RCI why the huge difference in summer 2011 vs summer 2012

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

There is one aspect of supply and demand that may be influencing some of these numbers.

In the old system, one got more trading power to deposit more than a year out. That incentive no longer exists in the Brave New World of Points Lite at least in what is presented as readily visible to the member. Now there is no incentive to deposit more than 6 months out. Depositing over a year out usually requires things like paying a m/f early which can be a bit of a pain. Now, with RCI removing the incentive, I suspect that there are fewer of the longer range deposits. The limited test I have done does not show RCI giving more points lite buried in their system to these long range deposits, either.

Meanwhile, many longtime members have gotten into the habit of exchanging at a long time range. For many, exchanging over 6 months out is a real necessity to make use of their ff miles, or they want maximum flexibility to get the best airfares. So the demand for longer term exchanges is still there, but the supply has likely gone down due to RCI's changes in the system.

Whether RCI caused this by outright gouging or by screwing up the system for time of deposit, the blame is still with RCI. Indeed, I suspect it is a bit of both. However, until we get FULL TRANSPARENCY, including transparency of how they compile their numbers racket, we will not know for sure. One thing for certain is that the half-way transparency of Points Lite is the worst of both worlds.

In a fair and honest system, what is sauce for the goose ought to be sauce for the gander. Those depositing weeks more than a year out ought to get more points lite for their deposits to correspond with the higher points lite that RCI is charging for exchanging into those weeks. They do not seem to be. Just one more bit of rot in what is becoming a more and more corrupt exchange system.

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

It's simple, 2012 is the last year of the world so they need to make as much as they can !!!

A good BING post!

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

How RCI could improve this

RCI has created conditions that discourage deposits a year or more out with changes they made in introducing Points Lite. There are two ways they could make minor modifications that would increase these deposits:

1) They could add to the chart giving reductions for deposits less than 6 months out by also including additions for deposits at longer timeframes, say 10% extra points lite for deposits over 9 months out, or 20% for deposits over 12 months out. This would encourage earlier deposits. This could also be done selectively, such as for any deposit valued at 20 points lite or more.

or

2) They could increase the points lite shown on the deposit calculator for earlier deposits. This could be done selectively for the weeks and resorts most in demand.

Either way, they need to strike a balance where for such weeks the value in is the same as the value out at the same point in time. Otherwise, they are playing a crooked shell game with their members.

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

You should really take a look at what the "ask" is for the first full week of September....GREAT time for the emptynesters but HELLO ALL THE KIDS ARE BACK IN SCHOOL! Most of us don't need or want 2BR or 3BR units at highly inflated TPUs.

After I finish up regelar ex-ops I'll go back and take a snapshot of what I'm referring to.

Here's one to ponder until I do a better synopsis:


The pools are closed labor day to memorial day. The resort is 10 miles from beaches of Ocean City, MD. There are stairs leading to upper level of units, so may be concern for disabled guest. Contact resort in advance. The resort is located in a heavily wooded area, insects and bugs may be a problem.




Atlantic Resorts (#5002)
Be the first to write a review
The Borderlinks
Berlin, MD 21811
USA
www.theatlanticresorts.com


Units that meet your criteria Total Units Available: 9

Unit Type Max Occup
(Privacy) Kitchen Check-In Date Check-Out Date Price Exchange Trading Power

3 Bedrooms 8 (8) Full Fri 02-Sep-2011 Fri 09-Sep-2011 Exchange Fee 41

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

Checked any really nice last minute (under 30 days to check-in) weeks lately? I didn't think so.

DW has the crazy idea of a Girls Week Out to our Florida, schedule to close Monday. There are no Last Calls or EV or exchanges to anywhere on the left coast.

Nothing

Nowhere

Zip

Zilch

Nada

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

The old system was based on supply and demand. Bulkbanking, a stupid policy by stupid resort managers which hurt their members, created a sudden increase in the supply all at once which then knocked down trading power. In the new system, instead of relying on an honest system of valuatiion like supply and demand, RCI seems to constantly have its thumb on the scales.

So is supply and demand good or bad?
Seems to me that doing a bulk banking but putting a fair price tag on it and not letting it go to any mugwump swamp owner who happens to think they are entitled to it is a fair thing to do.
Why penalize the majority of TS owners who are unitiated in exchanging by just leaving them the crappy units lingering on the shelves?
That is one of the reasons that I never really got into the exchanging game and just bought to use until I discovered ya'll and was enlightened to the world of possibilities.
I'm not sure RCI did the majority of the TS owners a disservice. Even though I didn't get a ton of TPU's for my weeks, it did allow me to get something I never could have before and I think that that was the intent on the new system. Of course RCI is going to make a profit, any good business will look for the win-win for most. Can't please everyone though.

One thing I think we are seeing is the result of the ''change back'' policy of Points Lite. Since RCI has to give change back, they want to gouge you everywhere they can so they don't have to. If ''change back'' means being gouged by RCI on our primary trades, then ''change back'' is more of a bad thing for members than good.

Why is this change back considered gouging?
If you have 35 TPU's and it only takes 25 then you have 10 left. How is that gouging? Shooooot with 10 I can do a last minute gig somewhere. So they get another exchange fee. Is it really that horrid of a crime to let it's members take an extra vacation where in the past they would not have?

DW has the crazy idea of a Girls Week Out to our Florida, schedule to close Monday. There are no Last Calls or EV or exchanges to anywhere on the left coast.

Nothing

Nowhere

Zip

Zilch

Nada

And there won't be and haven't been any last calls worth having until around May historically. Unless you want to go to Lehigh Acres.

I do see Open Season availability in HGVC though but then you'd have to own HGVC and get out of weeks.

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

Why is this change back considered gouging?
If you have 35 TPU's and it only takes 25 then you have 10 left. How is that gouging? Shooooot with 10 I can do a last minute gig somewhere. So they get another exchange fee. Is it really that horrid of a crime to let it's members take an extra vacation where in the past they would not have?

I too am puzzled by this logic. It seems that "change back" would work to RCI's benefit and they would encourage it. If there is enough change, you can use it for an extra exchange and they get an additional exchange fee. If there is a little, many people will not want to leave it on the table so they will combine it with another deposit, again generating a fee to RCI. Those who hate RCI complain that they are profit oriented; this increases profits (and some customers occasionally benefit).

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

I too am puzzled by this logic. It seems that "change back" would work to RCI's benefit and they would encourage it. If there is enough change, you can use it for an extra exchange and they get an additional exchange fee. If there is a little, many people will not want to leave it on the table so they will combine it with another deposit, again generating a fee to RCI. Those who hate RCI complain that they are profit oriented; this increases profits (and some customers occasionally benefit).

And you could always just let the 10 TPU's expire. I've had to do with with other points systems that I own. Sometimes it's just not worth combining so I let it go or borrow from next years points and combine. I don't think this is such a big deal but then again I'm more partial to points systems anyway.
Trying to cut my ties with weeks unless they can be deposited also as points.