II goes Points

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

My TS is a points-based system. While I have a hard time trying to figure out the value of my weeks for an II exchange, I can't image if everyone had to do this. The points values vary greatly. For DRI, for example, a 2 BDRM unit for a week at full price points can be anywhere from 5000 to 15,000 points (just estimating here). For some systems, I've seen a week's points well over 100,000 for a week. Then, there's DVC (although currently with RCI) in which a week would go for a few hundred points. I think it would be a monumentous task to try to equalize points over the various TS systems and come up with a fair way for people to make their trade (or is this the reason people are so unhappy with RCI???). Given the uncertainty, I think I would rather II stay with the week-based exchange.

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

I'll see if I can learn anything today at the convention.

Looking forward to your report.

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

It saddens me to hear that the whole "currency" experiment is a failure...you know, where goods and services are given exact-number prices in say, dollars, pounds, or euros.

I guess we can always go back to trading beads and livestock.

Isn't II already giving more value to some weeks as opposed to others by giving an AC for a week? That sounds like change back to me for a weeks deposit.

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

I hope they do NOT also - RCI points has just about convinced me to quit using RCI (though I was almost there anyway) - but II is my favorite and I really don't want to see it ruined with a points scheme.

Ditto!

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

Points are NOT a currency. They are at best scrip that is only of value in the company store. A currency is issued by governments and is valuable in general circulation. Points do not meet that test. When you can go to an exchange house and exchange your timeshare points for any REAL currency, then they will be a currency, too. As to flexibility, real currency has a lot more of that than timeshare points, so why give up the former for the latter?

Points systems arbitrary ''values'', if any thing remind me of the command economies of the old Soviet block, not the free market.

It saddens me to hear that the whole "currency" experiment is a failure...you know, where goods and services are given exact-number prices in say, dollars, pounds, or euros.

I guess we can always go back to trading beads and livestock.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

Points are NOT a currency. They are at best scrip that is only of value in the company store. A currency is issued by governments and is valuable in general circulation. Points do not meet that test. When you can go to an exchange house and exchange your timeshare points for any REAL currency, then they will be a currency, too. As to flexibility, real currency has a lot more of that than timeshare points, so why give up the former for the latter?

Points systems arbitrary ''values'', if any thing remind me of the command economies of the old Soviet block, not the free market.

Currency or script, does it really matter the term used so long as everyone understands the point being made? Debating the minor points of verbage is like two mules fighting over a turnip. It just doesn't matter.

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

Currency or script, does it really matter the term used so long as everyone understands the point being made? Debating the minor points of verbage is like two mules fighting over a turnip. It just doesn't matter.

Actually there is a huge difference. Scrip is only useful in the company store at controlled prices. Currency can be used anywhere, and thus a free market sets real prices. Why in the world would anyone want to use RCI's (or potentially II's) scrip when REAL currency offers much more flexibility.

Scrip was once fairly common, but had largely disappeared until RCI recreated it with timeshare points. It is as crappy a way to do business now as it was then.

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

For the last 3 years, I have only used points with II.

This is what I get when I do a search for Christmas in Hawaii - 1br (sleeps 4), 17 - 24 December for 3000 points or a studio (sleeps 2), 18 - 25 December for 2500 points.

Marriott's Kauai Beach Club
MKW
Lihue , HI , USA
Resort Details & Photos
Dec 17 2011 - Dec 24 2011
1 4 4
1
4
4
3,000 Vacation Points


Dec 18 2011 - Dec 25 2011
e 2 2
e
2
2
2,500 Vacation Points

If I book a 1br in the high TDI range, it will always cost me 3000 points for a week no matter where in the world the resort is or what standard it is. If there was a 2br available at that time it would cost 5000 points.

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

Scrip was once fairly common, but had largely disappeared until RCI recreated it with timeshare points. It is as crappy a way to do business now as it was then.

You're right. Rather than use a currency limited only to RCI, we should go back to beads and livestock limited only to RCI. Clearly a vast improvement.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

Actually there is a huge difference. Scrip is only useful in the company store at controlled prices. Currency can be used anywhere, and thus a free market sets real prices. Why in the world would anyone want to use RCI's (or potentially II's) scrip when REAL currency offers much more flexibility.

Scrip was once fairly common, but had largely disappeared until RCI recreated it with timeshare points. It is as crappy a way to do business now as it was then.

Thanks for the history lesson but, I'm not sure I really care about the terminology used. On the other hand, I'm betting that you can make a timeshare salesmans head explode in less time that is required to get the gifts.

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

Scrip was once fairly common, but had largely disappeared until RCI recreated it with timeshare points. It is as crappy a way to do business now as it was then.

So are the rewards programs scrip too?

I have enjoyed my Amex, AA, RCI rewards and Marriott Rewards points for years. I have noticed that they inflate points at times but I assume that it's because prices go up. Maybe I'm wrong and they're just skimming, but I get alot of value out of using all these types of scrip. Haven't paid real currency for a 3, 4 or 5 star hotel in eons since using points.

Whatever you want to call it scrip, script or currency, it obviously appeals to many of us out there or it wouldn't be so popular. Maybe we just like playing with monopoly money.

I see all these points systems as a way to get more bang for my buck. Stretch those points out and live large on the cheap.

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

You're right. Rather than use a currency limited only to RCI, we should go back to beads and livestock limited only to RCI. Clearly a vast improvement.

Given the way RCI so often stands supply and demand on its head, using their values system is akin to the old command economies of the old Soviet bloc. Do you have a hankering to have those back? If they would make their system of setting values transparent, insteaad of a secret voodoo ritual, then maybe some market pricniples could be injected into the system.

Unfortunately, I do not have my Black's Law Dictionary over here to post the correct definition of currency like I used to OY, but a real currency must be a medium of general circulation and be issued by a government. If you find an exchange house anywhere in the world where you can exchange timeshare points for any REAL currency, then maybe you would have half a leg to stand on, but you won't!

In North Carolina, the feds just convicted someone who had issued a private ersatz currency and gotten a number of merchants to accept it of terrorism! Maybe we should point that prosecutor in RCI's direction! Actually it quite amazed me that a jury would convict of terrorism on such a basis but one did.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

So are the rewards programs scrip too?

I have enjoyed my Amex, AA, RCI rewards and Marriott Rewards points for years. I have noticed that they inflate points at times but I assume that it's because prices go up. Maybe I'm wrong and they're just skimming, but I get alot of value out of using all these types of scrip. Haven't paid real currency for a 3, 4 or 5 star hotel in eons since using points.

Whatever you want to call it scrip, script or currency, it obviously appeals to many of us out there or it wouldn't be so popular. Maybe we just like playing with monopoly money.

I see all these points systems as a way to get more bang for my buck. Stretch those points out and live large on the cheap.

I see points as a way for Interval to get more bucks for the bang. I forsee them charging a fee to join any "points" based system, much like RCI. At that point, they'll have a weeks based system and a points based system, much like RCI. Then members (owners) who don't pay up will be screwed, much like with RCI.

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

I guess I'm in an analogy kind of a mood today too.

If I owned a 5 year old Mercedes and went to a swap meet where the person in charge loved Geo Metros and Skoda cars (built in the Czech Republic, India and Bosnia & Herzegovina), it wouldn't matter if I went but didn't intend to swap. And if I went and could see the values given to my car and to the others, I could leave and try to find a better swap for my Mercedes if I was so inclined to swap.

What was really horrible is when you go and you have to give up your Mercedes before you even know what value it is given. The trading might be equally crappy now but at least you know. You're not left wondering, maybe I deposited too soon, or maybe no one is making deposits where I want to go, etc. I didn't get anything good last year but maybe I will have more luck this year, when the answer is what you wanted was sitting in inventory but you can never get it with what you have. Yeah it sucks when some properties are over pointed and others underpointed- but there are members profiting from the overpointing and underpointing too. I know a resort that is underpointed (compared to resorts that I like less in the same general location at the same time of year). I feel a little bad for the owner that deposited but I like it when its available to me for less.

Yeah it sucks when you can't trade back into your own week but at least now you know in 2 minutes instead of hours and hours of trade test and comparing notes with others. This is what I think is the most unfair part of the system (not how the values are determined) but in both cases, its RCI's game and they make the rules and if I come to their swap meet, that's on me.

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

I see points as a way for Interval to get more bucks for the bang. I forsee them charging a fee to join any "points" based system, much like RCI. At that point, they'll have a weeks based system and a points based system, much like RCI. Then members (owners) who don't pay up will be screwed, much like with RCI.

Yes it is but there will be resales down the road.
Give it time and I'll pick up one of those just like I did my RCI points.

In the meantime I guess since I've got nothing that trades with II since I got rid of my only II trader, I'll rent the getaways if I want something they've got that I can't get in RCI.