Purchasing DRI points

[Mikedp19 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mikedp19]

I am looking at buying 4000 points for about $7800. Includes The Club. I have 4 other timeshares and use II. If I have the club I can bank the other weeks for points each year or bank with II. Is this a good investment to get into the Club?
Thanks for the help

Mike D

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

It depends on how you will use your membership. The advantage is that you can exchange into any of the resorts that are part of the club without having to pay an exchange fee or go through II. Take a look at DRI's website and determine if you will use those properties. You don't give your location, so if are on the East Coast, keep in mind there are very few DRI resorts on this side of the US. The only exceptions are Williamsburg and Orlando, which almost always seem to be available. The New England DRI resorts have extremely limited availability. I did see three weeks for a one BDRM in Massachusetts, but they were snapped up immediately and went for 11,000 points.
Also keep in mind - if you do not already own with DRI, those 4000 points won't get you far. Most of the DRI resorts start out with at least a 5000 point requirement for a studio or 1 BDRM. The only ways to get more value for those limited points are to book off season, book 60 days out (and hope that something is available - highly unlikely in popular places) or to bank your points (you can bank up to one year's points, so that would give you 8000 every other year).
IMO - If you are not already a DRI owner, this is an expensive proposition. For that $7800 you could get a lot of exchanges in II for the TS you already own. The 4000 DRI points you are looking at won't get you much for a trade - if anything. Also take a look at the getaways. Some of those go for really cheap, and you don't have to give up your existing points or week, or pay an exchange fee.

[Mikedp19 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mikedp19]

Thanks longtimer

I really appreciate your comments. I am on the east coast in NJ. I figured I would have to bank a least one of my weeks at Westate to get 9500 points added to the 4000 I would have to purchase to get into the Club. I kinda feel the same way, I can manuver what I currently have just as well.
I just did not want to pass on what could be a good deal. Having the Club benefits plus the 4000 point for 7900 did not seem bad if the club would really enhance my use. If I banked all of mt exsisting timeshare weeks at Westgage and bay and beach I would have about 40,000 points to use in the Club or with II.

Mike

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

Could be a good idea

I really appreciate your comments. I am on the east coast in NJ. I figured I would have to bank a least one of my weeks at Westate to get 9500 points added to the 4000 I would have to purchase to get into the Club. I kinda feel the same way, I can manuver what I currently have just as well.
I just did not want to pass on what could be a good deal. Having the Club benefits plus the 4000 point for 7900 did not seem bad if the club would really enhance my use. If I banked all of mt exsisting timeshare weeks at Westgage and bay and beach I would have about 40,000 points to use in the Club or with II.

Mike

Hi Mike,

After reading this post I am getting the idea that you are speaking of using Club Select to place your weeks in to get the additional DRI Club points. If that's the case and you will have 40,000 points, then you will have more than enough points to do pretty much whatever you wish in the Club. If you would like to bring lots of family on vacations and need additional rooms in one place this could be beneficial. I like Club Select because I can turn my Ko Olina to points and get multiple rooms in various places that are in DRI. I have used my DRI points to trade in Newport Coast Villas, Beachplace Towers, Grande Vista and Palm Desert properties. All of these were Marriott properties. I have also used the DRI points for to get multiple rooms at these places.

You must consider that it will cost you money to convert those Westgate timeshares into points. What is important is how you plan to use the points and how many you will need.

It all depends on what you want to do, but yes, it can be a good investment.

[Ryne08 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ryne08]

Can you just purchase 1000 points?

[Mikedp19 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mikedp19]

DRI Point

I had an offer for less points but it did not really make sense. I am keeping everything I have ( 1 week @ westgate, 3 at Bay and beach) and get 4000 points.
I think I will pass on the offer. I am still a bit leary of spending more cash just to get the option of points. Maybe down the road I will look again. I will just keep working my weeks.

If anyone thinks points are the way to go for the future over full weeks please advise.

Thanks again,
Mike

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

I haven't used Club Select, So I can't comment on the value of that part of the DRI membership. Perhaps others who have used it can let us know about their experiences and whether it works for them.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

I haven't used Club Select, So I can't comment on the value of that part of the DRI membership. Perhaps others who have used it can let us know about their experiences and whether it works for them.

Club Select can be a nice program. You get a set number of points for your Club Select deposit, and if your annual cost for that property is low enough, it could be the cheapest way to get DRI points. At the very least, it gives you another option to depositing with an exchange company. For example, for us we may be having a family get together on Kaua'i this summer. If everyone decides to join in, we will need another unit. I've deposited a one-bedroom with DRI, and I'll combine that with some other unused points to end up with a second two-bedroom unit in Po'ipu to go with the one we already reserved.

******

When we got into the DRI program, we were told that within a few months DRI was going to change Club Select so that, for units brought into the Club Select program after that date, the property could only be deposited int o Club Select five times. (IOW - if you got Club Select authorized for a unit prior to that date, there would be no limit on the number of times you could put the unit into Club Select. After the date, you couldn't put it in again after five times without a reauthorization for another five deposits. And reauthorization would only occur with the purchase of additional points.)

I don't know if that was salesman talk or if that change actually occurred. If I were bringing a unit into Club Select now I would try to negotiate for unlimited deposits and a guarantee of points I would receive for the deposit, at least for as long as the resort maintained its ranking with RCI/II. And if the resort were downgraded by RCI or II, I would want to be sure of the points I would receive in that case.

If I couldn't get unlimited deposits, I would certainly try to get assurances of deposit for as many deposits as I think I might reasonably want to make and the points I would receive.

[JustLooking4TheBeach Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JustLooking4TheBeach]

I got unlimited deposits for two timeshares when I recently bought additional points.