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New RCI points membership

DannyTS

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I am going to open an RCI Points account soon. I would like to better understand some of the details:

1) when do the points become available in my account every year?
a) January 1st
b) the date I become member (say April 15th )
c) the date my MF are due (July 1st)
d) the check in date of the week I have purchased (July 18 this year)

2) What are the rules concerning the points transferred from the previous owner? I will probably sign up for platinum because I will have plenty of points and I want to make sure I can extend them as much as possible.

3) I understand that with a Points account you can book from both the RCI Points and the RCI Weeks inventory. If I want to book 2 consecutive weeks that come from RCI Weeks deposits, do I pay for 2 exchanges or one?

4) Can I book less than a week for any resort or they have to be RCI Points deposits?

5) I understand an OGS will only match the Weeks inventory. Is that correct?


Any tips about how to make the best out of an RCI points membership ?

Thanks!
 
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tschwa2

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1. If you don't already have an RCI points account, they will set up your use year based on when you join. For some reason it can take 8-12 weeks after you send in the rci form with the membership fee (and the deed has already been recorded) to set up the points account. So if you were to do it now your use year would probably be April 1- March 31 for your 2020 use year or May 1-April 30.

With my other points resorts I could always borrow up to a year in advance of my use year without pre-paying the fees. I have been told that with Massanutten, they don't release the points to RCI (or allow you to book with those points- not sure which) until you have prepaid your MF. So for this year even if the fees aren't due until July 1 you would need to pay before you could use them even for the use year. Since I use the trade boost, I prepay MF's anyway so it isn't a big deal.

2. The points transferred from the previous owner should follow your new uses year.

3. Weeks inventory requires an exchange fee for every week.

4. You can only book less than a week, if it is rci points inventory.

5. Yes OGS are only supposed to match weeks inventory. OGS in RCI isn't as glitchy as II but I wouldn't 100% rely on OGS hitting even when there is availability.
 

DannyTS

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1. If you don't already have an RCI points account, they will set up your use year based on when you join. For some reason it can take 8-12 weeks after you send in the rci form with the membership fee (and the deed has already been recorded) to set up the points account. So if you were to do it now your use year would probably be April 1- March 31 for your 2020 use year or May 1-April 30.

2. The points transferred from the previous owner should follow your new uses year.

I may not need the points right away because our 2020 plans are complete. Should I (can I) stall sending the form to RCI for a few months even after the deed is recorded just to postpone the starting point?
 

CPNY

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1. If you don't already have an RCI points account, they will set up your use year based on when you join. For some reason it can take 8-12 weeks after you send in the rci form with the membership fee (and the deed has already been recorded) to set up the points account. So if you were to do it now your use year would probably be April 1- March 31 for your 2020 use year or May 1-April 30.

With my other points resorts I could always borrow up to a year in advance of my use year without pre-paying the fees. I have been told that with Massanutten, they don't release the points to RCI (or allow you to book with those points- not sure which) until you have prepaid your MF. So for this year even if the fees aren't due until July 1 you would need to pay before you could use them even for the use year. Since I use the trade boost, I prepay MF's anyway so it isn't a big deal.

2. The points transferred from the previous owner should follow your new uses year.

3. Weeks inventory requires an exchange fee for every week.

4. You can only book less than a week, if it is rci points inventory.

5. Yes OGS are only supposed to match weeks inventory. OGS in RCI isn't as glitchy as II but I wouldn't 100% rely on OGS hitting even when there is availability.
Hmm so MF are due at different times ? How about a Massanutten week. 52? I can book a unit with points until when? Geez that’s confusing lol.
 

tschwa2

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Hmm so MF are due at different times ? How about a Massanutten week. 52? I can book a unit with points until when? Geez that’s confusing lol.
At massanutten if a fixed week is after week 27 or so it is not due until July 1. 1-26 are due January 1.
 

CPNY

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At massanutten if a fixed week is after week 27 or so it is not due until July 1. 1-26 are due January 1.
That’s odd to me as I’m being charged by the company for 2020 maint fees now. Confused, since they haven’t been billed yet.
 

Jan M.

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That’s odd to me as I’m being charged by the company for 2020 maint fees now. Confused, since they haven’t been billed yet.

January 1 is the date that 2020 maintenance fees are due with all three of the different resorts we've owned that gave us points in RCI. When your maintenance fees are due isn't tied to when your use year starts at most resorts.
 
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tschwa2

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That’s odd to me as I’m being charged by the company for 2020 maint fees now. Confused, since they haven’t been billed yet.
You are being charged now because you just bought and either the closing company doesn't know or the previous owner paid early- most Massanutten owners do because they get extra tpu's for paying early (trading boost program) and wants to be re-imbursed.
It is going to be due and massanutten doesn't let you use the points until you paid so you are just paying 3.5 months early.
 

CPNY

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You are being charged now because you just bought and either the closing company doesn't know or the previous owner paid early- most Massanutten owners do because they get extra tpu's for paying early (trading boost program) and wants to be re-imbursed.
It is going to be due and massanutten doesn't let you use the points until you paid so you are just paying 3.5 months early.
But if it’s a points ownership how does paying early make a difference? I understand paying early for a weeks ownership may give you higher trading power in RCI from what I hear.
 

tschwa2

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But if it’s a points ownership how does paying early make a difference? I understand paying early for a weeks ownership may give you higher trading power in RCI from what I hear.
They give you a separate (not just higher) trading power deposit. They have a lot of unsold units that they deposit in RCI, so when you pay early the resort will deposit a 7-16 tpu ish deposit that could have an expiration date from 4 months to a year- so they are giving you the credit for a 2018 or 2019 deposit. The earlier you deposit the better (higher tpu) you get. So last year I paid in July 2019 for my 2020 weeks (some due 1/1 and some due 7/1) and received several 12-14 deposits. If you don't have an rci weeks account you can set it up after they have your points account set up.
 

CPNY

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They give you a separate (not just higher) trading power deposit. They have a lot of unsold units that they deposit in RCI, so when you pay early the resort will deposit a 7-16 tpu ish deposit that could have an expiration date from 4 months to a year- so they are giving you the credit for a 2018 or 2019 deposit. The earlier you deposit the better (higher tpu) you get. So last year I paid in July 2019 for my 2020 weeks (some due 1/1 and some due 7/1) and received several 12-14 deposits. If you don't have an rci weeks account you can set it up after they have your points account set up.
That kind of makes sense. So if I have a points ownership I have a weeks account as well? Again, I thought having a points account I wouldn’t be trading with TPU. Although, I hear having a points account you can see inventory for both points and weeks? I guess I’ll understand a bit more when I actually have the RCI account set up and can play around with that god awful website lol
 
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