The Truth About Mugwump Swamp & Slimey Slough

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

Because sometimes you have to explain (just about) everything in order for (just about) everyone to get it, here it is.

Because I have seen the Lose What You Brag About Syndrome, aka The Tug Kiss of Death, come to fruition far too many times, I have been careful not to blab about what we own or how it trades, other than to let it be known that it does (did) well.

I can post it, because I saved it, but I do have confirmation that RCI monitors what we say and makes adjustments based on that, and that oftimes we are our own worst enemy. (pretty much the actual words said to me.)

In the supply and demand equation, it does not take many deposits to tip the balance, so why tempt fate? Why tip it yourself through meaningless boasting and posturing with strangers, 99.9999% of whom you will never have a meaningful real relationship with, or gain anything from?

Very few know what we own and I appreciate the job they have done in keeping it to themselves.

So, I have purposely referred to our resorts as Mugwump Swamp and Slimey Slough for that reason, and for the reason that it is no one's business but mine/ours.

That self-deprecating humor has been adopted by others and that's fine with me, since it has helped accomplish my purpose of non-disclosure (and is slightly entertaining.)

For those who have jumped on the you have gotten unfairly good uptrades for far too long and now you have to pay the price bandwagon, opinions based on no facts, of course, here is the truth.

Mugwump Swamp/Slimey Slough has been at the top of the Trading Power heap since I was first able to know that, a TUG Trading Power Test in 1999. It was at the top of every TUG Trading Power Test since then, and was able to see anything/everything posted as a Sighting or an RCI Ex Op (except for ones already taken, of course). Plus, unknowingly, a highly respected person here posted exactly it as an Ex Op, a highly desirable exchange (right in the middle of the piling on).

When Disney arrived last year, for instance, it could see them all.

Then, suddenly, never-explained stuff happened, to a lot of us, in what has been come to be known as 5/30/09.

For those who still wish to ride the you got unfairly good trades for far too long bandwagon, was RCI wrong all those years, or are they wrong now? If they were wrong all those years, how can you trust them to be right now?

Either way, it was not me who was or is wrong.

I will follow this up with our trade history, the 22 exchanges still posted in our account at rci.com, and what it will now take to get each of them with the same deposit.

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

Thank you for your confession.... so you actually had a really good trader and you were REALLY downgraded in May 09.

It is nice of you to come clean to the group.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Thank you for your confession.... so you actually had a really good trader and you were REALLY downgraded in May 09.

It is nice of you to come clean to the group.

You know, looking at the TPUs for so many things as I do, I don't think there are a ton that are unreasonable or unfair. There are several that I've noticed, and there are discrepancies within a region, and some plain obvious glitches. But there are a lot of very good trades available in the mid-range. And I think what happened in May was that there was an adjustment to try to level the playing field some, and to cut down on major upgrades in terms of supply/demand. And unit size, which is now accounted for at least to some degree. Now we all have an opportunity to adjust however we choose.

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

As promised, here is our trade history and how many of the same deposits used to get our trades it would now take. Actually, because of duplication errors on rci.com, we only have 16, one of which was last minute, so I won't count it. It is esentially because our deposits were good traders that it is not worse.

We are, as you can see, 0 for 15. You might pick up on the pattern .

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

so you actually had a really good trader and you were REALLY downgraded in May 09.

I confess that enquiring minds want to know: what is the maximum trading power for any of your (actually-deposited or could-be-deposited) weeks? I also had deposits that saw literally everything, and I also got dinged on 5/30/09...not as bad as some...and my TPs range from 28 to 31 on deposits.

It is nice of you to come clean to the group.

Ditto.

how many of the same deposits used to get our trades it would now take.

Don't be quite so sure. The deposit calculator seems to unduly reward high-value deposits, but they require less when actually in the spacebank. There is still hope. There is always hope. That's why we keep playing the exchange game. That, and golf. Someday, I will once again hit that perfect shot.

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

Bnoble - unfortunately I am noticing that the fall 2012 inventory is significantly higher in required TPUs to get in then the same time/weeks in Fall 2011....the shift seems to have begun, and not in a good direction

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

Max is 22, but not the deposits that were former Top Traders. They are 19, 16 and 16.
- - - - - -
I/we are pretty close to finalizing my/our feelings.

First, it does not matter to us that 85% of available inventory is still available for one deposit. What matters is that everything we have done and everything we had planned to do with RCI takes two deposits.

The thought I stumbled onto a little while ago . . . were they wrong all those years, or are they wrong now . . . seems important.

If our deposits were really crappy and didn't deserve squat, how could they not see that for more than ten years? How can they be trusted to be right now if they were that wrong that many years? It goes to their credibility in assigning Trading Power.

If they are wrong now, they are wrong now, which would be better for them cuz it would mean they were right before, for much longer, than they have now been wrong.

They cannot possibly be right about every resort, every week, everywhere.

In any event, the only thing that matters to us is us, and as far as us goes, we got screwed. How is it not just plain price-gouging an existing customer, speaking just of us?

Speaking of everyone, do you think the new system will/would not produce more income for the same number of exchanges using the same deposits system-wide (speaking of everyones' trade history)? It couldn't produce less, could it? Is it not just more money for doing the same business with the same (somewhat) captive audience?

As DW just said, how is it any different than the bank doubling your house payment just cuz they decided to? (Don't really want an answer, just rhetorical.)

That's how I/we feel. Your opinions would apply to you and your relationship with RCI, not ours. Everyone's is different, differrent deposits and different trades and different circumstances.

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

I feel your pain. I really, absolutely, positively feel your pain and for the exact same reasons.

Five years to figure out "peak" week to deposit and even before the final trials, I saw almost everything. Ten years of seeing everything.

Current max value. 17

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

Mugwump Swamp & Slimey Slough

Never heard of them
Are these timeshares resorts in
Des Moines or Branson Missouri

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

The thought I stumbled onto a little while ago . . . were they wrong all those years, or are they wrong now . . . seems important?

Not really. I wrote in another thread (in response to someone else) that I cannot think of a single documented case where a customer convinced RCI that they were wrong in their valuation of trade power. That's anyone---long time customers and fresh-faced new owners. Not. One. Time.

So, whether they are wrong now, or were wrong then, is somewhat beside the point, because even if they are "wrong" now, they aren't going to change their minds...unless they decide to, of course.

The question, now, is: what are you going to do about it? Here is what I see as your options. There are three categories: "continue to use RCI Weeks", "continue to exchange", and "other":

1: Continue to use RCI Weeks
1a: combine deposits, or
1b: sell mugwump and slimey, and buy something that (today) has a better $/TP ratio.

I don't like either of these options, because it's just not clear that there are enough FL/SGC deposits for January in Weeks even if you had the very best tiger ever.

2: Continue to exchange, but not with RCI Weeks
2a: use your weeks with an independent,
2b: sell your weeks, buy "better" ones, and use *those* with an independent
2c: see how RCI Points might work out for you.

I don't know enough to know whether or not I like these options. I suspect RCI Points isn't going to be very helpful; few of the resorts in that area are new enough to be into Points in a big way. SFX? Maybe---but depending on Mugwump and Slimey, you may have to dump your existing weeks and pick up some new ones.

3: Other
3a: Dump your timeshares, and buy some weeks in FL/SGC in January, at a resort you would like to visit annually.
3b: Dump your timeshares, and from now on just rent what you want from those who *do* own at FL/SGC in Janaury
3c: Dump your timeshares, and decide that, perhaps, you've had enough for FL/SGC in January, and would like to do something else (or nothing at all).

I can't tell you whether or not you'll like 3c. I suspect not. That leaves 3a or 3b. Knowing what I know about you, my advice is to start scouring the resale channels for FL/SGC in January, or start enjoying the rental market. Yes, it might cost you more money than it "used to." But, what it "used to" cost is no longer relevant, because that's no longer what it costs.

To sum up: you've long said that when RCI no longer meets your needs, you'd walk. It's time to put on those walking shoes, I think. RCI has finally forced your hand---they did the deed on 5/30/09, and let you see the evidence on 11/15/10.

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

Never heard of them
Are these timeshares resorts in
Des Moines or Branson Missouri

and you won't. They are fictitous names for real resorts. Just as my Arid Acres is.

ETA: For those of us who didn't own Foxrun or Cape Cod or SCal coastal summer or South Africa and never stated openly WHAT it was we owned.

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

Not really. I wrote in another thread (in response to someone else) that I cannot think of a single documented case where a customer convinced RCI that they were wrong in their valuation of trade power. That's anyone---long time customers and fresh-faced new owners. Not. One. Time.

So, whether they are wrong now, or were wrong then, is somewhat beside the point, because even if they are "wrong" now, they aren't going to change their minds...unless they decide to, of course.

The question, now, is: what are you going to do about it? Here is what I see as your options. There are three categories: "continue to use RCI Weeks", "continue to exchange", and "other":

1: Continue to use RCI Weeks
1a: combine deposits, or
1b: sell mugwump and slimey, and buy something that (today) has a better $/TP ratio.

I don't like either of these options, because it's just not clear that there are enough FL/SGC deposits for January in Weeks even if you had the very best tiger ever.

2: Continue to exchange, but not with RCI Weeks
2a: use your weeks with an independent,
2b: sell your weeks, buy "better" ones, and use *those* with an independent
2c: see how RCI Points might work out for you.

I don't know enough to know whether or not I like these options. I suspect RCI Points isn't going to be very helpful; few of the resorts in that area are new enough to be into Points in a big way. SFX? Maybe---but depending on Mugwump and Slimey, you may have to dump your existing weeks and pick up some new ones.

3: Other
3a: Dump your timeshares, and buy some weeks in FL/SGC in January, at a resort you would like to visit annually.
3b: Dump your timeshares, and from now on just rent what you want from those who *do* own at FL/SGC in Janaury
3c: Dump your timeshares, and decide that, perhaps, you've had enough for FL/SGC in January, and would like to do something else (or nothing at all).

I can't tell you whether or not you'll like 3c. I suspect not. That leaves 3a or 3b. Knowing what I know about you, my advice is to start scouring the resale channels for FL/SGC in January, or start enjoying the rental market. Yes, it might cost you more money than it "used to." But, what it "used to" cost is no longer relevant, because that's no longer what it costs.

To sum up: you've long said that when RCI no longer meets your needs, you'd walk. It's time to put on those walking shoes, I think. RCI has finally forced your hand---they did the deed on 5/30/09, and let you see the evidence on 11/15/10.

or rent Mugwump and Slimey and rent SW Gulf

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

That's only useful if Mugwump and Slimey return more in rental proceeds than they cost in MFs. It needs to be *more* because renting is (a) work and (b) risky.

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

For now I am taking the option . . . none of the above.

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

That's only useful if Mugwump and Slimey return more in rental proceeds than they cost in MFs. It needs to be *more* because renting is (a) work and (b) risky.

True but Mugwump, at least, is rentable and given the amount of effort spent over the last few years in attaining the trade the work spent renting would be negligible.