More Stuff That Doesn't Make Sense

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

Warning: This will likely be painstakingly boring to the disinterested.

Old news: For 20-plus years we have been getting exchanges one-for-one. November 16, 2010, that all ended. The last 18, and more than half of our 115-plus exchanges could no longer be gotten with the deposits we used to get them. Some of them would take as many as four deposits, close to $3000 in cost.

As an example, our best deposit is valued at 18 and the crappy 50-year-old beachfront motel conversion we had been trading into for two weeks each of past three Januarys needed more than that.

Some of the crappiest SW FL resorts:

Charlotte Bay Resort and Club (#5107) 1 available units
Charlotte Harbor
FL, 33980
USA
map resort Available Unit Size
2 Bedroom
Check-In Date
31-Mar-2012
Exchange Trading Power
30
- - - - - -
Marco Resort and Club (#1861) 1 available units
Marco Island
FL, 34145
USA
map resort Available Unit Size
1 Bedroom
Check-In Date
02-Apr-2011
Exchange Trading Power
34
-- - - - -
Marco Resort and Club (#1861) 1 available units
Marco Island
FL, 34145
USA
map resort Available Unit Size
1 Bedroom
Check-In Date
31-Mar-2012
Exchange Trading Power
34

So, not being able to exchange into SW FL in January any more led to some major changes in our life . . . we bought a house there.

Then, as I have shared with one other here, this came along:

Sea Oats Beach Club (#0763) 1 available units
Englewood FL, 34223 USA
Available Unit Size 2 Bedroom
Check-In Date
05-Jan-2013
Exchange Trading Power
15


For whatever reason, that exchange changed to 17, then to 18, and my buddy took it yesterday.

From January 2012 to January 2013, RCI changed what it takes to get the same unit the same week at the same resort from over 30 to 15-18, an amount that would get it for us with the original deposits that were getting it in the one-for-one days.



Why don't they just make up their *&%$^**%^$# minds?

(hope that language is acceptable to all )
- - - - -
As a side-story, my buddy has a 36 deposit that is going to expire and doesn't have anything to use it on. So, he used a 30 to get this 18, and got 12 back.

Just before the 36 expires, he will combine the 12 with it, and then have 48 for two years . . . unless they change that.

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

I keep TRYING to understand this insanity, when I have time, and I can't wrap my mind around a lot of it. I honestly don't think that RCI knows either. They just make it up as they go along.

I'm out for the most part. I in-house trade with no exchange fee (what used to be a demon trader) and I'm allowed to rent that exchange if I want. Mostly use it to see DOD in shoulder season now. Used to get everything and has been deemed a dog at TP of 17.

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

What was in will be out, so what was out will be in.

Today's revelers will be tomorrow's whiners.



Remember the 2 skunks, In and Out? Out would not go out when In was out . . . Instinct.

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

What was in will be out, so what was out will be in.

It is my last ownership week. I am not giving RCI a week that costs me $600 per anum for 17 points. I can get Laguna Surf or San Luis Bay Inn even Pono Kai at no additional cost and I'm content with those.

If I want to go further astray there is the rental market which is HUGE and relatively cheap.

Screw Rent Condos Instead.

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

Screw Rent Condos Instead.

Wow!

Good thing I didn't say that.

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

Wow!

Good thing I didn't say that.

Yeah I'll probably be censored....I'm in a mood. A few people here know how I get when I'm cranky.

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

I keep TRYING to understand this insanity

Why? Take advantage when things are broken in your favor, and pass when they are broken in ways that don't help you.

For the most part, the valuations make sense. Every once in a while, something doesn't. For example, I was looking at a resort just yesterday---coastal, in season---where the 2BRs over one particular month were *less* than the 1BRs. Only that particular month; everything else made sense. Did I rend my clothes and wear ashes and sackcloth? No. I tipped someone off who was looking for that area in season and said "Book it, Dano."

Ultimately, I'm convinced that the insanity has always been there. Making valuations visible just makes it more obvious.

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

Well It has worked for me. I have a resort that we want to go to 4 times per year. In prime summer they go for 25-30 points. The rest of the year they go for 5-15 points.

So a traded my former tiger trader that now gets 27 tpus for a Southern Ca week that gets 53 TPUs - permanent deed transfer with someone that will go to that former tiger every year so tpu's don't matter to them.

So I can take my 53 TPUS and get 3-4 weeks at the resort we plan to go to 4 times per year.

RCI gets 3-4 exchange fees and I save lots of $$$ versus 4 week for week exchanges.

Now my 3 bedroom co summer week will only go to TPI or Platinum where size matters because RCI only values it at 17 TPUs.

Part of the fun is learning to play the game.... have a glass of wine and and readjust often

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

I know this is a little off topic, and do not know if there is a way to take this post and move it into a new thread so if it can be I would prefer it.

So my question is what is the difference (if any) between a "Tiger" trader and a "Demon" trader. From what I have read, a Tiger is basically just a good resort, prime location / time that get's good trade up value and has low maintenance fees (correct me if I am wrong).

So is a Demon trader even better?

I keep TRYING to understand this insanity, when I have time, and I can't wrap my mind around a lot of it. I honestly don't think that RCI knows either. They just make it up as they go along.

I'm out for the most part. I in-house trade with no exchange fee (what used to be a demon trader) and I'm allowed to rent that exchange if I want. Mostly use it to see DOD in shoulder season now. Used to get everything and has been deemed a dog at TP of 17.

[joycapecod Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close joycapecod]

I know this is a little off topic, and do not know if there is a way to take this post and move it into a new thread so if it can be I would prefer it.

So my question is what is the difference (if any) between a "Tiger" trader and a "Demon" trader. From what I have read, a Tiger is basically just a good resort, prime location / time that get's good trade up value and has low maintenance fees (correct me if I am wrong).

So is a Demon trader even better?

They are just different terms for the same thing. A tiger used toi be able to see most everything in the system, as was a demon (term rarely used). It honestly didn't have as much to do with the resort being "good" (since my little motel conversion was a "tiger" or "demon" if you prefer). What has happened is that RCI has realigned so much that overbuilt areas (think Orlando, Williamsburg, Branson) now get huge TPU for deposit and some of the amazing trading weeks get zilch. Now, there are a few trading weeks (in the old system) that still get great TPU for what they are (and considering WHAT they are) but that has and is becoming more and more rare.

Point in case, I can trade in to one of those really upscale Bonnet Creek weeks for less that one half the TPU given for a deposit in that aforementioned motel conversion. I can get a 3 bedroom house at Summer Bay Houses for less than half of the motel conversion. Does this make sense, heck no, but I really do need to see what is being offered to owners to deposit those Orlando units.

Joy

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

Why? Take advantage when things are broken in your favor, and pass when they are broken in ways that don't help you.

For the most part, the valuations make sense. Every once in a while, something doesn't. For example, I was looking at a resort just yesterday---coastal, in season---where the 2BRs over one particular month were *less* than the 1BRs. Only that particular month; everything else made sense. Did I rend my clothes and wear ashes and sackcloth? No. I tipped someone off who was looking for that area in season and said "Book it, Dano."

Ultimately, I'm convinced that the insanity has always been there. Making valuations visible just makes it more obvious.

Years ago, when I bought my remaining week, I bought the size that I would most likely need. I believed RCI would become more size oriented. I am not wailing about how my week was treated because I bought one that has a little mini-system with resorts in places I enjoy going.

I do like things to make some sort of sense. I like knowing about when WM and WYN will deposit 10 months out. I have been sitting and watching Morritts Tortuga and Grand for some time now because they are overdue. That's another location that can be had reasonably and it's my favorite caribbean island after STJ.

I do not thing Smuggs is being treated fairly. A one bedroom summer week in Wisconsin Dells should not cost more than a one bedroom summer week at Smuggs but at least it gives the typical owner the ability to go there every four years I don't think Orlando and Williamsburg should be getting such astounding rewards for deposits either. (Note to self: Check how things are in Branson)

I'm seeing more of resorts that I rarely if ever saw on-line and that's a good thing. If they are radically rated and I want to go I cross my fingers that they can be attained with points.

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

For example, I was looking at a resort just yesterday---coastal, in season---where the 2BRs over one particular month were *less* than the 1BRs. Only that particular month; everything else made sense. Did I rend my clothes and wear ashes and sackcloth? No. I tipped someone off who was looking for that area in season and said "Book it, Dano."

Sounds like me talking to my buddy the other night for the Sea Oats unit.

He kept saying, "Why do I want it?"

I kept saying, "Cuz it's such a great deal, a mistake." Also, unsaid, because then they will not need to stay with us and we will have private beach access and a sunset party/chickee hut for a week.

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

RCI's valuation numbers are as often screwey as making sense. They systematically overpoint certain types of weeks, like those from developers still in sales and in overbuilt areas, and systematically underpoint others, such as sold out resorts in rare, hard to get areas. That valuations in RCI Points and RCI ''Points Lite'' often are quite different. Look at numbers for southern England outside Cornwall, for example.

Why? Take advantage when things are broken in your favor, and pass when they are broken in ways that don't help you.

For the most part, the valuations make sense. Every once in a while, something doesn't. For example, I was looking at a resort just yesterday---coastal, in season---where the 2BRs over one particular month were *less* than the 1BRs. Only that particular month; everything else made sense. Did I rend my clothes and wear ashes and sackcloth? No. I tipped someone off who was looking for that area in season and said "Book it, Dano."

Ultimately, I'm convinced that the insanity has always been there. Making valuations visible just makes it more obvious.

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

http://www.timeshareforums.com/forum...23-2013-a.html

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

There are so many areas either grossly overpointed or grossly underpointed that it really makes one wonder about RCI's agenda. It underlines the fact that partial transparency in what RCI is doing can only make things worse. What is needed is full transparency, and that means revealing the formula for setting these numbers (if there even is one!) and the data behind them. Until that happens, RCI's numbers will reek of corruption.

IMHO the most likely explanation is that it is an attempt to set up a cover for the next class action to try to defend RCI's rentals to the general public from the exchange bank. The weeks that they put into the pull to replace those they rent, they overpoint. The weeks they take out to rent, they underpoint.
No other explanation makes good sense. Of course, there is probably also some developer politics involved with some that are overpointed.

The easiest way to see which weeks are overpointed or underpointed is to compare the numbers of points lite RCI gives for a deposit of a week with the number it wants to trade in at the same point in time. If the number is the same, it is correctly valued. If they want fewer points for a trade in than they give for a deposit, the week is overpointed. If they give fewer points lite, then it is underpointed. The rare weeks are likely screwed the worst, the ones you only get with a search. Because these weeks almost never appear online, it is extremely difficult to make the comparision.

Years ago, when I bought my remaining week, I bought the size that I would most likely need. I believed RCI would become more size oriented. I am not wailing about how my week was treated because I bought one that has a little mini-system with resorts in places I enjoy going.

I do like things to make some sort of sense. I like knowing about when WM and WYN will deposit 10 months out. I have been sitting and watching Morritts Tortuga and Grand for some time now because they are overdue. That's another location that can be had reasonably and it's my favorite caribbean island after STJ.

I do not thing Smuggs is being treated fairly. A one bedroom summer week in Wisconsin Dells should not cost more than a one bedroom summer week at Smuggs but at least it gives the typical owner the ability to go there every four years I don't think Orlando and Williamsburg should be getting such astounding rewards for deposits either. (Note to self: Check how things are in Branson)

I'm seeing more of resorts that I rarely if ever saw on-line and that's a good thing. If they are radically rated and I want to go I cross my fingers that they can be attained with points.