Question on RCI weeks vs. points

[vikingsholm]

We have been with II for some time, and know that system pretty well.

Recently joined RCI after some weeks' resale purchases. Signed up for RCI under the weeks plan, have become familiar with TPU's and made first trade with credits left over.

After reading through many posts here and RCI's online materials, still have a few questions that I think would be best answered by experienced RCI users who know both points and weeks:

1. Can you sign up for points just by buying a resale week (at a points enabled resort) that is already in the points plan? Or does it become ineligible like Marriott points somehow if it's a resale, under certain conditions?

2. What is the real advantage of points, since it sounds like you have to sign up for 3 years to start (does that apply to resale purchases too?), and TPUs sort of act like points with the credits and combine deposits features. Is it just that points are better for short stays, or do they tend to have access to better inventory, sooner and more commonly?

3. Is having access to both points and weeks trades if you're a points owner a significant advantage? Do those points resorts have a lot more choices than just the weeks?

4. Are the Points for Deposits really that valuable compared to just using those as weeks trades / TPUs instead? Do they tend to buy more when moved over to points via PFD than if used as just weeks trades -- if reserving partial weeks is not real important to us?

5. Is it usually best to let a lot of small TPU credits accumulate, then combine them in one shot - does that minimize the combine fees normally? Can you just combine them and let them sit, or does the combine step have to be part of a trade you make?

6. Finally, how does the Hold feature work for Weeks trades? I was reluctant to try it, thinking the resort trade might disappear for awhile and take awhile to reappear if I changed my mind and took it off hold.

How long can you hold a request, and how do you convert it to a trade - can you come back, say, 10 hours later and finalize it within a Hold feature - or must you release it and start over by again grabbing and confirming that listing for a trade? I couldn't find much info about the mechanics of that, just that it exists.


Thanks alot to anybody willing to take a stab at these questions to help us along with this new (to us) system!

 

[chriskre]

We have been with II for some time, and know that system pretty well.

Recently joined RCI after some weeks' resale purchases. Signed up for RCI under the weeks plan, have become familiar with TPU's and made first trade with credits left over.

After reading through many posts here and RCI's online materials, still have a few questions that I think would be best answered by experienced RCI users who know both points and weeks:

1. Can you sign up for points just by buying a resale week (at a points enabled resort) that is already in the points plan? Or does it become ineligible like Marriott points somehow if it's a resale, under certain conditions?

Most RCI points accounts transfer if you pay the new account set up fee of about $225. Do your due diligence for the specific resort you have in mind. I've bought two on the resale market that transferred. Grandview and Vacation Village at Parkway.

2. What is the real advantage of points, since it sounds like you have to sign up for 3 years to start (does that apply to resale purchases too?), and TPUs sort of act like points with the credits and combine deposits features. Is it just that points are better for short stays, or do they tend to have access to better inventory, sooner and more commonly?

Good for short or longer stays. Example you can stay for 4 nights or 30 nights with just one exchange fee. Also helps to get around the 1 in 4 restrictions at many resorts. Inventory is often different. I find bigger units available in RCI points over weeks many times, especially if the resort has lockoffs since most TPU depositors will split the deposit.

3. Is having access to both points and weeks trades if you're a points owner a significant advantage? Do those points resorts have a lot more choices than just the weeks?

Depends on the resorts that you are interested in. I always find gems in RCI points. Not that there aren't any in TPU's also. It will vary for you depending on where you want to go and if points were sold at that resort or not.

4. Are the Points for Deposits really that valuable compared to just using those as weeks trades / TPUs instead? Do they tend to buy more when moved over to points via PFD than if used as just weeks trades -- if reserving partial weeks is not real important to us?

Can be more valuable. Again it depends on the week. Sometimes points is more generous with the deposit value in shoulder seasons than TPU's is.



Thanks alot to anybody willing to take a stab at these questions to help us along with this new (to us) system!

Answered in blue to the points issues.

 

[vikingsholm]

Thanks chriskre, very helpful!

 

[vacationhopeful]

I use both RCI Points and RCI Weeks for different inventory availability. I have a RCI Points trade in HGVC at 57th Street on the last weekend this month. And last July 4th, I was in Chicago - downtown on Wacker St; again with RCI Points. And 19 months ago, I was at the Manhatten Club on RCI Points.

I do have a fair number of RCI Points, but I have plenty of TPUs. Yee, I don't think I can survive with only 1 now.

 

[chriskre]

Thanks chriskre, very helpful!

Glad to help. I am probably in the minority by saying that I love RCI points. But then again, I live in Florida the land of cheap exchanges so your mileage may vary.