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More Stuff That Doesn't Make Sense

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  • #16
    Here is another one. I regularly take a look at the UK on RCI.

    Broome Park, one of the UK resorts where one almost never sees a warm season week availible online and frequently has nothing at all availible online any time of year, recently had an availibility show up online at one of its smallest units, a studio for 2, in one of its most off season weeks, week 48. RCI wanted 19 points lite to trade in. The deposit calculator showed that they only gave 17 points lite for the deposit if done far enough in advance.

    So even for one of the least desirable weeks at this UK resort, RCI is wanting more points lite than it gave. Compare that to so many resorts in overbuilt Orlando where RCI regularly gives many more points lite for deposits than it charges for exchanges. These comparisions show the downright frauds that are baked into the Points Lite cake.

    Now, looking at the other end at the same UK resort. The Deposit Calculator shows that Broome Park only has one 2BR unit, the rest being either 1BR or studios. For a summer school holiday week, week 31, the points calculator shows that RCI would give 29 points lite for a deposit, less than they would give for some of those Florida resorts where RCI is always awash in excess deposits. Wonder what RCI would charge for an exchange IN to that week? Twice what they gave the owner who deposits it? Hard to tell since such weeks almost never show up online. They usually get snagged by ongoing searchs, an opaque part of the system where RCI can squeeze members for even more points lite.

    In short, Broome Park, like many UK resorts is getting fraudulently abused by RCI in its Points Lite numbers racket, and the better weeks are getting whacked the worst.

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    • #17
      Originally posted by Carolinian View Post
      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.
      Bet money there isn't one. If I go in through BG, I'm paying on a totally different points system that is pretty clearly based on BGs internal system to some extent -- i.e., the Orlando resorts are all priced so that using the two in-system resorts there looks like a pretty good deal. The "logic" to it is that BG got to dictate some of the points pricing. Assuming it's legal (and I know of no reason it wouldn't be), I'm sure there are all kinds of deals where RCI agrees to give certain resorts so many points per deposit to keep them (or their club, as with the various points systems) trading within RCI.

      What RCI generally charges for staying at the resorts is probably more directly based on supply and demand, but even there I expect that the deals with points systems will skew things a bit. I'm less likely to trade through RCI for an Orlando resort than I would have been before they set up the BG points system, because I don't get nearly as good a deal as I would have. If a lot of BG owners share my perspective, that'll cut demand at Orlando a bit, possibly making it cheaper for those who are seeing TPUs.

      OTOH, I'm also not going to trade a Big Cedar studio into RCI in hopes of snagging a Fountains 2 BR, because it's no longer possible, so by getting this agreement with RCI, Bluegreen probably opened up some of the units in high demand within the system and, at the same time, made sure all owners were paying the same number of points for BG resorts. So for BG owners who have no idea what great deals people used to be able to get, it's totally a win-win situation. And apparently more BG owners are now trading through RCI, which I guess is good.

      So it could be argued that, at least in the case of Bluegreen, the changes are to the majority's benefit. But it's a major bummer for those who did the work to find out how to use the old system to their advantage.

      Comment


      • #18
        Originally posted by JLB View Post
        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.
        Actually, today's whiners will be tomorrow's whiners. Once a whiner, always a whiner.
        My Rental Site
        My Resale Site

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        • #19
          Here, here. I agree. (third post so I can enter an ad??-- who made this rule?)

          Comment


          • #20
            I agree with you that much of the RCI numbers system is likely to be arbitrary or insider deals with certain developers. I suspect that one influence is also RCI trying to prepare a defense for the next class action suit. Even the judge who allowed the parties' ''settlement'' to go through noted that with only temporary substantive relief, it just opened the door to another similar suit down the road. The points lite values out seem more consistent with supply and demand and are probably true values, but the numbers different for deposits seem skewed for a variety of reasons.

            I had a personal face to face conversation with an executive at Barrier Island Station who described to me the then-ongoing negotiation between BIS and RCI over the RCI Points values to be given to their resorts. Anyone who thinks this horsetrading or politicking between RCI and developers does not go on is just naive. That is one of the reasons why transparency of the formula to set the numbers and transparency of the data behind the numbers are absolute necessities to have a fair and honest system of published numbers. The one advantage to members of the non-published valuations was that there was no incentive for developers to politick RCI for higher numbers.

            It is also to compare the relative value of weeks between the RCI Points values and the Points Lite (''Weeks'') value and too often they are wildly inconsistent, at least at most of the places I have looked at.

            Originally posted by Hobbitess
            Bet money there isn't one. If I go in through BG, I'm paying on a totally different points system that is pretty clearly based on BGs internal system to some extent -- i.e., the Orlando resorts are all priced so that using the two in-system resorts there looks like a pretty good deal. The "logic" to it is that BG got to dictate some of the points pricing. Assuming it's legal (and I know of no reason it wouldn't be), I'm sure there are all kinds of deals where RCI agrees to give certain resorts so many points per deposit to keep them (or their club, as with the various points systems) trading within RCI.

            What RCI generally charges for staying at the resorts is probably more directly based on supply and demand, but even there I expect that the deals with points systems will skew things a bit. I'm less likely to trade through RCI for an Orlando resort than I would have been before they set up the BG points system, because I don't get nearly as good a deal as I would have. If a lot of BG owners share my perspective, that'll cut demand at Orlando a bit, possibly making it cheaper for those who are seeing TPUs.

            OTOH, I'm also not going to trade a Big Cedar studio into RCI in hopes of snagging a Fountains 2 BR, because it's no longer possible, so by getting this agreement with RCI, Bluegreen probably opened up some of the units in high demand within the system and, at the same time, made sure all owners were paying the same number of points for BG resorts. So for BG owners who have no idea what great deals people used to be able to get, it's totally a win-win situation. And apparently more BG owners are now trading through RCI, which I guess is good.

            So it could be argued that, at least in the case of Bluegreen, the changes are to the majority's benefit. But it's a major bummer for those who did the work to find out how to use the old system to their advantage.

            Comment


            • #21
              Originally posted by BocaBum99
              Actually, today's whiners will be tomorrow's whiners. Once a whiner, always a whiner.
              Once a insulter, always an insulter.

              RCI Member Since 24-Aug-1989/150-plus Exchanges***THE TIMESHARE GRIM REAPER~~~Exchanging/Searching/SW Florida/MO/AR/IA/Consumer Advocacy/Estate Planning/Sports/Boating/Fishing/Golf/Lake-living/Retirement****Sometimes ya just gotta be a dick

              Comment


              • #22
                2 Bedrooms 6 (4) Full Sat 05-Jan-2013 Sat 12-Jan-2013 Exchange Fee 16
                2 Bedrooms 6 (4) Full Sat 12-Jan-2013 Sat 19-Jan-2013 Exchange Fee 15
                2 Bedrooms 6 (4) Full Sat 19-Jan-2013 Sat 26-Jan-2013 Exchange Fee 17
                2 Bedrooms 6 (4) Full Sat 26-Jan-2013 Sat 02-Feb-2013 Exchange Fee 27
                RCI Member Since 24-Aug-1989/150-plus Exchanges***THE TIMESHARE GRIM REAPER~~~Exchanging/Searching/SW Florida/MO/AR/IA/Consumer Advocacy/Estate Planning/Sports/Boating/Fishing/Golf/Lake-living/Retirement****Sometimes ya just gotta be a dick

                Comment


                • #23
                  Originally posted by JLB View Post
                  2 Bedrooms 6 (4) Full Sat 05-Jan-2013 Sat 12-Jan-2013 Exchange Fee 16
                  2 Bedrooms 6 (4) Full Sat 12-Jan-2013 Sat 19-Jan-2013 Exchange Fee 15
                  2 Bedrooms 6 (4) Full Sat 19-Jan-2013 Sat 26-Jan-2013 Exchange Fee 17
                  2 Bedrooms 6 (4) Full Sat 26-Jan-2013 Sat 02-Feb-2013 Exchange Fee 27
                  Where is this? A lot of our in-system resorts kick up about the end of January for some reason. Arizona, Aruba and some Florida, if I remember rightly. I always figured it was because people who vacationed for Christmas took a month off before they wanted to go again, and when they went, they wanted it warm.

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Non-Disney, Snowbird Florida.

                    Really nit-picking, and overcharging, for just one week's difference.
                    RCI Member Since 24-Aug-1989/150-plus Exchanges***THE TIMESHARE GRIM REAPER~~~Exchanging/Searching/SW Florida/MO/AR/IA/Consumer Advocacy/Estate Planning/Sports/Boating/Fishing/Golf/Lake-living/Retirement****Sometimes ya just gotta be a dick

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Originally posted by lawren2 View Post
                      Yeah I'll probably be censored....I'm in a mood. A few people here know how I get when I'm cranky.
                      I didn't think a Malibu Beach Barbi COULD be "censored" - wow I learn something every day.

                      Rick

                      "You've got as much time to get outta Dodge as it takes to saddle up"
                      Matt Dillon

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Originally posted by JLB View Post
                        Once a insulter, always an insulter.

                        Wow - I'd get censored if I said that!
                        Rick

                        "You've got as much time to get outta Dodge as it takes to saddle up"
                        Matt Dillon

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Originally posted by ampaholic View Post
                          Wow - I'd get censored if I said that!
                          Guess the censorer just figured it was a draw . . . one insult answering another insult.

                          Delete both or delete neither.
                          RCI Member Since 24-Aug-1989/150-plus Exchanges***THE TIMESHARE GRIM REAPER~~~Exchanging/Searching/SW Florida/MO/AR/IA/Consumer Advocacy/Estate Planning/Sports/Boating/Fishing/Golf/Lake-living/Retirement****Sometimes ya just gotta be a dick

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