RCI 74K points in 2005 at Murray Valley

mikeandpam · Dec 2, 2008

over 100% increase in MF's since 2005

Forum members I need advice. I purchased through RCI 74K points in 2005 at Murray Valley Resorts, AUS. with MF's at that time of $620. My 2008 use year bill is now at $1354, over 100% increase. I have contacted the resort, but they only say this is due to the exchange rate. This is strange as I have always payed the bills they sent me in U.S. dollars and were accepted without any exchange rate issue. Was there no exchange rate last year when I paid $858 for MF's?, which by the way you might notice is a nearly 60% increase in just one year. If this is a trend then my vacations through RCI are going to cost me more than without being an RCI member. Is this a current issue across the board? What should I be considering? Has anyone else had issues like this with Murray Valley Resorts?

DeniseM · Dec 2, 2008

mikeandpam said:
Forum members I need advice. I purchased through RCI 74K points in 2005 at Murray Valley Resorts, AUS. with MF's at that time of $620. My 2008 use year bill is now at $1354, over 100% increase. I have contacted the resort, but they only say this is due to the exchange rate. This is strange as I have always payed the bills they sent me in U.S. dollars and were accepted without any exchange rate issue. Was there no exchange rate last year when I paid $858 for MF's?, which by the way you might notice is a nearly 60% increase in just one year. If this is a trend then my vacations through RCI are going to cost me more than without being an RCI member. Is this a current issue across the board? What should I be considering? Has anyone else had issues like this with Murray Valley Resorts?

This is the Starwood Board - so I'm going to move your post to the Points Board.

ausman · Dec 2, 2008

I'm thinking you probably have been billed in Australian dollars. The AUD has declined in value compared to the US dollar and is worth about 65 ents US now.

Thus $1,354 AUD converts to approx $880 USD.

If you use a US credit card the CC company will do the conversion for you and you should see a charge for approx $880 and probably about another 3% premium depending on which card used. So a charge in USD of approx. $906.

Last year around this time the AUD and USD were roughly equivalent.

mikeandpam · Dec 2, 2008

WOW!!!!

If this is true that makes my case even better. This would mean that my MF's have really skyrocketed. So, what is going on here? I need some answers, help.

philsfan · Dec 2, 2008

With no increase in maintenance fees by my Aussie resort, my mf's went from $749 in 2006 to $900 in 2007 due to the drop of the U.S. dollar against almost all other currencies but in the case against the Aussie dollar. Here is a link to a site that will let you play with the numbers regarding the two currencies.

Lizyyz · Dec 2, 2008

Murray Valley MFs

I went through my previous statements. These are the MFs for two weeks owned including 10% VAT (which I didn't know at the time I purchased

)
2006 = AUS$858 (can't find my Visa statement but it was below Can. $800)
2007 = AUS$880 (CAN $813)
2008 = AUS$946 (CAN $906)

Aus. $946 at today's rate is around Can. $760.

My statement usually arrives around April each year payable by July 1st. Did you just receive 2008?

ausman · Dec 2, 2008

I suppose I see what you could be saying

Paid last year at around $858 USD and in AUD then at perhaps 90 cents to the US dollar would be around 970 AUD.

Now it is in AUD $1,354.

You're right, an explaination should be given.

Call them again and ask again. The due to exchange rate answer seems wrong. More likely there is the usual answer, a special assessment or some other exceptional circumstance.

On the other hand, you have benefited in this and are paying little more in USD than you did last year, things could be worse.

mikeandpam · Dec 3, 2008

apology

OK, I found my problem and it was me. Without going into details I wish to apologize to Murray Valley Resorts and to the , as always, helpful forum members who responded to my plea. I now know that I was billed in AUS. dollars and my credit card charged in U.S. dollars which works in my favor as the Australian dollar is just .69 of the U.S. dollar. Basically I get my 74K points each year as always and this year paid about $652 U.S. in MF's for the right to use them. I still believe I got a good deal back in 2005 when I purchased into Murray Valley Resorts to the tune of $2775 U.S. to get 74K points yearly. By the way this purchase was only as a result of me consulting this forum for a number of weeks before I bought in. Since then my wife and I have enjoyed the RCI points system, traveling from Arizona to Maine. We go more for the area visited than the resort, so we do not need a super fancy place, just clean and comfortable, which they all have been.:whoopie: