RCI - help

[brigian]

Hello everyone,

I'm fairly new to Wyndham and tug, so far I've booked 2 vacations and loved them both. Originally, I felt no need to deal with RCI but the membership was free so I filled it out anyway. Finally after 11 months my membership card came in and it just so happen that I have 60000 points I don't plan on using by Dec 31. I only have approx 30000 left for next year as I borrowed for this year.

Any suggestions/tips on the best way to deal with these points?
Did I read correct that I can only book a minimum of 7 nights with rci?
Any hidden fees I should know about?
I went on the rci site and looked at some resorts, 1 said 84000 points for a week, is that 84000 wyndham points or do I need to convert?
Am I better off putting my 2012 30000 points with wyndham for 2013 or put all 90000 in rci ?

If it'll make any difference I hold 182000 points.

Thank you in advance

 

[GeraldineT]

I am curious to see the replies on this as I am in a similar situation. I read and read and read the section on exchanges but became more confused the more I read. My take is that Wyndham points are rci points so if you bank 100,000 it is worth 100,000. I also found the same info as you on the 7 night usage. Also there are no deals with them to wait until the last minute or resort specials and there are also fees involved. I am trying to rent out my extra points because using rci doesn't seem worth it as I will not be banking enough points. I hate to let the points go to waste. Also i believe there is a minimum number of points you can deposit.

 

[ronparise]

You can deposit all 90000 with rci and make a reservation there sometime in the next 2 years.. The minimum rci reservation is 74000 points

These are 7 night reservations The rci fee to make the reservation is either $199 or $164 depending on whether you do it on line or on the phone

Of course doing this will leave you with excess points on deposit with RCI...Sometime in 2012 you can deposit enough 2113 points to do another RCI vacation

I havent figured out a perfect way to avoid this problem in my own account. I will almost certainly let some points go to waste, or make a stupid small deposit to RCI...For future years I will try to avoid the issue by using the points credit pool before the end of the year I will deposit all my 2012 points to the pool and I when the time comes I will deposit my 2013 and 2014 points to the pool as well That way I will have overlapping 3 years periods to use my points rather than fixed 1 year periods

 

[dumbydee]

So it is better to deposit the points into the wyndham pool every year just in case you don't use them in that year.

If you deposit the years point into the pool can you still use them that year if you decide to?

I bought a Wyndham resale with 84,000 points (too late to deposit). I will either have to deposit with RCI or rent them....(can I rent them?)

Trying to wrap my brain around this also. I too have been reading and reading and reading.........

 

[ronparise]

So it is better to deposit the points into the wyndham pool every year just in case you don't use them in that year.

If you deposit the years point into the pool can you still use them that year if you decide to?

I bought a Wyndham resale with 84,000 points (too late to deposit). I will either have to deposit with RCI or rent them....(can I rent them?)

Trying to wrap my brain around this also. I too have been reading and reading and reading.........

What I have learned about Wyndham came from reading the book, and reading past threads here on tug, but my best lessons came from actually using the system...For example I didnt really know how to use the points credit pool until I used it, I used it to pull points from 2012 to make a reservation this year, and then again to pull 2013 points to make a 2012 reservation. So it seems Im living on borrowed points, But all my left over points are in the pool...I wont lose a thing this year. Thats not why I used the points credit pool, but its an unintended positive consequence,


Do I think thats "better" I dont know, but its working for me

 

[learnalot]

If you deposit the years point into the pool can you still use them that year if you decide to?

Trying to wrap my brain around this also. I too have been reading and reading and reading.........

Yes. What happens when you pool points is basically that they come out of your own ownership's bucket and go into the same open points pool that exists for everyone at 10 months. They are good for 3 years beginning on the date you placed them in the credit pool. The only thing you need to be aware of is that by pulling them into the general points pool, they lose their set aside ARP at your home resort so you can't use pooled points to make an ARP reservation. You have to reserve at 10 months or less.

 

[GeraldineT]

Points Pool

Are there problems getting points out of the points pool if you travel in the off seasons or later in the year. From everything I have read there seem to be issues with ARP's but we travel last minute (30 days) and try to find the cheapest weeks.

I have 469,000 so I was thinking of pooling half next year. Is this a good idea or bad?

 

[timeos2]

Are there problems getting points out of the points pool if you travel in the off seasons or later in the year. From everything I have read there seem to be issues with ARP's but we travel last minute (30 days) and try to find the cheapest weeks.

I have 469,000 so I was thinking of pooling half next year. Is this a good idea or bad?

Great idae IMO. We regularly pooled at least 1/2 ours every year so we were always good for 3 years & had a tremendous quantity to pull from. Never had an issue using them (we lost 1000 total points plus a bunch of unused housekeeping credits in over 15 years). Pooling is the BEST way to use Wyndham points and keep the total you own & pay for to a minimum yet have a large pot to use when you need them.

 

[GeraldineT]

Thanks John,

This is my first foray into the world of timeshares and even though I thought I did all the research I still find that there is so much more I need to know.

 

[brigian]

Great idae IMO. We regularly pooled at least 1/2 ours every year so we were always good for 3 years & had a tremendous quantity to pull from. Never had an issue using them (we lost 1000 total points plus a bunch of unused housekeeping credits in over 15 years). Pooling is the BEST way to use Wyndham points and keep the total you own & pay for to a minimum yet have a large pot to use when you need them.

So is the ONLY fee involved in tranfserring points to rci the $165 or $199 fee when you use them. No house keeping or transfer fee or guest fees??

 

[shaun401]

Thanks John,

This is my first foray into the world of timeshares and even though I thought I did all the research I still find that there is so much more I need to know.

We are all still learning. IMHO, John, Ron, Learnalot, Siesta, Linda and a few others including the moderators are great resources. Their posts have helped me greatly.

 

[shaun401]

So is the ONLY fee involved in tranfserring points to rci the $165 or $199 fee when you use them. No house keeping or transfer fee or guest fees??

You need the some housekeeping credits (don't have the notes available), a transaction, and if this is for a guest, I assume you would need an rci guest certificate.

 

[learnalot]

So is the ONLY fee involved in tranfserring points to rci the $165 or $199 fee when you use them. No house keeping or transfer fee or guest fees??

It uses a reservation transaction with wyndham when you deposit. If an RCI guest certificate is needed there is an additonal charge which I think is $59.

 

[GeraldineT]

We are all still learning. IMHO, John, Ron, Learnalot, Siesta, Linda and a few others including the moderators are great resources. Their posts have helped me greatly.

Everyone has been so helpful. Hubby and i couldn't be happier with our purchase. We did purchase way more points than we need but I have rented out some extra points to cover their portion of the maintenance. When I first saw the points chart I figured we would get 2 maybe 3 weeks out of our 469K. This year we have booked two stays in 1BR's for a week, two 5 night stays in 2 BR's and two 7 nights in 2 BRs and I still have 100K left.

 

[timeos2]

So is the ONLY fee involved in tranfserring points to rci the $165 or $199 fee when you use them. No house keeping or transfer fee or guest fees??

They are used exactly like "regular" points - and they always take the oldest first. The only extra fee is the initial $35 (may have changed - up if at all I'm sure). However I believe they have now restricted the ability to use them (pooled points) for RCI deposits. Not a big deal as you'll likely have enough regular points at anytime to get what you wan over to RCI. It is a great example of how items not guaranteed in the contract/deed (especially VIP) can and are changed virtually overnight as there is no restriction in that. Value your purchase, resale of course, assuming only those rights that are part of the deeded purchase while the "perks" may be gone tomorrow so enjoy them but don't figure them as a value for eventual resale as they could be removed. They can never take away the base rights & that is where the true use & resale values are.

We loved Wyndham and feel it is easily the best deal in all of timeshare for a large, upscale (mostly) resort system that is easily purchased inexpensively on resale. Retail is one of the worst values and should be avoided. Enjoy!

 

[learnalot]

They are used exactly like "regular" points - and they always take the oldest first. The only extra fee is the initial $35 (may have changed - up if at all I'm sure). However I believe they have now restricted the ability to use them (pooled points) for RCI deposits. Not a big deal as you'll likely have enough regular points at anytime to get what you wan over to RCI. It is a great example of how items not guaranteed in the contract/deed (especially VIP) can and are changed virtually overnight as there is no restriction in that. Value your purchase, resale of course, assuming only those rights that are part of the deeded purchase while the "perks" may be gone tomorrow so enjoy them but don't figure them as a value for eventual resale as they could be removed. They can never take away the base rights & that is where the true use & resale values are.

We loved Wyndham and feel it is easily the best deal in all of timeshare for a large, upscale (mostly) resort system that is easily purchased inexpensively on resale. Retail is one of the worst values and should be avoided. Enjoy!

Although pooled points can't be deposited directly, cancelled points can. So if need be, it is possible to make a reservation using pooled points, cancel that reservation and then deposit the cancelled points. If you do this all in the same day, it will only cost you one reservation transaction.