9,000 point exchanges were a gimmick to promote/ignite RCI points

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

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26359

Madge says in the above thread that salespeople were supposed to advertise that these weeks were only for a limited time. What a joke.

Like the sales sleazes are going to say, "these low points exchanges are only for a limited time."

I cannot believe that "Madge" is that naiive.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

I never liked points and I never will. Give it time and people will see that what you get for 10,000 points today, You will need 50,000 points tomorrow.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

Tell some people that and they get all upset with you. A week is a week is a week. If you want to travel less than a week, why not rent?

The more I think about it, the more I like renting. It may not be an investment in the future but it is the same memory in the past as you remember the moments and not if you own it or not unless you go back year after year as then it may make sense. JMHO.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

Tell some people that and they get all upset with you. A week is a week is a week. If you want to travel less than a week, why not rent?

The more I think about it, the more I like renting. It may not be an investment in the future but it is the same memory in the past as you remember the moments and not if you own it or not unless you go back year after year as then it may make sense. JMHO.

Why limit renting to less than one week?

I think the ease of renting through the internet will soon establish "parities" among rentals and timeshare, based on what the rental rate is. Money becomes the ultimate determinant of trade power. Want to trade up? Rent out your unit and kick in some money to get something nicer. Want to trade down? Rent your unit, and pocket the difference. Or rent two weeks. Or rent 10 days. Whatever two consenting adults agree to do with their units and their money.

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

Yeah, RCI points sucks.

I wouldn't lump all point systems into the same bucket as RCI Points, though.

If you want to travel for FREE, points are the best thing to own.

If you don't mind having to pay to stay in a timeshare, then weeks are good.

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

After thinking about it again, I think Madge's statement can be applied to anything and everything RCI does. Here is an example:

When RCI was new, we needed to ignite the program so that members would "give it a try."

We let members deposit and exchange their weeks for a fee.

From the start, this was designed to be a promotional offer. We may offer it again in the future, but it would likely be temporary.

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

When RCI develops rental markets for these weeks to the general public, why make them availible to peon members? This seems to be the general philosophy of RCI since Cendant took it over, be it Weeks or Points.

The 9000 crossover trades into Weeks have been the mainstay of Points resorts selling their off season weeks, and without it, Points will have a really severe offseason week problem.

Personally, I think the Weeks 45-day inventory should go where it was intended by Cystal deHahn - last minute trades of Weeks members.

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

The 9000 crossover trades into Weeks have been the mainstay of Points resorts selling their off season weeks, and without it, Points will have a really severe offseason week problem.

I completely agree with this statement.

I think the reason that RCI Points doesn't have an offseason problem is that it rents weeks.

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

An agreement between Steve and Jim. Is there are change in climate happening here?

Well, one thing for sure, Boca has switched sides a little. I recollect his past posts and thought of him as a proponent of RCI points, along with Boyblue on TUG. What has changed?

What made you so skeptical on RCI points, Boca? I know that Bluegreen is your new favorite, of course. Was there something in particular that bothered you? I know what has gotten my goat, the price and point increases of January 1st: $26 for PFD, $99 for a points exchange of 7 days (raised from $79), and every popular destination had huge increases in points to get there. It made points less attractive than weeks for me. I thought my low MF's would be great for PFD, but it costs me way too much at .0097 per point.

I am better off using weeks. Orlando is overbuilt but it takes 74,000 points to get a two-bedroom. Why should I do that when I can get the same unit for a week much cheaper ($589 with MF's and RCI exchange fee). I can use my BLUE week and get a trade to Orlando during the offseason, the only time we will go to Orlando as empty nesters.

At least my Aussie weeks are cheaper points at less than .0075, so I can use them and be okay I am waiting for points exchanges to also increase to $164! That will come very soon, I would bet.

RCI is something I am stuck with them for now, since I have points.

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

Well, one thing for sure, Boca has switched sides a little. I recollect his past posts and thought of him as a proponent of RCI points, along with Boyblue on TUG. What has changed?

What made you so skeptical on RCI points, Boca? I know that Bluegreen is your new favorite, of course. Was there something in particular that bothered you? I know what has gotten my goat, the price and point increases of January 1st: $26 for PFD, $99 for a points exchange of 7 days (raised from $79), and every popular destination had huge increases in points to get there. It made points less attractive than weeks for me. I thought my low MF's would be great for PFD, but it costs me way too much at .0097 per point.

I am better off using weeks. Orlando is overbuilt but it takes 74,000 points to get a two-bedroom. Why should I do that when I can get the same unit for a week much cheaper ($589 with MF's and RCI exchange fee). I can use my BLUE week and get a trade to Orlando during the offseason, the only time we will go to Orlando as empty nesters.

At least my Aussie weeks are cheaper points at less than .0075, so I can use them and be okay I am waiting for points exchanges to also increase to $164! That will come very soon, I would bet.

RCI is something I am stuck with them for now, since I have points.

Cindy,

I think I understand Carolinian much better now than in the past. So, we tend to agree on more things now. We still have a fundamental difference of opinion on the topic of points vs. weeks, but those differences are really based on preferences more than anything else.

Regarding RCI Points, when compared to other point systems, it really pales in comparison. I don't think there is any way to fix it, really. And, Cendant has proven to be a company that is hard to trust. Very predictable, though. All of the price increases I have predicted came true, so now some people want to blame me for them occurring. To me, they were so obvious that Stevie Wonder could see them coming.

I am now a big proponent of large resort groups that have internal exchange privileges for free or nominal fees of $49 or less. And, I believe they should create their own internal exchange departments.

I'm tired of RCI fee increases and nickling and diming. So, I am using RCI less and less. This is particular to RCI, not the general points vs. weeks discussion.

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

In your scenario, small resorts would not fit in anywhere.

Val Chatelle is six units X 51 owners. We would have no place to turn. I know there are lots of exchange companies out there that will take our weeks. There are just too many and the inventory gets spread pretty thin. Availability to go when and where you want is too limited with DAE and Trading Places for now.

As long as RCI works, we are stuck with it. If that changes, we will be looking elsewhere for our trades. The $15.00 increase is not so bad when you consider the price increases for points.

I am still glad we own Aussie weeks. I think we got a great deal and will use them without remorse.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

I am now a big proponent of large resort groups that have internal exchange privileges for free or nominal fees of $49 or less. And, I believe they should create their own internal exchange departments.

I'm tired of RCI fee increases and nickling and diming. So, I am using RCI less and less. This is particular to RCI, not the general points vs. weeks discussion.

Yep - that's exactly where we've arrived in our thinking. My rules of thumb are:

• When there's a specific a place you want to visit regularly, buy there.
  
• If you want to visit different areas, find a resort group that has good coverage in areas you want to visit.
  
• If want to visit different areas but can't find a resort group that appeals to you, look at the rental market.

If you're in group 3, you should get out of timesharing entirely, or acquire timeshares that you can rent out profitably and use the proceeds to rent at the places you want to visit. You can also blend a bit of rules #1 and #2 into rule #3; you can own a timeshare that you want to use some of the time, but that you can still rent profitably when you want to travel outside the system.

******

And rule #3 is really the über-points system. When you rent your unit, you can use those "points" for anything you want. You can save them up, give them away, use them for air fare or groceries, invest them, convert them to gold bullion ... whatever you like. They never expire. I don't think you'll ever find any points system that can rival the flexibility and convertibility good old cash.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

Steve, I agree with with all your points you made as it makes sense. Yes, cash is king rather than points that can be manipulated or changed in value.

Did any of you here read this link as someone wants to start a whole new concept in exchanging? Very interesting thread and it has 79 replies already so there is interest for sure.