Late Break / Last Call Availability

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

I'm studying up on Wyndham timeshares, wondering if they would be right for my family. I know you can get good deals if you wait until the last minute to book your vacation (Through Wyndham). I also know RCI has the same sort of setup.

I really just want to take my family to Myrtle beach once a year, at the beginning of September (one week after PRIME season ends). I don't need much, oceanfront would be nice of course. 1 bedroom is fine.

Is it pretty easy to find these last call deals around this time period at the beach? I don't have much to invest into my first timeshare purchase, so I'm wondering if I can't buy a small plan that wouldn't normally buy me a week during this time, but just use the points to find these last chance deals.

Is this a good strategy, or should I have the points available just in case I can't find any availability.

Thanks,
--Michael

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

I'm studying up on Wyndham timeshares, wondering if they would be right for my family. I know you can get good deals if you wait until the last minute to book your vacation (Through Wyndham). I also know RCI has the same sort of setup.

I really just want to take my family to Myrtle beach once a year, at the beginning of September (one week after PRIME season ends). I don't need much, oceanfront would be nice of course. 1 bedroom is fine.

Is it pretty easy to find these last call deals around this time period at the beach? I don't have much to invest into my first timeshare purchase, so I'm wondering if I can't buy a small plan that wouldn't normally buy me a week during this time, but just use the points to find these last chance deals.

Is this a good strategy, or should I have the points available just in case I can't find any availability.

Thanks,
--Michael

Welcome Michael,

With Wyndham/Fairshare Plus, you always have to use points to book a reservation for a vacation. It does not use any last minute booking with cash.

I looked at RCI's Extra Vacations, there are 44 SC resorts available in September 2008. The prices range from $250 to $450 or so. All that is available on RCI Last Call are 2 months, July and August. Once August comes, then you will be able to see the availability for September.

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

Thanks Mike,

I was recently on a Wyndam sales presentation, so they sold me on the idea, now I'm just researching the details after rejecting their terrible offer! The sales guy mentioned Wyndam had last chance deals too, so either he was lying or didn't know (he said he had only been there 4 months).

I was hoping I could buy a cheap timeshare and just use it to book these last minute deals. Does RCI have a way to use points to purchase these, or do you always have to pay cash up front? It doesn't seem like it would be a good deal to have to pay more cash, if that is the case!

Thanks again!
--Michael

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

Thanks Mike,

I was recently on a Wyndam sales presentation, so they sold me on the idea, now I'm just researching the details after rejecting their terrible offer! The sales guy mentioned Wyndam had last chance deals too, so either he was lying or didn't know (he said he had only been there 4 months).

I was hoping I could buy a cheap timeshare and just use it to book these last minute deals. Does RCI have a way to use points to purchase these, or do you always have to pay cash up front? It doesn't seem like it would be a good deal to have to pay more cash, if that is the case!

Thanks again!
--Michael

Well,

Wyndham does have discounts for excess inventory at selected resorts. These discounts are available to all owners, not just VIPs. VIPs are entitled to discounts at all resorts within 60 days, subject to availability.

Understand RCI is an exchange company and not a timeshare company. It only can make units available that are deposited by owners or developers. So that is a limitation right there.

Also, RCI has 2 programs, Weeks and Points. In Weeks you deposit a week to exchange for a week. With Points, your TS unit is put in the RCI Points program and you get points to spend like cash. You use the points to book a reservation from 1 to 7 or more nights.

RCI has inventory (being kind here) that it rents for cash. These are in their Extra Vacations and Last Minute programs. RCI members often wonder where the source of these weeks come from because lots of the good stuff ends up in these cash programs.

To be a member of RCI, you allegedly have to own a TS. In Wyndham, you get a RCI membership with you ownership.

My advice is to stay around here, keep your money in your pocket, and learn, learn, learn, and then learn some more. You can save thousands of dollars by doing so. Most people will recommend burying resale, and I agree with them.

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

Thanks again Mike,

I do understand using RCI points to book a vacation at a normal point range.

Is there something though to use these RCI points to book a last minute deal at a fraction of the points. On a previous sales tour at a RCI resort, I thought I remember the guy trying to sell me on vacationing cheaply 45 days out that cost a really limited amount of points. If something like this does exist, do they require any cash up front, like the RCI booking fee of $169/week?

Thanks, you are being quite helpful as we work through this process!
--Michael

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

Thanks again Mike,

I do understand using RCI points to book a vacation at a normal point range.

Is there something though to use these RCI points to book a last minute deal at a fraction of the points. On a previous sales tour at a RCI resort, I thought I remember the guy trying to sell me on vacationing cheaply 45 days out that cost a really limited amount of points. If something like this does exist, do they require any cash up front, like the RCI booking fee of $169/week?

Thanks, you are being quite helpful as we work through this process!
--Michael

I am not a RCI Points owner, so those of you who are please add to this. My understanding is that 45 days or less to check in that you can get RCI Point stays for 9,000 RCI Points. How that works, someone else needs to provide more accurate information.

[Jya-Ning Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Jya-Ning]

I am not a RCI Points owner, so those of you who are please add to this. My understanding is that 45 days or less to check in that you can get RCI Point stays for 9,000 RCI Points. How that works, someone else needs to provide more accurate information.

Not on RCI point resort. On 45 days, you can get RCI week inventory with 9000 points. That what is famous point raid on week. If you want to get RCI pointinventory, it is what defined in the beginning. But you probably have good chance to see it in last call too.

Don't expect too much in Wyndham's discount period. I would not believe MB in Sept will have discount. But I believe you can use week exchange and get discount at maybe 1 1/2 years to 14 days out.

Jya-Ning