UPGRADE TO RCI GLOBAL POINT SYSTEM, WORTH IT?

[hyperjewl]

It depends on season and area. But a good number to own is right around 90K for a start, to make sure you have enough for most weeks. I know that my Wyndham Shearwater exchanges were much higher than that per week. I don't really know anymore, since I so rarely see any.

It's important for points to book some things right at 10 months. I literally have gotten on my computer at midnight, 10 months out, and I have been able to get one of our favorite Maui resorts, two weeks at once, starting exactly 10 months. That one is Kahana Beach on Maui. I want to say it was about 70K per week for a one bedroom (guaranteed oceanfront), and it's a nice big unit with two bathrooms. And it has AC, which most do not.

Thank you! Good to know. When you said you rarely see any, were you referring to your Wyndham units? I'm curious to know if there's actually more availability on the points side verses the weeks side. We always deposit our units 2 years in advance and have plenty of tpu's to get units we might want - if they actually show up. I feel like in recent years I'm just seeing less availability than I used to. Granted, I only search for Silver or Gold Crown properties that Sleep at least 8, as there's 6 in our family and its' nice to not have to use the pull out, but still. I feel like I used to see more. I know whenever we go to presentations they always
tell us that RCI weeks is becoming obsolete and that only 8% of their inventory is weeks (told recently at a Wyndham in Branson sales pitch), but that's not the case. RCI told me that 91% of their inventory is still in weeks. I just don't know if as many people are depositing them as they did before. My parents have owned for 30 years, we've owned for 12.

I'd love to know if anyone has experience of greater availability or increased number of resorts available when using points vs. tpu in weeks.

 

[donnaval]

You will see more availability in points because some resorts are points resorts only, and weeks that have been converted to points will show up only on the points side. A lot of the availability in points is for short stays - i.e., one or two nights because the other nights have been reserved. You won't see any of those short stays in weeks. In my case, with a bad points week (high MF makes it too expensive per point) I get very little value from points exchanges except for the last-minute deals that are actually weeks resorts where points accounts can scoop them up for 10k points or less. These are getting more and more difficult to find and RCI often no longer discounts the really good weeks deposits even as short as a couple of days before check-in. There are no last-minute deals at all with points-only resorts. Since I have a better TPU value to MFs on the weeks side, it is always less expensive for me to book a straight weeks resort with my TPUs if I am booking far in advance - as you said, IF it shows up! An example, a week on the beach in shoulder season that was interesting to me was something like 12 TPU but over 40k points, which due to my high MF on points would cost me more than triple to book with points. If you have a good points week like the Grandviews or Parkways, then the cost might be more comparable or even less expensive.

 

[Jan M.]

Thank you! Good to know. When you said you rarely see any, were you referring to your Wyndham units? I'm curious to know if there's actually more availability on the points side verses the weeks side. We always deposit our units 2 years in advance and have plenty of tpu's to get units we might want - if they actually show up. I feel like in recent years I'm just seeing less availability than I used to. Granted, I only search for Silver or Gold Crown properties that Sleep at least 8, as there's 6 in our family and its' nice to not have to use the pull out, but still. I feel like I used to see more. I know whenever we go to presentations they always
tell us that RCI weeks is becoming obsolete and that only 8% of their inventory is weeks (told recently at a Wyndham in Branson sales pitch), but that's not the case. RCI told me that 91% of their inventory is still in weeks. I just don't know if as many people are depositing them as they did before. My parents have owned for 30 years, we've owned for 12.

I'd love to know if anyone has experience of greater availability or increased number of resorts available when using points vs. tpu in weeks.

My sister and BIL have a fixed week and we have points weeks. She and I have been logged into our accounts at the same time on more than one occasion and she doesn't see nearly the inventory that I see. The first time our conversation went something like this. Me: What do you mean you don't see the week at ...? Her: I'm telling you I'm not seeing any of the weeks you are telling me about! Picture this conversation with attitude only sisters can give each other and both a us with a tone of voice that says are you being stupid or what.

Weeks owners see in their available inventory the weeks other owners have deposited for trade. Points owners see that too in addition to all the inventory all points owners points are based on.

When we've stayed at the HGVC resorts here in Florida, like on Sanibel, Captiva, Marco Island and in Stuart in the winter months a lot of the people we've met are weeks owners using their weeks. They want to be guaranteed their 4-10 weeks in Florida every winter. We live in Florida and enjoy getaways when I find last minute reduced point stays at those resorts. My husband laughs at me for being horrified that their maintenance fees per week are $1100-$1300 but if you want to come to those resorts in Florida for weeks at a time during the winter months that is what you will have to do. Those owners acquired their weeks over a period of years to get what they wanted. I would have to say that depending on the resort and the time of year you might find more weeks owners than points owners. However that wouldn't be true at all resorts.

 

[hyperjewl]

Thanks for the insight. To summarize my situation. I have Eagle Trace 2br biennially, floating week. At best I get 26 trading power points. The firs question: is it a good deal is?
Second, what it the best way to increase the trading value. My interest is to use this week for a beach vacation, current Trading power would not secure an annual Florida beach vacation. Thanks

I’m not sure what you decided, but my in-laws own the same as you do, 2-bedroom lock off in Eagle Trace biennially - odd. Because their week is floating, we pay their maintenance fees 2 years in advance & get them week 51 or 52 to maximize their trading power. If you want to have more I’d do as everyone else suggested and buy a RCI points account resale, even if it’s at massanutten, because their maintenance fees do tend to be lower. The key is that it must be a high value week. Woodstone in an off week still won’t be worth much. We purchased our timeshare long before I had ever heard of Tug and even upgraded twice from the developer because we weren’t getting what we wanted. Now we are, but I hate how much money we’ve put out. The only reason we did, was because we didn’t want to get more trading power or units by adding more maintenance fees. However, people are literally giving away what we paid thousands for - for next to nothing. We now own 4-bedroom lock-off in summit (floating weeks), and can get combined tpu’s of 48 when we get the right week! I think Christmas weeks & 4th of July are highest, followed by thanksgiving then summer. We have plenty of tpu’s to get what we want, as long as they’re deposited into RCI, but i feel like I have been seeing less availability over the past few years. That’s why we’re looking at adding a high value resale points account for little or no money down with a low maintenance fee, for more flexibility!

 

[hyperjewl]

My sister and BIL have a fixed week and we have points weeks. She and I have been logged into our accounts at the same time on more than one occasion and she doesn't see nearly the inventory that I see.

Thank you! I’ve really appreciated all the feedback to my questions! In fact, I completely understand the conversation between you & your sister. Initially, that’s why we upgraded a few times, because I wasn’t even seeing in weeks what my parents - other weeks owners saw. Now we see much more then them. I’m looking forward to playing in both the points and weeks systems, once we have a points account too.