Combining RCI deposits [As of 9/17/16, Travel Window reduced to 12 months]

[missyrcrews]

I think it will also grow the "extra vacation" business for RCI. Maybe that's their plan...who knows.

So annoying. I may need to combine deposits to get to Williamsburg for summer 2018. My week that I want to use doesn't hit until October.

 

[bnoble]

I have a sneaking suspicion they were seeing a steady increase in unredeemed combined lines, and this is a way to get a handle on it. In some sense, an unredeemed line is a liability and they can't grow forever.

 

[tschwa2]

I would rather have had a limit that a combined deposit either wasn't eligible to be recombined or could only be recombined an additional time.

 

[wgaldred]

I contacted RCI UK via the web chat and they knew nothing about this. They said they have not been informed about this change. They said they would go find out and email me back. Have not heard anything yet.

 

[gthorson]

A 12 month point life on RCI is almost worthless.
You can no longer set up ongoing searches 2 years - 12 months out.

Why do these companies continue to screw the people who keep them in business?...

Pat nails it again. This is a disastrous decision by RCI. Who wants to combine if the they new deposit is worthless for searches outside of 12 months? STUPID!!!

 

[missyrcrews]

I wonder if the combined deposit will still be eligible for an extension. Currently, you can extend for a year for $119. Cha-ching for RCI that's for sure. But if that would work...I may be able to combine my October 2017 week with the bits and pieces in my account, and still vacation in summer 2018 in W-burg. Guess we'll wait and see.

 

[Egret1986]

That's probably one of the motivations for this reduced benefit.

I wonder if the combined deposit will still be eligible for an extension. Currently, you can extend for a year for $119. Cha-ching for RCI that's for sure. But if that would work...I may be able to combine my October 2017 week with the bits and pieces in my account, and still vacation in summer 2018 in W-burg. Guess we'll wait and see.

Cha-ching. Folks that used to get two years for combining who will now only get one year and will need to pay that extension fee for the additional year if they need it.

It's all about generating more and more revenue for things that shouldn't be this costly. This will definitely assist in their revenue generation.

 

[alexadeparis]

Pat nails it again. This is a disastrous decision by RCI. Who wants to combine if the they new deposit is worthless for searches outside of 12 months? STUPID!!!

Dumbest move ever on their part, I will probably deposit my last RCI unit (dual affiliated) with II now.

 

[scootr5]

This will definitely assist in their revenue generation.

Short term maybe (which is what impresses stockholders). I think in the long run it will work against them, and reduce deposits and revenues. I know once I use up the sizable amount of TPUs I have I think the only way I would then use RCI is with through Wyndham where I'll still be able to have an extended search.

 

[youppi]

The biggest loser will be people who own only one timeshare like a 2 bdrm LO EOY. If they combine both parts at the deposited time to get a bigger amount of TPU, they will not be able to combine again any remaining TPU because they will not have any new deposit inside the 12 months. They are already paying a lot in RCI membership per unit compare to people who deposit multiple units per year and they will be hit again.

 

[MuranoJo]

The biggest loser will be people who own only one timeshare like a 2 bdrm LO EOY. If they combine both parts at the deposited time to get a bigger amount of TPU, they will not be able to combine again any remaining TPU because they will not have any new deposit inside the 12 months. They are already paying a lot in RCI membership per unit compare to people who deposit multiple units per year and they will be hit again.

That's an interesting point--in a case like that, they would basically lose if they didn't use before their next deposit. And, of course RCI will be expecting continued member fees to bridge the time between deposits. RCI may be disappointed.

 

[bnoble]

No, they can still make it work, but only just. For simplicity of argument, let's say the unit they are depositing is January use, Odd year. But, they can only have the "big" exchange line for half as long.

Deposit 1/17 halves now; each half expires 1/19 (two years from use).
Use each half for "smaller" exchanges during 2017.
In 1/18, combine whatever is leftover in the two halves---could be all of it if you haven't used any yet. Combined set expires 1/19 (still)
Deposit 1/19 halves sometime during 2018. They expire 1/21 (two years from use)
Combine 1/19-expiring fragment w/ *one* half of 1/19 use, leave other 1/19 half alone.

Now you have one line expiring in 1/20, and one expiring in 1/21. You can combine them in 1/20, and keep laddering forward from there.

 

[bnoble]

The biggest problem I see is getting into some of the larger TPU-value HGVC units. Those deposit more than a year in advance, and they do not last long at all. For those, you would have to combine and extend. But, given the rental value of those units it's still probably worth it.

 

[JudiZ]

Thank You

Thanks for the heads up, Juanita.

Once again, TUG is exponentially worth its membership fee. :whoopie: I, too, will be combining my deposits in September. :annoyed: And now rethinking RCI in general. I love the flexibility of RCI TPUs, but just don't know about losing that two year rollover.

Appreciatively,
Judi

 

[Laurie]

A 12 month point life on RCI is almost worthless.
You can no longer set up ongoing searches 2 years - 12 months out.

Yes you can - I have one going right now for 2018 dates.

I think I had to call RCI to initiate it - then as I recall (though my memory is hazy), I added some additional resort numbers online.

Edited to add: Oh - unless you meant you can no longer set up searches using your combined points, for more than 12-months out, in which case you're right, you won't be able to.

 

[travs2]

Just had a "Live Chat" with an RCI rep online.....and YES the combining of points is only good for one yr past the date that one combines. "Sorry for the inconvenience was the reply".......just another money grab for RCI and this makes it very difficult for members to plan for the future. .

 

[jlwquilter]

This Sucks

Want to add my thanks for posting this change. I have not been focusing on my timeshares lately at all and I definitely need to do a few combines before the change hits!! I'll lose months of usage by combining early but still better than only having 12 months on the new combinations if I combine when I normally would.

I have a large bank of TPUs. I am (was??) planning on using them mostly starting next year, after my girl heads to college. But I have so many it's going to take me several years to use them up. Now it's going to be a lot more expensive to keep them active. Grr. And not having the ability to set up searches on the combined deposits more than 12 months out?? Major suckage.

This is one more reason I am glad to have already have started my slow (and maybe faster now!) exit from RCI. The value just isn't there nearly as much as it was. I expect change and increased prices - not happy with it of course, but it's inevitable. But when companies price themselves out my value range ... Time to say bye-bye!

 

[Kozman]

I may be wrong but wasn't part of the recent class action law suit settlement that RCI had to put all deposits given beyond one year into the exchange pool? But less than one year they could go into the rental pool or whatever they wanted to do with it. Strange that this new rule would exclude many of the more desirable deposits from being obtained with combined points? Just thinkin'!

 

[MuranoJo]

It was my understanding that the concessions RCI had to make with the lawsuit (such as what you described) were only to be locked in for 3 years. After that, RCI could go back to whatever they were doing, i.e., we didn't really win in the end. It's long been past those 3 years, but I don't remember the dates. At one time, we had the settlement posted as a Sticky, but not sure where it is now.

 

[dundey]

It never stops with RCI.
I ended my membership with them a few months ago. BTW, in case anyone does not know, you can cancel your membership at any time and they will refund the remaining months/years left on your membership.

My girlfriend still has RCI, but after our next couple exchanges we're II and independents going forward. Don't exchange all that much anymore now, mainly use what we own, but still had some TPU's hanging around!

 

[Kozman]

I'm going to try to use my residual TPU's and cease from depositing with RCI if at all possible. It's a never ending new scheme to drain our wallets.

 

[STEVIE]

Hi,
So I am trying to understand this. In the future, will I be able to combine a new deposit with the TPU"s I already have combined and are in my account?
Or will I lose the points I already have. If this is the case, I will not be able to save up points for a nicer trade.
Sue

 

[tschwa2]

You will continue to be able to combine for larger deposits. The combined deposited will be good for 12 months from the date they are combined vs the current 24 months from the date combined. So if you are using an On Going Search or looking for something in the future you will not be able to use it for more than 12 months from when you combine.

 

[Free2Roam]

You will continue to be able to combine for larger deposits. The combined deposited will be good for 12 months from the date they are combined vs the current 24 months from the date combined. So if you are using an On Going Search or looking for something in the future you will not be able to use it for more than 12 months from when you combine.

...unless you pay yet ANOTHER fee to extend your combined points.

I just prepaid my 2017 fees for Massanutten and made 2 RCI deposits. I also received a complimentary 14 TPU deposit for paying early (the reason I like my Massanutten ownership.) Total of 39 TPUs for depositing a 2bdrm lockoff as 2 1bdrm units. Next week I will combine the complimentary deposit (which expires May 2017) with leftover credits in my acct. After all those are used, I will reevaluate my RCI Weeks usage... and perhaps look into unloading my Massanutten ownership, which is only used for RCI deposits.

Sent from my Galaxy Note 8.0 using Swype

 

[STEVIE]

So before the 12 months are over, I would be able to deposit my next years unit and combine the new points with the existing points in order to extend another year? This way an on going search could be extended past the 12 months?
Thanks, Sue