Thanks so much for responding. Not necessarily looking for deals that would cost me extra money (albeit cheap), just looking for deals on "spending my points." For example, when they were with Interval, I could get a 2bd/2ba for 2,000 shell points about a month out (because it was last minute) at very nice resorts. With RCI, a smaller unit at a less desirable resort cost 4,000-5,000 shell points for next week. Just trying to decide how I'll be using my Shell points moving forward.
We own Shell, too, and RCI is very different from II. I am meh on the change.
If you just want a 1 bedroom, there are some very nice choices with Shell points through RCI, and at bargain prices, but if you need a 2 bedroom, the cost is inflated to the nth degree. I only need 1 bedrooms, and we travel in lower season, so 2,500 Shell points is not bad.
One prime example of inventory that is a bargain with Shell is The Donatello in SF, which is 3,000 RCI Points. It's a lot more to book that in Shell points. But there is the exchange fee. I have also seen a lot of inventory at the Disney Vacation Club, specifically Saratoga Springs, and those one bedrooms are 2,500 points. That is a good deal. About $700 in Shell fees + exchange fees ($190 additional to Disney for their crap fee).
Many one bedrooms are only 2,000 points.
I agree that the inventory is much more expensive through Shell, especially when you consider our fees are around .27 per point. But there are some lower-priced seasons. A 2 bedroom at Hilton SeaWorld in Orlando never goes above 4,000 points, but that is because the resort is now charging $25 per day for RCI exchanges.
RCI is not a fun exchange company, and the people who answer the phone are an assortment of oddballs, some who are bright and efficient, others who do not even know that Australia is a continent. The woman I talked to today asked me if Australia is in the UK.
What you could do is book something in Shell and bank it with an alternative exchange company. I use htse.net a lot, but the inventory is very limited, and they still charge $149 for an exchange.
I would just play around with RCI and see what you can get. I thought we could get last-minute exchanges for bargain prices, but I see nothing at all that entices me. So disappointing.
