• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Is RCI eliminating 9000 pt option for late bookings?

travelhound

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2005
Messages
127
Reaction score
6
Points
378
Location
fullerton, ca
I spent 90 fun filled and informative minutes at the Grandview Las Vegas this week end and was told something interesting. This is a points resorts, and when I asked the rep about the 9000 points weeks, he said this option is no longer in the RCI book and they are no longer allowed to use this point feature in their sales presentation. This was a shock for me, because I was thinking into getting into points partially because of this feature. Has anyone heard about this? What do you know about this Madge?
 

cclendinen

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
222
Reaction score
0
Points
226
Location
Cocoa, Florida
I still see them in the points-for-weeks search.

If you are talking about the points-for-weeks search in the 45 day window they are still there. The amount of points varies depending on the location from 3500 to 23500 points. The amount of points required when the check-in date is 45 days or less is determined by the cheapest number of points of a location. This is usually a hotel in the blue season, but some locations only have red seasons. IMO if RCI ever got rid of this feature it would undermine their sales of their points program, because TS salesmen have always made this a big issue at the presentations I attended. Although many points member may not take advantage of this I have found it of great value because of the large number of TS in the area I live.
 

AwayWeGo

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
15,686
Reaction score
1,630
Points
699
Location
McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.
Resorts Owned
Grandview At Las Vegas

[triennial - points]
Resorts Selling Deeded "Points" Weeks Are In A Bind

Philosophically speaking if not practically speaking, the timeshare sales people at points resorts are in a conceptual bind when giving prospects the high-pressure pitch.

When pointing out the advantages of deeded timeshare weeks, they mention that those can be rented out, given as gifts, bequeathed to heirs, or sold.

But if the ability to sell a privately owned deeded timeshare week is an advantage, then the sales guys can't honestly knock timeshare resales. That is, if timeshare resales are no good, then where's the advantage in being able to sell a deeded week?

The last time I was exposed to a high-pressure timeshare sales pitch, the sales guys revealed another self-contradictory situation. They pointed to 9,000-point (or less) Instant Exchange reservations as a one of the advantages of buying timeshare points. Then, in the same conversation, they told us we need to buy lots & lots of points (from them) because soon nothing worthwile will be available on Instant Exchange, or even Last Call or Extra Vacations.

Not only that, they're also in a funny position when they tell you the quality & amenities, etc., of the resort they're selling mean little since what they're really selling are points that they assume you will want to use for reservations at other resorts in different locations, where presumably quality, amenities, etc., do mean something.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.
 

bogey21

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2005
Messages
9,455
Reaction score
4,662
Points
649
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
travelhound said:
...when I asked the rep [Grandview Las Vegas] about the 9000 points weeks, he said this option is no longer in the RCI book and they are no longer allowed to use this point feature in their sales presentation. This was a shock for me, because I was thinking into getting into points partially because of this feature.

If I recall correctly, your post was in October 2005. Today is May 6, 2006 and I just picked up a nice week in Ruidoso, NM for 7,500 Points. I guess this means that the Grandview salesman didn't know what he was talking about it (or had some other ulterior motive)!!

As this is the 4th or 5th time in the last 24 months that I have been able to pick up a Week for between 7,500 and 9,000 Points (plus the obligatory $149 Exchange Fee), I am a great fan of this program.

GEORGE
 

PA-

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
1,276
Reaction score
1
Points
246
Location
San Antonio, TX
bogey21 said:
If I recall correctly, your post was in October 2005. Today is May 6, 2006 and I just picked up a nice week in Ruidoso, NM for 7,500 Points. I guess this means that the Grandview salesman didn't know what he was talking about it (or had some other ulterior motive)!!

As this is the 4th or 5th time in the last 24 months that I have been able to pick up a Week for between 7,500 and 9,000 Points (plus the obligatory $149 Exchange Fee), I am a great fan of this program.

GEORGE

I thought RCI Points exchange fee was a maximum of $79? Did it go up, or was that a typo in your post?
 

philsfan

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
324
Reaction score
0
Points
376
Location
Georgia
PA- said:
I thought RCI Points exchange fee was a maximum of $79? Did it go up, or was that a typo in your post?

Using points for a 'weeks' unit you pay the weeks exchange fee. Doing a standard points reservation is now $99 for 5+ nights.
 

travelhound

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2005
Messages
127
Reaction score
6
Points
378
Location
fullerton, ca
I converted to points since this query and am very happy with the availablity of 9000 pt weeks units. Is there a similar reduction on point costs when making standard point reservations?
 

AwayWeGo

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
15,686
Reaction score
1,630
Points
699
Location
McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.
Resorts Owned
Grandview At Las Vegas

[triennial - points]
No Points Discount For Points-Resort Reservations.

At 45 days (or sooner) before check-in, they offer bargain reservations into "weeks" resorts -- 9,000 points maximum (plus exchange fee).

But for standard "points" reservations into "points" resorts, late-reservation discounts are not offered.

Seems perverse, no?

Can hardly blame the "weeks" people for seeing Instant Exchange as just 1 more way for points people to raid the weeks inventory.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.
 

boyblue

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
1,573
Reaction score
6
Points
398
Location
Nassau, Bahamas
Re: No Points Discount For Points-Resort Reservations.

AwayWeGo said:
At 45 days (or sooner) before check-in, they offer bargain reservations into "weeks" resorts -- 9,000 points maximum (plus exchange fee).

But for standard "points" reservations into "points" resorts, late-reservation discounts are not offered.

Seems perverse, no?

Can hardly blame the "weeks" people for seeing Instant Exchange as just 1 more way for points people to raid the weeks inventory.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.

I understand your point but isn't the point of Points to have last minute availability?
 

AwayWeGo

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
15,686
Reaction score
1,630
Points
699
Location
McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.
Resorts Owned
Grandview At Las Vegas

[triennial - points]
Re: No Points Discount For Points-Resort Reservations.

boyblue said:
I understand your point but isn't the point of Points to have last minute availability?
You know, that's a great question.

I certainly would think that since late-reservation discounts are a good idea for weeks resorts (i.e, 9,000 or fewer points for a whole week when the reservation is made 45 days or sooner before check-in), then comparable late-reservation discounts are just as good an idea for reservations at points resorts.

So maybe something else is at work regarding timeshare points that I haven't caught onto yet.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.
 

bogey21

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2005
Messages
9,455
Reaction score
4,662
Points
649
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
PA- said:
I thought RCI Points exchange fee was a maximum of $79? Did it go up, or was that a typo in your post?

When you make a Points Reservation using Points, you pay the lower fee. When you "Access" Weeks with your Points, you pay the $149 Weeks Exchange Fee. Still a bargain. If you value your Points at 1 cent per Point, A nice week in Ruidoso costs just $224.00 ($75.00 + $149). My rough calculation is that my 2 bedroom condo cost me just over $30.00 per night.

GEORGE
 

mailman

newbie
Joined
Feb 24, 2006
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
Points
1
I'm staying at the Mayan Palace Riviera starting tomorrow. 2 bedroom for only 7500 pts. This is my 1st exchange and I'm stoked. I've got more pts. than I know what to do with.
 

Dani

TUG Lifetime Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2004
Messages
1,639
Reaction score
1
Points
348
Location
New York City
Re: No Points Discount For Points-Resort Reservations.

boyblue said:
I understand your point but isn't the point of Points to have last minute availability?


I've wondered about this. I've also wondered about where those last minute Point weeks go that are still way too high a last-minute purchase. A lot of good weeks are still available in Points...they just cost too many points.
 

Sandy

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
1,339
Reaction score
27
Points
408
Location
Charlotte, NC (really Fort Mill, SC)
9000 only for "weeks" exchanges

I believe that the 9000 points are only for when you use your points account to secure a "weeks" only resort. Those resorts that are strictly points have no option to get the last minute 9000 points exchange. Even the day before, you must pay the full point value.

This does not make sense, but it is so according to "RCI-think".
 
Top