Can't see certain weeks with points - Question

[3kids4me Super Moderator and Super Mom Find all posts View Profile Close 3kids4me]

A friend of mine let me access her points account to play around a little bit.

I have a Weeks account. I have a Smuggs white week deposited in the account, and with it I can see tons of off-season Smuggs weeks for November of 2010.

But, when I look in my friend's points account, and select that I want to search "weeks", I can't see any Smuggs weeks at all, not even off season, white/blue weeks there. Under her points tab, I can see a few Smuggs points weeks (for December, not November...so probably more in-season) that I can't see with my (white, weak) Smuggs weak.

To clarify, Smuggs has both weeks and points now. New owners have to buy in points; old owners have weeks.

I just don't understand why her points don't see the gazillion off-season Smuggs weeks (in "regular" weeks) that are out there. Can anyone explain?

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

You ask:

I just don't understand why her points don't see the gazillion off-season Smuggs weeks (in "regular" weeks) that are out there. Can anyone explain?

And the answer is:

To clarify, Smuggs has both weeks and points now. New owners have to buy in points; old owners have weeks.

If a resort has both weeks and points, a points search will only show units available in points, not in weeks. That's how RCI has built the system.

[3kids4me Super Moderator and Super Mom Find all posts View Profile Close 3kids4me]

You ask:


And the answer is:



If a resort has both weeks and points, a points search will only show units available in points, not in weeks. That's how RCI has built the system.

Ooooohhhhhh.

(And not what the resort says!)

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

You can still make the exchange from Points into Weeks. You just have to call.

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

Points members can only see availability at points resorts 10 months out. So if a weeks member at Smuggs deposits 24-10.1 months out only weeks members would be able to see and exchange into it. Points members should only be able to see a points resort in points (even though occasionally for what ever reason I can see weeks at points resorts in weeks). At the 10 month mark(or 12 month mark if it is your home resort) all points weeks that were not reserved by owners become available in Points. Some VG's say all weeks (points and weeks members) become available to points members at this time and some VG's say points member only deposits. Who knows? At this time I can only see through 8/31/10 at Smuggs, so weeks availability for 11/10 would not be visable to points members.

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

At this time I can only see through 8/31/10 at Smuggs, so weeks availability for 11/10 would not be visable to points members.

This conflates two issues. It's true, points can only search 10 months out at points resorts, and can search two years out at weeks-only resorts. However, it is not correct to assume that points searches will be able to see weeks inventory at points resorts at the 10 month period. Weeks inventory at points resorts will never be visible to points searches.

This is the same at Vistana or any dual points/weeks resorts (such as the DVC resorts, which deposit into both weeks and points). Even inside 10 months, points searches will not show weeks inventory. The two pots of inventory are kept separate, and only a weeks search can show inventory on the weeks side of such resorts.

The news that one can call a VC and make an exchange for weeks inventory at a points resort is welcome. That would allow me, e.g., to use points to exchange for the Manhattan Club even though I don't have a strong enough week to do the exchange.

[philsfan Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close philsfan]

The news that one can call a VC and make an exchange for weeks inventory at a points resort is welcome. That would allow me, e.g., to use points to exchange for the Manhattan Club even though I don't have a strong enough week to do the exchange.

I don't think this is true for RCI points owners, perhaps other systems that work with RCI, like Wyndham or Bluegreen may be that flexible.

Pit can you provide details of what you were able to trade for in points by making that call?

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

This conflates two issues. It's true, points can only search 10 months out at points resorts, and can search two years out at weeks-only resorts. However, it is not correct to assume that points searches will be able to see weeks inventory at points resorts at the 10 month period. Weeks inventory at points resorts will never be visible to points searches.

This is the same at Vistana or any dual points/weeks resorts (such as the DVC resorts, which deposit into both weeks and points). Even inside 10 months, points searches will not show weeks inventory. The two pots of inventory are kept separate, and only a weeks search can show inventory on the weeks side of such resorts.

The news that one can call a VC and make an exchange for weeks inventory at a points resort is welcome. That would allow me, e.g., to use points to exchange for the Manhattan Club even though I don't have a strong enough week to do the exchange.

Please advise if you are successful in doing this and how many points it costs you. This is the first time I have ever heard that it can be done.

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

Please advise if you are successful in doing this and how many points it costs you. This is the first time I have ever heard that it can be done.

I've done this before, twice at least (and I thought this was common knowledge). Don't recall all the details, but I believe the points required was based on the crossover grid used for point to weeks exchanges. RCI is always happy to collect an exchange fee.

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

I've done this before, twice at least (and I thought this was common knowledge). Don't recall all the details, but I believe the points required was based on the crossover grid used for point to weeks exchanges. RCI is always happy to collect an exchange fee.

It might be common knowledge but I had never heard that. For instance there is a NYE week at TMC in weeks. I would call RCI Points tell them it's there and they'd use crossover grid points for a studio?


That's only 27k points!

You just opened up an entire new realm of possibilities! TYVM!

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

I have no such faith that RCI keeps Weeks and Points Weeks seperated. With the exception of Disney which they do by assigning inventory to different resort numbers for the same resort. Even then I am sure if Disney or RCI decides to shift inventory they do so.

I don't have anything deposited in Weeks currently (I am trying DAE and SFX)but if someone can look up a week in a weeks account from a points resort that is within the next 10 months (ideally that might be somewhat rare) and have someone look in points. If its not there call a points VC and see if it would be available for points. Maybe someone with a stong deposit in weeks can check this theory.

I don't think this would give a difinative answer because I beleive RCI opens up and closes the boundries between Points and Weeks as they see fit, but it seems to benefit the points owners more than the weeks owners.

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

Pit, are you talking about RCI Points for Deposit?

If you have an RCI Points account, you can deposit your Weeks resort via Points for Deposit.

They put the weeks into the Weeks inventory for RCI Points members (yes, they are kept separate, and we aren't poaching the non-Points weeks inventory!), then they give you the number of points based on the grid.

It is simple. You pay $26 for each week you deposit. You pay an exchange fee for every reservation you make and the fee varies depending on how many days you book.

By doing this, i've been able to book Disney Vero Beach and Manhattan Club.

Anita

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

If you have an RCI Points account, you can deposit your Weeks resort via Points for Deposit.

That's correct, but not what I'm referring to. I'm talking about exchanging my RCI Points for Weeks inventory. This can be done online for Weeks-only resorts, but you must call a VG to do it at a mixed Weeks/Points resort because such weeks will not show up online.

[3kids4me Super Moderator and Super Mom Find all posts View Profile Close 3kids4me]

Okay but here is the thing...if I only have a points account, I can easily see calling RCI to ask about taking a week that someone else has seen online and hearing that "it doesn't exist" because the rep. can't see it with my account. I have no faith that RCI reps will be able to "see" those weeks and then let you take them with points. Maybe, if you have both a weeks and points account, and you can see the week is just sitting there, and you tell the rep. to look in your weeks account and see it...but that assumes there is a week just sitting there that you don't want to use your own week for....

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

In my experience, if you call and request a specific week that sits in exchange inventory, they are more than happy to take your money. YMMV.