Should I pay $3,000 to convert to points?

[cakers Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cakers]

I have a floating red week, 3 bedroom, every other year with King's Creek Plantation in Williamsburg, VA. I have been very disappointed with RCI's week exchange. There never seem to be any nice resorts available. We bought our timeshare 12 years ago, at that time we were able to trade for some nice places, the RCI book was so huge. Now, the book is thin and we end up trading for not so nice places. Anyway, our resort just sent somebody to our house to let us know we now have the option to convert to points for $3,000 (we will have 97,500 points) and they will now be affiliated with II instead of using RCI. We are in the rescind period for a couple of more days. Should we pay the money or rescind? If we do rescind, do we have to use RCI or II to exchange our week? If we can use another company can you explain how we would do that?? I am soooo confused about what to do. I just want to be able to exchange and get a good resort, by good resort, I mean on a beach, like gulf coast of Florida, or orlando, not Daytona beach.

I wish I had found this site years ago as there is great information on here that leads me to believe I could have been getting so much more for what I own than I have been.

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

I have a floating red week, 3 bedroom, every other year with King's Creek Plantation in Williamsburg, VA. I have been very disappointed with RCI's week exchange. There never seem to be any nice resorts available. We bought our timeshare 12 years ago, at that time we were able to trade for some nice places, the RCI book was so huge. Now, the book is thin and we end up trading for not so nice places. Anyway, our resort just sent somebody to our house to let us know we now have the option to convert to points for $3,000 (we will have 97,500 points) and they will now be affiliated with II instead of using RCI. We are in the rescind period for a couple of more days. Should we pay the money or rescind? If we do rescind, do we have to use RCI or II to exchange our week? If we can use another company can you explain how we would do that?? I am soooo confused about what to do. I just want to be able to exchange and get a good resort, by good resort, I mean on a beach, like gulf coast of Florida, or orlando, not Daytona beach.

I wish I had found this site years ago as there is great information on here that leads me to believe I could have been getting so much more for what I own than I have been.

Is this a lock off unit? If so booking a summer week like 4th of July and splitting the unit into two units for deposit will yield more trade power units that will get you much better exchanges in RCI.

If you are trying to get into SW Florida resorts in snowbird season that's a trade that you will have to plan for well in advance. Possibly a year in advance. In the summer it's easier if you're following the school calendar but you still do need to plan at least 9 months to get something nice.

I don't know anything about the new II points program but I doubt that it's worth 3K. It's too new to judge but I'd probably pass on that conversion right now and learn to use what you own. You can always buy it later if you change your mind and decide you want it but once you pass the rescission then you're stuck. Williamsburg can yield a generous amount of points if you book the right week. Play with the RCI calculator and see what your week would yield.

If you really don't want to trade in RCI or II, Trading Places International gets quite a bit of inventory in SW Florida in some of the independent and VRI resorts like Beach Club I, Bonita beach resort, Bellaire Beach Club, Mariners boat house, Windward Passage, Carribean beach resort and a few others a little further north like Coral beach club in St. Pete. It's free to join TPI. You can see their hot deals and inventory here: Trading Places International - Home

[cakers Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cakers]

We always thought we HAD to use RCI for exchanges, so how do we go about using something other than RCI? Do we just call King's Creek and tell them to send our week to XYZ exchange company?

We don't know if we have a lock-off unit, we know we can split it into a 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom, which we always do. We already deposited our 2 bedroom week, but have never actually told them which week, they don't ask when we call to tell them we are depositing.

Thank you so much for the information on Trading Places International. I will definitely check it out.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

If you can split it, it's a lock-off. I wouldn't give $ 50 to go to points.

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

Paying that to convert to points is not a wise investment. You can probably buy the same points, including the underlying week, on eBay for a lot less.

As to using another exchange company, if it is an affiliated exchange company like II or RCI, the resort's affiliation status will determine if you can use them or not. For an independent exchange company like SFX, DAE, HYSE, Platinum, Trading Places, etc., then resorts do not affiliate with the exchange company anyway (it is the individual timeshare owners who do) and you can use them if the independent will accept your week, and the only independent really picky about that is SFX. If you own in some local points system, which it sounds like what you are buying is, since it is tied to II, then the resort can stop you from using an independent exchange company.

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

We always thought we HAD to use RCI for exchanges, so how do we go about using something other than RCI? Do we just call King's Creek and tell them to send our week to XYZ exchange company?

We don't know if we have a lock-off unit, we know we can split it into a 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom, which we always do. We already deposited our 2 bedroom week, but have never actually told them which week, they don't ask when we call to tell them we are depositing.

Thank you so much for the information on Trading Places International. I will definitely check it out.

No you do not HAVE to use RCI. RCI would like you to believe that with their logo in most lobbies of the resorts, but you can use an independent just like Carolinian says. I own a floating week, so what I do is book a week that corresponds to my season that I own. For you you'll want to book the best week that you can so you have an edge in case you decide to use II or RCI. With the independents season doesn't usually matter but how far in advance you deposit will matter. I believe you could possibly even deposit half of your unit to one company like RCI and then give the other lock off to an independent so you could test the waters.

The indepdents use size as a determining factor in exchanging so if you want a 2 bedroom, then deposit a 2 bedroom, or you'll have to pay an upgrade fee of usually around $100 to get a bigger unit. If you're going with RCI then they'll give you TPU's or a currency that you trade with them along with your exchange fee. You could potentially get as few as one or as many as 10 trades depending on how many points they give you corresponding to the value that they place on the week you reserve. That's why it's important which week you reserve and why you'll want to play with the deposit calculator to have an idea of what they are going to give you.

You may have to pay your MF"s a year in advance to book a prized summer week so that means planning in June 2012 for July 2013, when your booking window opens. At most resorts it's 11 months but check with your resort to be sure, and mark your calendar and pay your MF's in advance. You do need to plan pretty far in advance in order to get great trades in any exchange company. RCI can be great if you're a planner or a last minute opportunistic traveller but they do have their strengths and weaknesses. One of their weaknesses IMO is SW Florida. For that I own Hilton Vacation club where my odds are greater to get what I want.

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

I also have a 3BR float week at Kings Creek and I would consider this one one of my best units. Ours is every other year and a Lock Off. I trade with II.

For the last few years II has been offering ACs (bonus weeks) for deposits from Kings Creek.

I take my 3BR and split into a 1BR and a 2BR. Then deposit both of those weeks with II. In return I get those weeks to exchange PLUS I get two AC's. So...for the one unit with Kings Creek, I end up getting 4 weeks with II. It has worked out very well.

With at said - II has really but on some restrictions for the ACs - but I have still been able to use them for what I want.

Not sure what you are looking to trade into????

My next use year (2013) I do plan on opening an RCI account and depositing on of the units with them. Most likely reserving a 2BR July 4th week for highest TPUs and then seeing if I can get back into DVC with my units.

To answer your question. No I would not pay to covert to points.

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

But have never actually told them which week, they don't ask when we call to tell them we are depositing.

This could be part of the problem. If you are just calling KC and telling them to split the lock off and deposit with RCI then it could be they are giving them a crappy week.....which result in low TPU's for you with RCI. Example, if Kings Creek is giving them mid January instead of mid July - then the deposits are not as valuable to RCI resulting in low TPUs.

I always make the reservations with KC myself and then I deposit with II. This way there is control of what II is getting to net me the biggest benefit.

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

Paying $3k to convert to points is throwing good money after bad. Follow the advice given here. Reserve a week in high demand like July 4. Split the unit and you should be happy with the Trading Power Units you get from RCI or II.

You could use independents but they have notoriously little on the gulf coast of Florida or the east coast in general.

Rescind on that point conversion IMMEDIATELY. Follow the recission directions exactly and return any and all items they gave you as well.

[cakers Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cakers]

Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for all the information!! We rescinded the paperwork as instructed via certified mail this morning. I feel like I have been getting duped all these years, now I feel like maybe I have a ts that I can get some good use out of and will feel proud to own. Any other tips you guys can give me would be great!

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

Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for all the information!! We rescinded the paperwork as instructed via certified mail this morning. I feel like I have been getting duped all these years, now I feel like maybe I have a ts that I can get some good use out of and will feel proud to own. Any other tips you guys can give me would be great!

Not duped, exactly, just not savvy as to how to work the system in your best interest. Be aware the system changes constantly as well to keep us on our toes.

to TS4Ms.

I'm glad you were able to rescind.

Spend time reading here. Ask questions and we will help you. As you see you have 2 fellow members here already that know the particulars of what you own. Their advice will be priceless.

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

If you really want RCI Points - you can usually pick up a 40K to 50K Points timeshare already converted for $1.00 or so on eBay often with free closing.

I picked up a 1-53 Platinum at Fox Hills in Wisconsin for under $200 closing and all. The MF's are under $500, it's got an owner controlled HOA, and it is well managed. I use the heck out of the 53,600 points I get there every year - to go elsewhere

Of course, owning multiple timeshares is it's own form of addiction