Should I Convert to Points - Need to know ASAP

[webdizzy]

I currently own a 2 BR red week which equals 82,000 credits in RCI weeks. I have an opportunity to convert them to points for $4300. Is that a good deal? I'm very interested in switching to points due to all the advantages in flexibility. Are there any disadvantages? I'm not sure what other info would be helpful to anyone who wants to reply, so let me know if more info is needed.

 

[vacationhopeful]

Other than $4300 not being in your bank account.

You can get an deed with RCI Points already converted for under $100 ...

If you want to keep your underlying week & resort and keep your MFs to one timeshare ownership ... spend the money to convert ... if you realize that the payback/ROI is very little.

If you can continue use your current F/W ownership and can offer a 2nd MFs... buy a resale and already converted week to points.

Be aware ... RCI points can be a good deal IF you understand some of its "nice opportunities".

HOME WEEK (13 months before checkin) FREE
HOME RESORT (12 months before checkin) $50 Exchange Fee
HOME GROUP (11 months before checkin) $full fee but this window is open a MONTH early than the unwashed mass of RCI Points owners.

So RESEARCH is really needed.

 

[Passepartout]

I'm confused. What kind of points? What are these 'credits' In RCI Weeks? If your resort is pressuring you to spend over $4,000 to convert your red week to RCI Points, and you like the week you own, don't do it. If you want a bunch or RCI Points to take more vacations, eBay and other places are full of RCI Points resorts you can buy for much less and likely give you more points.

If I read your post wrong, my apologies. Enlighten me.

Jim

 

[WinniWoman]

I wouldn't do it. You could buy for pennies on the dollar in ebay.

I don't care for points. As Linda said, you have to book your week/unit at your home resort way ahead of time. Just a tad later and you have to pay a fee to go to your own home resort for another week and unit.

You can also save that $4000 and use it to rent other places and times you want to go somewhere else.

 

[webdizzy]

Thanks for all the input so far. A few clarifications. . .

I don't want more than one maintenance fee. I'm assuming that purchasing anything on ebay would include maintenance fees.

I don't go to my home resort -- I prefer to exchange to other places -- so keeping my "week" is not important to me.

The trading power of my home resort has gone down since I purchased it and I have trouble getting exchanges to where I want to go.

I like the flexibility of being able to vacation for less than 7 nights. Supposedly, I could book for as many nights as I want just like I would on a regular travel site.

I am told that I would not need to "deposit" anything and I didn't think I'd have to "book" my home resort, either. Did I misunderstand something?

 

[tschwa2]

What is your current mf's? How many tpu's do you get. What is the name of your resort. Most resorts once converted to RCI points stay converted even when you transfer to someone else. A few do not.

I've seen some of your past post and you seem to do well exchanging. What kind of flexibility do you think you will gain.

 

[TUGBrian]

in most cases, its a terrible idea to pay any significant amount to convert

http://tug2.net/timeshare_advice/convert_timeshare_deeded_week_to_points.html

 

[webdizzy]

The resort is Calypso Cay in Kissimmee. MF last year was $844.52. I don't know how many TPUs.

Currently, the costs to make the week reservation at my home resort, deposit the week and then exchange is about $400. With RCI points, I'm told I would only pay an exchange fee of $129.

The flexibility to book vacation for less than 7 days is appealing, AND I was told that I could "rent" my points if I wish.

 

[tschwa2]

Don't believe everything they tell you. Paying $4300 for a resort where the MF to point ratio is a little above a penny a point is not a good deal. If you think you could give your timeshare away with you paying less than $2000 in incentives to do so, you would still be ahead by nearly $1500.

The exchange fee for points is currently $169 for 7 nights into points inventory. If you exchange into weeks inventory the exchange fee is still $209. Your annual RCI fee will go up to about $124 annually or $224 if you pay in two year increments. They never have sales or discounts on the points membership.

If you exchange into less than 7 night the exchange fee does go down but most resorts charge a housekeeping fee of $60-$100 for stays of less than 7 nights booked with rci points.

You can rent additional points from RCI for 2cents a point. You really aren't allowed to rent out your points to others, although RCI does allow one transfer of points per year with no fee and additional transfers for a fee of about $100 per transfer.

 

[webdizzy]

The exchange fee for points is currently $169 for 7 nights into points inventory. If you exchange into weeks inventory the exchange fee is still $209. Your annual RCI fee will go up to about $124 annually or $224 if you pay in two year increments. They never have sales or discounts on the points membership.

I was told that the exchange fee was $129 (discounted by negotiation). Membership fees were always paid by the resort when it was with II and I assumed it would be with RCI but would have to confirm that.

 

[tschwa2]

It's possible that there is a negotiated exchange fee but I would ask for written documentation for that. For example in RCI weeks for Vacation Village Affiliates there is a discounted exchange fee when exchanging for another affiliate. But I can pull up a web page that lists the resorts and the discount. I don't know if I would just go by what the salesperson said.

As for the RCI membership you would want to clarify that with your resort and get that in writing if they are paying the fee. That is not the way it works for most resorts.

I did find this http://www.calypsocay.com/owners/faq.php
It looks like RCI weeks is covered and as part of the $4300 they may cover your RCI points membership but you would want to get that clarified and in writing if that is the case. You will also want that schedule of discounted RCI exchange fees.

It still comes down to the fact that $4300 is a fair amount of money and won't change your exchange experience that much. You will still have to pay additional Housekeeping fees when you check into a resort when you book with RCI points staying less than 7 days.

 

[Passepartout]

My RCI Points experience is that I have to pay the $125 a year (no discount for multiples) for membership. Exchanges are $209 or more and if I book shorter stays than 7 nights, there may be an additional cost.

If you really don't like the resort you own, and they want $4300 to 'upgrade' to RCI Points, from a strictly dollars and cents standpoint, you'd be better off to sell/give it away and buy a resort that had already been converted. One that has a point cost of under a penny a point. It might take a little hassle to find someone who wants your Kissimmee TS, and really great deals on converted TSs have been discovered, but in the meanwhile, rent. You'll have a spare 4 Grand to go where you want.

I just wouldn't pay to upgrade a resort I don't want to go to from time to time.

Jim

 

[webdizzy]

I think the exchange fee of $129 is for RCI weeks as well.

I guess I'm leaning towards not doing it.

How do I find out what my TPUs are and what the amount means in terms of trading value?

 

[tschwa2]

You can't until you have an rci weeks membership. We can look it up for you. What week do you own and what size. Do you know your unit number.
Does it lock off?

 

[webdizzy]

Week 14, 2 BR. I don't know the unit number offhand though i think it might be in the paperwork somewhere. Not a lock off. I already have a membership -- I can login and see my 82,000 credits that I will get when the new year starts.

 

[WinniWoman]

The resort is Calypso Cay in Kissimmee. MF last year was $844.52. I don't know how many TPUs.

Currently, the costs to make the week reservation at my home resort, deposit the week and then exchange is about $400. With RCI points, I'm told I would only pay an exchange fee of $129.

The flexibility to book vacation for less than 7 days is appealing, AND I was told that I could "rent" my points if I wish.

Why do you currently have to pay to make a reservation at your home resort? If you have a fixed week you shouldn't have to pay to go that week to your own unit.

As for RCI membership, maybe the resort will pay the fee for the first year, but I doubt it would on-going.

Again, if you want to go places for less time, just rent. Use your timeshare to make exchanges when you want week long stays. If you want, try to give the timeshare you own away and then you can look for an already converted week that is being given away. Or- maybe if you are successful giving it away- don't even bother with another timeshare- even better.

 

[tschwa2]

Week 14, 2 BR. I don't know the unit number offhand though i think it might be in the paperwork somewhere. Not a lock off. I already have a membership -- I can login and see my 82,000 credits that I will get when the new year starts.

If you have access to RCI already take a look at the inventory. Try to book something bot 7 days and less. See what the fees are. As long as you don't put in your CC info and confirm, nothing will be actually booked.

 

[webdizzy]

Why do you currently have to pay to make a reservation at your home resort? If you have a fixed week you shouldn't have to pay to go that week to your own unit.

It's to reserve the week to deposit it, not to use it.

If you have access to RCI already take a look at the inventory. Try to book something bot 7 days and less. See what the fees are.

I tried, but it doesn't look like I'm able to reserve for less than 7 days. The exchange fee is $129 when I start to book something. It does look like the "credits" work similarly to "points", though. I started with 82,000, booking a week subtracted 21,500, which leaves me with 60,500 to use for more vacations. I'm happy with that, but supposedly the availability isn't as good as when you have access to "points only" resorts, and I'm dependent on people depositing weeks. Also, theoretically, with more people moving to a points system, the inventory will go down.

 

[tschwa2]

Look at Grandview in Las Vegas. It should have a lot of points inventory. Look for dates 8-10 months out not starting on a Fri or Sat and see if you see time you can book for less than 7 days.

You won't see points inventory more tha 10 months out and you won't see points inventory at peek time much less than 10 months out because most of the good inventory gets taken rather quickly.

I don't know how your RCI portal looks but on mine, you can click on the left for number of nights 1-6,7, or 7+.

 

[bnoble]

The TPU for this unit looks to be 35 if it falls around Easter, but 24 if it doesn't.

 

[webdizzy]

The TPU for this unit looks to be 35 if it falls around Easter, but 24 if it doesn't.

It does fall around Easter. What does a TPU of 35 mean? How do I use that number to help me determine where I might be able to exchange to?

 

[LannyPC]

I have an opportunity to convert them to points for $4300. Is that a good deal?

You are making a wise choice by not parting with the $4300. But just out of curiosity, how did you come to learn of this "opportunity"?

 

[Passepartout]

It does fall around Easter. What does a TPU of 35 mean? How do I use that number to help me determine where I might be able to exchange to?

35ish is not a top number- it wouldn't pull NYC or Disney in high season, but will pull many very nice resorts. My Yellowstone area one in July produces 24 for instance. Often, in shoulder season, you can get nice resort stays in the lower teens. Last call type units will be single digits for a week.

Jim

 

[WinniWoman]

It's to reserve the week to deposit it, not to use it.



I tried, but it doesn't look like I'm able to reserve for less than 7 days. The exchange fee is $129 when I start to book something. It does look like the "credits" work similarly to "points", though. I started with 82,000, booking a week subtracted 21,500, which leaves me with 60,500 to use for more vacations. I'm happy with that, but supposedly the availability isn't as good as there is when you have access to "points only" resorts, and I'm dependent on people depositing weeks. Also, theoretically, with more people moving to a points system, the inventory will go down.

I never heard of having to reserve a fixed week/unit you already own, unless it is in points. I have 3 fixed weeks and all I do is show up. Why should you pay money to reserve it anyway? You own it!

One resort I own at does ask fixed week owners to just confirm they are coming via a form, but that is all. No fee or anything.

 

[webdizzy]

Look at Grandview in Las Vegas. It should have a lot of points inventory. Look for dates 8-10 months out not starting on a Fri or Sat and see if you see time you can book for less than 7 days.

You won't see points inventory more tha 10 months out and you won't see points inventory at peek time much less than 10 months out because most of the good inventory gets taken rather quickly.

I don't know how your RCI portal looks but on mine, you can click on the left for number of nights 1-6,7, or 7+.

How can I see "points inventory" if I don't have a points membership? I do see several weeks available in November for Grandview, but I don't see any way of choosing less than a week.