RCI & VEP Rating??

[Timeshare Von]

OK, I understand that the VEP is tied to my RCI membership. I also understand from Madge that I can have my account tie to another one of my resort ownerships so that a resort I no longer own affects my VEP.

Trouble is, I really don't know what is best for me . . . in terms of trading and possible Last Call and Extra Vacations . . . and whether or not one works against the other.

My account was established in the early 80's with Split Rock Resort (#0369) in the Poconos. I no longer own there, haven't for a few years now. I currently own at the following RCI member resorts:

Fairfield Flagstaff (GC)
Lifetime in Hawaii (SC)
Fairfield Williamsburg - Kingsgate (recently knocked from GC to SC but hopefully will be back as a GC soon!)

I would appreciate some advice from those who have a good working knowledge of RCI's VEP, so that I make the correct choice with RCI.

Thanks.

 

[ttt]

Unless you want to be excluded from many standard resorts, do not select a Gold Crown property as your "home resort". I would stick with Split Rock if it is still silver crown....

 

[Timeshare Von]

Unless you want to be excluded from many standard resorts, do not select a Gold Crown property as your "home resort". I would stick with Split Rock if it is still silver crown....

Thanks . . . to the best of my knowledge after looking at the RCI Resort Directory, Split Rock has NO rating at all . . . no GC, SC, RID or whatever their lowest level is now.

 

["Roger"]

Maybe it would help it you understood why RCI uses the VEP at all (and why some TUGGERs loathe it).

Basically it comes down to people who own upper echelon resorts trading to a resort in a nice location with a picture in the vacation guide book that makes a not so nice resort look not too bad. (Page through the RCI guide. All the photos are glamour shots. One would think that there are no bad resorts. There are.) When they arrive, they find the resort is not nearly as posh as what they traded (and, in some cases, utterly dilapidated). They call customer service at RCI demanding some sort of immediate satisfaction for having been taken. Apparently, this occurred with enough frequency, that RCI developed the VEP ratings. They simply make large downward trades in VEP ratings unavailable.

Problems occur when someone with a high VEP rating wants to go to an area where most of the resorts have lower VEP ratings. A good many of the resorts on mainland Europe fall into this category. So do the resorts in some of the older seaside locations. Now someone with an upper VEP rating is locked out of these locations. (They will not even show up in an online search.)

It would seem that the simple solution would be to just have people sign a waver (or something of the sort) indicating that they are knowlingly going to a lower rated resort and that they will not complain. Unfortunately, if you know anything about customer service, people do that and... still complain and demand compensation. (I am not saying all people do this, but, if the number is large enough, it becomes a headache for RCI.)

So, with that explanation, you have to decide what concerns you more. Are you concerned that you will unknowingly end up at a second class resort (some of them aren't bad, but read Bill Roger's explanation as to why he started TUG and you will discover a few of them can be really bad)? If a guarantee of a nicer resort is important to you, you would be better off choosing something with a higher VEP. If, on the other hand, Europe or older seaside communities are in your future and you want to see everything that is available, then go for a lower VEP.

Hope this helps. Others are welcome to chime in an add their thoughts, corrections, whatever...

 

[Jya-Ning]

see Roger's explain for intention. I believe it is coded in computer to do that. As my understanding, if there are more than one people that maintain and build some code, very likely, it will not do exactly what it intended to do, although may generally maintain its originally idea. Unless it has significant error, nobody will care to read other's code very carefully. So what RCI believe it should do may mean very little.

So just pick one resort you think you want it to represent you. I believe you will be happy no matter what the outcome.

Jya-Ning

 

[Timeshare Von]

Thanks Roger. That helps me to better understand. I thought there was good and bad with VEP and I would prefer to see more than less. And yes, I know there are some dogs out there. Coconut Bay Resort in Ft. Lauderdale was the first TS vacation I took my now hubby on with me the year before we married. He was certainly "under"whelmed by the experience.

Again, thanks!

 

[Pit]

They simply make large downward trades in VEP ratings unavailable.

I would also add that, according to Madge, this can cut both ways (making large upward trades unavailable as well). Personally, I haven't experienced an upward block. Or, maybe I have and just didn't know it (that's the trouble with VEP restrictions, you have no way of knowing ). At any rate, Madge says it is the delta, or difference in VEP ratings, that matters. So, you may not want to pick your bottom of the barrel TS, as it may prevent you from trading into something nice. Pick something middle-of-the-road and you should be able to trade either way (up or down).

 

[Mel]

You peaople here are acting as if your account number has anything to do with exchanges - it doesn't. The account number set your account VEP which is ONLY used for excess inventory! Thus you want something in the lower-middle range. Something that will block out the true dogs, but otherwise let you into some lower VEP resorts. When you want a nicer resort that might be blocked by your account VEP, you use one of your better weeks for an exchange. When you do that, the VEP of THAT resort is used. If account VEP is only used for excess inventory, lower VEP should be better. I would expect most excess inventory to be lower VEP resorts - the higher ones are taken as trades. While there may be last minute inventory at some very nice resorts, those would be in the exchange inventory, not Last Call anyway.

 

[Timeshare Von]

Thank you everyone, for your input and feedback. Between here and TS4Ms I think I have a pretty decent idea of what to do (and not do) . . . and will probably just leave my membership with RCI alone in regards to my "home resort" identifier in my membership number.

Have a great weekend!

 

[cerralee]

Home Resort has changed

My home resort used to be listed as The Waves 2 bedroom in Ocean City Maryland- #1426. I always pulled more resorts than anyone else during the trade tests, seemed to pull just about everything available. I got a post card today that list St. Micheal's sands, which is a hotel unit as my home resort. I don't even own this resort anymore. I wonder if this has effected my Trading Power? What would some of the minuses be? St. Michaels was just about my worst trading week. The Waves, definetely top of the top.

Lee

 

[JLB]

Hello,

Thank you for your patience. We regret the very long delay, but have
received an answer to this question.

As you mentioned earlier, RCI's website formerly used the first four
digits of a member's RCI ID number for resort VEP comparison. However,
recently our website was adjusted to use a common VEP level for all
online Extra Vacation transactions. The VEP level is set low enough to
allow for the greatest number of resort options. Your member ID number
will not play a role in your searching for Extra Vacations online.

We hope this information is helpful.

Sincerely,

E-Communications
RCI - North America

 

[Floridaski]

It is the week that determines VEP

I have had 10 years of experience with RCI. I have noticed that it is a combination of resort and the specific week you are trading that determines VEP. I have had many heated conversations with RCI concerning this issue. In 2006, I deposited both of our Morritts weeks into RCI. I did not notice until much later that one was Presidents week and the other was the second week in September.

Well, I soon found out that the Presidents week was like GOLD and the September week was a like a lump of coal on Christmas morning. I could not pull anything with that September week. We did eventually get a trade with that Sept week, but it was not easy. I will be very careful in the future to make sure Morritts does not give me low season weeks in the future. Morritts trades well for the winter weeks, but there is a huge difference with the "Hurricane" season weeks.

When I finally got RCI to let us have a Breckenridge July 4th week (at French Ridge) I had to get very aggressive with the counselor to get it with my September week. The Feb week pulled anything - but he said that his system would not allow the exchange with September week. I had to speak to his supervisor in order to get it done. They (RCI) was really not very nice about it, plus they had weeks for rent at French Ridge for $800.00 for 4th of July. My MF at Morritts are higher then that, but in the long run we did not lose the week.

 

[sandcastles]

I have had 10 years of experience with RCI. I have noticed that it is a combination of resort and the specific week you are trading that determines VEP. I have had many heated conversations with RCI concerning this issue. In 2006, I deposited both of our Morritts weeks into RCI. I did not notice until much later that one was Presidents week and the other was the second week in September.

Well, I soon found out that the Presidents week was like GOLD and the September week was a like a lump of coal on Christmas morning. I could not pull anything with that September week. We did eventually get a trade with that Sept week, but it was not easy. I will be very careful in the future to make sure Morritts does not give me low season weeks in the future. Morritts trades well for the winter weeks, but there is a huge difference with the "Hurricane" season weeks.

When I finally got RCI to let us have a Breckenridge July 4th week (at French Ridge) I had to get very aggressive with the counselor to get it with my September week. The Feb week pulled anything - but he said that his system would not allow the exchange with September week. I had to speak to his supervisor in order to get it done. They (RCI) was really not very nice about it, plus they had weeks for rent at French Ridge for $800.00 for 4th of July. My MF at Morritts are higher then that, but in the long run we did not lose the week.

I believe that would be because of trading power, not VEP. Two different things.

 

[Floridaski]

RCI said it was VEP based on the week

I agree, I would think it was trading power. But, RCI claimed the two weeks had different VEP. Sometimes, I think they just say things thinking they can pull the rug over our eyes. That is how I finally got them to let me have that silly French Ridge week. Even with a September Morritts week it is only a decent trade - not great. We have stayed at French Ridge for a ski week back in 2005. It is not bad, the location is nice - but it is not even a Silver Crown. Plus the units were renting for $800.00 on the RCI web site for the 4th of July week. RCI was VERY difficult to deal with on this specific trade and they keep throwing out the VEP. So who knows......

 

[JLB]

Me too. A couple weeks ago I got involved in forced sorting and tossing of old papers. I had quite a few to Ken May, and others.

Those days are long gone. Refer to one of Alan's recent quotes; I'll let you find the one.

As far as arguing with a Guide goes, to paraphrase something said by another TUGger directly to me, "When two reasonable, intelligent people argue, they sound like two reasonable, intelligent people. When one reasonable, intelligent person argues with an idiot, they sound like two idiots."

Or, as Conchman says it, "Don't argue with idiots. They will pull you down to their level and beat you with their experience."

My personal experience is that some people want to get your goat (of course, since I have a lawn mower, I have no need for a goat). It is what keeps them entertained. It really POs them if you just turn around and walk away. Their lives are empty once they discover their entertainment has come to an end.

Also OT, we sometimes talk about paranoia here, people feeling everyone is out to get them. I've decided that's not the case. I believe only some are out to get you, and it's really tough trying to figure out who cuz some of them are really sneaky.

I have had many heated conversations with RCI concerning this issue.

 

[geekette]

I agree, I would think it was trading power. But, RCI claimed the two weeks had different VEP. Sometimes, I think they just say things thinking they can pull the rug over our eyes. That is how I finally got them to let me have that silly French Ridge week. Even with a September Morritts week it is only a decent trade - not great. We have stayed at French Ridge for a ski week back in 2005. It is not bad, the location is nice - but it is not even a Silver Crown. Plus the units were renting for $800.00 on the RCI web site for the 4th of July week. RCI was VERY difficult to deal with on this specific trade and they keep throwing out the VEP. So who knows......

But how could the same resort have 2 different VEPs?

RCI VG's are not at all clear on the concept so I would assume they were confused by terms.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

But how could the same resort have 2 different VEPs?

RCI VG's are not at all clear on the concept so I would assume they were confused by terms.

As I understand, VEP is linked to a resort number. Thus, any situation in which a resort has two different RCI numbers could lead to the resort having different VEP values. This could be a resort built in multiple phases or situations in which RCI uses a separate account number for developer deposits.

 

[JLB]

I commented on Steve's tagline yesterday, about paranoia, and TonyG's if they all really are out to get you, it is not paranoia.

What I said is that it is very seldom the case that they are all out to get you, but very often the case that some are out to get you. The problem with that is figuring out who they are, since, normally, they are pretty sneaky about it. But some aren't.

 

[Carolinian]

When I was trading in RCI, I found a European silver crown worked great. It got me into the best GC's and also found resorts in good locations with low VEP. Essentially it covered the waterfront. Having a GC in an area with a poor suppl/demand curve would seem to be one of the most limiting resorts to own for trading.