Complain directly to Wyndham if you are unhappy with the new changes

[shmoore]

I just spoke to Owner Care at Wyndham and told her how unhappy I am with the new changes. Most of my vacation cost will double or triple. I told her for example that I will have to pay $525 in fees if I book Fairfield Glade with Wyndham points, $750 if I go through RCI or rent it for $360. Non owners can rent....why do owner's have to pay more to go to their home resort?

We have done a lot of venting among ourselves. Now it is time for us to let them know how we feel. Call 1-800-251-8736 and and ask to be transferred to Owner care. I was told that they do not have a direct number. The Owner Care person said that she logs in every complaint that she gets and it is possible some changes will be made.

Sandy

 

[siesta]

to be honest, I like the new system. But I prefer high end trades, the lower end trader will see costs double like you stated. For example, there was a 1br Kaanapali Beach Club unit for June of this year, and it required 41 TPU. Wyndham points could pull it for 143,000. So there are definitely cases to be made both ways.

 

[massvacationer]

A trade-off

I see positive and negative sides to the new RCI portal.

On balance, I prefer this new system for using RCI. As Siesta says, we can make trades now that were not possible before. More desirable resorts and seasons are now within reach. Also, I very much value being able to see and book all the RCI inventory on-line. This is worth a lot to me. My wife and I both have busy work schedules and we have two kids, so the shoulder overstock 28K weeks were not as useful to us - as the ability to get the peak-season stuff.

I recognize that we have lost the ability to pick-up the "overstock" deals with 28K deposits (particularly with the old Wyndham preference). However, I am mostly happy with the new reality.

 

[jjmanthei05]

I don't think you are going to see the universal outrage at this change like other Wyndham changes in the past specifically the renting of points from other owners. I would guess half if not more would prefer to have the option of seeing whats available instead of just getting the bottom of the barrel type stuff. We use almost all of our points within Wyndham internal system and when we would use RCI, it would be for higher end trades like DVC that were't available at all before.

Jason

 

[bnoble]

It is true that the "new system" is a 180-degree about-face from what it "used to be".

Wyndham in the past was pretty good for off-season or last minute exchanges. For example, I've had MLK weekend exchanges in Northern Michigan for the past two years, where a 28K deposit yielded 2BR exchanges. We only used them for the long weekend, and threw the other four nights away, but still---those three-night stays in a 2BR condo at a ski resort over a holiday weekend cost about $105 a night or so, not bad. In the "new" RCI, that's not going to be possible.

However, as folks before me have observed, in the "new RCI", high-value exchanges *are* possible. And, for most of the "cheap" 28K exchanges, you can rent them from RCI for not much more. For example, I already have my 2012 N. Michigan MLK week lined up. It was an Extra Vacation from RCI. It did cost a little more; about $380, or about $127 a night. But, for a holiday weekend in a 2BR condo at a Michigan ski resort, well, it's still a pretty good deal vs. renting from the resort itself.

 

[rrlongwell]

Can someone explain how the TPU system works?

 

[siesta]

Can someone explain how the TPU system works?

In a nutshell ... you deposit your timeshare week, and it is given a TPU value lets say for example 25. You can search online for exchanges, and next to those exchanges they will have TPU values as well. If it is 25 or under, you can book it. If it is less than 25 you get "change back". Which can be used to book another exchange of equal or lesser value, or that change back can be combined with another deposit. Also, weeks deposited can be combined in addition to change back. So if you combined 2 of your weeks that is 50 TPU and you can book that 30 or 40 TPU hawaii exchange, etc. and will get change back.

none of the above applies to wyndham points.

 

[vacationhopeful]

I too did more of the 28K trades than the 154K+ deposits (like never) into RCI. It was a nice benefit - cheaper than using the Wyndham Points to book Wyndham. But I will adjust.

And I have other RCI weeks both in RCI Points and with TP. I believe I will just have to work on using up my Wyndham points yearly; I will do TP or RCI Points exchanges.

I will still get good vacations - at least with TPs and combining deposits and change back, I will not be using high deposits for low value exchanges. And I like the high value nonWyndhams - after all there are only so many Wyndhams.

 

[jjmanthei05]

I don't think many people did the 154ish deposits once they learned the system since it isn't like those could even pull DVC, HGVC or Manhatten Club. I made one 154K when I first got my points but it still didn't pull anything much better than a 28K.

Jason

 

[bnoble]

While that's true, I'm going to guess that *most* owners just did what the directory told them to do, without ever really learning what was what. Especially with the generics, unless you could compare two deposits on the phone with a guide, it would be hard to know the differences between a red studio and a red 2BR. And, if you never found TUG or another timeshare board, you might never have guessed that it was possible to use studios to trade into 2BRs.

 

[hjtug]

And, if you never found TUG or another timeshare board, you might never have guessed that it was possible to use studios to trade into 2BRs.

This was certainly our history. For the first few years of our Wyndham ownership we used our points mainly for Wyndham stays of a week or less and did a couple of II trades. We deposited 105000 points for II since we thought that is what was necessary to assure getting a one bedroom in a decent season. Even though we joined TUG and the Wyndham Owners Forum we still didn't know any better until I started reading more of the advice on these sites a couple of years after we joined them.