I think you should begin by asking your question at the resort or resort group first, and then work your way to RCI to get your specific answers. As best as I can tell, the answers may not necessarily be as straight-forward as you'd hope:
- There are reports that a very small handful of resorts still require you to confirm that you want your week taken in points ahead of time, even though you have an RCI points conversion. In other words taking the points is not automatic. [You didn't say if you were looking to get a new points property or already owned one.]
- At a few others it is automatically set up to get points, but you have the ability to let them know 12-18 months ahead of time; if you do not want to take the points. [What complicates this option is that some resorts will then give you use of your week at the resort for that year and not allow you to deposit it. Yet other resorts might let you deposit it; so you'd need to talk to the resort for this case.] Most of the time this is only for the one year and things revert back to normal the following year.
- The previous 2 cases are really the exception and don't happen that often. At most others getting your points is totally automatic and the only thing you interface with the resort on is your MF. [In order to use you week at the resort you actually interface directly with RCI and not the resort.] In this case you'd need to drop out of RCI or convince them to remove that unit from your account. However, if you go this way you will also permenantly loose conversion on that property. [You will have to pay the conversion fee (2K$-3K$) if you'd ever want to go back.]
If you buy an already converted property and don't process a points transfer application, it will essentially be a weeks ownership that you can use with as you wish (deposit the week or use the week at the resort). However, it will no longer be a points converted property, so you will have lost the previous conversion forever. [The same thing can essentially happen in a property transfer, if the previous owner lets his RCI membership lapse beyond the grace period, and the seller (i.e. post card company) doesn't know about it. He'll find out about it if he tries to submit a transfer application later.]
I don' think I'd trust RCI enough to give up a points converted TS. It's too easy for them to make changes, no longer continue with weeks TP transparancy (beyond 2012?), and to put a finger on the scale in their favor to start skimming the float when no one is able to watch. Lastly, supply and demand can change quickly, and what you see today about a specific week unit may not be the way it is in the future. Just my take.
