Have You Tried Trading INTO So. Africa???
Someday I hope for a real explanation about what has happened with So. Africa trading weeks. Most of us purchased them feeling a little guilty and knowing that it seemed too good to be true so I speak for myself when saying I haven't fought very hard to get to the bottom of the story. I've tried and, I must admit, I eventually back off figuring that I don't have enough clout to fight it on my own. Now I'm just venting to the only people who might even care -- I don't think very much will change at this point.
I own 3 flexi red weeks which I purchased in 2001 and was happy with my trades for a few years. Now Mt. Amanzi weeks no longer trade very well but my Mountain View week has improved a little. Like a lot of you, I felt a little guilty - like I had a gift for awhile and that I should just shut up about the loss -- but now RCI wants something from me so I decided to push it a little harder to try to get some answers.
I own some August weeks at a Cape Cod standard resort that trades very well with RCI for almost anything that's out there. Sometimes I use it but it is also a great trader because it is a standard resort so it bypasses the VEP filter that keeps GC resorts from seeing nice standard resorts for trades. Recently RCI rep called me about why I wasn't depositing my 2008 Cape Cod August weeks and she warned me that unless I deposited very early I would loose trade power. Frankly, I've found this to be total nonsense when it comes to my Cape Cod weeks. The ones I have deposited in 2005 for 2006 have exactly the same trade power as the 2007 week I deposited last month. I told them I was considering using independents because I wasn't happy with the way my So. Africa's were trading and that DAE, for example, wouldn't treat my So. Africa weeks any differently than my CC weeks. First, she maligned my CC week by saying "its only a studio". Hey!! You just called me and asked me to deposit it and now you're telling me "it's only a studio"??? I'm not sure what her point was except to possibly accuse me of trying to take advantage of the trading system by owning less desireable properties?? How clever of me!!
In an effort to change my mind and get me to make the valuable deposit that she sought, she offered to check my account and said my Jan. 12, 2007 very red So. Africa weeks had not been picked up by anyone as a trade. I know a lot of other owners have gotten that response, as well and believe that essentially their weeks are worthless and RCI is doing them a huge favor even allowing them to trade for anything at all. But that doesn't make any sense because I've tried any number of times to trade INTO So. Africa resorts using my tiger trader as well as my So. Africa weeks and NOTHING ever appears as available online for any month of the year. A few GC's show up like Castleburn, Sanbonini, Kruger Park but none of the standard resorts that so many of us bought. Of course, I'm always offered the "ongoing search" option so RCI can hold onto my money while I wait. I've checked with Mt. Amanzi and they claim that my weeks are valuable and do get picked up in trade quickly because they are high season even though they are not peak school holiday weeks. Of course, they won't tell me which RCI member took them - I'm glad of that for privacy reasons - but they also don't offer to investigate it for me.
If RCI is telling us the truth and the weeks are not being picked up by other traders thereby lessening their trade value to us, why don't they show up for trade for someone who wants them? I would think RCI would have them out there all over the place just hoping someone picks them up so they can collect their $$.
It might be interesting if someone who doesn't own So. Africa weeks calls and ASKS for a So. Africa trade into Dik or Mt. Amanzi, etc. Will they be told there are no weeks available too?
I'd like to get to the bottom of this. I do understand that in the past, before So. Africa system was integrated into RCI mainframe trading system, there might have been some inequities which might have created a real or perceived problem with trade values. I almost don't care what the answer is -- I just want one that makes logical sense and I'm not getting it.
You are probably looking at their weeks for sale area. SA has their own internal points system that has ZERO to do with RCI. Disregard anything on the Cape Escape site that talks about points or trading.