How much have RCI Points values and TPU's changed since the values were set?

[Carolinian]

In the old days, trading power fluctuated with supply and demand. I was always curious what would happen with RCI Points and later the "points lite" or TPU's. Have these stayed the same or fluctuated, and if they have fluctuated, how often does that happen?

 

[tschwa2]

RCI points for rci points resorts have fluctuated very little if at all. There have been some instances where one or two weeks have gone up to a higher category. Unlike points connected to a deed I am not sure if they downgraded an equal number of deeds. Rci points when staying at a weeks resort especially beach resorts have gone way up in terms of what they charge but I think they haven't changed what they give if those resorts are being used for a points for deposit. You use to get much more bang for your buck (point) exchanging from an rci points resort into an older rci weeks resort because rci was undervaluing the worth of summer beach weeks.

TPU values fluctuate fairly frequently sometimes through sales and sometimes just by a few points from day to day. The larger changes are over years.

 

[escanoe]

My limited experience is the values (especially TPUs) to trade into something fluctuate a fair amount seasonally and with supply and demand.

However, over years, if one is depositing early or trading into something early — my impression is valuations do not fluctuate that much.

Throughout a year, TPUs seem more market based while points are generally more fixed. I also notice that often when RCI is trying to liquidate inventory sometime they will take a “TPU based week” and mark it down more on the points side than on the weeks side. I am sure they move some points-based inventory into weeks, but there is not much user transparency into that.

 

[Carolinian]

Rci points when staying at a weeks resort especially beach resorts have gone way up in terms of what they charge but I think they haven't changed what they give if those resorts are being used for a points for deposit. You use to get much more bang for your buck (point) exchanging from an rci points resort into an older rci weeks resort because rci was undervaluing the worth of summer beach weeks.

I am glad to see that RCI has apparently reduced the ability of Points members to loot the Weeks system with bargain basement prices in points. When Points first came out and I got hold of a Points chart and directory, I posted quite a few examples on TUG of the bargain basement Points-to-Weeks charts for prime Weeks inventory, both beach weeks and European weeks. That arrangement was one of the main reasons I bailed out of RCI.

Another move by RCI that degraded the exchange system was that the implementation of the Points system led to widespread RCI renting of exchange inventory to the general public. At the resort where I was HOA president, our manager discovered how to tell the renters on the RCI inbound reports (they used "home resort" codes that did not match actual resorts) and we found that RCI was giving most of the prime summer week deposits to its rental operations instead of to exchangers.

Before RCI Points, RCI was a great exchange system that I greatly enjoyed using. After RCI Points, it became a suckers game. Sad. But it is at least good that one aspect of how they have been shortchanging Weeks seems to have faded away.

 

[jeanf]

I have to disagree on them not raiding the week exchanges. I've been checking for Vegas, and have never had a problem trading into a week at Wyndham/Worldmark Tropicana for many years. Wyndham has now reduced almost all of their week exchanges to 5 nights, Sunday to Thursday, and some for just 3 nights. No Fri or Sat nights are available anywhere in Vegas for week owners at Wyndham properties. I'm sure the Fri and Sat are available for point owners to book into, for the increased weekend required points. These only apply to actual Wyndham Vegas properties, not the other systems. Wyndham owns RCI so obviously they can do what they want, and they certainly are.
As well, for stays under 7 nights, a housekeeping fee would previously apply to only point accounts. Not so now with Wyndham properties in Vegas. Anything under 7 nights triggers the extra cleaning fee, regardless of whether points or weeks. Other systems in Vegas still have extra cleaning fee for only point owners less than 7 nights. So booking any week in Wyndham Vegas properties, which you cannot even get the full week, triggers the housekeeping fee.

 

[escanoe]

I have to disagree on them not raiding the week exchanges. I've been checking for Vegas, and have never had a problem trading into a week at Wyndham/Worldmark Tropicana for many years. Wyndham has now reduced almost all of their week exchanges to 5 nights, Sunday to Thursday, and some for just 3 nights. No Fri or Sat nights are available anywhere in Vegas for week owners at Wyndham properties. I'm sure the Fri and Sat are available for point owners to book into, for the increased weekend required points. These only apply to actual Wyndham Vegas properties, not the other systems. Wyndham owns RCI so obviously they can do what they want, and they certainly are.
As well, for stays under 7 nights, a housekeeping fee would previously apply to only point accounts. Not so now with Wyndham properties in Vegas. Anything under 7 nights triggers the extra cleaning fee, regardless of whether points or weeks. Other systems in Vegas still have extra cleaning fee for only point owners less than 7 nights. So booking any week in Wyndham Vegas properties, which you cannot even get the full week, triggers the housekeeping fee.

I think this is likely something else other than “points” raiding weeks. How mini-systems make deposits has always been subject to side deals and working the system. And Wyndham has really been shaking it up since COVID. We like to stay at their Kingsgate resort in Williamsburg. They used to deposit a bunch that could be used for points for a few day. It is almost all in “weeks” now …. and sometimes they will go months where everything is a Saturday or Sunday and there are no Friday check-ins.