even just giving them to charity at the rack rate.  The "maintenance fee" of $499 is a credit toward future all-inclusive fees.  So, even if I never go out there except to use up my maintenance fee credits, I've still paid only $0.0049 per point (taking into account all the fees I could think of) - and I can use the points for discounts through RCI.  (I did some rounding on my previous post, so the numbers didn't come out exact.)  The way I look at it, I've prepaid for future vacations.  I'm not planning on making any money selling nights for stays at the Blue Bay Club or Temptations in Cancun.  If someone can tell me where one can buy points more cheaply, let me know!  (I could have bought more points, but didn't wish to spend any more than I did at the time.)


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## bonfamily (Jan 23, 2008)

*smuggs points?*



3kids4me said:


> I have since learned that the priority status of "home points" makes a big difference for Smuggs due to the high demand.  People with Smuggs points can see a lot (right now, since not that many folks have converted, yet Smuggs is dumping all their new inventory into points), but if your points aren't Smuggs points, you don't have that "home resort" priority to see the inventory.
> 
> While there seems to be a lot of inventory this year, it is not viewable by non-Smuggs points owners until two months after Smuggs owners see it.  So, unless there is going to be so much excess that it wouldn't matter, it does appear that those folks concerned about getting back into Smuggs with points need to actually buy those points from Smuggs.



I am new at this and still learning but this is the first I've seen of "Smuggs" points.  What are Smuggs points?  Are you saying that rented points have less value than points that you own because you cannot see the inventory?  Am very curious because the rental of points has been suggested to me (in the Newbies forum).  Am interested in the plusses and minuses and truly do not understand what this means. 

Thanks,
bonfamily


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## mtgolfer (Feb 19, 2008)

mtgolfer said:


> Sharon,
> 
> I purchased one of the RTU packages about a month ago and was sent a RCI form to fill out and the points are supposed to be available January 1, 2008.  Everything seems to be on the up and up so far, but come the first of the year I will post as to whether they have been posted to my account.  And rest assured, if not, I will let everyone know.  They so far have been responsive to every e-mail and question I have asked.  I spoke to a RCI representative about it and he confirmed that everything would go through as described... take that for what it's worth.
> 
> ...



Update on my above post.  I have since used the (RTU) points deposited into my points account on two occasions and it has worked great.  I highly recommend this to anyone considering buying into RCI points.  I really can't figure out why more resorts don't do this.  It appears to me to be a win win for both the resort and the leasee.  It is cheap to get into, easy to get out of and allows a resort to get something for unused units which ultimately can keep the maintenance fees down for everyone else.  The process takes about a quarter of the time it takes to purchase a unit... which really appealed to me.

bp


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## Carl (Feb 19, 2008)

patsymck said:


> I have an RCI weeks membership and the fees are good until 2038.  I bought the RTU points from Club Trinidad.  I got a notice to pay my membership fees for this year's points. RCI said if I bought for 5 years the fees would be $99 a year instead of $124 ( I think).  But if I had paid cash for my weeks fees last year the points fees would be free.  Maybe I really misunderstood the agent, but could someone explain this to me better than she did.  She said I could talk to the accounting department but it wouldn't do me any good to get the fees waived.
> I am too new to this to understand any of this.
> 
> Thanks, Pat


Does this mean that you have to pay an additional $124 dollars per year for points membership on top of your weeks membership?

Carl


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## AwayWeGo (Feb 19, 2008)

*Money Back From R. C. I.*




Carl said:


> Does this mean that you have to pay an additional $124 dollars per year for points membership on top of your weeks membership?


A fringe benefit of membership in RCI Points is free membership in RCI Weeks at the same time.  So if you're already paid ahead in RCI Weeks when you sign up with RCI Points, you can get a refund from RCI. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## janej (Feb 19, 2008)

3kids4me said:


> Someone here (at my resort) is asking some basic questions to which I don't know the answers...but I know you all do, so here they are:
> 
> 1.  What is considered a reasonable amount to pay for points ownership, per RCI point?  (And does anyone have an example of a resort providing a good deal on points?)
> 
> ...



Hi Sharon,

My information is quite old as I went through this process three years ago.  At the time, 3 cents per point was considered a good deal and 1c per point for maintenance fee.  

I bought at the Mansfield Country Club in Australia.  It cost me about 2.5 cents a point for about 90k+ points.  The maintenance fee was higher initially due to a one time assessment that I was not aware of at the time of buying.  I think I paid about 1.2 cent per point for the first two years.  Now it is back to just under 1c per point.

Hope this helps,

Jane


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## Konstantin (Feb 25, 2008)

Hi all,

Can you explain to me please, when you say 1 or 2 cents per point for 90 k or whatever the amount is, is it one time use of points or you get them reguarly on the annual basis afterwards? Or you can buy them at this price again next time? And do you buy them at particular resort, or just in general from RCI, and how does the MF works in this way? Thank you. Konstantin


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## AwayWeGo (Feb 25, 2008)

*Ins & Outs Of Timeshare Points Can Be Semi-Tricky To Catch On To.*




Konstantin said:


> Can you explain to me please, when you say 1 or 2 cents per point for 90 k or whatever the amount is, is it one time use of points


No -- that would be more like renting'm.





> or you get them reguarly on the annual basis afterwards?


Our dinky points timeshare get us an annual injection of 15*,*000 points.





> And do you buy them at particular resort,


That's right -- you have a deeded timeshare week but the official recorded terms & conditions specify that use & occupancy of your paid for time are via the points system.  If you want to use your own deeded time, there's even a provision for doing that before you get your injection of points so that you don't need to make a points-based reservation to stay at your own points timeshare. 





> or just in general from RCI,


RCI doesn't sell points.  The arrangement for becoming a points-based timeshare is worked out between RCI & the management of the resort itself.





> and how does the MF works in this way?


The points timeshare sends out bills for maintenance fees every year, same as regular weeks timeshares. On top of maintenance fees you pay to the resort, you also have to pay RCI Points dues every year _plus_ exchange fees every time you make a points-exchange reservation.  If you drop out of RCI Points, you still own your deeded points-timeshare week, except you no longer get any points for it -- meaning you can go there yourself, rent it out, etc., same as any other straight-weeks timeshare.  Also, you still keep on paying those timeshare maintenance fees every year, _mox nix_ whether you're in or out of RCI Points. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## Konstantin (Feb 25, 2008)

Thank you AwayWeGo, so much. Now i know its up to market and consumers, but would you say 12,500$ for 25,000 points annualy with MF at 318 and RCI fees (124 is it?) annualy, with exchange fees between 39 and 199 is a good deal? There is a Bonus Time at the resorts in British Columbia with stay at discount rates and some booking priviliges with another few in Canada, US, Hawaii and Mexico. Thank you. Oh, btw, you said dinky 15,000, it means its not a lot?
Konstantin


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## AwayWeGo (Feb 25, 2008)

*By Us, El Cheapo Is The Way To Go.*




Konstantin said:


> Thank you AwayWeGo, so much. Now i know its up to market and consumers, but would you say 12,500$ for 25,000 points annualy with MF at 318 and RCI fees (124 is it?) annualy, with exchange fees between 39 and 199 is a good deal? There is a Bonus Time at the resorts in British Columbia with stay at discount rates and some booking priviliges with another few in Canada, US, Hawaii and Mexico. Thank you. Oh, btw, you said dinky 15,000, does it mean thats not a lot?
> Konstantin


Dinky means the points total is too small for 2BR timeshare resort standard points reservations most places -- not even enough for 1BR units in many places.  That's OK.  We just wanted an entry-level toe-hold into timeshare points -- 15*,*000 is enough for 2 _Instant Exchange_ reservations into nice Florida 2BR timeshares when we make the reservations within 45 days of check in. 

By me $12*,*500 is way, way too much to pay for _any_ timeshare, points or weeks _mox nix_.  Others may have different timeshare budgets, I don't know.  But around here we are _el cheapo_ all the way on timeshares.  

Our dinky eBay points timeshare cost $152*.*50 to buy.  Closing costs, resort transfer, RCI Points initiation fee, etc., took the total up close to $1*,*000.  That's for 15*,*000 points annually.   Maintenance fees for that started out high & have grown exorbitant -- up to $380 this year.  Sheesh. 

If we had it to do over, we most likely would have leased our way into RCI Points instead of buying in.  Live & learn, eh? 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## Konstantin (Feb 25, 2008)

Thanks a lot Alan. The deal comes from developer of course. And there is financing available and bonus points for one time use. All that is part of first visit incentives from them. Same day purchase. Also referral program, that pays 300 for each member getting involved. I guess it's not completely bad, but i understand the price is retail. Also my question, is the price of point going up in general or you can get the same resale deals from year to year? Thank you.
Konstantin


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## AwayWeGo (Feb 25, 2008)

*Resale = El Cheapo.  Full Freight = Big Bux.*




Konstantin said:


> Also my question, is the price of point going up in general or you can get the same resale deals from year to year?


I have observed that (1) big bux timeshares from the timeshare companies are always overpriced & (2) resale timeshares from individual owners, eBay, resale brokers, etc., are always available for nickels on the full-freight dollar.  That means it's OK to take plenty of time & shop around for resale timeshare bargains.  They're not about to evaporate.  

Click here for 3 semi-inconvenient _Timeshare Realities_. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## rickandcindy23 (Feb 25, 2008)

Darn, Bill is out of the big points!  I was hoping to get some of those someday.......

But I was going to sell some weeks first, and I still haven't done that yet, so I will just have to wait and hope that some of the big packages will be there for us again, but only when we are ready.  

We also own at Mansfield, which has probably satisfied my need for points.  I can basically take or leave them right now because they really don't do much for us.  We used some for airfare and saved a little bit, then we used a large number for Disney tickets, but there was no savings.  I don't see any point in the points, unless a person can take advantage of the 9,000 point stays, which we don't seem to be able to do.   I am too much of a planner!


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## JMAESD84 (Feb 25, 2008)

rickandcindy23 said:


> Darn, Bill is out of the big points!  I was hoping to get some of those someday.......
> 
> But I was going to sell some weeks first, and I still haven't done that yet, so I will just have to wait and hope that some of the big packages will be there for us again, but only when we are ready.
> 
> We also own at Mansfield, which has probably satisfied my need for points.  I can basically take or leave them right now because they really don't do much for us.  We used some for airfare and saved a little bit, then we used a large number for Disney tickets, but there was no savings.  I don't see any point in the points, unless a person can take advantage of the 9,000 point stays, which we don't seem to be able to do.   I am too much of a planner!



I wouldn't be surprised if Bill runs out of the middle tier group soon...those of us that locked-up the big packages early are in good shape going forward I think.

Deeded RCI Points packages have been rising sharply of the resale market and availability has become extremely limited.  Just try to find an advertisement nowadays for an RCI Points package with MF such that the annual cost is less than a penny a point. There aren't many and the price has doubled in a less than a year.

Perhaps this has to do with RCI themselves giving a cash value of just under 1 cent a point to convert points for use as cash discounts on a number of points partner programs.  If RCI will cash them for you at that rate, that itself tells you they are worth much more when used for timeshare reservations....IMO.  

I wouldn't be surprised to see in increase in the 2 cent point rental fee from RCI soon.


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## Konstantin (Feb 26, 2008)

How many points it's possible to rent directly from RCI?


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## JMAESD84 (Feb 26, 2008)

Konstantin said:


> How many points it's possible to rent directly from RCI?



For members only - up to 50% of your annual allotment.


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## Konstantin (Feb 27, 2008)

JMAESD84 said:


> For members only - up to 50% of your annual allotment.



Thanks, what would be the price for them?


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## brucecz (Feb 28, 2008)

2 cents per point.

Bruce


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## murphyjim (Mar 7, 2008)

I have purchased on resale a week 52 in Europe. 

I am not a member of RCI yet...waiting for the certificates to come through....so technically not an owner yet. 

This is a ( I think ) RTU for 23 years.

I have read through TUG but cant find an answer to my query..... so here goes...

I want to add to this this week by purchasing other resales for the SOLE purchase of joining RCI and putting my TS in as points.

I have been told I CAN'T because i need to buy a TS from a "registered" entity that will get me into the RCI system.

I don't want to buy a full priced TS to comply with this advice...what other methods are open to me to inexpensively get registered or whatever it is i need to do to get myself into the RCI points system?

thanks guys

JIm


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## murphyjim (Mar 7, 2008)

*Guest ?*

Dont no why its come up guest a am a member of TUG. ?

MAybe its the TUG BBS ?

JIm


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## JMAESD84 (Mar 7, 2008)

You will need to purchase (resale cheaply per your request) a TS which is already in the RCI Points system.  Doing this (and $224 in account set-up and transfer fees to RCI) will make you an RCI points member.

Once your a member, you can utilize RCI's Point For Deposit program to deposit weeks (for a fee) at many other resorts you many own to add to your RCI Point total.  Certain restrictions apply.


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## murphyjim (Mar 7, 2008)

*Identifying a unit already in the pts system*

i presume i just ask? the seller

JIm


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## brucecz (Mar 7, 2008)

If you scroll back on this site and check out the RCI Points topic headings you will find the type of RCI Points usage that would best fit your needs.

One half to a hours reading those should  provide you witj the information that will help you meet your wants and needs.

Bruce


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## anapur (Mar 13, 2008)

Someone told me that RCI chareges a full exchange fee of $ 139 (or something like that) for Points for deposit. 

Is that really so expensive? 

That means the price of your points is MF + $1^39, which is very ralely below a cent / point, correct?

WHich resorts do get lots of points in PFD with low maintenance fee?

Thanks!


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## brucecz (Mar 13, 2008)

anapur said:


> Someone told me that RCI chareges a full exchange fee of $ 139 (or something like that) for Points for deposit.
> 
> Is that really so expensive?
> 
> ...



The charge per week for points for deposit a RCI non points weeks is $26 per week and a max of 4 RCI non Points weeks per year from the same resort.

Yes, there are some resale ownerships if properly used are still below 1 cent per point using PDF per RCI Point for maintenance fees.

Of course you can blow  $10,000 to $20,000 on a Resort  Developer week and be uder 1 cent per RCI Point for maintenance fees for a few years untill the Developer is done subadising(?) the maintenance fees to keep them low to sell thier units.

You are now limited to only to 3 differant RCI Points accounts.

For the answer to your last question there are lot of ways to do PFD. I am sure there will be some very experianced Tuggers  who will post what works best for them.

Bruce


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## anapur (Mar 13, 2008)

Thnaks for the answer, that sounds much better...

But what does "and a max of 4 RCI non Points weeks per year from the same resort." mean?

Per person (RCI account) I can only deposit 4 weeks of the same resort per year? That would not be a limit too many people schould breach.

Or does it mean that the whole RCI Points-investory can only be filled with 4 weeks per resort per year? Then I would not be able to PFD my week when 4 other owners at the same resort have done it before me the same year?

Thanks for clarifiying!


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## brucecz (Mar 13, 2008)

anapur said:


> Thnaks for the answer, that sounds much better...
> 
> But what does "and a max of 4 RCI non Points weeks per year from the same resort." mean?
> 
> ...



A max of 4 RCI non Points weeks per year from the same resort for PFD for each seperate RCI Poinrs account.

The types of ownerships ships that 4 week rule effects are full ownerships, 1/4 shares some BG ownerships like CMV Cottage and Oak Timbers UDI's.

So those  rules helps lessen the inventory in RCI as before those rules we deposited about 34 weeks into RCI Points 3 years ago. 

This year we have so far only put 2 weeks into the PFD as we are now using other alternatives for exchanging.  But we had about 800,000 or so carry over RCI Points from last year.

The 4th RCI Point account that we bought and that because of the new rule made after we bought it will be sold at some point in time. 

The only party it really helps is the over priced resort developers.

This may be our last reply today as we are getting ready to head to Chicago today to fly to St Croix in the Virgin Islands tomarrow until March 26, 2006.


Bruce


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