What Is The Point ?

[timbuktu]

Under the new program it costs $99.00 to combine points. I am a weeks member so if I add up $99 plus $199 to exchange plus the maintenance fee of $599. already paid I get a total of $897.
I can rent the same week for $690. This time frame is not even high season which I would prefer. What is the point of exchanging anymore ?

 

[gnipgnop]

You know.....this makes a lot of sence. And your forgetting the fee for RCI membership which makes it even more costly.

 

[krj9999]

I do agree the combine fee is a bit onerous, though it does allow you to extend TPU expiration for an extended period (which is a signficant plus).

And yes, ever increasing exchange fees make exchanging less attractive.

But certainly there are strategies to maximize effectiveness of your TPUs.

 

[sandkastle4966]

because I can still get a 2 bedroom condo to ski for a week (with a full kitchen and ammenities) for $700 a week.......(I have a nice TPU cost ratio !)

 

[pbenham]

Because I can get a 2 bedroom condo to ski for a week with six 7-day lift tickets included (at our home resort). If it wasn't for the lift tickets, it would be difficult to justify.

 

[ronparise]

exchanging makes sense to me only when you are depositing long and reserving short.....ie deposit your week as soon as you can to get (for example) 20 tpu, and then make your reservations at the last minute for say 4tpu each..You have no combime fee..each week costs 20% of the mf you paid for the week you deposited, about $125, plus an exchange fee of about $200, plus a portion of your annual rci fee $25

So each week costs about $350

The only time combining makes sense to me is to extend the time to use your points if you are in a use it or lose it situation. or to take several small deposits for that one really special vacation. In that case who cares what it costs its worth it

 

[JudyS]

Under the new program it costs $99.00 to combine points. I am a weeks member so if I add up $99 plus $199 to exchange plus the maintenance fee of $599. already paid I get a total of $897.
I can rent the same week for $690. This time frame is not even high season which I would prefer. What is the point of exchanging anymore ?

For exchanging to be worthwhile, you need a week that provides a lot of trade power (TPUs, in the case of RCI Weeks) for the MF paid. It sounds like this week isn't cost-effective for trading in RCI Weeks. It might be cost effective in another system (II or one of the small companies) or you might want to get rid of it and find a better trader.

I've had good luck giving away weeks on TUG's Bargain Board.