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RCI points [How to sign up for RCI in Europe]

Vacationsarefun

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I haven't used RCI yet and most I hear seems to be about RCI weeks. However, my resort seems to be an RCI resort and I have no clue how that works. It would be great if someone could give me some info or point me at some threads etc. that explain it a bit better.

Thanks!
 

SmithOp

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I haven't used RCI yet and most I hear seems to be about RCI weeks. However, my resort seems to be an RCI resort and I have no clue how that works. It would be great if someone could give me some info or point me at some threads etc. that explain it a bit better.



Thanks!


There is a FAQ for RCI here, what resort do you own?

http://www.tug2.net/advice/FAQ-AskRCI.htm


Sent from my iPad using the strange new version of Tapatalk
 

tschwa2

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Just because your resort is an RCI points resort doesn't mean you have or exchange through RCI points.
 

Vacationsarefun

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Thanks - I really appreciate it. I did take a quick look at it but don't quite understand...

I own a fixed summer week at Winners Circle and apparently this is a RCI points resort. So does that mean I would have to pay a fee to convert my week into points if I wanted to exchange through RCI? If so, it doesn't seem to make much sense... How would that work if I wanted to exchange through a different company (or use myself) - would I still have my fixed week or also some sort of points?
 

Vacationsarefun

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Just because your resort is an RCI points resort doesn't mean you have or exchange through RCI points.

Doesn't it? I looked on the website to see how to sign up for RCI and it says if you own at a points resort you have to contact the resort first. Exactly what would happen then?

Sorry if these are weird questions. I keep hearing all about TPU but haven't heard that much about the Points programme.
 

presley

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Thanks - I really appreciate it. I did take a quick look at it but don't quite understand...

I own a fixed summer week at Winners Circle and apparently this is a RCI points resort. So does that mean I would have to pay a fee to convert my week into points if I wanted to exchange through RCI? If so, it doesn't seem to make much sense... How would that work if I wanted to exchange through a different company (or use myself) - would I still have my fixed week or also some sort of points?

If you owned an RCI points week, your week would automatically get deposited into RCI points if you didn't reserve it a year ahead of time. You may have a traditional RCI week. If you have a week, you could deposit it into RCI to trade it. You need to pay an annual fee to RCI to use them and you pay an exchange fee when you do the exchange.

Since you have a fixed week, you have the easiest thing to trade. You can deposit it into any of the independent companies and exchange through them. Many of those don't have annual membership fees and their exchange fees are lower. What type of exchange are you looking for?
 

tschwa2

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If you didn't buy an already converted week, which it sounds like you didn't or you would have already paid and set up an RCI points account- you have to keep one active for RCI points then you simply own your fixed summer week.

You would exchange through RCI weeks. They assign a number (tpu)- trading power units. You could then exchange for anything that has a tpu value the same or less then your available deposit. If you deposit multiple units you could pay a fee to combine the deposits to exchange into a unit with a higher number than one of your single deposits.
 

Passepartout

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Thanks - I really appreciate it. I did take a quick look at it but don't quite understand...

I own a fixed summer week at Winners Circle and apparently this is a RCI points resort. So does that mean I would have to pay a fee to convert my week into points if I wanted to exchange through RCI? If so, it doesn't seem to make much sense... How would that work if I wanted to exchange through a different company (or use myself) - would I still have my fixed week or also some sort of points?

If you own a FIXED WEEK, you are NOT in RCI Points. If you want to exchange it, you simply deposit the week (with whatever exchange you want).

It's confusing, but on the WEEKS side, your week/resort/size unit is assigned what are called TPU (Trading Power Units), a number between about 5 and about 60- That resort is likely on the mid-higher end, say 35ish) and that determines (just in RCI) your week's relative value.

You need not worry your pretty little head about RCI Points. The fact that your resort ALSO exchanges through RCI's Points side is of no concern to you.

Clearer?

Jim
 

tschwa2

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I just looked at summer weeks (I picked a non holiday July week). A one bedroom gets 54 tpu's and a 2 br gets 60 tpu's. Mid June weeks get 46 and 52.
 

Vacationsarefun

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Thanks so much - it is getting clearer!

I definitely own a fixed week, fixed unit week and I did think I would trade through RCI weeks. What confused me is this:

When you try to sign up for RCI it asks whether you own a Weeks or a Points resort. Then it says that if you are not sure you should look the resort up in the RCI directory which I did. And there it says "RCI Points" next to Winners Circle which made me think I need to trade through points?

Still, if tschwa2 can see TPUs it must also trade through weeks, right?

I've only owned the timeshare for about two years and have deposited with sfx (because RCI's European website is so weird and I didn't want the additional cost for membership etc.). I used the first of my deposits and have one left.

I guess I am wondering about RCI for two reasons:
a) maybe using TPUs I could get two weeks out of my one week (it's a late August week so probably not as great for trades but that is when we can travel) which would be nice
b) We are thinking of going to the New England area next August and I have heard that sfx doesn't have much availability there. RCI seems to offer the greatest number of possibilities there so I was wondering whether it would make sense to deposit my 2016 use with them.
 

presley

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The resort can participate in RCI points, but unless the contract has already been upgraded to points, it will still be in weeks. Many resorts show as RCI Points, but are actually weeks and points.

You are correct that you can probably get 2 exchanges out of your one week in RCI. It really depends on how many TPs you get for your week, which it sounds like you will get a very high trade value.
 

Vacationsarefun

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The resort can participate in RCI points, but unless the contract has already been upgraded to points, it will still be in weeks. Many resorts show as RCI Points, but are actually weeks and points.

You are correct that you can probably get 2 exchanges out of your one week in RCI. It really depends on how many TPs you get for your week, which it sounds like you will get a very high trade value.

So if I were to sign up for RCI I would just say I own a weeks resort (as that is really what I have)?
 

BevL

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So if I were to sign up for RCI I would just say I own a weeks resort (as that is really what I have)?

Exactly. And I've PM'd you with a suggestion.

There are many, many resorts that started out as weeks - that's all they had in the "old days". Then RCI added points and some resorts opted to add on that program and would convert fixed weeks to points for their owners - for a substantial fee, of course.

But your fixed week will trade in weeks and will be assigned what TUGgers refer to as TPUs. They are shown in single or double digits, up to a maximum of 60 for a single unit. RCI Points are in denominations of thousands.
 
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DeniseM

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So if I were to sign up for RCI I would just say I own a weeks resort (as that is really what I have)?

To join RCI, you have to provide specific info. identifying your ownership, from your deed or resort membership, and then they will confirm that info. with your resort management.

If you go to the RCI website and go through the steps to open an Acct., you can see what they ask for.
 

Vacationsarefun

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To join RCI, you have to provide specific info. identifying your ownership, from your deed or resort membership, and then they will confirm that info. with your resort management.

If you go to the RCI website and go through the steps to open an Acct., you can see what they ask for.

Yes, I assumed they would check. I don't think there is any way to sign up online for RCI here where we live - it seems they have to send you the contract, you fill it in, wait a couple of weeks etc. Quite cumbersome. Also, there is no indication about fees that I can find on the website.

I really don't see how they expect to get members here when they make it so difficult (though it probably is at least partly due to some sort of regulation).
 

DeniseM

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Where do you live?

In the US, you can go online and fill everything out - there is no mailing of hard copies, and there is no contract.

Is this the link you are using to sign up?

https://www.rci.com/registration

RCI Weeks assistance: 1.800.338.7777
 
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Vacationsarefun

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Where do you live?

In the US, you can go online and fill everything out - there is no mailing of hard copies, and there is no contract.

Is this the link you are using to sign up?

https://www.rci.com/registration

We live in Europe which makes it rather complicated as the fees are different as well (at least they used to be - now I can't find them at all anymore on the website).

I am pretty sure they won't let me sign up on the US-site...
 

DeniseM

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That makes a big difference - I didn't know you were trying to sign up for RCI in Europe.

I edited your subject line to, hopefully, draw more input from those with experience with RCI in Europe.
 
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Vacationsarefun

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That makes a big difference - I didn't know you were trying to sign up for RCI in Europe.

I edited your subject line to hopefully draw more input from those with experience with RCI in Europe.

Thanks, Denise. I was originally going to ask about the Europe part but then got really confused about Weeks/Points. I would think that stays the same though no matter where you are from (you never know though)...

It would be great to hear how it works in Europe (though given how tricky the website is I am not sure how many people use RCI there)
 
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