# RCI Weeks vs Points



## Rustybucket (Feb 27, 2009)

Does any one else have a RCI weeks membership that they have not changed into points?  We have used our week for years, but as RCI is trying to change to points, our week is worth less and less.  The explanation we have is that resorts are changing to points only exchanges.  Many of the resorts we have exchanged into are no longer available to us.

It seems that RCI is wanting everyone to "upgrade" to points, at a substantial cost. Our options seem to be changing exchange companies or using our home resort.

Does any one else have issues with this?


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## beejaybeeohio (Feb 27, 2009)

No issues for us as RCI weeks owners.  You might consider DAE for exchanges if you feel that your options are being squeezed when you trade thru RCI.


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## geekette (Feb 27, 2009)

In Weeks, and staying there.  I have no reason to take on an RCI Points resort as I have plenty of exchange opportunities without the incessant nickel and diming.  I stay in RCI because my ts ownership, BG, pays for it for me.  But I second the DAE nomination.  Customer-friendly, low cost, and the availability of "holiday properties" in case there aren't timeshares where you want to go.


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## Judy (Feb 27, 2009)

Rustybucket said:


> The explanation we have is that resorts are changing to points only exchanges.


I'm not sure that the explanation you got is entirely accurate.  At my resort that's "changing" to RCI Points, management is trying to sell conversions to the owners.  Some buy, but many do not.  Those units are eligible to trade in RCI Weeks.  I think it's the same with the other resorts that started out in the Weeks program.


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## Bill4728 (Feb 27, 2009)

this  thread  talks about someone asking if they have to convert tot RCI points. 



			
				judy said:
			
		

> At my resort that's "changing" to RCI Points, management is trying to sell conversions to the owners. Some buy, but many do not. Those units are eligible to trade in RCI Weeks.


when a resorts changes to points, only those weeks which the owner has paid the big bucks to change to points are trading in "points"  all the many, many owners who tell the resort to "Go to heck! I'm not paying to convert to points" will still be trading in the RCI weeks program.


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## UWSurfer (Feb 27, 2009)

The most recent week I purchased was already in points.   In a thread last summer I asked if I could take it out of points and was basically told yes.   However thinking it through I knew the former owner already paid  to convert the week and the purchase came with a large amount of points already in the former owners account.  

I opted to keep it in points and give it a try.  I must say so far I like points very much.  The underlying week generates a substantial amount each year and the flexibily it provides is very familiar having owned HGVC for awhile now.

I'm not rushing out to convert my other RCI affliated property to points nor would I be interested in paying a developer thousands for the privalege...I'm just saying that I've been pretty happy with what I've been able to do with the points system.


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## "Roger" (Feb 27, 2009)

Like UWSurfer, I converted to Points and love it.  (I was not all that fond of timesharing until I did.)  That having been said, I also recognize that converting (especially at a high price) doesn't always make sense. (Unless you have a unit that is awarded a high number of points, it often does NOT make sense.)

Is RCI putting the squeeze on to force people into Points?  Maybe, but, I have my doubts.  Given the number of resorts (and owners) currently in the RCI system, I _suspect_ that there are MORE Weeks units available now then there were when RCI started Points.  (In terms of total numbers of units in the system, RCI is so much bigger than it was in 2000.  So, it is numerically possible for the _percentage_ of people in Points to go up, but the _number_ of units in the Weeks system to also go up at the same time. A smaller percentage of a much bigger number is still a bigger number.)  

On the other hand, I think RCI has been intentionally making it harder to trade up within the Weeks system.  (That could be because they want to skim off some of the better units for rentals.  It could also be because the owners of more expensive units were getting ready to revolt because the best units were always be grabbed by people with lesser units before they were ready to make their own vacation plans.  The one thing that RCI can least afford is to make the owners of the most desired units unhappy.)  Thus, the salad days of being able to trade up in the Weeks system might over, but not because all the good units have now gone to Points.

[Obviously, this is a very speculative post on my part.]


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## philsfan (Feb 28, 2009)

beejaybeeohio said:


> You might consider DAE for exchanges if you feel that your options are being squeezed when you trade thru RCI.



I have both and have no issues on the weeks side.  165K exchange possibilities daily.  Along with DAE, don't forget TPI, HTSE and Platinum Interchange if you choose to investigate alternates to RCI.


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## Rustybucket (Mar 2, 2009)

Thanks for the replies.  I will look into DAE.

I guess the question came up when we were at a sales presentation.  We were shown a RCI book with tons of resorts.  The book RCI sends us has very few Gold or Silver Crown resorts.  It says on the cover "RCI Weeks." So, we were told there are a lot more resorts available to Points members.


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## Skinsfan1311 (Mar 4, 2009)

beejaybeeohio said:


> No issues for us as RCI weeks owners.  You might consider DAE for exchanges if you feel that your options are being squeezed when you trade thru RCI.





geekette said:


> In Weeks, and staying there.  I have no reason to take on an RCI Points resort as I have plenty of exchange opportunities without the incessant nickel and diming. go.





Bill4728 said:


> this  thread  talks about someone asking if they have to convert tot RCI points.
> 
> when a resorts changes to points, only those weeks which the owner has paid the big bucks to change to points are trading in "points"  all the many, many owners who tell the resort to "Go to heck! I'm not paying to convert to points" will still be trading in the RCI weeks program.



Same here.  

My home resort,(The Historic Powhatan Resort), sponsored a dinner, ostensibly to keep us abreast of the happenings at the resort.     In reality, they were pushing weeks owners to convert to points.

I ate the dinner, but took a pass on converting to points.    Even if I was so inclined, we own own a weak trader, (week 5), in Williamsburg and there's not a lot of value there as far as points are concerned.    We're better off sticking with weeks and  we're happy with the trades that we've been getting.  Most of the places that we get are better than the Powhatan.

I've never had a problem with my weeks account and I'm keeping them.


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## Bigbird130 (Mar 4, 2009)

*Weeks*

I've been weeks for over 2o years and haven't had any problems yet. I do have a pretty good trader.Until I start having a problem I'll stick with weeks
They do get pushy about converting to weeks though


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## Carolinian (Mar 5, 2009)

In many of the so-called points resorts, a solid majority of the weeks often remain in weeks-style ownership.  A European resort that I traded into that was a ''points resort'' had a very small percentage of owners in points, in the low single digits the manager told me, and those who converted did not seem to be thrilled with it thanks to some new European points fees that had just been dumped on them.  Also, in Australia, a resort that I formerly owned at had been in RCI Points, but due to the dissatisfaction with points, the resort switched back to a Weeks resort and did not allow any more conversions to RCI Points.  It still shows in RCI Points catalogues since those who had converted to points before the resort went back to weeks were grandfathered in and could remain in points.  At roughly the same time there were about 8 or 10 Australian resorts that dumped RCI Points and went back to Weeks.


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## e.bram (Mar 5, 2009)

generally speaking, only the weak, non-prime weeks owners will convert to points leaving them the same non-prime weeks to exchange into.The prime owners keep their weeks and either use or rent them.


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## "Roger" (Mar 5, 2009)

So, what you are saying is that prime weeks are not available in either system (since they are used or rented).

(Do you know this?  How? Or, is this just speculation on your part? The reason I ask is that many of us have gotten prime weeks in both systems.)


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## AwayWeGo (Mar 5, 2009)

*Exchanging Into Other People's Timeshares.*




"Roger" said:


> The reason I ask is that many of us have gotten prime weeks in both systems.)


Me too. 

Not doubt it was just a fluke.

Every time. 

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


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## gjw007 (Mar 9, 2009)

Bill4728 said:


> this  thread  talks about someone asking if they have to convert tot RCI points.
> 
> when a resorts changes to points, only those weeks which the owner has paid the big bucks to change to points are trading in "points"  all the many, many owners who tell the resort to "Go to heck! I'm not paying to convert to points" will still be trading in the RCI weeks program.



I know that I looked to put my Orlando weeks 51 and 52 into points but not my week 50.  My week 50 in points would have had me worse off than if I left in in week as in theory, I could pull any week of the year in weeks but since week 50 in Orlando has the lowest point value, I couldn't pull the medium or higher demand weeks in a points-based system without paying to rent additional points.  It really pays to look a the week that you have and what is gained/lost when going to points.  I believe most lose or at best, break out even.


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