Are there still tricks an old dog can learn?

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

I've learned that my 2011/12 10,000 BG points expire on July 31 and my new 10,000 points (purchased from BG) become available on August 1,2012. I assumed Aug 1 was both my expiration and new points received date, and I was planning to combine the two in order to reserve a good week in the BG system to deposit with RCI. However, the little bit of reading I've done today tells me much has changed. Apparently I need to pay to save the old points and I'm limited on what season I can use them for. Can I combine the saved points with the new? Also, I think I read that we no longer reserve a week at a BG resort and deposit it with RCI and then find a week available via a RCI online search. In the past, I would reserve a July Christmas Mountain 2-bedroom, or a LAI 1 bedroom in the spring, or a Big Cedar 1 bedroom in the summer that I would deposit with RCI.. One of those would allow a 2 bedroom desirable trade for a RCI listing or even back into the BG system for resorts, dates and number of bedrooms that I did not have enough BG points to reserve through BG itself. Will I no longer be able to do that? What should I do to get a really good 2 bedroom trade like Samoset or Cape Cod properties in early fall or Manhattan Club (suite) during school vacations? I don't want to buy more points as then I would have another maintenance fee and I might as well get out of timesharing and rent. Appreciate your help as lose/gain point time is right around the corner!

Glynda

[gandalf252002 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close gandalf252002]

However, the little bit of reading I've done today tells me much has changed. Apparently I need to pay to save the old points and I'm limited on what season I can use them for.

Yes, it is now $35 a year to save points and these can only be used in Blue, White and Red seasons. They can also be used in RCI but off hand can't remember if it is 45 days out or 6 months out. Perhaps someone else can verify that one.

Can I combine the saved points with the new?

You can, but since the saved points can only be used during Red season you will be somewhat limited in what you can get.

Also, I think I read that we no longer reserve a week at a BG resort and deposit it with RCI and then find a week available via a RCI online search. In the past, I would reserve a July Christmas Mountain 2-bedroom, or a LAI 1 bedroom in the spring, or a Big Cedar 1 bedroom in the summer that I would deposit with RCI... One of those would allow a 2 bedroom desirable trade for a RCI listing or even back into the BG system for resorts, dates and number of bedrooms that I did not have enough BG points to reserve through BG itself. Will I no longer be able to do that? What should I do to get a really good 2 bedroom trade like Samoset or Cape Cod properties in early fall or Manhattan Club (suite) during school vacations?

This also is true. When you log in to the Blue Green site under Traveler’s plus, nightly stays you will be taken to what is called the "Cross-over Grid". Each resort has different point values, during various seasons just like Blue Green / RCI. It may be possible to get back into a resort for fewer points than if booking directly through Blue Green but any savings are generally eaten by the exchange fee. You'll have to do some research to see where you will find the value. As for securing specific times / locations it is best to put in an ongoing request.

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

Thank you! I'm not in Traveler's Plus. Will that deter me from searching? Would I would be better off to pay my fees in advance in order to borrow points to add to new deposit Aug 1 than to combine the saved and new?

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

You bring up an interesting aspect about the RCI Points thing - why is it under TP? Do those without TP still only have RCI Weeks??

I've used this a time or two and I wouldn't call it exchanging, I would call it directly using BG points to book via RCI. You do not make a deposit (altho you can still do that with other exchange companies if you so desire to belong to them), it's more real-time.

regardless, saved points have always only been good in red time and below, that part is not new. The charge is new, it not being automatic is a reversal back to how it used to be when you'd have to call to save points.

Manhatten Club inventory is now available to BG owners but I have no real info on that.

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

I was able to search on RCI without actually depositing points first. That's a good thing. But either saved points have lost a lot of value or the amount of points assigned to various resorts in RCI is now higher. I'm really discouraged but will pay to save these and wait until I get the new ones Aug 1 and search with them. With 10,000 BG points and the BG weeks exchanged that I mentioned in my first post above, I've gotten a 2 bedroom Shearwater, Kauaii, 2 bedroom Solara Surfside, 2 bedroom log cabin at Big Cedar, Manhattan Club, two bedroom Fountains twice, 2 bedroom Sheraton in Scottsdale and Orlando, 2 bedroom Wyndham in Newport. Most likely they were not high red, but I'm not seeing any of those now and looking at the BG points for RCI, I won't be able to. Sigh.

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

So. I just did a search for Manhattan Club the same month and week I booked it before with a 10,000 point exchange of a July Christmas Mountain 2 Bedroom Timbers and it's available, but for 35,000 Bluegreen points!!!!! I think it's time to get out of Bluegreen. Out of timesharing all together. Sheesh!

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

Try a different exchange company! DAELive.com is very customer-friendly and would accept a larger range of deposits. I've not found them to be greedy fee-hikers like RCI.

You can also rent out what you book via Bluegreen and rent where you want to go. Cash is always good.

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

You bring up an interesting aspect about the RCI Points thing - why is it under TP? Do those without TP still only have RCI Weeks??

That is a good question - I have TP so do not know the answer.

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

You bring up an interesting aspect about the RCI Points thing - why is it under TP? Do those without TP still only have RCI Weeks??

Essentially. And it seems to me that, much of the time, the prices for those weeks are generally about what a BG resort would cost -- the Orlando resorts cost about what it would to stay at the Fountains, for instance. While admittedly I haven't sat down and done a study, the only time I've noticed RCI resorts being significantly cheaper than BG is well off season.

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

So. I just did a search for Manhattan Club the same month and week I booked it before with a 10,000 point exchange of a July Christmas Mountain 2 Bedroom Timbers and it's available, but for 35,000 Bluegreen points!!!!! I think it's time to get out of Bluegreen. Out of timesharing all together. Sheesh!

SFX-resorts gets alot of Manhattan Club. You could book something and deposit with them and get more bang for your buck, especially if you want Manhattan Club. BG also owns some units at MC that I believe can be booked directly within the club.

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

You bring up an interesting aspect about the RCI Points thing - why is it under TP? Do those without TP still only have RCI Weeks??

That's how it works in Wyndham. Resale purchases only have access to weeks inventory while direct purchases have access to both.
HGVC luckily doesn't treat the resale buyer as a second class citizen so we have access to both sides of inventory but I guess BG decided to go the way of Wyndham on this one.

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

I went checking on this because BG has "always" included RCI membership, it doesn't matter how you purchase it (I believe it is part of the annual fees, not mf) and it wouldn't make sense to suddenly yank it away, either.

Turns out that the only extra bennie TP has is Nightly Stays. All BG owners seem to still have the BG portal - I found the link via FAQs.

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

I guess BG decided to go the way of Wyndham on this one.

Traveler's Plus is an extra you buy upfront (and have to renew every year or you lose it) that's got its own fee -- doesn't have anything to do with resales (except you can't get it when buying without paying BG prices, of course).

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

Traveler's Plus is an extra you buy upfront (and have to renew every year or you lose it) that's got its own fee -- doesn't have anything to do with resales (except you can't get it when buying without paying BG prices, of course).

I understand the nightly stays within the BG club are part of TP, but nightly stays within RCI seems to be access to RCI points inventory somehow.
I know that it is the case with HGVC and Wyndham portals.
That's what I was referring to. That's how Wyndham has us resale owners blocked from RCI points inventory and thought that possibly BG has done the same.
There are different levels of RCI inventory availability depending on how you buy.
Of course I don't own BG points just a UDI so it's just my hunch.

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

Chris, you are mostly right. RCI used to be a Weeks program for BG'ers, it changed to Points "recently" (the past year or 2? don't know for sure when). So all BG owners should have the RCI points portal, it's just that TP'ers also get teh Nightly RCI Points stays.

Nightly stays within BG club are available to all owners. There is no name for that, it's just how it works. I am guessing that you meant RCI vs BG here. Just specifying for others who may stumble upon the thread and think they are limited to full week bookings within BG.