RCI (Points) Membership Renewal

[arlock]

Ok I read some old posts and got a feel for membership term expiration and member expiration.

Both of my timeshares are in RCI points and are at Vacation Village Parkway.

When my term expires, is there a fee to extend the membership term from Vacation Village in order to keep the timeshares in the Points Program? I realize that I have to pay my yearly dues to remain a member.

 

[Jan M.]

You have to pay the annual RCI membership. You can pay from 1-5 years and get a discount based on the number of years at once. More years, bigger discount. You can find the chart of fees on the RCI website.

 

[Passepartout]

I don't think there are multi-year RCI Points membership discounts. Just Weeks.

 

[Jan M.]

RCI® Points Fees United States effective July 1, 2018
The following information details the various fees that are associated with your membership benefits.

Usually on an annual basis, you will also pay a maintenance fee, which is used toward the operation and upkeep of the resort at which you own. This is not a fee which is collected by RCI - you pay your resort directly.

Annual RCI Points® Subscription Fees USD
1 YR $124
2 YRS $229
3 YRS $321
4 YRS $409
5 YRS $499
Annual RCI Points Platinum Fees Total Cost (USD) Price Per
Year (USD)
RCI Points Platinum® 1 Yr $89
RCI Points Platinum® 2 Yrs $155 $77.50
RCI Points Platinum® 3 Yrs $221 $73.67
RCI Points Platinum® 4 Yrs $279 $69.75
RCI Points Platinum® 5 Yrs $322 $64.40

 

[tschwa2]

I think what you are asking about is a fee apart from the RCI points membership fee. Most resorts don't charge these although a few do. I think most of the resorts that do are older independent resorts. I have seen it with a few VRI managed resorts. I have owned Vacation Village properties for several years and have never been charged anything over the RCI points membership renewal fees.

 

[rboesl]

I think the real answer to your question is "How do you plan to use your timeshare?"

If you simply plan to visit where you own every year then you do not need to maintain membership with RCI. Just call VV Parkway every year and reserve your weeks.

However, if you plan to trade some of those points to visit places besides VV Parkway, or want to go to VV Parkway at a time of year that you don't own, then you'll need a membership with one of the exchange companies. I realize you own points. But those points are associated with weeks of the year.

RCI is the simple and obvious choice because Vacation Village is tightly coupled with RCI. But there are other exchange companies, like SFX, that you could deposit the weeks you own at VV Parkway and trade. The downside with these other exchange companies is they probably don't have the breadth of inventory that RCI has.

 

[arlock]

I think what you are asking about is a fee apart from the RCI points membership fee. Most resorts don't charge these although a few do. I think most of the resorts that do are older independent resorts. I have seen it with a few VRI managed resorts. I have owned Vacation Village properties for several years and have never been charged anything over the RCI points membership renewal fees.

Yes tschwa2, you hit the nail on the head.

As a backdrop, My membership ends on Feb 28, 2019, and so I need to renew. I figured I'd renew for 5 years, save a few bucks. Computer wouldn't let me. I could only do 4 because the "Membership Term Expiration Date" was February 28, 2023. Five years would put it out beyond February 28, 2023. So I called RCI. Apparently it can only be renewed in 3 year increments, and the expiration date can be no more than 5 years out, according to a "Vacation Guide". They can't extend it by a single year to allow me to do a 5 year renewal. The "guide" at first told me it was due to policy. I asked her where can I see the policy. Answer: terms and conditions at the bottom of the page.

While we're talking, I read the document and noticed that it did not contain any provisions of that nature, and told her I had caught her in a lie or misstatement. She said she assumed it was in there, so it must be in a contract with VV. "Can I see that?" "I don't have it." "how do you know it's in a contract then?" "It's the policy" You get the idea. Anyhow it was clear that it was probably something to do with VV.

I then read some prior posts, 5 or so years old, that I interpreted to imply that the expiration terms were such so that a fee would or could be imposed to keep a unit in the points system (above and beyond membership and transaction fees).

That all said, having the terms of the "Membership Term Expiration Date" be based upon a Resort's policy makes no sense either. What if I had two units, one with VV and one with Wyndham (or Holiday Inn, or any other Group)? Some of these policies and how they address issues makes no sense.

 

[Magic1962]

yes buts thats one of many questions of timesharing.... Like I have said in the past... IF your planning to use your TS out of Vacation Village Resorts you need to belong to RCI.... we have a 122000 point contract through VV but I have NEVER traded into any of their properties so RCI is the answer for us.... and also we have Platinum..... I hope everyone you talk to you DONT think are lying to you.... just sales weasels.... I have found most people try to help you through VV.... I also can only renew mine for another 3 years but will be doing it with both regular membership and Platinum.... without the RCI connection we would never have gone to Hawaii, Hilton Head, etc... just my two cents worth.... Dave....

 

[Jan M.]

If you are already paid through any upcoming years, like 2019 or 2020 it will only let you renew for however many years remain in the 5 year period. We ran afoul of this a few years ago.