Bought RCI points- so far not happy

[Larry Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Larry]

I have owned timeshares since 1992 starting with one resort and one week and now own 14 weeks after finally buying an RCI points package on ebay. My RCI points were entered yesterday and I have been playing with it on line ever since. I have 105,000 points per year and am starting off with over 200,000 points this year so I should be able to see anything out there.

I should also point out that over the years I have gotten outstanding trades with my weeks accounts through RCI and II. I have been to great resorts all over the world including London, Rome, French Riviera as well as great resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico including Royal Resorts, Marriott, Westin,Grand Mayan resorts and Windjammer Landing in St. Lucia where I recently purchased a week after an exchange last year (resale of course).

I am totally bummed out at the absolutely lousy inventory available through points both on the weeks and points side. I also can see some very easy trades through a middle of the road weeks timeshare that I can't even see with points.

For example we go to Vacation Village at Weston every year for a family vacation for spring break because I need several units that I book one year in advance through my weeks account and never had a problem with availability any time of the year. I can't even see anything available at any of the vacation village resorts with this points account until July and can't even see anything in the beginning of December when they are giving them away as RCI getaways. I thought points could see anything available in weeks but this is ridiculous.

I know that when ever a new deposit was entered in weeks it took a couple of days before trading power improved but points are points so why am I not seeing some of the easiest RCI trades????
__________________
Larry

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

You have to get used to the difference between a standard reservation and a points reservation. You need to be ready to use your points for a standard reservation at exactly 10 months from check-in. I was able to reserve New Years weekend at exactly the resort I wanted because I signed on at midnight 10 months from check-in. The same for our trip to Hawaii in the fall. Once you figure out which resorts are in which pool, you should do better.

Using points to reserve weeks is the same as it is on the weeks side. If you plan far enough out, you will find what you want eventually. The big problem I have is that you have to call them to start on ongoing search so it costs more and you may not see the search criteria they set up for you...it's been so long since I broke down and called them I forget if you can see it online or not.

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

Wow . With that amount of points I'd be living in the TS's year round. Where do you want to go?

I guess I'm in the minority because I love my RCI points but I'm also a big procrastinator and travel at the last minute with the 7500/9000 deals.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Larry,

Points takes a while to get used to. Big paradigm change from the weeks perspective.

You will not be able to see points based resorts in weeks. Ever. Those you would have to book at the 10 month mark. Points to points.

There are times when each are very valuable and you will figure that out in no time. Which is more cost effective, etc.

Feel free to e-mail me if I can help you.

[djyamyam Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close djyamyam]

Like some of the previous posts, with points, for best availability, you need to check at that 10 to 9 mth mark or shorly afterwards (for points bookings). That's for full week bookings. For anything less than full week bookings, you really need to factor in the housekeeping fees because they add up and they vary from resort to resort. For Weeks bookings, the last minute 9K & less weeks provide good value but that's also hit and miss depending on the region.

Resorts that are designated as Points resort really play havok with Weeks availability. That's where you have to have something deposited in your weeks account. Given that the points needed to book a unit at a points resort is on a fixed schedule, there are a number of times when it really doesn't make sense to book using your points and that's where you should use the spacebanked week.

One last thing to remember is that quality issue. When searching Weeks with your points account you're not going to see some of the "lower ranked" resorts, regardless of how desirable they may be.

[Larry Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Larry]

OK looks like there is a definet learning curve in getting used to the system and sometimes your better off using a regular weeks deposit to get an exchange rather than points.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

There is no learning curve with Weeks?!

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

OK looks like there is a definet learning curve in getting used to the system and sometimes your better off using a regular weeks deposit to get an exchange rather than points.

Larry, I love your ticker.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Larry, I love your ticker.

It's been a long time since anyone said that to me.

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

It's been a long time since anyone said that to me.

I love you too.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I love you too.

Yeah?

But not my ticker?

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

Yeah?

But not my ticker?

Ticker too.

[dlwcac@aol.com Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dlwcac@aol.com]

RCI Sucks

Our advice to all is to avoid and to advise others to avoid, anything that has to deal with RCI. Simply put, it is all about extracting more money from us while "policy" makes it nearly impossible for "us" to get what we want. We have been with this group for nearly 20 years and have found it 98% frustrating and impossible. If you have nothing but time, you might be able to figure out how to get it to work; or if you are related to or closely tied to someone at RCI, it might work. We have to lose so they can win. There typical "boiler phone room" staff are trained to say "I understand, but our policy says..."....sure, they dont understand or they would figure out how to please us without getting even more money. Bait and switch....if you get to a resort, you usually end up in a much less valuable room then the one you banked. We banked a Gold Crown resort, Regal Suite...3 Bed/3Bath, our own pool in PV, Mexico and they tried to stuff us in a studio! After lots of talking, we got moved to a lockoff. Oh well, if you have made it work, more power to you...our advice is stay away and tell anyone you can the same if you want to save them $ and frustration!

[Larry Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Larry]

OK Got two weeks in Aruba for January

OK this points account is not so bad after all as I was able to get two weeks back to Back in Aruba at Divi Village Golf Resort for January 2011. I checked my new account and noticed that about 47,000 points would expire February 2011 so I booked a week in Aruba then saw another week before the week I booked and booked that as well.

They are both studio's sleeps 4 with full kitchen which is fine for me and my wife (also used less points). I own two weeks in Aruba in January at Aruba Renaissance and La Cabana which I used last year and planned on using this year. My daughter may use one of the weeks that I own and I can easily rent out the other so all in all I am happy with my first two points exchanges.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

OK this points account is not so bad after all as I was able to get two weeks back to Back in Aruba at Divi Village Golf Resort for January 2011. I checked my new account and noticed that about 47,000 points would expire February 2011 so I booked a week in Aruba then saw another week before the week I booked and booked that as well.

They are both studio's sleeps 4 with full kitchen which is fine for me and my wife (also used less points). I own two weeks in Aruba in January at Aruba Renaissance and La Cabana which I used last year and planned on using this year. My daughter may use one of the weeks that I own and I can easily rent out the other so all in all I am happy with my first two points exchanges.

Nice!
The new Villas at the Divi Phoenix is also a points resort - we toured in March - the studios there are GORGEOUS! Keep that in mind for next year ooops! 2012!