I Feel Cheated On Recent Weeks Exchanges

[Carmine Aliffi]

I was just on the phone about an exchange for my Indian Peaks CO Memorial Day Weekend for the Disney area of Fl for April. I have exchanged it before and it was always equal or better then anything I ever traded it for including the Disney area and Fl. I was told my week was worth 13 and would not trade equal into anything there. I spoke to Indian Peaks and she said they are a Silver Star resort and owners have been complaining about the same thing to her as well as RCI sets the valuation. I feel that RCI is trying to force weeks owners to convert to points at great expense and favors resorts that I guess they own or have a financial stake in. Has anyone else felt that they were getting cheated on exchanges recently by RCI?

 

[MuranoJo]

I was in your neck of the woods (for Indian Peaks, CO) this past July as I hosted a family reunion in Fraser and we ended up reserving one back-up unit at Indian Peaks. It's a lovely resort with very nice units, landscaping and ownership.

However, RCI has over the past few years really driven up the TPUs required to exchange into DVC. As you discovered, the TPUs required to get into DVC are more than you'd get with a Memorial Day Indian Peaks unit, however nice it is.

They've really limited the DVC resorts they deposit (now mostly only SSR), plus it's rare to see a 2 BD. It's in big part a matter of supply & demand. (And, IMO, part of this was due to abuse of the exchange system where exchanges were showing up on eBay and all over for rental.)

 

[LisaH]

I'm not sure Carmine is looking for DVC exchanges specifically but yeah 13 TPU is very low. Your best bet is to either rent it or deposit into a different exchange company. Does II accept this resort?

 

[MuranoJo]

After re-reading, he/she did say Disney 'area.' Well, another thing to consider is the trading power of Memorial Day weekend in Fraser may not be in high demand. Weather is still probably pretty cool/cold at times.

 

[klpca]

I was just on the phone about an exchange for my Indian Peaks CO Memorial Day Weekend for the Disney area of Fl for April. I have exchanged it before and it was always equal or better then anything I ever traded it for including the Disney area and Fl. I was told my week was worth 13 and would not trade equal into anything there. I spoke to Indian Peaks and she said they are a Silver Star resort and owners have been complaining about the same thing to her as well as RCI sets the valuation. I feel that RCI is trying to force weeks owners to convert to points at great expense and favors resorts that I guess they own or have a financial stake in. Has anyone else felt that they were getting cheated on exchanges recently by RCI?

Was this a 2017 deposit? Because if it is for 2018, you should have more TPU's . According to the deposit calculator on the RCI website, you should have gotten 19 TPU's for a Memorial Day deposit. If it was a late 2017 deposit with reduced TPU's, then you are probably stuck. You could deposit 2018 and then pay to combine the TPU's but then you only have 12 months to use it, so be careful.

But yes, RCI has been messing with TPU's. My deposits have been all over the place. We have other choices - Interval International is my personal favorite, but there is also Trading Places International, SFX Exchange, and DAE. You have to pay to belong to Interval International, but the other three are free at the basic level. I have no idea how your resort will trade in Interval International or the other exchange companies, but it would be worth a try.

 

[HudsHut]

Indian Peaks Resort
Winter Park, Colorado
IPK
Resort Details & Photos


Indian Peaks does exchange through Interval International, but it is an unrated resort there.
Week 21 shows a Travel Demand Index of 55 on a scale of 50 - 150. That low demand rating would give it very low trading power, except during the flexchange window of 59 days or less before check-in.

 

[dougp26364]

I think the starting point begins with trading a mountain mud week (regardless of the fact it's a holiday) into an area with lots of families trying to trade in for their spring breaks.

Then again you are dealing with RCI, a company I don't trust any farther than I could throw them. Interval hasn't been that great lately either but I still feel I get equal trades with them. It just takes a little more patience than it use too.

 

[HudsHut]

When in April?
I understand when you want to go, but from glancing at the TPUs, it appears that Oct through mid-Dec is possible at some resorts for 13 or fewer TPU. (The account I'm using can't see the TPUs beyond 3/31/18.)
Otherwise, you'll have to combine two years of deposits to get 26 - and you might be able to get a week in April. The first week is very high TPU due to April 1, 2018 being Easter and many schools have a week's break.

 

[theo]

I feel that RCI is trying to force weeks owners to convert to points at great expense and favors resorts that I guess they own or have a financial stake in. Has anyone else felt that they were getting cheated on exchanges recently by RCI?

No fan of RCI, but in the interests of fairness and factual accuracy I want to weigh in on some incorrect perceptions reflected above.
First, RCI does not actually own any resorts anywhere. RCI is an exchange company --- no more, no less --- weeks and / or points notwithstanding.

We bailed out of RCI membership years ago (...and good riddance), but unless I'm mistaken it's really the resorts (not RCI) that benefit financially from people paying (usually several thousand dollars) to "convert" their "weeks" ownership to RCI Points. None of that "conversion" money actually goes to RCI, afaik.

Can't speak intelligently to RCI's TPU valuations of weeks, since we don't play that game anymore at all. Nonetheless, I think it's still fair to say that although RCI will always tilt the playing field in their own favor, actual supply and demand must necessarily play a big part in RCI's TPU value assignment.

 

[dominidude]

I feel that RCI is trying to force weeks owners to convert to points at great expense and favors resorts that I guess they own or have a financial stake in. Has anyone else felt that they were getting cheated on exchanges recently by RCI?

RCI lately is giving week owners a harder time, but it's not like Point members have it easy either. I'm a points owner and I feel that lately when I exchange into a non points resort I am being charged way more points than I used to.
I digress.
The basic problem here is that of supply and demand.
Rci is in the business of finding willing customers to pay for weeks deposited by owners and resort companies.
Rci is happy to rent your week and give you nothing or little in return.
So, turn the table. Only deposit your week when you are sure you will get a week your happy with, or don't deposit at all. Consider using your week instead of depositing it when nothing is to your liking.

 

[krj9999]

FWIW there's an Indian Peaks Memorial Day 2018 currently available for exchange requiring 16 TPU and Memorial Day 2019 available at 18 TPU. So being advised only worth 13 seems a bit odd/low.

 

[Hankmoon]

I think RCI is the worst trading company. II is much better in terms of properties. For trading purposes, you need to buy a strong trader and then it's all a gamble.

 

[Panina]

I always prefer II over RCI. My biggest complaint with RCI is for my prime week they will charge more tpu's for a prime week then they will give me for the exact week/place I deposited so I lose trading power from the start.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Your week at Indian Peaks will get something in RCI near Disneyworld. It won't get Disney and won't get Hilton, but you can get a place like Grand Beach or Polynesian Isles easily for those points. You can also get Orange Lake and Vacation Villages at Parkway. Most of the resorts I mentioned are GOLD crown, and Indian Peaks is Silver. You can definitely get a trade up. Be open to all resorts and be flexible. Enter an ongoing search, if you cannot find something online.

Memorial week is not prime season in Colorado. It's considered pink and not red. Like season in Orlando would be about the same time.

Last-minute exchanges are still bargain priced. You can get two weeks last-minute for 13 points. I have done it. You will probably never get something in Anaheim, but Orlando is an extremely easy trade.