Input - RCI vs Platinum Interchange

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

It's time for me to bank my two weeks at San Diego Country Estates. Up until last year I'd always just given them to RCI. Last year, for the first time, I gave them to Platinum Interchange and immediately traded for two weeks in Santa Fe (which are coming up next month). So, now I'm trying to decide where the weeks will go this year. I'm paid up with RCI for another couple of years and don't have anything banked with them currently. So, if I don't give them the weeks I'd kind of be wasting my fees. On the other hand.....well maybe there isn't. Maybe I should do one week with each company?

So, just looking for input. And at this time I don't even know where I want to go next. Next year might be consumed with retiring, getting the house ready to sell, and moving. Although we already do have one week on Maui scheduled for March.

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

Well now with RCI you can get EVERYTHING they have - as long as u have the correct TPUs - why not use the deposit calculator and see what u will get when u deposit with RCI and compare what u will get with things u see on the sighting board.

Who got you the Maui week?

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

Well now with RCI you can get EVERYTHING they have - as long as u have the correct TPUs - why not use the deposit calculator and see what u will get when u deposit with RCI and compare what u will get with things u see on the sighting board.

Who got you the Maui week?

Point me to the deposit calculator and I'll check. However, I usually don't know what week(s) will be banked (I own floating) until they are actually banked.

I got the Maui week with Trading Places Maui, my very favorite exchange company. However they don't have a lot of inventory, and doubt they'd take San Diego Country Estates. But they are great for Hawaii.

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

Point me to the deposit calculator and I'll check. However, I usually don't know what week(s) will be banked (I own floating) until they are actually banked.

I got the Maui week with Trading Places Maui, my very favorite exchange company. However they don't have a lot of inventory, and doubt they'd take San Diego Country Estates. But they are great for Hawaii.

Log into your RCI account and hit the deposit screen - there will be a deposit calculator on the right.

Fool around with some different possible dates and then STRONGLY advocate with your resort to deposit a date that will be good for you TPU-wise.
You could get a week with 25 TPUs or 15 TPUs....this makes a BIG difference in what you will get in return.
Also remember that you can combine the TPUs of the two deposits for $99 if you need to....so if u say get two 23 TPU weeks - and you do an 18 and 15 trade, you could combine the remaining TPUs to get a 13TPU total to trade....and u do not have to combine until u NEED to to do an exchange....

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

I found the calculator. I only put in a couple of dates, but the TPU are pretty grim. It looks like the highest I could get would be 27 (not sure what dates I'd have to request) and the lowest about 12.

I went back and tried putting in a summer week, even over 4th of July for both 2011 and 2012, and I'm getting 18 - 19 points. Pretty sad.

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

I found the calculator. I only put in a couple of dates, but the TPU are pretty grim. It looks like the highest I could get would be 27 (not sure what dates I'd have to request) and the lowest about 12.

I went back and tried putting in a summer week, even over 4th of July for both 2011 and 2012, and I'm getting 18 - 19 points. Pretty sad.

Hmmmm, 27 is great - possibly fool around with some March April dates....
edit - this is for 2 1BR units??? or do u have a 2BR lock-out - definitely split and deposit separately if you can.....best deal out there!

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

It's time for me to bank my two weeks at San Diego Country Estates. Up until last year I'd always just given them to RCI. Last year, for the first time, I gave them to Platinum Interchange and immediately traded for two weeks in Santa Fe (which are coming up next month). So, now I'm trying to decide where the weeks will go this year. I'm paid up with RCI for another couple of years and don't have anything banked with them currently. So, if I don't give them the weeks I'd kind of be wasting my fees. On the other hand.....well maybe there isn't. Maybe I should do one week with each company?

So, just looking for input. And at this time I don't even know where I want to go next. Next year might be consumed with retiring, getting the house ready to sell, and moving. Although we already do have one week on Maui scheduled for March.

If you have no vacations pending in the future you can call and they will credit back the unused membership fees. Pro rated of course.

I don't like the max 27 especially since you don't seem to have a say in your deposit. Of course if it did come in at 18 or less you could pull the deposit, if it hasn't been taken in exchange. I'm not seeing an awful lot that I would take in the under 23 range.

You live on the west coast and if you will be busier than perhaps platinum is your best bet. They get a lot of west coast things icluding that Laguna Shores and that cute LaJolla property.

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

Hmmmm, 27 is great - possibly fool around with some March April dates....
edit - this is for 2 1BR units??? or do u have a 2BR lock-out - definitely split and deposit separately if you can.....best deal out there!

We own two weeks of a one-bedroom unit. That's the way the timeshares were sold when we bought back in 1973. So, no it's not a lock out. It is two weeks. That's why I was saying I could deposit one week with RCI and one with Platinum Interchange.

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

If you have no vacations pending in the future you can call and they will credit back the unused membership fees. Pro rated of course.

Good to know.

I do have one vacation pending though. I mean I have a confirmed trade for November. Would that affect being able to cancel the unused membership fees?

I don't like the max 27 especially since you don't seem to have a say in your deposit. Of course if it did come in at 18 or less you could pull the deposit, if it hasn't been taken in exchange. I'm not seeing an awful lot that I would take in the under 23 range.

You live on the west coast and if you will be busier than perhaps platinum is your best bet. They get a lot of west coast things icluding that Laguna Shores and that cute LaJolla property.

Well, by the time we finally use those weeks we could be living in Santa Fe. Wish, wish, wish.

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

I have had good luck with Platinum Interchange. The "AWAY list" lets you see everything they have to exchange into, and you can have up to 3 years to exchange. The customer service is great too, very personable vacation guides on the phone.

Of course none of the independents have inventory like RCI and II, but then all you need is one week at a resort where you want to vacation, right?

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

Good to know.

I do have one vacation pending though. I mean I have a confirmed trade for November. Would that affect being able to cancel the unused membership fees?


Well, by the time we finally use those weeks we could be living in Santa Fe. Wish, wish, wish.

You must maintain your membership until the check-out date of that exchange.

Fingers crossed that you eventually get your wish.

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

I have had good luck with Platinum Interchange. The "AWAY list" lets you see everything they have to exchange into, and you can have up to 3 years to exchange. The customer service is great too, very personable vacation guides on the phone.

Of course none of the independents have inventory like RCI and II, but then all you need is one week at a resort where you want to vacation, right?

So true, and just because a company does not have what u want does not mean they can not get it from one of their trade partners - a good thing to remember when dealing with the independents.

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

I have only had the one interaction with Platinum Interchange and I was very impressed. It helped that I was able to bank, deposit and make my exchange all by dealing with the same person. I guess San Diego Country Estates has a direct affiliation with them. I know I've been getting stuff from them for years when I get newsletters and such from SDCE, but had never considered using them until last year.

I'm leaning towards giving both weeks to Platinum Interchange, then cancelling RCI later this year after our November trip [to Santa Fe].

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

I have only had the one interaction with Platinum Interchange and I was very impressed. It helped that I was able to bank, deposit and make my exchange all by dealing with the same person. I guess San Diego Country Estates has a direct affiliation with them. I know I've been getting stuff from them for years when I get newsletters and such from SDCE, but had never considered using them until last year.

I'm leaning towards giving both weeks to Platinum Interchange, then cancelling RCI later this year after our November trip [to Santa Fe].

Sounds like a plan......and you could always re-join RCI if u were so inclined.
Also, would SFX take your resort??? They could be another option. But if Platinum gets you what u want - why not stay with them?

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

Sounds like a plan......and you could always re-join RCI if u were so inclined.
Also, would SFX take your resort??? They could be another option. But if Platinum gets you what u want - why not stay with them?

I don't think SFX would take it. And from some of what I've read about them, I'm not sure I want to deal with them.