Newbie questions about RCI and II

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

We recently purchased a timeshare in Daytona knowing very little about the system but we jumped right in!! We received memberships to RCI and II when we purchased it. I was hoping someone out there wouldn't mind answering a few newbie questions. Any help would be appreciated.

1. Its early Feb and we are looking to take a trip to either Myrtle or Virginia beach in the July-Aug time frame. There is very little available currently through RCI for those destinations. As I get closer to the summer will more places become available? For example with RCI it shows 26 resorts in Myrtle. How many of those should I expect to open up closer to July-Aug. I'd hate to jump at the first place available and find if I would have waited I would have had a better selection.

2. I didn't seem to make much progress with the II website because it appears you have to actually exchange your week before you can see whats available?

3. This is probably a silly question but if you deposit your week with II you no longer have the points in RCI?

I apologize in advance for any questions that may seem simple but its alittle challenging to find good info out there about timeshares. Hopefully a better understanding of the system will make me feel better about my purchase.

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

I'm sorry, I'm very new myself to timesharing and have no answers to your questions.

I have a question of my own: did you buy from the developer? If so, then you may have made a huge and expensive mistake. If you bought it resale, then you probably did much better. For example, I paid $1 for each of our timeshares.

If you paid thousands for this timeshare, you may want to look at your paperwork and see if you can return it, get your money back, and then buy it resale.

Hope this helps.

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

We recently purchased a timeshare in Daytona knowing very little about the system but we jumped right in!! We received memberships to RCI and II when we purchased it. I was hoping someone out there wouldn't mind answering a few newbie questions. Any help would be appreciated.

1. Its early Feb and we are looking to take a trip to either Myrtle or Virginia beach in the July-Aug time frame. There is very little available currently through RCI for those destinations. As I get closer to the summer will more places become available? For example with RCI it shows 26 resorts in Myrtle. How many of those should I expect to open up closer to July-Aug. I'd hate to jump at the first place available and find if I would have waited I would have had a better selection.

RCI and II both use "trading power" to assess what your week is worth. Some weeks are stronger than others--that is, when you deposit your week into RCI, some weeks will show lots of available exchanges, and others will show many fewer exchanges.

What week/location/size did you deposit with RCI? Are you seeing anything at all in Myrtle Beach in July or August? (This is somewhat easier if you narrow your search window to just July 2010, then just August 2010.)

Our advice will vary depending on what the answers are to this.

2. I didn't seem to make much progress with the II website because it appears you have to actually exchange your week before you can see whats available?

No...in fact you do have to deposit in RCI, but not in II. You can do a search first in II. You don't have RCI and II mixed up, do you?

3. This is probably a silly question but if you deposit your week with II you no longer have the points in RCI?

Can't help you with this one--I don't know how points work. I suspect yes, once it's deposited as a week with II, you can't use the points in RCI.

I apologize in advance for any questions that may seem simple but its alittle challenging to find good info out there about timeshares. Hopefully a better understanding of the system will make me feel better about my purchase.

No problem! Good luck!

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Generally speaking, the more resorts there are in an area relative to demand, the less the trading power.

Daytona is a strike against you because there are so many resorts there. Most of them are not very noteworthy; a lot being older converted motels.

Then, it will depend on the week you week deposits. One of the race weeks would be best, peak summer second best.

Then, you have to deposit with RCI at least a year in advance to maxim ize trading power.

Then, trading power in RCI is not what it was before 5/30/09, seemingly for eanyone.

Maybe you can find someone here with something similar and see what they can see.

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

We recently purchased a timeshare in Daytona knowing very little about the system but we jumped right in!! We received memberships to RCI and II when we purchased it. I was hoping someone out there wouldn't mind answering a few newbie questions. Any help would be appreciated.

It would help if we knew what resort and what week u purchased - it the week is floating - what weeks does it float in?

1. Its early Feb and we are looking to take a trip to either Myrtle or Virginia beach in the July-Aug time frame. There is very little available currently through RCI for those destinations.

This statement tells me that u have deposited your week into RCI because u can not search in RCI without depositing your week

As I get closer to the summer will more places become available? For example with RCI it shows 26 resorts in Myrtle. How many of those should I expect to open up closer to July-Aug. I'd hate to jump at the first place available and find if I would have waited I would have had a better selection.

You are very late to be looking for summer 2010. RCI allows and encourages deposits 24 months ahead of check-in. It is not impossible but unlikely you will find anything in RCI for summer 2010.
You say u see 26 resorts for Myrtle beach/Virginia Beach - if they are there, why have you not confirmed an exchange? I suspect if you put in your dates and do a search, you will see many less resorts - but if you DO see a resort that is acceptable for your time frame, I suggest you make the exchange.

2. I didn't seem to make much progress with the II website because it appears you have to actually exchange your week before you can see whats available?

No, you can do a search on II without depositing your week. Is your week a floating ownership that may require a reservation number to do a search with?

3. This is probably a silly question but if you deposit your week with II you no longer have the points in RCI?

Not silly at all - if you deposit your week/points with a company - they are gone. You can not change your mind and ask for your week/points back. You can only deposit what u own once. There are some situations called "request first" where u do hold on to control of your unit until a match is made but more about this later.

But - do you own at a weeks property or a points property? Do you mean points at your resort or RCI points???

I apologize in advance for any questions that may seem simple but its a little challenging to find good info out there about timeshares. Hopefully a better understanding of the system will make me feel better about my purchase.

No problem - and I saw wacky's answer to you....this is my additional 3 cents

Knowing what u own will make these easier questions to answer.

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

I'm sorry, I'm very new myself to timesharing and have no answers to your questions.

I have a question of my own: did you buy from the developer? If so, then you may have made a huge and expensive mistake. If you bought it resale, then you probably did much better. For example, I paid $1 for each of our timeshares.

If you paid thousands for this timeshare, you may want to look at your paperwork and see if you can return it, get your money back, and then buy it resale.

Hope this helps.

Generally good advice but water under the bridge for this poster - they have already deposited their week in RCI.

So what did you buy for a buck????

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

I found that when I was new at the trading game it was better to call the exchange company and speak to a real person rather than use the web site. You will learn things that just dont click on the web site until you get the hang of the system. Beach towns in Florida have a much lower standard than other areas so I would be leary of taking a trade if you dont know what you are getting. Exchanges during school holidays are always tough, you should plan on booking at least 12 months out if you can.
Good Luck

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

Generally good advice but water under the bridge for this poster - they have already deposited their week in RCI.

So what did you buy for a buck????

See-I'm so new that I didn't even realize that.

Ebay. First one, the Crafts Inn in Wilmington, Vermont. Floating red week. We love the area so much, that pretty much all year is a red week for us.

Second week, week 51, Stowe, Vermont. See comment above about how much we love the area. Oh, and we love skiing.

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

See-I'm so new that I didn't even realize that.

Ebay. First one, the Crafts Inn in Wilmington, Vermont. Floating red week. We love the area so much, that pretty much all year is a red week for us.

Second week, week 51, Stowe, Vermont. See comment above about how much we love the area. Oh, and we love skiing.

Wow, you got a great bang for your buck - those are two nice ownerships1

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

You say u see 26 resorts for Myrtle beach/Virginia Beach - if they are there, why have you not confirmed an exchange? I suspect if you put in your dates and do a search, you will see many less resorts - but if you DO see a resort that is acceptable for your time frame, I suggest you make the exchange.

Pat, I think OP means there are 26 Myrtle Beach resorts in the RCI directory, or 26 Myrtle Beach resorts coming up on a search for any time. Myrtle Beach is probably pretty available in the winter!

I'm not sure if OP really has deposited into RCI. They may just be looking at the RCI online directory.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I found that when I was new at the trading game it was better to call the exchange company and speak to a real person rather than use the web site.

Yes, it is far better to have a professional screw it up.

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

See-I'm so new that I didn't even realize that.

Ebay. First one, the Crafts Inn in Wilmington, Vermont. Floating red week. We love the area so much, that pretty much all year is a red week for us.

Second week, week 51, Stowe, Vermont. See comment above about how much we love the area. Oh, and we love skiing.

You do not have to deposit first to search with II, however with a floating week you have to first call and reserve a week with your resort. You then have to enter the reservation number and then you will be able to search with II without depositing. RCI will not let you search available inventory untill you actually deposit a week with them,

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

RCI will not let you search available inventory untill you actually deposit a week with them,

So, deposit with RCI, search, and if you are not happy, withdraw it. The only reason you could not withdraw it is if it matches to someone's Ongoing Search.

Even then you can if there is an identical deposit in the Spacebank.

So I've been told.

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

1. Its early Feb and we are looking to take a trip to either Myrtle or Virginia beach in the July-Aug time frame. There is very little available currently through RCI for those destinations. As I get closer to the summer will more places become available? For example with RCI it shows 26 resorts in Myrtle. How many of those should I expect to open up closer to July-Aug. I'd hate to jump at the first place available and find if I would have waited I would have had a better selection.

.

Pat, I think OP means there are 26 Myrtle Beach resorts in the RCI directory, or 26 Myrtle Beach resorts coming up on a search for any time. Myrtle Beach is probably pretty available in the winter!

I'm not sure if OP really has deposited into RCI. They may just be looking at the RCI online directory.

It seems to me that when he says "There is very little available in RCI currently" that he must have deposited - otherwise, how would he know there is nothing during his time?
I agree that the reference to the 26 resorts implies that he is seeing these in the directory or else searching without date constraints.

Hope the OP comes back to join in our lively discussion!

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

So, deposit with RCI, search, and if you are not happy, withdraw it. The only reason you could not withdraw it is if it matches to someone's Ongoing Search.

Even then you can if there is an identical deposit in the Spacebank.

So I've been told.

This is a risky gamble - it is based on RCI telling u the truth about the status of your deposit - I would not count this as a realistic option - especially for a 'newbie'